How we’ve been supporting our clients, Happy Days Nursery

At EQ, our clients are our priority and we remain in constant contact, offering relevant advice and support every step of the way.

One of those clients is Happy Days Nursery, a family run children’s nursery in Dundee owned by sisters, Debbie Clark and Paula Williamson, that allows children to explore, discover and ‘think big’, without limits. Debbie and Paula have been an EQ client since purchasing the nursery in 2008 and have a strong working relationship with their accountant and business advisor, Louise Grant, Partner and Head of EQ Healthcare.

With lockdown restrictions in place, the nursery doors had to close until it was safe to reopen so they quickly got in touch with Louise for support and advice on how they were to support their staff and make their business viable when those restrictions were lifted.

Initially Louise advised of the support and funding available and explained the process of furloughing staff, liaising with our EQ Accounting team who have completed the nurseries payroll for several years. Becky from our payroll team then provided assistance, submitting claims through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme on their behalf.

Louise commented, “This has been a challenging time for businesses, so I worked closely with Debbie and Paula to provide as much advice and support as possible. We’ve been having weekly phone calls to discuss matters and look at ways to preserve their cashflow. I’ve also made sure to keep them informed of any new initiatives or help available and ensure they understand their financial position moving forward.”

Debbie added, “Louise has been fantastic help and support throughout these uncertain times, she has truly gone above and beyond by providing information relevant to nurseries, showing us that she understands our business and the challenges we face. Not only has she given sound financial advice and reassurance but she was able to discuss what we should do in terms of asking our parents to pay fees. We decided not to ask for fees to secure future places as we know this a hard time for many and want to ensure our families know that we understand and will be here for them when they need us. We are delighted that our doors are now open and have welcomed the children back.”

Happy Days Nursery used their time during lockdown to renovate and reorganise their nursery whilst conducting a deep clean to ensure a safe environment for the children.

If you would like to register your child at Happy Days call 01382 500873 or visit http://www.happydaysdundee.co.uk/.

For more information on how we are supporting our clients, or how we can help you or your clients, please get in touch with your usual EQ contact or call one of our offices.