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?

[Artandco]

Have you considered just a cafe, but tailored towards parents? But still attracting all customers. Just suitable in terms of plenty of child friendly food options/ space/ highchairs/ books/ crayons at table etc

[GreatSoprendo]

I'm probably someone you would be aiming this at, but I definitely wouldn't join. I'm a professional and have a one year old who I had well into my 30s - lots of my friends are in the same position - but i don't know anyone who is taking a 5 year break from work! All but one of my 'mum' friends is back at work for 3, 4 or 5 days a week. On our days off, most of us take our DCs to regular classes of one sort or another, but they tend to cost about £5 a class (in the Midlands) - not £10 plus a membership fee. On the days off that we do get, I cannot imagine for one moment any of us wanting to run a class for free for a commercial business - why would we?! In terms of entertaining the DCs I'm not sure your idea of nice wooden toys, ball pool etc would last long with my DS - much as I'm not a fan of soft play, it is the big, noisy, energetic nature of those places that keeps him entertained.
I have National Trust membership, and annual membership of a farm park for a really low price - and the farm keeps on giving, as it's different every time we go. Your plan just sounds a bit dull to be honest. I don't think it would last more than 6 months in our (pretty middle class) area. Sorry.

[zeezeek]

BiscuitCrumb - I quite agree! If I was going to pay anything for a private members club then I would (and do) expect it to be somewhere where I can escape from the kids. And preferably not encounter other people's kids either.

[londonrach]

I don't understand why this is needed. I don't got children but sister does and she's who you aiming at judging by what you are saying. As she is a mum at home the joint salary have reduced, she has friends in the local area and then tend to visit each other's houses, the park, an excellent garden centre, soft play, the church and loads of other venues outside and inside. She's also a member of the national trust who do free things for children during the year. No way would she pay that sort of money for a room with toys but you have to buy your own drinks etc. what you are suggesting is out there already but a lot cheaper. I live in London and tbh mums there can't afford to take off 5 years. I don't understand what you doing. First stop I'd say us find out what you can do with children in your area, how much is costs etc

[skaen]

It sounds a bit like you want to open something like this: www.barefootbooks.com/visit-barefoot/oxford-uk/ which has a cafe, book and craft groups, some toys, lots of classes and runs birthday parties.

The place itself is free, you pay for classes and coffees etc separately and I suspect it is pretty heavily subsidised by book sales.

I think i would probably be one of your target market, but I wouldn't pay a membership fee. I'd keep an eye on the classes though and sign up if there was anything specific I/DCs wanted to do.

[Caitlin17]

OP apart from a wooden train set played with occasionally I can't recall my son showing any interest in "nice wooden toys"; nor do I recall friends' children doing so either unless of course you mean toy swords which I suspect you don't. Adults love nice wooden toys.

I agree with all that biscuitcrumb has said.

[GreatSoprendo]

I wish my DS liked 'nice' wooden toys. In reality, the more flashing lights, loud noises and batteries consumed the better in his view.

[TheDoctrineOfSnatch]

"but i don't know anyone who is taking a 5 year break from work! "

This.

Thanks for the barefoot books link, though, have relatives in Oxford so will check that out!

[pinkdelight]

I think the clash between the private members aspect and your social enterprise aspirations is a problem at this level, sorry. And the vision sounds too narrow - rooms with toys, ball pool, cafe. There's this place near us, not at all exclusive but not dissimilar in content: www.beaniescafe.co.uk/ and my two DCs were quickly bored by the toys. They like big softplay places to let off steam ideally. They'll play with Lego but can do that for free in Lego stores. Other toys don't hold their interest for long. It seems like you're aiming at a little golden window of ages 1-3 maybe, probably pfbs when parents are up for splashing the cash, but even then it sounds like a very limited offering, esp without a pay as you go option. If you really want to do the private members thing it would have to be v high end and I don't see how you'd ever make your money back. Do have a look at the places that have inspired you but also at places like Kidspace that offer a lot for less (but still too much) money, and see how they're still struggling - only the kids parties really keep them going.

