[UNDRPRVLGD]

Originally Posted by anevez

where in okc is this gonna be and when??

Not sure on either
Still looking at locations

[UNDRPRVLGD]

Originally Posted by Slugfest

4. To get players during the week, your gonna have to come up with a bomb promotion. just my opinion.

Ive posted above in a list of as a free day
Where players only pay for air
and of course they can buy paint

[UNDRPRVLGD]

Originally Posted by K-9

For the lights, I would put very small woven grates over them.
So as soon as the ball hits, it breaks.
Clean up would be a pain, but cant argue with safety and not having to worry about your bulbs being shot up.

Yes I do not want players to become hurt due to broken glass

[UNDRPRVLGD]

Originally Posted by sumsemperfi

id love to play during the week.. i hate only bn able to play weekends.. thats why i havent gotten to go as much as i want to.. and the expensive paint/ air/field fees.. like 10 bucks to air up on air thats free.. but i do understand that the compressors for hp run about2-4 grand.. byop is good but bad... ive been drilled in the ear on a 3 shot burst with old paint and shootin hot tryin to get off the field not a good feeling.. if u ever needed any help id be more than willing to help out just pm me.. as for ideas im dont really have any.. is it gonna be air up or barrles out side..?

BYOP makes players okay with bringing what they may have allows to buy paint at the field ... But Ive been talking with XO and KEE about very good paint prices
All Air Bunkers of course

[UNDRPRVLGD]

Originally Posted by Wakewarrior7

This is probably the woods/ scenario player in me, but i would love to see an urban course. I realize it would be hard to plant trees in the city, unless it is a ficus, which my car insurance covers in case it falls on my car. So imho, I think an urban course is a great compromise.

Also, I think that with a little door-2-door advertising, you could probably get some corporations and churchs to attend as a team building thing. Hell, I bet my job would love to play against other stores.

Like i said, just my $1.05

I want the over all building to be somewhere where you the player came come and chill on the couch watch the newest paintball DVD or play xbox etc ... Paintball is huge in my life but I also love laxing around

The Urban course is a good idea but not the main streams player area

With the local business that is something I want

[UNDRPRVLGD]

Originally Posted by p8ntballervamp

I think this is also a great idea.
I agree with sumsemperfi, playing during the week for me would be a plus.
Im not to big on the byop though, isnt fun to get shot up with old paint.
I could also help out if you needed help.
I have a crappy job right now that I would be willing to drop and come help you out if you needed. PM me.
Have you found a location yet and when do you plan on getting this up and runnning?

I havent found a decent location to support what I want to see yet
Again BYOP is to simulate over all paint sales

[UNDRPRVLGD]

Originally Posted by FKH Army

While most of your thoughts are admirable, one stands out and out shines the rest.
BYOP with no fee…. Really???

You realize that no other indoor in this area has lasted more than a couple of years before closing their doors, and none of them tried BYOP…
because that’s how you pay your bills.

But if you’re just building your field of dreams, for whatever reason, good luck.

Will you have it open by April 1st?

When I can get players white box for 22 a case
Or draxxus Silver for 35 etc
Why would the player want to buy anywhere else
I think that one huge lose over all about fields is that they only make money from paintball
Reason why I want a vendor to sell foods
A tech and pro shop
Other areas to make over all money to pay for the business
Also there hasn't ever to my knowledge a indoor outdoor field all in one

About April 1st ... Sadly no

[UNDRPRVLGD]

I'm not in a rush to be a sad over all statistic about paintball
I want to get as much feed back and set down with my people to discuss these issues ... So by the more feedback I get the better this can be ... Thank you all and keep it coming

[gooseboy]

Sent you a PM..

[FKH Army]

Actually, there was a field in San Antonio that had both an indoor and outdoor field.

Have you had any retail or foodservice experience? I'm talking about more than running a register or just cooking food? Because I'm not sure you're going to make the two year mark.

April 1st... Think about it.

[paintballskaguy]

Hey dude, this would be awesome!
just some of my thoughts:
#1: You need to appeal to the woodsballers, that is where you make your money. Tournament players look for too many handouts and freebies to make money from them.
#2: Saw this at IP in Tulsa many times, Tournament guys going in and shooting the crap out of new players. Be careful with that and make sure to try to keep them under control.
#3: someone said something about an urban course, that is a great idea! You could rent out to police, national guard, ect. for training. At one of the fields up here, the marines showed up for a 24 hr drill.
#4: If you do indoors, lighting is VERY important, it's just not worth it if you can't see what your shooting at. My suggestion is chicken wire shields that clip on the lights.
#5: IP in tulsa used to do a special thing on wednesdays, called it white box wednesday. It was like $50 a case of paint and no entry or air fees. That was fun.

