Digital 52 2️⃣2️⃣ - Building a coworking space with childcare: the story of juggleHUB.
Today’s story explores yet another way coworking positively impacts society: by plugging a childcare facility into its model. Keep reading to learn from juggleHUB, a coworking space located in Berlin.
Positive Impact - Sustainability - Wellness and Wellbeing
Read the full story of juggleHUB on page 168 of “Around The World in 250 Coworking Spaces”.
Coworking spaces have the potential to make a positive impact on a wide range of people, providing them with access to a workspace that meets their unique needs. Like Parents. For them, finding suitable childcare options can often be a challenging and time-consuming process. While local governments work towards finding a solution that benefits all parents, coworking spaces have emerged as an alternative, by offering childcare services. At juggleHUB, a coworking space in Berlin, founders Katja, and Silvia have done an impressive job of creating a space where parents can work while their children are well taken care of. We’ve been following their journey since the very beginning, and we are excited to explore it once again with you in today’s story. Ready to learn from the experience of juggleHUB?
➡️ A little refresher
Who’s behind the featured space?
Meet Katja Thiede and Silvia Steude, the co/founders of juggleHUB.
As to how they ended up opening a coworking space with childcare, Silvia tells us: “We didn't know each other before founding juggleHUB. But we had the same idea. One day Katja published a post in a Facebook group for entrepreneurs, roughly outlining her idea and saying that she is looking for a co-founder. I read it and got in touch with her instantly. That was in April 2015. We took it from there together and started juggleHUB a year later. “
➡️ Key Figures
- Opening year: 2016
- Size when they started: 400 sqm (4,000 sqft)
- Size today: same
➡️ A little tour around juggleHUB
➡️ Behind-the-scenes
Things you didn't read in aw250cs.
While juggleHUB offers childcare services, it does mean the space is for parents only. As Katja told us in our initial interview with her: “We want to be a space that is open to everyone, no matter what phase of life he or she is in.”
"Creating opportunities for people to connect is crucial in a coworking space."
Silvia Steude, Co/Founder of juggleHUB
➡️ juggleHUB Today
The impact of the pandemic on coworking spaces is now better understood by many, but, if we look into niche coworking spaces like JuggleHUB, what did Covid-19 look like to them? As a coworking space offering childcare, did they actually had any particular restrictions or did they move through the cracks? I was curious to understand where things were at for the duo today, in February 2023. Chatting with Silvia, one of JuggleHUB’s co/founders brought to life yet another big challenge faced by coworking operators: the reality of the real estate market. What do we mean by that? You are about to find out.
💫 A different real estate market, an outlook on what’s next.
As you are about to discover, JuggleHUB is now faced with a challenge. As the real estate market in Berlin is now at an all-time high, what does it mean for JuggleHUB and their leasing agreement soon coming to an end? Keep reading to find out.
How can we ensure that the work of dedicated individuals like Silvia is recognized and that coworking spaces offering childcare services become a fundamental component of accessible childcare solutions? Discover Silvia's insights on this matter as you read on.
💬 I’d like to start by asking you: what’s new at JuggleHUB since September 2021? (the month the book was released)
Well, we still exist, and we are operating in a completely normal way again, which is really nice. I don't think there's anything really new, because, for the last three years, we've just been surviving like everyone else. We didn't have many own events before, but we had a lot more requests for meetups and networking events, which seem to not really exist anymore. I don't know if you still go to many networking events, but it seems like they're dying down.
Right now, we're just up and running, and I don't seem to have the energy to do anything extra. In the bigger scheme of things, what's new is that we have to move out of here in about two and a half years, but finding affordable real estate nearby is close to impossible. So, I'm trying to figure out what the next step is for JuggleHUB. That's going to be my topic for the next year, to come up with a plan for what we're going to do if we can't find a new space.
💬 As you run a coworking space with a childcare facility, did you have to shut down everything during Covid-19?
As we have events, coworking, and childcare, each area had different rules and regulations. During the first two months of COVID in 2020, we officially shut down and closed the doors, but our coworkers had the option of getting a key and booking a room for themselves.
We made all of our rooms available, created a spreadsheet, and allowed people to put their names into a room for a certain amount of time to ensure that each person was alone at all times. After the initial shutdown, our coworking area was always open, but the events were completely gone for a while.
In childcare, we created fixed groups of three children during the first summer of COVID and changed the way parents could book childcare. However, this was always a grey area because officially, paid childcare was forbidden, and only private childcare among family and friends was permitted. We had to navigate these rules and figure out what was actually possible because our type of service was not included in the official Corona regulations. We're not a private babysitter, and we're not a kita.
We always fall through the cracks, even coworking itself falls through the cracks because it's not considered when they make these rules. We were always somewhere between office rules and cafe/restaurant rules, fitting between those two somehow.
💬 What’s the biggest change(s) you’ve noticed for JuggleHUB since the pandemic eased out?
Coworking has become much more popular, we receive multiple requests through our online form on a daily basis. In fact, we've had to turn people down due to a lack of availability. There have also been changes in how people use the space. Our dedicated phone call room is consistently full as more people are on calls and video conferences throughout the day.
💬 Did these changes in how people use the coworking space also impact the interior design of the space?
It can be challenging because there are limited changes we can make. However, we have made some internal rule adjustments such as allowing meeting rooms to be used when not booked, as long as individuals sign up on a list. We also included more free hours in the memberships plans for meeting room usage to incentivize people to book what they need rather than block the room all day. Despite these efforts, it can still be difficult to ensure everyone follows the rules.
💬 It seems like providing childcare in coworking spaces is a challenging topic. Can you tell me more about the challenges that you face and what steps you've taken to address them?
