With over 15 years of experience in early years education, Natasha Moniz always dreamt of opening her own nursery. Her career had seen her rise through the ranks from practitioner to manager with some of the country’s largest nursery brands, but ultimately, she sought the freedom of running her own business.

When the time came for Natasha to explore her investment options, she discovered Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries – and everything felt right. In 2019, Natasha opened her first setting, Monkey Puzzle Astwick, bringing her dream to life. Five years later, she launched her second setting in Stevenage.

Based in London, Natasha cut her teeth working for some of the largest nursery brands in the country. “I started working as a nursery practitioner before progressing on to deputy manager and then nursery manager. I developed a real understanding of early years and, as I became more senior, a firm grip on how to lead large teams successfully.”

Natasha also spent six years with the NHS, working with mothers suffering with severe postnatal mental health conditions. “It was a demanding role at times, but it gave me a lot of experience with mental health, domestic abuse, child protection and seeing the impact these can have on the child and their families.”

Throughout her career, a desire to run her own nursery had been Natasha’s primary goal. “I’d spent a few years saving up enough to start exploring what to do next. I’d always wanted to run my own nursery – I felt I didn’t have the necessary freedoms to make the changes I’d wanted to when I was working for other brands. The time was right to move on and to pursue my dream of running my own nursery.”

After thorough research, one option stood out to Natasha. “Monkey Puzzle really caught my eye! Everyone I talked to was really friendly and knowledgeable. You could see that they practised what they preached too – I was really impressed with their proven track record of opening successful nursery schools – investing just felt right.”

For over 20 years, Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries has been the market leader for nursery franchises. With over 70 locations nationwide, their model ensures they deliver an early years education experience of the highest quality, providing children with opportunities to learn, develop and grow within a safe, secure and caring environment.

Shortly after having her children, Natasha invested in her first Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries setting – realising her goal of running her own nursery. “In those initial weeks and months, Monkey Puzzle were brilliant, especially when it came to finding a suitable property.

“The team sent me a number of great sites to consider – something that without their help, I’m not sure I would’ve been able to achieve so successfully.”

However, the perfect property for Monkey Puzzle Astwick came a little from left field, or in Natasha’s case, out of the ‘farmfield’. “One of the sites the team recommended was on a farm! I was a little unsure at first, but when I visited the property, I fell in love.”

Convinced about turning the barnyard into a school yard, Natasha opened Monkey Puzzle Astwick in 2019. “I believe it was the first rural renovation Monkey Puzzle had done, but I was always confident they’d deliver. The feeling of opening my own nursery is hard to put into words – I’d done what I’d always wanted to do, and to see my dream come true, it was such an amazing feeling!”

Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries franchisees are extensively supported through their onboarding process and beyond. This training includes industry-leading support in recruitment, financial management and property acquisition and maintenance. This method allows their franchisees the infrastructure to produce a growing, successful business.

Natasha knew she had what it takes as an educator, but when it came to the business side of operations, she knew she needed a helping hand. “I’d managed nurseries before, but the finances had been left to other people, so, at that time, I didn’t have the confidence – Monkey Puzzle were fantastic.

“They held my hand every step of the way, giving me great advice, pointing me in the right direction. It’s so reassuring to know that if I have a question, or an issue did arise, they would be on hand to help me out.”

Another big help to Natasha, is working with her husband, Anson. “He works full-time for another business, but we’re always in communication. We know each other’s strengths and are utilising them for the good of the business. It works really well – I can concentrate on the children, staff and parents and then his help is invaluable for the running of the business. We both have experience working with large teams so we can bounce ideas off of each other in that regard too.”

Continued support from both head office and her husband has meant that five years on, Monkey Puzzle Astwick has only gone from strength to strength. So much so that when the chance presented itself, Natasha was able to invest in a second territory. “Monkey Puzzle approached me to see if I was interested in running another setting. The site, in Stevenage, is closer to where I live and where my kids go to school, so it all made perfect sense!

“This time, things were a little different – with Astwick, we bought a private property, but on this occasion, we were working with the local council. Monkey Puzzle were so supportive, helping me navigate the whole process successfully, and again I couldn’t be happier with the property.”

The end result: a setting that offers plenty of outdoor space for all the little ones, something that Natasha feels strongly about. “I’m a big believer of children learning in several different environments, especially in nature. At the end of our garden, we have a gate leading into the nearby woods, which is perfect as children should have that access to lots of forest school sessions – it was a big plus when previewing the property.”

Situated next to the local primary school, Natasha is excited about the potential to build a strong partnership. “I’m really looking forward to partnering with the school, becoming a visible part of the local community.”

“The best thing about being at Monkey Puzzle is you get to work with such a great team – everyone is so friendly and supportive – they’re almost like an extended family. And that’s not to mention the amazing impact you can have on hundreds of children’s lives!

“I’d 100% recommend Monkey Puzzle. You don’t have to have a background in education either. You just need to ensure you’re open-minded, ready to learn and a sponge for information – it means by day one you can really hit the ground running.”