Local Mums Bring Coworking with Childcare to Preston
Exciting new childcare option for work-from-home parents!
(Press release: November 2015)
Two Preston mums are bringing Melbourne’s first dedicated coworking-with-childcare space to the City of Darebin. Happy Hubbub, opening in central Preston in early 2016, will be a shared office space with open-plan hotdesking, meeting rooms, private offices for half-day hire and, crucially, an on-site short day care facility.
‘The time is right for this type of service,’ says Erin Richards, Happy Hubbub’s managing director and, for now, a freelance editor who works from home, out of cafes and in a coworking space. ‘Women are starting businesses at almost double the rate of men, often exactly as I did: part-time at first whilst juggling child-rearing... And yet, that very same issue [of balancing work and a young family] is often the biggest barrier to women making a success of their business, of maximising its potential growth.’
Happy Hubbub aims to change that, at least for parents in Melbourne’s north. A coworking convert, Erin is excited about creating a community of coworking parents. ‘We expect our membership will be overwhelmingly parents of preschoolers, and predominantly women, at least at first,’ she says. ‘When researching the idea of coworking with childcare, what struck me was how people responded to the sense of community; it was almost as important as the on-site childcare.’
Also important is being taken seriously as a business operator. ‘Having a professional work space is great for productivity and for meeting with clients. And with the childcare being separate from the coworking space and yet still on-site, it will facilitate continued breastfeeding, for example, but also allow you to make a work phone call without being interrupted by a crying baby.’ Hubbub members will also benefit from business workshops and seminars, networking events and social activities such as arts & crafts, meditation and yoga sessions.
Above: No more Little Miss Helper right when you need to get stuff done
Erin hopes Happy Hubbub can help change some employers’ attitudes as well. ‘In this day and age, with wifi internet access and cloud-based services, flexible working is possible across so many industries. Negative attitudes towards part-timers or working parents who require flexibility... It just doesn’t wash anymore.
‘Part-time, full time, nine to five or working flexible hours; we take you seriously, and employers should too. If you’re an effective employee or freelancer, it doesn’t matter whether it’s for 15, 40 or 60 hours a week, or whether you’re in the office or working remotely. Unfortunately, many employers still haven’t quite wrapped their heads around this concept.’ To that end, Happy Hubbub will advocate for the part-time and flexible workforce, encouraging companies to allow employees to work remotely out of the Hubbub, and consulting with them to develop ‘ramp-up’ solutions for women returning to work from maternity leave.
As a limited-hours childcare provider, Happy Hubbub can provide members with up to 5 hours per day and 15 hours per week of childcare per child. A day pass, for example, will come with 4 hours of childcare, with members choosing either a morning or afternoon childcare session. The price for a day pass starts at $65 (+GST) for casual, ad-hoc access, and gets progressively cheaper per day for regular members.
Kirstin Boyd, Happy Hubbub’s childcare director, explains. ‘For many, a day pass will mean 4 hours of coworking with 4 hours of childcare,’ she says, ‘and we think $65 is great value.’
And if members can arrange it, they can stay longer. ‘If a partner can do the kiddie drop-off or pick-up, or a grandparent or friend can take the little one for a couple of hours in the afternoon, for example, there’s no reason a member can’t stay at the Hubbub the whole day. We think plenty of members will find ways to maximise their Hubbub work day, just as plenty will use a combination of Hubbub visits and long day care days in their working week. Figuring out the pieces to the work–childcare jigsaw puzzle is what we working parents do.’
There will also be a $45 day pass for members who don’t require childcare, and flexible coworking-with-childcare by the hour at $18ph. (Additional child per hour/session $7/25.)
The childcare facility can accommodate up to 20 children at any one time. It includes a lovely treed outdoor area (‘far from concentrating coworkers!’) and a large open-plan room with kids’ toilets and nappy change area, a kitchenette and nursing chairs for mums wishing to breastfeed. Kirstin, who has 15 years’ experience in the industry and is the childcare brains of the business, is excited about creating a new kind of service.
‘I don’t like calling it “occasional care”,’ she laughs. ‘That makes it sound like a stop-gap solution, a gym-type creche. Yes, we’ll be operating under those regulations [limited hours care], but we prefer to call our service “short day care”. I’ll be incorporating early learning programs and working closely with parents to understand the needs of each child and chart the progress of our mini hubbubbers.’
Erin agrees: ‘We want to see regular faces at Happy Hubbub, of the big and small variety! It’s important that the childcare is more than just a child-minding service, so our members can confidently make the Hubbub part of their regular routine and know it’s not just good for their business, it’s good for their child, too.’
Assuming renovations of the premises – the ex vicarage tucked behind Jika Jika Anglican Church – run to schedule, Happy Hubbub will be open in late January 2016 to coincide with the start of the new school year. A month-long campaign to secure founding members begins on November 12, which, fittingly, is National Freelance Day. A live launch of the campaign, with discounted memberships, trial days and giveaways, is taking place at the Jika Jika Church Hall from 6–8pm on November 12.
Happy Hubbub website: https://www.happyhubbub.com.au
Update 13/11/2012
Happy Hubbub’s membership drive is now on! Visit http://pozible.com/happyhubbub to pledge your support and grab some great discounts off memberships, introductory days, merchandise and more.