setting up my own business....help please.

[monstermansmum]

I need your help please! I will have the opportunity next year to set up my own business, but I have no idea what to do. I have a ds with SN so I would love to do something that benefits parents and/or SN kids. Any ideas?? I have no formal skills or qualifications but I am quite 'driven' once I know what I want. As parents of SN kids is there anything that you want/would like to see or be made available? I thought of opening a shop that sell SN clothing, eqpt etc all in one place... I know you can get things on line but I also know that I would go to a shop to stock up on SN clothing, bibs, toys etc. I need an income but it doesnt have to be huge (as much as I would like it to be!) Your ideas and input really would be appreciated. Thanks in anticipation x

I would have thought setting up an ebay shop selling that sort of thing would be less risky than leasing a shop particularly in current economic climate. I have bought a few PECs based items from an ebay shop.

thinking about toys - if you could suss out suitable SN toys that aren't specifically geared to SN market so aren't £££ might be a good area.

Thats the kind of thing I was thinking of. Kind of an SN wonderland!! I thought of a real shop instead of an ebay shop then parents/carers can actually look at the products/sizes/toys etc without wondering what it's like. I am still trying to work out whats going to be most beneficial so i'll wait and see if any one else has any ideas...??????

In our county there is a (county run)mobilty/disabilty base(shop/ try out centre) and mobile bus. It caters mostly for adults and has little of interest to parents of sn children. I wonder if your local lot have something similar and could pay you to research and stock for children. ( So no expensive premises to shell out for)

What would you all think of a mobile 'shop'? I thought of doing it like a tupperware party i.e I come to your home/school/playgroup etc and travel round an area at a time. As Magso says, I wont have any premises to pay for etc, but would you as SN parents use it? What kind of things would you want to buy and would it be 'one off' purchase (1x yr) or would you want me to come back a few times over the space of a year/6 months? Obviously there are one or two places that you can buy toys/clothes etc-fledglings/tfh/racketys... but would it help to have it in one place? Thanks for helping me out with this 'market research' but I would hate to miss this opportunity and I want to help those people out who are missed out by so many sevices! (myself inc )

I think the trouble with a 'real' shop would be that it is a specialist market, and realistically would there be enough people locally, buying regularly to support a business? People may travel, but would they if they can buy the same product on line and have it delivered to them?

I like the idea of a mobile shop and I think I would like to be able to order further supplies as well as visit at least annually. As the parent of a 9 year old child with LD and ASD my needs are small now, so once or twice a year. I need affordable easy on/off school and casual clothing, such as pull up school trousers, white long sleeved soft (school) polo/rugby shirts for winter, robust toys ( or idea lists), timers and visual timetable/ social story boards, waterproof bedding and large pullup nappies. I have to say affordabilty is key - but some things I will pay more for if I can justify it on a cost benefit/ making life easier scale!

and SN books, videos, dvds...goodness me it's difficult buying things over the internet without seeing them, so I'm sure there would be a ready market for a travelling service that could give people the opportunity to buy/borrow useful things?