Yes, it's an ongoing struggle. When we started, there were a few other coworking spaces with childcare that opened up around the same time, but most of them closed down within a year or two. Later there was also Work’n’Kid, and although they’re still around, they sadly lost their space and are currently subletting within another space. So, we're actually looking into joining forces because we believe this topic is important, but it's still not a high-priority issue politically and within companies.
Providing childcare is a huge problem that nobody wants to tackle. It's something that everyone knows is important, but it's not being addressed enough. Parents are struggling, and it's evident when you hear their stories. They're grateful for our service, even if they have to pay out of pocket for everything. Currently, we're experiencing a lot of interest in childcare again, which comes and goes in waves.
Since childcare in coworking spaces is such a niche service, it's hard to regulate, and it's difficult to move it forward. Anne from Work’n’Kid (ndlr; another coworking space with childcare in Berlin) is more involved in trying to talk to politicians and get it on the agenda. We're trying to join forces with other coworking spaces to increase awareness and push for more action.
💬 In the book you talked about the pilot project you were running with different companies in Berlin. Can you talk to us about it?
Unfortunately, they all dropped it during Covid. It was a pilot project, and since we're not a national chain with locations everywhere, it was always considered a pilot. For the employees, it was great, if they knew about it, but I think it might have been a problem with internal communication. We did have some bookings, but then, when COVID started, they canceled the whole thing.
We've had a few companies express interest in the service since then, but nothing ever materialized. The problem is that we're too local, and we don't have other locations. It's hard for companies to offer the service to all their employees if not everyone can reach it.
We had the idea to offer our service to companies by setting up something in their unused space. However, we haven't tackled that yet. It's one of the things I want to figure out this year if it makes sense.
💬 As said earlier, you’ve been around since 2016, have you ever thought about growing juggleHUB in size?
Before Covid, we were actively exploring options for a second space to accommodate our growing business. However, everything came crashing down, and we've struggled to find affordable locations in central areas since then. While I do still keep an eye out for potential spaces, my motivation to start something new is low, and it's just not feasible for me right now. Perhaps it's time to approach things differently or help others create similar spaces, as I feel a bit frustrated. Nonetheless, our current location is great, and if we can stay here, that would be ideal.
💬 What would you need more of to make the mission of juggleHUB more known?
Initially, our vision was to have a JuggleHub coworking space in every neighborhood in Berlin because we believe that it's something that's needed everywhere, especially with the added benefit of childcare. However, besides being delayed by Covid, our dream of having more spaces has been impeded by the challenge of finding affordable real estate. What's considered affordable is subjective, but ideally, we'd like to find a space for under 15 Euros per square meter.
💬 You guys are located in Berlin, which is a city where coworking started quite early on. How have you seen the scene evolve over the years?
I have to admit that I'm not as involved in the scene as before, so my feeling is that it's not as much of a movement anymore. There used to be many new cool spaces opening all the time, but now it seems more corporate and less dynamic. The number of networking events has gone down, and the startup magic that was happening a few years ago has changed. The same is true for coworking, in my opinion.
However, there is a lot of potential in smaller cities and countryside areas, where people are working from home and can live closer to nature. My partner, Katja, is involved with CoworkLand, which is a collective of coworking spaces in the countryside, and she's trying to push coworking in her region. Maybe that's the way to move forward, to leave the city. It's just impossible to make money with a coworking space in Berlin nowadays.
It's a shame because the origin of coworking is the small personal spaces run by individuals and privately funded, which are the best spaces in my opinion. But eventually, they will die out once their leases are up or if they have to move out of their space.
➡️ Reflections on building juggleHUB
💬 What has been your biggest learning out of bringing to life AND growing JuggleHUB?
Good coffee is a must-have!
Additionally, it's important to have someone passionate about connecting people running or working in the space. Providing space is not just about physical rooms, but creating an environment that encourages people to connect and take the time to do so. This can be achieved through community events, such as a weekly lunch, which can act as a glue that keeps everyone together and fosters new relationships.
Creating opportunities for people to connect is crucial in a coworking space.
Unlike in a traditional workplace where colleagues may chat at the coffee machine, in a coworking space, people need more encouragement to engage with each other. Providing ways for people to meet, exchange ideas and start conversations is essential to building a vibrant community because most members won't do that on their own.
💬 What would be your best advice to someone thinking about opening a coworking space for parents?
Having multiple sources of income is crucial for the success of a coworking space. It's not enough to just focus on coworking and childcare. For example, our event space has been an important source of income for us. Without it, we would have probably shut down several years ago. Of course, it requires a lot of work to manage, but it has been worth it for us. It's important for coworking spaces to explore and develop other revenue streams to ensure their sustainability.
💬 If you could chat with coworking operators now, what would you like to ask them?
💬 And if you could chat with coworking members?
What do they appreciate most about the coworking spaces they use? What is their reason for choosing a certain coworking space? I think the price has a lot to do with it, as well as the chemistry and how everyone likes to work. But it would be interesting to really understand why they decided to stay in their current coworking space.
💬 Last but not least, what’s your biggest dream for JuggleHUB?
That's the question I'm currently asking myself. We can talk about it next year. Right now, it's really tough because I went through a difficult time in the last couple of months when I lost all motivation due to the situation with our space. However, I'm starting to feel better and looking for inspiration and motivation for something new. It's a fresh feeling, and I still need time to develop it. I can't say exactly what it will be, but I feel like it might not be connected to my own space. It could be something on a different level, such as consulting or setting up something in other spaces. I might even consult other coworking space owners to start childcare as a service or something similar. That way, my risk is lower, and I'm not as bound to a specific location.