A Guide to Developing Private Childcare in Fife is a practical resource which aims to help people turn their ambitions into a successful, quality childcare business. Areas it covers in detail include developing a business outline for a nursery, identifying local demand, assessing costs, registration and marketing and launching the business.
The guide also draws on the experiences of two local nursery owners who established their own businesses. They advise would-be nursery operators, 'Make sure that you understand the market. Having no childcare facilities does not necessarily mean that there is a need for the provision, as the market could be commuter-oriented and parents might take the children to their area of work.'
One of the owners says new businesses should be prepared to spend a lot on their internal equipment, and should always double-check references when employing staff.
It is hoped that the guide will answer many of the frequently asked questions about starting a nursery and make the whole process easier, with benefits for local childcare provision.
Yvonne Crombie, co-ordinator of Fife Childcare Partnership, said, 'We have seen an explosion of funding available to groups with a genuine commitment to develop new childcare services for Fife. Our partnership approach has successfully overseen the introduction of hundreds of new childcare places in the past few years.
'We recognise that setting up a private nursery can be a daunting prospect, but we don't want to see initiatives fail at the first hurdle. The creation of this guide to setting up a private nursery gives people step-by-step help to assist prospective nursery owners. It includes everything you would need to know, from identifying premises to writing a business plan.'
There is currently no charge for the guide, which is available from the Childcare Office, Unit 6/7 Pentland Court, Glenrothes KY6 2DA, or by calling 01592 774002.