Perhaps it is the British way or just human nature but whenever you start a business / do anything out of the ordinary, you can guarantee the following:
1. There will be naysayers and those waiting to say "I told you so"
2. People will be suspicious of what you are doing, perhaps because of an attachment to the known / the status quo
3. If you offer something for free, people will wonder, what is the catch?
In the case of ShareandComparePlay.com, I am delighted to say that we have successfully attracted all three responses.
1. People have been concerned in terms of whether we will lose the clothes off our back.
2. Some suppliers of equipment to the Soft Play market are concerned that we will rock the boat and the degree to which the market will change, perhaps leaving them behind.
3. Prospective operators have written to me asking how we make our money and if we are not making any, what is the point of it all?
I thought this would be the best way to answer all questions raised thus far; one thing to say though is that whenever we have met people face-to-face, the response has been worth every ounce of effort during the last twelve months.
1. Firstly, for those of you concerned about us (thank you) but our backs are well covered. Although we are not a Silicon Valley start-up, we have sufficient financial backing to take time to build our community. Indeed, in the next few weeks we will be adding new features and outlining our plans for International development, starting in the USA.
2. Our mission is to help transform and grow the indoor play market. Although change requires more hope in the future than attachment to the past, we believe that our community will help the market evolve to become more valuable for all participants, this will be in financial and non-financial terms.
3. We are still finding our way in terms of revenue (just like most Web 2.0 start-ups); we list all suppliers and allow them to write a company description for Free but we charge them for premium features such as:
- Advertising the capabilities of their organisation (this is limited to only a few companies on a first come first served basis)
- Adding additional details regarding their organisation such as case studies and photographs
- A lead subscription service to make it easy for customers to contact the suppliers that they have chosen as potential partners
“Free” is now a common business model; just think how you can now access the world’s information for free, get all kinds of software without charge and even take a flight for free…we are doing the same for indoor play.
We hope this clarifies a few things, please keep the questions coming.
Saturday, 28 February 2009
Tuesday, 24 February 2009
Inspirational Rupert in fine form!
Only Rupert Oliver (the Founder of the Soft Play industry) could turn up to a video interview with mushrooms growing from the roof of his car, you get the feeling all vehicles would look like this if Rupert was in charge!
As previously mentioned, I have known Rupert for over a decade but yesterday was the first time that I have sat with him for a few hours and asked about his life...what a story!
We are trying to publish the video without editing because we do not feel that we could do it justice in anything less than the hour it took to record.
Rupert's life story is one of discovery, passion, creativity and hope.
In this interview, he talks extensively about:
- the creative process and his personal journey of discovery
- how Afghanistan led him to create the spring rockers that grace every outdoor play area in the world
- his commercial naivete and how it does not worry him
- the importance of play for children and society as a whole
- the evolution and current state of indoor play industry
- his plans to revitalise the market and the business that he loves
- the reasons for optimism and his dream play area of the future
This is a must see interview for anyone interested in the creative process and the future of play.
Will upload the video ASAP.
The Value of Free...Priceless!
In recent weeks, I have met several business owners who just cannot (or perhaps more accurately do not want to) comprehend why organisations and individuals should consider giving what they know (and to some extent what they do) away for Free.
I have been exploring and talking for many months about the notion of giving away for Free that which you previously charged (either directly or indirectly) but to many it remains an alien concept.
Giving things away for Free and finding alternative ways to deliver value is not new. However, the rise and rise of the Internet has meant that more and more, there is an expectation that information at least should be free and easily accessible; increasingly, those organisations that embrace openness and transparency will benefit most.
In the soft play industry, we are engaging with suppliers and partners of all descriptions to try and convince them of the potential benefits to their organisation and the market as a whole of opening themselves up. It can however be a difficult process because people are naturally (and quite understandably) protective of the status quo but transparency is increasingly a characteristic of modern markets and it is an unstoppable process.
I recently read this posting http://www.tompeters.com/entries.php?note=010845.php by Rajesh Setty http://www.rajeshsetty.com/ and I thought I would share it with you as he not only succinctly lists some of the reasons for Free as a business proposition but he also starts an interesting discussion in the associated forum.
This is not just a proposition for suppliers with knowledge to share.
Owners of play centres may want to think about what they can do for free that will build exceptional value for the business. In these times more than ever, think value in terms of goodwill, value in terms of relationships, value in terms of people getting familiar with your play centre, value in terms of relationships, value in terms of reputation, value in terms of feedback, value in terms of referral business, value in terms of …? Priceless indeed.
