FabSwingers.com > Forums > Swinging Club Discussion > Money in clubs
Money in clubs
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"Assuming no covid, do you think there’s money to be made in clubs? " Of course there is otherwise they wouldn't be in business but its probably not as much in it as people might think. | |||
"Assuming no covid, do you think there’s money to be made in clubs? " More hard work and sweat than money to be made! Most do it as they enjoy it not for making loads of money but behind the scenes I know it’s very hard work!!! Definitely a 2 person job! | |||
"The overheads will be huge. For those without a licensed bar, I've always wandered how they make any money. I would happily pay more to support clubs longer term." Why do you think they don’t have licensed bars? | |||
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"The overheads will be huge. For those without a licensed bar, I've always wandered how they make any money. I would happily pay more to support clubs longer term. Why do you think they don’t have licensed bars? " Have you done any research on clubs before starting this thread? Only a small amount of clubs throughout the country have a licensed bar! | |||
"Assuming no covid, do you think there’s money to be made in clubs? " I'm sure clubs are financially viable businesses, but I doubt if they will produce millionaires. Mainly, I would guess that they are more something that you do because you're passionate about it. Cal | |||
"I'm really looking forward to the responses!!!! lol " us too lol | |||
"I'm really looking forward to the responses!!!! lol us too lol "Are you guys still closed? | |||
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"The overheads will be huge. For those without a licensed bar, I've always wandered how they make any money. I would happily pay more to support clubs longer term." We’re the same, if you want the venue you need to pay for it!  | |||
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"Well from my calculations after visiting clubs and especially the ones that get big numbers every week I think they can be a gold mine " hahahahahahahahahahahaha | |||
"Membership businesses models are rubbish, growth is dismal, and most swingers didn’t want to spend money., I would invest in sheesha lounge but not swinging clubs " Sheesha consumption is minute.... I don't think I even know anyone who partakes. It isn't about growth or monetary gain but providing a safe and secure place for people to express themself in. | |||
"I would happily pay more to support clubs longer term." Will you volunteer to pay the same membership fees and admission charges as single men, then? | |||
"Well from my calculations after visiting clubs and especially the ones that get big numbers every week I think they can be a gold mine " Your calculations are only thinking about what's coming into the till, what about the upkeep costs? Wages of staff? | |||
"Well from my calculations after visiting clubs and especially the ones that get big numbers every week I think they can be a gold mine Your calculations are only thinking about what's coming into the till, what about the upkeep costs? Wages of staff? " From my calculations, he needs a calculator haha | |||
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"Well from my calculations after visiting clubs and especially the ones that get big numbers every week I think they can be a gold mine Your calculations are only thinking about what's coming into the till, what about the upkeep costs? Wages of staff? From my calculations, he needs a calculator haha"  | |||
"Well from my calculations after visiting clubs and especially the ones that get big numbers every week I think they can be a gold mine " *hands the OP a brand new pack of AA batterys....... E | |||
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"If there was no money in clubs and they actually do it cos they enjoy it why are they now complaining bout the govt closing them down.. Why are some clubs shutting down finally.. tells u there is money in it and now covid has stopped them from running u can see how much it is affecting them..why do most clubs charge single guys more?? If they do it cis they enjoy it then they wont have to charge single guys more. clubs are a bussiness so of cos there is money to be made.. sex sells" Club owners aren’t complaining as they understand the situation, they are worried as it’s their livelihood disappearing. A club will turn a profit otherwise it isn’t a viable business but it’s not a license to print money far from it, it’s hard work and only yields the owners a livelihood in most cases. I can’t believe the single guy being changed more has been asked again, that subject has been done to death on here over the years, read the 1000,s of other posts to get your answer to that question. The clubs provide a service to people enjoying this lifestyle, at the end of this pandemic there will be less clubs less choice and that is simply a loss to the people who enjoy them. Support your local clubs or you will loose them it’s purely that simple. | |||
"I would happily pay more to support clubs longer term. Will you volunteer to pay the same membership fees and admission charges as single men, then?" When we go to Clubs, we usually stay in a hotel, drive a fair distance to the Club and often buy a new outfit, or at the very least a new pair of Wolford stockings. The entrance fee is not our decider on whether we go or not. If it is a Club that attracts a mix of couples, single ladies and single guys in a reasonable proportion then we’d pay the same. I’m pretty sure we did that at the old AbFabs. We used to go to Clubs between 4-6 times a year. It was a hobby and we were willing to spend a reasonable amount on it. I don’t think we spent less than most single guys  | |||
