start up costs???

[sharonmanc]

Hi there,

I just had a quick question, I am trying to sort out my finances as I have been made redundant, so money will be tight. I just wanted a rough idea of start up costs, reg fee' s, insurance, etc. I have my pre reg course the beginning of July, not far off now, but am trying to do some bits and bobs now, to get me in the right mindset.

This is so I can get a rought idea in my head, and roughly set some money a side to lessen the impact.

Any imput will be appreciated:)

[Twinkle-Toes]

I have spent a fortune but I have been 'collecting' things for a few months and it soon adds up!

Do you have your own kids? Do you already have any equpiment etc

I have 2 daughters who are 6 & 4 so found i needed to re-buy alot of the younger things, highchair, buggy etc

As for fee's you might get some help with grants etc but there is nothing in my area so i have personally had to pay for:

First Aid course - £80
Ofsted Fee - £35
Cypop course (with ncma) - £190
GP Health declaration - £30

Then there is public liability insurance, possible increase in your home and car insurance, signing up with the data protection people......that's all i can think of for now.

Sure someone will be along with a more definitive list x

[Pixie dust]

GP Health declaration - £30

This can vary as GP's can charge from £35 some people on here have paid £100.

I wouldn't buy to much equipment until you actually need it high chairs etc see what age children you will be looking after as you may buy a load of baby stuff and not need it if you have 3 and 4 year olds. Especially with money being tight. I had to start from scratch as my two are teenagers so I got the safety equipment needed fire blanket/ first aid kit etc then some opened ended resources that everyone likes wooden blocks/animals/dolls/puppets/craft and have gradually built up. When I signed up a young baby I then went a bought the things I needed eg bouncy chair.
Car boots are a good place to look as I got my travel cot from there it belonged to some grandparent that kept it for their grandson had hardly been used.

[newbie1512]

My total start up costs were £2864 :eek: but that included everything from fuel to get to courses and gp costs and toys ect. I probably got more than i needed to start with but hey ho :)

[xgemx]

Im quite lucky as i have 2 young children so the baby items and toys etc are covered, i have had to pay out £85 for 1st aid, £150 for my course, £35 ofsted, my council pay for my 1st years insurance which is a help

[mummyMia]

It seems to be costing me a fortune:

- Ofsted fee: £35
- First Aid Course: £117.50
- CYPOP 5: £120 (I think, must chase them for a receipt)
- Food safety course: £58
- Health declaration: £61.50
- First aid kits (one for home and one for out and about): £30.51
- Fire blanket: £18
- Mattress for existing travel cot: £30
- Safety film for glass: £16.50
- Safety locks, bolt for front door, other safety stuff: £50
- Domain name and webspace to host my website for 1 year £35

So about £570 so far but I still have loads more to buy. I have decided to draw the line now and will not be spending a single penny more until I am registered and somebody is ready to sign a contract. I estimate it will cost me about £1500 in total, partly because I have my eye on a new Phil & Teds Explorer.


I still need to pay for:
- insurance
- NCMA membership (might not bother with this one)
- contracts and possibly some other paperwork to get me started
- lots of printer ink and folders for all the paperwork I have to print
- double buggy
- ICO registration
- paper towel dispenser
- fridge thermometer
- toys for older children (mine two are still little)
- an extra high chair or booster seat
- multicultural resources
- some advertising, maybe fliers or childcare.co.uk (not sure what yet)
- who knows how many other millions of things:(

Luckily I have some toys, books, travel cot, safety gates, socket covers, children's plastic dishes, changing mat and some other things due to having young children of my own.

There is NO WAY I could have registered if I didn't have such a hard working hubby funding me:) So a big thanks to him!

When my friend registered a few yers ago she got loads of grants and free courses and hardly had to pay for anything.

[mummyMia]

My total start up costs were £2864 :eek:

Gosh that is a lot! I hope you have found lots of mindees and earn it all back quickly:)

[littleguy1]

Wow! I feel really lucky compared to you guys! I have a 1 year old, 11 year old and 8 year old step children so already had many toys but still, I guess Gloucester is the place to be!

First aid: £40
Health dec: £0
Course: £0
Ofsted: £35

I can't believe some areas are charging over £100 for the course!

[Jods]

Free CHIP course
Free Insurance (1 year after registration)
Free paperwork (helps working in a preschool)
Free CRBs

Ofsted reg - £35
Health check - £74 (eh!!)

and essential Ikea spends (well thats what I have told the OH) £163

so far............................................... ....

