Creative Minds
Sometimes thinking outside of the box is the key to job
creation. So says Esme Chilton, founder of Deal based start up
Creative
Minds, which has successfully secured a £100,000 business loan
from Expansion East Kent.
Creative Minds aims to be a leading light in the nursery sector,
bringing a new approach to early years care and education. “Our
company ethos is around how powerful creativity can be in peoples
lives and we’re hoping to introduce that concept at an early age”,
Esme says.
Through encouraging innovation at an early age, Creative Minds
hopes to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs"
The nursery will take care of 40 children initially, and has
plans to double in capacity within a year. The underpinning belief
of Creative Minds is that encouraging creative thinking at such an
early stage can play a part in inspiring the next generation of
entrepreneurs.
Creative Minds will invest most of its Regional Growth Fund loan
in refurbishing a state-of-the-art property, buying new equipment,
and bringing in extra staff. Recruiting 14 more employees in
advance of its April launch, the start-up aims to become a hub for
the Deal business and creative community.
On the Expansion East Kent funding, Esme says: “It is important
that business people are supported, but not just given handouts, so
the idea of a loan rather than a grant is appealing from the
entrepreneur’s perspective.”
“East Kent is a fabulous place to live, work and do business.
It’s thriving with creative people that can help entrepreneurs
succeed"
The Regional Growth Fund has significance beyond what it can help
individual businesses achieve, Esme argues: “You have to look at
the bigger picture, it’s about the people, the community and
developing East Kent as an attractive place to live and work”.
“East Kent is a fabulous place to live, work and do business,
and having relocated here from the capital over 25 years ago I
still strongly believe the area is thriving with creative people.
From a business standpoint, there are fantastic people who use your
services, buy your products and who are eligible
employees.”