A brand-new children play centre launches in Newport following support from Business Wales.
Let Loose Soft Play is a new family-run play centre for children of all ages, based in Newport, South Wales. Co-founder Ryan Jones got in touch with the Welsh Government’s Business Wales service for help starting up and has since managed to secure premises, source finance and successfully launch the business.
- successful start
- 9 jobs created
- £25,000 start-up loan secured towards premises and equipment
Introduction to business
Co-owned by Ryan Jones, Jason Roberts-Jones and his wife Karen, Let Loose Soft Play is a brand-new state-of-the-art play centre catering for children of all ages, based in Newport, South Wales.
The Newport-themed centre offers a fully sensory experience and a safe setting for children to enjoy and learn, as well as a relaxing environment for parents.
Why did you decide to set up your own business?
My cousin Jason and I decided to start our own business as we felt there was a gap in the market in Newport for a top-quality soft play centre. Jason also owns Greenfields nursery in Rogerstone, so he has bags of experience in the childcare sector. I come from a property background, but I’ve been keen to start another business for a few years.
What challenges did you face?
Our biggest challenge was finding a suitable location – this took us around 9 months to find. Before we found our location on Corporation Road, we had tried to secure suitable premises in other areas of the city but found that either the rent was too high, or the Council were not willing to grant permission for change of use.
Business Wales support
Business Wales Relationship Manager Rashad Ismail worked with Ryan and Jason on a wide range of issues in preparation for the launch of their new business. He assisted with business planning, financial projections, compliance, health & safety and recruitment.
Rashad also provided advice on securing premises, leasing and futher helped the entrepreneurs to obtain a £25,000 loan from the Start-Up Loans Company towards building costs and equipment, allowing them to successfully launch Let Loose Soft Play, creating 9 full and part-time jobs.
Outcomes
- successful start
- 9 jobs created
- £25,000 start-up loan secured towards premises and equipment
Rash has been a massive help for us. During all our meetings, we’ve shared valuable information about setting up a business that I would never had known. This included negotiating rent, grants available, planning/change of use needed, insurance contacts, advertising and more!
Future plans and ambitions
Our future plans after we become established is to expand our business, either by opening another centre or maybe franchising. We also plan to put money back into our business by buying new equipment to keep it up to date and fun for our customers!
If you want to read more success stories of how Business Wales has helped other people like you to start or grow their businesses, visit https://businesswales.gov.wales/case-studies or follow @_businesswales / @_busnescymru on Twitter.