Please read article by Rajesh and think about it, I promise the ideas you will generate are worthy of consideration.
I have been exploring and talking for many months about the notion of giving away for Free that which you previously charged (either directly or indirectly) but to many it remains an alien concept.
Giving things away for Free and finding alternative ways to deliver value is not new. However, the rise and rise of the Internet has meant that more and more, there is an expectation that information at least should be free and easily accessible; increasingly, those organisations that embrace openness and transparency will benefit most.
In the soft play industry, we are engaging with suppliers and partners of all descriptions to try and convince them of the potential benefits to their organisation and the market as a whole of opening themselves up. It can however be a difficult process because people are naturally (and quite understandably) protective of the status quo but transparency is increasingly a characteristic of modern markets and it is an unstoppable process.
I recently read this posting http://www.tompeters.com/entries.php?note=010845.php by Rajesh Setty http://www.rajeshsetty.com/ and I thought I would share it with you as he not only succinctly lists some of the reasons for Free as a business proposition but he also starts an interesting discussion in the associated forum.
This is not just a proposition for suppliers with knowledge to share.
Owners of play centres may want to think about what they can do for free that will build exceptional value for the business. In these times more than ever, think value in terms of goodwill, value in terms of relationships, value in terms of people getting familiar with your play centre, value in terms of relationships, value in terms of reputation, value in terms of feedback, value in terms of referral business, value in terms of …? Priceless indeed.
Please read article by Rajesh and think about it, I promise the ideas you will generate are worthy of consideration.
Saturday, 21 February 2009
Interviewing the founder of the Soft Play industry...any questions?
I had an interesting meeting with the Founder of the Soft Play industry a couple of weeks ago and his colleague and friend, Graham.
Rupert Oliver has always been an enigma and one of the most charismatic people you could wish to meet; it was an interesting and enjoyable lunch and it was again good to see the man that started the indoor play industry over thirty years ago. He is still certainly one of the most creative minds in the soft play industry and creates as if still a child, at times he seems to live on a different planet to the rest of the adult population which is likely why he has created the things he has.
If you want to picture him, he has always reminded me of the professor from Back to the Future; running around generating idea after idea. I always imagine him happiest in a garage with a load of test tubes bubbling away, concocting something new to bring to indoor soft play. He (or at least his work is everywhere); to give you an example, you know those little spring-loaded animal rockers that you get in nearly every outdoor play area; they were a Rupert invention…alas, I don’t think he ever made a penny out of them but he seems happy in the knowledge children are playing because of an idea he bought to the world.
Rupert is the man that not only created the indoor play market but he also a man that seems to exist on the optimistic side of life and he is re-energised to create a new movement of creativity within the play industry. Our lunch was to discuss the industry (both he and Graham offered intelligent debate and creativity regarding engaging all the senses of the people that really matter, children), his new business and to invite him to participate in some way in Share and Compare Play.
Rupert was truly excited by the idea and it is good to know that we are operating with his blessing. He committed to be videoed and filming is beginning on Monday 23rd February; the objective of this interview is to give Rupert the opportunity to share his latest thoughts and ideas directly with the Soft Play world, there is also a possibility of him regularly writing a blog to keep us all updated of his latest ideas.
The common consent around the table was that the industry (which has essentially not offered innovation in thirty years) is in need of user driven (including toddler) innovation; change may come in small increments but it is certainly coming and Rupert’s involvement along with all participants at shareandcompareplay.com will make a difference.
Although short notice, if you have any questions you would like me to ask him on your behalf, please let me know.
Rupert Oliver has always been an enigma and one of the most charismatic people you could wish to meet; it was an interesting and enjoyable lunch and it was again good to see the man that started the indoor play industry over thirty years ago. He is still certainly one of the most creative minds in the soft play industry and creates as if still a child, at times he seems to live on a different planet to the rest of the adult population which is likely why he has created the things he has.
If you want to picture him, he has always reminded me of the professor from Back to the Future; running around generating idea after idea. I always imagine him happiest in a garage with a load of test tubes bubbling away, concocting something new to bring to indoor soft play. He (or at least his work is everywhere); to give you an example, you know those little spring-loaded animal rockers that you get in nearly every outdoor play area; they were a Rupert invention…alas, I don’t think he ever made a penny out of them but he seems happy in the knowledge children are playing because of an idea he bought to the world.
