Getting there....new business venture

[Gazrok]

As some here know, while my wife and I have jobs in the city, we also have a small ranch. One of our side gigs, as it were, is to board horses. Currently, we board 8 horses on the property, which basically pays our mortgage (when our boarders actually pay us)...but that's another bit...

Another side business used to be a tack shop (selling horse gear, saddles, etc.). This was because my wife's father, when he owned the place, ran such a shop. The first year, it still made a little money, but even after a remodel and new products, etc., it just wasn't worth it to us, especially as it didn't make enough for one of us not to work. But, we had a ranchhand who could run it during the day, so wasn't too bad.

Anyhoo, once she left, it just became not worth it. But, it's 800 square feet of shop space, has a display counter, slatwall walls for merch, even it's own bathroom, etc. So, we wanted to do SOMETHING with it.

Well, we knew we'd only be able to do something with it on weekends, and even then, wouldn't be EVERY weekend...so we needed something that:
1) Was FUN to do
2) Was something we could do just a few times a month
3) Something we could do without carrying a lot of stock

Well, my wife is an avid scrapbooker. She'd often pay about $15 to $25 to go to these multi-hour "crops" (basically, a bunch of gals getting together socially and working on their scrapbooking, so pics of family, etc.) Obviously, a little more to it than that. But, we figured, get some tables, some nice chairs, and it'd be a pretty easy endeavor (and she wouldn't have to pay someone ELSE for them).

The nice thing is though, this setup (tables and comfy chairs) also lends itself to another fun thing we've gotten into. You may have seen those Paint and Sip places, where you bring your own wine, and an instructor provides a canvas, paints, etc. and walks you through doing a painting (where the whole class does the same one). These typically charge about $35 a pop or so, which is nice if you figure about $5 worth of materials....then just the instructor's time. Well, I'm an artist, and can probably do these just fine!

So, that's the plan. We went ahead and consolidated the existing tack stock to try and clearance it all out. Anything we can't sell by end of Feb, is getting binned and going online to sell. We already got enough long tables, and just this weekend, got a GREAT deal on chairs (which previously, was going to be the BIGGEST expense). We didn't want just any chairs, but as middle-aged ladies who aren't size 8 would be the likely sitters, we wanted nice adjustable office chairs. This was previously going to be about $700 budgeted, but then we found some clearance chairs for (after wheelin' and dealin') $12.50 each! So 12 of these, for $150!

So, I'm super excited this is all coming together. Hopefully, we'll be repainting and doing the floors in Feb, so we can actually open up the first week of March. At least with the scrapbooking piece of it. May take longer for the expense of initial materials for the Paint & Sip, but just happy it's coming to fruition. It may not make a TON of money, but even if it nets just a few hundred a month, it's still well worth it, and while doing something that we enjoy. I'll have to post pics once it's all up and going!

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

Good luck Gazrok.

I'm looking to get serious about my own business this year too.

Daunting.

 

[Gazrok]

Thanks, not my first rodeo, so if there's any questions I can help with, feel free to message me, and I'll do my best, if I can help. Some other business owners here too, so likely some more help here also.

 

[Danil54grl]

I've seen the paint and sip thing on TV, but not the scrap booking. Had no idea that is what they would charge. I am confused about the scrapbooking. After all the cutting, are there inspirational pages to give you ideas on lay out or do the ladies just toss out ideas with each other? If its something you guys like to do, than why not try your hand at making a little income with it. I wish you and your wife luck with it.

 

[DrHenley]

Good luck with the new enterprise Gaz.

 

[TexasFreedom]

All the best Gazrok.

BTW, why not start listing the clearance stuff online as well now? Get it done quicker, whichever way sells first wins.

And don't invite OSHA to ensure safety at the business!

 

[Robinjopo1]

Sounds great. Good luck

 

[Gazrok]

Yeah, we've already started some of the online stuff. Even made about $500 selling most of the horse blankets we had, during this recent cold snap...

I am confused about the scrapbooking. After all the cutting, are there inspirational pages to give you ideas on lay out or do the ladies just toss out ideas with each other?

Well, most women like having a place they can go that is out of the house, away from the kids, and where they can chat with other ladies, while doing this kind of thing, and having a table where they can spread stuff out and work on it. So really, the fee they pay is for the use of the space, for a given span of hours. (the idea being we'll be the space, and get that fee). In addition, the crop organizer may have little games or contests, or a little bonus project made up of some materials, etc. that all participants get. Some even include food and drink, etc.

We'd likely only have like two of these a month, so wouldn't be a lot of time, but say you have 10 gals, each paying $20....that's $200 that my wife gets for doing something she enjoys, vs. her paying $20 to someone else that day.

