[Sticks]

Occasionally people come up with business ideas they would do if they had capital

I thought it would be interesting if people suggested ideas here, and then we could critique them.

My one I was thinking of the other day.

Sometimes the only holiday deals parents can get is during term time, but can not really take their children out of school.

The idea is to set up some kind of hostel where they can off load their children so they can go on holiday. It goes without saying all staff would be police checked. It would be sort of like bording school, without the school.

That way parents could get the good term time holiday deals and the children do not miss out on school. As for the children missing out on holidays, sorry but they don't pay the bills.

BTW there is no way I could ever get the capital for this, so probably I would have to settle for freelance webdesign, but would be interested in thoughts on that concept.

[Nurse57]

I thought the whole idea of having kids was to do stuff with them. Not palm them off to someone else at the first opportunity.

[Matt08]

I think most parents would rather take their children with them on a family holiday. It wouldn't really be fair if the children couldn't enjoy a nice holiday.
They would still be taking their children out of school, because they'd be educated somewhere else. The children would therefore fall back on their school work at their proper school. Therefore, in my opinion, your business idea doesn't work.

[Sticks]

Originally posted by Matt08
I think most parents would rather take their children with them on a family holiday. It wouldn't really be fair if the children couldn't enjoy a nice holiday.
They would still be taking their children out of school, because they'd be educated somewhere else. The children would therefore fall back on their school work at their proper school. Therefore, in my opinion, your business idea doesn't work.

Sorry I was not clear on explaining the concept

While the children were staying at the boarding house, as it were, they would be escorted to and from their own school, so they do not miss any schooling. Possibly using some kind of mini bus or an approved taxi firm.

One person I know has or had a business where they ferried children with special needs to and from school, so all the drivers had to be thoroughly vetted.

This means of course the boarding house will need to be fairly centrally located.

As for the holiday issue, the trouble is that during the school holidays, the cost goes through the roof. If parents want to get away, in this economic climate they have to go off season. This way they can save on off season deals and would not have to pay for children's fares. By using the boarding house service, they could make a saving.

As for wanting to take children, well many families would like to take their pets with them, but they can not and have to put them into kennels, this is a similar concept.

Parents may even want a holiday to be just by themselves.

Parents could always tell the children about the holiday they had, so they could "enjoy" it vicariously as it were. The children could also be told that they had a holiday of sorts in the boarding house, and were lucky enough to not miss their schooling. There will be plenty of time to go on nice holidays when they are older and have left school.

Missing out on trips to Benidorm will not hurt them.

[Fom]

My sister has this stupid idea that she thinks will be all over the world. (Which it wont)
She reckons that if there was a place split into rooms... and then she bought all chipped plates from a plate company and people could go there and trash a room or smash plates for a small price.

God my family is crazy :P

[Lauren]

Sticks, it's an alright idea.

Some problems I've found with it, however.

If someone is able to "afford" this service, then surely they can afford a holiday out of term time, despite it being higher priced?

The majority of people who take their kids out on holiday during term time, do so because it's cheaper price and they cannot afford more.

You're basically offering them to save money by spending more.

Plus most people actually enjoy going on holiday as a "family".

[Rocko]

Originally posted by Fom
My sister has this stupid idea that she thinks will be all over the world. (Which it wont)
She reckons that if there was a place split into rooms... and then she bought all chipped plates from a plate company and people could go there and trash a room or smash plates for a small price.

God my family is crazy :P

I've heard of something like this.

But it's just just plates, it's other seemingly expensive breakable stuff. Helpful therapy some say.

[Fom]

Originally posted by Rocko

I've heard of something like this.

But it's just just plates, it's other seemingly expensive breakable stuff. Helpful therapy some say.

My sister will be ever so dissapointed that her fantastic Idea isn't so unique :P

[Sticks]

Originally posted by Fom
My sister has this stupid idea that she thinks will be all over the world. (Which it wont)
She reckons that if there was a place split into rooms... and then she bought all chipped plates from a plate company and people could go there and trash a room or smash plates for a small price.

God my family is crazy :P

Also we used to have them at fates, they were called smash-em stalls

Old crockery and people paid to throw balls at them

However, usually before they would be put up to be smashed, some people like myself came and rescued some pieces so we could use them our selves and save money

[Sticks]

Originally posted by Lauren
The majority of people who take their kids out on holiday during term time, do so because it's cheaper price and they cannot afford more.

The problem is that a number of schools will mark the children down as unauthorised absences, the same as playing truant. The do not sanction, allow or tolerate children being pulled out of school for holidays.

For those cases, is when the service would be useful. If they were to use the service, it would hopefully cost less than taking them during the school holidays when costs sky-rocket.

Because of the cost of holidays and the policy with some schools not to allow term time holidays, nobody in the family would be able to get away. With this wonderful service at least two people could get to go on holiday which has to be better than none.

As for people enjoying going on holiday as a family, well sometimes the practicalities of life get in the way and we have to make do with what we can get. With this service when the parents get back they will at least be able to enjoy family time showing pictures of where they went to there children and here how they have been doing at school.

Sometimes parents want to get away without the children. We have a couple in the church who sometimes do that, and the children are left with the granny, since not everyone has has an available granny, this service would be useful to them.

One other plus, how many times have you tried to book into a guest house or a hotel, for you to find that they do not allow children. You then wander down to the pub to find that children are not permitted. With this wonderful service, there will be more choice of accommodation available and no need to worry if the pub allows children or not.

[Sunny_01]

Sticks LEA guidelines say that as long as a parent makes a reasonable request in writing to take their child out of school for a holiday then it will be sanctioned and it will go down as an "authorised" absence.

I always enjoy family holidays so it isnt something that would appeal to me as a parent.

[Sticks]

Originally posted by Sunny_01
Sticks LEA guidelines say that as long as a parent makes a reasonable request in writing to take their child out of school for a holiday then it will be sanctioned and it will go down as an "authorised" absence.

I always enjoy family holidays so it isnt something that would appeal to me as a parent.

I had heard that some schools would not allow them and recorded them as unauthorised absences