Ready made Businesses

[Thenocodelab]

Hello all

I am new here so it's good to be part of the group.

I've been in business for 25 years running a number of enterprises from agencies to ecommerce. I am very much an ideas person and have developed a number of businesses but never got round to launching due to my day business. It may sound crazy but I have around 7-10 businesses which I've researched, identified a market, developed a website, brand and suppliers but quite simply not had time to launch.
This has got me thinking recently about selling these are a ready made business in a box solution for those who want to run a business but don't know what to do or where to start. Obviously there is no guarantee of success but was going to provide a full marketing package including the branding and a how to guide - essentially how I would run the business.

As I said earlier, I'm very much an ideas person and am a Marketer/ecommerce CRO specialist by day so these skills have assisted greatly.

I've looked around but can't find anything along these lines to compare my offering with - surely this can't be so unique? Has anyone come across a similar concept?

 

[MBE2017]

If you look on eBay etc you will find thousands of such ready made businesses, website, working practices, suppliers list etc.

They too do not guarantee success.

 

[Ozzy]

This is recycled many times over slightly differently, anyone can have an idea but very few can implement an idea successfully.

As @MBE2017 said, there are loads available on eBay and various other sites too. A few years ago I sold a couple of "ready to go" websites on eBay myself off the back of our eFiling product (www.efiling.co.uk) we just created some websites to run and the person buying the website would become a client of ours running on our software. It was part of our customer acquisition strategy and worked well.

For you, put them on eBay or similar and see if you can sell them.
For someone buying them, I'd suggest they ask why are they being sold on there.

My real suggest to you is, pick one and give it a go yourself.

 

[fisicx]

What sort of ready made business? Window cleaner, dog walker, e-commerce, content creator, consultant, cook?

Does the person buying the business need any skills to run the business?

Do you sell all the legal and financial bits to go with the business?

 

[tony84]

You are also taking away a huge part of why a business would succeed.

My business is MY design, MY brand, it is very personal and it gives me the drive to make a success of something I planned and built.

Why would anyone want to buy an idea with a website? Anyone can throw a website up now for £50 or even less with something like wix and anyone can think of an idea.

You might get someone prepared to offer you a small amount, £50-100 but once you give the idea, whats to say you get paid?

 

[Thenocodelab]

If you look on eBay etc you will find thousands of such ready made businesses, website, working practices, suppliers list etc.

They too do not guarantee success.

Agree - but mine is slightly different as will be the entire package as one. The business, marketing plan, branding, marketing material, socials etc

This is recycled many times over slightly differently, anyone can have an idea but very few can implement an idea successfully.

As @MBE2017 said, there are loads available on eBay and various other sites too. A few years ago I sold a couple of "ready to go" websites on eBay myself off the back of our eFiling product (www.efiling.co.uk) we just created some websites to run and the person buying the website would become a client of ours running on our software. It was part of our customer acquisition strategy and worked well.

For you, put them on eBay or similar and see if you can sell them.
For someone buying them, I'd suggest they ask why are they being sold on there.

My real suggest to you is, pick one and give it a go yourself.

I could, but the ideas and building is my passion.

What sort of ready made business? Window cleaner, dog walker, e-commerce, content creator, consultant, cook?

Does the person buying the business need any skills to run the business?

Do you sell all the legal and financial bits to go with the business?

The initial focus is business ideas but I was going to offer a website in a box too - essentially a turnkey website. For example, a window cleaner may want to set up on the own. I would provide the website, marketing material, social content, etc......and yes, we will provide financial and legal add-ons.

You are also taking away a huge part of why a business would succeed.

My business is MY design, MY brand, it is very personal and it gives me the drive to make a success of something I planned and built.

Why would anyone want to buy an idea with a website? Anyone can throw a website up now for £50 or even less with something like wix and anyone can think of an idea.

You might get someone prepared to offer you a small amount, £50-100 but once you give the idea, whats to say you get paid?

What about those who don't have the foresight of ideas but have the desire to set up in business? There is market out there for those.

 

[Mark T Jones]

There's not much difference between this and the low end of the franchise market - you sell a 'business kit', they either succeed or fail.

Most will fail (irrespective of how well you have done your bit), so it's essential that you take your money up front and are absolutely clear on what you are offering and the limit of your liabilities.

The big challenge will be getting recognised and respected - that's your marketing plan!

 

[fisicx]

The initial focus is business ideas but I was going to offer a website in a box too - essentially a turnkey website. For example, a window cleaner may want to set up on the own. I would provide the website, marketing material, social content, etc......and yes, we will provide financial and legal add-ons.

This is really hard sell. Your average window cleaner startup won't even know you exist.