Rupert is the man that not only created the indoor play market but he also a man that seems to exist on the optimistic side of life and he is re-energised to create a new movement of creativity within the play industry. Our lunch was to discuss the industry (both he and Graham offered intelligent debate and creativity regarding engaging all the senses of the people that really matter, children), his new business and to invite him to participate in some way in Share and Compare Play.
Rupert was truly excited by the idea and it is good to know that we are operating with his blessing. He committed to be videoed and filming is beginning on Monday 23rd February; the objective of this interview is to give Rupert the opportunity to share his latest thoughts and ideas directly with the Soft Play world, there is also a possibility of him regularly writing a blog to keep us all updated of his latest ideas.
The common consent around the table was that the industry (which has essentially not offered innovation in thirty years) is in need of user driven (including toddler) innovation; change may come in small increments but it is certainly coming and Rupert’s involvement along with all participants at shareandcompareplay.com will make a difference.
Although short notice, if you have any questions you would like me to ask him on your behalf, please let me know.
Friday, 20 February 2009
Soft Play Supplier listings & participation
We have previously written to all of the major UK Soft Play suppliers http://shareandcompareplay.blogspot.com/2009/02/all-suppliers-start-equalits-then-up-to.html inviting them to add (for free) their supplier description and participate in our community.
As part of the continuing process of including as many people and organisations as possible, we have e-mailed the following invitation to suppliers for whom we have contact details.
Please forward this e-mail to any suppliers that provide soft play equipment, just in case the message has not reached them.
Dear (Supplier)
A few weeks ago, we e-mailed you to introduce the webs first Soft Play comparison website, http://www.shareandcompareplay.com/.
The site went live a few days ago and the community is growing with the first user review being posted, you can keep updated with our progress at http://shareandcompareplay.blogspot.com/. As previously stated, you are invited to add a supplier description without charge and we encourage all suppliers to take advantage of this free listing. You are also able to participate in the following ways during the next few weeks, we are adding new functionality all the time so please check back with us regularly.
As part of the continuing process of including as many people and organisations as possible, we have e-mailed the following invitation to suppliers for whom we have contact details.
Please forward this e-mail to any suppliers that provide soft play equipment, just in case the message has not reached them.
Dear (Supplier)
A few weeks ago, we e-mailed you to introduce the webs first Soft Play comparison website, http://www.shareandcompareplay.com/.
The site went live a few days ago and the community is growing with the first user review being posted, you can keep updated with our progress at http://shareandcompareplay.blogspot.com/. As previously stated, you are invited to add a supplier description without charge and we encourage all suppliers to take advantage of this free listing. You are also able to participate in the following ways during the next few weeks, we are adding new functionality all the time so please check back with us regularly.
- Nominate customers of yours to be interviewed by us for broadcast on our website and related sites (you are also free to link to this content and use as you wish)
- Nominate an employee of your organisation to write a blog that informs our users, the blog may be listed on our website and e-mailed regularly to our 'opt in' community
- We will be writing to all play operators in the next few weeks to invite them to review and rate their suppliers. Please inform your customers of shareandcompareplay.com and invite them to write reviews; this feedback will affect the position of your organisations listing, suppliers without feedback will be positioned accordingly because only user feedback determines ratings
- Share any information (expert guides, financial templates etc) for publication on our website; although shared for free, your organisation will be associated with any publication and demonstrate your capability as a credible supplier
- We will also be issuing guidelines to suppliers in the next few weeks on how to respond to positive and negative feedback on our website. We plan to run either Group or Individual consultations outlining how each organisation can contribute to the community to the benefit of all parties
Finally for now, we suggest that you regularly check our listings and inform us if you feel that a review listed by a user regarding your organisation is not genuine. We only want to present accurate, independent and genuine information to inform our community and we will fully investigate any claims of fake postings and take action if appropriate against any user and / or supplier.
Kind regards
Gareth
Wednesday, 18 February 2009
Tip # 1 for choosing a Soft Play supplier…Tied in, stitched up!
We will shortly be publishing a guide to choosing a soft play supplier, likely to be the single biggest investment you make when establishing an indoor play centre.
However, as we have launched http://www.shareandcompareplay.com/ by listing for review all of the leading soft play suppliers in the UK, we wanted to share with you our first tip for choosing a supplier of soft play.
You are not beholden to anyone for information they give you.
