Many people find the idea of going to a round of miniature golf quite appealing. Anyone who likes to play games that involve a mix of easy and difficult obstacles and challenges will definitely love miniature golf. Miniature golf has been around for many decades and has gone a series of transformation with companies adding their own twist to the game.
Operating a miniature golf business can both be capital intensive and profitable. The bigger and more elaborate and extravagant you want your miniature golf course to be, the higher the investment. Starting a miniature golf business can be quite challenging considering all the variables and factors that will go into planning and executing your idea.
If you are on the path to starting your own miniature golf business, we have some tips and advice that will guide you through your journey.
Determine Your Market
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This is a general rule to starting any business – fully determine the demographics of who your miniature golf business is looking to entertain. For example, your target customers could be tourist, if you are building your miniature golf close to a popular tourist destination or city. Engage your local agencies who have the data and stats of how many tourists visit each year so that you can have an idea of the size of your market. If you are looking to attract your local community, that means you must have a solid market of teenagers, families with kids, and active senior citizens who will visit several times every year to have a go at the course.
Choose a Property
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When you have done your research and fully understand your market, the next step will be to find a property to set up your miniature golf business. You will have to decide whether you want to set up an indoor or outdoor course before choosing a property. Factors like the weather should also be looked into – rainy or cold weather will have an impact on the money you will make due to a lower turnout, but you will likely make more money during the summer. An indoor course ensures that your course is open all year round, although you might lose customers who like the appeal of golfing outdoor. Look for properties that are located in busy areas that have a lot of foot traffic like properties that are close to shopping malls or popular tourist sites.
Build Your Miniature Golf Course
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You will need professionals to help with building your miniature golf, except if you already have some knowledge on how to go about it. Hire an experienced architect or a landscaper who will come up with a design for your course and other features. Explain your ideas in great detail to the designer, this should include the kind of challenges and obstacles you want the course to have that will make it more interesting. Think about water traps and banking. If you are on a tight budget, you can focus on the course and reduce the amount of focus that goes into designing the theme.
Hire Employees
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The final stage before your business can open its doors to customers is to hire your staff. These are the people that will keep the business running when it is open. You might want to start with employees that you need immediately the course is open and then grow the number if it becomes necessary. The last thing you want is the redundant staff. Whenever you think you will be having a larger crowd, like on-peak periods, hire extra staff. So you should have one or two employees at ticketing, food stands, bar, sanitation – try to cover the important aspects of keeping your miniature golf business running optimally.
If you are looking for ideas to help you create the perfect miniature golf business, be sure to check our other entrepreneural posts for ideas on running your business.