#HOW TO MAKE MONEY FROM SETTING UP A MEMBERSHIP CLUB...

Following on from my previous post. I decided I would start a Ladies Friendship Club with the motto 'Friendship – being friends or a friend, goodwill, benevolence' I wanted it to be exclusive so I had some gold credit card style membership cards made. For £20 per annum (which is what I charged when I first set it up) they were given the card plus a quarterly hand-made newsletter (see picture above) which I made myself. It had a diary of our events which varied from coffee mornings, luncheons, outings, cookery classes, acceptance slips with return envelopes and also feedback from previous events. Our other motto down the side of the newsletter read“Forget the Feng Shui, Forget the personal trainer, and stop the housework. Ladies who Lunch is the new Therapy”

I got speakers for the luncheons and we went to different Hotels/ Restaurants/Stately Homes/and Tea Shops. I remember vividly at the first luncheon I had only 12 ladies coming for lunch. I was absolutely terrified at having to stand up in front of 12 ladies and talk on my ideas for the club. Over the following couple of years I soon became a pro at standing up in front of large numbers of ladies.

Below was feedback from some of our events, which I put in the Newsletter - the remarks are what club members wrote in our club diary.

3^rd March – Our 3^rd Anniversary Luncheon with a chocolate theme to it –“Fabulous food and company with not much chat over the “Tarte au chocolat”! Excellent speaker as well.

8^th March – Our first walk to celebrate International Women’s Day, through Bestwood Park and lunch at The Griffins Head at Papplewick – A very nice walk and lovely company.

16^th March – Virgin Vie coffee morning – I had the make-over this time and enjoyed every minute of it – Always enjoy the coffee mornings- thank you xxxxx.

17^th March – The launch of our in house Book Club – see later in the Newsletter for reviews.

30^th March – Day trip to Leeds superb shopping facilities – Harvey Nicks here we come – thanks for a fabulous day out to Leeds.

27^th April – Cookery Demonstration  – Excellent Day, food delicious, excellent demonstration – when are we going again?

30^th April – Coffee Morning at Portland College – Not many of us today, but as always good company.

6^th May – Walk in Newstead Abbey– what a gorgeous house, lovely walk and lunch as well.

12^th May – Trip to Japanese Garden and Thoresby Hall Courtyard Shops with afternoon tea in the Hall – Lovely gardens, good shopping and afternoon tea in the hall – it was all very enjoyable.

18^th May – The club’s surprise trip to Castle Howard with lunch and afternoon tea in The Great Hall – Another triumph xxxxx, an excellent day out and the weather was kind to us as well !!

25^th May – Cookery Demo  – Excellent, superb food and domo.

3^rd June – planned trip to Lyme Park ended in an unplanned trip to Bramhall Hall in Cheshire- Brilliant change of venue – quick thinking xxxx, even managed to do some shopping didn’t we !!!!!!

8th June – Garden Party – A glorious day in lovely surroundings with pleasant company and food. That’s what I call retirement !

15^th June – Nottingham Open Tennis and 17^th June Gardeners World Live – both excellent

Fast forward 24 months and I had over 100 members and had approached a number of businesses who offered my ladies discount on goods when they showed our gold card. The club was expanding so fast that I couldn't keep up with all the paperwork and decided to put a stop on the membership and have a waiting list for it instead.

But I knew it had the makings of something big so I went to my local County Council who ran Business events/training days to help start ups. They said if I put a good business plan together then there could be some funding come my way. I wrote a business plan and constitution where I put my aims and objective to develop the club district wide, to provide ladies with friendship, educational courses and social activities in a safe environment.

They loved it and I was sent to pitch in front of some funding companies that helped out small/new start up businesses.  I couldn't believe it when they said they would pay for a website for the business. It was set up exclusively for 'members', where they could catch up on the clubs news, events and pictures of where we had been. 

I suppose I like to think of the ladies club as a life changing community project. My ambitions for the future of the club included, educational courses in computers, reflexology and crafts, awareness of working in the voluntary sector as well as the usual dose of coffee mornings, day trips and luncheons. 

I felt that the events transported my ladies away from everyday routine to escape into a world of feminine fun. Little things meant so much more to me then. I didn't seek praise but if people thanked me for what I had done, it made my day very special and I treasure my written thank you’s that I have collected over the years. But I was beginning to realise that I could do with some more help with the ever expanding membership. So I put together an advert for consultants to help me expand the business.

I felt ready to expand and grow big and I was keeping on top of all my health problems with medication and some physiotherapy but I still needed further help with my neck pain. I was booked in for a spinal injection which was similar to one I'd previously had in my lumber spine which really helped and had no complications.

Unfortunately this time it was not the same. In fact it turned into a  life threatening episode and I was too ill to attend one of our biggest days out the following week. I had two full coach loads of ladies all going for a day trip to Althorpe House (Princess Diana's resting place), followed by an Afternoon Tea stop on the way home. This was my lowest point and honestly thought, why bother!! But, with the help of friends the club continued to plod along nicely. However, I was missed, everyone said it wasn't the same without me and I couldn't work up the enthusiasm to want to join them for anything.