Building your business plan, finding a building, obtaining finance, getting planning permission and choosing suppliers of everything from kitchen equipment to party bags takes time but it is best that you do these things independent of any one supplier who might have a vested interest in what you spend or with whom you spend it.
We believe that information should be free and freely available so that you can make your own choices and implement your own plans. A reputable play supplier who is confident in their proposition will provide you with guidance and support regarding how to open the soft play centre of your dreams, they will do this without obligation to buy from them.
Furthermore, your buying process (more on this in a later blog) should include visits to several play suppliers and indoor play centres so that you can be sure you make the best informed decisions possible (including whether operating a soft play centre is indeed for you) before handing over your hard earned cash.
The community that we are building are volunteering to give you free, independent and real-life information for you to utilise in the creation of your soft play centre, use this together with your own experience to make all decisions including which suppliers to use as you create your business plan.
In times gone by, it was perhaps necessary to make a decision early in exchange for information that you needed. However, that is no longer the case because in a time of transparency and openness, you can get what you need without obligation and with all participating, we can revolutionise the industry together.
However, as we have launched http://www.shareandcompareplay.com/ by listing for review all of the leading soft play suppliers in the UK, we wanted to share with you our first tip for choosing a supplier of soft play.
You are not beholden to anyone for information they give you.
Building your business plan, finding a building, obtaining finance, getting planning permission and choosing suppliers of everything from kitchen equipment to party bags takes time but it is best that you do these things independent of any one supplier who might have a vested interest in what you spend or with whom you spend it.
We believe that information should be free and freely available so that you can make your own choices and implement your own plans. A reputable play supplier who is confident in their proposition will provide you with guidance and support regarding how to open the soft play centre of your dreams, they will do this without obligation to buy from them.
Furthermore, your buying process (more on this in a later blog) should include visits to several play suppliers and indoor play centres so that you can be sure you make the best informed decisions possible (including whether operating a soft play centre is indeed for you) before handing over your hard earned cash.
The community that we are building are volunteering to give you free, independent and real-life information for you to utilise in the creation of your soft play centre, use this together with your own experience to make all decisions including which suppliers to use as you create your business plan.
In times gone by, it was perhaps necessary to make a decision early in exchange for information that you needed. However, that is no longer the case because in a time of transparency and openness, you can get what you need without obligation and with all participating, we can revolutionise the industry together.
Monday, 16 February 2009
Soft play's first comparison website...now live, over to you!
Back at school, I remember running a Blue Peter ‘bring and buy’ sale and after many weeks of preparation, we flung open the doors with a mixture of excitement and nervousness to see if anyone would visit and if they did, what would they think?
I mention this because today is the day that the covers come off, the day we open the doors and launch http://www.shareandcompareplay.com/, the world’s first independent comparison and information website for the soft play industry; the feeling of launching something new that you believe in is indescribably exciting and yet so similar to that simple bring and buy sale.
It was the 21st April 2008 when my wife and I first discussed the possibility of creating what has become shareandcompareplay.com. What you will see today is not exactly what we envisaged; it has become a whole lot more because of the talented people that have contributed and the collaborative nature of the creative and technological process we have utilised.
We decided quite early to take an increasingly popular approach of ‘rapid prototyping’ that involves releasing software in Beta http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_version#Beta so that our community can contribute to the development process and take the project in the direction that they find most useful…it also means that we rely on you to feedback on what works (and what does not), what you like (and what you do not) and then keep coming back because we are going to be evolving everyday.
I would like to say thank you to the many contributors to date but now is where we hope the fun really starts, over to you.
I mention this because today is the day that the covers come off, the day we open the doors and launch http://www.shareandcompareplay.com/, the world’s first independent comparison and information website for the soft play industry; the feeling of launching something new that you believe in is indescribably exciting and yet so similar to that simple bring and buy sale.
It was the 21st April 2008 when my wife and I first discussed the possibility of creating what has become shareandcompareplay.com. What you will see today is not exactly what we envisaged; it has become a whole lot more because of the talented people that have contributed and the collaborative nature of the creative and technological process we have utilised.
We decided quite early to take an increasingly popular approach of ‘rapid prototyping’ that involves releasing software in Beta http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_version#Beta so that our community can contribute to the development process and take the project in the direction that they find most useful…it also means that we rely on you to feedback on what works (and what does not), what you like (and what you do not) and then keep coming back because we are going to be evolving everyday.
I would like to say thank you to the many contributors to date but now is where we hope the fun really starts, over to you.
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