Opinions most welcome ... on a potential business idea

Grab it quick NannaA! Get in there!

imjingl Once the first 5 franchised groups are established, they will want £1,950 to buy a territory.
However, to get things off the ground, they are offering the first 5 for £250.
The company has been running for 3 years, and have 13 groups around Kent and Surrey mainly. So far they have been run centrally, but they've got to the point where that's no longer viable (due to growth), hence the franchise route.

I have a friend in America who belongs to a similar group, they meet in coffee shops, bars and restaurants and do sessions such as wine tasting, pampering and art, she seems to have fun but she is a 'lady that lunches' most days of the week, she takes all her daughters along with her.. that sort of thing wouldn't appeal to me but I'm sure there are people to whom it would.

It sounds really good. I think, get in there quick! Go on. How much is it?

Sounds like a really good idea if the figures work - initial fee and then payment per session seems reasonable.

Thanks everyone for the feedback so far.
susiecb it isn't at all like WI or U3A I do know what you mean about not being attracted to a women only group, but on the other hand, I've come across many women who want to socialise but are put off mixed groups because they don't like the 'dating' emphasis of them. Horses for courses, I guess.
imjingl - not church halls at all Meetings would be in coffee shops, restaurants, etc. There is a reasonable annual fee (but first meeting is free) and then you pay per event you attend (for the meal, or pampering session, or wine tasting event, etc)
Because the business is just venturing into franchising, the fee is extremely reasonable, for the first 5 franchisees. The full fee for further franchises would still be pretty reasonable in my opinion. (I've been involved with franchises for many years). Don't know if it would be acceptable to quote figures - I will if it's not against the rules

Sorry, missed the bit about 'annual fee'. That's probably the only way it would work, get the money up front, but as you say jingl some women could be put off by that aspect.

Are the church halls (if that is what you would use) very expensive to hire in your area?

'big' not 'bit sorry

It says an annual fee Anagram. I wonder how much that would be? Many people might not like to make a bit initial outlay in case it turned out they didn't like it.

On the other hand, once the fee is paid, it might encourange them to get their money's worth!

For me, it would depend on how much I would have to pay for the franchise.

We had a similar women's group going locally, NanaAnna, I think it was called The Women's Society, and for a while it worked well, we would take turns hosting the meetings and there was a phone-round system to let each other know where the next event would be taking place.

It wasn't ideal, as some members didn't really have enough space to accommodate the meetings, and others would drop out. I left after a while because there were a couple of rather dominant characters who took over and it all became a bit cliquey!

Run well, and if there's a demand locally, such groups can be very successful and helpful in bringing women together - as glass says, do your research thoroughly. I presume members would have to pay a fee? This can sometimes be tricky, especially if they pay meeting-by-meeting and numbers can't be guaranteed.

Good luck!

Sounds good to me but I would worry about who was going in terms of myself i dont want to belong to something that looks or feels like WI or U3A actualy thinking about it not keen on an all women group either.

Isnt this what Nexus does but with added men? Nothing, but nothing, would get me near a 'Red hat 'group. I think the poem is noxious,

nanaanna at ground roots this is a good idea, as there can be a lack of places where friendship can be formed for some female age groups if you fall between the school drop and the WI in some areas.

But I would stress that you need to carry out in-depth research into the area you intend to cover before you part with any money.

Let us know how things go, good luck

NannaAnna I live in a town which has a plethora of clubs and interest groups, including women-only groups, so there really wouldn't seem to be a need for another such group here. (There are even three Red Hat clubs within an easy drive.)