It is easy to imagine that a huge website like the Bub Hub runs from an inner-city office filled with technical, marketing and admin staff, designers, writers and salespeople. The bosses have comfy big chairs and offices with views across the harbour…
Well, apart from the comfy chair, this couldn’t be further than the truth. In fact, the Bub Hub – Australia’s leading independent pregnancy and parenting website – is run from a small home office in Brisbane’s inner north. There is only a handful of staff members and the bosses are sitting right there with them – their chairs are only slightly more comfortable.
The Bub Hub crew are owners/founders Hilary and Brad (also marketing manager), BH Sales, BH Admin and BH Tech. Also on board are BH Editor, who works from home, and forum manager Veve who fits her Bub Hub duties around her teaching job.
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Here’s a typical day on the Bub Hub…
5.15am - BH Editor is the first to log on. Her toddler has woken early and she decides it’s in her best interests to also be awake (last time he got up earlier than she did the laptop lost nine keys). She checks her emails and appeals for sympathy via a ‘how early does your toddler get up’ post on the Bub Hub Facebook page.
7.30am – Veve is awake and has managed to find the kettle. She heads to the bedrooms to wake her 6-year old (who’s decided that one-and-a-bit years of school is MORE than enough) and her 4-year-old (who has decided that night time is WAY more fun than daytime and is therefore Mr Grumpy until lunchtime!).
8:00am – BH Admin arrives at the office first. It is dark. She turns on the lights and the computer, ready for a busy day.
8.15am – BH Sales arrives, logs in to her computer and shares her morning coffee experience – why it is so hard to get a decent cup of coffee?!
8.18am – Brad pops downstairs to say ‘hi’ to the team in the office. He thinks about how much better it would be if Queensland had daylight savings and everyone could start later!
8:20am – Veve drops her 4-year-old off at the babysitter’s and arrives at school. Her 6-year-old sits down with his paper and pens, so she can set up the classroom for a busy day ahead.
8.25am – Brad starts work. Hilary walks their three kids to school, mediates arguments about nothing and listens to a group of Grade 2-ers read books.
8.30am – BH Tech arrives at work. He is sweating from his run so he has a quick swim in the pool to cool off, then puts on his shorts and shirt and starts work.
8.50am – Veve gets hugs and kisses from her 6-year-old before he heads up to the grade one classroom. Her students are just about to arrive.
9:00am – Hilary is back in the office and there is a quick meeting. Then everyone returns to the business of checking their emails.
9.05am – Brad remembers it used to take a lot longer to check his emails. He loves that he can now access emails 24/7 using his phone. He also hates that he can now access emails 24/7 using his phone.
9.30am – BH Tech is trying to get the forum to display a new local posts list in search results. BH Sales is on the phone to clients and BH Admin is making free listings live on the site.
9.45am – BH Sales and BH Tech have a laugh and joke in the office while they treat themselves to some delicious treats.
10:00am – Hilary replies to emails, checks the Bub Hub Facebook page and resolves to go through accounts.
10.30am – Brad calls clients to touch base and make sure everything’s running smoothly.
10:50am – BH Sales waits for Brad to stop hogging the phone.
10:55am – Hilary resolves to go through accounts – she makes a cup of tea instead. She warns the team that she’ll be cranky as she has to go through accounts.
11:00am – BH Editor is congratulating herself on achieving the almost-impossible feat of getting both kids napping at the same time. She settles down for a solid hour or two of checking emails, reading blogs, organising competitions and perhaps writing an article if there’s time.
11.01am – False alarm. The Baby is awake. Typical.
11.05am – BH Editor check emails/posts on Facebook while feeding the baby. Thinks about how much she loves her iPhone …
11.10am – Brad and BH Sales have a meeting to discuss response to new review system for the listed businesses, a new feature on the site for smaller advertisers.
11.20am – Hilary starts accounts.
11.30am – This time both babies really ARE asleep. BH Editor gets working!
12.30pm – Lunchtime. BH Sales is eating at her desk while attempting to empty her inbox – she sneaks in 5-10 mins of “shut eye” while no one else is in the office.
1:00pm – Hilary makes a new feature live on the forum so members can chat more easily with mums in their local area.
1.15pm – Accounts spread out on the floor – Hilary is entering them into system and filing.
1.30pm – BH Admin is going cross-eyed organising sales and newsletter schedule.
1.45pm – Finish accounts.
2:00pm – Brad chats to parenting expert Pinky McKay about an article for next month’s newsletter.
2.32pm – BH Tech is stuck on hold on the phone
3:00pm – Brad and Hilary collect the kids and embark on afternoon filled with homework and three different afternoon extra-curricular activities!
3.42pm – BH Tech is deleting old forum styles, trying to figure out where an old google 300×250 ad is on the site.
4.30pm – Home time for the office staff.
5.30pm – Veve’s boys are showered and dinner is simmering. She pops online to check her Bub Hub emails and to see what has happened on the forum through the day.
7.50pm – Both kids are in bed so BH Editor starts up the computer for some more work.
7.51pm – BH Editor notices that The Toddler has removed more keys from the keyboard. B is gone and H is also missing … sigh.
9:00pm – Veve is having the last say. She logs back online to process emails and to make sure everything is ok on the forum.
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The Cuddle Craft Collective crew would like to send a huge thank you to all the staff at the Bub Hub, not only for supporting our charity auction, but also for providing a wonderful website and forum for the Mums of Australia!
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