When innovation is child’s play: 10 minutes in the sandpit with Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries CEO, Richard Blunden

As a community of entrepreneurs and trailblazers in franchising, reflecting fondly on time spent playing in the sandpit as a child may seem like an unusual concept. But for Richard Blunden, CEO of Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries, understanding the benefits of child’s play in the franchising arena and further afield hasn’t just afforded him success but has innovated the brand’s entire operations.

Here, Richard takes us back to a time of building sandcastles and mudpies, shedding light on his journey in franchising and the growth of the early years franchising sector – but also reminds us of the dynamic skillset that we develop from as early as our preschool days.

When was the last time you played in a sandpit?

Well, being at the helm of the market-leading nursery group franchise, I find myself in the vicinity of a sandpit on a regular basis – even as recently as last week! But this is because I like to visit our company-owned and franchisee-operated locations. I take a great deal of inspiration from the scuffles and friendships I see formed in our sandpits – the camaraderie and trust can be found in most corporate environments, especially within our own franchise network.

What transferrable skills do we learn as children that benefit a career in franchising?

It’s widely known that to excel in the franchising industry there’s a certain set of skills you must possess – and I happen to think we gain most of these from the day we start socialising with our peers. This quite literally starts in the sandpit! Here’s my top 5:

Resilience – success is achieved only when we understand what it feels like to fail – any entrepreneur will vouch for this. So, whether it’s a trip over a toy in the playground or an unsuccessful client pitch, it’s imperative that you’re able to manage rejection and challenges in a productive manner.

Respect – mutual respect for those in your circle is perhaps the most crucial skill to carry with you throughout all stages of life. In our nursery settings, we instil in our children a sense of kindness and understanding for all. This is true at board level and is also the case for every little one who walks through our doors.

Communication – fundamental to the success of franchising. It’s the basis of all agreements, where a mutually beneficial partnership comes from a place of open dialogue and trust. Learning to get our point across starts from before we can even speak, at just a few months old. Our nurseries start caring for children long before they will even say their first words and our Early Years Practitioners are trained in how to communicate with those little ones to facilitate their ongoing development.

Patience – taking the time to understand others, their motivations and learning style is very important to us at Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries but it’s also a valuable life skill that I’ve found crucial in my time as Franchise Director, then MD and now CEO. 

Fun – is something we should all experience as children. But when was the last time you considered how much fun you’re having during the daily grind? I’m fortunate in that I love what I do, so no matter the task at hand, it never feels like a chore. I can hand on heart say that I’ve found my purpose. If that’s not your reality, perhaps consider what drives you to jump out of bed in the morning?

Is a sandpit essential at your locations?

We invest significantly in our outside spaces because access to nature has proven the value of play for a child’s development and early education. And it goes without saying that a sandpit is a key – and very popular! – component of our outside play spaces. Interestingly, several variations of education takes place outdoors, whether this be learning about nature and the living things around us or engaging in physical play and developing gross motor skills. And research shows that some children, especially boys, learn better outside.

But at Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries, a sandpit is a feature of our locations in a much more literal sense. As early years educators, we take our investment in suitable locations extremely seriously because we understand this increases our market appeal and, therefore, return on investment for our franchisees – especially in more urban areas. It’s also imperative to us that we remain true to our mission statement of providing a place for children to play, learn and grow – ample space is required to make this a reality. Therefore, we invest heavily in sourcing premises that allow for ample outside space, employing a knowledgeable team of in-house property experts to support our franchisees in finding the perfect premises for their new business.

Whilst the model is flexible in terms of making changes based on community needs – for instance, many of our franchisees choose to work with local food suppliers to provide fresh ingredients for prepared meals – the business model itself hinges on the right property and quality resources for the children. As a franchisor, we specify which suppliers franchisees can source all toys, play equipment and furniture from, so each of our locations feels welcoming and familiar. Like all quality franchisors, this is to ensure consistency across our 74 locations, and is one component of our agreement that is entirely non-negotiable.

What does the future of Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries look like?

When I reflect on the journey our brand has been on since the founders, Mark and Rebecca Crosby, launched their first childcare setting in Hertfordshire in 2002, I’m proud of the vast team we’ve put in place to support our network of 45 franchisees. Both Mark and Rebecca are real pioneers within our early years provision – in fact, it was their passion for early years education and our instant connection that inspired me to make the move from my previous role in the motor trade. Our vision statement of inspiring through excellence in early years education isn’t just a tagline or notion – it underpins our entire operation. Mark and Rebecca devised a business model that is successful because of exacting standards and consistency across the board – and that will never change. 

It is because of this finessed framework that our brand continues to grow – and the proof is in the pudding. Year on year, our national turnover increased by £2.5million and we’re on track to repeat that performance again. Demand for our services continues to grow so we plan to fulfil the need by adding a minimum of 30 nurseries by 2028. A key part of achieving this is organically from within the network, enabling them to become multi-unit franchisees within the same timeframe.

Richard concluded: