If you are looking for an inspirational business Mum, look no further than Sarah Steel of Faringdon, Oxfordshire. That's according to the judges who declared her the winner of the Inspirational Business Mum of the Year Award 2007.

The idea for Sarah's business came after she was unable to find suitable childcare in her local area for her two children. As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention, and so Sarah decided to do something about the shortgage.

It wasn't an easy task. As well as having to research the market and juggle her own family commitments, Sarah really struggled to find suitable premises for a new nursery.

Sarah's search eventually led her to the old Great Western Railway Station building in Faringdon and in after converting it into day, The Old Station Nursery opened its doors in 2002 to children aged three months to five years.

But Sarah's story doesn't stop there. The success of The Old Station Nursery has given birth to a string of nine nurseries across Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Rutland and Lincolnshire. Of those two are in colleges and three are on RAF bases.

The judges were so impressed by Sarah's vision and endless passion for her growing business that they made her a deserved winner of the first ever Inspirational Business Mum of the Year Award.

Brainstorming

So what about you.

Is there enough nursery school provision in your area? Or is there a gap in the market for after-school clubs?

Can you think of other ways in which you could work with mothers and babies? Or older childen? Or adults for that matter? Learning is a lifelong process.

Or does your local area lack other facilities that you could provide?