Business Startup Ideas
Starting a Roller Skating Rink
This advice is ideal for those of you who are thinking about starting a roller skating rink. Make sure you consider this advice before you start!
Wondering how to start a roller skating rink? We take you step-by-step from start to success.
Tips & Strategies
Roller rinks continue to be a popular entertainment venue for kids, teens, and families. But to stay profitable, owners have updated the roller ink concept to include a range of profit centers and technological enhancements. They have also learned several strategies that are vital for entrepreneurs interested in breaking into roller rink ownership.
Despite the fact that plenty of adults still enjoy rollerskating, roller rinks are a youth-oriented business concept. If your motivation for launching a roller rink is to recapture a sense of nostalgia from your youth, forget it. The best roller rinks cater to kids and teens - not their parents.
In terms of location, you're going to need a significant amount of real estate for your roller rink startup. Your best bet is to find a location that is already outfitted as a roller arena. If that isn't an option, you'll need to perform a retrofit and unless you install wood flooring, you won't have any chance of attracting competitive events. Make sure there is ample space for auxiliary profit centers and parking. A good rule of thumb is that your parking area should be twice the size of your indoor facility.
In addition to the rink, your business plan should discuss other profit centers including food service, video arcades, indoor skateboarding, birthday parties, etc. If it's been a while since you've been inside a roller rink, visit several rinks to get ideas about potential add-ons to your business concept.
Although they seem deceptively minimal, the startup capital requirements for roller rinks can be substantial. The cost of rental skate inventories, laser lighting, and a sophisticated sound system can add up, not to mention the cost of the retrofit.
One last thing to consider about a roller rink startup is insurance. Like it or not, people are going to get hurt in your rink. When (not if) that happens, you'll sleep better knowing that you have invested in a comprehensive insurance policy that protects your business and your personal assets.
Business Plans for Roller Skating Rinks
As a startup roller skating rink owner, writing a quality business plan is one of the first tasks you need to address.
Now here's the good news: You can minimize the amount of time it takes to write a business plan by buying business plan software. A business plan software solution is an effective tool for time-strapped roller skating rink owners who understand the importance of a great business plan.
Properly utilized, business plan software has the potential to transform your business plan from a throwaway business requirement to an integral strategic resource.
Take a Look at Competitors
Prior to opening a roller skating rink in your area, it's a smart move to determine how strong the competition is. Try our link below to get a list of local competitors in your city. Just enter your city, state and zip code to get a list of roller skating rinks in your community.
Gain a knowledge of how existing firms have positioned themselves in the marketplace, and then design your business in a way that sets you apart from the others.
Getting Advice from Experienced Entrepreneurs
As part of your due diligence on opening a roller skating rink, it's a smart move to have a conversation with someone who is in the business. It's very unlikely that the local competition will talk to you. The last thing they want to do is help you to be a better competitor.
However, an entrepreneur who owns a roller skating rink in a location that is not competitive to you will be much more likely to talk with you, once they realize that you are not going to directly compete with them in their community. Indeed, many experienced entrepreneurs enjoy offering advice to startup entrepreneurs. It can take a while to find an entrepreneur who is willing to talk, but it's well worth the effort.
How would you find an owner of a roller skating rink who is willing to advise you because you live in different cities?
It's not that hard. Just use the handy link below and enter in a random city/state or zipcode.
Competitive Benefits of Buying a Roller Skating Rink
By acquiring an existing roller skating rink, you'll put yourself in a better position with lenders and investors than if you tried to fund a startup.
A business acquisition also provides the benefit of intangible assets like a brand identity. The notion of buying a business to get an established brand can be a savvy business strategy for new roller skating rink owners.
In a competitive market, the right acquisition can be leveraged to catapult your business into a market leadership position, even if you personally lack industry credentials.
Consider Franchising
You should know that your odds of being a successful business owner increase if you purchase a franchise rather than going it alone.
If you are thinking about opening a roller skating rink, you may want to investigate whether franchising might make sense for you.
The link below gives you access to our franchise directory so you can see if there's a franchise opportunity for you. You might even find something that points you in a completely different direction.
Roller Skating Business Industry Associations
For more information about roller rink startups, visit the Roller Skating Association website.
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