Business support for childcare providers
We have a variety of packages of support to help you with all aspects of your childcare business, from providing financial planning advice to how best to market your services.
You'll also find links to business tools and useful information for new and existing childcare providers.
Day nurseries and pre-schools
If you're considering changes to your current business models you may need support. This could include:
remodelling the offer available to parents
changing opening times
changing capacity within the provision
altering staff hours
All of these options could be considered to help support the business and meet the needs of parents using your services and meeting the need of your business model.
We have packages of support available to be purchased to support you with your business planning.
Contact us at EarlyYearsCentre@lancashire.gov.uk to book your free 30-minute consultation.
Your consultation will help you to understand what support you need and if the packages of support available meet your needs or if a more bespoke package is needed.
Here are the packages we offer:
Package 1: Business support
Review whether current offer is this still meeting the needs of parents
Market research tool kit
Understanding the childcare market
Business planning
Modelling of childcare offer
Understanding the financial position forecasting tool
Breakeven and a cost analysis
Promoting and marketing your business
Up to 3 Microsoft Teams consultations and a site visit if required
Cost: £330
Package 2: Business planning and modelling your childcare offer
Understanding the childcare market
Business planning
Modelling of childcare offer
2 Microsoft Teams consultations
Cost: £245
Package 3: Financial planning
Understanding the financial position forecasting tool
Breakeven and a cost analysis
2 Microsoft Teams consultations
Cost: £245
Package 4: Marketing your business
Promoting and marketing your business tool kit
2 Microsoft Teams consultations
Cost: £185
Support for existing childcare providers with financial concerns
If you are an existing childcare provider concerned about the financial situation of your business, we can offer packages of support to help you further understand the position and the options available to you.
The packages available are bespoke and will require a 30-minute consultation so we can understand your position and develop a package of support to meet your requirements. The charge for the package of support will subject to the recommendations from the free consultation.
Support for schools who have existing maintained nursery classes, governor led provision (s27) or nursery schools or out of school provision.
If you're looking at your current offer, we can help. This can include:
re-organising the provision
extending the offer
reducing the offer
support with the staffing structure
moving location in the school
We have a variety of packages below, however a 30-minute consultation can identify the right package of support for you, please contact us:
Package 1: Business support
Review whether current offer is still meeting the needs of parents
Market research tool kit
Understanding the childcare market
Modelling of childcare offer
Understanding the financial position (support provided as a joint meeting with school finance)
Breakeven and a cost analysis (support provided as a joint meeting with school finance)
Promoting and marketing your business
Up to 2 Microsoft Teams consultations and a site visit if required
Cost: £330
Package 2: Business Planning and modelling your childcare offer
Understanding the childcare market
Business planning
Modelling of childcare offer – remodelling your existing offer, this can include staff to child ratio planning, support with the staffing structure
Financial planning (if required this will be a joint meeting with school planning)
2 Microsoft Teams consultations
Cost: £245
Package 3: Marketing your nursery
Promoting and marketing your business tool kit
2 Microsoft Teams consultations
Cost: £245
Support for school with concerns about the longer-term viability of the nursery
If you are a school concerned about the longer-term viability of your nursery, we can offer packages of support to help you further understand the position and the options available to you.
The packages available are bespoke and will require a 30-minute consultation so we can understand your position and develop a package of support to meet your requirements.
If you are considering changes to your current business models, you may need support. This could include:
remodelling the offer available to parents
changing opening times
changing capacity within the provision
altering staff hours
All of these options could be considered to help support the business and meet the needs of parents using your services and meeting the need of your business model.
We have packages of support available to be purchased to support you with your business planning.
Contact us at EarlyYearsCentre@lancashire.gov.uk to book your free 30-minute consultation.
Your consultation will help you to understand what support you need and if the packages of support available meet your needs or if a more bespoke package is needed.
Here are the packages we offer:
Package 1: Business Support
Review current offer is this still meeting the needs of parents
Market research tool kit
Understanding the childcare market
Business planning
Modelling of childcare offer
Understanding the financial position forecasting tool
Breakeven and a cost analysis
Promoting and marketing your business
This package includes up to 3 Microsoft teams consultations and a site visit if required
Cost: £330
Package 2: Business Planning and modelling your childcare offer
Understanding the childcare market
Business planning
Modelling of childcare offer
This package includes 2 Microsoft teams consultations
Cost: £245
Package 3: Financial Planning
Understanding the financial position forecasting tool
Breakeven and a cost analysis
This package includes 2 Microsoft teams consultations
Cost: £245
Package 4: Marketing your business
Promoting and marketing your business tool kit
This package includes 2 Microsoft teams consultations
Cost: £185
Support for existing childcare providers with financial concerns
If you are an existing childcare provider concerned about the financial situation of your business, we can offer packages of support to help you further understand the position and the options available to you.
The packages available are bespoke and will require a 30-minute consultation so we can understand your position and develop a package of support to meet your requirements.
Self-employment information
To find out about your self-employed status, self-employment information and support on GOV.UK is provided by HM Revenue and Customs including:
self-assessment help and deadlines
record keeping (including free webinar)
allowable business expenses
There is a ready reckoner on GOV.UK to help you budget for your tax bill.
The HMRC Business Income Manual sets out how much of your household bills, wear and tear on furnishings, food and drink and car expenses are 'allowable expenses' against your tax bill.
Business Smart
The PACEY Business Smart business support and tools are funded by the government and free to childminders. Although most are free, some are only available to PACEY members.
Best Start in Life
The Best Start in Life can help you to understand the government help with childcare costs for parents and your role in this, as well as answering some common questions and offering advice and support for children's development.
Employing an assistant
Our recruiting and managing staff page includes advice and information to support you with your employment responsibilities.
Here are some business tools and useful information for new and existing childcare providers.
Connecting with your business (DOCX 1.29 MB) - a booklet you can use to help you review your business plans. It contains useful prompts to help you think about your current business and how it needs to develop and grow in a changing environment.
Financial planning tool (XLSX 90 KB) - a spreadsheet to help you to better analyse your staffing expenditure against levels of occupancy and the income you receive for this.
Recruiting and managing staff - advice and information for day nurseries, pre-schools, childminders and out of schools. (School run nursery or out of school provision would seek advice from Schools HR).
You may also like to look at these websites:
Professional Association Childcare and Early Years (PACEY) Business Smart - a collection of ideas, inspiration and tools to help new and existing childcare practitioners develop and maintain a sustainable business.
Early Years Alliance - a suite of business support resources to help providers build and maintain effective business models for their settings.
Early Years Business Zone - a dedicated, free to access, online resource that is tailored to the specific needs of early years businesses.
DfE Early years business sustainability(GOV.UK) - Advice, examples and resources to help early years providers run a sustainable childcare business.
Make a court claim for money (GOV.UK) - If you or your business are owed money by another business, organisation or parents.
HM Revenue and Customs e-learning - an online training course developed with PACEY to help explain your responsibilities and obligations when it comes to tax and National Insurance. This comprehensive online training course from HMRC has been tailored especially to self-employed people.
The Best Start in Life can help you to understand the government help with childcare costs for parents and your role in this.