teaching best business practices
to preschools & child care centers
improving ECE quality across entire communities
"This time last year, we had 27 children enrolled—and as of today I am at 46! Not even a year and I am reaping the benefits of your amazing guidance. Your help literally changed everything and I truly can't thank you enough! There is a new positive energy in my school and an excitement in the air."
Dianne Islev-Petersen, All Saints' Day School
About Us
What we do
Early Education Business Consultants helps communities build early childhood business programs to create better outcomes for children.
By working with community leaders, we create a stable business model that can be implemented across the board in child care centers, preschools and family day homes. We focus on "training the trainer" so communities will have a framework for managing their own early childhood business program.
Communities gain foundation for teaching ECE business management
ECE businesses create stronger business praactices
ECE businesses achieve
financial stability, lower turnover
Children receive higher-quality care & education
Children have better outcomes
Ready to partner with your community
Early Education Business Consultants LLC will travel to your area and collaborate between agencies interested in elevating the quality of the business model in your local early childhood education industry. We have specific, meaningful experience working on a macro and micro level to implement best business practices for child care providers in a given area.
Learn more about our Early Education Business Program.
Our other services
In addition to community-level training, we offer ECE business workshops, family day home business workshops, faith-based board training and individual consulting. Our founder, Lauren M. Small, MBA, is also a sought-after presenter at conferences, seminars and webinars in the early childhood education sector.
Our impact
In addition to the stories shared in these videos, Early Education Business Consultants have been honored by these awards and event presentations:
“Small Business Development Center Excellence and Innovation Center”
Award
2014
Awarded by the Small Business Administration to the Hampton Roads SBDC due to Lauren Small's groundbreaking work.
McCormick Center Leadership Connections National Conference
Workshop Presenter
2018, 2019
Prestigious national conference in early childhood.
Early Childhood Investigations Webinar:
“Systems Mindsets” as Business Solutions for ECE Program Leaders"
Presenter
2018
Source for Learning Webinar:
“Solve 5 Common Relationship Barriers Through Effective Communication Approaches"
Presenter
2018
Virginia State SBDC State Conference
Presenter
2013
“Transforming Local Government”
National Conference
Presenter
2013
ASBDC National Conference
Workshop Presenter
San Francisco, 2015
Orlando, 2016
Virginia Association for the Education of Young Children Conference
Workshop Presenter
2015, 2016 & 2017
Child Care Aware Business Summit
Workshop Presenter
2016, 2017
"Raising the Bar" Children's Harbor Conference
Workshop Presenter
2011-2017
Smart Beginnings Virginia Peninsula Directors' Academy"
Presenter
2014-2017
Our founder
Lauren M. Small, MBA
Lauren is a Consultant and Certified Business Analyst with the Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center located in Norfolk, Virginia. Lauren designed the Early Education Small Business Training Program in 2010, which encourages and educates ECE businesses to learn and adopt best business practices, leading to an increase in child enrollment and a decrease in employee turnover.
As a result of this award-winning program, over 200 child care businesses in Hampton Roads have positively impacted over 5,000 children annually ages 0-5 years. She now offers the same type of program through her own company, Early Education Business Consultants LLC. Lauren resides in Virginia Beach and is happily married to Matthew, with three beautiful children.
