opening a day nursery

[o8sp]

i have 2 young children and would like to start my own business. people keep telling me i should open a nursery which seems like a good idea. what are the pitfalls of starting a nursery and where can i find out about regulations etc. also what sort of profit margins are there and what would start up costs be?

[Buenchico]

You can find out about the regulations here:
http://www.ndna.org.uk/document_tree/ViewACategory.asp?C *********=73

Chris

[Buenchico]

That's the third time this week that AB has tried to edit a link just because it contains the letters y, i and d in succession! It still seems to work though!

Chris

[Top Turkey]

I think you would need to look into all of the insurance issues of looking after children and also you will need to get regular visits by Oftsted I would have thought. Certainly my son's nursery is Ofsted inspected and I wouldn't send him to one that wasn't or had a rubbish report.

You'll need some capital outlay for toys and activities and also some cooking facilities if you are looking at having children all day. You'll also have to do some market research to see what competition you have locally.

Personally, I think it would take a long time to make any profit, especially if all of the administration and legal stuff on childcare would be new to you.

Good luck though.

[nfn]

would you be better off as a childminder in your own home. It can be very lucrative. The red tape involved in day nurseries is astounding. Very good luck with whatever you decide to do.