Movie Theater Business Plan [Sample Template]

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Do you want to start a movie theater and need to write a plan? If YES, here is a sample movie theater business plan template & feasibility report.

So, if you are considering opening a movie theater, you need capital to purchase or lease/rent a suitable facility, the required equipment, tools and furniture. You also need some additional capital to secure commercial license to air movies, pay your employees at least for the first 3 months, and also to pay your utility bills.

Lastly, you would need a good business plan to be able to launch a successful business and below is a workable movie theater business plan template that will help you draft yours.

A Sample Movie Theater Business Plan Template

1. Industry Overview

A movie theater which is also called a cinema is a venue, usually a building, that contains an auditorium for viewing films/movies or motion pictures as it is called in some quarters, for the purpose of entertainment or perhaps education.

Almost all movie theaters are commercial operations open to the general public, who attend by purchasing a ticket. Cinemas/movie theaters are generally custom designed buildings for viewing movies from any sitting position.

The Movie Theaters industry is currently in the growth stage of its life cycle. Statistics has it that the Movie Theaters industry in the united states of America is worth billion, with an estimated growth rate of 3.6 percent between 2014 and 2019.

There are about 4,545 registered and licensed Movie Theaters in the United States and they are responsible for employing about 157,928 people. Please note that the companies holding the largest market share in the Movie Theaters industry in the United States are AMC Entertainment Inc., Cineworld Group PLC and Cinemark Holdings Inc.

A recent report published by IBISWorld shows that the Movie Theaters industry has grown over the five years to 2019, despite strong external competition. Over the five years to 2019, industry revenue is estimated to grow an annualized 3.6 percent, reaching $18.9 billion in 2019, including revenue growth of 1.0 percent in 2019 alone.

With increases in per capita disposable income and the success of blockbuster films during the period, industry revenue has grown despite competition from substitute film viewing methods, other forms of entertainment and a decrease in total theater attendance.

External competition from substitute entertainment products and other ways of accessing films, including online video, on-demand services, internet-enabled TVs, smartphones and tablets, have increasingly shifted movie consumption.

Although the movie theatre industry can be said to be a competitive industry, but it does not stop entrepreneurs who are creative to still make headway in the industry. It is indeed a profitable industry especially when the business is well located. Busy cities with growing population are highly suitable for movie theatre.

Any aspiring entrepreneur can comfortably start his or her own movie theatre business by acquiring an existing cinema house and then refurbish it to meet the expected standard or start the business from the scratch by constructing a new movie theatre and then equipping it with the needed equipment and accessories.

Lastly, movie theater and other related entertainment businesses are part of human lifestyle hence it must be located near human and vehicular traffic if indeed you want to maximize profits from the business. It would be to your advantage if you lease a facility that is located in a bubbling city that has loads of upwardly mobile young adult.

2. Executive Summary

Don Pedro™ Movie Theater Company, Inc. is a standard movie theater company that is fully equipped with the latest technology in the movie industry. Our movie theater facility will be located in the heart of Inglewood, Los Angeles – California, U.S and we are positioned to partner with film makers and diverse group of people who would want to watch movies in a standard movie theater.

Don Pedro™ Movie Theater Company, Inc. will engage in showing movies in our cinemas, drive-in and outdoor movie theaters. Our business goal is to work towards becoming one of the leading movie theater brands in the whole of Los Angeles and in the nearest future compete with the leaders in the industry not only in the United States but also at the global stage.

We are not ignorant of the fact that building a standard and world class movie theater company from the scratch requires huge capital base especially for the purchase of the latest equipment, which is why we have perfect plans for steady flow of cash from our business partners with interest in our line of business.

We can confidently say that we have a robust financial standing and we are ready to take on any challenge that we encounter in the industry.

We will ensure that all our employees are selected from a pool of talented and highly creative people with eyes for good movies in and around Los Angeles – California. We will make sure that we take all the members of our workforce through the required trainings that will position them to meet the expectation of the company and to compete with other players in the United States.

At Don Pedro™ Movie Theater Company, Inc. our client’s best interest will always come first, and everything we do will be guided by our values and professional ethics. We will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards by meeting our client’s needs precisely and completely and of course showing movies and videos that can compete with the best in the world.

