[whitmanft]

I have 3 questions for TargetIndy....
1.Have you made any money from it..?
2.Do you still have it..?
3.Was it worth it..?

[TargetIndy]

Originally Posted by whitmanft

I have 3 questions for TargetIndy....
1.Have you made any money from it..?
2.Do you still have it..?
3.Was it worth it..?

I bought the field back in January. It was an existing field and this is it's 13th year of operation. I'm still in the invest/improve phase, but my numbers thus far show me that it'll be a profitable business. I have a three-year investment phase planned. Once that phase is completed, I should be able to show a reasonable profit.

Was it worth it? Well, that's not a fair question to ask of me. I've been in the sport for 17 years and paintball's become so much a part of my life that can't do anything else. The simple fact that I can stay home and take care of my kids and operate a (presumably) successful business makes it worth it.

[whitmanft]

Now thats what i call a cool answer....good luck....and enjoy!!!!

[Trons]

Its alot easier to start a bussiness when you have the land and nobody arround!

[NO.SPD.LIMIT]

Target....I feel the same way. I've been in business for 4 years and working in the paintball industry for 8. Its all I know at this point. The thing is...where do I go from here

[Section3]

Originally Posted by whitmanft

Are these truths...coming from someone who actually owns a field..?..and secondly it seems it has to be somewhat profitable or no one would open a paintball field...and last but not least w/ paintball growing to 2nd in the extreme sports.. if it cost that much and be that much of a hassle ,how did this sport where it is today..

I do own a field, yes, though perhaps that question was directed at TI. Any business can be profitable, including the paintball business. My field is profitable. It's not paintball that is difficult, it's business. Something like 80% of all businesses go bankrupt within 1 year! Of those surviving the 1st year, 80% of those are gone within 5 years. There is nothing more or less difficult about paintball than any other business you might try to run...the question is, do you have the skill, work ethic, and dedication it takes to actually do something on that level? Do you have a support network to help you with the many various projects you will need to do at the field?

I work almost 40 hours Fri-Sun + I work full time on field projects, odering, other stuff during the week - easily totaling 60-70, sometimes 80 hours a week. If you are about to open a business, any business, are you prepared for this? I think this is what people don't realize, that when you open a field you are really getting married to it. I love what I do. I absolutely love to work and run my own business, but half the people who talk about running a field (or anything for that matter) have no idea what they are in for.

[Wes_B]

I am a Proshop owner and soon to be field owner, as soon a permitting comes through for us, we spent so far around 140,000.00 for our 32 acre complex, We have done a ton of work out there and many times into the night. If you are willing to work, and are dedicated, you can make it work....good thread!

[bunker276]

just kill the dream......

[moe434811]

I have ran a field for 2 years and the money was awesome I think that if I go cheaper than the other fields in our area then I get the business. Don't rap these young players. make paintball fun and affordable, so more people can play thats what I have done and its paid off well.
Sometimes I read forums and think do people write this stuff just to scare their competition....mmmmm..mabe, but I can only say what I have done

[Reddawg]

Moe434811

Are you still in business??

[Scootscr15]

Originally Posted by Tacobueno

quality thread

.

[Horizon]

Originally Posted by moe434811

I have ran a field for 2 years and the money was awesome I think that if I go cheaper than the other fields in our area then I get the business. Don't rap these young players. make paintball fun and affordable, so more people can play thats what I have done and its paid off well.
Sometimes I read forums and think do people write this stuff just to scare their competition....mmmmm..mabe, but I can only say what I have done

What was the name of your field and where was it?

[moe434811]

The Name of the field is EXTREME Shooters Paintball Park.

And 1st weekend in Nov. we will open back up with a tourney. We have done alot of work , like extra forts on woods field and new bunkers for our 5-man field. we have a 9acre woods field and a 4acre field. also a 2-man, 3-man, and 5-man speed ball fields. located on Hwy. 58 west South Boston VA.
WE have the BEST Prices in VA. treat players fair and they will be loyal.
screw 1 player and they will tell the world. contact me if you need any info or products from our proshop, dragonpaintball434@hotmail.com

[jokerdxs]

My father owns a very successful paintball field.
Commando Paintball outside of Ottawa, Ontario.
He bought the business in 1989 from the original owner who i believe started it in 83. The business has been very profitable and we only work April - November. We are a woodsball field, with 1 supair field for our club days and team practices and we also have a tire speedball field. We've got 3 Different player bases 2 of which we make little-no money off of. Our speedballers and Mil sim members. We make very very little money off these players because they pay a membership fee at the beginning of the year to get cheaper paint. Not a big deal they come out often so we like to accommodate to our loyal customers. We make our money off the renters. We are the most expensive field in our area and we are also the only field to Grow in numbers. We have 7 playing fields open to the public. Every field has a netted deadzone(minus our army base field which was just built this year.) He works like a mad man from March - November running the field. Mostly on weekends though we are open during the week by reservation only. We tried hosting fun type tournaments (luck of the draw where everyones name goes in a hat and we pick teams like that. it was decently successful but we don't plan on doing many in the future and we also hosted a Kapital Kaos. ~25 teams of 5 on the field at one time you get 1 point per player eliminated 30 min games and i believe theres 8 games throughout the day. it wasn't really successful but it was fun.) We've moved our field to 3 different locations in 18 years and we've been at our current location for ~10 years. Its very hard work. Don't think because your parents are going to open you a field its going to be open and a instant success or that your going to open a field and make money and play for free all the time. Thats not how it works theres way to much behind the scenes. We had our first day without any customers last Sunday and thats because it was the long weekend. That was the first time my father has played ball all year. Don't think your going to open 1 Sup'air field then be a millionaire because you have the cheapest paint and everyone is going to come running to you.

