BUS5C001R~002 24101726 Individual Web Based Portfolio by Anna Howell

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Theoretical Framework

For my web-based business model, the idea I began with was an app that assists women of all ages to connect with other women, who are attending the same music events as them. The aim was to encourage more women to safely and comfortably attend live events, as it is a core area of the industry where artists can monetise their original material. I wanted it to include options for women to travel to and from these events together, and options for groups to meet each other, to help develop fan communities. I began with the idea that the app would generate money through a freemium model with paid subscription tiers, but as I progressed, I realised this would be more viable through venue and event advertisements through the app. This unlocks two different target markets, both the potential subscribers and venues/event organisers.  

Based on these ideas, I used Microsoft CoPilot to generate a full business plan for this (appendix 1). It came up with the name “HerHarmony” for the app (appendix 2), so this is how I will be referring to it from now on.  

The core features of the app include a dating app style matching feature, where users can create a profile with basic information about them such as age and rough location, and gigs they are planning to attend or are interested in attending. It also includes a checking in/out feature which marks their profile as safely arriving to the event and home from the event. If this was not done, the user would be flagged and their emergency contacts would be contacted. After matching with people, the user would have the option to either speak one on one with another user to arrange plans, or be added to a group chat with more attendees of the event. 

This idea came to me after seeing that an organisation with similar principles (known as “Safe Gigs for Women”) had discontinued their services. Safe Gigs for Women was a volunteer led organisation, with its main goals being to raise awareness at festivals and gigs on consent and creating a safe environment for women to enjoy these events without fear of sexual violence and harassment. Their reason for closing was to “pass the torch to others” (Safe Gigs for Women Management Team, 2025), and that sexual safety at festivals and gigs has reached a much greater level of awareness since starting 11 years ago. I could not find much information on their structure as an organisation, or the deeper reasons that led to their closure, but I suspect there was more to it from a financial standpoint. I still feel as though women’s safety at live music events is a massive issue and that the presence of organisations to provide a level of comfort and security for these women is crucial. A study by Viagogo in 2024 found that 7 in 10 women have never been to a gig alone due to concerns over safety and confidence. It found that women are three times more likely than men to struggle with these concerns. However, despite this, the research also found that there is still a desire for women to “venture out” and attend these gigs alone, with two in five women planning to go to a gig solo. This shows that there is a demand for further support for these women, which would be fulfilled by this app.  

In our current music industry, artists and venues heavily rely on digital marketing and digital ticket sales, instead of physically. Therefore, this potential increase in attendance to these events would be a desirable opportunity for venues and artists, and they would want to pay for this level of promotion. This does mean that paying subscribers would be paying to be advertised to, so an area I will be exploring throughout the development of the app will be whether or not the app should function using this freemium model. 

Live music is the second highest generator of revenue in the music industry after streaming, but grassroots venues are struggling more than ever. A study by The Guardian found that fans are increasingly more likely to attend a few large arena shows per year at a higher cost, than regularly attend smaller gigs at local grassroots venues. (David Simpson, 2024). This figure is a concern for the market need for my app, and relies on people returning to the app even when they do not have a gig coming up. This is another reason why the venue/artist advertisement route would be much more effective. I prompted Co-Pilot to generate new financial figures based on this route instead of the subscription model. As seen in appendices 3 and 4, although the figures are initially lower in the new model, they are also much more realistic and creates a stronger and more reliable business in the third year. It also suggested a hybrid model of using both features, but I am not sure that a paid version of the app could provide much better of a service if it is still relying on advertisements.  

The combined threat to grassroots music venues and women’s safety at these events poses a much greater issue to the music industry. It is crucial that women feel safe enough to attend these events, in order to keep the whole ecosystem of the music industry running.  

To tackle these issues, my idea was to draw people to live events by minimising the anxiety that comes along with attending these events, especially as a solo female. The app would benefit bands and the venues that they play in, as it would act as a great tool for artists to grow their fanbases and create fan communities.   

