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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

private members' club for families

474 replies

pippiLS · 20/04/2014 11:32

So do you think £10 per week for access to a stylish child-friendly club (with tasteful soft play areas etc) is a big ask?

DH thinks it's too much and no none would pay it whereas I think £520 for annual membership of a place where people with babies/toddlers go and meet other mums/dads/nannies, have a decent coffee (maybe even a tasty, healthy lunch), relax in comfort and attend classes with their little ones is an OK price to pay.

Am I being unreasonable to be considering opening such a place as a business venture?

OP posts:
TinklyLittleLaugh · 21/04/2014 00:10

That Maggie and Rose place must've cost quite a bit to set up. 36k a year is not a very impressive profit at all. I've just read an incredibly soft soaping article in the Telegraph about the founder (some airhead woman who sprinkles the vile word "monging" into her conversation).

Basically it's just a glorified cupcake business isn't it? They have used their connections to get a big chunk of start up capital, created a "lovely" business, and made fuck all profit.

Original poster
pippiLS · 21/04/2014 00:10

Johnny, that's the sort of vibe I'm after.

OP posts:
JohnnyBarthes · 21/04/2014 00:12

Jeez I just looked at the application form to the club I linked to above. I'll give it a miss I think Grin

OP, would it be better to start small, if Gymboree isn't your bag, with a caf? Which wouldn't be starting small at all tbh, but would at least be a start? I would seriously suggest getting a job in one, to learn the ropes. I know several people who did this prior to taking the plunge and going into business themselves.

Original poster
pippiLS · 21/04/2014 00:17

MrsCakes, your list of what I need to do looks a lot like mine, thanks. Great to hear that your local Children's Centre is fab.

Tinkly, that's what I don't get about Maggie & Rose. The new chiswick site has a nursery so that could possibly bring in enough to increase profits. Presumably everyone who works at M&R gets a salary so in that respect it's better than a sole cupcake business. Someone said upthread that there are over 10 members of staff.

OP posts:
Original poster
pippiLS · 21/04/2014 00:20

Johnny I don't think I need a job in one to learn the ropes. I have lots of transferrable skills from my current/previous employment.

OP posts:
theyoniwayisnorthwards · 21/04/2014 00:20

Tinklylittlelaugh what an ignorant post, how can you make those kind of assumptions from an article? The owner Maggie Bolger started running classes out of her house, expanded to a Kensington club, made a success of that then crowd sourced enough funding to start the chiswick branch. She runs two clubs, has four kids of her own and is building a brand, she also illustrates publishes children's books. She's a bloody inspiration not an "airhead". And no, I don't know her personally, not a friend or a relative.

The chiswick club had a nursery, a restaurant, classes, holiday clubs and summer camps as income streams in addition to membership fees, they are making much more profit than 30-odd K.

TinklyLittleLaugh · 21/04/2014 00:24

PippiLS. It is a massive amout of work to run a business like that employing at least 10 staff, with premises and equipment to maintain, h&s to worry about etc. I'd seriously be wanting to make more than 36k for it. And if I'd put my money in it, I'd be wanting a better return too.

LittleBearPad · 21/04/2014 00:26

Why would having ten members of staff be better than a cupcake business? The latter could still be more profitable.

Nurseries aren't massively profitable. You'll need to have set ratios of childcarers. So in a room of 12 children under two you'll need four childcare assistants. Do you actually want to run a nursery?

TinklyLittleLaugh · 21/04/2014 00:30

They. If she is not an airhead then she shouldn't do airhead interviews in the Telegraph.

Personally I don't find people who use disabilist terminology particularly inspirational, but that's just me.

The 36k I mentioned was quoted by Pippi, who is evidently a big fan and has checked out the books. And from anecdotal comments from people on this thread, this type of business seems to go bust more often than not.

theyoniwayisnorthwards · 21/04/2014 00:31

I think what they do well is have a lot of different income streams, if something struggles then there are other sources of revenue to cover cash flow. They do a lot of kids birthday parties too.

They do grown up evenings and occasionally free classes on parenting, schools, kids nutrition etc

Original poster
pippiLS · 21/04/2014 00:33

LittleBear, no I don't want to run a nursery. I want to provide a club from which I hope a community will spring that will allow its members to feel safe and supported as well as informed and educated (in the people learning from each other way).

