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Leading early years membership organisation the Early Years Alliance has launched Business Blocks, a suite of business support resources to help early years providers build and maintain effective business models for their settings. 

At a time when the financial pressures facing early years settings are greater than ever, it is crucial to ensure that early years provision is built on a solid business-smart foundation. 

Business Blocks has been established to help early years settings and services face these pressures head-on by helping them to establish a strong business foundation and/or identify and address any gaps in their current business approach. 

Our Business Blocks resources include: 

• An interactive budget toolkit and one-to-one consultation service, designed by internal experts who understand the requirements of an early years setting, to allow providers to evaluate their current income and expenditure and forecast their future financial position. 

• A range of business-focused mini-guides and Alliance publications. 

• Access to the Alliance's payslip service. 

• A range of Business Block Insights virtual training courses: these are one-hour training and networking sessions which are delivered as part of our wider virtual training and CPD programme, but can also be delivered as bespoke in-house training sessions on request. 

Business Block Insight topics include budgeting, applying for early years grants, recruitment and staff management. The virtual events cost just £12 per person for members and £24 for non-members per person. 

Upcoming events include:  

• Key elements for effective budgeting: 4pm - 5pm, Monday 25 April 

• An introduction to a business health check: 10am - 11am, Wednesday 4 May 

• Charity structures and key elements of becoming a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO): 6.30pm - 7.30pm, Monday 16 May 

• Effective staff management through supervision and appraisal: 7.45am - 8.45am, Wednesday 25 May 

• Overview of the roles and responsibilities of an early years committee: 6.30pm - 7.30pm, Tuesday 7 June 

• Exploring other income streams: applying for early years grants: 1.30pm - 2.30pm, Monday 20 June 

Future Alliance Insight topics will also include digital marketing, apprenticeships and an introduction to a business health check for childminders.  

Commenting, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, said: “We know that early years providers deliver excellent care and education to young children. However, running a successful early years setting also means finding a way to run an effective and sustainable business in what are increasingly challenging circumstances. 

“We know all too well the huge stress that current financial pressures are putting early years businesses across the country and we want to do all we can to support them. That is why, alongside our ongoing lobbying and campaigning for fairer funding, we have launched this suite of practical support and resources through our new Business Blocks programme.  

“These resources will help equip providers with the expertise and confidence to build and maintain effective businesses, to help them safeguard their settings for years to come. 

“What’s more, our new virtual Alliance Insight training sessions will give professionals access to expert guidance and advice on business management challenges, while also giving them the chance to discuss best practice with like-minded providers.  

“Overall, we are confident that this unique suite of resources will give providers the opportunity to adapt and, where needed, improve their existing business models to ensure they can thrive in a post-Covid world.”   

Business Blocks resources are open to all early years providers, and can be combined to create unique business support packages tailored to meet the needs of individual settings. 

More information is available on the Alliance website  or alternatively, interested providers can email connect@eyalliance.org.uk.