[TheDoctrineOfSnatch]

This kind if thing, OP?

www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema/Abbeygate_Picturehouse/Kids_Club/

[zeezeek]

I'd also like to know who the children are who like tasteful soft play and wooden toys? My two girls like pink, glitter, bling and anything trashy, naff and girly.

[AliceDoesntLiveHereAnymore]

I would like to offer mums the chance to be involved in running the odd class if that's their thing (with some basic coaching provided so that they are aware of the standard expected) and I want the whole thing to have an educational slant.

And I wouldn't be interested in being a tester for untrained mums to teach to, thanks. Nor would I be interested in the educational slant. Or teaching a class myself.

It sounds like your ideas are all over the place. You claim to know your target market, but most here are telling you that they are part of that "market" and you are way off base with a lot of your ideas. Have you ever taken a marketing or business class of any kind? Have you ever run a café or food business? Have you worked in a soft play or café or any similar type business?

[BiscuitCrumb]

doctrine I did a google too... :) it's not the only one offering kids specials in Bury St Edmunds either.

I think you need to research this more. Look you may succeed. But do not plough significant sums of money into something like this. Your target audience are on this thread telling you that they wouldn't be interested for the most part. Watching people go into cafe and questionnaires etc... Aren't going to be as honest as we are.

[Forgettable]

I think a cooperative community hub type thing would be very popular.

Surestarts are withdrawing from lots of areas iirc; you might be onto something OP.

[TheDoctrineOfSnatch]

"I think a cooperative community hub type thing would be very popular. "

And you may get grants or soft funding for this if you would like that.

[NearTheWindymill]

Sorry but I just wouldn't have paid £500 for my DC to play in a ball pit - neither would I have paid it to attend the ball pit with mums who needed help with their CVs or any other sort of sure start type activity.

[pippiLS]

ItsaFuckingVase, the Boomerang Centre is awesome but it doesn't have the intimate 'haven' feel that I'm after for my members. Also it is a massive concern and a charity, I will need to make some money.

The point is not to escape from the kids but to go somewhere that you can actually enjoy being with them. Somewhere where someone else does the cleaning and cooking so that you can get on with playing with your little one in a stimulating environment and meet friends, new and old.

[AliceDoesntLiveHereAnymore]

A "haven" is going to be expensive. And you seem to waffle back and forth between "educational, helping with CVs and classes" to a "stimulating environment" where you can just "get on with playing with your little one." The first is going to be more lower end market (yes, I know how that sounds, sorry!), and nobody that is looking for a lovely "intimate haven feel" is going to go there.

It sounds a bit like you are thinking "if I build it, they will come." There's much more to it.

[Creamycoolerwithcream]

Like a posh toddlers group?

[TheDoctrineOfSnatch]

Ok.

How many mums do you need to join? How long will the average membership last? How many classes do you need each child to do? What will the average age of the children be? How will you cater for mums with more than one child? How will you fund the fit out and lease deposit? What will your opening hours be? How will that fit with your own family life? Where will you advertise? How many staff will you have and what will you pay them? How much is insurance? Business rates? How many months of losses can you fund from your start up budget?

[PrimalLass]

I would have paid it. We had David Lloyd membership, and held onto it because of the facilities for young children.

[ItsAFuckingVase]

But you're very wrong. It does have a very haven sort of feel. Because its across different rooms and there are a core of people who are regulars. It also makes money hence why it's been able to expand into holiday clubs and pre-school clubs.

The point is that it caters to an actual need, and it's very clear how they deliver to that need.

[Creamycoolerwithcream]

PrimalLass, I was a David Lloyd member too when my DC were younger. I used to book them in a crèche and have a sneaky hour sunbathing around the outside pool.

[ItsAFuckingVase]

Also, given that the primary reason for the place being built was to provide somewhere safe and stimulating for children with sensory and learning disorders, it was very much done with a safe haven in mind.

[pinkdelight]

It's starting to sound kind of like a nursery in a nice house but where you have to stay and talk to the other kids' mums. Gulp!