My Journey and Honest Advice for Early Years Entrepreneurs
As we move through 2025, I’ve been reflecting on my own journey in the early years sector and the realities of business ownership. Recently, I had the pleasure of joining The Voice of Early Childhood podcast to share my story, lessons learned, and advice for anyone considering starting their own business in childcare or education.
If you’re thinking about taking the leap-or are already deep in the trenches-I hope my experiences can offer some reassurance, inspiration, and practical tips. You’ll find the full episode embedded at the end of this post, and it’s also available on Spotify and all major podcast platforms.
How It All Began
My path into business wasn’t planned. I started out as a teacher and music specialist, completely dedicated to my role in the classroom. Everything changed when I went on maternity leave after completing my doctorate. Like so many parents, I began to see the early years world through new eyes-attending mother and baby classes, chatting with other parents, and visiting nurseries for my own child. Some of what I saw inspired me, but some things left me feeling children deserved better25.
It was during those long feeds and busy days that the idea of setting up my own nursery began to take shape. I wanted to create a setting where music, relationships, and high-quality education were at the heart of everything we did. With little in the way of savings (about £10,000 to get started!), but a lot of determination, I set up not just one, but two businesses: Do Re Mi Musical Learning for music classes, and Do Re Mi Day Nursery.
The Reality: It’s Hard Work
Let me be honest: those first years were tough. Long hours, endless painting and DIY, and juggling family life with running a business. My husband and I poured everything into making it work-he’d finish his engineering job and come help at the nursery, our family life revolved around the setting, and every penny counted. We started small and grew, always striving to do things differently and better, not just following the crowd25.
I didn’t have a nursery background, so I leaned on my experience as an educator and a parent, making decisions based on what I’d want for my own child. I also made sure to keep learning-training, studying, and staying up to date with best practice. If you’re considering this path, know that it’s a steep learning curve, and you’ll need to be prepared to wear many hats.
What Makes a Nursery Special?
One thing I learned early on is the importance of having a unique selling point (USP). For us, it was music and a strong focus on relationships. But it’s not just about what you offer-it’s about how you make people feel. Building a team, embedding your values, and making sure every child, parent, and staff member feels valued is what sets a setting apart.
Profit, Purpose, and Knowing When to Move On
It took time before the nursery made a profit, and there were moments when I wondered if it was all worth it. But seeing the difference we made for families kept me going. After a decade, with the nursery thriving and rated Outstanding, I made the difficult decision to move on for family reasons. Sometimes, knowing when to step back is just as important as knowing when to push forward.
New Chapters: Consultancy and The Little Coach House
Since leaving nursery ownership, I’ve thrown myself into consultancy-helping other nursery owners avoid some of the pitfalls I encountered-and co-running The Little Coach House, where we design and make educational resources. This new venture has brought its own learning curves (hello, online marketing and Instagram!), but it’s been a joy to keep growing and supporting the sector in new ways.
My Advice for Aspiring Owners
- There’s rarely a perfect time to start-sometimes you just have to take the leap.
- Be clear about what makes your setting unique and communicate it well.
- Don’t try to do everything alone; seek out support and expertise where you need it.
- Stay true to your values and keep learning.
- Remember, making a profit is necessary to sustain your vision and support your team.
If you’d like to hear more about my journey, the highs and lows, and my honest advice for anyone thinking of opening their own business in the early years sector, please listen to the full podcast episode below. You can also find it on Spotify and all major podcast platforms.
Thank you for reading-and if you’re on your own business journey, I’m cheering you on every step of the way!
