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I want to set up a business teaching curtain making and soft furnishings.

My plan is to work from home or rent a small workshop, where I will advertise via the internet, magazines and local press, courses in making curtains and soft furnishings. Interested students will pay a fee for a 1,2,3 or 4 day course specialising in diffrent types of curtain making and soft furnishings.
 
Asked by Sonia McGill, May 2008   -  Contact this person

2 Answers

  1. The first question I would ask is how much market research have you done? How would you identify your target market? I think I would recommend, as a first step, trying to get a local FE college interested in putting on a course [which you would of course design!]. That way, you can test the market at their expense, with the course being advertised within their own ads., and, probably, get paid for doing it. Rather than full day courses, can you break it down into 2 or 3 hour sessions, once or twice a week? If not, then you might be limited to a college's summer schools. But don't just try the one nearest to you - try across a reasonable 'commute' area, which you wouldn't mind travelling to, on a regular basis.
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    Answered by Ric Richards, June 2008   -  Contact this person
  2. I agree with Ric that the first thing you have to do is research the market and testing the market at an FE college is an excellent idea. Assuming that your market research shows that there is demand for the training course you would like to deliver, you will need to consider whether it is viable. Make sure you list all of the costs you will incur e.g. rent, equipment, consumables, insurance, electricity, marketing etc etc.

    Assuming you will not provide accommodation, will you recommend local B&Bs/hotels? (make sure you inspect them first and see if you can negotiate a discount for your clients).

    If clients plan to work on their own projects e.g. a set of curtains, how will you make sure they have taken the correct measurements before starting work on them? Nothing worse than spending 2-3 days on a course and then the curtains not fitting when the client gets back home!

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    Answered by Janice Pittis, June 2008   -  Contact this person

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