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Original poster

Can anyone help me think of a good small business idea? I am fed up of corporate life!

85 replies

WideWebWitch · 22/02/2006 10:02

That's it really. Dh and I are both working full time (well, I was, contract ended so not atm), and would rather work for ourselves but haven't got beyond idly contemplating it and sighing over 'Women doing it for themselves' articles in Eve magazine. So the criteria are:

Low start up costs
Low overheads
Potential

The skills we have between us are:

photography/artistic/IT skills/website design (DH)
Business acumen, finance/acctg/project management skills (Me)
We're both tenacious and reasonably persuasive (so I reckon I could sell an idea to a bank/other backer if it was a good one)
hard working when we have to be

We would like something
ethical
with potential to be sold eventually
Web based maybe?

So, I do realise this is the holy grail of wannabe small business owners everywhere! but hey, I thought it was worth asking you lot for any ideas anyway. Everytime I see some woman who's making a living with a classy caravan site/selling olives/making Grobags I wish I'd done it. I am out of work atm and could spend some time on research etc if I could come up with a decent idea. All thoughts and comments welcome!

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Original poster
WideWebWitch · 22/02/2006 10:48

I don't think you need stock, or not v much anyway, especially not to start with. Maybe after a while, then yes but not at first.

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PotPourri · 22/02/2006 10:48

What about something around weddings/baby showers. You could do something with the photography side of things, a website that allows the people to do plans and things, as well as all the nice bits like favours etc. You could link in to other WAHM for those frilly bits. And maybe with your project managemetn and accounting skills, act as a wedding planner to make things happen, negotiate good deals, and keep them within budget. Problem though would be getting hte customers. This is the kind of service that well off people use, therefore would require a wonderful impression. If you were doing it on the cheap, you would need to work out how to market yourself. And yes, fulfillment is the key. If you were crap at it, word would get around. Or more to the point, word wouldn't get around and you would be twiddling your thumbs.

Anyway, lots of money in weddings I reckon.

Original poster
WideWebWitch · 22/02/2006 10:49

Potpourri, thanks but I couldn't cope with bridezillas, def not!

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Original poster
WideWebWitch · 22/02/2006 10:52

Thanks Marina! I could do desk to door of something but only in Bristol atm. I could be a glorified gofer I suppose. Hmm, not enough market/money/potential.

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zippitippitoes · 22/02/2006 10:54

methinks i need to pinch enid to do me some marketing

if you don't have stock where will you get the stuff from to deliver?

Frenchgirl · 22/02/2006 10:55

www I wish you could do something about the awful traffic jams at the bottom of the M32!!!
Like your ideas btw, I'm always trying to think up stuff like that....

zippitippitoes · 22/02/2006 10:55

and if you are adding value rather than profiting from the stock then you will need to have beautiful packaging which is expensive

Original poster
WideWebWitch · 22/02/2006 10:55

From the shop initially as low start up costs are one of my criteria, this is truly just in time order fulfllment! The margin would HAVE to make it worth it though so I'd have to have min order value to make it worthwhile and appropriate mark up UNLESS it took off in which case yes, you get into having stock and buying wholesale, not retail.

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foxinsocks · 22/02/2006 10:57

I would pay for someone to fill my car with petrol - if you came to my car and poured some in, I would be eternally grateful.

I always forget to go and so does dh and then we squabble about who has to do it.

But then I am god's gift to laziness so most people probably wouldn't go for that!

Original poster
WideWebWitch · 22/02/2006 10:58

Frenchgirl, they'll be there for ages won't they? A right PITA. Zippi, you're right about packaging, it would have to be wonderful to add value. Absolutely. The idea is that the buyer wants to do something lovely for the recipient, who is a friend/lover/sister and so they click on the site and choose a package OR create a bespoke one, pay and that's it. They then get a rapturous phone call thanking them for their generosity and thoughtfulness, all for £???£
Interested in views on this, thanks for advice so far!

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zippitippitoes · 22/02/2006 10:59

have you seen this site Concierge London

I know there have been a few service/gofer sites in London I don't know how many are still going

Original poster
WideWebWitch · 22/02/2006 10:59

foxinsocks, so you want wewilldoanythingforyou.com?

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Original poster
WideWebWitch · 22/02/2006 11:01

Yes, I know about concierge sites, a friend and I were talking about setting up a concierge site years and years ago (1997) and then didn't get round to it. People like American Express and Tom Parker Bowles are doing it much better than I ever could, I don't think I could break into that market. The fairygodmother idea is smaller, more personal.

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Frenchgirl · 22/02/2006 11:11

dh is has been thinking of setting up on his own for a while now www
interested in media analysis???

tracyk · 22/02/2006 11:17

What about Truly Madly Baby?? on one of the threads on here - I'm hoping to start it up in Scotland in a month or so.
Also - on Pay Your Mortgage Off - a couple started a jewellery business - party plan/shopping centres/web site. They had started to make good money from it I believe.

zippitippitoes · 22/02/2006 11:18

this site is perhaps a thinks how to be diplomatic here, garish? version of what you might be thinking of Here

tracyk · 22/02/2006 11:23

I always wanted to do a organic/healthy type lunch delivery service. or ready made healthy dinners to be delivered at work. or Mon/Fri type deliveries of cakes/donuts etc - most of the girls I've worked with always whine for cake on a Mon or a Fri.
But to support 2 people annually - it would be a LOT of deliveries. That's what always put me off.
Are you based in London?
What about organising girly weekends/stags/childrens days out with your local knowledge?

Original poster
WideWebWitch · 22/02/2006 11:23

Thanks zippi, eww, that's tacky isn't it? I'm thinking much more upmarket, more Harpers than Closer iykwim! Tracyk, there's a gorgeous site called truly madly deeply where I bought rose petal confetti, it's lovely, hang on

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Original poster
WideWebWitch · 22/02/2006 11:25

this is much more the kind of thing I've got in mind in terms ofstyle and audience

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Frenchgirl · 22/02/2006 11:27

actually www, how about a weekly e-mail alerting people to what's on in the area (for children, adults, etc...)
subscription for 6 months, and you get to know what's on offer in the Bristol area without having to search for it. I'd love that as am rubbish at thinking of looking up what's on.

Original poster
WideWebWitch · 22/02/2006 11:27

Treacyk, one of the ideas I had and discounted was a cook your own meal package, where you buy a pack of say 5 ingredients with simple instructions, so it's an own cooked meal but with the convenience of all the ingredients together without it being a ready meal. A co called Leaping Salmon did it and were bought by Threshers iirc. We're in Bristol. It wouldn't have to support us both, dh could keep working.

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Original poster
WideWebWitch · 22/02/2006 11:29

Frenchgirl, I don't think people would pay for it plus there's the Titchikers guide, Venue, The Eve Post, Netmums as competition. I want the Clifton/Redland/Sneyd Park market I guess here.

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MrsWobble · 22/02/2006 11:38

someone I know makes up new baby boxes - basically a hat box filled with a mixture of practical and luxury gifts for a new mum eg nappies, babygro, bubble bath, champagne etc. they are bespoke and beautifully packaged so she makes her money on the mark up from cost of ingredients. her best market is, I think, the corporate one - plenty of big companies want to give/send presents and seem to be happy to pay quite a lot for it. don't know if this helps at all?

zippitippitoes · 22/02/2006 11:38

the only rider I would put in regarding tacky is that it's got more sales in it!

zippitippitoes · 22/02/2006 11:40

the petal site is very niche, simple makes money