Make Play Work is a business development programme focused on helping childcare business owners take back control of their business and start running them instead of them running you.

Since 2020 I’ve run my signature programme known as BBB or Bold Business Builders. This year, I’m doing things a bit differently because the landscape in which you as a childcare business is operating is different. It’s still the culmination of my 20 year career supporting people to build successful, sustainable, childcare businesses and it’s still going to gently challenge, reframe and grow your understanding and skills in tackling the business side of your operations, it’s just got a new structure, new material and a new name! Let me tell you more…

Dealing with uncertainty is something that we’re actually really good at …. kids just bring a whole extra degree of chaos, and our plans never stay the same, so our everyday practice naturally reflects that. But, when it comes to our businesses, uncertainty is the thing that keeps us up at night. Are we making the right decision? What are all the things that we need to consider? What if we do this? What will the impact be on our kids, families, staff, school, finances, future, on me? (Yes, I see you and I know that you will be the last consideration on the list…).

Most business owners I work with have realised that they need to get a hold of their business so they can start running it, instead of it running them. Others because they didn’t get where they are because they’re business people trying to understand childcare … we’re childcare people trying to understand business!

This programme is designed to give you what you haven’t had before; a framework for understanding your childcare business, tackling the biggest pressures you’re facing in 2024 and across the next few years and a structure for helping you make good decisions about the business side of operating a childcare setting. What you need, right now is different to what I’ve run before, so here’s Make Play Work to help you fall back in love with your business again and start feeling that you’re finally in control.

Since I started this programme, there have been more and more challenges sent to test wraparound business owners; financially it’s quite simply really, really tough. Recruiting and retaining staff to work sometimes difficult hours has never been more challenging and we continue to see schools who are seeking to plug the gaps in their shrinking budgets and pupil numbers by taking wraparound in house. Those are three common challenges providers tell me they’re struggling with.

Now, there’s the added conundrum for wraparound providers of trying to work out if there’s a good opportunity for them under the National Wraparound Childcare Programme! As ever, things keep moving and things keep changing. We’ve adapted the programme to reflect this and rather than running the programme as people needed it in 2020 when I first launched it, we’ve re-shaped it to give you what you need, right now, because I believe that doing things the right way isn’t always the easy way.

This programme used to be delivered in weekly sessions over 10 weeks with some weeks set aside for implementation. Now we will deliver the programme over 10 months so that during each month, you do the work to put what you’ve learned in place.

What I’ve learned is this: the magic of this programme isn’t in the stuff you’ll learn but in the doing of the actual work. It’s about implementation … you can learn all the things, but unless you do the work nothing will change. You’ve probably heard me say that nothing changes if nothing changes, and that’s because it’s true. What’s right at one point isn’t always right for now.

The programme has been re-designed to get you in the best business shape to make good decisions about whether and how to respond to the roll out of the National Wraparound Childcare Programme. Each of the monthly sessions will focus on what you need to be doing in that month to get ready to take advantage of the NWCP, with some overlap to make sure you’re all set for what comes next. Yes, the NWCP is important, but even if you decide not to expand or grow your business or you’re not in wraparound, the programme will set you up for a good, sustainable business future.

Make Play Work happens in 10 months so between March and December 2024, you will learn what you need to know and start taking the steps you need to take to transform your business for a sustainable future.

This is about getting you in great business shape for 2024 and beyond and many people who do the programme won’t be thinking about expansion or growth, they will just be looking to feel more knowledgeable and more in control of their business practices. There is no secret insider information about the wraparound programme, but the work you will do will be structured to help you make good decisions in a timeframe to respond if you decide you want to.

Goal setting and time management work

Can feel a bit uncomfortable, but you need to understand what you want to achieve so you can make your business work for you, whilst finding the time to do it too

Market Analysis

Understanding the market and your place within it, who your competitors are, what the future looks like. The power of tools to help you

Financial planning & good practice

You can’t ignore the finances and need to stop running your business on what’s in the bank account. Cash flow forecasting, break even points, pricing models and more!

Business Strategy & Planning

This isn’t about writing a long and boring business plan that no one (not even you) will ever read. This is about looking to the future and making good decisions

Leadership & Management

Leaders aren’t the same as managers! Leadership isn’t the same as management. Knowing the difference is key – knowing what makes a difference is the magic

Branding & Marketing

No more cookie cutter approaches. Work out how to create a brand that stands out and how to make the most of your marketing resources to attract the right people into your setting

Recruitment and Retention

Rethinking recruitment and retention in 2024 – why employee wellbeing isn’t the issue and how you can build recruitment into your success plan for your business to keep the best people long term.

Each month there is an online, 2 hour learning session going over what you need to know and understand so you can start putting it in place.

Then there are two optional sessions throughout the month:

One online 2 hour co-working session to prioritise time do some of the work, and a one hour Q&A session at the end of the month to mop up anything that’s come up throughout the learning or the implementation.

Each taught session is backed up with a pdf workbook to guide you to do the work. Any tools you need, such as a marketing cheat sheet, cash flow and budget spreadsheet, business health check tool and lots more are included in the programme.

You’ll need a 2-hour minimum commitment for the learning session.

There are up to 5 hours contact time available throughout the month.

To get the work done in your business, you may need to commit additional time throughout the month, but this is up to you and will be different for each person depending on what you want to focus on, where you’re at and what you want to achieve.  

Throughout the programme, you will also get access to additional learning sessions with sector experts:

• Getting it Right Legally Workshop (Valued at £50 per person)
• Tendering for Opportunities Workshop (Valued at £35 per person)
• Building an Inclusive and Sustainable Setting (Valued at £50 per person)
• How to Approach Schools and LA’s with confidence (Valued at £25 per person)

Total value of the extra sessions is equivalent to one month extra of the programme.

All sessions will be recorded and uploaded for you to access via OOSA Academy throughout the programme and for 12 months after the end of the programme. Access will end at the end of 2025 to give you a target to do the actual work.

You will also get access to a private WhatsApp group for community and support throughout the duration of the programme.