Today we’d like to introduce you to Jerald & Rondia Borden. They and their team shared their story with us below:
Jerald and Rondia had been in education in some aspect before meeting each other. When they met, Jerald expressed his desire to open a childcare facility, but Rondia needed to be more interested. After they married and had their first child, Rondia realized that much of what Jerald said about childcare was true. There was a shortage, and it wasn’t good. This resulted in incredibly long waitlists. They also noticed that staffing shortages were causing customer service to be sacrificed to ensure that ratios were maintained and children were cared for adequately. As first-time parents, we were shocked that we often didn’t get calls or email responses. We were even told that one facility is no longer accepting waiting list applicants because their waitlist is so long. Thankfully, we were able to get our daughter into an incredible facility, but this crazy and stressful experience is what got Rondia on board with opening a childcare facility. They wanted to open a school with small class sizes and passionate teachers. They wanted a school with top-notch customer service. The anxiety that can be caused by leaving your children in the hands of someone you don’t know can be very overwhelming. At CBLA, we need to have great relationships not only with the students but also with the parents. We made this dream a reality in September 2023 and have been able to recruit a talented, passionate team that helps us offer the excellent service we were looking for when we started to find childcare for our daughter.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It took us about 7 months from the time we said let’s do this until we had the keys to our facility. While the process was quick, it was incredibly stressful at times. Since we’ve been in operation, we’ve certainly had some hurdles. We purchased an existing facility and wanted to keep all of the staff. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out as we hoped, but it ultimately worked in our favor because we now have such an incredibly dedicated group of people on our team. While the structure wasn’t new, almost everything else was. That caused concern for some parents, and we did our best to reassure them that we would provide the best care for their children. We have also had to get our name out there. Through social media and other forms of marketing, we’ve let people know we exist and what we bring to the table. People are starting to talk about CBLA, and we are excited to show them what makes us unique!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Coastal Blooms is a small childcare facility. Since we are smaller, we can offer more one-on-one time with each student. This allows strong connections with our students. We also can build trusting relationships with them and their families. We can provide our students with individualized educational opportunities. If we notice a concern, we can give more attention to that area. We are big on communication and involvement with our families. The director and owners make themselves available to answer any questions or concerns. At Coastal Blooms, we create a family-like atmosphere with our parents, students, and staff. We want everyone to feel at home!
Do you have any advice for those just starting?
Have a plan for every scenario you can think of. Know that things may still not go according to plan. Give yourself grace; being an entrepreneur is not easy or for the weak. Feel free to ask for help.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.CoastalBloomsLearning.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/CoastalBloomsLearningAcademy
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/CoastalBloomsLearning
