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NSW-founded startup BubbaDesk, a hybrid childcare business that combines co-working spaces with an on-site childcare service, has partnered with WOTSO FlexSpace to expand its footprint to potentially all 29 of WOTSO Property’s (ASX: WOT) sites in Australia and New Zealand.
BubbaDesk, which was founded on the Central Coast in 2022 by Lauren Perrett, is planning to open its fifth centre at a WOTSO site in Sydney’s Neutral Bay next month with a sixth planned for Sydney’s inner west in April.
WOTSO, a property group that has grown rapidly in recent years on the back of a surge in demand for flexible work environments, currently operates 29 FlexSpace centres that are largely located in suburban and regional areas.
Perrett, who founded BubbaDesk as a young mum facing a lack of support in balancing the needs of family and career after returning to work, says her business has a “complementary operating model” to WOTSO, adding that the partnership announced today is poised to make “each business stronger”.
“The opportunity for BubbaDesk is a rapid rollout and being able to deliver on the demand quicker,” says Perrett, who was a finalist in the 2024 Australian Young Entrepreneur Awards.
“For us the demand seems to be pretty much everywhere there’s a WOTSO, and so it makes sense to combine the two.
“They’ve got the coworking infrastructure, and we’ve got the playbook to run both under one roof. The value of having one landlord across multiple sites is also really appealing.”
BubbaDesk currently has four centres in St Leonards, Erina, Caringbah and Wollongong.
Perrett earlier this year told Business News Australia that she had ambitions to expand to seven locations by the end of 2024. However, once the Neutral Bay centre is operational the partners plan to fast-track new locations at WOTSO sites in Canberra, Newcastle and potentially western Sydney.
WOTSO’s CEO Jessie Glew, who is also a new mother, says she was inspired by BubbaDesk’s business concept and after seeing an opportunity for the companies to work together she initiated discussions that led to the partnership.
“For us it was about providing an extra service to our members,” says Glew.
“I recently had my own child and can see all the benefits of BubbaDesk, which makes it easier for parents returning to work by combining childcare with coworking.
“As a new parent, you can be super anxious and don’t want to be far from your child. If they’re being looked after in the same space, that makes it so much easier.”
BubbaDesk cares for children aged between four months and three years and will have separate, branded ancillary childcare facilities and desk space within the WOTSO sites where it operates.
“There are huge benefits for (BubbaDesk) members,” says Perrett.
“One is obviously productivity, two is being able to stay close to their child in those very early days – time is fleeting.
“Our members value their careers and are trying to balance both. That’s why we exist and partnering with WOTSO just makes sense.”
BubbaDesk essentially targets the needs of parents who are professionals and either don’t want to use a traditional daycare service or they can't afford the cost of a nanny.
Because a parent or parents are on-site under this model, they are not eligible for the federally funded childcare subsidy.
However, Perrett says that BubbaDesk can provide a powerful staff retention tool for companies.
The company recently signed a corporate partnership with Canva, whose employees receive a discount on subscriptions of more than six months.
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