Immediately, it was apparent that the AI generated business plan had a lot of gaps, but there is still a lot of useful ideas and points within it. To begin by looking at potential consumer behaviour within this business model, I noticed that the concept of HerHarmony primarily meets most of the criteria for Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory (Maslow A. H, 370-396:1943). Although the app does not meet the physiological needs that Maslow speaks of, it heavily applies to the safety needs (providing a layer of personal security for the users), love and belonging (an opportunity for women to find a community of friends with the same interests), and esteem (a sense of freedom to enjoy gigs without worry, and the gratification of making new connections). This consequently influences consumer choice (Stigler and Becker, 76-90:1977), as consumers are more likely to be motivated to use the app due to the amount of needs it fulfils. 

However, the issue with this business model, especially with the AI generated subscription tiers is that there is not necessarily a need to purchase the paid tiers for the app or to continue paying it after the gig or event is over, especially if the user does not frequently attend music events, as previously mentioned. This immediately highlights to me that the target audience for the paid tiers of the app is not people who only occasionally attend music events, which is a massive proportion of people who attend these events overall. According to a study by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in March 2025, across orchestral, pop and indie, rock and metal, heritage, electro and dance music, 70% of adults only go to a concert once per year. This further supports my ideas that the subscription model would not be an effective way to proceed with the app. 

Going forward with this idea, the target market then switches to a business-to-business model, and the target market for generating money is no longer music fans. As well as venues and artists paying to promote their events on the app, revenue could also be generated through sponsorship from brands that are involved in music events, such as drinks companies. Venues and artists can also directly sell tickets through HerHarmony, with exclusive HerHarmony presale, and the app would take a commission of the ticket sale.  

Despite this, it is still important that HerHarmony appeals to music fans as the users of the app, making the venues and artists investments worthwhile. Ajzen’s (1991) theory of planned behaviour supports the ideas that the app would be viable in this way. The theory explains that consumers decide whether to purchase or use a product based on personal attitude, (the belief that the app will keep the consumer safe), subjective norms, (knowing that other people are taking safety precautions and feeling like the odd one out if they aren’t also taking these precautions), and perceived control (the feeling of knowing they have taken all the steps to keep safe). With all of these elements in place, the consumer is very likely to engage with the app. 

In regards to entrepreneurship, I believe that separately from the use of AI, the business will not succeed without strong leadership. As explained by effectuation theory (Sarasvathy, 2001), strong decision-making processes that entrepreneurs have when they begin their ventures with the resources they already have through knowledge, network and identity are important to success. This relates to Sarasvathy’s “bird in hand” principle. In this case, the business has a clear identity: a young female founder (me) wanting safer experiences at live music events for other women. My founder network comes from being based at a university where there are hundreds of other women who regularly attend music events, and the knowledge comes through research and experience through doing this project. This places my business model in a stronger position of being reputable. 

This also links to Drucker’s opportunity recognition theory (1985: 25), which refers to the “seven sources for innovative opportunities. These sources apply to spotting changes in demographic, technological or social shifts. In this context, the change applies to the recent rise in solo attendance to gigs and festivals. According to a study by Ticketmaster following the 2025 festival season, one in three brits attend festivals alone, with 1 in 5 brits considering it in the future (Amie-Jo Locke, 2025). There has also been a recent rise in awareness for women’s safety, as mentioned in the closing statement by Safe Gigs for Women. There is also evidence of a rising popularity of niche social media apps, as shown in a study done by FoxData, claiming that “users don’t want more features, users want more relevance” (Mia Mello, 2026). These points combined show that there is a cultural need and relevance for an app such as HerHarmony in the current societal situation. 

The issue with this however, is that there is still the question of whether or not this app solves an issue that can’t be solved elsewhere. Currently, most of the app’s target audience would already use other social media platforms to find a community of fans attending the same events as them. In particular, the app “X” (formerly Twitter) is a huge base for fan communities to connect online, and therefore acts as an indirect competitor. The issue with this though, is that there is a much smaller guarantee of safety and security among these groups, as anyone can join with no verification. To follow on from this, it is important to look at how marketing ties in with this. I used Everett M Rogers’ Diffusions of Innovations theory (1962) to visualise where the X fans and the AI generated predicted target audience would fit with users of the app based on where they fit in an artist’s fanbase. 

