Do you want to start a paintball game center? If YES, here is a complete guide to starting a paintball game center business with NO money and no experience.
There are businesses that ordinarily may sound out of this world, but the truth remains that such businesses are able to give good returns on your investment. There are some games and amusement related business opportunities that an aspiring entrepreneur who lives in the united states can efficaciously start.
One of such businesses is a paintball game center. It is one business that has continued to yield profits because of the lucrative nature of the business and the legislature that still favors it. Hence, it wouldn’t be an over statement to say that the paintball or any gun and ammunition sports related business is a money spinner for those that engage in it.
Paintball is a game developed in the 1980s in which players eliminate opponents from play by hitting them with dye-filled, breakable, oil and gelatin paintballs or pellets, usually shot from a carbon dioxide or compressed air (Nitrogen) powered “paintball marker”.
The game is regularly played at a sporting level with organized competition involving major tournaments, professional teams, and players.
If you have decided to open a paintball game center, it is very important that you analyze the existing paintball game centers in and outside of your area. You would be required to check the existing competition, as well as know their strengths and weaknesses.
If you are serious about starting your own paintball game center business, all you need to do is read this article in order to be armed with all the information you need to start a business that would stand out at any time.
You can start your business from a small town in the United States and if you are consistent and creative, it wouldn’t be too long before your brand becomes a nationally recognized brand and your business network spreads across the length and breadth of the United States of America.
Steps to Starting a Paintball Game Center
1. Understand the Industry
The Paintball Fields industry consists of establishments that provide recreational paintball and other amusement services. Paintball is a sport in which players compete, either in teams or individually, to eliminate opponents by hitting them with gelatin capsules containing water soluble dye (i.e. paintballs) propelled from paintball guns.
In recent years, the industry’s growth, which was gaining serious momentum toward 2017, has gradually slowed. The industry initially benefited from renewed consumer disposable income early in the period, as well as a general surge in the sport’s popularity.
Changes in economic trends have been a key source of opportunity for the industry. Going forward, the industry revenue is projected to grow at an even slower rate than the previous half decade. Continual improvement in consumer confidence and increasing consumer spending rates will likely play an important role in the industry’s continuing pursuit of attracting new amateur and professional players.
The Paintball Fields industry is indeed a thriving industry in the United States of America and in some developed countries. Statistics has it that the Shooting Ranges industry in the United States of America is worth $3 billion, with an estimated growth rate of 4.1 percent.
There are about 4,186 registered and licensed paintball game center facilities scattered all across the United States. Paintball game centers are responsible for employing about 30,123 people. No company can boast of dominating the market; every player in the industry can comfortably compete in the industry.
A recent research publication released by IBISWorld shows that the Paintball Fields industry has a moderate level of capital intensity.
In 2017, industry operators typically invest $0.22 toward capital for every dollar invested in labor. The report further stated that the industry is predominantly labor-intensive, and workers perform many activities, including ticket selling, food and beverage sales, operation and the maintenance of the paintball fields and equipment.
However, the industry does require various capital investments including purchase of additional facilities, equipment and gear that can be rented to players. The report also shows that the industry’s capital intensity has decreased slightly since 2012, when industry operators spent an average of $0.24 on capital for every dollar spent on labor.
The Paintball Fields industry will continue to blossom because people and organizations (security related organizations) will not relent in ensuring that they and their staff members have the required skills needed to perform their duty especially for the purpose of security, hunting and sports.
Paintball technology is also used by military forces, law enforcement, paramilitary and security organizations to supplement military training, and it also plays a role in riot response, and non-lethal suppression of dangerous suspects.
Despite the fact that the industry seems over – regulated, there is still room big enough to accommodate aspiring entrepreneurs who intend opening their own paintball game center facilities. Over and above, paintball game center businesses all over the world are still enjoying good patronage particularly if they are well positioned and if they know how to network with stakeholders and reach out to their target market.
2. Conduct Market Research and Feasibility Studies
- Demographics and Psychographics
The demographic and psychographic composition of those who need the services of paintball game center facilities cut across businesses and individuals. Paintball technology is also used by military forces, law enforcement, paramilitary and security organizations to supplement military training hence the demographic composition of a paintball game center facility is all encompassing.
