Paint-a-pot?

[TTed]

Hi,

im quite new to UKBF & in particular the retail boards look to be very supportive & a nice bunch... now ive buttered you up il move on ..

Im wondering if anyone has any thoughts on the feasibility of paint-a-pot type shops still? They were a bit of a craze a bit back & now only the dedicated are still around.

Im doing my business plan now with the help of the local councils business club & the suppliers who sell a turnkey type start-up with training etc & have a nice location picked out.

Im just wondering if anyone has any thoughts about such 'activity' shops & why you dont see so many of them now.

 

[PDRD]

There is one near us and I think it only opens on the weekend or in the school holidays but the lady goes home appointments for birthdays in the week.

We had her come to our house at a lunch time on a Tuesday for out 2 year olds B'day. No charge to come, she just has different boxes of items to paint and they are priced up per unit.

I think it was about £70 in total for about 2 hours, and 8 kids.

PDR

 

[Lunazzurra]

There's one in Totnes, Devon about 8 miles away from where we are. Always seems to be very popular. Check out www.china-blue.co.uk as an example. This place has expanded many times in the five years we've been in the area.
(NB: we have NO connection with China Blue in any respect).

 

I don't know if it could carry off long term as a shop in a static location, after all, how many painted pots can one family need. As mobile thing to take to fetes and fairs that have facepainting and stuff I bet it would go down a storm with kids and adults alike. Sound good.

 

[TTed]

Hi, thank you for your replies,

Lunazzurra - that looks a nice place, have you been yourself? bit bigger then i could manage yet but a similar concept as im looking at a unit within a garden centre too.

PDRP - sounds like you had a nice party & with a slightly higher cost per person then i was expecting (which is encouraging ), would you do it again, perhaps pop into her shop now you know what she does?

LittleBigDave - hey you'd be surprised, i bet you could do something everyday of the year & not do the same thing twice, little trinkets & stuff.

Thanks for your thoughts on being mobile, sadly i dont drive so logistically that's dead in the water, the unit im looking at is cheap & easy-in/easy-out within a garden centre so it's not a massive investment like a 'proper' shop & my plan is about building repeat business (toddler morning & school clubs etc) so im sure a base would help promote that message.

I saw a lovely pottery cafe this weekend that was doing well, it's just hard doing the business plan as it's basically made up numbers isnt it?! Im worried i wont get the trade to operate, but i think that's a confidence thing

 

[JoshB92]

I've been to china blue before, it was a really good day out for kids and I remember seeing more than a few adults in classes and things too It's a big place but from the size of their warehouse / pot factory near their retail unit I imagine the 'paint-a-pot' side of things is a relatively small part of the business. There is also a cafe and 'tourist' shop within.

For this type of business I imagine you would need to do more than just 'paint-a-pot' days to make it pay. You could sell blanks, paints, brushes and all the extras through a website, with colour-scheme ideas and guides etc. You would need to glaze the painted pots, perhaps you could offer this as a service to local sculptors who may not have the equipment to do it themselves. Kids partys, you could do some food and soft drinks. Sell team-building days to businesses where teams collaborate on larger pieces. If you have transport, setup at carboots, you could sell your pre-painted pieces in one section whilst having a couple of tables and a canopy for people to try their hand at it.

 

[tony84]

There is one not too far from me in a very well off cheshire village.

It never seems rammed, but it seems to have been there for a while.

I went to one as a kid and loved it. Relatively cheap day out, good if its raining, presumably can have a bit of a brew there if your kids are old enough and can sit with them and help if not?

 

[TTed]

Hi Josh, yes definately agree with selling completed items & take away artist bits.

My thoughts are to run lots of weekly clubs as the "bread & butter" & to upsell more expensive glazes & designer wear for the more experienced repeat visitors.

My little town & its neighbour are quite affluent with lots of designer kids, lunching yummy mummies & Sloane-y older ladies where Shabby Chic is very much still the word on the street, i think im well placed.

Ive worked out it will take 3 basic classes a week to cover my costs, (exc wages) & id like to get another 2 higher price classes in, plus the retail, plus the general studio time makes.. does everyone think that sounds ok?

 

[TTed]

There is one not too far from me in a very well off cheshire village.

It never seems rammed, but it seems to have been there for a while.

I went to one as a kid and loved it. Relatively cheap day out, good if its raining, presumably can have a bit of a brew there if your kids are old enough and can sit with them and help if not?

Hi Tony, yes exactly. Tea & cake & fresh fruit & something to do for half an hour-hour.

