About Fabelskogen

Fabelskogen, or “Fable’s Forest” is inspired by cultural theme parks like the “Efteling” in the Netherlands, as well as by artistic influences of Anton Pieck and Tony DiTerlizzi. 

In Sweden, forest and lake cottages (called “Stuga”) are very common holiday retreats, and they are also often rented out to foreign tourists. However, almost all of these cottages follow the specific pattern of the Swedish countryside: they are simple, clean cottages with very limited amenities. They are designed to eat and sleep, while you spend your days out in nature. However, in practice you will still spend quite some time in your stuga – wouldn’t it be much more fun, especially for your children, if they had a theme to them and would be a form of entertainment by themselves?

The Fabelskogen cottages are each modeled after the homes of the characters from a number of animal fables; Badger is the resident farmer and their cottage overlooks the meadows where organic bees are kept. Beaver is very clever, and their workshop shows you exactly how the Fabelskogen works – great to teach young people about the processes of the natural world!

Holidays + Education + Sustainable Forestry

Our Values

Fabelskogen needs to be a transparent, sensible business with growth potential as well as exercising social responsibility:

A CENTRAL DESIGN ip

The animal fables form a core Intellectual Property and design philosophy which ties everything together, from the cottages to future projects.

Nature plus Nurture

More than just a business, we intend to raise awareness for innovation and sustainability in agroforestry and offer options for local communities.

Multiple Income Sources

Cottages, agroforestry, organic beekeeping and other initiatives we will deploy all combine into a multi-earning model for healthy financials.

Comfort

Cottages are known for their back-to-nature rustic charm. We won’t sacrifice comfort though, so no outhouse or pumping up your own water. 

All of the family welcome

Cottages can accomodate couples as well as small families, up to five people. They are made tough, so family pets can come along just fine. 

Ecology and local support

Local builders and companies, sustainable materials, low energy consumption and ecological footprint. We focus on preserving the forest habitats by raising awareness, skilled forestry and quality investments.

Startup sources

Starting up any initiative that combines real estate, forest management and tourism is going to need a considerable starting budget. Because of this, we are aiming at acquiring budget from various sources.

We are aiming to create a starting point where this initiative is viable with a minimum investment of our own funds. Without further support, this means using a traditional bank loan with backing of a well researched business plan to fund our entire venture.

We believe that the initiatives we’re launching here are interesting for people to support, whether from an ideological standpoint or because of the reward-based crowdfunding.

Combining beekeeping, smallholding and cottage initiatives, we believe we can successfully request support from a number of sources from the Swedish and the EU government to take us through the startup phase.

Our Funding requirements

Below you will find a quick summary on our most immediate funding needs for Fabelskogen. The total funding runs almost 3.4 Million Kronor (almost 400.000 euros) and we will source the costs for the land and the IP through a combination of charitable crowdfunding, reward-based crowdfunding and subsidy support. In addition, we will use a mortgage on the property to start up the cottages. Corporate sponsorships will be considered for specific projects, where applicable and appropriate.

We are not fully funded yet, which means we will implement a Plan B in case we don’t get all the money needed for a full launch. Each plan is described below for each category of investment.

We can shrink the plot size to reduce the greatest investment sink, although we won’t sacrifice on quality of the landscape. This means we will take a longer time to grow. 
We can perform a lot of our own work on the theming, cutting those costs entirely potentially, at the cost of longer lead times and lower quality of work.
By using the option for an interest-free payment plan on the cottage, we can spread out these costs over a number of years, allowing us to match the costs with revenue as we get it. This lowers our profit expectations for the first five years.

Startup Investments (estimate)

Forest plot investment
2.000.000 Swedish Crowns
Infrastructure Costs
500.000 Swedish Crowns
First cottage (Badger's Farmstead)
200.000 Swedish Crowns
Theming and Intellectual Property Development
50.000 Swedish Crowns

Investment Sources (estimate)

Mortgage and Business Loan
2.000.000 Swedish Crowns
EU/Government Subsidies
250.000 Swedish Crowns
Crowdfunding Initiatives
250.000 Swedish Crowns
Personal Investment
250.000 Swedish Crowns
Forest Plot
1%
0
Million Kronor

Acquisition of an attractive lakeside forest plot ranging between 10 and 30 hectares with a good connection to roads and amenities. Preference for of a solid mix of forest, meadow and farmland, covered with a mortgage or business loan.