Innovator – Superfans that want to be as involved as possible in fan culture. Potential early announcements and early access to events is an incentive for them to use the app as they do not want to miss out. As mentioned above, a partnership with venues for ticket sales could introduce exclusive presales for users of the app. Fanbases on X would discover the app early on and be more inclined to use the app as a safe space to plan gig attendance instead of sharing personal information on public social media pages. Announcing online that you are attending an event solo and where you are travelling from could make you more vulnerable to safety issues. 

Early Adopters – Solo female music fans who attend gigs regularly are more likely to adopt early as this is a tool that they would recognise as being beneficial. This is broader than just superfan communities, and more women who are actively looking for a safer music experience. 

Early Majority – Wider, more casual fan bases and women who only occasionally attend gigs are likely to see the importance of the app at this stage and encourage more people to use it. 

Late Majority – Likely to be the secondary target market (appendix 1) , including parents of female music fans and people who are willing to try the app out of curiosity.  

Laggards – Women who very rarely attend music events and perhaps do not understand the need for more safety measures for women at these events because they do not experience them enough.  

As seen above, a lot of the superfans in communities on X would fall under the innovators and early adopters. A good way to be able to appeal to this audience that the AI generation did not mention, is to aim for public artist endorsement of the app through other social media platforms. HerHarmony could offer free promotion of an artist’s music or gigs through the app in exchange for the artist promoting HerHarmony on other platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. This way, fans would be likely to trust the artist, and thus more likely to engage with HerHarmony. This is known as native advertisement (Fred Wilson, 2011), where a trusted source recommends a product, making it seem like a more viable and honest recommendation. Native advertisement is successful because it seamlessly blends into a user’s experience online, rather than being the more interruptive traditional style of advertisement that would often get skipped. A successful use of native advertisement, particularly from an artist with a community of superfans behind them, can also lead to virality. Viral marketing (Jeffrey Rayport, 1996) is another effective marketing tool that would be beneficial to the marketing of the app. It would massively increase awareness for the app, often very quickly and across large geographical areas. Viral marketing is also very low cost if it happens authentically, like in this context of it being a by-product of native advertising. This creates a level of buzz around the app, encouraging more people to use the app out of a fear of missing out, creating a sense of urgency.  

Critical Evaluation

The use of artificial intelligence in creative spaces is problematic and controversial. However, a study by Engine Creative (2023) found that 62% of creatives think that “those who do not embrace AI will fall behind competitors or miss out on opportunities”. With this in mind, I tried to be as unbiased as possible when asking CoPilot to generate my business plan. But overall in this context, I do not think that the AI generated a thorough enough plan to make this business model secure enough to be effective. 

I have decided to use a SWOT analysis to outline the evaluation of this business model, to help highlight the areas of interest.  

The strengths of this model include having a clear purpose and goal for the app that aligns with the current market needs. This means that there is as a lot of potential demand. It also benefits multiple areas of the music industry, including fan communities, artists and venues. The cost of maintaining the app would also be low once it is up and running.  

The weaknesses are that the app is initially only applicable to a relatively small group of people (young women who regularly attend musical events), so there is room to explore how this could be expanded. The app also relies on user adoption, especially in its early stages, as venues and artists will not want to invest unless there is a strong enough stream of traffic to make their advertisements worthwhile. As the app is based on providing safety, there is a high level of responsibility for the app to be effective. Users would lose trust in the app if it failed to provide this. 

There are plenty of opportunities for this business model, and these include event partnerships and sponsorships with bigger festivals and brands. This could look like having a physical presence at a festival. The app could eventually also venture into international music events. HerHarmony could also provide venues and artists with valuable data on their audiences.  

The main threats to this model are factors that could close the running of live events, such as environmental threats. An example of this is during Covid when all live events were put on hold. The app also could be at risk from legal disputes from areas such as data protection (because of the ID verification feature) and having a safeguarding responsibility. The rapid closing of grassroots music venues and increased costs of touring also poses a threat to the live music scene and could result in a decline in these events.  

