zigzag Posted March 30, 2019 Posted March 30, 2019 Blimey Finleysmaid you have had a good week, how on earth did you manage that? And can you give lessons? My aim was to work out opening hours for September, I am keen to go back to five mornings again, but this is proving very unpopular! Sat down today to try and work out the most cost effective and efficient way to open to try and please everyone. This has now turned into setting a date for an emergency meeting to discuss if we can even continue to open in September due to finances.😢 1 Quote
louby loo Posted March 30, 2019 Posted March 30, 2019 1 hour ago, zigzag said: Blimey Finleysmaid you have had a good week, how on earth did you manage that? And can you give lessons? My aim was to work out opening hours for September, I am keen to go back to five mornings again, but this is proving very unpopular! Sat down today to try and work out the most cost effective and efficient way to open to try and please everyone. This has now turned into setting a date for an emergency meeting to discuss if we can even continue to open in September due to finances.😢 What times to you currently open? x Quote
finleysmaid Posted March 30, 2019 Posted March 30, 2019 1 hour ago, zigzag said: Blimey Finleysmaid you have had a good week, how on earth did you manage that? And can you give lessons? My aim was to work out opening hours for September, I am keen to go back to five mornings again, but this is proving very unpopular! Sat down today to try and work out the most cost effective and efficient way to open to try and please everyone. This has now turned into setting a date for an emergency meeting to discuss if we can even continue to open in September due to finances.😢 I keep telling myself there are only two answers...and if you don't ask you don't get!! I had one knockback from an online retailer...but their product was well priced anyway so I wasn't too worried. The builders were truly lovely about it and got quite excited! I promised them a photo for their website of some of the things the children do with the bits! I Guess the other thing is not to expect a discount and to be humble about asking and to say it's ok for them to say no. This seems to persuade them in to saying yes!!! we've changed a few things for September again to ensure the business works. ...wouldn't it be nice to stay the same for a while!!?? 1 Quote
zigzag Posted March 30, 2019 Posted March 30, 2019 1 hour ago, louby loo said: What times to you currently open? x Monday and Wednesday 9-3 and Friday 9-12. We knew that this year we would be running at a loss but decided we could absorb that but looking ahead to September onwards I fail to see how we can go on. We are a tiny rural village, no affordable housing has been built in the last 7 years and the children just are not here. We have had the most fabulous numbers for the last ten years and knew it would end one day! We are down to 12 now and will be losing six to school. No pay rises this year for three of us and only an increase for one to meet minimum wage. I am buying minimum stuff and a lot more through the fundraising account. This term we are down to pennies in the bank account and rent is due on the 1st and funding is not going in until 19th. Am having to transfer money out of the deposit account to get us through and delay paying my wages so that it can be covered. Also doing a lot more work unpaid because I know the situation. Have called a meeting as I need others on board with this but really do not know what can be done. Any ideas? 1 Quote
Panders Posted March 30, 2019 Posted March 30, 2019 Do you believe there are children out there and parents are unaware you exist? Could get local newspaper involved a sort of "use it or lose it' campaign. Where will the little ones you have that are not going on to school go if you close? Could you amalgamate with another group? Is there a thriving mums and toddler group nearby? Quote
finleysmaid Posted March 31, 2019 Posted March 31, 2019 good questions from Panders. Do your parents work and therefore need more hours? 4 staff seems a lot for 12 children...do you need to cut staff costs? Have you cut costs to the absolute minimum? parents providing snacks/extras etc?? Could you run on 2 staff and a parents rota? make it a community setting ?? there are some settings operating like this and have become a beacon of new ideas. can you offer any additional services??? maybe that other bigger settings can't??? (music sessions/story sessions/stay and play/ messy play/creche/ forest school/beach school/dance/painting/sculpture etc etc etc!!! ) whatever could give you a USP to beat any competition and bring people in from surrounding villages??? 1 Quote
zigzag Posted March 31, 2019 Posted March 31, 2019 With regards to the staff, myself and deputy work all the hours we open and then my two very loyal staff work 3.5 hours each. They were reduced to one session each when numbers got low and am so lucky that they are both in a position to be flexible to increase decrease when needed. I refuse to let them go, they are so loyal and one has been there 24 years and the other 10 years. We cannot open more hours as we can’t afford the hours we open now! I only have two working parents. We are a tiny community so everyone knows about us! Costs are at a minimum, parents pay for snack etc. Quote
