In September, when the kids start back in school, my skatepark was slow, even on the weekends. Kids who normally would be coming to the park were active with school friends doing things outside, or somewhere else. For this reason I recommend that in late August, early September, it is OK for you to take a break, have some vacation time with your loved ones, see your family, recharge. When I was running the park I took off very few days, and this is not healthy for your relationships, your health, and your sanity. While I understand the need to stay open, such as high rent, not wanting to miss out on potential members, or whatever, I also understand that the energy you need to meet the busy winter, the resetting of your moods and whatever else a little time off would do are also important. There are several ways you can take a break and still feel like you are doing something, but you don't have to. Your staff could use a break too, so why not now?
1. The working holiday- Take a break yourself from all that you have to do with the park while your expert builders redesign a new obstacle, or have your manager rework your inventory, inspect and justify all your supplies, and design and implement a new fall sale. The idea here is that others can keep working to have a great kickoff for fall while you take a needed break. Hopefully you ended the summer with a flush of summer camp money, and this can help take care of these expenses.
2. The total break- everyone is off for a week or two (or 3 if you can afford it). This will help everyone get things done they have been putting off, see their folks.
3. Trusted management keeps the place open. This is an owner's break and doesn't mean that you have to not keep running. If you have staff you trust, then they should be able to keep the park running while you are away. Several things are needed for this to work however. As I stated earlier, if you end of summer was anything like mine, it could be really slow and then having a staff on would be costly for what little gain you would have. Plus what would having it open do to your anxiety level? Ask yourself if you would constantly want to know how things were going, and whether this would interrupt your break. If you are OK with this type of stressor, then would having a check-in plan help? Maybe you have a call to you every other day, or something like that. You can also install, if you haven't already, web cams to watch what is going on in your park. These could be a good idea for security purposes anyway and could be hooked up to a website that would record days worth of video. Whatever you do, think of your sanity and peace of mind first.
In the end you are looking for a good time to catch some rest. By taking a slow time of year off, you can address your personal needs while not hurting your bottom line. The thing you want to avoid in doing this, is taking random breaks that are unannounced and not really posted. Don't just lock your door and go on vacation, give the people proper warning first, say 2 or more weeks of notice.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
A first review of the new book From Concrete Disciples.com
Hey everyone - check out a great resource and look at the new review of the book (official release date is Aug. 15th. Check out the site and the review at http://www.concretedisciples.com/feature-skateboarding-articles/skateboard-product-reviews/item/4308-the-skatepark-owners-manual.html
While your are at it, why not check out another good resource for promoting yourself and your events from the owner of Charm City Skate Park: http://www.globalskateboardingnetwork.com/
Enjoy!
While your are at it, why not check out another good resource for promoting yourself and your events from the owner of Charm City Skate Park: http://www.globalskateboardingnetwork.com/
Enjoy!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Make the Most of Your Skatepark Staff
As a business owner you will need to have staff at times even if you are small to make all the hours you need to be open successful. As a skatepark, this staff can languish behind the counter. Making sure that these people are fully working will allow you ensure the most work for your money.
1. Staff sales goals. Give your staff incentives to meet the sales goals you want. You can even have a fun competition on memberships, multiple punch entrance cards, camps, or lessons. Whatever you have to sell could be put into the goal. You don't have to just make it fun either, this could be a good tool for reviewing who is working well in this environment. If someone consistently doesn't make the goals, more training or another job could be called for.
2. Training. Staff needs to be brought in for training so they know what to do, when, and how to sell your stuff. You can go over areas needing work, or what weekly projects need to be done on the slower times.
3. Projects. All people like being part of a plan. Make a few projects. Have them plan an event start to finish, review it and give them feedback. If they are at the front desk have them file, fill out mailers, straighten, clean. Give them a work checklist.
4. Staff parties. Plan on having the staff out to a party to celebrate them. Usually Christmas is the time of office parties, but you could do a seasonal one. Showing your appreciation of them will help them stay happy.
5. Give them written reviews of their performance. Pepper the bad with good as well. Have a 1 on 1 meeting with each and go over what you see. Listen to their ideas, their complaints, their praise, and things that you can fix, fix.
Above all, get the most out of your employees by making them do more than just sit there waiting. They will be happier and will help your park's success.
1. Staff sales goals. Give your staff incentives to meet the sales goals you want. You can even have a fun competition on memberships, multiple punch entrance cards, camps, or lessons. Whatever you have to sell could be put into the goal. You don't have to just make it fun either, this could be a good tool for reviewing who is working well in this environment. If someone consistently doesn't make the goals, more training or another job could be called for.
2. Training. Staff needs to be brought in for training so they know what to do, when, and how to sell your stuff. You can go over areas needing work, or what weekly projects need to be done on the slower times.