That's all I got for now.

[generalee72]

Wow, this is kinda funny to me. You are telling my story. Except mine is kinda on the back burner for now.

13 years in sport- Check
Sgt. USMC - Check (out in 05)
3 Time War Vet - Check (2- Iraq & 1- Afghanistan)
In Oklahoma to build "Field of Dreams" - Check (I moved here)

Well without getting to carried away I could copy paste you whole thread, with minor editing, and tell you my story. But I digress.....

I will echo what was said about using the G.I. Bill for business classes. I would also recommend getting Business Plan software, I like Business Plan Pro, I got it and it came with some great examples and templates. Even for a VA loan you will need a very good business plan.

You should pay close attention to what GatSplat has done down in Dallas. He is very generous with his advise, and I have even seen him openly invite prospective Field Owners to come see his field and get a "tour" or what he's done. He also recommends traveling the country to see what other fields have done, noting that if you don't have the money to travel a bit for "research" then you don't have the money to open a field.

PBaskaguy made some good points, except the edit to #1 is that you make most you money on rec-ballers, (i.e. weekend warriors, groups, parties) and most of those guys don't like to play ALL speed/air ball courses. So you have to have some good rec-fields and keep the tourney players off.

[sumsemperfi]

actually me n a friend of mine wanted to make an urban course for mil sim and suck..just old crushed cars on both sides of the road and mayb half build play houses or something.. and may b to help lighting.. is a drop in ceiling with light if u get the white tiles it will help alot in reflecting the light.. i am actually a union carpenter and have some experience with this stuff.. the only prob with a drop in ceiling is people shooting it now u have little spots all over ur tiles.. but should also help with sound just a thought.. id back u all the way n tell every one i know about the field..

[woodskilla]

lighting i think is the most important for an indoor feild. i would protect them with removable plexi glass. so you could take it out and clean it and still protect the lights.

and i would look into the mustang area for places for the indoor. because it isn't that far off the city and a highway leads you right into the center of mustang.

just my 2 cents

[UNDRPRVLGD]

Originally Posted by FKH Army

Actually, there was a field in San Antonio that had both an indoor and outdoor field.

Have you had any retail or foodservice experience? I'm talking about more than running a register or just cooking food? Because I'm not sure you're going to make the two year mark.

April 1st... Think about it.

Yes and Yes
Thanks for being so optimistic ... Why do you think that way?

[UNDRPRVLGD]

Originally Posted by generalee72

I will echo what was said about using the G.I. Bill for business classes. I would also recommend getting Business Plan software, I like Business Plan Pro, I got it and it came with some great examples and templates. Even for a VA loan you will need a very good business plan.

You should pay close attention to what GatSplat has done down in Dallas. He is very generous with his advise, and I have even seen him openly invite prospective Field Owners to come see his field and get a "tour" or what he's done. He also recommends traveling the country to see what other fields have done, noting that if you don't have the money to travel a bit for "research" then you don't have the money to open a field.

PBaskaguy made some good points, except the edit to #1 is that you make most you money on rec-ballers, (i.e. weekend warriors, groups, parties) and most of those guys don't like to play ALL speed/air ball courses. So you have to have some good rec-fields and keep the tourney players off.

Very good points and those are things I have thought about as well ...

[abcd205]

Originally Posted by UNDRPRVLGD

When I can get players white box for 22 a case
Or draxxus Silver for 35 etc
Why would the player want to buy anywhere else
I think that one huge lose over all about fields is that they only make money from paintball
Reason why I want a vendor to sell foods
A tech and pro shop
Other areas to make over all money to pay for the business
Also there hasn't ever to my knowledge a indoor outdoor field all in one

About April 1st ... Sadly no

What about all the sponsored players who get paint for cheaper than you do? They'll bring it and with no fees they bring a lot. You'll be making no money off of them. I'm going to say listen to FKH army or anyother person who has been in the Oklahoma paintball scene for many years because they'll give you then information you need. It's a hard business to run, especially indoor, and he's trying to set you up to be successful.

[generalee72]

Originally Posted by abcd205

What about all the sponsored players who get paint for cheaper than you do? They'll bring it and with no fees they bring a lot. You'll be making no money off of them. I'm going to say listen to FKH army or anyother person who has been in the Oklahoma paintball scene for many years because they'll give you then information you need. It's a hard business to run, especially indoor, and he's trying to set you up to be successful.

Now admittedly i haven't been in the Oklahoma Paintball scene long, but I believe I know what I'm talking about. Now your sponsored players don't make up a huge portion of you profitable demographic, so you don't want to risk pushing away potential customers with "extra fee's" or FPO if you don't HAVE to. The biggest concern with the sponsored players is making sure they are not undercutting your business by selling their paint at your field. And ensuring rentals use your paint, a "My makers, My paint only" is a relatively easy policy to enforce.

