private members' club for families

[pippiLS]

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?

[BiscuitCrumb]

In fact thinking about what you are suggesting to pay for 1 year. I am and RHS member, national trust member, member of my local farm. I pay about (can't remember the exact figure) £180 for this I total and really get my money's worth. All of these places offer things for children at key points in the year, often with no or little extra cost to children. We've done apple picking, strawberry picking, feeding animals, dressing up events, Easter egg hunts, seen Santa Claus and reindeer. I pay for food and drink when we get there or take a picnic and we get out of the house and do great things. On really awful days we may watch a movie at home. We may even venture to a soft play (very rare) or have a play date.


Sorry to be so negative. But you asked...

[pippiLS]

Vase, the service is essentially providing a home from home environment where you can get a nice coffee and meet other mums (or not) to break up your day and help your little one to socialise. I think I have the qualifications to provide that.

[YoniMitchell]

"... It's not rocket science..." umm, it does take a certain amount of understanding your marketplace and audience if it's going to work though.

[TheDoctrineOfSnatch]

Pippi, do you have a background in leisure/catering?

If it's too far to go to london, I'd at least take a look at working in local cafés or gymborees or crèches at gym chains.

[ItsAFuckingVase]

What you're proposing is what is already offered by community centres up and down the land.

What you don't seem to realise is that your business idea isn't sound or realistic, and that when people hand over a sum of money for s membership or subscription they expect to see some value or return for their investment.

A lot of cinemas host baby and toddler mornings for a couple of quid. The Starbucks near me has a play area, there are tons of soft plays, farms, community centres, nature reserves etc.

What you're offering is a complete waste of £520 for children to play in an unsafe setting in a business run by somebody both unqualified and inexperienced. And you don't seem to understand the problem with that.

The place I referred to near me is a charity operation. They have to apply for grants every year and they charge entrance. Without the grants they wouldn't survive. And we're talking a bigish place with lots of rooms, providing parties, holiday clubs, after school clubs, classes etc with a very large customer base. You literally have no idea what is involved in a business of this sort. I've given you a very general and rough idea as have others, which you've chosen to ignore. The vast majority on this thread have said they wouldn't pay for it and you've chosen to ignore that. I suppose you only want to listen if we all tell you its a wonderful idea and of course we'd all fight to hand over money for it.

[Creamycoolerwithcream]

My DC are teens now but when they were babies and toddlers my gym provided a lot you are describing. It had a lovely crèche but also classes for children to do with or without a grown up such as music, cooking, arts and crafts and different sports. It also had holiday schemes for school age children that included trips to the cinema etc or activities in the center. As well as Christmas, Halloween, Easter parties and activities.
I think I paid about £70 a month for this and (ten years ago) also had a membership to a soft play place.
I think the £10 a week fee would not cover the type of place you are describing.

[theyoniwayisnorthwards]

I utterly disagree, what you are suggesting is not offered by community centres, Starbucks and cinemas because it would all be under one welcoming roof. I pay what I pay because I can bring my kids here and relax. It's members and their guests only so I feel safe leaving my bag on the table, there is CCTV and child proof doors, my one year old and I play together but my three year old runs off to play with the same kids he sees all the time and I can get my laptop out and work, they have a healthy menu and we often eat here and if I forget something they have everything here, nappies, wipes etc. I feel I can relax here and socialise with other parents too. I would not have signed up to the idea on paper but when I saw the club I was sold and now I am completely converted.

[TondelayoSchwarzkopf]

I don't think my target is the uber-rich and successful, more the middle-class mid career woman

Um ... So you don't think middle class mid-career women are successful? Way to alienate your target market there. Most of them don't take 5 year career breaks either.

You are getting some free market research here from your potential customers, and a lot of very intelligent women with years of commercial experience. You are not listening to it.

What fuckingvase said - what you are proposing sounds like a Sure Start centre to me.

[Caitlin17]

Every cinema in Edinburgh offers parent and baby screenings. Most cafés can cope with parents and small children, especially if it's the lull after rush hour before lunch and then after lunch.

Unless you live somewhere with very limited commercial or public facilities I don't think you're offering anything special.

And I'm sorry but the nice wooden toys just make me think of Family Guy's "ball in a cup" sketch.

[ThinkAboutItTomorrow]

In london if done right I can see it working.

You need to be sure you have lots of your target market eg well off families close enough to justify membership.

[Chippednailvarnish]

I've never seen myself as the run your own business type but the more I look into it the more I realise it's not rocket science

Yes Op that's why nearly all small businesses succeed, running a business is really easy...

