Part time hobby Business

[K87]

So i've been toying with the idea of starting to setup a small hobby based business for something to keep myself busy and to learn about business running.

Have been over a couple of ideas and the one that's sticking out the most is hand made dolls houses. Now I know that sounds a bit weird but its something my dad used to make a few years back when my sisters were younger. They seemed very good at the time and a lot of the other villagers had some made by my dad. I'm pretty handy and enjoy model making so I think its certainly something within my scope.

I'm thinking of making a few simple style ones to get the hang of it and see how I like it but then eventually moving into some specialist style houses or even replicas of actual buildings.

So over to the pistonhead masses for advice...

1. What sort of time would it take to make each house?
2. Costs for each house?
3. Basic startup costs?

And finally is it something that can actually make money? Now I'm not talking getting on the rich list but a bit of extra pocket money would be nice but I'm mainly seeing this as a hobby and a learning curve.

[Eric Mc]

Don't forget that you will need to notify HMRC when you start trading.

[singlecoil]

Te problem you are going to have is competing with foreign imports. The Chinese stuff is handmade too, and it's easy to import something as small as a dolls' house.

Years ago I used to make guitars and guitar parts, but competing with stuff from the far east was absolutely hopeless. Funnily enough, the answer was guitar repairs, plenty of money to be made there if you could get the work in.

You need to be thinking in terms of servicing, not manufacturing. If it's something that can be made abroad and brought in then you can guarantee that there are plenty of people doing that already, and the market will have adjusted downwards to suit.

[speedchick]

My grandma used to make dolls houses, and one year I went to the Minatura fair at the NEC, not sure if it is still going, but some of the houses were going for eye watering amounts of money, but then some people were commissioning the makers to make an exact replica of their own homes, so they did go into to some really good detail. So I guess to make the money, you are going to need to tap into that market, or, if you are thinking houses for little girls to be used as a toy, then maybe not the 1:12 scale, but a little bigger so that they can actually play with them.

There is also scope for making money with the furniture for the houses, you can sell them as 'rooms', I guess that could be easier than making the house from scratch.

She also found clever ways to make the 'nicknacks' for the houses, like using toothpate tube lids as light shades, beads for fancy light fittings, things like that.

[Doofus]

K87 said:

So over to the pistonhead masses for advice...

1. What sort of time would it take to make each house?
2. Costs for each house?
3. Basic startup costs?

And finally is it something that can actually make money? Now I'm not talking getting on the rich list but a bit of extra pocket money would be nice but I'm mainly seeing this as a hobby and a learning curve.

Answers:

1. For me? About eight months. For you? HTF should we know?

2. For me? Materials, trips to hospital, cost of new dolls house from ToysRUs. For you? As above.

3. Very low, I'd have thought. Build a few of different designs. Carefully record all materials costs, and time taken. Apply an hourly rate for your time. Add it all together. Double it. Find ways to reduce materials costs, and time taken. Then go to craft fairs, model exhibitions, toy fairs and so on, with your wares. Get some professionally printed leaflets made up, and a website through which people can place orders. Write press releases and articles for relevant periodicals ( they are often crying out for content).

Yes, it can make money, if your products are of high quality. To the right cusotmers, they can sell for lots and lots of money. Do some internet searches to see for yourself.

Edited by Doofus on Wednesday 31st March 13:54

[Four Cofffee]

I could see actual house replicas selling through the likes of Country Life, and the various county versions of that magazine and the 'period home' mags. Cuts around all the ToyRus competitors and aims at a market with real cash in their pocket. Would have to be top end stuff as they tend to be picky.


Your marketing budget for those glossies would have to be high but many do very small ads ( have a look at a few)

First step for me would be a web site showing pictures of the actual house na dthe dols house version with a few classy shots of them in situ on landings and bay wondows of a period house.

I can't help with costs, except to say my -run from home' business costs well under £200 a month in heat, light, phone, broadband, mobile phone etc.

Edited by Four Cofffee on Wednesday 31st March 13:58

[Simpo Two]

Kit dolls houses are quite popular - I had to complete one after an uncle died. Would you be buying kits (presumably at trade rates) and assembling them, or starting from a sheet of MDF?