The first gap I noticed in the generated model was the inability the AI had to pinpoint a target demographic for the app. In appendix 1, you can see that the initial generated primary target audience is women aged 18-40 who attend music events, young professionals, solo travellers and music-focused social groups, which is an extremely large and varied group of people. Its description of the secondary audience is even more vague and essentially repeats the primary target audience. According to Adobe Express (2023), “if you can’t define your target audience, you’re setting yourself up for failure”.  

I would have defined the primary target demographic for users of the app as young women aged between 16 and 22 who live commutable distances from primary gig and event cities in the UK. They have disposable income to spend on gigs and festivals and are less likely to feel comfortable to attend alone as they haven’t had the lived experience yet, making them more likely to look for support in something such as this app. Consequently, for the artist and venue partnerships, HerHarmony would be most effective with artists who have this same widely young, female audience.  

The next area for evaluation is the payment models that the app uses, and the projected revenue that the AI generated. As discussed, the AI generated freemium model means that there is not a requirement for users to pay for the app as they can access an effective version of it for free. Because of this, I believe that the generated predicted revenue amounts from subscriptions are too ambitious considering the number of women who actually regularly attend music events. I came up with the idea to find other ways to fund the app through artists and venues. The AI then suggested using a hybrid model, where I would use both models to monetise the app. A study by Adapty (2026) found that subscriptions in apps account for 45% of global app revenue, with a trial to pay conversion of 24%. But this study also found that as predicted, user retention is a big barrier to success. It found that almost 30% of subscriptions are cancelled within the first month. Whereas in-app advertisements generate 67% of global app revenue, highlighting that this is definitely a much greater way to increase the app’s revenue.  

The AI generated model also failed to identify any competitors to the app, which is a crucial element that needs to be investigated. I found that as well as typical social media platforms, there are organisations such as StrutSafe that operate in similar ways to HerHarmony. StrutSafe is a not-for-profit organisation, and it runs as a phone line that anyone can call, but it is clearly marketed more towards women. Its purpose is to provide a volunteer led service to help callers feel safe walking alone at night by providing someone to talk to. It seems that this organisation relies on donations to operate, and is free to use. StrutSafe’s service is based on a similar principle to HerHarmony, but it is definitely does not provide the same level of support, especially catered towards music events.  

After looking into these volunteer led organisations of both StrutSafe and Safe gigs for Women, it raised the ethical question to me of whether or not it is acceptable to be trying to generate profit from an app that’s main goal is to provide safety for women. To me, this is why it is important to me to keep the core features of the app entirely free and accessible, despite it potentially lowering the rates of revenue. Even with the subscription model, the free version of the app would still provide women with the levels of safety and support that the app aims to provide, without charging people for it. This is another element that the AI failed to acknowledge, and another reason why I think the subscription model can be scrapped.  

The only other app designed for women’s safety that I could find, was Hollie Guard. Hollie Guard’s main feature is that when the user’s phone is shaken, the app sends an alert to chosen contacts, informing them that the user may be in danger. It also features GPS tracking and video and audio recording/monitoring. Hollie Guard operates as a subscription service, with a free version available. It has partnered with UK police to provide victim protection and works with businesses to provide lone-worker protection. These partnerships have given the app a lot of credibility, which is another reason why I think endorsement from bigger artists and events companies would be beneficial to my app. All of the basic features of Hollie Guard are included with the free version, and the £7.99 monthly fee includes accident detection, chats with operators, live location sharing and 24 hour monitoring. Something I found interesting about the ethics of this app is that an undisclosed percentage of the proceeds goes to a charity that runs education and awareness programmes about domestic violence. This is an idea I would look into to make my app feel more ethically sound, as it would directly contribute to solving the issues that make women feel unsafe in the first place. Hollie Guard is the most similar model I could find to HerHarmony, but it lacks a lot of the community and social element of my app. 

Another ethical issue I faced that the AI did not recognise, was how to safely verify the identity of the women using HerHarmony. I want this app to be available to anyone who is female presenting, whether this correlates to their biological gender or not. As well as users uploading formal verification such as driving licenses or passports, I would like to implement a further level to verification such as submitting other photos or videos to depict the person’s musical interests etc, which would then be featured on the user’s profile. I would not make this formal verification a barrier to accessing the app, but I would only allow the feature of matching with other event attendees to be available to verified users, to protect other verified users.  