"The overheads will be huge. For those without a licensed bar, I've always wandered how they make any money. I would happily pay more to support clubs longer term. Why do you think they don’t have licensed bars? Have you done any research on clubs before starting this thread? Only a small amount of clubs throughout the country have a licensed bar!" Rather than being dismissive, why don't you, as a club owner/manager, educate the OP on why it is licenses aren't common and why clubs may not make money? Reading the original post it's quite feasible that the OP is looking at whether the club business is a viable income stream in the future. Townhouse is arguably the most successful (by which I mean well thought of and lauded, I'm not aware of your finances) club amongst the northern swinging community, you of all people should be encouraging discourse on the viability of clubs particularly in this climate rather that deriding an inquistitive conversation on the matter. The whole point of a forum is to seek information, and opinions on topics that cannot always be gathered through other research methods, or as a starting point before moving into those. | |||
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"Membership businesses models are rubbish, growth is dismal, and most swingers didn’t want to spend money., I would invest in sheesha lounge but not swinging clubs Sheesha consumption is minute.... I don't think I even know anyone who partakes. It isn't about growth or monetary gain but providing a safe and secure place for people to express themself in." Sheesha consumption isn’t really relevant, the experience is is a big growth area for people who don’t drink alcohol and want to smoke including cigarettes , drink coffee, eat in a bar , like most places in the world allow. Business is about return on the capital you put in, growth in gross revenue at a higher rate than operating costs and job creation , anything else is just a hobby | |||
"The overheads will be huge. For those without a licensed bar, I've always wandered how they make any money. I would happily pay more to support clubs longer term. Why do you think they don’t have licensed bars? Have you done any research on clubs before starting this thread? Only a small amount of clubs throughout the country have a licensed bar! Rather than being dismissive, why don't you, as a club owner/manager, educate the OP on why it is licenses aren't common and why clubs may not make money? Reading the original post it's quite feasible that the OP is looking at whether the club business is a viable income stream in the future. Townhouse is arguably the most successful (by which I mean well thought of and lauded, I'm not aware of your finances) club amongst the northern swinging community, you of all people should be encouraging discourse on the viability of clubs particularly in this climate rather that deriding an inquistitive conversation on the matter. The whole point of a forum is to seek information, and opinions on topics that cannot always be gathered through other research methods, or as a starting point before moving into those." You know people often quote me on here when threads ask for club info, business info, adult industry info. 'Go ask Vicky at Townhouse, she is really accommodating and will help you'. I can count maybe 2 people out of all of the people I have helped over the last decade who has stepped forward and offered us help during this time. So I'm feeling a little less helpful right now. Judge that how you will. The one bit of advice I ALWAYS give to people who are looking into clubs before asking about the finances is KNOW YOUR MARKET. Do you own leg work. There's plenty of information out there. If someone is absolutely serious about opening a club and has done the leg work, I will help them. It's what I do. But don't expect me to be generous with my time and knowledge during a pandemic where current clubs can close, when the OP doesn't even know the basics about whether their competitors have a licence to sell alcohol or not. | |||
"The overheads will be huge. For those without a licensed bar, I've always wandered how they make any money. I would happily pay more to support clubs longer term. Why do you think they don’t have licensed bars? Have you done any research on clubs before starting this thread? Only a small amount of clubs throughout the country have a licensed bar! Rather than being dismissive, why don't you, as a club owner/manager, educate the OP on why it is licenses aren't common and why clubs may not make money? Reading the original post it's quite feasible that the OP is looking at whether the club business is a viable income stream in the future. Townhouse is arguably the most successful (by which I mean well thought of and lauded, I'm not aware of your finances) club amongst the northern swinging community, you of all people should be encouraging discourse on the viability of clubs particularly in this climate rather that deriding an inquistitive conversation on the matter. The whole point of a forum is to seek information, and opinions on topics that cannot always be gathered through other research methods, or as a starting point before moving into those. You know people often quote me on here when threads ask for club info, business info, adult industry info. 'Go ask Vicky at Townhouse, she is really accommodating and will help you'. I can count maybe 2 people out of all of the people I have helped over the last decade who has stepped forward and offered us help during this time. So I'm feeling a little less helpful right now. Judge that how you will. The one bit of advice I ALWAYS give to people who are looking into clubs before asking about the finances is KNOW YOUR MARKET. Do you own leg work. There's plenty of information out there. If someone is absolutely serious about opening a club and has done the leg work, I will help them. It's what I do. But don't expect me to be generous with my time and knowledge during a pandemic where current clubs can close, when the OP doesn't even know the basics about whether their competitors have a licence to sell alcohol or not. " Well said! | |||
"The overheads will be huge. For those without a licensed bar, I've always wandered how they make any money. I would happily pay more to support clubs longer term. Why do you think they don’t have licensed bars? Have you done any research on clubs before starting this thread? Only a small amount of clubs throughout the country have a licensed bar! Rather than being dismissive, why don't you, as a club owner/manager, educate the OP on why it is licenses aren't common and why clubs may not make money? Reading the original post it's quite feasible that the OP is looking at whether the club business is a viable income stream in the future. Townhouse is arguably the most successful (by which I mean well thought of and lauded, I'm not aware of your finances) club amongst the northern swinging community, you of all people should be encouraging discourse on the viability of clubs particularly in this climate rather that deriding an inquistitive conversation on the matter. The whole point of a forum is to seek information, and opinions on topics that cannot always be gathered through other research methods, or as a starting point before moving into those. You know people often quote me on here when threads ask for club info, business info, adult industry info. 'Go ask Vicky at Townhouse, she is really accommodating and will help you'. I can count maybe 2 people out of all of the people I have helped over the last decade who has stepped forward and offered us help during this time. So I'm feeling a little less helpful right now. Judge that how you will. The one bit of advice I ALWAYS give to people who are looking into clubs before asking about the finances is KNOW YOUR MARKET. Do you own leg work. There's plenty of information out there. If someone is absolutely serious about opening a club and has done the leg work, I will help them. It's what I do. But don't expect me to be generous with my time and knowledge during a pandemic where current clubs can close, when the OP doesn't even know the basics about whether their competitors have a licence to sell alcohol or not. " If you're so concerned about a lack of thanks or having your fingers burnt from previous attempts to help then don't get involved in the first place. You were the first to respond with an egregiously dismissive and antagonistic comment. There was no need for your holier than thou condescension. I have no dog in this fight; I don't know the OP. But this is after all a forum and at a time when doing the legwork is increasingly difficult it serves as a place to seek advice and ask questions from a community...apart from the "Virus" section, that's full of the tinfoil hat brigade. | |||
"The overheads will be huge. For those without a licensed bar, I've always wandered how they make any money. I would happily pay more to support clubs longer term. Why do you think they don’t have licensed bars? Have you done any research on clubs before starting this thread? Only a small amount of clubs throughout the country have a licensed bar! Rather than being dismissive, why don't you, as a club owner/manager, educate the OP on why it is licenses aren't common and why clubs may not make money? Reading the original post it's quite feasible that the OP is looking at whether the club business is a viable income stream in the future. Townhouse is arguably the most successful (by which I mean well thought of and lauded, I'm not aware of your finances) club amongst the northern swinging community, you of all people should be encouraging discourse on the viability of clubs particularly in this climate rather that deriding an inquistitive conversation on the matter. The whole point of a forum is to seek information, and opinions on topics that cannot always be gathered through other research methods, or as a starting point before moving into those. You know people often quote me on here when threads ask for club info, business info, adult industry info. 'Go ask Vicky at Townhouse, she is really accommodating and will help you'. I can count maybe 2 people out of all of the people I have helped over the last decade who has stepped forward and offered us help during this time. So I'm feeling a little less helpful right now. Judge that how you will. The one bit of advice I ALWAYS give to people who are looking into clubs before asking about the finances is KNOW YOUR MARKET. Do you own leg work. There's plenty of information out there. If someone is absolutely serious about opening a club and has done the leg work, I will help them. It's what I do. But don't expect me to be generous with my time and knowledge during a pandemic where current clubs can close, when the OP doesn't even know the basics about whether their competitors have a licence to sell alcohol or not. If you're so concerned about a lack of thanks or having your fingers burnt from previous attempts to help then don't get involved in the first place. You were the first to respond with an egregiously dismissive and antagonistic comment. There was no need for your holier than thou condescension. I have no dog in this fight; I don't know the OP. But this is after all a forum and at a time when doing the legwork is increasingly difficult it serves as a place to seek advice and ask questions from a community...apart from the "Virus" section, that's full of the tinfoil hat brigade. " 'Holier than thou'....you sound like my mum, dissing my Dad. He's a vicar..they are divorced hahahaha Made me howl! Haven't heard that phrase in a while but you transported me back haha Thank you for the laughs x | |||
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"Well from my calculations after visiting clubs and especially the ones that get big numbers every week I think they can be a gold mine " They are not gold mines. Take into consideration a business open certain evenings only that charges a small amount to get in. Then you have licensing regulations. Then you have overheads. Easier to open a nightclub. Then you have the headache of people and relationships but not forgetting all the single men that bitch and _oan that cant understand the concept of partner swapping and then you realise that hitting your head against a brick wall is more rewarding. | |||
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"Well from my calculations after visiting clubs and especially the ones that get big numbers every week I think they can be a gold mine hahahahahahahahahahahaha" Haha guffaw & spits coffee across room | |||
"I would happily pay more to support clubs longer term. Will you volunteer to pay the same membership fees and admission charges as single men, then?" No membership charges at the Gatehouse for anyone. Same entrance fee for everyone whether Male, female or tgirl. One person, one price. | |||
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"Assuming no covid, do you think there’s money to be made in clubs? " Money can be made anywhere. If you have a good business model. | |||
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"ThankYou for not running to the hills. When You get to know the owners and the people who run events like Boo, Yourself and countless others you understand the hard work and love that goes into it all. I think coming from a bdsm background for us we understand events are governed by certain protocols that are understood by everyone involved. Swinging is different. As was said above Gatehouse and other places do have a single entry price.. while say a Mistress event will have free entry for ladies who bring the submissive clientele in. So miss being involved in a house. But if a club is going to cater for the kinky bdsm crowd.. dungeon equipment is not cheap either d" I should note at this point, that hosting/running events or even doing some managing at a club is COMPLETELY different to actually owning a club and having that responsibility. So many people have run events andhave lots of event experience and think they can run a club, but it's a different league altogether! | |||
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"ThankYou for not running to the hills. When You get to know the owners and the people who run events like Boo, Yourself and countless others you understand the hard work and love that goes into it all. I think coming from a bdsm background for us we understand events are governed by certain protocols that are understood by everyone involved. Swinging is different. As was said above Gatehouse and other places do have a single entry price.. while say a Mistress event will have free entry for ladies who bring the submissive clientele in. So miss being involved in a house. But if a club is going to cater for the kinky bdsm crowd.. dungeon equipment is not cheap either d I should note at this point, that hosting/running events or even doing some managing at a club is COMPLETELY different to actually owning a club and having that responsibility. So many people have run events andhave lots of event experience and think they can run a club, but it's a different league altogether! " Before we had our club we hosted event's for nearly two years and like others didn't appreciate the difference which is massive. Anyone who thinks clubs are gold mines of money have no idea at all what they are talking about! We do it because we love the swinging community and enjoy like minded people around us. Before this pandemic we made enough money to live & pay our bills plus a very small operating profit which would usually go straight back into the club in maintenance or new equipment. I personally think a discussion about money in clubs is a bit of a kick in the teeth to us clubs that are shut or only opening partly and in bad taste at the wrong time  | |||
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"I was a regular at kestrels fabs and I did the sums. Very lucrative indeed ." Please open a club then and enjoy all the cash! | |||
"I was a regular at kestrels fabs and I did the sums. Very lucrative indeed ." Yep rent is notoriously cheap in West London | |||
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"How about the guys from Xtasia, Townhouse, Club Play etc, take part in a Dragons Den, with people pitching their money making proposals to them? "Why? If we can open again, we'll be fine. We don't need investors lol | |||
"I was a regular at kestrels fabs and I did the sums. Very lucrative indeed ." What comes in through the door - outgoings & other costs = not as lucrative as you assume | |||
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"ok so let's give you some inside knowledge and it's no surprise. Most people who have commented are correct. Some people see quite a lot of cash payments being handed across the counter on arrival, they do some quick sums in their head and think, wow...that's a lot of money. On a busy night, yes it can be a lot of money. I should say, we accept card too! We don't charge a membership fee out of choice and we don't completely rip off guys either; guys pay a fiver more than a couple on a Saturday night for instance. Either way, to someone watching the gathering queue outside and all of the £25's being handed over, I can see why some would see a club as a pot of gold. Our bar is subsidised as it's a members club, so our booze is cheap. We could charge more for drinks but I am of the belief that people are paying to come in, so drinks should be subsidised to make the night out more affordable. Again though, someone watching the 3 deep bar on a busy night may think that the till is busting. It's worth pointing out here that a lot of clubs do not have a licence to sell alcohol What most people don't know and obviously don't see are the huge overheads clubs have to pay. All councils have different ways of categorising clubs; there isn't a one size fits all. Some are night clubs, some are sex entertainment venues (very few now) and some are private hire venues. Some have multi classifications if they have hotels. licenses are required regardless and these vary in what they allow and the cost. We have quite a lot of licensed activities and pay for them!! The biggest outlay in any business is staff. Some clubs have volunteers who enjoy perks in return for their work, but many have paid staff and busy venues have a lot of them. Insurance is costly because we need special 'adult industry' insurance. We have also just been informed that many insurers have dropped out of the market since Covid and will not insure our type of business. This means that the one or two left have the niche and our monthly payments will be going up hugely from November. Electricity and gas is expensive as big venues have tons of lights, fridges, entertainment rooms with disco lighting and PA's etc... and a sauna/hot tub...very expensive!!! We're not just talking a few hundred quid a month here. Water is ridiculous and most premises will be on a meter. Showers and toilets on the go all the time and filling the hot tub all the time creates a big bill. Business rates and accountancy fees...don't even go there! Then there's all the smaller things that mount up...business internet, fire and intruder alarm custodians, phone lines, business mobiles, support services for various things. loads of minor things like stationary, internet hosting, printer cartridges, membership cards, cleaning products and bog roll...fuck me, we go through so much bog roll!!!!!! LAUNDRY!!! Oh my fucking god!!! The laundry bill for sheets, towels and gowns is ridiculous!!!! The point is, the overheads are HUGE! Clubs are definitely viable otherwise we wouldn't be running them, but they are not goldmines. We earn a living but we work REALLY hard for the money and 90 hour weeks are normal. If someone wanted to open a club, I would ask, 'do you have a lot of money to spend to get it open?', 'are you prepared to work your arse off for a moderate income?' and 'do you love the scene enough to give your weekends and probably kill off your own swinging mojo?' Clubs are fun to run and we've met the BEST people, but if someone had told me 8-9 years ago how hard it was going to be, I'd run for the hills!!!" Your penultimate paragraph couldn’t ring truer to us at VA, we feel you here down south
Actually everything you have said we would echo!
I think you may have just dropped the mic and exited stage left on this conversation xx | |||
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"How does everyone know that money is not being made. As an ex publican with a lease and overheads I understand the pitfalls and outlays . The clubs with large footfall like kestrals and chameleons will have been viable turning over good profit margins . I have been to several poorly run clubs that have less clientele that survive so makes sense that the two mentioned will have thrived. To say they are all just a labour of love cant be correct surely" Frankly, who cares? If only we could actually go to Clubs! Making up hypothetic situations is irrelevant. We currently cannot go, but would love to | |||
"What is a sheesh a lounge??" People smoke from big hubble bubble pipes | |||
"The overheads will be huge. For those without a licensed bar, I've always wandered how they make any money. I would happily pay more to support clubs longer term. Why do you think they don’t have licensed bars? " To keep piss heads out! | |||
"The overheads will be huge. For those without a licensed bar, I've always wandered how they make any money. I would happily pay more to support clubs longer term. Why do you think they don’t have licensed bars? To keep piss heads out! " I don't know about other clubs but our club did have an alchol lincense, we gave it up choosing to be a private members club allowing people to bring there your own alcohol for two reasons. 1) The local authorities would not allow us to have a alchol licence after 1am but would allow a private member club where people bring there own alcohol
2) We know other clubs sell reasonable priced alcohol and this is not a swipe at them but we found people attending Club Play do prefer to bring there own alcohol especially as Tesco express is right behind us.
We could try and apply again for a later hours lincense but concluded even if we got one we would stay the same way we are operating now.
The other thing to add is myself and a large number of people involved with the club have a person alchol license meaning we can do a Tens ( temporary events notices) With these we can serve alcohol if we wanted upto 15 days/nights in any one calender year.
I prefer my staff to have personal alcohol license not just for the Tens but to have a understanding of alcohol & be responsible like a normal bar for what people drink even if they bring own alchol. This means my staff can get personally fined by the authorities for serving alchol to someone that's had to much and loose there alcohol licence ect. This upsets some customers who bring there own acholic we have to monitor at times who do understand we operate that way & think they can drink any amount as it's there own alcohol lol | |||
