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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Would this business idea work?

41 replies

stayathomegardener · 11/12/2019 23:23

Posting here for traffic, happy to be told it's unreasonable or maybe not.

We have a large commercial barn 100ft x 50ft set in 10 acres adjoining a very touristy forest in Cheshire.

It's currently virtually unused and I need to either find a creative use or sell/rent it out.

I remember as a kid a brilliant 50/50 shop.

You took in your unwanted items and received 50% of the sale price. Our parents let us keep the money and it became quite addictive. (Understatement, nothing was safe)

I've been reading on Mumsnet more and more recently about schools needing to self fund and wondered if I could promote it via them. Parents could either take their 50% or donate all/ a percentage of it to the school.

I could just open for weekends and offer coffee/woodfired pizzas quite easily. I think people would come for the free parking and access to the forest initially.

I appreciate this idea currently appears a bit half baked but I only just started thinking about this yesterday
And ask Mumsnet seemed like a good plan.

OP posts:
PhilCornwall1 · 12/12/2019 05:27

luxury car winter storage

It's not secure enough for that I'd say.

PhilCornwall1 · 12/12/2019 05:29

'Pop up shop' space for different businesses?

Pixxie7 · 12/12/2019 05:34

I think it’s a good idea but a bit too like e bay your over heads would be high not to mention insurance costs.

JohnandMary · 12/12/2019 05:39

I went to a great shop once which had stalls from loads of different artisans. The landlord recorded all sales through a central cash register and took a cut. You do the pizza/cafe thing too. Sort of thing tourists like?

Or the caravan storage idea would be less time consuming.

Bluntness100 · 12/12/2019 06:03

I think people are so used to eBaying things now the demand would be very low. And of course they get to keep more than fifty percent of the sale price, and don't feel the need to donate the money to the school,

I'm guessing as a kid eBay didn't exist for you, I think you'd get a few people do it, and see it as a charity shop thing, although potentially be put out you're wanting fifty percent of the sale price.

Overall I don't think it would work I'm sorry.

Thehop · 12/12/2019 06:14

Hire out the venue for bell tent/yurt weddings, with overnight camping and put toilets and showers And possibly catering facilities in the barn.
in the barn.

We tried to do a wedding like that and it was astronomical

Couples bring their own bar, catering and yurts and decorators and pay a site hire fee.

honeyloops · 12/12/2019 06:18

Agree with dream - you'd make a killing. Make it cosy for winter (rugs for customers, Scandi table decor and fairy lights) and then in summer have some outdoor seating!

Stooshie8 · 12/12/2019 06:20

Do some sums eg
Tarmacci g car park -25,000£
Coffee machine - 1,000£
Advertising -
Food -
Total..................
Approx visitors over weekend including wet weekends and sunny school hols 350 (or whatever numbers you have counted by visiting other similar car parks )
If half of users buy something (because others have brought a flask) income 300£ pw
Staff costs - 0 as you are working
Profit 300£
15600£ per annum doing maths in head)

JustASmallTownCurl · 12/12/2019 09:38

I'd contact events companies in your area and make the barn available for hire. Some will likely host outdoor cinema events, off site work team building, local fairs and pop ups etc - that way you only have to deal with one company and your expenses will be so much simpler than running events yourself.

Very thoroughly check what insurance and licenses you need - if you get interest from an events company they can help go through this with you and some events will be covered by the organisers policies but you'll still need some yourself.

Contact local council about EVERYTHING, run past them all details so you're covered. Fines are a bitch!

Wedding wise I think the barn might be too industrial to be the main space BUT if you have the field then local yurt wedding companies and wedding planners etc would be interested I'm sure and thinking about it, the barn could be used to store equipment, prepare food before it's served etc to make outdoor weddings there a lot easier to run!

Good luck with your new venture Smile

Oliversmumsarmy · 12/12/2019 09:55

You could do different things that don’t necessarily mean it is open 7 days per week.

You could set it up for weddings once or twice per week in the summer. (I would think heating the place in winter would be astronomical)

A weekly or twice weekly craft/car boot type stalls.
Antiques fairs

I wouldn’t do hot food as that would be too complicated and expensive to set up.