Plan B: Reduce

We can’t reduce quality here, as we need to have an attractive plot, preferably with water and road connections. But by reducing the size of the land, we can cut down initial costs, at the expense of having to grow at a slower rate.

Theming and Intellectual Property
1%
0
Thousand Kronor

Professional writing and art for the re-imagined fable IP, including the art direction for the theming of the cottages. The IP itself is an investment which can be grown and utilized for secondary revenue sources.

Plan B: Insource

By performing most of this work ourselves, we pay in time instead of money. It also means accepting a lower standard and rate of work, as we are unlikely to match the quality of a talented artist or writer.

Badger's Farmstead
Cottage #1 1%
0
Thousand Kronor

First of the cottages will be a small homestead overlooking the meadows where we keep our organic bees. This cost covers buying and building, as well as theming, the cottages and immediate surroundings.

Plan B: Downpay

By utilizing an interest free downpayment plan on the core cottage, we can match the payment moments of the cottage with incoming revenue. This comes at the cost of lower profit expectations in the first five years.

Infrastructure Costs
Cottage #2 1%
0
Thousand Kronor

This includes general forest management, setting up a hiking trail and associated amenities (such as a picnic spot). It also includes the groundwork required for access to the site from the main road, and finally, website and booking options.

Plan B: Delay

By sticking to necessary infrastructure and website work, we can launch fully equipped but without a hiking trail or amenities, meaning we rely on existing attractions to gather revenue, which means lower initial expected revenue.

Financial Model

We hope to raise at least 2 million SEK in crowdfunding and support, which would allow us to kickstart the business in a single year.

Repayments on the remaining 1.4 million SEK in mortgage would run roughly 70.000 SEK annually.

Initially we expected the upkeep and our cost of living to come from our jobs and products such as organic honey and wax products.

As a touristic and agricultural business we can ask for certain forms of EU and government support, which will help bootstrap the business.

Sweden has a 34% average occupancy on cottage rental, and they can be rented almost throughout the year. At 1000 SEK per rented day, this comes to a total gross annual revenue of 124.000 SEK per cottage. Net profits are expected to be around 71.000 SEK per cottage, after taking deductables into account.

After a period of 5 years, the profits can be reinvested to add another cottage, which would immediately add an addition 71.000 SEK to our profits.

Growth will be slow but sure, without financiall overextending ourselves.

The first five years are about setting up land, cottages and forestry to full capacity. The five years after that are about increasing profits and sustainable, green development. At the fifteen year mark is the expectation that we will have removed all starting debts and the revenue can fully support new development and investments.

Each cottage comes with its own associated agroforestry project, such as green power, beverages or herb mixes and teas, each of which also has its own revenue and profit streams.

Summaries

Are you able to help us?

Because we want to be sustainable and profitable, but not be beholden to the market outside of the bank, we do not use equity, venture or angel investment for our company. We want to strike that perfect balance between being small enough that normal people can help us grow, and big enough that we can survive on our own.

We plan to use crowdfunding, such as GoFundMe, Kickstarter and Patreon, to allow people who want to support us access to special rewards in return for them helping us lift off.
For example, some rewards that you could recive as part of this plan:

Organic Bee Product Subscription

A subscription package that includes such items as annual organic honey, a wax frame stand and raw honey in a frame to keep at your breakfast table, a honey spoon made from wood from our own forest, decorative wax candles or a jar of propolis varnish. Shipment costs apply.

Customized Holiday Stay Packages

Rather than just a stay at our cottages with view of the beegarden, by supporting us you also get the benefits of a guided tour, visiting the bee garden and the forest. We will show you the best sites as well as the things to do in the area around us. Care to enjoy a summer picnic in the fields?

Behind the Scenes Videos and Tutorials

By supporting us you will become a member of our fanclub, including weekly updates and instagram posts, behind-the-scenes info on our projects as well as guides on how to get the most out of your garden, beekeeping or hospitality business.

One-Time Special Rewards at our Smallstead

A runestone carved by a local craftsman to stand at the entrance to the plot with the names of all contributors, the opportunity to help us name our hives, or (e)books with our concept art and project pictures.
Shipment costs apply.

You can find us here:

Patreon

GoFundMe

Kickstarter (tba)

Online Store (tba)