We’ve been working with Little Angels, a growing group of daycare nurseries, to strengthen their finance function during a major period of growth and change.
About Little Angels
Founded by CEO Debbie Wylie in 1999, Little Angels has grown from one nursery into a multi-site business with a strong reputation across the North East. After returning to the business following 10 years running a school, Debbie wanted to move from opportunistic growth to intentional expansion.
Throughout that journey, Blu Sky has supported the team with management accounts, cash flow forecasting, Xero implementation, recruitment support and hands-on finance guidance.
At a particularly important point for the business, that support became even more embedded. When Little Angels needed extra help within the finance team, our Head of Growth Josh stepped in on-site for two afternoons a week, helping keep the accounts accurate, supporting day-to-day processes and giving Debbie confidence that the numbers were under control.
Moving from compliance to confidence
Before working with us, Little Angels had used the same accountants for around 15 years. While the basics were covered, Debbie needed more strategic support to help the business grow.
“We weren’t entirely satisfied with the service that we had,” Debbie explains. “It was very much based on completing a tax return every year and effective at tax planning. I wanted to look at everything strategically and explore routes that would help the business grow.”
One of our first projects was helping the team move from Sage to Xero, creating a stronger foundation for accurate, timely reporting.
“The way Blu Sky support us is different,” Debbie says. “They were able to put accounts into place on Xero and made sure that the transition was completed smoothly at a time of change for us.”
Ongoing support through growth
For Debbie, the biggest difference has been having finance support that looks beyond the task list and understands the bigger picture.
“What I really like about Josh compared to other people we’ve had is that he’s genuinely interested in understanding the full picture,” Debbie says.
That insight has helped Little Angels improve accuracy, strengthen processes and make more confident decisions across multiple sites. Cash flow forecasting also played a key role during a self-financed expansion project.
“Those cash flow projections were really valuable at giving me confidence that we were okay to see ourselves through a self-financed expansion project of about £800,000.”
When the finance team needed extra support, Josh worked on-site for two afternoons a week, helping keep the accounts accurate.
“With Josh on site supporting us, I didn’t have to constantly worry about whether the figures were accurate or whether things were being done properly. That really matters to a business owner.”
More than accountancy
Working with us has given Little Angels access to senior finance expertise without needing to hire a full-time finance director.
“Our sales turnover is not big enough to fund a full-time finance director,” Debbie explains. “But the complexity of our accounts has needed that level of expertise.”
“Especially when you’re growing, you need someone who really understands the numbers, can pull together everything you need and give you expert advice along the way.”
For Debbie, the value goes far beyond compliance. “When you compare the value that the team has added to us, it’s actually about having consultancy at your fingertips. I’ve never, ever had that until we had Blu Sky. That’s a huge benefit to the team and me, and I cannot recommend them enough.”
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