 

[Thenocodelab]

There's not much difference between this and the low end of the franchise market - you sell a 'business kit', they either succeed or fail.

Most will fail (irrespective of how well you have done your bit), so it's essential that you take your money up front and are absolutely clear on what you are offering and the limit of your liabilities.

The big challenge will be getting recognised and respected - that's your marketing plan!

You are correct but hopefully this will be more affordable and I will be offering more of a rounded marketing support suite (built a user area which has plenty of support content)
Funds will be paid upfront for sure and my wife (commercial solicitor) has written some terms which cover us.
I am a marketer by trade so hopefully I can put these skills to the test.....nothing better than a good challenge.

This is really hard sell. Your average window cleaner startup won't even know you exist.

That's where my 20 years of marketing should come into play.

 

[japancool]

This is my opinion, so take it with a pinch of salt.

If you wanted, let's say £200-£500 for one of these businesses, I'd run a mile, simply because there are so many of these at that end of the market, and the vast majority of them are scams.

On the other hand, if you wanted a bit more, and offered dedicated support - by which I mean personal support, not just pointing someone to a user area with lots of documents that I may or may not find useful for my particular problem, and you offered, not just marketing materials but a marketing plan, then I might be more interested.

I'd also need to see a track record, not just a promise. By which I mean, one or several of these businesses being successful. (I know that's a case of cart and horse).

Each business offering would have to be unique. If I saw you selling the same business to multiple people, I'd stay well clear.

I would absolutely NOT buy an "e-commerce" (one involving running some kind of online shop) business-in-a-box, unless it had something REALLY unique to offer.

 

[fisicx]

That's where my 20 years of marketing should come into play.

Dennis wants to do window cleaning. He buys one of those pole washing things from Toolstation and 500 flyers from vistaprint. He sets up a free Google profile and a free google website. He posts on NextDoor and a couple of local facebook groups. That's how easy it is to set up a business.

Once he's got a few customers he can get a business bank account and a sumup machine and he's good to go.

If he has any questions he can ask on UKBF to get free advice.

Why would he need you?

 

[tony84]

What about those who don't have the foresight of ideas but have the desire to set up in business? There is market out there for those.

If the person cant even think of a business for themselves, I cant help but think there are bigger issues they are going to struggle with.

I could be wrong, but I just think its a bit of a lazy idea. I will think of businesses, build a £50 website and some google analytics/keyword research and job done. I just dont get it.

But I go back to the whole, you share the idea, why would they then buy it off you? or why would someone pay you to find out the idea?

 

[ethical PR]

Agree - but mine is slightly different as will be the entire package as one. The business, marketing plan, branding, marketing material, socials etc


I could, but the ideas and building is my passion.


The initial focus is business ideas but I was going to offer a website in a box too - essentially a turnkey website. For example, a window cleaner may want to set up on the own. I would provide the website, marketing material, social content, etc......and yes, we will provide financial and legal add-ons.


What about those who don't have the foresight of ideas but have the desire to set up in business? There is market out there for those.

why would a window cleaner need a website and social content - that's not how they do business

if you're a 'highly experienced marketer' you would no this.

 

[Thenocodelab]

the person cant even think of a business for themselves, I cant help but think there are bigger issues they are going to struggle with.

I could be wrong, but I just think its a bit of a lazy idea. I will think of businesses, build a £50 website and some google analytics/keyword research and job done. I just dont get it.

But I go back to the whole, you share the idea, why would they then buy it off you? or why would someone pay you to find out the idea?

It's the pre packed element. Thing is, folk on here aren't the target market as this is a platform full of experienced business savvy individuals. We are giving those who want to run the own business the opportunity.

why would a window cleaner need a website and social content - that's not how they do business

if you're a 'highly experienced marketer' you would no this.

Why not? I know a window cleaner who has a website and takes payments online.

As regards to your comment about myself - you don't know the experience I have. Turning 54 next year and have held very senior roles so I do know what I'm talking about.

 

[japancool]

We are giving those who want to run the own business the opportunity.

In that case, I wouldn't do it if I were you. Most of those individuals will fail - and you will get the blame for selling a "scam". It could damage your reputation.

 

[tony84]

There is no opportunity.
Be a barber, heres a website. There are 5,000 hits a month for a plumber in your local area.

I still stand by the fact if you have someone who can not decide on what business to open, they are not business people. They do not have the passion, they do not have a brain cell to think of an idea, they are going to have no marketing ideas and probably think get the business going, get an investor and they will be richard branson with no real meat on the phones of a crap business plan.

But instead of debating it, why not give your idea a go. You obviously believe in it, hopefully you can come on here in 6 months and tell us how wrong I am.