[sharonmanc]

Thank you so much for the replies

I already have an almost 2 year old, an almost 9 year old, and my eldest will be 16 in January.

I have gates etc. for my youngest, and her age group toys, and books toys for 6-9 years etc., don't have much baby stuff left, but I suppose that depends if I have a baby.

Hopefully it wont cost me ore than £1000 in all, the cheaper the better, as money really is very tight, hopefully my council are still offering some bits free, my fingers are definitely crossed

[Faye1980]

i paid the following:-

course admin fee's £35
Ofsted reg fee £35
medical declaration £81
First Aid £50
First Aid Kit £15
Fire Blanket £8.50
Liability insurance £80
NCMA admin and bis pack £50 :)

[Asti]

Im in Nottinghamshire and I get a grant for £295 but have to pay out first and claim it back with my receipts when im registered
NCMA pack £144 but that has been paid for already by Council, this contains first year liability insurance, contract paperwork,medication administering paperwork, accident forms, fire blanket, NCMA membership for 1 year.
Health Declaration £10
Ofsted reg £35
First aid kit £12
safety locks, plug covers £8
First aid course - free
IHP Course - free
I will have to purchase pushchair, highchair,car seat some younger toys. Have 2 girls aged 5 and 6 so have some toys, books etc that they dont need anymore. But I suppose costs are ongoing depending on the children I look after.

[nat222]

Hi im under bradford council and we got

ofsted fees £35 refunded so didnt cost me anything plus health form fees, ncma insurance and kit free, fire blanket, about 60 pound voucher towards safety equiptment which i got a travel cot. A free multicultural resource pack including some books, soft teddys, instruments, posters etc.voucher for business cards and flyers a few hundred we could get.

All in all i was very lucky and i have lots of baby and toddler stuff already from my daughter so just need some resources for over 5's really. So cost wise i wont have to pay out much.
First aid and other courses were all paid for too.

[Kezzle]

Hi im under bradford council and we got

ofsted fees £35 refunded so didnt cost me anything plus health form fees, ncma insurance and kit free, fire blanket, about 60 pound voucher towards safety equiptment which i got a travel cot. A free multicultural resource pack including some books, soft teddys, instruments, posters etc.voucher for business cards and flyers a few hundred we could get.

All in all i was very lucky and i have lots of baby and toddler stuff already from my daughter so just need some resources for over 5's really. So cost wise i wont have to pay out much.
First aid and other courses were all paid for too.

You were lucky! Would be nice to get more freebies but i get reimbursed for first aid and ofsted costs and we get the Ncma pack and free fire blanket and a years free insurance and membership i believe.

I dont have any children so this is costing me a lot of money considering i only work part time as it is. I've decided not to buy any major toys untill i know what children i've got signed up.

I'm saving plastic containers and empty toilet roll tubes for craft stuff.

Ive bought books mainly for varying ages.

I've printed off a few pictures for colouring in and ripped up old colouring in books i hadn't filled in from when i was younger and i'm making a folder for them all.

I bought a laminator so i can make my own long lasting learning resources.

I've got an easel and a mat with them roads and things printed on it for toy cars. Need to get the toy cars yet though.

I have an old nintendo Ds hanging about they can use.

My dad also gave me my little sisters old ladybird plastic pram too.

I've got a couple of small foam balls (gonna buy some small rackets too)

We bought a table tennis set today which works well on our kitchen table so that's there for kids to use too. It wasn't a CM buy, it was me and partner deciding we'd impulse buy. haha.

Can't think what else i've got i still need to get all the safety equipment! I'll probably buy one of those starter packs and see what else i need after.

[mumto3]

In my area we get no help what so ever so I have to pay it ALL out of my own pocket (well hubbys wages)

I really think the funding should be the same in all areas, it just doesnt seem right imo

[Kezzle]

In my area we get no help what so ever so I have to pay it ALL out of my own pocket (well hubbys wages)

I really think the funding should be the same in all areas, it just doesnt seem right imo

Some area's may have cut the funding sooner than others for start up help. My area have just cut their funding for future CM's. They tried to hold off as long as possible. I was lucky to have got in when i did.

[sharonmanc]

my pre reg course is in a few weeks, and I am expecting the funding to have been cut.

