‘It will feel like starting all over again’: Owner of Northampton baby sensory business ready to face post-pandemic challenges

A woman who owns a local franchise of a baby sensory business is expecting post-pandemic life to feel like when she first started out.

Sarah Walker, from Moulton, only launched Baby Sensory Northampton 18 months ago, but prior to the lockdown she had built up a good reputation and was hosting classes that were regularly full.

The mum-of-two stopped the classes that she runs in village halls in the middle of March and has since managed to adapt to online tutorials.

But she knows that it will be a difficult challenge to rebuild her business.

Sarah said: “It was a really hard decision as a business to stop the classes when we did, but I definitely feel like it was the right thing to do and from feedback from parents they completely understood too.

“I spent all that time building up a good reputation so to stop running was so hard, I know we all have to be safe but I was worried about my business.

“I was just thinking ‘how long will this go on?’ I wasn’t thinking about the online possibilities.”

The head office of Sarah’s franchise came up with the idea of hosting the classes online and although she was worried about babies not wanting to look at screens, the virtual classes have taken off.

Sarah now hosts two classes a week with 35 to 40 parents in each one and also records a session so other parents can do it in their own time.

The 40-year-old added: “It’s working and it’s letting parents do the classes at home with their babies.

“Obviously I normally supply the props, so I’ve given parents ideas of how to make shakers and things like that.

“Using an empty milk bottle and filing it with rice or pasta works really well.

“I’m just trying to battle through and get people to join.

“Financially it’s not like being in the classes and I don’t qualify for any money from the Government.

“I can’t charge the same. It’s an alternative but it’s not like being in a class, so the cost is greatly reduced.

“Some parents are not willing to try as they don’t think it’s the right thing to do to put babies in front of a screen and that’s understandable, but I am managing to get a few new customers as well.

“To be able to do this online is great but I can’t wait to get back to normal, I just don’t know when that will be.”

Looking to the post-pandemic future, Sarah knows that she will have to make a lot of changes.

She continued: “I have a maximum of 20 parents and 20 babies, plus me. That’s 41 people, does that count as a gathering?

“I pride myself on making sure I use antibacterial on all the props between sessions anyway, but when I have more than one session in a day the sheets I use are washed at night.

“I don’t if that is going to be allowed, or whether I’ll be expected to have different sheets for all my classes.

“Some days I have four classes so I’ll need sheets for 80 babies - that will be financially impossible.

“And if I’m only allowed ten in a class or something similar I won’t be able to cover the costs.”

Even though Sarah believes she may have to reciprocate the hard work she put in when she started the business 18 months ago, she is hopeful her livelihood will survive.

“I do think once I can get back, it will feel like I’m starting all over again,” Sarah said.

“I have a good reputation, so even if I have to put a pause on the business and do a big relaunch I hope it will be alright.

“It will take around a year again of working really hard but I’m prepared to do it. I love what I do and I love watching babies develop.”

To get involved in Sarah’s online sessions or to find out more, email her on [email protected].

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