They say many of the best ideas are born of personal experience. And so it was with 'holiday nanny'. This was a business just waiting to happen. But it took a tortuous experience by former Goldman Sachs investment banker Nicole Grant to kick-start it into life.

Nicola and her husband Edward were planning a holiday abroad shortly after the birth of their second child. They decided to take a nanny with them. As Nicola says, "We started looking for help. We went to agencies, advertised privately and went through masses of CV's." It was a time consuming process that left them needing the holiday even more. The result was, "We got a fantastic nanny," says Nicola. "People on holiday kept saying where did you get her? I thought there must be an easier way of doing this."

What Nicola had identified was a huge gap in the market. The more she looked into it the more she realised there 'are a lot of private families looking for a nanny'. And these are not just professional people. They may be full-time mothers who want a break when they go on holiday. Or it could be families who already have a nanny but want to give her a holiday when they go away. Nicola recognised everyone has different needs and requests. So 'holiday nanny' came into being in June 2007 and by August was already taking bookings.

From nursery to secondary school children, those with special needs and babies, 'holiday nanny' offers different packages and a bespoke service. But at the heart of it all is the personal service. As Nicola says, "We try to match the nanny to the family. Holidays are so important for people you've got to get it right. The personality and the set of skills must match."

"'holiday nanny' has tapped into people's need for a relaxing break away from the daily grind."

Take for instance Fiona Winser. She's off on a skiing holiday with a family who have two little girls. She say, "The girls are really into dancing and so am I." And then there's Jessica Root who nannied with a family and they got on so well she says, "They were lovely. It wasn't like I was working for them as a nanny, it was like a friend. We still keep in contact."

Both Fiona and Jessica come from a childcare background. Fiona, is 22 years old, and taking her final year at Leeds University studying Childhood, Education and Culture. She's going on to take her qualifications to teach primary school children. And holiday nanny fits in well with her university schedule. Likewise 29 year old Jessica, who is qualified in childcare, splits her time between Britain and Germany and 'holiday nanny' works well with her lifestyle.

Nicola says, "Our nanny base is made up of three sets of nannies. We use primary and secondary school teachers, supply teachers and students in the childcare profession." This means they can cover most holidays at short notice. "We can respond very quickly," says Nicola. "Generally if I get a call in the morning I can turn it around and have a proposal ready by the afternoon."

'holiday nanny' is very fussy. Less than 10% of those who apply get accepted. And of those that do there's a rigorous checking process. Each nanny will have childcare qualifications, a minimum of a year's experience, and a paediatric first aid certificate. And then there are references to review and a check with the Criminal Records Bureau.

In the last five months the company has had over 50 jobs on its books and 45 nannies. They have already linked up with several top family holiday companies including Elegant Resorts, Kuoni, Quo Vadis Kids in the Med and Wake up in France.

"Our nanny base is made up of three sets of nannies. We use primary and secondary school teachers, supply teachers and students in the childcare profession." Nicola Grant

And the accolades are flowing in. Consider the family who on meeting their nanny at 5am at Gatwick realised they had 'made a fantastic decision'. They say, "She was so friendly, energetic and helpful and built up an immediate rapport with William. She struck the right balance between giving up a helping hand and stepping back at the right time to allow us space as a family. In fact we checked her availability for 2008 on the flight home."

So what does it cost to have peace of mind and enjoy that well earned break? Standard packages for one week cost £425 and that includes 45 hours of daytime childcare and 14 hours of night time babysitting. Two weeks cost £795. And in each week the nanny has one day and at least three evenings off. But in practice the parents and the nannies work out what suits them best. So for instance, Jessica stayed with the baby for a few days when the family went off with the older child. And Fiona will have her mornings free while the children are at ski school.

'holiday nanny' has tapped into people's need for a relaxing break away from the daily grind. Nicola says, "I hope it continues to grow." And if the last few months are anything to go by it seems likely the company will go from strength to strength.

For further information please visit  www.holidaynanny.org.

By Michele Nevard