 

[tony84]

Sounds good.

Is 5 classes a week something you think you could do often enough?
To me that sounds like quite a lot. The pressure of getting those classes and having to do them, day in day out.

 

[TTed]

Sounds good.

Is 5 classes a week something you think you could do often enough?
To me that sounds like quite a lot. The pressure of getting those classes and having to do them, day in day out.

Hi Tony, i have to be open 9.30-5 Mon-Sat & 10-4 Sun anyway to be in the complex. By classes i mean a 2 hour slot really of like minded artistes ,

ie:

Monday AM: Toddler paint a dino (£5)
Tues after dinner: fancy glazes (aimed at mums & grans etc £10-25)
Wed AM: OAP special (£5)
WED after school: kids character painting (£5)
Thurs PM: Shabby Chic hour (aimed at mums £5-£25)
Fri AM: Toddler hand print class (£5)
etc

the rest of the time would be free for all type studio time but the classes are just to encourage people to come back & learn more techniques to make better things so they come back & buy more

 

[JoshB92]

Filling 5 classes a week does sound like a lot for a new business with only one person working on it. Without stating the obvious, its not filling 5 classes once and then your done, it's finding another 5 groups of people the next week to fill those classes. And then again.

Perhaps look at offering a 4-6 week evening course as a part of your business, from making a simple pot one week, decorating it the next, finishing it the one after etc. If you could have beginner / intermediate groups running over a few weeks, you increase the chance of cross selling refreshments and supplies to people, as they are visiting you 3-4 times not once only.

Another way of expanding the model is letting other groups use your space when you aren't using it. You could rent the room out to still life drawing groups, photography clubs, etc. If you were to stock and sell the supplies that these groups needed, you have an additional income without you being there.

 

[TheCandyCabin]

Hiya...this place is 2 doors up from me www.tpotts.co.uk She is only open for parties and classes but she's been there years! Good luck with your business

 

[deniser]

I have one opposite me. It was packed to start with - local population c. 50,000 - but once the children had done 3 or 4 parties there, they got bored of it and it takes a while for a new generation of kids to come through.

The other problem is that it was packed on Saturdays and empty during the week. They did quite well with a late night coupled with pizza/wine for groups of women. This particular place didn't open on Sundays which was part of its downfall.

It has really lost its way now doing all sorts of other things apart from pottery such as making soft toys, jewellery etc. but no-one goes there anymore.

Also, it is quite an expensive activity of the sort that people have really cut back on during the recession.

There is a thriving place in Greenwich though but it doubles up as a cafe so whether people paint or not isn't as important.

 

[silliker]

Sounds good.

Is 5 classes a week something you think you could do often enough?
To me that sounds like quite a lot. The pressure of getting those classes and having to do them, day in day out.

I'm also thinking it's quite a lot. Or maybe it's just me,cannot take too much pressure.

 

[morrigan]

Hi,

im quite new to UKBF & in particular the retail boards look to be very supportive & a nice bunch... now ive buttered you up il move on ..

Im wondering if anyone has any thoughts on the feasibility of paint-a-pot type shops still? They were a bit of a craze a bit back & now only the dedicated are still around.

Im doing my business plan now with the help of the local councils business club & the suppliers who sell a turnkey type start-up with training etc & have a nice location picked out.

Im just wondering if anyone has any thoughts about such 'activity' shops & why you dont see so many of them now.

Hi Tted
just a few questions for you which I am sure you have gone through with others?

What experience do you have in this sort of venture?

Why do you want to do it, have you seen a gap locally or was it the first thing that sprung to mind?

You mentioned you had found a good location in a Garden Centre what makes the location good, Foot fall, Cheap Premises.

If you are targeting children's activities as your main source of income have you surveyed local groups asked schools if you could leave a questionaire for children and parents to complete?

The mobile idea is not a bad idea it might open up other opportunities like visiting schools, rest homes, sheltered accomodation.

See if the local U3A might be interested in what you have to offer.

Perhaps discuss discount schemes with the Garden Centre - someone starts a class with you they get 10% of purchases at the centre and vice versa.

Not sure how the garden centre is set up etc but perhaps what you are offering could be set up as some sort of creche?

Just throwing ideas around

Also you might need to consider a CRB check

 

[deleela1]

We are conveniently located for the Stroud, Cirencester, Tetbury and Dursley areas. So come and park in one of Nailsworths many free car parks, situated all over town. Then spend the day out with the whole family doing some relaxing activities