Market Research

I kinda enjoy the design process via trial and error and searching around the web. My husband is an awesome builder, so....I show him ideas, and I think through practicality and functionality. If we weren't do-ers, then hiring a person would probably work well. I'm not in the market for a service like this, so I wouldn't pay for it, which is why I didn't respond. That being said, you could open up an Etsy shop and offer your services there. I don't know that you could make a FT gig out of it, but you never know, you could be the next published chicken expert!

 

Personally I wouldn't use your services. I also enjoy the process and I would view it as the less I spend on other things is the more I can spend on the coop.

Would reconsider if you were an expert on coop building and practicality... i.e. reducing cleaning, feeding time.... and could develop plans/ideas that are new and more efficient than what people are currrently using...

It seems to me that since most people are building their own coops they most likely have the ability to make material list, track down cheap products and come up with the best way to build... plus thats what this forum is for.

I see what your offering and its not a bad idea I just wouldnt have the need for it.

Just trying to give yah a little feedback.

 

The planning is my favorite part of the project....so no, I wouldn't hire you. However when browsing coops for ideas, I saw plans for sell. You might do OK if you prepared a couple of different blueprints, pics, material lists etc and sold the packet on-line.

 

I think your idea has potential. However, most people I know who can build things themselves also enjoy the design and planning part, as well as the flexibility of improvising along the way. They don't necessarily like to work from drawn plans, and they are DIY to save $$$.

I do see a market for "Coop Architect" services for people who want a custom solution and need a set of drawn plans to hand off to a contractor (who may have no knowledge of coop design) to do the construction. To reach this market, you might need to communicate in a different and more upscale set of circles than then DIY crowd. And you could charge more. Just speculating.

 

Why don't you just give it a go? Surely it wouldn't cost you anything initially? Try popping some plans on ebay with a note saying that you can modfy them to the customers requirements. See what happens.

 

The most important thing is to get yourself recognized. You will have to plaster your name and services everywhere. Show what you do and convince folks how you can help, or just make things easier for them. It's always worth a try. I looked at all the coops on BYC and took pieces of a lot of um and put that into what I wanted. It's a given what I built is not for everyone, but it's exactly what I wanted. There are changes I would make had I to do it over again. Maybe you could have helped there. I don't know. But me being in construction from the age of 3 kinda gave a head start of sorts. My biggest problem is a materials list. I don't know how many trips I made to HD. But part of that was me changing things as I went.

Try it, promote yourself and see.