I soon learnt to not be my worst enemy and take time out for myself and let go of trying to be 100% perfect all of the time. The family were not happy and sat me down and said I needed to work less and rest more. This particular episode frightened me so much that I needed hypnosis to help erase the memories that were keeping me awake at night.   

I was then also diagnosed with Fibromyalgia (an incurable, painful condition which includes fatigue, insomnia, stiffness, IBS and pain throughout the body) and I realised that the time was right for me to try and just sit back and relax. 

The last outing was our Christmas luncheon which was always very well attended and although I had told members that I was 'putting it on hold' for a while most knew this was the end of the Club. It was an emotional lunch but the feeling of relief and total exhaustion afterwards confirmed to me that I had made the right decision. 

I really didn't want to sell the business this time as I guess I felt that ' you just never know' and might regret it if I sold it. This was, after all, my fifth business but something a friend had said to me stuck with me, she said ' At the end of the day you should be really proud of yourself, none of your businesses have failed, some are still up and running. It's your health that has failed you and the way you have dealt with it should be an inspiration to anyone'.

So that was the end of my Ladies Club but I'm sure by now you will have realised that it would probably not be the end of my entrepreneurial spirit. 

SETTING UP AN #EVENT DECORATION BUSINESS ...

I started getting a bit restless at not being able to do more clients but thinking of something that I could do with my health related problems and also being home for the children was becoming a bit of a challenge. Then one day while chatting to one of my clients about my situation she jokingly said that I ought to go into the balloon business as you could not get anything lighter than a balloon. The seed was planted and I started finding out all I could about helium balloons for events. This was before you could just tap into 'Google' and find out anything you wanted to know.

The client who had given me the idea of a balloon business ran a successful local bridal shop. She also did balloon decorations for her brides weddings but was struggling to manage both. I think you can probably guess what happened next.

The deal was done and I went along with them to a few weddings to learn all about my new business. I went on a number of courses to learn even more about balloon decorating and the business well and truly took off (literally).

The balloon business went from strength to strength and I won some awards along the way -

• 1991 Runner up Nottingham Evening Post “Business Woman of the Year”
• 1996 Vice President of North Nottinghamshire Business Women's Network
• 1998 North Nottinghamshire Winner “Business Woman of the Year”

But the dark clouds were starting to roll in slowly but surely. I was in a serious amount of pain not only in my lumber spine but also in my cervical spine. I saw a specialist who advised another spinal surgery on my cervical spine using bone from my hip to fuse it together. So I had to plan well ahead when the best time would be for me to have the surgery.

This was difficult as I had brides booked for 1 and 2 years ahead for their weddings. But what I did have a great team behind me and with the help of them and my family I sailed through my third spinal surgery and it wasn't long before I was back in the saddle and back to normal. 

I expanded into Christmas Tree hire for the winter months as apart from the odd bookings for bunches of balloons for birthdays/anniversaries etc the business went much quieter over the winter period. 

The Christmas Tree hire business took off well and we also decorated the trees for them which were mainly used in Hotels etc but the repeat business gave us a lot of work when things were quiet.

My health started to suffer (again) and I had to have further surgery to my lumber spine, using a new technique which involved having a cage put in my spine with nuts and bolts to support it all.

Sadly this time everything did not go according to plan, and I ended up needing surgery for a massive haematoma in my stomach and then ended up in hospital for nearly three months with an infection.

My children both had cars so they managed to hold the fort and work with my other to keep the business running. But it really affected my confidence and I really worried about things going wrong and felt I was really letting the brides down when I had assured them that I would be personally decorating their events.

My family saw me slipping and together decided to sit me down, and made a suggestion that maybe this was the time to retire. After ten years of seeing the business going from strength to strength and winnings lots of awards on the way I truly did NOT want to give it up, but deep down I knew it was the right thing to do.

Now the helium balloon business's do far more technical things with exploding confetti bombs and balloon sculptures and although I don't think it's as popular for weddings now as it was back then, decorating venues for events will always be a good business to work in. The list of different types of decorations you could go into is long and I will cover some others at a later date. 

As I have written before on most of my posts, a good business plan is essential and help with funding for something like this could be found through websites like Gov UK, or Business Angels, Crowd Cube, or UK Business Angels Association.  If you look you will find funding is available for new business start ups no matter what part of the country you live in. With the right pitch and business plan you could soon find help available.  Thinking of a catchy name for this sort of business is also essential. I called mine 'Bubbles Balloons' and was known as 'Bubbles' by most of my clients.

In the next post I will cover the basics to start an event decoration business.

HOW TO EARN UP TO 30K AS A #NAIL TECHNICIAN...

My Dress Agency went from strength to strength but my health didn't. I had to have emergency surgery for a prolapsed disc in my neck and was told I could not run the business any longer. A local lady bought the business which continued to grow. 

I couldn't sit still and tried to think of something that I could run from home so that it would fit it in with the children's school run and holidays.