Sandwiches, teas and coffees type things are easy to make up and you can serve that yourself or get someone in to do it for the days you have the craft/antique fairs etc

The point is you want something that doesn’t take up a huge proportion of your time but has the barn earning it’s keep.

You have always got to factor in the cost of your time and how much time you have each week to spend on the project otherwise it means that it isn’t practical if you are earning less than minimum wage when you have added everything up.

hsegfiugseskufh · 12/12/2019 09:58

definitely weddings, pretty it up a bit and hire it out!

JustASmallTownCurl · 12/12/2019 10:05

Whatever you do I would rent the space to other organisers, if you try to run events with no experience then you will be doing crazy hours for little profit.

If you rent the space to experienced events agencies / wedding planners etc then you can see how it works behind the scenes and make an informed decision as to whether you want to actually run things yourself from there or continue to supply the space only. The latter will be far more profitable if you don't have experience in events IMO.

If you do take a liking to it and want to try yourself then you'll have case studies to talk about and some insider experience to use.

Sorry but your original idea would be an absolute money burning operation - you wouldn't profit from it and it would take so much work. You'd need to deal with advertising and marketing the event, running social media promotion of it ideally with targeted ads to boost awareness etc. There are so many hidden costs to make an event work.

Again good luck, it's exciting!

Shannith · 12/12/2019 10:26

Please listen to posters like @Anoni who are giving you business advice.

Start from what profit can I realistically make when going through the options.

You need to be totally cold bloodied about this and do it with a boring bank manger and accountant. Take into account every possible cost and then double it.

That will include making the building fit for purpose, things like car parking, insurance, staff, taxes, marketing, your time.

The your time bit is important. Have you run a business before? Are you happy to make no or little profit for a couple of years, let alone a salary.

You might be able to get grants/funding depending on use.

And it could easily take up nearly all of your time - I'm talking day and night, every day. Are you prepared for that?

This will probably sound like I'm passing in your parade. I'm not, but a few people on mumsnet saying go for it does not a viable business plan make. I know you know that by the way.

Ideally, minimum effort for maximum return at the lowest possible risk.

Doesn't sound very sexy does it? Nor does breaking your heart, suffering from massive stress and losing lots of money.

I do have relevant experience here, both in making investment decisions for existing business and in start ups.

Use the financials to narrow the list of realistic options then do a real business plan and proper target market, competitive research. N.b. Not mumsnet!

If you can rent it out as it is, with few additional costs/risk it might be worth doing so for a year or two to give you some time and cash to invest in other more ambitious and risky plans.

I sound like a right laugh, don't I? Does the barn cost anything at the moment? Maintenance etc. Is is depreciating in value?- err likely to fall down?

Remember, just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

I'm a joy to work with, but it's my job to point out all that could go wrong so you eliminate th risk and spend money, passion and energy on things that will mostly likely work. Or at least won't bankrupt up.

Cheery Smile sorry!

stayathomegardener · 12/12/2019 18:31

I absolutely love Mumsnet!
I've just speed read replies but need to respond properly.

Really appreciate all the responses.

Tonight is a bit crazy, election/guests etc.

OP posts:
stayathomegardener · 15/12/2019 09:07

I've had a careful read through all the posts and thank you again.

Weddings come up repeatedly and I have done quite a bit of research on that. Including having at least three established marquee company's very interested and ready to promote it.
Dd is graduating this year with a degree in editorial photography and can produce images, videos and drone footage to promote etc
There is power but I need to put in a more specific configuration, water just needs connection, parking for at least 80 cars is hard standing. No sewage.

Biggest issue is getting it securely fenced and grazed. We have sheep but the fencing is taking forever.

I'm not worried about the hard work or commitments, we have been self employed all our lives so do understand the pressures of having a company etc.

It's just picking one idea and going with it.

Had not considered mixing film showing and corporate events in with the wedding idea, really like that.

OP posts:
Napmum · 20/12/2019 00:10

Sounds very positive and exciting. I think events and weddings are definitely the way to go. Slot of wedding venues use very posh Porta loos so this option is as till doable without sewage.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do x

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