3. Projects. All people like being part of a plan. Make a few projects. Have them plan an event start to finish, review it and give them feedback. If they are at the front desk have them file, fill out mailers, straighten, clean. Give them a work checklist.
4. Staff parties. Plan on having the staff out to a party to celebrate them. Usually Christmas is the time of office parties, but you could do a seasonal one. Showing your appreciation of them will help them stay happy.
5. Give them written reviews of their performance. Pepper the bad with good as well. Have a 1 on 1 meeting with each and go over what you see. Listen to their ideas, their complaints, their praise, and things that you can fix, fix.
Above all, get the most out of your employees by making them do more than just sit there waiting. They will be happier and will help your park's success.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Summer doesn't have to mean the slow season
Often when the sun is out and the weather is hot, indoor skatepark's business slows. But it doesn't have to be the low point of your financial year. With all the kids out of school, now is a good opportunity to promote yourself, generate new business and run things that can really make your financial year. Here are 10 suggestions for this summer to make the most of the time that kids are off.
1. Camps. Camps need to be scheduled for the summer time. Parents are looking for things for their kids to do, and you can provide a supervised, interesting experience for their kids that they will talk about the rest of the summer. Varying from a morning 1/2 day session to a full day, your camp can take advantage of your assets. In addition, you will make your employees happy with additional ways of making money in a fun and structured session. If you have a van or can work out travel, you can make a full day experience for the kids with trips to a pool, other parks, basketball, or to get ice cream. The easiest scenerio is to have a 1/2 day camp. At Rain City Skatepark we offered families the ability to stay all day in a 1/2 day structured and an additional 1/2 day unstructured. We charged additional for the kids to stick around and staffed it with responsible teenagers to look after them. As a note, you should contact your insurance person if you are adding driving and van issues to your service as this might need additional coverage.
2. Overnight - why not have a "sleepover" at the park. Filled with Pizza, music, games, and skating.
3. Private parties - promote renting the park for parties.
4. Music nights - get a dj to make a regular event night for skaters
5. Contests
6. Demos
7. Send the skateteam out into the public with fliers or other promotions.
8. Special Bonus Night - like 2 for one or member bring a friend night.
9. How to build a ramp- "value added" shop class for a fee
10. Sponsor me contest- become a skatepark skater.
Every event that is not charging entrance the focus needs to be on selling memberships, drinks, food, and merchandise. This will help make what some perceive to be a "free day"a profitable day. Good luck.
1. Camps. Camps need to be scheduled for the summer time. Parents are looking for things for their kids to do, and you can provide a supervised, interesting experience for their kids that they will talk about the rest of the summer. Varying from a morning 1/2 day session to a full day, your camp can take advantage of your assets. In addition, you will make your employees happy with additional ways of making money in a fun and structured session. If you have a van or can work out travel, you can make a full day experience for the kids with trips to a pool, other parks, basketball, or to get ice cream. The easiest scenerio is to have a 1/2 day camp. At Rain City Skatepark we offered families the ability to stay all day in a 1/2 day structured and an additional 1/2 day unstructured. We charged additional for the kids to stick around and staffed it with responsible teenagers to look after them. As a note, you should contact your insurance person if you are adding driving and van issues to your service as this might need additional coverage.
2. Overnight - why not have a "sleepover" at the park. Filled with Pizza, music, games, and skating.
3. Private parties - promote renting the park for parties.
4. Music nights - get a dj to make a regular event night for skaters
5. Contests
6. Demos
7. Send the skateteam out into the public with fliers or other promotions.
8. Special Bonus Night - like 2 for one or member bring a friend night.
9. How to build a ramp- "value added" shop class for a fee
10. Sponsor me contest- become a skatepark skater.
Every event that is not charging entrance the focus needs to be on selling memberships, drinks, food, and merchandise. This will help make what some perceive to be a "free day"a profitable day. Good luck.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Check Out Your Front!
If you haven't looked at your place like a parent would, maybe you should. While it is nice to think that skaters don't care, skaters enjoy a park because it is gritty and mean, parents don't. If you look at who buys all the clothes you sell, who rents the park at night, who pays for summer camp then you will see a lot of money comes to you from parents. They are the ones that keep you in business when it is nice out and all the hard core skaters go outside. So when you go out in the parking lot and look at your front, your facade, what does it say to someone who is looking for a clean, safe place to drop off their kids? Are there a bunch of people smoking, butts everywhere, garbage blowing around? This is helping make a decision for the moms and dads that keep you in business. If you haven't recently, you really need to look at the front of your building with a set of eyes of a parent. While you can have stuff for the more hardcore skaters that don't want a place that is totally sanitized, your main focus need to be geared toward the core of your money, your parents. Why not ask a parent what they think of your front, your clean bathrooms, etc. These are all things that make a difference. You must keep the parents happy so that they feel comfortable dropping their kids off with money for a few hours while they do something else. Make it so they feel OK with going shopping while the kids play. If you can get them in the door you can sell them things. If you make it a necessary outing for the whole family where the parents don't feel safe, then chances are the parents won't come that often because they have to go shopping, drop off the laundry, visit Auntie in the hospital or whatever. Get them in with a clean inviting front, keep them in with excellent service, sell them things while they are there. Now you are making money!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
How to start an indoor skatepark
As a guide I thought I would break down what a novice would need to do to start a skatepark from scratch.
