Early Years Business Support

In these pages you will find information and advice on running a childcare business.  All registered nurseries, pre-schools and childminders have access to the Early Years Advisory Team who can offer support and advice.

Please email eyat@iow.gov.uk

Business support tools and guidance

Whether you are starting a new childcare business or need to make some changes to your existing provision, having the right tools to help can make all the difference. In this section we have created a number of resources and have provided links to organisations and business tools that can help.

Business support tools:

• If you are thinking of providing Early Years Education (EYE) funding

Sure Start Information Guides for planning and running your business

• Knowing your business – using your information to improve your business
• Managing finance
• Managing your childcare business
• Marketing your childcare business
• Pricing your childcare service
• Planning for business success – a foundation module
• Mind your Business – a guide to successful self-employment for childminders
• Working with Parents – a guide to creating effective working relationships for childminders
• Four key financial documents for childcare settings
• Working out cash flow for forecasts and budgets
• Petty Cash
• Business Plan template provided on the GOV.UK website 
• Supporting Early Years Providers to run sustainable businesses
• Workforce Strategy provided on the GOV.UK website 

HMRC

• Guidance and Support 
• Help and support if you’re self-employed
• Workplace Pensions 
• HMRC Self Assessment Ready Reckoner 
• National Minimum Wage and Living Wage and calculator 
• HMRC Partner Products and Services 
• Tax Free childcare Toolkit 
• Tax free childcare – childcare providers 
• Childcare Choices – Information for parents and providers 

  Starting out in Childcare

• Assessing the sustainability of a setting 
• Becoming a childminder
• Business Competition Grid 
• Swot analysis 
• VAT guide 
• Data Protection information provided by ICO. 
• How to form a committee
• Types of Legal Structures and Organisations

Different types of childcare

The different types of childcare available to you are as listed below.

• Childminder
• Childminder Agencies (CMA)
• Crèche
• Day Nursery
• Emergency Childcare
• Holiday Play scheme
• Nanny
• Nursery School or Class
• Out of School Club
• Pre School
• Parent and Toddler Group

Ofsted

• Early Years and Childcare registration handbook 

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

•  Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework

More information and support

There are other organisations that can offer guidance and support:

• National Day Nurseries Association provide support for NDA members, information and advice, childcare training and a quality improvement scheme, e-Quality Counts
• Early Years Alliance is an early years membership organisation and voluntary sector provider of quality affordable childcare and education in England and provides support to EYA members, information and advice, publications and childcare training
• Business Smart is funded by the DfE and provides ideas, inspiration and tools to help new and existing childcare practitioners develop and maintain a sustainable business
• PACEY offers support and guidance to deliver high standards of care and learning
• Coram Family and Childcare focuses on childcare and early years to make a difference to families' lives now and in the long term
• DfE has advice, examples and resources to help early years providers run a sustainable childcare business support for early years providers of all sizes to build sustainable and successful businesses and help them access the business support they need

Useful Council Pages

• Planning Department 
• Economic Development