The truth is that when it comes to paintball game center facilities, there is indeed a wide range of available customers; every adult both male and female are potential clients.
So, if you are thinking of starting a paintball game center business, then you should make your target demographics all encompassing. It should include individuals, hunters, security companies, military forces, police, paramilitary, law enforcement agencies and every organization that own guns and firearms within the location where your company is located.
3. Decide Which Niche to Concentrate On
Most paintball game center facilities tend to carry out services that have to do with providing secured and safe facility where people practice, learn and play paintball game, and also operate general services carried out by a standard paintball game center facilities, that is why it seems that there are no niche areas in the industry.
But on the other hand, some facilities may decide to major in key or niche areas such as;
- Operating woodball, speedball, scenario and other paintball fields
- Paintball Airsoft and Laser Tag
- Renting paintball equipment and safety gear
- Providing additional arcade games
- General merchandize of paintball equipment and safety gear
The Level of Competition in the Industry
The truth is that no matter the level of competition in an industry, if you brand and promote your services or business properly, you will always make headway in the industry. Just ensure that you provide highly secured and safe paintball game center facility for your clients and you know how to attract and reach out to your target market.
But over and above, there are several paintball game center facilities scattered all around the United States of America. So, if you choose to open your own paintball game center facility in the United States, you will definitely meet stiff competitions amongst other players in the Paintball Fields industry and also other players in the alternative leisure and sports industry who also provide paintball game facilities in your city or country.
Besides, there are larger paintball game center facilities that determine the trends in the industry and you should be ready to compete with them for customers.
4. Know Your Major Competitors in the Industry
These are some of the leading paintball facilities in the United States of America and in the globe;
- The Edge Paintball Experience
- The Shack Paintball Field
- Fort Knox USA Paintball
- American Paintball Coliseum – Paintball Airsoft & Laser Tag
- Splat Paintball Field
- Orbital Paintball
- Coopers Cave Games and Paintball
- Paintball Phoenix & Driving
- Central Florida Paintball
- Austin Paintball
- Paintball Depot Game Park
- American Paintball Coliseum Outdoor Fields
- American Paintball Park
- Two Chicks Paintball
- TE Paintball
- All-Stars Paintball
- US Paintball Nation Inc
- Shadow Walker Paintball Field
- American Canyon Paintball Jungle
- Providence Indoor Paintball, LLC
Economic Analysis
If you are looking towards successfully launching a business and maximizing profits, then you need to ensure that you get your economic and cost analysis right and try as much as possible to adopt best practices in the industry you choose to build a business in.
The business has been in existence for a while now and it is indeed a competitive business; as a matter of fact, you will come across several paintball game center facilities when you go out there sourcing for a facility where you can learn, practice and play paintball game.
So, if you are mapping out your economic and cost analysis, you should carry out thorough market survey and costing of the required amount needed to build a standard multipurpose paintball game center facility, purchase paintball mask, paintball marker, body armor (optional), paint grenades, compressed air or CO2 canisters, paintballs, hopper and also the cost to successfully run the business.
Over and above, if you are considering starting a paintball game center facility, then your concern should not be limited to the cost of registering the business, securing the required license, leasing and equipping the facility, purchasing paintball mask, paintball marker, body armor (optional), paint grenades, compressed air or CO2 canisters, paintballs, hopper, but also on branding and on how to build a robust clientele base.
The truth is that if you are able to build a robust clientele base and a far reaching business network, you are sure going to maximize profits in the business.
5. Decide Whether to Buy a Franchise or Start from Scratch
If you are looking towards starting a paintball game center facility, you would have to start from the very scratch because you can hardly get a franchise of a paintball game center facility to buy.
Besides, starting a paintball game center facility from the scratch is straightforward when compared to other businesses that have to do with ammunition and firearms which usually require detailed groundwork before launching the business.
With a paintball game center facility, you should just try as much as possible to get the right business license and permits, secure a standard facility, get the required tools and equipment, build business relationship with key stakeholders and then leverage on every marketing tool within your disposal especially the internet to market your services.
Please note that most of the big and successful paintball game center facilities around started from the scratch and they were able to build a solid business brand.
It takes dedication, hard work and determination to achieve business success and of course you can build your own paintball game center facility to become a successful brand with corporate and individual customers in your city and from all across the length and breadth of the United States of America.
