STARTING AN INDOOR PLAYGROUND

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. Soft Play® playgrounds can be designed to fit any size or budget.

• 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.

• 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?

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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:

• How many children are in your community (ages 0-12)?

• Do you have enough physical space for a playground?

• Are there many tourists in your area, or primarily residents?

• 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.