I decided to go on a beauty course and learn how to do nail extensions which was the next up and coming trend. This was back in the late 80's when it was only just coming into fashion so I went to London and I learnt the trade and came back with the kit and certificate to get going with my new business. The course wasn't expensive and neither was the kit. The only other thing I needed to pay for was Public Liability Insurance. I didn't write a business plan for this business as I just thought I would see how things when with my health. The tax man already had me down as self employed so it was easy to fill in all the book keeping.

It wasn't long before I had a regular clientele coming regularly for their nail treatments. Word of mouth soon got me some new clients and I had all the contacts I had made through the dress agency. It fitted in perfectly with the children and all their activities.

The nail extension business is now absolutely massive but the latest craze is for gel nails instead of extensions. The kit that you need is simple and easy to buy and there are a number of courses you could go on. You must get public liability insurance in case of any injuries and make sure you train with a reputable company that gives you a certificate/diploma at the end of it.

Some great courses that I found are Essential Nails which say you can earn 30K a year as a nail technician. They run Diploma Courses from £219 which is the Gel Polish Course, you can then add on other courses as you go along and include pedicures. Nail Diploma Co  run online training courses from £199 for a complete Nail Technicians Diploma Award. There are 25 modules which you can study from your PC in your own time. The choice is vast and I would suggest you spend some time researching them all before deciding on one particular course. 

There are a number of great nail magazines.  Nails Magazine which has everything you could ever need or want to know about the nail business and what the latest fashion is for nails. It is an award winning publication with over 30 years industry experience. It covers the latest in a wide variety of topics, including Technique, Business, Style and Health stories. Scratch
is another great magazine to check out what's happening in the industry.

To become a nail technician, you will need to have creativity and patience. Customer service and people skills is important so you can talk to your customers. You are responsible for the grooming and appearance of your clients fingernails and toenails. Health and safety is extremely important and you will need to make sure that you use the correct chemicals within the industry to prevent any damage or infection to clients nails.

I found the job very rewarding and made some lovely friendships with my clients. Unfortunately on the way to do one of my clients nails I was involved in a car accident where I was hit from behind. At first I thought the pain was just whiplash and that it would settle down. But, just by way of a change, I had to slow down on my nail business in the hope my neck would settle down.

This great book 'The Complete Nail Technician (Hairdressing and Beauty Industry Authority) is a must for your bookshelf.

HOW TO SET UP A #DRESS AGENCY BUSINESS...

I had an idea to open a Dress Agency from my home and did a lot of research into what was available in my area.  Getting a business plan is something you should consider before starting up your agency. A concise and clear business plan is important to your success and easily available online. Insurance for your stock is another important factor before you open your door to the general public.

Before we moved to the East Midlands I had worked in a friends Boutique and had made quite a few contacts through it so I decided to get in touch with everyone I knew to see if they had any clothes they would like me to sell for them.

I decided right from the beginning that I only wanted to sell good quality affordable clean 'pre-loved' designer labels to high end High Street brands. Every stock item I had was handpicked by me, assuring all my clothes and accessories were pristine and high quality.

We then converted a beautifully designed room downstairs into my Dress Agency Boutique with heavy duty rails around the room and two large full length mirrors. I offered a personalized, professional and friendly customer service.

I put a small business card size advert in my local newsletter and had an opening night which was an invitation only event. The opening night as a great success and I soon realized that I needed more stock so I put another advert in the local newsletter for good quality 2nd hand clothes.

It wasn't long before the business took off and I gradually had a regular clientele who loved certain designers and the minute I had any in would come straight round to try them on. I am quite sure that some of my customers would never have walked into a Dress Agency to look for clothes but because I ran it on an appointment only basis they became regular customers.

I just kept adding to my stock and started to include hats, bags, and accessories. I bought clear clothes covers (like you get on dry cleaning) and lovely hangers to give it the professional touch.

I also held a number of fashion shows for local charities which were always a roaring success, and gave me free publicity. Commission rates seem to work on a 50/50 basis but I was happy with 60/40 as my overheads were so low. Good quality second hand clothing will always sell well and your seller will keep supplying you with the clothes if they get a good return on them. With so many charity shops also selling good quality clothes nowadays you should never run out of stock.

Only hold your stock for a certain amount of time and have it written down on your terms and conditions. This should include that the seller must pick up unsold items by the date specified . If you don't put this in your conditions, you could end up with a lot of dead stock that is just filling your rails.

Secrets Dress Agency based in Weybridge has the most amazing website to inspire anyone to buy second hand designer wear and accessories. Another one I found called The Dress Agency  also has a very appealing website. You can certainly come up with a great name and website design just by browsing the internet.

You could have an eBay site and a Facebook page which opens your doors to so many more potential customers. I also researched nice quality buttons to sell as these were something that could update/alter any cardigan/jacket or coat.

Designer dress agencies are currently enjoying renewed popularity, both with label fans and those looking to buy quality pieces that won't be found on the high street. Vintage designer wear is also very fashionable with the younger generation.

There is a Dress Agency Directory online for you to easily research if there are any in your area. Listing your Dress Agency in this directory is completely FREE.

Finally, like with any new business, you must let the tax man know you are setting up your own business and keep your book keeping up to date.