We recently connected with Erica Burton and have shared our conversation below.
Erica, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Please tell us about starting your own firm and if you’d do anything different knowing what you know now.
In August 2015, while managing finances and state-funded programs for my mother’s childcare business in Tifton, GA, my husband Gary found a vacant childcare center in Dallas, GA. He suggested I check it out. The center had a 125-student capacity but only 12 full-time and 5 part-time students. With one of the four employees unwilling to stay, I’d be left with three staff members.
At the time, I had a 3-year-old and a 3-month-old, a corporate job as a finance and audit manager with 5 direct reports, and I was a newly licensed real estate agent. I questioned how I could handle managing a childcare center 3.5 hours away, my corporate job, and being a wife and mother.
Despite my concerns, I met with the agent and owner. As I left, a neighbor stopped me and asked if I was interested in buying the center. He described it as a “diamond in the rough” and a “gold mine” that could be “life-changing” with the right owner.
The center was listed for $799K, but the seller was in distress. With my husband’s help and acting as my own real estate agent, I negotiated the price down to $305,000 and earned a commission. So, I walked away with paying less than $300K for my business. I knew this opportunity was a blessing and that God had guided me to it.
What were the main steps you had to take, what were some of the key challenges in setting up your own office/practice and would you have done anything differently knowing what you know now?
What were the main steps you had to take, what were some of the key challenges in setting up your own office/practice and would you have done anything differently knowing what you know now?
First, I had to convince the bank. I had to present 3-year financial projections, marketing plans, research, etc. With the help of a business class I took in 2012 that I geared toward starting my own childcare business, my entire business plan was already completed. In addition to my personal experience, it’s also necessary to show creditworthiness. You never know when it will be necessary to make purchases, so keep paying bills on time!
Quitting my job to open a childcare center was a huge risk and my biggest challeng, especially with a family to support and only 12 children enrolled. It was by far the scariest thing I’ve ever done. Meeting payroll, paying bills, managing and training staff, and renovating the building while providing a safe environment for the children required tremendous discipline and many sacrifices.
If I could go back, I would have implemented a more robust marketing strategy from the outset, as it took us approximately nine months to gain traction, and even then, growth was slow and steady. Additionally, I would have sought out leadership training specifically tailored to the childcare industry and would have prioritized comprehensive initial training and development for all employees.
Any advice for a young professional who might be considering starting their own firm?
Before starting a business, ensure you have the correct business structure in place. Consult professionals such as accountants, attorneys, and business advisors. It’s crucial to have savings for unexpected expenses and maintain good credit. Choose a business that aligns with your natural abilities and passions, as there will be days when you must revert back to why you choose the business. This will sustain you during your more difficult days.
Erica, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Start2Finish Childcare Business Solutions is a consulting company dedicated to providing strategic business solutions for the early childcare community. Our mission is to assist aspiring and established childcare providers in achieving their business goals through business and leadership training, as well as real estate planning.
How We Entered the Industry
Recognizing the unique challenges faced by childcare providers, we ventured into this industry to offer tailored support and guidance. Our team comprises professionals with extensive experience in childcare operations, business consulting, and real estate, enabling us to provide comprehensive solutions to our clients.
Products and Services
We offer a range of services designed to support both new and existing childcare providers:
START-Up! Services: For individuals at the initial stages of opening their early childcare business, we provide assistance with business planning, exploring financial options, reducing start-up costs, and identifying income streams.
Childcare Real Estate: We guide clients through the complexities of purchasing or leasing property, helping them explore options that best suit their needs, including location selection and capital layout requirements.
Lending Services: Our team assists clients in navigating financing options, including SBA loan guidelines, private lending, loan pre-qualification, and down payment options.
FINISH-Up! Services: For providers ready to transition to the next level, we offer business consulting, childcare business valuation, and assistance with commercial real estate sales.
Problems We Solve
We address several challenges faced by childcare providers, including:
Developing professional business plans
Exploring financial options
Reducing start-up costs and liabilities
Identifying income streams
Navigating real estate decisions
Providing state-approved training
Offering strategic planning for business transitions
What Sets Us Apart
Our comprehensive approach, combining business consulting, training, and real estate services, uniquely positions us to support the diverse needs of childcare providers. We pride ourselves on our deep understanding of the childcare industry and our commitment to building sustainable business models for our clients.
Pride and Core Messages
We take pride in our ability to empower childcare providers to achieve their business goals and contribute positively to early childhood education. We want potential clients to know that we are dedicated partners in their journey, offering tailored solutions that address their unique challenges and aspirations.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Our reputation in the market was built on a foundation of integrity, trust, and a strong sense of community. From day one, we adopted a “family feel” culture in our business, ensuring that every interaction with parents, children, and staff felt warm, welcoming, and personal.
Doing the right thing—every time—was our guiding principle. We never cut corners or compromised on the well-being of the staff and children we served. Integrity was at the core of everything we did, which allowed families to trust that we always had their child’s best interest at heart.
Beyond providing excellent childcare services, we focused on building genuine relationships. We made it a priority to connect with families and teachers, celebrate their milestones, and create an environment where smiles and laughter were abundant. This personal touch made all the difference, and because of that, our businesses thrived through word-of-mouth referrals. Parents knew they could count on us, and they eagerly shared their positive experiences with others.
At the end of the day, our success wasn’t just about running a business—it was about creating a trusted, family-centered environment where children and teachers could flourish and parents felt supported. That’s what set us apart and helped us build our reputation in the industry.
Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?
The impact of COVID-19 on childcare businesses was devastating—closures, reduced enrollments, and financial uncertainty became the norm. As a business owner, I quickly realized that my responsibility extended far beyond just my employees. I have a rule of thumb: for every one staff member, I consider four people—their household—who rely on them. During COVID, that meant I felt responsible for 150 people between my two childcare centers. The weight of that responsibility was immense, especially during moments when payroll felt impossible to meet. There were sleepless nights, tough decisions, and near-miss moments where we weren’t sure if we’d make it through. But through resilience, strategic planning, and unwavering commitment to our team, we survived—because failure was never an option when so many families depended on us.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.start2finishbiz.com
- Instagram: erica_childcarerealtor
- Facebook: Start2FinishChildcareBiz
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/all/?fetchDeterministicClustersOnly=true&heroEntityKey=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_profile%3AACoAAAGIFq8BTUboncfjM6_6F9idgNxIaT9cTmo&keywords=erica%20burton&origin=RICH_QUERY_SUGGESTION&position=0&searchId=69cdc0b4-73bb-4e7b-a3c5-4b0d9e563fb7&sid=r_z&spellCorrectionEnabled=false