I am trying to do some bits to the house in preparation too, so dont want to spend a forutne on toys resources etc until I find out what age the mindees will be. Hopefully there is still some funding available but I am not holding my breath

[Kezzle]

I've just totalled up my spends so far out of interest because of this thread and i've spent £322.97

thats mainly on books!(Fiction and activity ideas etc) Reg fee's, health check and first aid. Also some stationary. If i included the petrol costs at 40p per mile to all the courses, then it's £436.57!

I've not even bought any first aid kits or made my house child friendly yet with them safety kits. Neither have i really bought any toys untill i know age ranges! haha.

[sharonmanc]

Thanks Kezzle I forgot about milage costs, must make sur eto make a note of these

[Kezzle]

Thanks Kezzle I forgot about milage costs, must make sur eto make a note of these

Your welcome. For Start up i would include anything and everything i could. :)

[brightstart44]

We get no help in our area either, and in fact our council have stopped the Safeguarding courses and I struggle to get on a pre-reg course!!

It has cost me
£85 First Aid
£35 Ofsted
£20 Dr Health declaration
£9.99 per month CM software subscription
£168 storage furniture
£300 dog kennel
£50 for extra insurance for car
£60 for extra insurance for house
£200 on extra toys/equipment (I already have 3 kids)
£41 for online NCMA Safeguarding course
£15 for desk
£60 for spacesaving GLTC bookshelf
etc etc

£290 will be paid for shortly once reg for my CYPOP5

It really depends on what you want, what you have and what you are aiming for. I read a wonderful thing about a playgroup where they had to literally unpack everything every day for the children, but they were graded outstanding. On the other hand a CM with perfect equipment within a seperate playroom purpose-built, received a low grade as the understanding and implementation of the EYFS was just not there.

If you satisfy and exceed what is expected then I don't think what you have matters, and simply making the most of what you DO have should enable you to meet the highest grades.

Just make the most of what you are able to do, and make sure you know your stuff well enough to put the best spin on every learning opportunity you offer for your little ones. Record everything, plan for progress and make sure you self-assess and ask parents for their assessments.

Like I'm the expert lol xx

[Kezzle]

We get no help in our area either, and in fact our council have stopped the Safeguarding courses and I struggle to get on a pre-reg course!!

It has cost me
£85 First Aid
£35 Ofsted
£20 Dr Health declaration
£9.99 per month CM software subscription
£168 storage furniture
£300 dog kennel
£50 for extra insurance for car
£60 for extra insurance for house
£200 on extra toys/equipment (I already have 3 kids)
£41 for online NCMA Safeguarding course
£15 for desk
£60 for spacesaving GLTC bookshelf
etc etc

£290 will be paid for shortly once reg for my CYPOP5

It really depends on what you want, what you have and what you are aiming for. I read a wonderful thing about a playgroup where they had to literally unpack everything every day for the children, but they were graded outstanding. On the other hand a CM with perfect equipment within a seperate playroom purpose-built, received a low grade as the understanding and implementation of the EYFS was just not there.

If you satisfy and exceed what is expected then I don't think what you have matters, and simply making the most of what you DO have should enable you to meet the highest grades.

Just make the most of what you are able to do, and make sure you know your stuff well enough to put the best spin on every learning opportunity you offer for your little ones. Record everything, plan for progress and make sure you self-assess and ask parents for their assessments.

Like I'm the expert lol xx

Why did you need a dog kennel?

[mummyMia]

Why did you need a dog kennel?

LOL! It must be for the children to sleep in:laughing:

[Kezzle]

LOL! It must be for the children to sleep in:laughing:

Nice and roomy plently of shelter from rain too :laughing:


I was just wondering as i have a dog and she doesn't have a kennel or anything and i didn't really want to buy one so hoping it wasn't a recommendation of the LA or Ofsted. :)

[jane5]

Some of the activities you provide do not have to cost a lot of money, I have been to a playgroup today and they had a container (could be cheap paddling pool) and they put water and plastic insects in it and wool stuck over the top to make a web and the lo's loved it. They also had bark chippings, sticks and leaves and some cars in it, a can of cheap shaving foam and little people and gluup made from corn flour and water.

Look in the charity shops and ebay for toys and equipment and if you have any equipment that you no longer use for your own children you can sell it to your business and can be claimed for in expenses :thumbsup: