“I started a nursery in my living room – now my business turns over £70,000 a year”

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Samantha Beech, a mother of one, had previously worked in nurseries and as a teaching assistant before deciding to go it alone and set up a nursery in her living room

Mother-of-one Samantha Beech wasn’t sure what to do with her career after giving birth to her daughter Penny.

The 30-year-old worked in kindergartens and as an educational assistant before having her own baby, where childcare costs and long hours began to bite.

But Samantha never considered that she could work for herself while also spending more time with her family — it was actually husband Billy, 31, who had the aha moment.

After retraining as a childminder at an agency, Sam decided to set up the Mini Moons nursery from her living room.

Not only does she spend all of her time with daughter Penny, 2, but she now makes more money than if she worked for anyone else.

The company had a turnover of £70,000 in its last financial year, with Samantha taking home a salary of around £28,000 when assistant costs and salaries are factored in.

In her previous roles, Samantha earned £19,000 a year when she was a nursery manager and £21,000 as a teaching assistant.

“I hadn’t even thought about money or how much we could make, I just knew I qualified,” Samantha said.

“It was actually Billy’s idea – he basically figured out my dream job.

“We have a living room that never felt right and one night as I was having dinner, Billy suggested I become a childminder.

“That was in August 2020. It was like a spark had ignited and I started imagining what it would look like.

“I was thrilled to be able to do something I was so passionate about and I would spend most of my time with my daughter.

“I hadn’t researched how much childminders charge or how much I could make.”

Have you started a successful small business from scratch? Let us know: mirror.money.saving@mirror.co.uk

As well as doing something she loves, Samantha will soon be working alongside her husband Billy, who is also retraining to become a childminder.

The couple now plans to grow the business together.

“Billy used to work for a football club, he worked insane hours and missed Penny a lot growing up,” Samantha said.

“In the beginning he came home and was sad that he missed key moments. But now he’s seeing it firsthand — it’s not video on my phone.”

If you are planning to start your own business, it is important that you do your research first. You must ensure there is interest in the item you are selling or the service you are providing.

You should also consider that building a business can take time – which means you might not see the financial reward at first.

There are also financial aspects that you need to keep in mind, such as: B. Your own taxes, business expenses and the payment of any employees you may hire.

But if you’re longing to work for yourself, Samantha has urged others to take the plunge.

She said, “If you want to start a business, do your research and take the plunge.”