Child Care Center Shines in Southwestern Wisconsin

Brenda Allbee opened her first Bright from the Start child care center in Platteville in December 2005. In just two years, Allbee launched a second center in Cuba City and plans to open a third in Boscobel in June.

Allbee credits her success to her exceptional staff and the strict standards and policies she has put in place. As she adds more centers, she adheres to those standards.

“I have very specific policies and ways of dealing with each little thing,” said Allbee. “I stay involved with every single thing. I pop back and forth to each place.”

With a background in pediatric nursing and experience caring for her own autistic son, Allbee felt she could bring that personal experience to a career in childcare.

So in 2005 she tapped into the expertise at the Southwestern Wisconsin Community Action Program (SWCAP) Jobs & Business Development program for help with her business plan.

SWCAP connected Allbee with the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation for assistance in obtaining financing. Now as she expands her child care business, Allbee has ongoing contact with David Vobora, Jobs & Development coordinator at SWCAP.

“If I have any questions all I have to do is call him and get his opinion,” said Allbee. “I don’t feel like I’m going in on a whim. I feel like I have all the information.”

Vobora provided financial modeling, along with marketing and planning assistance for Allbee’s second center.

Now we are doing the A-to-Z business planning for the Boscobel project. We started with a needs analysis, demographics study, feasibility, competitive analysis,” said Vobora. “Where my program is concerned, Brenda is a star. A CAP agency client is a low-income, kind-of-struggling client. Brenda runs a half million a year business –and she did it in 15 months!”

Allbee contributes to the area economy by providing a number of jobs. In a traditionally low-paying industry, Allbee made it a priority to compensate her employees adequately.

“You need to pay your employees well. You want them to stay, and you want good people,” said Allbee. “Plus kids need to have consistency.”

Bright from the Start offers what other area centers do not. It opens early and closes late, and it welcomes infants, starting at six weeks of age. Because of Allbee’s nursing background and experience with autistic children, she also welcomes children with special needs.

Allbee is excited about the success of her business, but she feels even better about the impact she has on children’s lives.

“We currently have 175 children, and that’s just in two centers. I know they are taken care of. I know they are learning. The schools are saying they can see the difference in the kids that are coming from here,” said Allbee. “That is awesome.”

Shown in photo: David Vobora, Dale Schultz, Brenda Allbee

Via : www.wenportal.org

Kin Hubbard (1868-1930, American Humorist, Journalist) : Lots of folks confuse bad management with destiny