[pippiLS]

I'm sorry if it seems that I'm not listening, I am listening and I appreciate all the advice from those of you that have more experience in these matters than me.

I didn't say that middle-class mid career women weren't successful either.

Caitlin, don't you like nice wooden toys? What's wrong with wanting to create a space that's filled with nice things?

In terms of market research, I plan on hanging out in town and seeing who's going where and when in terms of coffee shops (of which there are lots). I was also going to put together some sort of questionnaire to canvass opinions from my target audience. I've lived here for some time and taken my kids to many a playgroup/class - the situation is pretty static from what I can tell. That doesn't mean that people aren't ready for something new.

[pippiLS]

I'm not expecting it to be easy Chipped.

[morethanpotatoprints]

What would your initial outlay be and when do you anticipate breaking even?

You need to factor in seasonal as during the summer many families like to be outside in the warmth.

I am trying to find your USP that would entice people to part with money, and I can't find it.
Lots of LA's do these type of things for free, and sahps, nannies etc find them themselves. Working parents often stay in touch with friends from when their dc were born so would have a network to meet up with.

It also isn't £10 per week, because you wouldn't go every week.
The cost would be divided by how many times you attend and £520 to me is a lot of free/cheap days out.

I couldn't justify paying that sort of money for such little service tbh.

[Creamycoolerwithcream]

I think the £10 a week is to low to cover costs unless really lots of people join and then you would not have the private club feel.

[morethanpotatoprints]

OP

First of all your market research is flawed. You aren't trying to find out whose going for coffee but who has time/ the inclination for your product/service.

Do you have any experience compiling a questionnaire? This isn't always as simple as it sounds and businesses spend money getting professionals to do this for them.

[Roseformeplease]

Not getting involved too much (although feeling the itch to put in my bit).


Would it be worth having weekend / weekday membership? If you return to work you are not going to get your money's worth unless it is the children who are members and the childminder / nanny / carer is also a member. But you might want to go at the weekends only.

Also, some people have children of all different ages. Will this just be aimed at under 5s? Surely, you need somewhere for older children? Also, the weather here is currently lovely. What do you have to offer outdoors or will you risk being completely empty on sunny days? Will you offer childcare for more than an hour or two? Could you? (like IKEA) so people can get shopping done at Christmas time, for example, leaving the children somewhere fun and safe, even if the parent is not in the building?

[SystemIDUnknown]

£10 per week just for access to a ball pit and a what? Coffee shop type setting and a space for toddlers to play? Then £10 per class in addition?

That is very, very expensive for not much IMO. Average attendance would probably be once or twice a week max. £80 a month for a class or two a week pretty much?

I don't think your vision is accurate tbh. CV help for mothers? I agree that the types of mothers that will be willing to pay this are not going to be wanting CV help.

What you're offering is an expensive version of a surestart centre...not expensive enough for the elite, far too expensive for the type of market you're aiming for.

[ItsAFuckingVase]

OP this is very near me. For your fee I'd expect at least this.
www.boomerangcentre.co.uk

[Artandco]

I think you would be better of charging pay as you go and changing activities to tailer each age group.

Ie during the holidays do a model making workshop aimed at 5-10 year olds for 2 hrs. Charge £15 each for that class. Max numbers so people just sign up before as you can have say a 6 week timetable or termly timetable

In the week you charge per session of say 90 mins long. One can be a basis toddler group with refreshments , one cooking class etc. but obv something like a toddler group you could have 20 kids in as just playing, but cooking only 8 per class.

That way people can pay each week if they are around or not pay if not. Holiday classes will suit if child can be left without parent.

[pippiLS]

morethan, the people who can afford or have the inclination to go for coffee with their toddlers in tow are my target audience are they not?

In my area there are no mums and babies cinema screenings and the clubs on offer are mostly of the franchise variety (tot rock etc) with the exception of mummy and baby yoga which is held in a warehouse type venue with no common space to even have a chat afterwards. There are 2 soft play centres in town in similar uninspiring environments that offer nothing special and dire food. Then of course there are the church halls...

[onedev]

I'd never heard of Maggie & Rose before this thread but if it were near me then id pay for it so likely if it were something similar then I'd be up for it.

[Creamycoolerwithcream]

Pippi do you live in a very affluent area?

[Afritutu]

I used to live near one of these in very wealthy south London. I think it went bust. Now I live in middle class Home Counties area. One opened here too,but it has massively struggled and I think making no money. Mums simply don't want to go to one place all the time, it's boring, and the mums with more income tend to work themselves (at least part time).