Don Pedro™ Movie Theater Company, Inc. is owned majorly by Donald Pedro and other partners. Donald Pedro is a certified and licensed film producer, he graduated from New York Film Academy and he has over 25 years hand on experience in the movie theater industry working for leading film and video producing companies and also leading movie theaters in Hollywood.

He will build the business alongside other experienced partners who have successfully carved a niche for themselves in the industry.

3. Our Products and Services

Don Pedro™ Movie Theater Company, Inc. is going to offer varieties of services in the movie theater industry in the United States of America. Our intention of starting our movie theater business in Inglewood – Los Angele, California is to make profits from the industry and we will do all that is permitted by the law in the US to achieve our aim and business goals.

Our business offerings are listed below;

Showing of Action and adventure films, Comedy films, Drama films, Thriller/suspense films, Musical Videos, Documentaries and Other films
Operating drive-in movie theaters
Film festival exhibition
Motion picture exhibition for airlines
Admissions to feature films
Food and beverage sales

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

Our vision is to build a standard and world – class movie theater business that can favorably compete with leaders in the industry.
Our mission is to build a world class movie theater company that will show a wide genre of movies to clients that cut across all divides; we want to build a movie theater brand that can work with clients (film makers) not only in the United States of America, but in all parts of the world.

Our Business Structure

The success of any business is dependent on the business structure of the organization and the people who occupy the available roles. Don Pedro™ Movie Theater Company, Inc. will build a solid business structure that can support the growth of our movie theater business. We will ensure that we hire competent hands to help us build the business of our dream.

The fact that we want to become one of the leading movie theater brands in the industry in the whole of the United States of America makes it highly necessary for our organization to deliberately build a well – structured business from the onset. Below is the business structure that we will build Don Pedro™ Movie Theater Company, Inc.;

Chief Executive Officer
Entertainment Lawyer/Legal Secretary
Theater Manager
Admin and HR Manager
Marketing and Sales Executive
Accountant
Theater Attendant/Front Desk Officer

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Executive Office:

Increases management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results
Responsible for providing direction for the business
Creating, communicating, and implementing the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
Evaluates the success of the organization

Entertainment Lawyer/Legal Secretary

Responsible for drawing up contracts and other legal documents for the company
Provides historical reference by developing and utilizing filing and retrieval systems; recording meeting discussions; maintaining transcripts; documenting and maintaining evidence.
Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications; maintaining personal networks; participating in professional organizations.

Theater Manager

Responsible for managing every activity that goes on in the movie theater
Responsible for managing the company’s facility and equipment
Responsible for developing concept and managing movies from start to finish
Responsible for choosing the right movie to show per time
Handle any other responsibility as assigned by the Chief Executive Officer

Admin and HR Manager

Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
Maintains office supplies by checking stocks; placing and expediting orders; evaluating new products.
Defining job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
Carrying out induction for new team members
Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
Responsible for arranging travel, meetings and appointments
Regularly hold meetings with key stakeholders to review the effectiveness of HR Policies, Procedures and Processes
Facilitate and coordinate strategic sessions.
Work directly with clients in a non-advising capacity, such as answering questions, scheduling appointments and making sure all training concerns are properly taken care off
Oversee the smooth running of the daily office activities.

Marketing and Sales Executive

Once the movie is ready, then the marketing team will go out to market and promote the album
Identify, prioritize, and reach out to new partners, and business opportunities et al
Identifies business opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts
Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the customer’s needs, and communicate with clients, cinema operators and movie distributors
Document all customer contact and information
Represent the company in strategic meetings
Help increase sales and growth for the company

Accountant

Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
Provides managements with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports
Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting for one or more properties.
Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
Responsible for administering payrolls
Ensuring compliance with taxation legislation
Handles all financial transactions for the company
Serves as internal auditor for the company

Theater Attendant

Checking people’s tickets as they enter the auditorium.
Solving any problems relating to seating arrangements, such as double bookings.
Dealing with any disturbances that may occur during the show.
Helping the audience to leave in an orderly fashion at the end of a performance, and making sure all the customers have left the building.
Supervising the evacuation of the premises in the event of an emergency.
Collecting litter and cleaning the facilities during the day.
Helping people with disabilities, such as those with wheelchairs, and making sure they have easy access to fire exits.
Working in the cinema or theatre’s cafe, bar or box office

