Tiny Town celebrates one year
Tiny Town Daycare staff celebrated their one-year anniversary as an open business last Wednesday. Pictured from left are staff members Kyley Glisson, owner Jessica Houlihan, Kaylie Boler and Kendra Nelson. Photo by JOSH MCDONALD
Daycare clients and their families were treated to a fun party for the one-year celebration, which included a pizza party and even a bouncy house with a slide.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics about 20 percent of businesses fail in their first year, meaning that getting to that one year mark is one milestone on the road to creating a successful business.
Earlier this week Tiny Town Daycare celebrated their big one-year anniversary and owner and operator Jessica Houlihan couldn’t be happier with how her first year as a business owner has gone.
The most interesting part of this business is that it materialized after Houlihan became a parent herself.
“I had a son and realized that my current work schedule wasn’t going to cut it for me to be a mom,” Houlihan said.
Child care is at the top of most risky small business lists, mainly due to steep regulations, fluctuations in attendance and cash flow, and the ability to keep and maintain a staff. These are all things Houlihan has navigated in her first year.
“We are an ICCP (Idaho Child Care Program) certified day care, and we make sure that all of our staff are CPR certified,” Houlihan said. “At first we had some ups and downs in our attendance, but now we are at our max capacity with a waiting list to get in and we have assembled a great staff who love working with children.”
Houlihan credits her staff for their dedication, but credits her boyfriend Kyle Calabretta for pushing her to pursue this venture.
“I wouldn't of made it this far without Kyle,” Houlihan said. “His encouragement is what has pushed me to succeed.”
Houlihan has used many things to make her business a successful one in its infancy (pun intended), but the main thing she has instilled is that she wants it to feel more like a family than a business.
“Our mission here at Tiny Town is to develop little hearts and minds in a nurturing atmosphere that all children need and deserve,” Houlihan said. “My staff executes this perfectly. By getting down to the child's level to teach, interact and play — take a lot of pride in the fact that we don't have a TV. I believe it's our job to teach the children how to imagine, play pretend, problem solve and test their boundaries. I think the reason we are successful is because our facility offers a smaller more tight knit family setting. We know all the parents by name — even some grandparents.”
For more information on Tiny Town Daycare please visit their Facebook page, go see them at 406 S. Division St., Pinehurst, or call them at 208-682-3663.