After 15 years of starting over 1,000 paintball fields worldwide you can trust my Bold Prediction for 2010. Yes, take it to the bank, Paintball fields will increase their revenues by 25% in 2010! Now is the best time to start a paintball field. The economy is starting to recover, people have gotten over the fear factor and now they want to have some fun.
As I said on my last post, what does Bud Light know about the popularity of paintball that you don’t. Bud Light is banking on paintball because their millions in research show how popular paintball is with all of Americans. What I mean by popular is that paintball is a household name, everyone has heard of it. Yet 98% of Americans have not played it! But they want to! Most people simply don’t have a place to play. Build it and they will come.
What about retail sales? Good question. I have seen retail sales picking up but I still believe it’s going to be a while before retail recovers if at all. Right now people just want to play, they don’t want to own more stuff.
So hold your head high paintball field owners and get ready for a great 2010! if you have any questions or need help with starting or running your paintball field please visit www.moneypaintball.org or call 310-750-6218 or e-mail me: evan@evanmoneyisright.com
The best thing about starting a paintball field is when billion dollar companies help advertise for you. That’s right, Bud Light is spending over 100 million dollars in it’s new ad campaign that features paintball. Why is this so important?
First off Bud Light didn’t just pull paintball out of a hat as a theme. They studied , researched and invested millions of dollars to make sure paintball was a good idea. This means that people from all walks of life are excited about paintball and now thanks to Bud Light people want go out and play more than ever.
If you have not started your paintball field, now is the time. Take advantage of this great exposure. Go to www.moneypaintball.org or call 310-750-6218 or e-mail me at evan@evanmoney.com
Rather than telling you what you want to hear about starting a paintball field , I have chosen to tell you the truth. Unlike most Real Estate agents who have been saying for the last year the market has hit the bottom and now is the time to buy.
The truth is that the retail world of paintball has taken a hit, with brick and motor stores being hit the hardest. The top retail websites are still doing well but for the most part people are not buying a lot of paintball gear.
The truth is people are playing paintball at the same rate or more but they are not running out and buying gear like they used to. So NOW IS THE TIME to start a paintball field but it’s not the best time to open a store.
Good times or bad times people will always pay money they don’t have for low price entertainment. Video Games, Movies and Alcohol sales are booming right now, proof that people want to escape and have fun.
Take advantage of these times and start your paintball field today. Check out www.moneypaintball.org and get your free report on the 5 keys to running a successful paintball field.
Starting a paintball field is one thing but marketing it is another. Here are some quick mind set tips I shared with a recent paintball field owner.
You need to look at paintball as the solution for people and companies problems. I.E. Companies need team building and stress reduction, you have it. So don’t promote “paintball” to companies, promote Team Building and Stress Reduction.
With people for the holidays your solution is “ family bonding” or simply something fun for the kids to do to get them out of your hair LOL. If you have more questions about marketing or starting your paintball field check out www.moneypaintball.org or e-mail evan@evanmoney.com
What makes a owing and starting a paintball field such a perfect business can be summed up in one word Excitement! Unlike Go carts, miniature golf or even laser tag, paintball has the excitement that can not be contained. Just like any this else exciting , it spreads!
Let me give you another example from another industry. Online gaming for those of you who don’t know creates more profit that TV and Movies combined! Yes it’s true, you can do your own research if you don’t believe me. One of the main reasons is the excitement level, people play for the first time and then get hooked. What happenes when they get hooked, they tell their friends and it grows like wildfire. The gaming industry just started to advertise and the truth is they don’t have to! The excited players do all the marketing for them.
Just like in paintball, this is how the sport grew from a underground cult game to being a household name and being played around the world. People get excited and the literally “infect” all their friends with the paintball bug. Best of all they do it for free! This is why almost all outdoor paintball fields do so well even with terrible locations and poor service. The game is so exciting to play. I was reminded of this again this weekend as a good friend of mine described his yearly church retreat where they have a paintball field. We laughed as all his corporate and Hollywood friends acted like 7 year olds at Disneyland. He kept telling me how excited everyone was.
This is why I consider starting a paintball field to be a perfect business. The excitement of the game allows you to make so many mistakes as a business owner and still be able to turn a profit. Please note Indoor paintball fields play by a different set of rules because typically the rent or lease is a very large number. However in today’s market overhead has come way,way down!
If your looking for free tips on how to start a paintball field or just have more questions check out www.moneypaintball.org or call 1-866-999- MONEY or 310-705-6218
Too often I see potential paintball field owners lose their dream because they couldn’t get financing for their $10 million dollar complex. They think they have to start big to make it work.
Paintball is one of those amazing businesses that can be grow over time. Do not be afraid of humble beginnings, below is an e-mail I got today that illustrates my point;
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When I started my business it was small with 8 rental guns and cheapy paintballs from Wal-Mart. I was doing business out of the bed of my truck. Now, a year and a half later, I have 40 rental guns, co2 cylinders, HPA scuba tanks, and factory dealerships. Just recently, I have acquired some land and have started setting up a field. Soon I will have 2 fields. I have everything for my business inside a modified 20 ft. camping trailer that I pull with my truck. I’m still small by most people, but I still look back at where I was a year and a half ago and see what my small business has grown into. I now have a website www.americaneaglepb.com that still continues to grow. I look forward to reading your newsletter every time I get it. It has been very informative and motivational. Thank You. Joe Reeder
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So if you need to start like Joe then so be it, at least you are on the road to your dream instead of sitting on the side of the road playing the what if game.
To get my FREE 5 keys to a successful paintball field report or to contact me with any questions evan@evanmoney.com or www.moneypaintball.org
If your serious about starting a paintball field then get ready for the roller coaster ride of your life.