Client Service Executive

Ensures that all contacts with clients (e-mail, walk-In centre, SMS or phone) provides the client with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
Through interaction with clients on the phone, uses every opportunity to build client’s interest in the company’s products and services
Manages administrative duties assigned by the manager in an effective and timely manner
Consistently stays abreast of any new information on the company’s promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to clients when they make enquiries

6. SWOT Analysis

Don Pedro™ Movie Theater Company, Inc. engaged the services of a core professional in the area of startup business consulting and structuring to assist the organization in building a standard movie theater company that can favorably compete with other leading brands in the United States of America.

Part of what the business consultant did was to work with the management of the company in conducting a comprehensive SWOT analysis for Don Pedro™ Movie Theater Company, Inc. Here is a summary from the result of the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Don Pedro™ Movie Theater Company, Inc.;

Strength:

Our core strength lies in the power of our team and the latest film and video projecting equipment that we have. We have a team that can give our clients value for their money; a team that knows how to get the very latest movies from the industry.

We are well positioned in the heart of Inglewood; Los Angeles and we know we will attract loads of clients from the first day we open our movie theater company for business.

Weakness:

As a new movie theater company based in Los Angeles, it might take some time for our organization to break into the market; that is perhaps our major weakness. Another weakness is that we may not have the required cash to pump into the promotion our business the way we would want to.

Opportunities:

As a leisure activity, movie attendance relies on household disposable income levels, which, in turn, are affected by the employment rate, tax rates and the general state of the economy. When disposable income levels rise, people are increasingly able and willing to spend on discretionary items, driving up ticket and concession sales.

Conversely, consumers may reduce trips to the movies when they have lower disposable income. Per capita disposable income is expected to increase in 2019, representing a potential opportunity for the industry.

Threat:

The number of broadband connections indicates the extent to which consumers use high-speed internet for a variety of purposes, including accessing competing streaming platforms. With the rapid rise in broadband connection numbers, more consumers are using the internet to download or stream movies, which directly reduces demand for the Movie Theaters industry.

The number of broadband connections is expected to rise in 2019, posing a potential threat to the industry. So also, just like any other business, one of the major threats that we are likely going to face is economic downturn. It is a fact that economic downturn affects purchasing/spending power.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

Market Trends

In recent time, Movie Theaters are finding it difficult to fill up their seats. This is due to competition from online streaming platforms that have successfully drawn movie-goers away from the theaters. Going forward, the movie theater industry will benefit from rising disposable income, which will encourage consumers to spend more on entertainment.

The truth is that even though disposable income levels have improved since the recession, enabling more entertainment spending, media consumption is increasingly shifting toward lower-cost online subscriptions, such as Netflix and Hulu.

This trend has been supported by the rising number of tablets and smartphones capable of streaming movie files, as well as the continued development of wireless data connection.

The fact that the industry is highly competitive does not in a way stop some movie theater companies from declaring profits yearly. In the bid to stay afloat in the highly competitive cinema business, owners of cinemas now go the extra mile to make their facility welcoming and conducive for customers.

Movie theatres now have coffee bars, snack bars, and free Wi-Fi et al. Another known trend in the movie theater industry is that most movie theaters are trying as much as possible to recreate themselves and also to be on top of their game.

8. Our Target Market

When it comes to the movie theater business, there are no exemptions to who you can market your services to. Your movies can be marketed to adults, children, teenagers, corporate organization, government and everyone who can afford to purchase a ticket.

In view of that, we have created strategies that will enable us reach out to various corporate organizations and individuals who we know will need to visit our movie theater. We have conducted our market research and survey and we will ensure that our movie theater company attracts the kind of film makers and clients we would love to work with.

Below is a list of the people and organizations that we will market our services to;

Households
Corporate Organizations (team bonding event and trainings)
Churches
Teenagers, Adults and Children
Tourists
Film makers (B2B)

Our Competitive Advantage

We are mindful of the fact that there are stiff competitions in the movie theater industry in the United States of America, hence we have been able to hire some of the best business developers to handle our sales and marketing.

Our Competitive Advantage revolves around our ability to attract local support and patronage, easy compliance with government regulations, ability to quickly adopt new technology, raise financing and follow international best practices in the movie theater industry.

