How to start an Indoor play ground
Looking to join the growing market for indoor playgrounds or want to boost an existing business? According to the research , increased disposable income and health awareness have greatly benefited the children’s fitness center franchise industry, which includes indoor playgrounds. From 2012 to 2017, the industry saw 1.7 percent annual growth, and it is expected to continue to grow. Parents, teachers and caretakers are working hard to combat childhood obesity, resulting in high demand for engaging playgrounds.
If you are excited to join a growing industry, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll share business basics and insight to help you open your own indoor play center.
WHO SHOULD START AN INDOOR PLAYGROUND?
Whether you manage a museum, own a retail center, run a family-friendly restaurant, or want to start up a family entertainment center, adding an indoor playground or play attraction will attract families and help your business grow. Bettaplay playgrounds can be designed to fit any size or budget.
A comfortable and enticing play area encourages families to take their time browsing, shopping, dining or socializing. You might consider adding indoor playground equipment to your business if you own or manage a:
1, Museum
2, Store
3, Restaurant
4, Family entertainment center
5, Church
6, Trampoline park
7, Any amusement area that you want to make kid-friendly
When kids are happy, parents are happy. A playground helps keep customers relaxed and content no matter where they are.
WHY START AN INDOOR PLAYGROUND?
Indoor playgrounds are gaining popularity because they offer comfortable and secure play areas, and they give kids a chance to burn energy regardless of weather conditions. Parents and caretakers can relax as kids freely explore fun games and stimulating activities.
Also, parents realize the importance of physical activity in childhood. According to the American Heart Association, obesity is the number one concern of parents today, and the prevalence of childhood obesity has more than tripled since the 1970s. Indoor play areas encourage physical activity in a way that is fun. Kids are more motivated to burn calories and stay fit when they are busy laughing and playing. It is also vital that children regularly play to relieve stress, make friends and develop important cognitive skills.
Parents also want to get their kids away from TV and computer screens. The average American child spends five to seven hours a day in front of a screen. Too much screen time makes it hard to sleep at night, increases the risk of attention problems and limits physical activity. With the demand to help kids get healthy and away from the screen, it’s the perfect time to open an indoor playground business.
An indoor playground business can be highly profitable in areas where there is a large population of children and where parents have disposable income. Similarly, communities that experience long winters or frequent rain showers can benefit from indoors playgrounds. There are plenty of reasons to start an indoor playground in your existing business or from scratch. Here are some of the benefits for your business:
1,Attract customers and keep them coming back: Families and children will want to visit business.s that offer fun and create positive memories. In a restaurant with a playground, for example, families are more likely to linger, enjoy their meal and return because everyone can enjoy themselves.
2,Set yourself apart from competitors: Say you own a health and fitness center. Down the street is another gym. Imagine you have a childcare area full of colorful, exciting playground equipment in your fitness center, and the other location does not. Which fitness center are busy parents more likely to choose?
3,Build brand loyalty: You can choose to display logos and company colors when you design your playground. A custom playground is an easy way to advertise your brand and build customer loyalty. If customers have a great time at your business, they’ll remember your name and will surely return.
4,Tailored play experiences: You can build a playground that meets your targeted customers’ needs and promotes stimulating, fun play for all ages. Customers’ children will enjoy the physical and mental benefits of play when they visit your business.
5,Make customers feel welcome: Your business will make customers feel comfortable bringing their children to your establishment. A kid-friendly environment that promotes play will encourage customers to come back time and time again.
PLANNING YOUR PLAYGROUND
Before you start an indoor playground business, you need to create a business plan. Your indoor playground business plan should include your budget, marketing techniques, a mission statement and operation procedures such as cleaning and maintenance. You will also need to research competitors to learn how to offer something new and interesting at a reasonable price.
STARTING AN INDOOR PLAYGROUND: MARKET RESEARCH AND LOCATION
The goal of your market research will be to discover valuable customer information, such as how many children are in your area, and how much demand exists for an indoor playground. You also need to research what customers are willing to spend money on and where they want to go. To find this information, you can study customers directly through surveys, interviews or online polls. You can also use the information other similar businesses have already collected. Your research will aim to answer the following questions:
1,How many children are in your community (ages 0-12)?
2,Do you have enough physical space for a playground?
3,Are there many tourists in your area, or primarily residents?
4,How will you differentiate from competition?
Knowing your customer’s age, income, lifestyle and other important demographic information is a good place to start. You can hire a market research company to do the work for you, or you can use online analytics tools and do the job yourself. With many potential customers using social media sites, you can find great demographic data online.
Next, learn about your competition. Look at companies that are relatively the same size as yours, and which serve the same geographic location. Visit your competitors’ social networks and websites to learn what they are doing. Also, visit their customers’ social media pages and read their reviews and comments about competing businesses. Learn what competitors charge for their products or services, and consider how you can offer something different. The goal is to determine how you can stand out from competition and offer customers something exciting and unique at a price they can afford.
Location is crucial to the success of an indoor playground business. Picking a location near a high traffic draw like a mall or shopping center will help bring in more foot traffic, or select a location based on a high tourist area. For the building, remember to consider building height depending on the type of structure you want. For example, you may need upwards of 15 feet for a 3 story play structure.
BUDGET
How much money do you need to start an indoor playground? A lot depends on the size and type of equipment you want to purchase. Obviously, a large elaborate play center is going to cost more than a single piece of playground equipment. The price is up to you and your business goals. Note that standalone play equipment can be a great option if you are limited on space or budget.
In general, you’ll need to determine the following two factors:
How big of a playground do you need to handle the number of customers (based on your busiest day of the week)?
How many playable activities do you want in your playground?
Your budget should include:
Total start-up costs, including rent and insurance
Costs to operate the indoor playground such as utilities and salaries
Marketing and other expenses necessary to support the business
Estimated or expected profits
To be continued...
