Hi,
Following on from my other thread, this is an idea I've had for a long time now, about setting up my own custom inflatable company, based in the UK.
I just wondered what your thoughts are on it, and it's viability?
I'm selling my business soon, and moving to a farm with alot of land and outbuildings etc, so I will have the funds and space to do it, and I'll be working from home so I would be able to do it all myself, I've been self employed since I was 18 and I am savvy, I'm not blowing my own trumpet or anything but I know how businesses work and how to make money etc etc, so it's not like I'd be jumping in at the deep end. The other good thing is because I'd be running it from home, and not have a physical shop, I can run it from anywhere in the country and it would be online sales only. Plus the overheads will be minimal as I won't have staff or rent to pay as the building will be bought outright, meaning I can keep costs down and keep the sale prices lower too.
I've always thought there's a gap in the market, for certain oversized items or toys that I think would sell but no one makes, like for example a 2.5m long space shuttle or aeroplane, or blimp, punchbag etc. I'd like to do other toys to horseplay or inflatable world if it would be viable, but I am happy to do my own weird animal or dragon creations aswell that's not a problem, I just wanted to concentrate on what's not currently available but that I think would sell. An example is the blimp, Budweiser did a 1.8m blimp, they sell second hand for anything upto £80 I've seen, I would expect to be able to produce similar to that and be able to sell for £30-40.
I also think a good range of beach balls would work, especially the classic 6 panels that don't seem to be available really anymore. And inflatable chairs & sofas.
Obviously all items would be quality made, and the bigger more expensive toys would have overlapped seams etc, I do know that this will make the toys more expensive, but puffy paws stuff sells for £1000 I've seen, so there's obviously a market for quality made toys.
I guess I would be similar to inflatable world, but I wouldn't be copying anyone ideas, I would try to stick to toys that aren't currently available, and would gladly let people pitch me ideas too. I would also do different designs of smaller toys, whales/orcas, that sort of thing, it won't be just huge toys. If anything, I'd like to be able to offer a choice of colours, sizes and materials, as in glossy or matte, soft stretchy vinyl etc. It will just all boil down to the costs of small quantities etc.
Other thing I thought about doing would be to sell vintage used inflatables too sometimes, I know I've got hundreds to sell myself haha.
I would also stock things like pumps, clay softeners, Steam machine for heat stretching etc, aswell as a range of balloons. So in a way it would be a one stop shop.
I would be building a huge barn to store it all on my land, but if this didn't work out I would need the building anyway, so I'm not fussed about the expense of the building as it's required regardless.
All toys would be made i guess in China, and then shipped to me (much like I.W).
The main thing that does worry me, is designing and commissioning a toy to then get sued by a large company that make a similar toy unbeknown to me. The other thing I'm worried about is customers constantly returning punctured toys through misuse, I won't have a machine to repair it here, I would be simply storing the toys if you like, so I'm worried I'll end up having loads of returned refunded or replaced punctured toys that I'm then stuck with and out of pocket. This won't be my main source of income, but as with any business it has to run at a profit otherwise there's no point in me doing it, but I don't intend to be greedy as I'll be earning from other sources, it's more I have the money to do it and would like to if I know it will work.
Like I say, it's just an idea I've had for a long time now and if my finances permit, something I'd like to do in the future.
Let me know your thoughts!
Following on from my other thread, this is an idea I've had for a long time now, about setting up my own custom inflatable company, based in the UK.
I just wondered what your thoughts are on it, and it's viability?
I'm selling my business soon, and moving to a farm with alot of land and outbuildings etc, so I will have the funds and space to do it, and I'll be working from home so I would be able to do it all myself, I've been self employed since I was 18 and I am savvy, I'm not blowing my own trumpet or anything but I know how businesses work and how to make money etc etc, so it's not like I'd be jumping in at the deep end. The other good thing is because I'd be running it from home, and not have a physical shop, I can run it from anywhere in the country and it would be online sales only. Plus the overheads will be minimal as I won't have staff or rent to pay as the building will be bought outright, meaning I can keep costs down and keep the sale prices lower too.
I've always thought there's a gap in the market, for certain oversized items or toys that I think would sell but no one makes, like for example a 2.5m long space shuttle or aeroplane, or blimp, punchbag etc. I'd like to do other toys to horseplay or inflatable world if it would be viable, but I am happy to do my own weird animal or dragon creations aswell that's not a problem, I just wanted to concentrate on what's not currently available but that I think would sell. An example is the blimp, Budweiser did a 1.8m blimp, they sell second hand for anything upto £80 I've seen, I would expect to be able to produce similar to that and be able to sell for £30-40.
I also think a good range of beach balls would work, especially the classic 6 panels that don't seem to be available really anymore. And inflatable chairs & sofas.
Obviously all items would be quality made, and the bigger more expensive toys would have overlapped seams etc, I do know that this will make the toys more expensive, but puffy paws stuff sells for £1000 I've seen, so there's obviously a market for quality made toys.
I guess I would be similar to inflatable world, but I wouldn't be copying anyone ideas, I would try to stick to toys that aren't currently available, and would gladly let people pitch me ideas too. I would also do different designs of smaller toys, whales/orcas, that sort of thing, it won't be just huge toys. If anything, I'd like to be able to offer a choice of colours, sizes and materials, as in glossy or matte, soft stretchy vinyl etc. It will just all boil down to the costs of small quantities etc.
Other thing I thought about doing would be to sell vintage used inflatables too sometimes, I know I've got hundreds to sell myself haha.
I would also stock things like pumps, clay softeners, Steam machine for heat stretching etc, aswell as a range of balloons. So in a way it would be a one stop shop.
I would be building a huge barn to store it all on my land, but if this didn't work out I would need the building anyway, so I'm not fussed about the expense of the building as it's required regardless.
All toys would be made i guess in China, and then shipped to me (much like I.W).
The main thing that does worry me, is designing and commissioning a toy to then get sued by a large company that make a similar toy unbeknown to me. The other thing I'm worried about is customers constantly returning punctured toys through misuse, I won't have a machine to repair it here, I would be simply storing the toys if you like, so I'm worried I'll end up having loads of returned refunded or replaced punctured toys that I'm then stuck with and out of pocket. This won't be my main source of income, but as with any business it has to run at a profit otherwise there's no point in me doing it, but I don't intend to be greedy as I'll be earning from other sources, it's more I have the money to do it and would like to if I know it will work.
Like I say, it's just an idea I've had for a long time now and if my finances permit, something I'd like to do in the future.
Let me know your thoughts!
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