Don Pedro™ Movie Theater Company, Inc. might be a new entrant into the movie theater industry in the United States of America, but our competitive advantage lies in the power of our team, our cozy facility and the latest film and video projecting equipment that we have.

We have a team that can give our clients value for their money; a team that can produce world class movies that can favorably compete with movies produced by leaders in the industry.

Lastly, our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category in the industry meaning that they will be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and objectives.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

Sources of Income

Don Pedro™ Movie Theater Company, Inc. is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the movie theater industry and we are going to do all it takes to attract our target market. Don Pedro™ Movie Theater Company, Inc. will generate income by offering the following services and products;

Showing of Action and adventure films, Comedy films, Drama films, Thriller/suspense films, Musical Videos, Documentaries and Other films
Operating drive-in movie theaters
Film festival exhibition
Motion picture exhibition for airlines
Admissions to feature films
Food and beverage sales

10. Sales Forecast

One thing is certain when it comes to movies and documentaries; they never die and the demand for good movies and documentaries will continue to grow. This goes to show that any movie theater company that is known to always show latest movies will continue to attract movie lovers.

We are well positioned to take on the available market in Los Angeles – California and beyond and we are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of generating enough income/profits from our first six month of operation and grow the business and our clientele base beyond Los Angeles – California to other cities in the U.S.

We have been able to examine the movie theater market, we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with a sales forecast. Below are the sales projections for Don Pedro™ Movie Theater Company, Inc., it is based on the location of our business and other factors as it relates to movie theater startups in the United States;

First Fiscal Year (FY1): $300,000
Second Fiscal Year (FY2): $600,000
Third Fiscal Year (FY3): $900,000

N.B: This projection was done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown and there won’t be any major competitor offering same services as we do within same location. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.

Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

Our sales and marketing team will be recruited based on their vast experience in the movie theater industry and they will be trained on a regular basis so as to be well equipped to meet the overall goal of the organization. We will also ensure that our excellent movies and videos speaks for us in the market place.

Our business goal is to build Don Pedro™ Movie Theater Company, Inc. business to become one of the leading choice in the whole of Los Angeles – California which is why we have mapped out strategies that will help us take advantage of the available market and grow to become a major force to reckon with in the U.S.

Don Pedro™ Movie Theater Company, Inc. is set to make use of the following marketing and sales strategies to attract clients;

Introduce our business by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to organizations and key stake holders in the movie theater industry (movie distributors and film producers) in Los Angeles and other parts of the U.S.
Advertise our business in relevant entertainment magazines, newspapers, TV , and radio stations
List our business on yellow pages ads (local directories)
Attend relevant international and local film festivals, expos, seminars, and concerts et al
Leverage on the internet to promote our business
Engage in direct marketing approach
Encourage word of mouth marketing from our loyal and satisfied clients

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

We have been able to work with brand and publicity specialist to help us map out publicity and advertising strategies that will help us walk our way into the heart of our target market. We are set to take the movie theater industry by storm which is why we have made provisions for effective publicity and advertisement of our movie theater.

Below are the platforms we intend to leverage on to promote and advertise Don Pedro™ Movie Theater Company, Inc.;

Place adverts on both print and electronic media platforms
Sponsor relevant TV shows and radio programs
Maximize our official website to promote our business
Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and other platforms (music online forums) to promote our business.
Ensure that our we position our banners and billboards in strategic positions all around Los Angeles – CA
Brand all our official cars and ensure that our trademark label is boldly printed in all our facilities

12. Our Pricing Strategy

At Don Pedro™ Movie Theater Company, Inc. we will keep our fees and prices of movie ticket a little below the average market rate by keeping our overhead low and by collecting payment in advance. In addition, we will also offer special discounted rates to groups that purchase our movie tickets.

Payment Options

The payment policy adopted by Don Pedro™ Movie Theater Company, Inc. is all inclusive because we are quite aware that different customers prefer different payment options as it suits them but at the same time, we will ensure that we abide by the financial rules and regulations of the United States of America.

