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gemd89
- Original Poster
- #163
A theme package is just that a complete package. Take Halloween for example. Aswells masks and fancy dress you can get a cardboard cut out to what looks like a dungeon. Fancy door curtians. Blow up skeletons etc etcThere are sprays that produce cob webs.
In other words with a theme pack as well as the customers dressing up you dress the pub itself up or the publican does and charge extra if he wants you to do it.
Now I have a list here somewhere wihich has a list of at least 2 suggestions for theme nites for every month and the great think about this project is that you only have to start with one theme pack from which you take orders so if you get 10 you only need order 9 and use the same say £65 quid to buy the next theme sample.
Of course if you have a bit more dosh your can carry 3 theme packs giving pubs a choice of someting different. You will always be able to dispose of them so no money in wasted stock.
Aint I great
Would love to see the list! Sounds a great idea!
Gemma
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People have probably responded to this particular post already but......You would not need to claim JSA unless your youngest child reaches the age of 10 if you are a single parent.
As I said before as a lone parent you can claim Income Support, and child tax credits (and child benefit). If you rent housing benefit and Council tax rebate.You would of course need to declare the contribution from the childrens dad.
Or If you work 16hrs or more per week you can claim working tax credit instead of Income Support.
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Why are you wasting the time doing the research when you already know that the market is saturated?
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gemd89
- Original Poster
- #172
Why have you just wasted 2 minutes commenting on a forum post with a reply that had nothing to do with the question asked?
Im sick of the patronising tones of people on this forum. I wish i never would have told you all my age.
I dont suppose IT Solutions is a saturated market?
Either be constructive or read another forum topic, i came here for advice. If i wanted to be told about benefits etc i would have gone on jeremy kyle.
Gemma
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I have never patronised you. Your age does not bother me in slightest and I do not think I have ever commented on it personally. Others have, however, most of us are only trying to be helpful.
But I can tell from your rather terse reply to a previous post I made that you simply do not want that help.
So I will bow out, here and now.
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Gemma,
You don't take the advice from what I've seen, read, and understood. I asked you a perfectly reasonable question in regards to the fact you're struggling and unable to even make a mere pathetic £200 a month out your business. There are many reasons for this, one of which is because the market you're targeting is so saturated I feel wet just thinking about it.
Turn down the criticism, turn down the advice, and you're only going to be in a worse situation a few weeks down the line.
Don't like that advice? Don't come to a serious business forum expecting to be molly-cuddled. If you want me to lie and tell you to go for it at the cost of your children, sorry I wont do that.
You don't take the advice from what I've seen, read, and understood. I asked you a perfectly reasonable question in regards to the fact you're struggling and unable to even make a mere pathetic £200 a month out your business. There are many reasons for this, one of which is because the market you're targeting is so saturated I feel wet just thinking about it.
Turn down the criticism, turn down the advice, and you're only going to be in a worse situation a few weeks down the line.
Don't like that advice? Don't come to a serious business forum expecting to be molly-cuddled. If you want me to lie and tell you to go for it at the cost of your children, sorry I wont do that.
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gemd89
- Original Poster
- #177
Slugster - The point was your post didnt feel constructive to me. I understand the website is rubbish, not enough choice of products, community stuff rubbish, homepage not friendly enough - i have listened. I have waded through the 170 posts, read the ones that were usefull, explained all about my private life with the questions people have asked.
I agree this has been a huge wake up call to me and its time to let go.
Thanks
I agree this has been a huge wake up call to me and its time to let go.
Thanks
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How much would all of this advice cost, from a business advisor, more than most of us would or could afford.
That so many people have replied and tried to help you Gemma, they deserve more than curt rude replies.
Business is tough, life is tough, and do you know what, it gets harder the older you get!
Poppy xx
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Esk247
- Original Poster
- #179
yeah but most markets are saturated on the interweb and if you go 'niche' its going to cost you 50 grand in marketing for people to flaming look for the damn thing!
trust me, i've been there with niche, it doesn't work unless you have a big fat budget to tell people you're online as people don't search for niche, they search for right now.
gemd knows her website needs a total rebuild, but we're all saying she should focus on one market, a market she knows a little about or a market she's already sold to. she doesnt need much money and if the only advice is 'go get a job' then that doesn't really help does it, because this is a business forum, we should be offering business alternatives.
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Gemma,
I know how hard that market is for someone starting out. I revamped a website and complete ecommerce solution in the exact same market for someone on here that needed it.
I'm pretty sure she's still not bringing in that much from it. Your market research and feasibility study will show you how unwise it is to go forward with this kind of business - if you do it properly.
In response to the IT support market, no actually. When I started off the home support stuff I was one of only 15 established companies operating in the Edinburgh area. I was ahead of them all with branding and SEO at the time - and for certain keyphrases, I still am.
