About Sam & Little Steps

Marketing Built From Inside the Nursery

Six years working in childcare — from apprentice to multi-site business manager — before turning that experience into marketing that actually works for nurseries.

Sam, founder of Little Steps Marketing
6+

Years working inside nurseries before starting LSM

Glaisdale Nursery

Sam in Glaisdale Day Nursery uniform

Business Manager

Sam presenting at a business event
Sam's Story

I've Sat in Your Chair

I started working in childcare at 16 — not because I fell into it, but because I genuinely loved it. Over the next six years I worked my way through every level of the sector, from apprentice to Level 3 practitioner to, eventually, business manager overseeing three nursery sites.

I know what it's like to wear every hat at once. To be responsible for safeguarding, staff ratios, Ofsted inspections, parent relationships — and somehow also be expected to keep your rooms full. Marketing was always the thing that felt furthest from anyone's expertise, yet it was the thing the whole business depended on.

"I watched brilliant nurseries struggle to fill spaces — not because they weren't outstanding settings, but because parents simply didn't know they existed."

That gap is what inspired me to start Little Steps Marketing. I trained in digital marketing and Meta advertising, and combined it with everything I already knew about the sector. The result is a marketing service that speaks the language of childcare — because it was built by someone who lived it.

I work exclusively with nurseries and early years settings. Not restaurants, not solicitors, not gyms. Just nurseries — because that's where my knowledge runs deepest, and that's where I can genuinely make a difference.

The Journey

Six Years From Apprentice to Agency Founder

Age 16 · The Beginning

Apprentice Practitioner

Started as an apprentice in a local nursery setting — learning the foundations of early years education, child development, and what it really means to care for young children. This is where the love for the sector began.

Age 18 · Growing the Skills

Level 3 Early Years Practitioner

Achieved a Level 3 Early Years qualification and took on full practitioner responsibilities — planning activities, supporting EYFS development, building relationships with families, and contributing to Ofsted inspections.

Early 20s · Taking on Responsibility

Business Manager — 3 Nursery Sites

Took on the role of business manager responsible for three nursery settings — overseeing operations, staff, compliance, parent relations and, crucially, occupancy. This is where the marketing gap became impossible to ignore.

Age 22 · A New Chapter

Founded Little Steps Marketing

Left the sector to fill the gap I kept seeing. Trained formally in digital marketing and Meta advertising, and launched Little Steps Marketing — a specialist agency built entirely around nurseries and childcare settings.

What We Stand For

The Values Behind Everything We Do

Genuine Specialism

We only work with nurseries. That singular focus means we go deeper, learn faster, and get better results than any generalist agency ever could.

Honest Communication

No jargon, no inflated promises. You'll always know exactly what's happening with your campaigns, in plain English, every month.

Care at the Core

We came from childcare. The values that shaped us — patience, empathy, doing right by families — still run through everything we do today.

Results That Matter

We measure success the same way you do — enrolled children. Not impressions, not clicks. Real families booking tours.

Partnership Mentality

We work as an extension of your team, not a faceless vendor. Your goals become our goals — and we're invested in your nursery's long-term growth.

No Lock-in Contracts

We don't tie you in because we don't need to. We earn your business month by month through the results we deliver.

Ready to Work With Someone Who Truly Gets Nurseries?

Book a free 1-hour discovery call. No hard sell — just an honest conversation about your setting.

Book a Free Discovery Call    See Our Services