Bouncy Castle Startup Business

Running a business in hiring out Bouncy Castles is a great way to start your own company, earn a great profit (especially over the next two years) and enjoy being your own boss. A word to the wise: while our experiences as THE BOUNCING KING can help make your transition into a Bouncy Castle Hire business easier, this isn't a get-rich-quick industry and it takes a lot of work to get your Bouncy Castle Hire business off the ground. The good news, for those looking to leave their current positions or even generate a secondary income, is that the work is fun and not at all taxing, and the rewards of running your own Bouncy Castle Hire business are vast!

Bouncy Castle Designs

Bouncy Castles are sold by a number of companies who offer quality products at prices that make this an enticing field to enter into. From the manufacturer and designer's perspective, they want to offer as many alternatives for Bouncy Castles as possible, and where a Bouncy Castle Hire Operator must take note is in researching the best size and design for their customer base. This can be determined by looking into the kinds of customers and situations in which you'll be plying your trade. Look at the average garden size in your area, and remember that many of your customers will be looking for a low-cost alternative to taking a group of kids to a restaurant or play center. You should also keep in mind that if you purchase a bouncy castle which doesn't fit in a potential customer's yard, you are unlikely to get that customer's business! Most yards can fit a 12' (3.6m) x 10' (3m) Bouncy Castle, which makes this a popular size for children's parties and other events. These castles are also easy to handle, set up, and store. If you purchase a larger castle, then you might want to consider using it less for private events and more for "pay per play" situations - times when each child pays an admission price and receives a certain amount of time to play in the bouncy castle. These larger bouncy castles can fit more kids at once. Box bouncers are walled on all sides, which stops kids from accidentally falling out of the castle, but these have limited visibility both for parents (looking in) and children (looking out), which may cause safety concerns. Of all the companies in operation, THE BOUNCING KING offers the best quality and design (if we do say so ourselves!). Our castles offer a great return on investment, which is important fora hire operator, since you'll want to use your castle over and over to recoup your original expenditures. Before you start your business, work out how much your castle will cost (our standard designs give just as much fun as something fancier, and have much lower costs) and how long it will be before your castle will pay for itself - then how much longer after that you'll be able to use it. This is where your investment in quality will make the biggest difference in the profitability of your business - check out our SUPER DEALS & SPECIAL PACKAGES to investigate these options.

Bouncy Castle Customers

Kids are a constantly renewable resource, and with birthdays every day there are plenty of opportunities to hire out for these events. Widening your potential customer base by getting involved in shopping mall events, beaches, car boot sales, school fetes and galas, street parties, play schools and nurseries, garden centers, and similar situations will help you make more money with your business. Look for places that attract families, as kids will want to participate over time. Minimal charges of 50p or $1.00 will see you netting over £150 ($300) by the end of the day if you've picked the right location. Additional locations to consider are: family parties, pubs, hotels, shopping centres, playschool, after school clubs, on the beach, in the town centre, social clubs, church halls, school fetes, galas, car boot sales, charity events, business promotions, open days, and so on.

Extra Bouncy Castle Bookings

Initially, any company needs to advertise to generate sales and build their customer base. Look for local opportunities such as telephone directories (Bouncy Castles/Party Supplies), and advertise for minimum amounts of time in local press. Parents are always looking for ideas, and should call to request quotes, castle sizes, and the number of people who can use the castle (as well as the appropriate ages) at once will be selling points for your castle. At THE BOUNCING KING, we've found the following to be great selling points: - We have a castle to suit most situations (indoor/outdoor) - We coordinate delivery, setup and removal of the castle - We offer flexible times, and always show up when we say we will - We reconfirm the night before to ease the customer's mind - If we don't turn up, we pay the hire fee back to our customers. - We don't require a deposit ahead of time, and have rarely experienced cancellations. These services help us build positive, trusting relationships with our customers, and they return to us again and again.

Bouncy Castle Insurance

Now for the nitty gritty: every bouncy castle hire operator should seek third-party liability insurance to protect themselves and their businesses should someone experience an accident, or if equipment is lost or employers' liability comes into play. Click here for an INSURANCE QUOTE.

CLIENT RELATIONSHIPS

Happy customers generate more business through referrals and repeat purchases, so customer relations should be as integral to you as it is to THE BOUNCING KING! We believe hire customers are looking for three things: 1) They want good value for money. Price your service to match your competition. 2) They want you to have a castle available for when they want it. Have enough stock to fill the demand. 3) They want you to turn up. Keep your promise and offer to pay them the hire fee if you don't. If your customers feel they are getting a good deal, great availability, and a responsive, responsible service, they will return again and again. Have your diary available by your phone and be ready to pick up calls on weekends and evenings to sell your service.

CANCELLATIONS

Those with children are subject to events outside of their control. To help customers feel secure in their bookings, we offer a no-fee cancellation service, which lets your customers feel better about making bookings (which, once their kids know about, they'll think twice about cancelling for frivolous reasons). Even when we do have cancellations, we find that we get plenty of last minute calls to fill in for the missed chances. One thing THE BOUNCING KING has and will never do is take bookings for more castles than we have available - something our less reputable competition has done. These cancellations result in bad word of mouth, which can damage your business. It's better to have a weekend with a bouncy castle sitting unused than to ruin a birthday party by not showing up, and this will serve your business better in the long run!

LEGISLATION AND CODES OF PRACTICE

Being a bouncy castle hire business owner means you have to take responsibility for familiarizing yourself with the legal requirements and codes of practice which apply to the operation of your equipment, whatever your location. Accidents which involve breaches of health and safety laws can lead to criminal prosecution for everyone involved in the company, not to mention civil cases which can have both prison terms and £5,000 per offence fines. In the UK, Crown Courts deal with more serious cases and can impose unlimited fines and prison sentences of up to 2 years for health and safety offences. Be careful about your business and its compliance with local laws! The following list applies to the UK only and is not intended to be exhaustive, but offers an idea of the kinds of laws to look out for:

STATUTES AND REGULATIONS:

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Occupiers Liability Acts 1957 and 1984 Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1992 Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992

CODES OF PRACTICE (HSE APPROVED):

Some HSE approved Codes of Practice/Guidance Notes: Safe operation of passenger carrying amusement devices - inflatable bouncing devices". Guidance Note PM76 (April 1991) "Code of Safe Practice at Fairs". HSE Guidance on Regulations L23 (Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992). "Management of Health and Safety at Work" HSE L21 (1992). "Maintaining portable and transportable electrical equipment" HSE (G)107 (1994)

OTHER CODES OF PRACTICE:

"Soft Play and Inflatables" by The Institute of Leisure and Amenity Management "Safety in Indoor Adventure Play Areas" - A Code of Practice by ILAM/NPFA/RoSPA Keep in mind that a breach of an approved Code of Practice is not an offence but if you are prosecuted and it is shown that there was a failure to observe the relevant Code, contravention of the Act or Regulation will be considered proven unless you can satisfy the Court that you complied in an alternative, acceptable manner.