1. Formulate a plan - how will it work, who will work it, how will you pay your bills, what business structure (tax and liability issues) will you have?
2. Do some research - Do you even know where you could put a park? What are the costs per month of the building? taxes? parking? how will people get there? How many skaters are there, and how many of these will pay to skate?
3. Get your finances in order. Do you have money? Do you have enough to exist for 6 months without earning a cent? How long will you be able to have expenses without making money before things will get stressful? The longer you can last, the longer you will last. You will need build up time with lots of expenses and no income. What happens too if people are slow to respond? Plan for the worst case scenario, and work for the best. Can you spread your own finacial liability out with other investors?
4. Market before you have anything going. Start the buzz early.
5. Plan for a media blitz for when you open, get all the free press you can. Invite web, print, tv to your place. Have an "event".
6. Maximize your revenue. Don't just rely on skateboarders to pay the bills. Sell food, stuff, lessons, rentals, private park hours, party rooms, party events, christian events, before and after school events, camps, demos, advertisements, group lessons, what every you can. There is no shame in making this business work by selling things, this is your business, you have to pay yourself, your taxes, lights, sewer, trash, etc.
7. Keep it clean, think of the parents. Parents want a safe place for their kids, they are the ones footing the cost of this place. Make them happy with a nice place to watch, use the rest room, read whatever. Sell them things while they are there.
8. Network - skateshops, other parks, parks departments, community service, police, whomever can help you get people in the door.
9. Keep good track of your expenses. This takes time and effort. Make sure you have a good system to record data for you, what sells, what doesn't, who comes, who doesn't. Use your data to improve your business.
10. Hire good people who are kind yet firm about helping you stay in business. Free only means you paid, not them. You aren't competing with free, free offers nothing but ramps and rails, you offer lights, food, supervision, air conditioning, heat, a phone, a pair of eyes that are ready to help if someone is hurt. This is worth money and people need to understand this.
11. Free yourself to do business things - If you are spending all your time at the park, hire someone to help you do the things you need to do. Spend some money. Is your money better spent hiring someone to man the front, or design an advertisement?
12. Celebrate your members! Make them want to belong!
1. Formulate a plan - how will it work, who will work it, how will you pay your bills, what business structure (tax and liability issues) will you have?
2. Do some research - Do you even know where you could put a park? What are the costs per month of the building? taxes? parking? how will people get there? How many skaters are there, and how many of these will pay to skate?
3. Get your finances in order. Do you have money? Do you have enough to exist for 6 months without earning a cent? How long will you be able to have expenses without making money before things will get stressful? The longer you can last, the longer you will last. You will need build up time with lots of expenses and no income. What happens too if people are slow to respond? Plan for the worst case scenario, and work for the best. Can you spread your own finacial liability out with other investors?
4. Market before you have anything going. Start the buzz early.
5. Plan for a media blitz for when you open, get all the free press you can. Invite web, print, tv to your place. Have an "event".
6. Maximize your revenue. Don't just rely on skateboarders to pay the bills. Sell food, stuff, lessons, rentals, private park hours, party rooms, party events, christian events, before and after school events, camps, demos, advertisements, group lessons, what every you can. There is no shame in making this business work by selling things, this is your business, you have to pay yourself, your taxes, lights, sewer, trash, etc.
7. Keep it clean, think of the parents. Parents want a safe place for their kids, they are the ones footing the cost of this place. Make them happy with a nice place to watch, use the rest room, read whatever. Sell them things while they are there.
8. Network - skateshops, other parks, parks departments, community service, police, whomever can help you get people in the door.
9. Keep good track of your expenses. This takes time and effort. Make sure you have a good system to record data for you, what sells, what doesn't, who comes, who doesn't. Use your data to improve your business.
10. Hire good people who are kind yet firm about helping you stay in business. Free only means you paid, not them. You aren't competing with free, free offers nothing but ramps and rails, you offer lights, food, supervision, air conditioning, heat, a phone, a pair of eyes that are ready to help if someone is hurt. This is worth money and people need to understand this.
11. Free yourself to do business things - If you are spending all your time at the park, hire someone to help you do the things you need to do. Spend some money. Is your money better spent hiring someone to man the front, or design an advertisement?
12. Celebrate your members! Make them want to belong!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Insurance article worth reading!
Here is an article that is worth looking at on insurance and one person's work to insure skateparks. Check it out. http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/mag-features/2010/04/05/159513.htm
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