Don't get me wrong, I've made many mistakes along the way. But it's surprising how much advice on UKBF since my start here in 2007 has been right on target.
I know how hard that market is for someone starting out. I revamped a website and complete ecommerce solution in the exact same market for someone on here that needed it.
I'm pretty sure she's still not bringing in that much from it. Your market research and feasibility study will show you how unwise it is to go forward with this kind of business - if you do it properly.
In response to the IT support market, no actually. When I started off the home support stuff I was one of only 15 established companies operating in the Edinburgh area. I was ahead of them all with branding and SEO at the time - and for certain keyphrases, I still am.
Don't get me wrong, I've made many mistakes along the way. But it's surprising how much advice on UKBF since my start here in 2007 has been right on target.
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gemd89
- Original Poster
- #183
Yes, Im glad i found this place, believe me since starting the business last year it has been a steep learning curve. Ive accepted the business has failed but its not without learning a hell of a lot. It hasnt been easy to get to this stage but the amount of advice i have recieved here has been invaluable to success at some stage in my life, obviously not at this moment in time but one day.
Gemma
Gemma
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silvermusic
- Original Poster
- #184
A friend of mine who been in business for well over 20 years selling all manner of things has a saying which I think is good advice. "Who care's what the product is, as long as it sells and turns a decent profit".
He's right, at the end of the days that's all that really matters. We often have a laugh at some of the stuff he sells, but he's got a good eye for what will sell and does very well.
A few of us are lucky enough to be selling what we have a huge passion and interest in, there's good and bad points to that as well. It's very easy to let your heart rule your head, and God knows I've made that mistake many times.
When you're selling products you have no emotional attachment or real interest in then it's much easier to be totally ruthless and realistic about the whole thing.
Taking on big retailers unless you have a bottomless money pit is a pointless excercise too. You can never hope to win on price and range. Specialise in a very small area and do it better than anyone else.
The eBay suggestion shouldn't be rulled out either, it's not as easy as it use to be, but an hour or so a day everyday, checking and researching the competition and you'll be OK.
Another suggestion, would be to do a complete rethink and start again. Liqudating stock at just above cost on eBay to get much needed money back in the post to restart might not be a bad idea.
He's right, at the end of the days that's all that really matters. We often have a laugh at some of the stuff he sells, but he's got a good eye for what will sell and does very well.
A few of us are lucky enough to be selling what we have a huge passion and interest in, there's good and bad points to that as well. It's very easy to let your heart rule your head, and God knows I've made that mistake many times.
When you're selling products you have no emotional attachment or real interest in then it's much easier to be totally ruthless and realistic about the whole thing.
Taking on big retailers unless you have a bottomless money pit is a pointless excercise too. You can never hope to win on price and range. Specialise in a very small area and do it better than anyone else.
The eBay suggestion shouldn't be rulled out either, it's not as easy as it use to be, but an hour or so a day everyday, checking and researching the competition and you'll be OK.
Another suggestion, would be to do a complete rethink and start again. Liqudating stock at just above cost on eBay to get much needed money back in the post to restart might not be a bad idea.
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silvermusic
- Original Poster
- #186
Nothing wrong with starting again, much better than bashing your head against the wall trying to get something to work that won't.
To some degree I did that when I first started with a range of product that just couldn't be made profitable, sure it sold like wildfire and i was turning over thousands, but in reality making little profit, certainly nothing like enough to cover the hours i spent packing and posting alone. Seven years on I can look back and smile at a mistake which nowadays would be obvious, I should have done my research first.
One of the biggest mistakes is buying stock just because it's cheap, if the market is flooded and/or already been saturated leave it well alone, no matter what your heart may tell you. On eBay far too many people make that mistake, research is the key.
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Mark. I think you just cracked it although it isn't easy to entertain kids. I went to a family party for a grandchild a while ago and the kids sat there completely borad at ballon tieing.
The is one show that all my generation loved however and while the parents of todays kids may not remember it the ganny and grandad will and all will love it and that is the old Punch & Judy.
It would cost about £50 quid to knockup a little housing booth and I am sure you can still get the hand puppets. I gig and your into 100 quid profit. After that it is all profit 3 on a sat and 3 on a sunday and even at £150 your on £900 a week.
Whats more you can even do this if you a bit shy as it's only the puppets the kids would be looking at.
The is one show that all my generation loved however and while the parents of todays kids may not remember it the ganny and grandad will and all will love it and that is the old Punch & Judy.
It would cost about £50 quid to knockup a little housing booth and I am sure you can still get the hand puppets. I gig and your into 100 quid profit. After that it is all profit 3 on a sat and 3 on a sunday and even at £150 your on £900 a week.
Whats more you can even do this if you a bit shy as it's only the puppets the kids would be looking at.
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