The highest highs- Typically this is in the pre planing stages, your excitement grows and you realise you are finally going to do this. Then you find that perfect location after listening to my CD ” How to start a successful paintball field “. You discover the land owner is very flexible and you have a no money down lease in place. Whoo hooo you are on top of the world.
Next you go to www.moneypaintball.org and do all your shopping and we come up with your dream package. Then after 24 hours we have your financing approved! You are on top of the world!
The lowest lows- Too soon you discover the county or city has to approve your business at the next town meeting. For some this is a big deal because who is the county to tell you that you can’t do something. Your Paintball field is only going to help the town, believe me I know how you feel. The good news is 90% of the time it’s not a issue however they may want you to do some costly improvements which you didn’t plan on. So you soon find yourself truly understanding that sometimes it’s twice the money and twice the time you expected and budgeted for.
Don’t get too down, the possibilities are always greater than the impossibilities. In this case you may find the land owner is more than happy to make the improvements because the value of the property will only increase.
Then out of nowhere you may discover that need more supplies but your only approved for a certain amount. Again do not lose hope, just like Walt Disney he had to start his first park small and then build on to it. Same with your paintball field , sure we all want 4 Money turf fields like Shawn Walkers new Franchised park but can we do ok with just two or even one Money Turf field? Yes. Sure we all want 10 scenario fields with all this cool terrain and real tanks etc.. But can we open with just 3 or 4? Sure you can.
The key is to just get started! A small park is better than no park at all!
This is a just the tip of the iceberg and I know your situation is unique to you, so please give us a call or e-mail so we can help. evan@evanmoney.com or 310-750-6218
The answer is a big YES! In fact starting a paintball field is one of the simplest businesses to start, here is why:
Low start up- You can literally start a nice paintball field for less than $9,000. Compare that with the $125,000 needed to start a Subway type operation.
High Cash Flow- Check the numbers in our ” Is the paintball business right for me section” The only downside to this is that 50% of all paintball fields close because they make too much money! That’s right, too much money. Most of these field owners have never made more than $30,000 a year and suddenly they are making $30,000 a month! They simply self destruct like famous athletes or movie stars or their employees steal it all.
2 day work week- Saturday and Sunday will be 95% of your business. However you may get some private groups during the week that will force you to roll out of bed. If your looking at an indoor paintball model then you will want to be open at least Thur - Sun.
Relaxed work environment- Sorry no ties allowed.
Help when you need it- With our FREE and low priced consulting and or Private Franchise Model you can get the help you need. In a recent Wells Fargo small business study Forty-nine percent say they would have had an easier time had they asked for more advice from experienced business owners.
Well ask away, we are here to help. For for info on starting a paintball field go to: www.moneypaintball.org
As a Paintball feild owner or someone starting a paintball field what Walmart does or does not do can greatly influence your business. In one of my early blogs I reported Walmart’s intention of dropping out of paintball in their stores similar to what Cabella’s and Sportsman’s Warehouse have done.
As it turns out Walmart has decided not to abandon paintball in all it’s stores. Just like any product on a Walmart shelf, if it does not produce a certain margin or sales numbers, it’s gone and replaced with something else.
After talking with some qualified industry insiders Walmart has eliminated paintball from some stores and continues to do so. However in some stores they have simply reduced the shelf space and other stores have been unaffected. Walmart has continued to order paintball supplies through the first 3 quarters of 2009 and so far it looks like they will continue in the 4th quarter of 2009.
What is in store for 2010 in anyone’s guess and we will find out soon enough. I personally believe Walmart is a blessing for a paintball field . Why? 2 main reasons:
#1. If Walmart caries it then it must be safe or OK to do. Think about it, little Bobby wants to go play paintball for his next birthday party and Mama bear is concerned. However Mama bear did see paintball markers at Walmart the last time she was there, subconsciously this is a huge factor in her decision to let little Bobby play.
#2. It’s great advertising. Think about it, if you walk down the isle you can’t miss the paintball items. It gets you thinking about it. Many a bachelor party has been booked simply because some one walked down the isle and saw some paintball stuff and it gave them the idea to go play.
That’s it for today, for some great info on starting a paintball field go to : www.moneypaintball.org
If this is the first blog of mine your reading then welcome, we are glad to have you. As a recap the Money Paintball Blogs are designed for people that are looking to start a paintball field or paintball field owners that need a few ideas or support.
This blog is all about Paintball Netting and why it can be such a pain in the rear to work with. First off you need to understand that in order for a Paintball net to meet the ASTM standards it must be able to stop 10 shots from 15 feet away at 300 feet per second. NOT POINT BLANK SHOTS! Let me be very clear on this, the ASTM standards for paintball netting do not require protection from Point Blank Shots. This is why the ASTM states you need a 15 foot buffer on both sides of the net. This means spectators should not be allowed within 15 feet of the net. Nor should players on the other side.
I know what your thinking, most fields DO NOT DO THIS! You are correct and it is sad indeed. This is the main reason we have worked with the TUFF NET manufactures to build a net that can withstand pointblank shots. Click here for more info on that: Tuff Net Heavy Weave
The other issue with Paintball Netting is the wind. In order to stop a paintball the net has to be a tight weave, this does not allow for much wind to pass threw it. It’s critical to make sure you either get our pole system that allows you to lower your net or create you own pulley system. Otherwise you need to make sure to double cross brace your net on both sides. If you don’t you will simply need to buy new netting sooner than later because the wind will destroy it. I can’t tell you how many times I have sold netting to the same customer because they are simply too lazy to cross brace or lower their nets. Make sure to avoid this mistake. Feel free to e-mail us with any questions, our contact info is at www.moneypaintball.org