In order to expand the app and reduce these ethical issues, there could be a potential for the app be available to men in some form as the business progressed. This could include a version of the app that teaches men about allyship to women, or for fathers of young women who are starting to attend events with their friends or even alone.  

Overall, I do think there is a clear gap in the market for a service such as HerHarmony. There are currently no services that I could find that are designed with the music industry in mind. While safety is the priority of HerHarmony, it is also designed to be a tool for women to meet one another and form meaningful connections with matches. The other women’s safety organisations and apps seem to come across as quite dark, but HerHarmony protects women’s safety while also being a positive space to have a sense of community with other music fans. I think it makes it a much more comfortable and warm environment than the organisations that are explicitly for safety.  

Personal Reflection

Reflecting personally on my experience of developing this business plan, I believe that I could have made a much more efficient and thorough business plan if I was working by myself with perhaps the aid of AI, rather than using AI to create the entire plan. I did, however, find it quite interesting and insightful to learn more about how to interact with it, as it is not something I had done much of previously.  

I felt that the AI plan was creating predictions of numbers with no real explanation of where those numbers were coming from or how they would be achieved. The financial forecasts were very optimistic, and the AI seemed to encourage any idea that I prompted, with no real criticism of why it could perhaps not work. In particular, with regards to the subscription model. The more I developed this business idea, the clearer it became that using a freemium subscription model was not a right fit, but this is not something that AI could recognise. If I had created the business plan without generating it through AI, I would have eliminated the idea of using the subscription model much earlier on in the process. I also would have been able to consider the legal and financial issues in a much more realistic way. 

Prompt engineering was an entirely new concept to me. I have learnt to be as specific as possible when prompting an AI system, as another element that stood out was how vague it was about all elements of the business model. It appeared that the AI was just expanding on points I had prompted it with, whereas I was expecting it to delve a lot more deeply into the features of a business that I did not mention in the prompt. 

I found that it also did a poor job at generating names for the app, and all the suggested names lacked originality or creativity. Although CoPilot did a good job of recognising the current societal need for this app, it did not recognise any of the legal issues that could arise through it.  

I believe that AI has a place in business planning and management, but I do not think it is at a stage where it can be relied on to create accurate plans of this scale. If I was to launch HerHarmony exclusively using the AI generated plan, I do not think it would be a remotely successful business.  

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Appendices

Appendix 1 – Initial Prompt

Prompt – Create a business plan for an app where women can meet other women to attend music events such as festivals and gigs together. They should be able to travel to and from the festival together, The app is free but has different paid tiers providing other services such as women’s safety webinars. 

Response (CoPilot (2026) Business Plan [AI generated text]. Prompted by Anna Howell. 11 March 2026, 14:11.) – A clear, investor‑ready business plan for your women‑connecting‑for‑music‑events app can anchor the concept, sharpen the value proposition, and map out how the business grows. What follows is a full, structured plan you can refine into a pitch deck or operational blueprint. 

1. Executive Summary 

Your app creates a safe, women‑only social platform where women can meet other women to attend music events—festivals, gigs, club nights, concerts—and travel to and from them together. The core value is safety, companionship, and shared experiences. The app is free to use, with optional paid tiers offering enhanced safety features, educational content, and premium community tools. 

Mission: Empower women to enjoy music events confidently by providing safe connections, shared travel options, and community‑driven support. 

Vision: Become the leading global platform for women attending music events, recognised for safety innovation, community trust, and partnerships with festivals and transport providers. 

2. Problem & Opportunity 

The Problem 

Women attending music events often face: 

  • Safety concerns when travelling alone, especially at night. 
  • Difficulty finding friends with similar music tastes or event plans. 
  • Anxiety about navigating large festivals or unfamiliar venues. 
  • Lack of trusted, women‑only spaces for planning and attending events. 

The Opportunity 

  • The global live music market continues to grow, with festivals expanding and more women attending events solo. 
  • Safety‑focused apps and women‑only communities are gaining traction. 
  • Event organisers increasingly prioritise safety partnerships. 
  • There is no dominant platform specifically connecting women for music events and travel. 

