Opening up a soft play

[NK5bfa7a9aX125d18ab660]

Hiya - im looking into opening up my own soft play centre but i need some help please/ i have an 11 month old son but dont have any childcare qualification. i have worked as a secretary for 11 years but can anyone advise me what qualifications i need in order to open up a soft play centre. Im not sure if or what i need to complete? any help would be so apprecaited. thanks.

[FiveGoMadInDorset]

CRB First Aid to name 2

[NK5bfa7a9aX125d18ab660]

sorry whats CRB? and first aid course i presume i could do this is a weeks course or something?

[FiveGoMadInDorset]

Criminal records check

[NK5bfa7a9aX125d18ab660]

thanks. but do u know what qualifications i need tho - like childcare or svq or hnc's. Obviously first aid etc is something i could do quite quickly but im not sure if i need to study for a course like for 2 years or something

[cookielove]

First aid tends to run on weekends or 4 nights over, a few weeks depending on your area, these last a few years and will need tot be updated. You'll prob need food handling, and/hygiene if your planning to serve food of any sort. I would have thought you would need some sort of health and safety policy and yuou can go on courses for these, also maybe a safeguarding children but i'm not sure that would apply.

Where abouts are you planning to open this??

[cookielove]

i don't think unless you plan to use it as a creche that you will actually need any childcare qualifications as you will only be running a business

[NK5bfa7a9aX125d18ab660]

oh brill - do u know where i could find out what exactly i would need. i really dont know where to start?

[NK5bfa7a9aX125d18ab660]

also anyone know of any grants available to start up something like that?

[FiveGoMadInDorset]

Agree also with Health and Safety and as long as you ar not doing any childe care then no qulaifications. best thing to do is appraoch your local council as they will be the ones that will be grabting you a licence.

[NK5bfa7a9aX125d18ab660]

in the glasgow area. i have to travel ten miles and would love to start up something local where i stay>

[NK5bfa7a9aX125d18ab660]

ok so i would contact like glasgow city council. do u know what department and obv there would be a cost to get a licence/

[mumhadenough]

Contact Scottish Enterprise, who will help you with market research etc into the viability of opening up something like that in your area.

They will also help you with start up grants and getting any qualifications you need plus book-keeping courses etc.

Look up the Small Business Gateway website, there may well be some info on there that will help you with whats available to you.

[cookielove]

i would also go to the soft play places that do well and have a good look around and see what works, a big must for me would be really nice toliets, with sinks and toliets child height as well as adult, lots of place i have been to don't think about the little ones. Look at how they serve food, where the tables are in relation to the play, are there lockers for parents to put valuables in e.t.c

[mumhadenough]

Should also have said, I live in Glasgow too, but I looked at opening something like this in the Isle of Bute a few years ago. SE gave me a website that allowed me to look up the Market Research factors I needed, ie what percentage of the population was under a certain age group and would make use of the facility. I can't remember what its called now though. Turned out it wasn't viable for me to do it, but I wish you luck.

An idea for you, I considered things like having a hairdressers in there, that would allow mums to come and get there hair or nails etc done while their monsters where having a run around, I got some really good feedback to that!

[NK5bfa7a9aX125d18ab660]

brilliant everyone has been really helpful 0 now for my next question if u can solve it.... how do i get my 11month old son to sleep thro the night... ? lol

[NK5bfa7a9aX125d18ab660]

brilliant everyone has been really helpful 0 now for my next question if u can solve it.... how do i get my 11month old son to sleep thro the night... ? lol

[catinthehat2]

You'll need a business plan. Work out your market, and the revenues you expect. Work out the costs you will incur. From that work out the financing you will need. You will nbeed premises, employees, equipment, how will you fund them?

Talk to people like mumhadenough who have done the legwork and realised the market might not even be there.

Ask yourself if you are an entrepreneur who is serious about running a business to make money for you and your backers.

MAke no mistake, this is a full on business, not something to deal with part time.

Good luck, be positive.

[Friendlypizzaeater]

Talk to me - I've got one and would I do it again = NO ! ruddy hard work for not a lot

[SleighGirl]

nearly all the ones near me have shut in the last 12 months I really think they are very difficult to make a success of.

[catinthehat2]

FPA - did you see this chap on tv then? Apparently runs a soft play centre....

[Friendlypizzaeater]

Yes I did and I can fully understand the hours he puts in

[mumhadenough]

I totally agree, once I realised just quite how much work was going to go into it, it put me off.

I'm hard working but not that bloody hard! lol

[fledtoscotland]

where abouts in glasgow are you planning on opening it NK5bfa7a9aX125d18ab660

I am just outside Glasgow and we are in dire need of a clean, well organised soft play. The only local one here certainly doesnt have anyone childcare qualified although they do supposedly have first aiders and food hygiene (although the latter is debatable). I think all staff would need disclosure scotland too (equivalent of english CRB)

If you were considering my area you would have little competition if you were able to offer a clean play area where age groups were separated and there was less focus on "parties".

there is an excellent soft play in Glenrothes which we have visited with friends if you were looking for inspiration.

good luck