OP posts:
Yoruba · 21/04/2014 00:33

Here's my tuppence worth.

There is definitely a demographic that don't use children's centres all that often. I'm one of them. Don't flame me, but, I don't really fit in there. The classes are targeted and tend to be "young mums", or cv help, or disability groups etc. we don't fit into any of the groups. There are a few generic ones, but they're manic and there seem to be a lot of restrictions on who can go. I'm very different to a lot of the attendees which means no one will talk to me!

I would definitely be interested in a venue like you describe op, I would pay what you suggest. I wouldn't pay £10 a class though, I pay £7 a class for monkey music and that is my limit!! If I was paying membership I would be expecting a nominal charge for classes. I wouldn't want to volunteer to run / teach things, nor would I want others to be doing so, I would want professionals.
I would eat / buy drinks most visits I think, I would want a healthy menu (so when I couldn't be bothered we could still have a healthy lunch!) and not top top prices. Cheaper than costa.

I think it could work. I think you need to get your plan straighter though, I'm going to be brutally honest and say i wouldn't be that interested in a social venture. I don't like soft play, super noisy busy places just aren't relaxing! But if it was quiet, safe, convenient, welcoming then I would join. And I already have national trust, rhs, farm membership etc. I don't always want a big "day out" so I wouldn't really consider this to be similar.

Look at bizzylizzy in Surrey, that's reasonably similar to what you're thinking. :)

JohnnyBarthes · 21/04/2014 00:34

pippi, unless you have worked in hospitality then you honestly don't know which of those skills of yours are transferable. Everyone I know (and there are lots) who has done well in the industry has served their time working in different establishments before going it alone. This includes people who've dropped City careers to 'live the dream' the loons and people who've been bankrolled by rich parents as well as the children of dyed-in-the-wool restauranteurs.

It doesn't have to be forever, but you need to be prepared to wipe down a table or two.

Original poster
pippiLS · 21/04/2014 00:34

they, I like the idea of the grown up evenings and the televised sports for Dads

OP posts:
LittleBearPad · 21/04/2014 00:34

The telegraph article is useful however in that it reveals it cost £2 million to open the Chiswick branch of Maggie & roses. Even with a London premium that is a hell of a lot of capital.

Original poster
pippiLS · 21/04/2014 00:39

Yoruba, £7 a class and 14 per class I could do Smile.

OP posts:
theyoniwayisnorthwards · 21/04/2014 00:41

The televised sport for dads doesn't seem to fly, dads seem to come to play with their kids. At the weekends it's often mostly blokes and their children in the play areas.

LittleBearPad · 21/04/2014 00:41

14 babies in a class seems a lot though. If I'd paid £520 to join and was then paying additional class fees I'd expect the classes to be relatively small, under 10

TinklyLittleLaugh · 21/04/2014 00:42

Two million. Hell even a monkey could make money with 2 million.

Original poster
pippiLS · 21/04/2014 00:42

Yoruba, I like the range of classes at bizzylizzy.

OP posts:
LittleBearPad · 21/04/2014 00:43

I'm not sure your female members would be chuffed with their husbands watching sport in the evenings whilst they wrangled thr kids.

Original poster
pippiLS · 21/04/2014 00:43

they, that's the kind of information I need to know. Care to share any more bits of insider info?

OP posts:
MrsCakesPremonition · 21/04/2014 00:45

We have a local Saturday play group aimed at dads which is popular because they do a lovely bacon butty.

TinklyLittleLaugh · 21/04/2014 00:45

Pippi
With the greatest of respect, the kind of information you need to know is the figures.

Yoruba · 21/04/2014 00:46

14 in a class is a lot op. and don't you have to estimate based on it being 85% full? I think monkey music say 10 max and I know when ours is "full" it's busy.. Also, I pay £7 a class for monkey music (with a grimance as ds adores it!) but if I was paying membership on top and tied in I would expect to pay less. Less than £5 I'd think.

Doubt if DH would go even for sports. Would like parenting classes etc but not the sure start type. Interesting ones on development, nutrition etc.

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