3. Target Market 

Primary Audience 

  • Women aged 18–40 who attend concerts, festivals, club nights, or gigs. 
  • University students, young professionals, solo travellers, and music‑focused social groups. 

Secondary Audience 

  • Women new to a city or travelling for events. 
  • Women seeking safer transport options to and from venues. 
  • Festival‑goers looking for camping buddies or group travel. 

Market Size 

  • UK festival attendance exceeds millions annually. 
  • Global live music revenue is projected to continue rising. 
  • Women make up a significant share of festival attendees, with safety consistently cited as a top concern. 

4. Value Proposition 

Core Value 

A safe, trusted, women‑only platform to meet event companions and travel together. 

Key Benefits 

  • Safety through community and verified profiles. 
  • Easy discovery of women attending the same events. 
  • Shared travel planning reduces cost and risk. 
  • Access to safety education and empowerment resources. 
  • A supportive, music‑driven social network. 

5. Product & Features 

Free Tier (Core App) 

  • Event Discovery: Browse festivals, gigs, concerts, club nights. 
  • Match & Connect: Match with women attending the same event based on music taste, age range, location, and preferences. 
  • Group Chats: Create or join event‑specific groups. 
  • Travel Buddy Finder: Coordinate taxis, trains, rideshares, or walking groups. 
  • Safety Tools: Check‑in feature, emergency contact sharing, location sharing during events (optional). 
  • Profile Verification: Basic verification to reduce fake accounts. 

Paid Tiers 

Tier 1: Safety+ 

  • Advanced profile verification (ID‑based). 
  • Access to women’s safety webinars (self‑defence, situational awareness, festival safety). 
  • Priority matching with verified users. 
  • Enhanced location‑sharing controls. 
  • Access to “trusted travel groups”. 

Tier 2: Premium Community 

  • All Safety+ features. 
  • Exclusive access to:  
  • Local meet‑ups and pre‑event mixers. 
  • Festival planning workshops. 
  • Discounts from partner brands (festival gear, travel services). 
  • Early access to event‑specific groups. 
  • Premium customer support. 

Tier 3: Festival Pro 

  • Designed for frequent festival‑goers. 
  • Includes:  
  • Annual safety training bundle. 
  • VIP partner perks. 
  • Unlimited event group creation. 
  • Festival survival guides and expert content. 

6. Business Model 

Revenue Streams 

  • Subscription tiers (monthly or annual). 
  • Affiliate partnerships with:  
  • Festivals and venues. 
  • Travel providers (train, coach, rideshare). 
  • Safety brands (alarms, wearables). 
  • Festival gear retailers. 
  • Sponsored content (safety‑related only). 
  • Event partnerships offering:  
  • On‑site meet‑up zones. 
  • Co‑branded safety initiatives. 

Pricing Strategy 

  • Free tier to maximise adoption. 
  • Low‑cost entry tier to encourage upgrades. 
  • Annual plans discounted to improve retention. 

7. Go‑to‑Market Strategy 

Launch Strategy 

  • Start with the UK festival market (Glastonbury, Leeds/Reading, Parklife, Wireless). 
  • Partner with women’s safety organisations for credibility. 
  • Collaborate with micro‑influencers in music and women’s lifestyle spaces. 
  • Run pre‑launch campaigns around major festival announcements. 

Growth Strategy 

  • Expand to European festivals (Tomorrowland, Primavera Sound). 
  • Introduce city‑specific gig communities. 
  • Build ambassador programmes at universities. 
  • Develop partnerships with transport companies for safe travel bundles. 

8. Safety & Trust Framework 

Safety is the core differentiator. Key pillars: 

  • Women‑only membership with multi‑step verification. 
  • AI‑assisted moderation for chats and profiles. 
  • Community guidelines with zero tolerance for harassment. 
  • Emergency features (check‑ins, location sharing). 
  • Educational content through webinars and guides. 
  • Partnerships with safety charities to maintain best practices. 

