Everyday people are taking the leap into entrepreneurship and building business and brands that they could only dream of years before. Thanks to the Internet, there are many opportunities to network, learn new skills, and build your brand from the ground up. Whether you need help with marketing or bookkeeping, programs and consultants are available to help you make your business run smoothly and create a plan for you to hit every goal.
But when we add children to the equation, parents are often caught in a stressful balancing act between raising a child and raising a business. There is no app for that.
There are many benefits parents have when they own their own business. You can call the shots and close up shop if your child is home sick. As an entrepreneurial parent, you can now make your own schedule and coach your son’s basketball team. You can actually attend your child’s Christmas party instead of being stuck in the office.
Being a parent and an entrepreneur can quickly become tricky when those two worlds start to collide and overlap each other. When you find yourself struggling to get to a meeting because your babysitter canceled, or your presentation needs more tweaking but the kids have been stuck inside all day, and they (and you) can only take so much SpongeBob. Something needs to give. It usually ends feeling like an impossible choice between your business suffering or your children suffering.
That’s where Merge CoWorking + Childcare hopes to close the gap and give parents the tools they need to build their businesses and brands – a coworking space designed for parents, by parents. San Antonio’s business and technology sectors are booming. The need for this type of center will only increase.
There are many examples of this business model around the world from Thirdoor Workhub and Nursery in London, to Work and Play in New Jersey. More parents are shifting into working for themselves, but still need support to ensure a balance between work and family obligations.
One of the great things about coworking spaces is that you can get work done, in the company of people who are just like you. People who may be even better than you and bring you more ideas. San Antonio has great coworking spaces for startups to learn and grow like Geekdom, and places you can hold meetings and secure your own office space like Venturepoint. These places are heaven for entrepreneurs who need to be around a constant learning environment and other professionals. It’s also great to plug in and work without the distractions that come with working at home.
Merge CoWorking + Childcare hopes to be San Antonio’s first coworking space that will also offer childcare, activities, classes, etc. Picture a day where you have to hold a meeting, but your toddler is at home with you. At Merge CoWorking, you’d be able to book a meeting room, and then have your child in the licensed center down the hall while you work. If you are looking to just bring your laptop and get some work done, you can easily just use the common space and connect with other people while the baby is in good hands. For older children, during school breaks or if they are homeschooled, we plan to offer their own private area, computers, and classes for them as well.
While we do plan on having a licensed childcare center, our main focus is providing tools that can help the parents make the most of their time and their business. We want to provide resources for entrepreneurs who are also parents, whose time may be a little more divided than a childless college graduate that’s just starting. Merge CoWorking wants to give parents the opportunity to make their dreams a reality, while still not forgetting that family is just as important. Tools like free classes, seminars, training, and consulting, Merge CoWorking wants entrepreneurs to succeed in San Antonio.
Merge CoWorking + Childcare hopes to close that gap in the San Antonio area and provide a place where parents and kids can commune and be productive in one space. For more information, please check out our website at www.MergeCoworking.com and our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mergecoworking.
“Bring Your Child to Work Day” can be everyday.
*Featured/top image: Happy kids, happy entrepreneur. Photo by Stepfanie Cuevas.
Related Stories:
Geekdom 2014: Moving, Growing, Geeking
No Corner Offices at The New Geekdom
Codeup Grads Released Into General Population
Storific Brings Line-skipping Mobile App Home to San Antonio
