Stevie-winner Nurch is looking to enhance the stability and consistency of learning environments in the Australian childcare market through a loyalty rewards program for families.
Nurch founders Brent Thompson, Glenn Noy, and Kara Smyth have over 15 years of experience in childcare each. They all agreed that the common promotional strategies used by childcare centers are antiquated, and the strategies typically only benefit a new family, never an enrolled family who has been continuously supporting the childcare center.
With this in mind, they developed and launched a loyalty rewards program in 2019 that would not only help centers increase enrollments but also help centers retain their most loyal families through rewards. With no sign-up fee, there are only benefits for families in this program as well.
How It Works
Partnering childcare centers invite families to sign up for the Nurch loyalty program at no cost. The high-tech platform synchronizes with each center’s software to automatically download the details of enrolled families, including attendance records and fees. After signing up, families automatically earn 1 point for every $1 they pay to the childcare center. Loyalty reward points can be redeemed at leading Australian retailers.
This model organically attracts new families to participating childcare centers and helps centers maintain current enrollment. More consistent enrollment allows centers to better plan for fluctuations and frees their time to focus on enhancing the quality of childcare services. This contributes to better consistency of care and more stability for children, providing a better environment to improve their learning, development, and wellbeing.
Nurch is 100% compliant with childcare subsidies and Australian consumer laws. It is constantly updated and automated to meet government regulations, laws, and changes. With the Nurch platform and collaborative model, children, families, childcare centers, and the broader community all benefit.
Growth and Values
Nurch takes an ethical and transparent business approach by providing a Childcare funding declaration. Center groups can do their own risk assessment and have fair terms and conditions that allow centers to freely operate. For example, they have a 2-year agreement term, but centers can cancel anytime.
In addition, Nurch aims to promote diversity and healthy labor practices. Employees are respected and provided with the flexibility they need to balance work and home life. Employees are given the option of where they prefer to work and what hours. Career development is highly supported by adjusting roles to specific interests.
Since receiving their Stevie awards, Nurch has now assisted over 8,000 families and more than 50 childcare centers across Australia in retaining and growing enrollments.
In a recent study, Nurch found that 67% of members would choose a Nurch-partnered childcare center or remain enrolled at their current center due to the Nurch program. Also, 80% of users saw more value in the Nurch program compared with leading retailer loyalty rewards programs. Nurch is currently on track to partner with 300 centers and have over 30,000 members by 2025.
Nurch won a Gold Stevie Award for Most Innovative Startup of the Year – Business Service Industries, and a Silver Award for Most Innovative Startup of the Year – Business Product Industries in the 2022 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards.
Interested in entering the 2023 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards?
