How To Get A Fabulous Indoor Playground Business On A Tight Budget

In an earlier blog post, I spoke that the 7 things I do in my indoor playground business as I have matured and grown as a company owner.
I chased Michael Hyatt, who, in many of his books and programs continuously refers to designing your perfect weeks and days as"the appetite zone." Running within your desire zone, as he explains it, only means you're spending the bulk of your time doing what you love AND are good at.
When there are many tasks I cut completely and a few I delegate to better-suited team members, there are several responsibilities that still lie inside my"desire zone," and that I feel are important for me to manage personally. While this is continually changing as my priorities (both professionally and personally) evolve, these are 5 of the tasks that I'm not giving up only yet for a company proprietor.



At Climbing Vines Cafe and Play, we've chosen our exceptional personal birthday parties as the main focus of our business.
Due to this focus, I've chosen to plan the primary aspects of each party we sponsor. When someone publications their occasion with us, they receive a detailed confirmation that includes my own contact information and mentions that I'm in touch as their event draws near.
While I don't normally handle the execution of our celebrations, I do act as the major touchpoint for parents and collect all of their information and tastes. Ten days before each celebration, I send a personalized celebration"questionnaire" which comprises all of the details we have gathered up to this point, provides additional day-of info, and inquires about last-minute details.
I answer all queries that the host may have in response to this email and-- after a few back-and-forth communication-- I list all of their event info on that which we call a"celebration prep sheet" Based on customers' choices, I make a list for all of our vendors (catering, party supplies, balloons, paper goods, etc.) and will usually have a team member complete the purchasing and arrange all the supplies so they are grouped by party. Since we have up to 6 all-inclusive events in 1 weekend, this organization is indispensable!
The party-prep sheet is an extremely detailed document that makes it possible for our party hosts to do the event to the specific specifications of their parents, leaving no stone unturned. This has allowed me to have most weekends free nonetheless still feel convinced we are providing an above-and-beyond birthday celebration experience.
After the party, we deliver a questionnaire to every hosting household. Should they have feedback, whether it be positive or negative, I always follow up personally. This closes the loop on clients' experience and makes sure they understand I truly care about their child's special day. This process has resulted in a significant amount of repeat bookings and consistent testimonials from previous parties.
Not merely is planning these celebrations some thing that I excel in, but I also take great joy in it. Event planning is the way I got into this business in the first place, therefore I am more than happy to take on this endeavor. If I am ever feeling overwhelmed with the details, I understand I've amazing team members that I can lean on.



Speaking of our incredible team members, another job I choose to get a hand in is our hiring and firing process. While I really do leave the final decision up to our cafe supervisor, I would rather write the project posts and descriptions and filter through resumes and applications before bringing anyone in for a meeting.
Having spent many years hiring and firing my fair share of employees, it's easy for me to see red-flags on software and also find"diamonds in the rough" Since we have the majority of our standard operating procedures documented and optimized, I prefer to hire based on personality and excitement rather than experience.
I also make sure I welcome each worker to our staff and touch base with them frequently to check in and gather feedback from them.


Since I no longer spend some time doing these 7 things (and more!) , my energy and time are freed up to investigate what our ideal clients want and need and find out a way to incorporate that into our business model.
As an instance, I discovered that our birthday party bookings were slowing down at the Summer. When I requested a couple of customers, they mentioned that they DID love our occasions and attention-to-detail but chosen a Summer celebration to be outside at their residence (since many have backyards and pools). We then began offering mobile events, where we'd bring decorations, food, and activities for your kids to their houses, and it was a hit!
Another illustration is our events. We are always adding fun new occasions that allow clients, particularly working parents with limited weekday accessibility, to see us outside of hours and get an enhanced experience through the theme of the event, course, or activity.
If I were I still doing EVERY job in my enterprise, I would not have nearly enough time to do as much research or innovation.


When it comes to understanding how to innovate and what to offer, it starts with forging a real connection with customers.
It is for this reason that I love interacting with our clients all time (when I can) and on social media. I opt to work parties, events, and even open-play if my family's schedule allows it so I can stay involved and aware of what is occurring during the day. It also gives me the opportunity to observe how clients are using our space firsthand and listen to any concerns or questions they have. Although in this age of technology you can find testimonials, types, and surveys, I have found that NOTHING can replace using a face-to-face conversation with clients using your distance (and probably visits competitors too!)
It's for this reason that you will even see billionaire CEOs seeing retail places on a regular basis. Howard Schultz, the former CEO of Starbucks, was renowned for seeing hundreds of stores across the nation each year, spending time with all the clients who were spending their cash on his products.
I love being a family owned and operated business, and that I love for my customers to know that I am completely invested in their own happiness.


While I do one-on-one consulting for people hoping to open indoor playground equipment (www.twitarcade.com) playgrounds, I do spend a significant quantity of time creating absolutely free content for them on my blog and over on YouTube. I also have a totally free, 44-page eBook to get play-cafe-owning hopefuls they can download right on our website or simply by clicking here.
If a person consumes that free info and determines they still would like to move forward with their plans, I have an internet program named Play Cafe Academy in which I help entrepreneurs gain from daydream to opening-day in less time and with less stress than they ever believed possible.
When I was studying this business model, there was not a lot of info out there. Current owners actually keep all their business secrets close to their vest, and I don't blame them! Even if you charge a consulting fee, you are still sort of giving away the secrets that you have worked so difficult for and it's very easy as a company owner to acquire a little smug and protective of your own research and development.
When it came time to open my own business, I ended up making a slew of mistakes (and I mean a TON of errors ) because I simply did not know any better. When I started getting emails and calls to consult for additional potential play cafe owners, I could not keep this information to myself. While it's easy for me to feel like an imposter or that there are other business owners more capable than me to share this information, I understand that there's a 4-years-ago me sitting somewhere waiting for the next concept to leap out in them.
And honestly, I don't need to see one more company close because somebody who is walked before them didn't share any information! So why not discuss it myself?!
But my time is valuable. I have two small kids and run another company... I don't have 12 hours to spend hand-holding each perspective owner through the procedure. (And allow me to tell you, it will require at least 12 to 24 hours of compensated one-on-one consulting to break the surface of what you require, such as documentation.)
Students can go through these modules at their own speed, and I do not need to take the time to walk my pupils through the program.
This enables me to assist other entrepreneurs along their path while at the same time reserving time and energy that I want for my family and other commitments.
I understand many owners that choose to do all the things inside their small business, and it works for them since we all have distinct"desire zones."
Are and can design my"perfect" weeks accordingly. If I was still burning the candle on both ends trying to tackle everything , I would do myself, my loved ones, and my clients a major disservice.