I can't decide if this is pure genius or a complete rip-off...
A San Francisco company is offering work-at-home parents a place to work with childcare built right in. Cubes and Crayons offers workers office space with onsite childcare. There's everything you need for the professional office: conference rooms, Wi-Fi, photo copier, even a kitchen where you can get all the water cooler chatter you miss working from home. Meanwhile, your kids are happily occupied in a swank childcare center, complete with tricycles, a slide, a play kitchen, and stage, and cared for by an attentive staff (ratio is one staff member per three children). Sounds perfect, right?
But you pay for perfection: drop-in rates are $16/hour plus a yearly membership fee that starts at $435. That includes the workspace and child care.
There's another place to go for free Internet, printing capabilities, and a kitchen. It's called your home. And if you can find a reliable sitter in your neighborhood, it may cost far less to have someone watch your kid in your own home. Especially if you have more than one kid.
It's true that working at home can be a lonely, solitary existence. But most of the people I know who work from home don't make a ton of money. For us, Cubes and Crayons is a luxury we can't afford.
But for some, it might be just the ticket. Especially on an as-needed basis, when the sitter calls out sick or you have a last-minute meeting to get to; you can leave the kids behind if you have business elsewhere.
Would you use this service if it was in your neighborhood?
Related Posts:
