Gratitude

Two weeks ago I shared with you that I had an audacious idea – to open the first retail space for cuddling in Los Angeles. I asked for your opinion in a survey and I received over 100 responses. Thank you for your wisdom and encouragement! You gave me insights that I needed and many intriguing ideas.

Trends

While putting my thoughts together about this business idea, I had so many ideas about the location, business name, services to offer and the layout of the space. I realized that I didn’t have enough facts to back up these ideas. Your responses to this survey put me on the right track. Below are eight things I learned from you:

1. Of the 100 people who responded, about 60 have attended a group event before and about 40 have experienced a one-on-one professional cuddling session at some point in their lives. Of those who have never tried either experience, there is more reluctance to try a private session.
2. Over 35 people feel that the obstacles to attending events like these have to do with what others would think. Over 40 people feel the current costs are the biggest obstacle.
3. There is strong support for the idea that a retail space should be like a day spa and almost just as strong support for those who think it should be like a community center.
4. In terms of location, the largest group of you – 47 – think it should be in an upscale neighborhood. Your biggest concern about location seems to be parking. (Makes sense to me!)
5. Overwhelmingly, you think that $25 for a 20-minute session is “just right.” One person suggests $25 for 20 minutes and $1 per minute after that. I like the simplicity.
6. Many of you think that private rooms for sessions is crucial but like the idea that clients can have a choice. One person believes that the decor should include an aquarium with cuddlefish. Cute.
7. More than half of the group suggests keeping the name “Cuddle Sanctuary.”( I’m really glad y’all like that name.) Of all the other names I suggested, I was tickled that the most number of you like “GentleWorks Studio.” That’s because the night before I sent out the survey, I had a dream where a place for dentistry had the name GentleWorks and I thought in the dream, “Darn they got a good name!” I woke up and realized that the name was still available. : – )
8. The largest group of people could see themselves coming to a place like ours in the evening and over 20 people said they might want to visit mid-day. Very few people seem to want these services in the morning.

Encouragement

I was touched by the kind words so many of you shared. Like these:

“Please keep doing what you are doing.”

“You can do this my dear.”

“We are with you!”

I really appreciate your support!

Still Want to Give Your Opinion?

If you didn’t have a chance to fill out a survey, you can do it now. Here’s the link!