Dilpreet Singh was inspired into franchising and the early years industry through his own experiences as a father. Going through the process of adoption, Dilpreet knew straight away that he’d found his calling. His setting, Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries Wokingham, opened in early June and Dilpreet has big plans for the future after igniting a new-found passion for early years.

After studying engineering in India, Dilpreet started out in a career in telecommunications before moving to the UK to undertake a postgraduate degree at Queen Mary University. He was working in IT as a business analyst when he began to look at adoption – the process that led him to Monkey Puzzle. “When I was going through the adoption processes, a local agency recommended that it’d be a great experience to visit a few nurseries just to spend some time with younger children.

“As soon as I attended a local nursery, I knew I’d found my calling. I was struck by the joy, warmth and creativity of all the kids – it was a real light-bulb moment – I knew exactly what I wanted to do next, and that was to run my own nursery!”

For Dilpreet, education has always been something close to his heart. “I always knew about the importance of education. I was lucky that I got the opportunity from my parents to attend a private school in India, which gave me the skills I needed for my career. The village I was from, the literacy level was quite low, so I’ve always been grateful for the opportunity afforded to me.”

Dilpreet had decided what to do next – his next step was how. “I knew I lacked the experience in early years, so I needed someone to hold my hand and show me the right direction to take.

“I was familiar with the franchise model from my previous career, so I began to look at some other nursery franchises, but as soon as I found out about Monkey Puzzle, I knew I’d found my calling in life.

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.

“During my research, it quickly became clear that Monkey Puzzle had experts in each and every sector. A green flag for me was the transparency they showed in those early discussions. Everything was on the table right away – they let me speak to their franchisees so I could build a pretty detailed picture of all the minutiae of running your own setting.” to look at expanding my portfolio.”

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.

The road to opening Monkey Puzzle Wokingham, as any journey, threw up its hurdles; however, Dilpreet was glowing in his praise for the support Monkey Puzzle head office provided: “Finding the right property for the nursery is crucial. You need to also put a lot of time into your recruitment and marketing.

“I can’t describe how amazing Monkey Puzzle were in those early stages. For instance, I wouldn’t know where to start in terms of marketing, but the excellence of head office meant all I had to do was go round the local area handing out information leaflets!”

Another area in which Monkey Puzzle excelled was the early years quality team. “They’re always willing to help – even out of normal working hours. Their flexibility, especially when you’re super busy, has been amazing.

“It has meant I’ve had more time to devote to recruitment. I like to be quite picky, but this is because I think it’s essential to have the right team in place. Once you have a great team, the upkeep of the nursery will start to take care of itself, and I can begin to look at expanding my portfolio.”

Dilpreet is already looking to the future, wanting to make the most out of his newly found passion for early years. “I’d love to eventually have multiple Monkey Puzzle settings down the line. I think, though, it’s important to get Wokingham off the ground first, then we can have a look at what we’re going to do next.

“If I am lucky enough to open another setting, I’d like it be local to me. I enjoy playing quite an active role in the nurseries, especially on the recruitment side, so in an ideal world it’d be within an easy commute for me – and who wouldn’t want to spend as much time as they possibly can working with the children!”

Reflecting on his journey so far, Dilpreet says, “Opening Monkey Puzzle Wokingham is an incredible honour and a dream come true for me. As soon as I ignited my passion for early years, I knew this was what I wanted to do.

“I’m very much looking forward to the future and know Monkey Puzzle will be there for me every step of the way – the best is yet to come!”

Another area in which Monkey Puzzle excelled was the early years quality team. “They’re always willing to help – even out of normal working hours. Their flexibility, especially when you’re super busy, has been amazing.

“It has meant I’ve had more time to devote to recruitment. I like to be quite picky, but this is because I think it’s essential to have the right team in place. Once you have a great team, the upkeep of the nursery will start to take care of itself, and I can begin to look at expanding my portfolio.”