 

[MBE2017]

I think many forum members are looking at this slightly incorrectly. I agree people do not go on eBay and pick a business idea with no idea of how to do things, but plenty of people who know what they DO wish to go into look for such ready made “opportunities”.

The idea that a ready made company, website, suppliers, marketing etc etc is all mainly done would appeal to many, since plenty would be looking at doing many such tasks for the first time in their lives.

I doubt many would succeed in business, but then again most do not doing things the traditional way. The big question for the OP is if he believes his idea has legs, which he appears too, best of luck to him. He is not aiming at the forum type client.

 

[MOIC]

You’re hoping to sell an ‘idea’ with no proof of concept?

At least have a string of businesses making a profit, say for 2 years before convincing customers that your information and process works.

There are a number of points you would have to include, the main one being the costs of marketing, as well as the continued changes in the supply chains and economic situation related to a specific business.

Get one business up and running and sell it as a franchise. You’ll then find out what there is to know on running that business and if a business model is successful.

Ideas are easy, as is sourcing a supply chain (won’t be the best), setting up, running a business and making a profit is a world away.

I’m not being negative, just a realist.

An option would be to mentor the person buying the business for a year and help the business stand on its legs.

What would happen if it doesn’t?

I wrote a blog on the requirements on setting up a business, I would never consider selling that information as a business package if it included a specific product and a supply chain, which are frankly easy to source.

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However, there are many people that will part with their money to save on what they believe is research and a potentially successful business.

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[bodgitt&scarperLTD]

Sounds to me like most low end franchises. You’re looking to find people who really should just stay employees. The golden customer is one who’s just inherited £10k from a relative but is too low IQ to think what to do with it.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Sounds to me like most low end franchises. You’re looking to find people who really should just stay employees. The golden customer is one who’s just inherited £10k from a relative but is too low IQ to think what to do with it.

Precisely this. I fear a lot of replies are missing the point.

The OP's business is to sell 'cookie cutter' businesses, not to run or make them successful.

And there is a ready market for people who dream that they can buy success - I suspect a pending one will be those with redundancy cash.

 

[BusterBloodvessel]

The first, and I think most obvious question, is if these ideas are so great - why don't you launch them? I know you say that's not your passion, but I'd make it my passion if I could run these businesses for a year or two and prove how great they actually were - THEN sell a proven business. That's if it's something unique and you're only selling a one-off.

If it's something not unique like the aforementioned window cleaning or similar....if it's something with such a low barrier to entry then (A) someone with the capacity to run a business should be able to do it themselves and (B) how much can you realistically charge for that? Someone isn't going to give you £10k to do a marketing plan and a website for a window cleaning round. They might give you £500 just for simplicitys sake, but then is it really worth your time?

It's all well and good offering the full marketing package etc....what happens if they don't follow it? Or more so, f they do follow it to the absolute letter, and fail.... are you going to take any responsibility?

 

[SillyBill]

Perhaps OP needs a business coach, having lots of ideas and not being able to deliver doesn't sound healthy. If the ideas are any good I don't see the relevance of time, you can have staff (paid for by the profits of said idea) to execute the day-to-day. And once you have proved it, if you so wanted, you'd sell franchises of it. I've employed a few people who talk good games, this time next year Rodneys, but yet don't deliver much beyond the sermons, ideas are a pretty cheap commodity, action however is very much more scarce and valuable.

 

[zefeena]

I think maybe you are asking the wrong people. I suppose everyone here is ‘in’ business and therefore had one good idea! I too, am an ideas person and have thought up dozens of unique business, I even set up and gave one to a friend, one not dissimilar to my own, very successful, business.
His failed! Why? Because the essential part of the business was ME! I put in huge amounts of time, effort and enthusiasm into everything I do. You can’t sell that as part of the package!
Quite honestly, go for it. You have marketing experience, talk a good talk, let the buyer make up their mind. People buying out the box probably don’t have the drive to succeed, but there may be a couple of folk who just lack ideas but have all the other qualities. Some one will happily Take the money of those fools looking for get rich quick schemes, so why not you. At least you sound like you believe in your ideas and so they will get a chance for their money. If they can’t put in the effort, nothing you can do about that!

 

[sotap3]

If you really believe these are good ideas and that your package actually offers any value, then there are a couple of ways to proceed.
Find people to start a partnership with. You can keep 20% and offer guidance and your ideas and they can run the business and keep the 80%. It can be structured in a way that protects you both. That way both have skin in the game and a motive to make it work.
Alternatively you can launch the businesses, get them off the ground, get some revenue and profitability and then try to sell them.
Otherwise the package you offer is worth very little.