Accurate reporting and data on nursery business performance enables funding for further expansion
Manor Day Nurseries established in 2014 is growing a private nursery group in the North West. Its first nursery, Gelston Manor is a large converted period home situated in acres of woodland near Chorley, Lancashire. The group opened its second nursery, Little Manor Day Nursery in nearby Adlington, Lancashire in September 2020.
Owned by business partners Simon Capper and Neil Ward, the nursery group has built up a strong reputation for outstanding childcare in the region. Originally the partner’s wives worked together as childminders. With ever increasing enquiries, they realised they were better placed to open a nursery. Today the group has responsibility for around 150 children and has xx staff across the two sites.
Meaningful data aids Manor Day Nurseries future growth plans
When Gelston Manor first opened it was using a competitor nursery management software system, but after just six months Simon realised it wasn’t meeting their needs.
“We became aware that children’s booking patterns were going missing in the system, so it was making it near impossible to accurately invoice using it. On speaking to technical support they informed me it was something they could do within the next upgrade. How long was that away? I had no idea. I needed it today,” explains Simon.
“We felt like we were just a small fish to them, so we started to look around for an alternative and came upon Nursery In a Box. Our initial conversations with Nursery In a Box founders Dave and Milesh made us feel confident in moving to their system and we’ve not looked back.
“I would say they are ahead of their game. They understand the issues faced by nurseries. It’s a brilliant software solution and it’s undoubtedly allowed me to manage the business much more efficiently.”
Simon is responsible for the day-to-day running of the nurseries from an administrative side and he is constantly assured by the accuracy of data within the Nursery In a Box enabling him to make meaningful decisions.
“I would definitely say that Nursery In a Box has been a huge influence on our business plan going forward. It has enabled us to hand over detailed and accurate data on our first nursery’s performance to the accountants and bank, allowing us to make a viable case for opening our second site. It has provided real powerful knowledge on how our nurseries will perform going forward. I could confidently tell you right now how many children will be in our two nurseries in three years’ time.
“From a parent’s perspective it gives us the ability to accurately communicate – and not just about invoicing. For example, when a new enquiry is received from a parent, Nursery In a Box can tell us if that space is going to be available for the whole three years, they may require via the occupancy tracker. We can be transparent and clear in our communications.
“It also helps me a lot to know that my monthly invoices (over 100) can be sent out in just 30 seconds at the push of a button and they’ll be right!”
If you want a friendly chat about the possibilities for your nursery, then call Dave Elebert on 07970 745561. He’s been a nursery owner – sat where you are, and understands your challenges.
Start your free trial
