Business clearly runs in the family for the Lay siblings. But where other brothers and sisters may bicker, co-operation is key for the Lays who, at 32, 28 and 25, have taken the plunge and each launched their own separate businesses — in the picturesque surroundings of their family farm in West Hagbourne, near Didcot.

Having grown up sharing the chores of feeding ducks and chickens, they are now hoping their brother-sister bond — and farming roots — will be the key to business success.

Manor Farm, run by their parents Chris and Sue, is now not only home to tractors, trailers and straw bales, but to Aimee’s bespoke nanny agency, Contented Childcare, Matt’s Hagbourne Farm Plumbing business and Becky’s Bare Essentials beauty therapy salon.

And from sharing leaflet dropping to persuading their dad to let them display adverts in his fields, all three are going from strength to strength.

At just 25, Aimee is the youngest of the three but already has a wealth of childcare experience.

She left home to train as a nanny at Chiltern College in Caversham and worked for a few years before realising that she could offer a better service than many of the existing nanny agencies.

“Having gone through the process, I thought I could do it to a higher standard. Many other agencies don't even meet their clients — they do everything on the telephone. I personally visit each family to work out what their specific requirements are,” Aimee said.

“Watching my brother and sister set up their own businesses motivated me to do the same and we often go off and do flyer drops together to try and promote our businesses. It is great all being based in the same place as we can support each other and bounce ideas between us.

“Setting up a business is quite scary, but with a brother and sister already established, it has made it easier. I can always ask them questions.

“We often have meals together around the kitchen table discussing ideas, ways to promote the business and ways we can market them. Dad is always pushing us to get out there and we all motivate each other — he has allowed us to put up large billboards in the fields so we can advertise.”

At 32, Becky is the oldest and believes south Oxfordshire has great potential for her beauty therapy business.

She set up her salon in a spare room at her home in Swindon shortly after the birth of her daughter Lily-Ella, now four. But earlier this year she moved her business to Manor Farm.

"I thought it was a better place for a salon, although it is 45-minutes drive, so we are hoping to move house soon.

“I was hoping to move closer anyway, but the rents were too high. Then my parents offered me a good deal. I get many of my clients through word of mouth and people around here have more money to spend on beauty treatments,” she said.

Based at Lilley Cottage, once part of her grandparents’ home, she has invested in a new machine which uses radio frequency designed to tighten the skin, as well as offering laser hair removal for men and women, reduction in pigmentation marks, thread veins, rosacea and acne.

She also offers hot stone and Swedish massage, Fake Bake and Xen Tan tanning, OPI manicures and pedicures, waxing, Jean Marine facials and lash and brow tinting.

The farm setting is ideal for childcare too – with her parents Chris and Sue just around the corner to help look after Lily-Ella. “My brother has a young child, so he helps as well sometimes,” Aimee added: “Didcot is expanding fast so there is a great opportunity to tap into a growing client base here in south Oxfordshire.

“We are hoping we can publicise all our firms through each other’s clients — with the three of us in business it’s a great talking point. There’s a bit of healthy competition between us though, which keeps things interesting."

Father-of-one Matt, 28, said: "All three of us have been lucky enough to have great parents who support us with what we are doing. I was dyslexic at school but wanted to find something more hands-on and practical.

“It is great working so close to my sisters — there haven’t been any arguments yet!

“We are all quite young but we are the next generation, bringing business to the farm and using the buildings in new and exciting ways. We have all been inspired by our parents and the hard work they have put into the farm — and now it is time to make our mark.”

With three children all forging non-farming careers, how do Chris and Sue feel about the future of the family farm?

Becky said: “No-one wants to go into farming, which is an issue, but my dad is a workaholic and I cannot see him retiring any time soon. We have lots of ideas, but we have not made a final decision.”