Yay for a wall of text by me.

TI got a website for your field?

[iiamkevin091]

lol i worked at my field and the management there ran like a volunteer service type thing so they had plenty of workers. lol my boss was playing videos games most of the time

[generalee72]

Well just to add my $.02 for anyone wanting to start a field/store.

I'm still in the "planning" phase of starting a field, and the biggest hurdle for me had been the actual business plan, and making it good. I think that most people, when thinking about starting a business don't have a step by step plan for the future, and If you don't have a written plan for that then you haven't thought it out enough. As TargetIndy stated he has a three-year investment phase planned, now I believe he (and many others) has stated in the past he also has other phases planned. (i.e. updating equipment, upgrade fields, expansion, things like that) Now these are things that most people might have thought of, but haven't actually planned for. That is my main problem with keeping my plan moving, I had a lot of things I was "thinking about" but very little was actually planned for.

I'm an arguably smart person, but my original "plan" was only a notch or 2 above:
1. Collect Underpants
2. ?
3. Profit

Now I have been involved in paintball for about 12 years, and have been active in running multiple different for about 11 of those years. Everything from only reffing and cleaning, to completely running the show and handing all the days paperwork and cash to the owner.

I have no doubt that I could take over an established field, assuming there is a customer base to be had, and a decent set-up I know I could turn a profit. But building one from the ground up is a different story. To use an often used analogy topic. How many of you could move into a beat-up house, and with some time and money turn it into a nice house you could sell for a decent profit. Now for those of you who said you could, how many of you could build a house from the ground up, within all legal boundaries?? Now how many of you could do it without a plan of any kind?? (<-- Thats what alot of people seem to try and do)

My dad is a very successful business man, with a large and somewhat profitable Land Surveying business. One night he asked me "If I gave you $100,000 to start a business, what would you do??" Now of course my answer was to start a paintball field, cause in my mind he was giving me the $$ and that meant about 75% of the work was already done. Well as far as I can now tell the question posed was intended more as inspiration than an offer for cash.

Fortunately for me it did inspire me to pursue the dream instead of just dreaming the dream. Unfortunately for me it also put me in touch with the reality for starting a (any) business. With what I have learned from the core contributers of this forum, and from attempting to write a business plan I hope to get something going this coming spring. With the lessons I have learned from other here I know I will have a fighting chance. All I can say is that if my dad had been stupid enough to cut that check when I 1st started this journey I would be sitting here telling you a definite way how NOT to open a field.

Hopefully I didn't loose anyone in the random jumping around of my thoughts.

[nanpb9496]

cool

[carypearson]

Hey General Lee, this post made a lot of sense...even with the jumping around a bit.

I agree 110% that you need a business plan.

You have to go through every thing from hourly wages and taxes for employees to repair costs and insurance. It is complicated stuff...
Starting any business is...

[Tapper]

Originally Posted by moe434811

I have ran a field for 2 years and the money was awesome I think that if I go cheaper than the other fields in our area then I get the business. Don't rap these young players. make paintball fun and affordable, so more people can play thats what I have done and its paid off well.
Sometimes I read forums and think do people write this stuff just to scare their competition....mmmmm..mabe, but I can only say what I have done

Opening up a new field at my existing swim and sport complex, 23 yrs in business , Thinking more like you on pricing. Just my opinion but the math seems to support this. I'd rather make $20 profit avg. per customer off 3 people than $30 off 1. Some of these kids just want to play and are going to be loyal to the one who gives them the most bang for the buck. The more people you have coming in spreading the word the more you'll make on everything you offer. Last thought, first time I played I dropped about $100 in 3 hrs with my then 16 yr old and he had his own gear, I rented, purchased 1 case Field paint. Done my homework, this almost caused me to never play again. How many times does that happen in our industry. Overcharging is keeping out valuable customers.

[moe434811]

Well Tapper you sound like a older reasonable business man. I have seen people say " I would love to play this weekend BUT, I cant afford it!

no no no !!!! I want people to say Moe, has the best prices and I'll drive 2 hours to go play with him!

I am close to Danville VA. in South Boston VA. and I have people from Richmond about every other weekend playing and comeing in the store.

BEST PRICES IN VA. AND I STAND BEHIND THAT!
and I think I have more paint choices than most fields. I carry 9 diff. brands of quality paint.

and dont say we have XO and we have vareity, cause that is the same company. XO Crap, More Crap, Then XO ok, Then XO worth shooting, and last Xo, I cant afford!
what I'm saying is....dont carry 1 brand and advertise diff paint cause its all the same paint, just lower grade to high grade. XO has some great paint just useing them as And example.

[no_caffeine]

Target, get thread hopefully it'll put an end to many ridiculous other ones.

I think you should throw in something about how opening an account with NPS is 10g's, that alone makes 95% of the people i've heard that wanna open up a field turn back early.