Tania Menzies started her Jelli Beanz childcare business at just 19 years of age.

By age 24, Tania was inspired to start a new, deeply rewarding side to Jelli Beanz.

 
For the past eight years, I have devoted myself to improving the standards and services of childcare available to parents in Australia.

Launching my own childcare business Jelli Beanz at the age of 19 was a personal and professional challenge.

But today I lead a flagship of qualified childcare workers who not only provide high quality babysitting, nannying, au pair and respite care services throughout New South Wales and Western Australia, but also a not-for-profit arm to assist parents undergoing treatment for cancer.

Starting my own business was not an easy path

 After volunteering in orphanages and schools in Thailand in my late teens, my return to Australia filled me with a new passion and understanding about what it was that gave me satisfaction as well as ideas about how I could have a positive impact through my childcare endeavours on home soil.

Though I had much expertise working in the childcare industry, I’d had none as a small business owner and as great an accomplishment as it was, setting up my business Jelli Beanz proved no easy feat.

I am the first to admit that running your own business isn’t always the easiest of career paths but my passion and motivation for providing quality child care is unwavering.

All business plans were put on hold

However in 2007, I faced a professional and personal challenge.  We had been in negotiations to set up Jelli Beanz in Melbourne with my Godmother as my business partner.  My Godmother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and all business plans got put on hold.

While accompanying my Godmother to the hospital for her cancer treatments, I saw firsthand the need for parents undergoing cancer treatment to have access to compassionate child care services.

Encouraged and inspired by my Godmother, I founded the Jelli Beanz Community Volunteers and the Caring For Kids During Cancer service to provide free child care services and assistance for children of parents undergoing active cancer treatment. The service has been funded by the Cancer Council for the past two years and we are now actively seeking sponsorship in order to continue this vital service to the community.

My advice to all young, professional women: when you get lemons – make lemonade!

Pictured: Tania Menzies and her Godmother, Donna Goudie