Tamara Red is an aspiring serial entrepreneur. With 10 years under her belt running a successful home-based business, URE Daycare, she is continuing to chase after dreams of creating family-friendly spaces in the Danville area to create opportunities for all-ages fun, connection, and togetherness.

Speaking on her entrepreneurial journey, Tamara says it hasn’t been an easy road. She started her daycare business in 2013 because she saw a need, noticing many single mothers in the area struggling to find a safe, reliable place to send their children while they worked. Navigating the basics of starting a business, let alone the process to become a licensed home daycare, was overwhelming and difficult, she states.

“I didn’t have the resources like we have now, and it was difficult starting up because I didn’t know what to expect…all the regulations, budgeting, how to advertise, who to contact, and stuff like that,” Tamara says of her early days in the business.  

With the education and resources she received in the 2021 cohort of the Trep OnTrack Business Bootcamp, Tamara was inspired to start tackling another business idea: a space for adults and children to play games and share joy together. She can pinpoint the exact moment in class when the idea for this new venture popped into her head. “It was October 28th when I was in a class with Tricia (Teague) and it just dawned on me. We were learning about marketing, and I had this idea for something we don’t have around here,” she says. “Socialization for children has dwindled ever since COVID, and families are more distant now than when we were in isolation. It’s just based on family time.”

Tamara says the program helped her develop a better business plan as well as more complete research and marketing strategies, stating, “I’m glad that it’s here, in Danville. I wish we had it a long time ago, but there’s no better time than the present. I’m just so glad that we have somewhere to go to get educated and talk about strategy and business issues.”

The seed funds from the program helped her get ahead on rent and buy some gaming equipment to start working on her second business venture.

Tamara also says she found value in having other entrepreneurs as classmates, each acting as a sounding board to brainstorm ideas and get honest feedback.

You can learn more about URE Daycare on their website or Facebook page.