Childcare is often the quiet deciding factor in whether a business idea ever becomes a business
When self‑employed parents come to us, they don’t usually start by saying “I’m struggling with childcare.”
It shows up in other ways first.
“I can’t get a clear day to focus.”
“I’m doing the work at night and it’s not sustainable.”
“I keep missing chances because I can’t commit.”
Think about those comments for a moment and the link becomes obvious.
If childcare is unreliable, too expensive, or simply not available when you need it, everything else starts to slip. Your plans. Your energy. Your confidence. Even your cashflow. Especially your cashflow.
You may have a strong idea. You may even have customers who want to buy from you. But without time you can trust, it’s hard to deliver consistently, and even harder to grow.
That’s why we’re launching our Childcare and Enterprise Support Pilot, funded by the Liontrust Foundation.
What we’re offering
Over one year, we’ll support six parents through:
- 80 hours of funded childcare
- One‑to‑one enterprise mentoring
- Workshops and tailored business support
- Peer support and regular check‑ins with our team
We’ll select:
- 2 people at the idea stage
- 2 people in the start‑up phase
- 2 people who are growing their business
Applications are open to parents in any London borough whose children are enrolled in, or soon to be enrolled in, Ofsted‑registered childcare.
Why childcare hits self‑employed parents differently
What we’ve seen is that when people talk about childcare support “for working parents,” this is through the lens of employment: predictable hours, fixed shifts, and a regular salary.
Self‑employment rarely looks like that.
Your work doesn’t always follow a neat pattern. A customer may need you in the middle of the day. A supplier might only be free on a Tuesday morning. A market might offer you a last‑minute stall.
If your childcare isn’t secure, you start saying no.
Not because you want to, but because you can’t risk letting anyone down.
Over time, opportunities dry up. Growth slows. In some cases, the business never gets off the ground.
And there’s another truth: childcare is harder to navigate when your income changes each month.
Some schemes expect regular reconfirmation or you have to pay upfront and claim costs back later, something that can feel or BE impossible when cash is tight.
What this pilot is testing
This pilot is a practical test.
We want to understand what changes when a parent gets two things:
- Protected childcare time
- Business support that genuinely fits around real life
Because mentoring without time becomes another pressure.
Workshops without childcare become another thing you miss.
Our hope is simple:
Parents should not have to choose between being there for their children and building an income through self‑employment.
What to do next
If this sounds like your situation, we’d love you to apply.
If you’re not sure whether you’re ready, get in touch. We’ll happily talk it through — what the pilot includes, who it’s for, and what the next steps are.
One question to think about:
If you had protected childcare time each week, what would you do first in your business?
Contact us to find out how we can help you make that start.
