Work Matters: Management - Focus - Joining the Dots

The ability to spot a market gap has enabled Nikki Stanley to buck the current economic trend and set up a brand new nursery in Charteris, Cambridgeshire.

Ms Stanley was in the army for 14 years and recently retrained as a mortgage advisor. However, when she found that there was no provision for her two young children in Charteris, she decided to explore the possibility of starting her own nursery, called Dots 2 Tots.

'The first thing I did was a leaflet drop around the town just to see what interest there was,' she says. 'There was a very good response which seemed to bear out my initial idea. I then approached Cambridgeshire children's services department and over the last year they have been very supportive, guiding me through the process of setting up.'

One respondent to the leaflet drop was Zoe Hubbard, who is now employed by Ms Stanley as her nursery manager. 'Zoe was in an assistant manager role and wanted to take a step up to a position that didn't involve a commute. We immediately got on very well, and with Zoe's experience in the sector, she has been invaluable in helping me to get started.'

Ms Stanley was working part-time for an estate agent when she spotted her ideal property.

'The first time I sought finance to buy the property I was refused. However, I remained focused and pursued planning permission. With this in place I eventually went to back to the bank, with more business evidence. This included the promise of a grant from the council, a detailed financial and development plan and the results of a questionnaire that had been sent out to health visitors and other local professionals. This time the bank agreed.'

Dots 2 Tots opened on 11 May and is registered for 19 children although it plans to increase this to 34. It currently has 11 children on roll and Ms Stanley says that it is dealing with a flood of enquiries.

'The house has a very wide staircase and landing, so we are using the landing as an additional room. The windows in the property are large, so it is very light, and we have a spacious garden with a grass area and patio.'

Ms Stanley has employed two full-time staff and will be working full-time in the nursery herself, handling the cooking and administration. Supply cover will be provided consistently by an experienced local practitioner who is prepared to work flexibly. Job applications have been flooding in since the nursery advertised and these will all be kept on file for future reference.

'Zoe has a lot of experience, is qualified to level 3 and is currently studying for a foundation degree,' says Ms Stanley. 'I intend to start studying myself for a childcare qualification, but in the meantime I am happy to rely on Zoe's expertise.'

She adds, 'If there had already been a local nursery here I would not have considered taking it on. But given the lack of provision, and the high cost of nursery care in Cambridge itself, we are well-placed to flourish.'

Dots2tots@hotmail.com