Like many entrepreneurs, Nikki Guerrero is juggling work, child care and the pressures of COVID-19, and she has turned to Portland nonprofit XXcelerate for support
As schools continue remote learning, Oregon parents are struggling to balance work with caring for and educating their children. Female entrepreneurs have long struggled to find affordable child care for their children, and the pandemic has only exacerbated this crisis.
According to a recent U.S. Census Bureau survey of adults who are not working, about one-third of women ages 25 to 44 are not working because COVID-19 has disrupted their child care. Female business owners, in particular, face limited options when it comes to balancing work with the extra challenges of parenting during the pandemic. Many of these women have decided to take time off, switch to nontraditional business hours or leave their children home alone.
U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, (D-Beaverton), who represents Washington County, is an outspoken advocate for child care. She recently released a report showing that, even before the pandemic, all of Oregon’s counties were considered child care deserts for infants and toddlers, with only one child care slot for every three children in need of care.
“We knew there was a child care crisis even before the pandemic, and it's worse now,” Bonamici said. “This is not just an issue for families with children. It affects businesses as well.”
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In early September, Bonamici launched an Oregon Child Care Advisory Board to have ongoing conversations with community leaders on how to make child care more affordable and accessible. To discuss the pressure the pandemic has put on female business owners, on Sept. 2, Bonamici joined eight women all affiliated with the XXcelerate Fund, a Portland nonprofit that supports women-led businesses.
“Since March, women business owners have called on XXcelerate seeking support, direction, community, resources and relief from chaos,” said Amy Jermain, executive director of XXcelerate, in a press release. “They are exhausted and overwhelmed. Most are out of bandwidth, can no longer juggle their competing responsibilities and are worried about declining revenues.”
One of these entrepreneurs is Nikki Guerrero, the mama that founded Hot Mama Salsa out of a craving for fresh Mexican flavors. Guerrero is no stranger to the challenges of raising a child while owning your own business: She started her company in 2008 and, a year later, had her daughter, Chavela.
Now, with the pandemic, Guerrero is trying to care for her now 11-year-old daughter, while trying to keep her business afloat. Like many parents, Guerrero has struggled to find good care options for her child.
“(Chavela) doesn't have to have full-time daycare, but she can't be left on her own all the time either,” Guerrero said in the meeting with Bonamici.
Sitting outside of her commercial kitchen in North Portland, Guerrero told Street Roots about the dual pressures she has faced during the pandemic. When COVID-19 hit, she not only worried about her daughter’s education, but about the farmers supplying her peppers and the employees depending on her.
“I did a lot of questioning and self-reflection about am I doing the right thing for my child, being at work when she needs an educator at home?” Guerrero said. “But, at the same time, I can't just shut things down because I have employees that are counting on this job.”
Faced with many uncertainties, Guerrero worked with her employees to create a safe environment and established new systems at work. She is expanding her chip offerings and has made up for lost restaurant business by selling products with home delivery companies and small grocery stores. In anticipation of a slow holiday season, with few festivals and shows, Guerrero secured Paycheck Protection Program loans to help cover those costs.
Though business has remained steady for now, Guerrero admits that her solutions at home are far from perfect. She and her husband previously allowed Chavela to watch TV only on the weekends, but with the pandemic, that all went out the window as she now spends much of her time home alone.
Chavela thrives with a regular schedule. Before the pandemic, she bounced between activities, attending Portland Village School, playing piano and drums, doing aerial silks and performing theater. To give her some structure, her parents set up a system of notes with to-do lists for each day.
“I try to motivate myself to do school, but it's really hard to find interest in doing it,” Chavela said. “It's much more comfortable for me to have a note to just be like, 'OK. My parents have gone to work. I know what to do now.’”
Guerrero has also found some in-person learning opportunities for her daughter. Chavela is now going to Sauvie Island twice a week for Island Farm School, a last-minute program formed to offer hands-on learning during the coronavirus pandemic. Chavela and a small group of kids are learning about science, math, writing, farming and cooking through hands-on projects.
Chavela has grown up selling salsa at farmers markets with her mother, and she told Street Roots that she is constantly asked, “Do you eat salsa every day?” But with her newly open schedule, she has more time to see what her mother actually does.
Throughout the pandemic, Chavela has spent a day a week filling orders at her mom’s work and has accompanied her to visits with local farmers.
“I think it's super important for (Chavela) to see me working and see what I do,” Guerrero said. “I think part of running a business is teaching my child what she's capable of.”
Chavela has loved seeing what her mom does and having some structure, though she does not have the same affinity for peppers as her mom.
“I can't just walk around and listen to people talk about peppers the way that she can,” Chavela said. “But, it is really fun to see what she does and go to work.”
Chavela is no longer connecting with kids at school, but she has maintained some sense of normalcy with her mom’s business: The family has been able to stay connected to a community of local businesses, farmers and customers during the pandemic.
“We're very lucky that part of this business is social, so we still get to interact with our community through the farmers market, through even our customers online,” Guerrero said. “That's been a gift in this time of isolation.”
Guerrero recently joined the community of female entrepreneurs through the XXcelerate Fund and is excited to connect with other women balancing parenting with running a business during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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