Now as a player I have great disdain for FPO fields, but as a prospective owner I have come to see the need for FPO.(or at least a BYOP fee) BYOP is a concept that can be successful, but you need fair pricing and a good flow of people.

Now I am absolutely not dogging FKH Army (or any other individual) cause all his posts I have seen are good, and useful. But just cause someone has been around a while doesn't mean they know jack about setting up a successful paintball business. They might have good advice for appealing to a certain crowd (i.e. tourney players) but that might not help you pay the bills.

[FKH Army]

Originally Posted by UNDRPRVLGD

Yes and Yes
Thanks for being so optimistic ... Why do you think that way?

Call it "tough love" or a healthy dose of realism. From the model you have laid out, there is no way you can meet your monthly bills, much less make payments on the loan you'll have to pay back. Between Yellow pages, electric, water, sewer, and trash your looking at al least $1000 a month. If you start heating or cooling the indoor triple that. Unless you borrow about $750K+ to buy your property then there's that rent check every month. Then you get to make a payment on that loan you took out. The most successful indoor in Oklahoma, not AW or IP sorry, started without a loan payment and still struggled to make ends meet.

To answer Generalee72; Since you haven't been in the Oklahoma Scene that long, you haven't seen all success and failures in this market. I played at the first field opened in Oklahoma and I've had many friends that have run successful fields here and in Texas, I helped start the Oklahoma Paintball Players Assc. that ran their own tournament series for several years. I've played the national circuit and watched it evolve. Enough of the bio crap.

I know that a profitable field can't survive without FPO. Trying to charge extra for BYOP is an enforcement nightmare, let's face it `ballers think cheating is a game skill so what's one more broken rule. As far as "tournament players" go, the fewer you you have the better. 95% of your income comes from rec players, most of that from large groups that come back on a regular basis. Beginning players will spend three times as much at your proshop, the longer they're around the less they spend. Eventually they get all the gear they need or figure out cheaper(internet) ways of getting it.

The Gatsplat owner is an awesome dude and has a great setup. But his market is ten times bigger with alot more disposable income. Not to mention that Gatsplat is a side business for him, he owns one of the largest mail order scuba business' in the world, so slow times of the year he can write off as a loss.

[[insert funny name]]

Hi i live in OKC and i love to play paintball. I am ecstatic to hear that there is a new field that is coming to town. I will tell you one thing that every paintballer loves to have when they go to a field. That is good refs and a good facility. I would love to have a new field in town that i can go to on weekends, with a little charisma and sportmanship people will come alot more. Its also great to hear that you are serious about this because i would come evey weekend. If it is your dream to open a paint ball field then let nothing hold you back.

[[insert funny name]]

Originally Posted by FKH Army

Call it "tough love" or a healthy dose of realism. From the model you have laid out, there is no way you can meet your monthly bills, much less make payments on the loan you'll have to pay back. Between Yellow pages, electric, water, sewer, and trash your looking at al least $1000 a month. If you start heating or cooling the indoor triple that. Unless you borrow about $750K+ to buy your property then there's that rent check every month. Then you get to make a payment on that loan you took out. The most successful indoor in Oklahoma, not AW or IP sorry, started without a loan payment and still struggled to make ends meet.

To answer Generalee72; Since you haven't been in the Oklahoma Scene that long, you haven't seen all success and failures in this market. I played at the first field opened in Oklahoma and I've had many friends that have run successful fields here and in Texas, I helped start the Oklahoma Paintball Players Assc. that ran their own tournament series for several years. I've played the national circuit and watched it evolve. Enough of the bio crap.

I know that a profitable field can't survive without FPO. Trying to charge extra for BYOP is an enforcement nightmare, let's face it `ballers think cheating is a game skill so what's one more broken rule. As far as "tournament players" go, the fewer you you have the better. 95% of your income comes from rec players, most of that from large groups that come back on a regular basis. Beginning players will spend three times as much at your proshop, the longer they're around the less they spend. Eventually they get all the gear they need or figure out cheaper(internet) ways of getting it.

The Gatsplat owner is an awesome dude and has a great setup. But his market is ten times bigger with alot more disposable income. Not to mention that Gatsplat is a side business for him, he owns one of the largest mail order scuba business' in the world, so slow times of the year he can write off as a loss.

Wow thats alot of negative things to say, or it may just be realistic. But i dont think new players will spends 3 times as much at a proshop as regular players. sure internet might take away some profit but most players like to feel and see that products before they buy them.