6. Know the Possible Threats and Challenges You Will Face
If you decide to start your own paintball game center facility today, one of the major challenges you are likely going to face is the presence of well – established paintball game center facilities and other players in the alternate leisure and sports industry that also offer same services as you do. The only way to avoid this challenge is to create your own market.
Other challenges and threats that you may face are economic downturn and unfavorable government. There is nothing you can do as regards these threats and challenges other than to stay positive that things will work well for you.
7. Choose the Most Suitable Legal Entity (LLC, C Corp, S Corp)
You have the option of either choosing a general partnership, limited liability company which is commonly called an LLC, or even a sole proprietorship for a paintball game center facility.
Ordinarily, sole proprietorship should have been the ideal business structure for a small scale paintball game center facility especially if you are just starting out with a moderate start – up capital and covering just a city. But people prefer limited liability Company for some reasons.
As a matter of fact, if your intention is to grow the business and offer your services to customers all across your state and throughout the United States of America, then choosing sole proprietorship is not an option for you. Limited Liability Company, LLC or even general partnership will cut it for you.
Setting up an LLC protects you from personal liability. If anything goes wrong in the business, it is only the money that you invested into the limited liability company that will be at risk. It is not so for sole proprietorships and general partnerships.
Limited liability companies are simpler and more flexible to operate and you don’t need a board of directors, shareholders meetings and other managerial formalities.
These are some of the factors you should consider before choosing a legal entity for your paintball game center facility; limitation of personal liability, ease of transferability, admission of new owners, investors’ expectation and of course taxes.
If you take your time to critically study the various legal entities available for use for your paintball game center facility with the ability to offer your services to customers all across the city and state that you operate and throughout the United States of America via franchise, you will agree that limited liability company; an LLC is most suitable.
You can start this type of business as limited liability company (LLC) and in future convert it to a ‘C’ corporation or an ‘S’ corporation especially when you have the plans of going public.
8. Choose a Catchy Business Name
When choosing a name for your business, you should be creative because whatever name you choose for your business will go a long way to create a perception of what the business represents. If you are considering starting your own paintball game center facility, here are some catchy names that you can choose from;
- Red Army® Paintball Game Center, LLC
- Ground Zero™ Paintball Game Arena, LLC
- Sir Thomas McLaren© Paintball Game Center, Inc.
- Range Overland® Paintball Game Center, Inc.
- Green Field© Paintball Game Center, Inc.
- Huston Brothers® Paintball Game Center, Inc.
- Out of the Woods™ Paintball Game Facility, Inc.
- Front Views© Paintball Game Facility, LLC
- Las Davina & Sons Paintball Game Facility, Inc.
- Temple Gate® Paintball Game Arena, Inc.
9. Discuss with an Agent to Know the Best Insurance Policies for You
Here are some of the basic insurance covers that you should consider purchasing if you want to start your own paintball game center in the United States of America;
- General insurance
- Health insurance
- Liability insurance
- Risk insurance
- Firearm Insurance
- Workers Compensation
- Overhead expense disability insurance
- Business owner’s policy group insurance
- Payment protection insurance
10. Protect your Intellectual Property With Trademark, Copyrights, Patents
If you are considering starting your own paintball game center facility, usually you may not have any need to file for intellectual property protection/trademark.
This is because the nature of the business makes it possible for you to successfully run the business without having any cause to challenge anybody in court for illegally making use of your company’s intellectual properties. But if you just want to protect your company’s logo and other documents or software that are unique to you or even jingles and media production concepts, then you can go ahead to file for intellectual property protection.
If you want to register your trademark, you are expected to begin the process by filing an application with the USPTO. The final approval of your trademark is subject to the review of attorneys as required by USPTO.
11. Get the Necessary Professional Certification
Asides from your ability to give instructions as it relates to paintball games, practices and training; professional certification is one of the main reasons why some gun shooting range businesses stand out. If you want to make an impact in the paintball game center industry, you should work towards acquiring all the needed certifications in your area of specialization.