9. Technology & Development 

Core Requirements 

  • Mobile app (iOS & Android). 
  • Secure authentication and verification. 
  • Real‑time chat and group messaging. 
  • Event database integration. 
  • Geolocation and travel coordination tools. 
  • Scalable backend for peak festival seasons. 

Future Enhancements 

  • AI‑powered matching based on behaviour and preferences. 
  • Smart travel routing for groups. 
  • Festival‑specific maps and safety zones. 
  • Wearable integration (e.g., safety alarms). 

10. Operations & Team 

Key Roles 

  • CEO / Founder 
  • CTO / Lead Developer 
  • UX/UI Designer 
  • Community Manager 
  • Safety & Compliance Lead 
  • Marketing Lead 
  • Partnerships Manager 
  • Customer Support Team 

Advisory Board 

  • Women’s safety experts. 
  • Festival operations professionals. 
  • Tech and startup advisors. 

11. Financial Plan 

Startup Costs 

  • App development. 
  • Branding and marketing. 
  • Legal and compliance. 
  • Safety partnerships and content creation. 

Ongoing Costs 

  • Server and infrastructure. 
  • Staff salaries. 
  • Customer support. 
  • Marketing and partnerships. 

Revenue Projections (example) 

  • Year 1: Focus on user acquisition; modest subscription revenue. 
  • Year 2: Monetisation through paid tiers and partnerships. 
  • Year 3: Expansion into Europe; significant revenue growth. 

12. Risks & Mitigation 

  • Safety incidents → Strong verification, moderation, and partnerships. 
  • Slow adoption → Influencer campaigns, university ambassadors. 
  • Competition → Niche focus on women + music events + safety. 
  • Trust issues → Transparent policies and community‑driven governance. 

13. Long‑Term Vision 

  • Become the default platform for women attending any event—not just music. 
  • Expand into travel, nightlife, sports, and conferences. 
  • Build a global community centred on safety, empowerment, and shared experiences. 

Appendix 2 – Business Name

Prompt- Please name the app and generate prices for subscription tiers in pounds 

Response(CoPilot (2026) Business name and subscription tiers [AI generated text]. Prompted by Anna Howell. 11 March 2026, 14:20.)

App Name Options (Distinct Themes) 

1. Empowerment & Safety Focus 

  • HerHarmony 
  • SisterSound 
  • SheGoes 
  • SafeSet 
  • HerRoute 

These emphasise trust, community, and women‑only spaces. 

Suggested Subscription Pricing (GBP) 

Pricing is designed to be accessible for students and young professionals while still supporting a sustainable business model. 

Free Tier — £0 

Core features: event discovery, matching, group chats, basic safety tools. 

Tier 1: Safety+ — £4.99/month or £49.99/year 

Ideal for users who want enhanced safety and verification. 

Includes: 

  • Advanced ID verification 
  • Access to women’s safety webinars 
  • Priority matching 
  • Enhanced location‑sharing controls 
  • Trusted travel groups 

Tier 2: Premium Community — £8.99/month or £89.99/year 

For users who want deeper community and perks. 

Includes everything in Safety+, plus: 

  • Access to local meet‑ups and mixers 
  • Festival planning workshops 
  • Partner discounts (gear, travel, safety products) 
  • Early access to event groups 
  • Priority support 

Tier 3: Festival Pro — £14.99/month or £149.99/year 

For frequent festival‑goers and super‑users. 

Includes everything in Premium Community, plus: 

  • Annual safety training bundle 
  • VIP partner perks 
  • Unlimited event group creation 
  • Exclusive festival guides and expert content 

📊 Quick Comparison Table 

Tier Monthly Annual Best For 
Free £0 £0 New users, casual gig‑goers 
Safety+ £4.99 £49.99 Users prioritising safety & verification 
Premium Community £8.99 £89.99 Social users wanting meet‑ups & perks 
Festival Pro £14.99 £149.99 Heavy festival‑goers & superfans 

Appendix 3 – Financial Statements with freemium subscription model

Prompt- If this app operated under a free tier, a £4.99 per month/ £49.99 per year tier, an £8.99/ £89.99 per year and a £14.99/ £149.99 per year tier, how much money would it make and how many users would the app need for me to make a living 

Response- (CoPilot (2026) Financial forecast [AI generated text]. Prompted by Anna Howell. 24 March 2026, 12:46.)