finleysmaid Posted March 31, 2019 Posted March 31, 2019 12 minutes ago, zigzag said: With regards to the staff, myself and deputy work all the hours we open and then my two very loyal staff work 3.5 hours each. They were reduced to one session each when numbers got low and am so lucky that they are both in a position to be flexible to increase decrease when needed. I refuse to let them go, they are so loyal and one has been there 24 years and the other 10 years. We cannot open more hours as we can’t afford the hours we open now! I only have two working parents. We are a tiny community so everyone knows about us! Costs are at a minimum, parents pay for snack etc. Would opening longer hours increase your customer base though? or are there just NO children (this has been a very difficult year as the birth rate was so low)...have you identified any new ones to come in? I understand about the staff ...loyalty is sometimes ore important. What about other services...to include under 3's? maybe a way of getting some more income for little outgoing ?? Do you pay rent...could you ask for a 'free' period? Im assuming your 2 and a half days are funded..so if you opened another session you could charge for it? Quote
zigzag Posted March 31, 2019 Posted March 31, 2019 There just are not the children out there at the moment. Opening longer hours would literally only benefit two of our children. With regards to the rent, this was doubled by the school last year on the strict understanding that it would increase until they felt we were paying a decent rate (we pay £200 plus utilities) so there is no wriggle room with rent and I am waiting to hear what the increase may be for September. We take from 2.5 and if they are not funded parents pay £10 for the three hour session. I know this is cheap but we are in a low income area and people would just wait until three year funding kicked in if we increased this. Quote
zigzag Posted March 31, 2019 Posted March 31, 2019 Sorry if my replies are a bit muddled and short, cooking roast dinner and my multi tasking skills are not so good these Days! 1 Quote
Panders Posted March 31, 2019 Posted March 31, 2019 I must say I felt very much like you last year eighteen months ago. I didn't sell my pre-school, I just stopped trading. We didn't have enough children to warrant opening in September 18. We had a lot of competition in the area from other pre-schools, nurseries etc. I kept my prices as low as I could, and all the usual things one does. Any way another group from a different area wanted to start a second setting and they approached my landlord. Landlord was very happy to have future rent on the horizon. The new people imposed a lot of conditions of things they wanted done, how they wanted to use the hall, timings, becoming a non-packaway etc. and the landlords agreed to it all. I am assuming they pay way in excess of the rent I did. Another pre-school very nearby closed in December, they couldn't compete, and a few of their children now attend the new pre-school. If you can be sure there are no children out there you haven't tapped into I'm not convinced you can do anything, unless the school have been increasing your rent not to make it more in line commercially, but to constructively get you to close. Would they prefer to run their own school nursery? Is there anyway you could or would be part of that? 1 Quote
louby loo Posted April 5, 2019 Posted April 5, 2019 YES!!!!!! is all I'm saying.. (it's been a loooooooonng term ) 1 3 Quote
sunnyday Posted April 5, 2019 Author Posted April 5, 2019 On 3/30/2019 at 15:55, zigzag said: Blimey Finleysmaid you have had a good week, how on earth did you manage that? And can you give lessons? My aim was to work out opening hours for September, I am keen to go back to five mornings again, but this is proving very unpopular! Sat down today to try and work out the most cost effective and efficient way to open to try and please everyone. This has now turned into setting a date for an emergency meeting to discuss if we can even continue to open in September due to finances.😢 Just catching up with things - I'm so sorry to read this zigzag We are also looking very, very quiet in September and I need to move myself to do something proactive - I have never advertised, have never needed to but the time has come now I think..... I am hopeful that when the school announce which children have successfully gained a place with them (16th April) that I might get some calls with regard to starting younger siblings with us, I have resolved not to think about it too much until then, but it is eating away at the back of my mind almost all the time. I am very conscious of the fact that I have a duty to those children that I have already accepted for September...…. I thought getting our fabulous 'Outstanding' might have parents beating a path to our door, but this has not been the case at all Anyway onwards and upwards I am not ready to 'throw the towel in' just yet 2 Quote
zigzag Posted April 5, 2019 Posted April 5, 2019 1 hour ago, louby loo said: YES!!!!!! is all I'm saying.. (it's been a loooooooonng term ) OMG I so agree with you😴😴😴🥳🥳🥳 2 1 Quote
Froglet Posted April 6, 2019 Posted April 6, 2019 21 hours ago, louby loo said: YES!!!!!! is all I'm saying.. (it's been a loooooooonng term ) It so has!! I had a couple of tough meetings yesterday and am now indulging in a Saturday morning in pjs dreaming of 2 weeks in which I am going to completely sort out and re-organise my entire house, bake delicious things every day and read everything!! Alternatively, I may just be doing a bit of school work, sleeping and more sleeping! Quote
