Careers Advice - would you pay for it?

[DemDryBones]

Re-posting this here as dont think Chat was the best place for it!

I didn't really know where to post, or even if this sort of half-baked market research is allowed on MN (if not, feel free to let me know, MNHQ/anyone else!), but I wanted to sound you all out about a few things re: me setting up as self employed...

I did the Postgraduate Diploma in Careers Guidance and the QCG (industry standard qualification) last year and loved it. I've been working in an advice and guidance role (but not careers guidance) for the past year, but my contract ends next month and I am seriously considering trying to launch myself as a freelance careers advisor.

I am going to do some proper research into how viable this is and if there is a need/where the need may lie/how much people would be willing to pay for it. However, I'd really appreciate any comments any of you may have about this.

One of the ideas I have had is aiming my service initially at 'women returners', or women who are thinking of career changing.
is this something anyone would consider paying for?

Initially, I was thinking about approaching my local Sure Start and offering my service for free, or at a very reduced rate, to local mums. I know a Life Coach who has done this, and it really helped her to establish herself in the local area before branching out.

I was also thinking about offering different 'levels' of service, e.g. CV advice, a one-off one-hour careers interview with email follow-up (which is pretty much the standard offer in private sector careers counselling circles, as far as I can see) and then more long term 'careers coaching', perhaps once a month over a longer period?

Any thoughts whatsoever on any of this?
I don't want to mine you all for ideas cheekily, really, I just want to try to gauge if this has any legs whatsoever as an idea?

TIA for any responses.

[BranchingOut]

Hell, yes.

See my thread in 'returning to work'!

I am just about to book and pay for a session with a careers advisor.

WHat has prompted this?

Feeling that I have not got time to waste
Realising that conversations with friends and family can only take you so far -everyone is busy themselves.
Not wanting to make costly wrong decisions

The services I am looking at seem to charge about £120 per hour, but that seems to be fairly 'entry level'.

However, I think you would have to be in an area where there are some fairly affluent people for this to be a sustainable business.

[MovingAndScared]

Its tricky - yes I would probably -I would have to be confident they understood my circumstance and offers good value for money - which is not the case that lots of these consultants give
the sales and marketing is going to be key I think
there are loads of carreer consultants so I assume they make a good living from it

[LaCiccolina]

Hmmm, honestly my first thought was no. The services at both school and Uni were so blooming awful. The one at Uni didnt even realise the Uni did the degree I was doing....thats a whole new level of ridiculous. However, I was made redundant a couple of years ago and at that point I might well have considered you much more seriously.

So yes, possibly. Id say you might possibly need to be OK to travel to see someone and do MSN, Skype or telephone chats too.