Financial Summary for Your App 

1. Core Monthly Costs 

Three realistic operating levels: 

Lean Mode (~£1,275/month) 

  • Minimal hosting, light marketing, basic moderation 
  • With your salary included: ~£3,275/month 

Moderate Mode (~£2,700/month) 

  • Stronger marketing, better moderation, more updates 
  • With salary: ~£5,200/month 

HighGrowth Mode (~£7,300/month) 

  • Heavy marketing, robust moderation, scaling infrastructure 
  • With salary: ~£10,800/month 

2. Revenue Potential (10,000 users example) 

  • Subscriptions: £68,000/year 
  • Event ads: £24,000/year 
  • Event partnerships: £26,000/year 
  • Total: ~£118,000/year (~£9,833/month) 

3. BreakEven User Counts 

Including all revenue streams (subscriptions + ads + partnerships): 

To cover costs only 

  • Lean mode: 1,000–1,500 users 
  • Moderate mode: 2,500–3,000 users 
  • High‑growth mode: 7,000–8,000 users 

To cover costs + pay yourself a fulltime income 

  • Lean mode: 3,500–4,000 users 
  • Moderate mode: 6,000–7,000 users 
  • High‑growth mode: 10,000–12,000 users 

Bottom Line 

You can run the app sustainably with 3,000–5,000 users, and you can pay yourself a full‑time income with 6,000–10,000 users, depending on how aggressively you choose to grow. 

Appendix 4- Financial predictions using the artist/venue advertisement model

Prompt- With regards to revenue, what if i changed from charging users of the app to charging venues and promoters/artists for the exposure and increased ticket sales to the app 

Response- CoPilot (2026) Financial forecast [AI generated text]. Prompted by Anna Howell. 28 April 2026, 12:23.)

Why This Revenue Pivot Makes Sense 

Core logic: HerHarmony increases ticket salesattendance confidence, and event safety reputation. These benefits matter far more to venues, promoters, and artists than to individual users. 

So instead of monetising women who want safety, you monetise the businesses that benefit financially from safer, more confident female attendance. 

This is a classic B2B2C model: 

  • B2C: Women use the app for free 
  • B2B: Venues/promoters pay for exposure, ticket sales, and safety partnerships 

What This Means for Your Business Strategy 

Pros of Charging Venues 

  • Users grow faster (free access) 
  • Higher revenue per customer 
  • Stronger partnerships 
  • Better brand reputation 
  • Easier to scale internationally 

Cons 

  • Requires a sales team 
  • Longer sales cycles 
  • Need to prove value (ticket sales uplift, engagement metrics) 

Hybrid Option 

You can still offer optional paid user features (e.g., premium safety webinars) while keeping core access free. 

Revenue Overview 

HerHarmony earns money from: 

  • Event Boosts (£199 per event) 
  • Annual Venue Partnerships (£2,000 each) 
  • Festival Partnerships (£10k–£50k) 
  • Artist Promotion Packages (£500–£2,000) 

Year 1 Revenue: ~£40k 

Early traction with a small number of venues, artists, and one festival. 

Year 2 Revenue: ~£165k 

Growth as more venues join and multiple festivals sign on. 

Year 3 Revenue: ~£545k 

National presence, strong network effects, and several high‑value festival partnerships. 

Cost Overview 

Costs include app development, staff, marketing, operations, and infrastructure. 

Year 1 Costs: ~£235k 

High development and initial staffing costs. 

Year 2 Costs: ~£320k 

Team expansion and increased marketing. 

Year 3 Costs: ~£460k 

Scaling operations and national marketing. 

Profit / Loss Summary 

Year Revenue Costs Profit/Loss 
Year 1 £40k £235k –£195k 
Year 2 £165k £320k –£155k 
Year 3 £545k £460k +£85k 

Key Takeaways 

  • The app becomes profitable in Year 3
  • The B2B model scales quickly because each venue/festival is high‑value. 
  • Early years focus on user growth and proving value to partners. 
  • Festival partnerships become the biggest revenue driver by Year 3.