[MOOSE KNUCKLE MIKE]

Anyone have a laid out successful business plan they don't mind sharing?

I'm thinking of starting of a field/pro-shop as WV only has one and it's trash. So I'm thinking of filling a needed void mostly for tournament style players.

I will obviously need a business loan but first a business plan.

Any help out there?

Mike

[GatSplat]

Tournament Players Easy 3 Step Business Plan

1) Build a place Tournament Players Want (So you have the smallest possible demographic of customers available)
2) Have them ***** About The Pricing
3) Go out of Business and Lose Your Entire Investment

Easy!

[cyberpyr8]

Originally Posted by GatSplat

Tournament Players Easy 3 Step Business Plan

1) Build a place Tournament Players Want (So you have the smallest possible demographic of customers available)
2) Have them ***** About The Pricing
3) Go out of Business and Lose Your Entire Investment

Easy!

Hahaha basically this. ^^^^

You will find your more successful fields (financially) cater to rec players, rentals and families, not tournament players. Every field I have worked for, been apart of or helped out has said the same thing.

Remember, they are going to be a small percentage of the people that come to play. Even though they will come out every week if you're lucky, they don't want to spend a bunch of money on paint or field fees. They aren't renting and the large amount of paintballs they buy compared to a rental group, they want discounted. And at the drop of a hat they will leave you if something better comes along. I have watched the local scene here migrate between 3 fields because field X offered them something "better". Though they complain about all of them. Not the ideal customers.

The mom and dads spending $300+ for a group of 10 year olds to play paintball for an hour plus cake and any other birthday add ons you offer, are going to be more beneficial to the field. If you give them a good experience, they will tell other people or maybe you convert a player to come back and play regularly (at regular prices). Our home field does tons of parties each week and they are doing really well. In fact, they just removed the speedball field to make more rec fields. While I hate to see it go, I understand the business.

Just be realistic about this. If you are borrowing money, you need to make it back to pay off the debt. You need to cater to the people that are actually going to pay your bills. You can offer a speedball field, but rec players should be your your focus. Good refs and a great experience are going to help with that. All the air bunkers in the world aren't going to overcome a bad experience.

[Camball_16]

^ very true indeed about them tournament players. That’s one of the main reasons why my field made it passed 10 years now.
Don’t go borrowing money unless you must. Pay it off quickly if you can.
Depends on your geography, your slowest season is where you want to cut back on anything you can adjust.
Keep the field looking nice. No one wants to play in a landfill.