Here are the payment options that Don Pedro™ Movie Theater Company, Inc. will make available to her clients;

Payment with cash
Payment via credit cards
Payment via online bank transfer
Payment via check
Payment via mobile money transfer

In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will enable our clients make payment for movie tickets and product purchased without any stress on their part. Our bank account numbers will be made available on our website and promotional materials.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

The cost of setting up movie theater business can be quite expensive especially if you are starting a standard movie theater. These are the areas we are looking towards spending our startup capital on;

The total fee for registering the business in the United States of America – $750.
Legal expenses for obtaining licenses and permits (Health department license and business license) and permits (Fire department permit, Air and water pollution control permit, and Sign permit et al) as well as accounting services (CRM software, Payroll software, P.O.S machines and other software) – $15,300.
Marketing promotion expenses for the grand opening of the movie theater in the amount of $3,500 and as well as flyer printing (2,000 flyers at $0.04 per copy) for the total amount of $3,580.
The cost for hiring business consultant (including writing business plan) – $2,500.
The cost for insurance (general liability, theft, workers’ compensation and property casualty) coverage at a total premium – $30,400.
The cost for leasing a standard facility in good and centralize location – $350,000
The cost for remodeling the facility and constructing a standard movie theater – $250,000.
Other start-up expenses including stationery ($500) and phone and utility (gas, sewer, water and electric) deposits ($6,500).
The operational cost for the first 3 months (salaries of employees, payments of bills et al) – $60,000
The cost for start-up inventory and cinema gadgets and equipment (projectors, sound system, silver screen and good lighting systems et al) – $350,000
The cost for store equipment (cash register, security, ventilation, signage) – $13,750
The cost for the purchase of furniture and gadgets (Telephone, printing machines, receipt issuing computer, computers, tables and chairs et al) – $14,000.
The cost of purchase and installation of CCTVs – 4,500
The cost for building and hosting a website – $600
The cost for our opening party – $8,000
Miscellaneous – $10,000

We will need an estimate of nine hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($950,000) to successfully set up a medium scale but standard movie theater in the United States of America.

Generating Funds/Startup Capital for Don Pedro™ Movie Theater Company, Inc.

Don Pedro™ Movie Theater Company, Inc. is going to start as a partnership business that will be owned and managed by Donald Pedro and his business partners. They are the financiers of the business, but may likely welcome other partners later which is why they have decided to restrict the sourcing of his startup capital to 3 major sources.

Generate part of the startup capital from personal savings
Source for soft loans from family members and friends
Apply for loan from the bank

N.B: We have been able to generate about $400,000 (Personal savings plus funds from business partners) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $500,000 from our bank. All the papers and documents have been duly signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

Part of the plans we have in place to sustain Don Pedro™ Movie Theater Company, Inc. is to ensure that we continue to show latest movies, offer and deliver quality services, improvise on how to do things faster and cheaper. We are not going to relent in providing conducive environment for our workers.

From our findings, another factor that kills a new business is financial leakages. In order to plug financial leakages, the management of Don Pedro™ Movie Theater Company, Inc. adopted the use of payment machine and accounting software to run the business.

We are quite aware that our customers are key components to the growth and survival of our business hence we are going to continuously engage them to give us ideas on how to serve them better. We will not waste time in adopting new technology, best practices and diversifying our services once the need arises.

Don Pedro™ Movie Theater Company, Inc. will make sure that the right foundations, structures and processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of. Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and retraining of our workforce is at the top burner.

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of three years or more. We know that if that is put in place, we will be able to successfully hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry; they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.

Check List/Milestone

Completed
Business Incorporation: Completed
Renting of Office Facility: Completed
Setting Up Of The Movie Theater: In Progress
Intellectual Property Protection and Trademark: Completed
Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts: Completed
Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
Application for business license and permit: Completed
Purchase of Insurance for the Business: Completed
Conducting feasibility studies: Completed
Generating part of the start – up capital from the founder: Completed
Applications for Loan from our Bankers: In Progress
Writing of Business Plan: Completed
Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
Drafting of Contract Documents: In Progress
Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed
Printing of Promotional Materials: Completed
Recruitment of employees: In Progress
Purchase of the needed cinema equipment / gadgets (projectors, silver screen, and sound system et al), furniture, office equipment, electronic appliances and facility facelift: In progress
Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress
Creating Awareness for the business (Business PR): In Progress
Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement: In Progress
Establishing business relationship with key players in the film and video production industry: In Progress