Got an idea for a small business - has this been done to death or am i in with a chance?

[shrinkingsagpuss]

I'd like to set up a company doing baby equipment hire.
I looked up my local area, and there doesn't seem to be a lot, and I think in my spare days, with a good website and some planning, it could be a really good business.

Am I being a fool?

maybe there is more of a market for toys? especially if you were to group them by age - e.g. the 0-3 month bundle, 3-6month bundle etc.

it is always hard to know what toys are appropriate for what age, and you need a few at each stage then don't need them again. also as toys tend to be bulky and plastic, i would have been happy to hire them and happy to get rid of them when finished! Easy to clean/sterilise too. Also i bet you could pick up a whole range of great quality second hand toys really very cheaply. Most people i know, me included, are just happy to pass them on to others to get them out of the house and dread it when they arrive to give them back. "oh, honestly i don't need it back" i say, "no honestly i don't need it anymore and have no room left in the house" is their reply!

rambling now...

But car hire companies hire out car seats don't they? So they must have some way of assessing the condition.

Maybe you install (to avoid knocks during transit) and insist on seeing car before and after hiring, highly unlikely to be in a collision without sustaining any visible damage.

I think the main issue is cost and cleanliness - you would have to do quite a lot of hires to recoup the cost of a travel cot, by which time it might be quite grubby, or else you'd have to spend most of your time scrubbing things with a toothbrush.

Thanks for the feedback - its interesting to hear from those who have already used stuff, and ideas of what might be good.

Nursing chairs is interesting - I'd want to make sure I could get washable covers.
In terms of mattresses - interesting. I would certainly consider placing a time limit on how long a mattress was used for - probably replacing annually. I had more thought of using them for a few nights at grandma's - not 4 months hire - but its still iteresting.

Delivery and assembly - would work for a cost - and would rely on being able to get there to assemble - I have family and friends around the country so could rope thme in on receiving, then delivering locally and assemblilng - or employing people on an ad hoc basis - one off fee for assembly and petrol kind of thing.

In terms of ebay - I'm thinking of the fact that at g/parens you don't often have space for them to keep all the stuff you may need on a visit. If we all had space to store stuff, there'd be no need for my service - but my Mum certainly doesn't.

Bed sides would be another thing - useful for hotel stays.
Ready beds too, fo little ones, for hotel stays.

And toys..... very interesting - play mats and those activity station things - even more itneresting.

ooops i think that post was an "I can say interesting lots of times" post!!

Your insurance costs would maybe be quite high. People are becoming a lot more litigious (sp?) these days, so you'd have to cover your back.
Sorry if someone's said this, I've just skimmed.

If you did do it, it might be an idea to buy stuff from catalogues that you pay for over time. That way, you could cover the cost of the stock as you hire it out, and if you find you have higher demand for things, you can gradually add to your stock without a big initial set-up cost.

I have some experience of setting up a business (I was a founding partner in this business - www.uniquemums.com - it was very difficult to actually make any real money from it. Pocket money, yes, real money, no. Which is why we sold the business on to someone who felt they could grow it further).

Hope the above helps.

we used a similar service when on holiday in Hawaai for a travel cot - probably could have bought it cheaper in WalMart but we arrived late so it was good to have it waiting for us. Hire was cheaper than what the hotel was going to charge us - most hotels here in the UK will provide cots for free so this wouldn't be an available market.

However for visiting friends it is great - we have been lucky when visiting family that nieces and nephews are older so we have been able to use steriliser, cot, high chair,toys belonging to them.

The company also provided toys and high chairs - not sure what else.