Certification validates your competency and shows that you are highly skilled, committed to your career, and up-to-date in this competitive market. These are some of the certifications you can work towards achieving if you want to run your own paintball game center facility;
- Real Action Paintball Airsmith Certification
- SPS Referee Level 1 Certification
- Avid Certified Operator
Please note that you cannot successfully run a paintball game center facility in the United States and in most countries of the world without acquiring professional certifications and business license even if you have adequate experience cum background in the paintball game center industry.
12. Get the Necessary Legal Documents You Need to Operate
The essence of having the necessary documentation in place before launching a business in the United States of America cannot be overemphasized. It is a fact that you cannot successfully run any business in the United States without the proper documentations.
If you do, it won’t be too long before the long hand of the law catches up with you. These are some of the basic legal documents that you are expected to have in place if you want to legally run your own paintball game center facility in the United States of America;
- Certificate of Incorporation
- Business License/Firearm handling license
- Shooting Range Approval – National Firearms Association
- Tax Payer’s ID/Tax Identification Number
- Business Plan
- Non – disclosure Agreement
- Employee Handbook
- Employment Agreement (offer letters)
- Operating Agreement for LLCs
- Insurance Policy
- Online Terms of Use (since you operate online)
- Online Privacy Policy Document (basically for online payment portal)
- Company Bylaws
- Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
- Contract Document
- Franchise or Trademark License (optional)
13. Raise the Needed Startup Capital
Starting a paintball game center facility can be capital intensive even if you choose to start on a small scale. If you choose to start the business on a large scale with a standard facility, and over a handful of full-time employees, then you would need to source for fund to finance the business because it is expensive to start a standard large scale paintball game center facility.
When it comes to financing a business, one of the first things and perhaps the major factor that you should consider is to write a good business plan.
If you have a good and workable business plan document in place, you may not have to labor yourself before convincing your bank, investors and your friends to invest in your business. Here are some of the options you can explore when sourcing for startup capital for your paintball game center facility;
- Raising money from personal savings and sale of personal stocks and properties
- Raising money from investors and business partners
- Sell of shares to interested investors
- Applying for loan from your bank/banks
- Pitching your business idea and applying for business grants and seed funding from donor organizations and angel investors
- Source for soft loans from your family members and your friends
14. Choose a Suitable Location for your Business
Even though you can afford to start a paintball game facility from any part of the United States of America, when it comes to choosing a location for your paintball game center facility, the rule of thumb is that you should be guided by the ease of securing the required license in the location.
Of course, if you are able to start your paintball game center facility in the right location for such business, you won’t struggle to make headway with the business.
Before choosing a location for your paintball game center facility, ensure that you first conduct a thorough feasibility studies and market survey. The possibility of you coming across similar business that just closed shop in the location you want to open yours can’t be ruled out.
These are some of the key factors that you should consider before choosing a location for your paintball game center facility;
- The demography of the location as it relates to the number of hunters, security companies, military, police, paramilitary, law enforcement agencies and every organization that own guns and firearms
- The demand for the services of paintball game center facilities and related businesses in the location
- The purchasing power of the residence of the location
- Accessibility of the location
- The number of paintball game center facilities and related services in the location
- The local laws and regulations in the community/state
- Traffic, parking and security
15. Hire Employees for your Technical and Manpower Needs
On the average, there are no special technology/equipment needed to run this type of business except for paintball mask, paintball marker, body armor (optional), paint grenades, compressed air or CO2 canisters, paintballs, hopper, inventory-management software and other relevant software applications.
You will also need computers, internet facility, telephone, fax machine and office furniture (chairs, tables, and shelves) amongst others and all these can be gotten as fairly used.
As regards leasing or outright purchase of a paintball game center facility, the choice is dependent on your financial standing, but the truth is that to be on the safe side, it is advisable to start off with a short term rent/lease while test running the business in the location. If things work out as planned, then you go on a long – term lease or outright purchase of the property.
When it comes to hiring employees for a standard paintball game center facility, you should make plans to hire a competent Chief Executive Officer/Manager (you can occupy this role), Admin and Human Resources Manager, Professional Paintball Games Instructors and Trainers, Sales and Marketing Officer, Accounting Clerk, and Front Desk Officer.
These are some of the key employees that you can work with. On the average, you will need a minimum of 5 to 10 key staff members to run a medium – scale but standard paintball game center facility.
