[cali4niachef]

Hey Ladies! Do any of you own or lease store fronts?<br><br>
Myself and 3 of my friends want to open a business that would offer:<br><br>
Childbirth Education Classes, 3wks & 6wks<br>
Doula Training<br>
Baby Wearing Educator Classes<br>
Prenatal Yoga & Belly Dancing<br>
Breastfeeding Classes<br>
On site IBCLCs<br>
Pump Rentals<br>
Moms Support Group<br>
Babywearing Meetings<br>
LLL Meetings<br>
Birth Circle, once a month<br>
Mom's Night Out, once a month<br>
Prenatal and Infertility Massage Therapy (I know two MT's)<br>
Monthly documentary screenings<br>
Doula Support Meetings<br>
Make your own BabyFood Class<br>
Early Healthy Pregnancy Class<br><br>
Sell:<br>
Baby Carriers<br>
Cloth Diapers<br>
Herbal Products for Pregnancy, Birth and Baby<br>
Handmade WAHM items<br>
Breastfeeding Supplies<br>
Baby Products<br><br>
My friend Heather facilitates BabyWearing Meetings and went to Babywearing school. Soon she will be an Instructor training other babywearing educators. She also is a LLL Leader. Her and I will pair up to teach the CBE course together. Teaching the 1st and last class together, teaching 2 classes individually.<br><br>
Carrie, former Breastfeeing Peer Counselor for WIC and new IBCLC would be in charge of everything lactation.<br><br>
Leah would teach a fusion of prental yoga and belly dancing. She is a babywearing mentor and will become an educator once my friend starts teaching classes. She also wants to take doula workshop.<br><br>
I will teach CBE. Im collaborating with a former doula and new homebirth midwife to develop a curriculum to train doulas. Her and I would teach the workshop together. I will teach homemade baby food classes and lead the doula support meetings.<br><br>
We already have the town in mind we want to have it in and I've inquired about a few properties.<br><br>
Has anyone ever done anything like this or do you have something like this in your area?

 

[Auroara Bobcat]

I have thought about doing something similiar with a couple of birth professional type friends, I just don't think that my town is ready for it though. But it is a great idea and I think that it would be super fun and at the same time be a lot of work. Good luck on your new project.

 

[CrunchyGina]

sounds awesome to me as long as there's a market for it!

 

[laneysprout]

We have something similar in RI: <a href="http://www.bellanimaternity.com" target="_blank">www.bellanimaternity.com</a>

 

[eastkygal]

I am thinking along these lines as well, but it will be a long way off for me. The market right now, is not open to this kind of thing in my area. For me, marketing my CB classes is a big job. It's been forever since they were taught and being independent of a care provider, it's not an obvious choice that mamas are presented with IYKWIM. I'm in rural Appalachia. It will take time to build a word of mouth representation for my services. But, if there is a market, and you think you can pay the rent, go for it! I have looked into this sort of thing more from the non-profit side as well. Lots involved there.

 

[autumnday]

<a href="http://www.birthandbeyond.com/" target="_blank">Birth & Beyond</a> in Seattle is similar to what you describe. I'm not associated with them so can't help you out directly, but I'm sure they would be happy to share info with you if you contact them.<br><br>
Good luck, it sounds great!

 

[kimiij]

Something similar here: <a href="http://familybirthmark.com/" target="_blank">http://familybirthmark.com/</a>

 

[mommyminer]

Check out <a href="http://www.babymatters.org" target="_blank">www.babymatters.org</a>.... they used to have a storefront but that closed a few years back.

 

[phathui5]

That sounds wonderful.

 

[Defenestrator]

We have two models that are similar to what your are talking to --<br><br>
center4cby.com -- The Center for the Childbearing Year, which used to be a non-profit and used to support a volunteer doula program but still has lactation help, classes for parents, classes for professionals and limited retail -- it's in a residential neighborhood.<br><br>
visitindigo.com -- Indigo Forest, which is more of a retail store but has a midwifery practice associated with it and a lot of classes and groups for parents and pregnant women.<br><br><br>
We have an unrelated, but interesting model for a non-profit here that is part of a larger chain -- 826 Michigan. It is a group that promotes literacy and creative writing and puts writing professionals together with kids. I guess they tried to rent a retail space in a big city (san francisco, maybe?) and were told that to comply with the zoning they had to have a retail business, so they put one out front and did the classes in the back. Here they have a "robot supply store" right downtown Ann Arbor and sell lots of cool robot-themed toys. Everyone who walks in gets to learn about their cool mission. The classes are in the back, where you would usually have storage and employee space.<br><br>
Good luck!

 

[kcparker]

Cedar Rapids has one:<br><a href="http://www.birthbabyandbeyond.org/index.htm" target="_blank">http://www.birthbabyandbeyond.org/index.htm</a><br><br>
It is in the lower level of a non-descript building next to a church. She can't be paying a ton of rent for it. It has a little display room, a smallish room for classes/meetings, and a bathroom, but it has worked for her for years now. If something like this can stay in business in Cedar Rapids, you could give it a shot most anywhere.

 

[sweet.p]

Learn from others successes and mistakes.<br><br>
I'm a business owner for a long time (no partners).<br>
I always recommend you go into business yourself, and pay others to give classes, or have people pay you to run classes in your space.<br><br>
Remember that business partnerships are a marriage, but all you have in common is MONEY and the business. The friendship-love is lost very quickly in business partnerships. So make sure you understand that and are really on the same page about money and the direction of the business growth. And the division of labor and earnings.<br><br>
A friend of mine owned <a href="http://www.Realbirth.com" target="_blank">www.Realbirth.com</a> in NYC, hugely sucessful birth related business until she took on a partner.<br>
They just went out of business and suing each other.

 

[cali4niachef]

<div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px;">Quote:</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">
<div>Originally Posted by <strong>sweet.p</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15458892"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">Learn from others successes and mistakes.<br><br>
I'm a business owner for a long time (no partners).<br>
I always recommend you go into business yourself, and pay others to give classes, or have people pay you to run classes in your space.<br><br>
Remember that business partnerships are a marriage, but all you have in common is MONEY and the business. The friendship-love is lost very quickly in business partnerships. So make sure you understand that and are really on the same page about money and the direction of the business growth. And the division of labor and earnings.<br><br>
A friend of mine owned <a href="http://www.Realbirth.com" target="_blank">www.Realbirth.com</a> in NYC, hugely sucessful birth related business until she took on a partner.<br>
They just went out of business and suing each other.</div>
</td>
</tr></table></div>
This is <b>precisely</b> what I am thinking! Once my boys are in school all day I think I will buy a house that I can zone for commercial. Then choose instructors to teach classes/workshops and take a % of the profit they earn. Not sure what % is reasonable, 20%, 30%, etc?<br><br>
In event the business didnt work out I would have investment, I could rent or sale the house. I'm a veteran and we have excellent credit that keeps getting better so I'm not worried about not getting a loan and a good interest.<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/thumb.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="thumbs up">