Today we’d like to introduce you to Diana Martinez.
Diana, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My mom saw two houses for sale across the street from an Elementary school and thought it would be a perfect spot to start a daycare. We converted one of the houses from residential to commercial to start the daycare. As we grew, we expanded into the next house. There was an empty lot behind us and my mom researched who owned it, and contacted the person to purchase it. In 2006, we built a 4,000 square foot daycare center and began using that facility for our full-time students. The main house was used for our after-schoolers. In 2012, the main house caught on fire totally destroying it. We eventually replaced it in 2014 with a 2,000 square foot building to house our Preschoolers and After-Schoolers.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My mom provided the financials for the startup primarily with credit cards because no bank would loan us any money. She worked many years from opening to closing. In the beginning months, I worked with my previous employer at night going to work after I got off at the daycare in order to bring in some income since the daycare was not able to pay me. We are not located on a main thoroughfare so it took about 5 years to see any profit.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Luv-N-Care Learning Center story. Tell us more about the business.
We care for children 6 weeks to 12 years old. We try to keep childcare affordable for the average working parent. We maintain a very clean Center which is one thing we are always praised on. We have 5 ladies that have worked with us for over 10 years. We maintain the State’s standards and are Texas Rising Star vendors as well. Parents feel the love when they walk into our facility. We love children and love making sure they have a safe and fun environment to enjoy and learn while their parents are at work.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
We have been blessed many times over. There are many times things could have gone in the wrong direction but they always came to our favor. I don’t feel it’s luck, I feel it is hard work and perseverance. I feel God’s blessings because he knows our mission is for children to feel loved and safely cared for.
Contact Info:
- Website: Luvncaredaycare.com
- Phone: 713-944-0013
- Email: luvncaretoo@gmail.com
- Facebook: @luvncarelearningcenter
- Other: @luvncaretoo
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