The Service Delivery Process of the Business
Paintball is played with a potentially limitless variety of rules and variations which are specified before the game begins. The most elementary game rule is that players must attempt to accomplish a goal without being shot and marked with a paintball.
A number of different rules govern the legality of a hit, ranging from “anything counts” (hits cause elimination whether the paintball broke and left a mark or not) to the most common variation: the paintball must break and leave a mark the size of a US quarter or larger.
Eliminated players are expected to leave the field of play; eliminations may also earn the opposing team points. Depending on the agreed upon game rules, the player may return to the field and continue playing, or is eliminated from the game completely.
The business services process as it relates to a paintball game center is straightforward and in most cases clearly defined. It is the duty of professional paintball game instructors and trainers to help their clients acquire skills and knowledge of the game. They help their clients develop capability, capacity, productivity and performance as it relates to the game.
Once a client enrolls in the paintball game center facility, they agree on the end result of the training and the weeks or months required for the training. Contract document is signed, part payment made and the training commences as required. At the end of the training session, the client is accessed and when he or she is satisfied, the balance of the payment is made.
It is important to state that a paintball game center facility may decide to improvise or adopt any business process and structure that will guarantee them efficiency and flexibility; the above stated paintball game center facility business process is not cast on stone.
16. Write a Marketing Plan Packed with ideas & Strategies
Running a business requires that you should be proactive when it comes to marketing your goods or services. If you choose to launch a paintball game center facility, then you must go all out to employ strategies that will help you attract customers or else you will struggle with the business because there are well-known brands determining the market direction of the paintball game center industry.
People and organizations will hire your services or make use of your facility if they know that they are going to get value for their money. Your marketing strategy should center on reliability, swiftness, safety, pricing, secured payment platform, and above all excellent customer service.
You should ensure that whenever your customers hire your services or make use of your facility, they will get excellent service and it will show in the skills they have acquired. The truth is that if you are able to put the above stated in place, you won’t struggle to retain your old customers and at the same time win over new customers.
Businesses this days are aware of the power of the internet which is why they will do all they can to maximize the internet to market their services.
In other words, a larger percentage of your marketing effort should be directed to internet users and your website should become your number one marketing tool. Here are some of the platforms you can utilize to market your paintball game center facility;
- Introduce your paintball game center facility by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to hunters, security companies, military forces, police, paramilitary, law enforcement agencies and every organization that own guns and firearms within the location where your paintball game center facility is located.
- Advertise your paintball game center facility in relevant business magazines, newspapers, TV and radio stations
- List your paintball game center facility on yellow pages ads (local directories)
- Attend relevant international and local expos, seminars and business fairs et al
- Create different packages for different category of clients in order to work with their budgets and still help them acquire paintball game skills
- Leverage on the internet to promote your paintball game center facility
- Join local chambers of commerce around you with the main aim of networking and marketing your services; you are likely going to get referrals from such networks
- Engage the services of marketing executives and business developers to carry out direct marketing
17. Develop Strategies to Boost Brand Awareness and Create a Corporate Identity
If your intention of starting a paintball game center facility is to grow the business beyond the city where you are going to be operating from to become a national and international brand, then you must be ready to spend money on promotion and advertisement of your brand.
No matter the industry you belong to, the truth is that the market is dynamic and it requires consistent brand awareness and promotion to continue to appeal to your target market. Here are the platforms you can leverage on to boost your brand awareness and create corporate identity for your paintball game center facility;
- Place adverts on both print (newspapers and magazines) and electronic media platforms
- Sponsor relevant community based events
- Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google + et al to promote your services
- Install your billboards in strategic locations all around your city or state
- Engage in roadshows from time to time in targeted neighborhoods to create awareness of your paintball game center facility
- Distribute your fliers and handbills in target areas
- Contact hunters, security companies, military forces, police, paramilitary, law enforcement agencies and every organization that own guns and firearms within the location where your paintball game center facility is located informing them about your business and the paintball game center facility services you offer
- List your paintball game center facility in local directories
- Advertise your paintball game center facility in your official website and employ strategies that will help you pull traffic to the site
- Position your Flexi Banners in strategic positions in the location where your paintball game center facility is located
- Ensure that all your staff members wear your branded shirts and all your vehicles are branded with your company logo et al.