louby loo Posted April 6, 2019 Posted April 6, 2019 1 hour ago, Froglet said: It so has!! I had a couple of tough meetings yesterday and am now indulging in a Saturday morning in pjs dreaming of 2 weeks in which I am going to completely sort out and re-organise my entire house, bake delicious things every day and read everything!! Alternatively, I may just be doing a bit of school work, sleeping and more sleeping! Your plan sounds just like mine.... however day one and I've had to drive half way around London to collect a dog we look after- as there has been a death in their family and the dog would be better with us for a week or so. Maybe to tomorrow will be a lazy day. 1 Quote
sunnyday Posted April 8, 2019 Author Posted April 8, 2019 On 4/6/2019 at 11:13, Froglet said: Alternatively, I may just be doing a bit of school work, sleeping and more sleeping! Sounds like a plan to me! Honestly the time just runs away with me when I am 'on holiday' - looking at my watch it's almost 2.30 and not a lot has been achieved so far today - oh well there's always tomorrow 3 Quote
Froglet Posted April 8, 2019 Posted April 8, 2019 1 hour ago, sunnyday said: Sounds like a plan to me! Honestly the time just runs away with me when I am 'on holiday' - looking at my watch it's almost 2.30 and not a lot has been achieved so far today - oh well there's always tomorrow Well, I've spent 6 hours in school marking, clearing display boards and doing a bit of sorting. It would have been 7 hours but my body decided that it was going to ignore the alarm! Right now I'm back home and am going to write a letter (yes a proper one) to my nephew and make a rhubarb and orange cake. After that I'm planning to make some epic lists! Quote
louby loo Posted April 8, 2019 Posted April 8, 2019 50 minutes ago, Froglet said: After that I'm planning to make some epic lists! I've stopped making lists, and I swear this is my current downfall ..... off to re-start my list making, and I feel a new notebook is in order (I've been trying to keep it all in my head to improve my memory....... it actually worked more as 'out of sight, out of mind" 3 Quote
sunnyday Posted April 10, 2019 Author Posted April 10, 2019 On 4/8/2019 at 16:42, louby loo said: I've stopped making lists, and I swear this is my current downfall ..... off to re-start my list making, and I feel a new notebook is in order (I've been trying to keep it all in my head to improve my memory....... it actually worked more as 'out of sight, out of mind" Woah - no lists - are you crazy? Couldn't manage without lists A new notebook - yes definitely, essential purchase I would say! In other news, if I go any slower I will be going backwards no good at this time management thing when not under any pressure! 2 Quote
louby loo Posted April 10, 2019 Posted April 10, 2019 1 hour ago, sunnyday said: In other news, if I go any slower I will be going backwards no good at this time management thing when not under any pressure! I've just realised that it's Wednesday today............ I thought it was only Tuesday I've just been having a mega sort out and have just sooooo much paper out (recycling day- hence my notice of me being on wrong day! , thankfully they seem to be running late today and I've added another couple of bags already). I've thrown away loads of 'day course notes' and all the ideas I'm going to "try one day" - I guess if I haven't actioned the ideas in more then a year it's probably not going to happen any day soon! On a side note:- as a result of big tidy up I am now currently contemplating opening a 'pop-up-shop' and sell rather a lot of stationary (including beautiful note books ) that I seem to have accumulated over the years. 1 Quote
sunnyday Posted April 10, 2019 Author Posted April 10, 2019 Well done louby! Have just had an email conversation with my accountant - I had to ask her a question that I should know the answer to and apologised for being a pain and told her that I have relaxed too far into holiday mode - she said "holidays are a time to rest the mind as well as the body" - so that's it then I will take that as 'official'! 1 Quote
louby loo Posted April 10, 2019 Posted April 10, 2019 21 minutes ago, sunnyday said: Well done louby! Have just had an email conversation with my accountant - I had to ask her a question that I should know the answer to and apologised for being a pain and told her that I have relaxed too far into holiday mode - she said "holidays are a time to rest the mind as well as the body" - so that's it then I will take that as 'official'! Well, I've obviously peaked,... I'm now laying on sofa internet surfing . I seem to have now (as in this morning) developed the 'holiday cold' x Quote
Panders Posted April 10, 2019 Posted April 10, 2019 I've just been told that if you look at the first 6 emojis on your phone it sums up your life!!!!currently mine are tears of laughter face, smiley face, hearts, thumbs up, clapping and monkey covering his eyes! 2 Quote
louby loo Posted April 10, 2019 Posted April 10, 2019 Mine are: tears of laughter [sideways], shock horror [cat], big grin, gritted teeth, rose cheek grin, and big eyed weird look. Think that equals lots of ups and downs in my life! 1 1 Quote
zigzag Posted April 10, 2019 Posted April 10, 2019 Mine are 🤣🍷😴😘🐥🤐 not sure what that says about me! Quote
Panders Posted April 10, 2019 Posted April 10, 2019 tight lipped secrets aye??? Watch the drinking, you might spill the beans 1 Quote
Cait Posted April 11, 2019 Posted April 11, 2019 😂😁❤️🍰☹️😘 Hmm. Looks like I always find room for cake! Haha 1 1 Quote
zigzag Posted April 11, 2019 Posted April 11, 2019 2 hours ago, Cait said: 😂😁❤️🍰☹️😘 Hmm. Looks like I always find room for cake! Haha Lady after my own heart.... Quote
Froglet Posted April 11, 2019 Posted April 11, 2019 😉😊😂😡🐮😏 I probably wouldn’t ask! I have no idea how to begin interpreting that... 1 Quote
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