Contrast that though, with a Paint & Sip class. I've figured out it's about $5 in materials per person. So, if I charge $30 for a two-hour class, and get about 10 people signing up, that's a profit of $250 for just two hours. I could even easily have two such classes like this on a Saturday, for example, and possibly make $500 profit. Of course, starting out, would likely be more like 6 or so people each class, but we will be able to accommodate up to 12 I think.

So, would we get rich? No (unless I got enough folks where I could quit and do it during the week, lol)....but it would be some nice additional income each month, and way to use the shop space for things that are fun, and that make some money.

 

[Gazrok]

I am confused about the scrapbooking. After all the cutting, are there inspirational pages to give you ideas on lay out or do the ladies just toss out ideas with each other?

To add to this, yes, they do share layout ideas with each other, get opinions, ideas, etc. In addition, the organizer (in this case my wife) may also have a featured layout or layouts, etc.

We'll also sell a few essentials that are often needed during such things, such as paper, tools, etc. And the other bonus, my wife has some very expensive cutting machines and cartridges that make intricate and licensed designs, etc. ....the use of which, is nice during such crops. A scrapbooking shop went out of business a few months back, and we had bought some fixtures, papers, supplies, etc. off them for pennies on the dollar at the time.

She'll probably make about an additional $50-$100 during these crops, in selling tools, papers, etc. Not my cup of tea, but makes her happy. I just learned about it all through osmosis mostly. I have to get the heck out of there during the hen fest....

 

[Gazrok]

For those not familiar with Paint & Sip...

Basically, folks pay a fee to come to the studio, where they are provided a canvas on an easel, brushes, an apron, and paint. Each class is a particular painting design (so they can choose which class to sign up for, based on which painting is being taught).

The whole idea, is that while the paintings look hard, by following the steps as the instructor shows them, anyone can usually end up with a painting that looks way above their skill level. The instructor tells you how much paint, which paint, different techniques, etc. to help you get to the finished painting.

The "sip" part is that most of these events, you simply bring what you and your group will consume (food, drink, etc.). Some are fancier, and have bars, etc., but we're not going there. Ours will be the typical BYOB....

For me, the only disposables here, are the canvases and the paint. I can get the canvases in a pack of 20, and the paints in gallon and half gallon sizes. So, about $5 in materials for each person. The aprons, easels, and brushes stay here.

It's a fun, and different activity beyond dinner and a movie for a date, or fun for a group of friends, etc.

Many places also do games while certain parts of the painting are drying, etc., with prizes such as a free class, and/or free previous instructor paintings (so different design).

 

[TexasFreedom]

A scrapbooking shop went out of business a few months back, and we had bought some fixtures, papers, supplies, etc. off them for pennies on the dollar at the time.

Just make sure to not make the same mistakes they did! I'm guessing they went all-in and income didn't cover things like rent/real salaries. Their loss, your gain.

I do hear about lots of these type events. Mostly women, compare it to guys going to a sports event. They enjoy the conversation/activities without big costs (so they can do it weekly). There is income potential, how much really varies on regional spare income & even more on your marketing. If you have not read "Guerilla Marketing", get the book immediately. The original was fantastic, follow-ons were quite disappointing.

 

[Gauntlet]

Painting while drinking wine sounds like good business venture to me! I'm planning on starting my own business one day as well so it's exciting to see other people taking the risk and starting their own business.

If you ever get to the point where you're ready to build a website just let me know and maybe I can help you out.

 

[Gazrok]

Thanks, I've done some quickie websites before, so would likely just go that route. But, Facebook pretty much does it all for free too, so you know.

Just make sure to not make the same mistakes they did! I'm guessing they went all-in and income didn't cover things like rent/real salaries. Their loss, your gain.

That's just it, we have no rent, no salaries, no overhead (not really, it's all with the house). It's basically all profit (other than any merch we buy to sell, and our time). So we can't make the mistakes they did. This is really more just for her to get to do these crops, without having to drive there and spend money, while MAKING money doing something she likes.

For me, it'll be doing something I like to do, and making money at it. The only real expenses will be in getting it all going...and most of the expensive parts of that, we've already done (tables, chairs, stock, fixtures, etc.). Just need to do a little refresh of the shop's paint, and then get the painting supplies (around $500). Hopefully, we'd make that back in a month or two, but even if not, it'll be a great space for all kinds of things. (we also like boardgames, so may host some boardgame groups, too).

 

[drt4lfe]

A ing Club where you can shoot full size dummies of hillary, pelosi, schumbag, obama and a few others would be a money maker....

 

[Gazrok]

I need more space for that, and no neighbors, hehe. We can get away with a few gunshots here, but that would be a bit much...lol

 

[Gazrok]

Funny, that one of the hardest parts will be redoing the two billboard signs for the new venture. Our existing ones were pretty much taken out by Irma....but they were outdated anyhow.

The new ones will also include the horse boarding we do. As an artist, painting them myself, vs. paying to have these done. But, I also want to add some signs on our fencing too, to better direct people to the studio part of the property.