Indoor Playground Business Iphone Apps
In a previous blog post, I spoke the 7 things I no longer do in my indoor playground equipment home playground company as I have grown and matured as a company owner.
I chased Michael Hyatt, that, in many of his books and programs always describes designing your ideal weeks and days as"the appetite zone" Operating inside your dream zone, as he explains it, simply means you are spending the bulk of your time doing what you love AND are good at.
While there are many tasks I cut completely and a few I delegate into better-suited team members, there are several duties that still lie inside my"desire zone," and that I feel are important for me to handle personally. 
Due to this attention, I've chosen to personally plan the primary aspects of each celebration we sponsor. Whenever someone publications their occasion with us, they get a comprehensive confirmation which includes my contact information and mentions that I'm personally in touch because their event draws near.
While I do not typically take care of the implementation of our celebrations, I do act as the main touchpoint for parents and gather all of their information and preferences. Ten days prior to each party, I send out a personalized party"questionnaire" which includes all the details we have gathered up to this point, provides additional day-of information, and asks about last-minute particulars.
I answer all queries the host may have in reaction to that email and-- following some back-and-forth communication-- I record all of their event info on what we call a"party prep sheet." Since we have up to 6 comprehensive events in 1 weekend, this business is essential!
The party-prep sheet is a very detailed document that allows any of our party hosts to execute the occasion to the specific specifications of the parents, leaving no rock unturned. This has allowed me to have most weekends free nonetheless still feel convinced we're providing an above-and-beyond birthday celebration experience.
After the celebration, we deliver a questionnaire to each hosting household. If they have opinions, whether it be positive or negative, I always follow up personally. This closes the loop clients' experience and makes sure they know I truly care about their child's special day. This method has lead to a significant number of repeat bookings and consistent testimonials from previous parties.
Not merely is planning these celebrations something that I excel in, but I also take great joy in it. Event planning is the way I got into the business in the first place, so I'm more than pleased to take on this task. If I am ever feeling overwhelmed with all the details, I know I have amazing team members that I can lean on.
2) OVERSEE HIRING AND FIRING
Speaking of our amazing team members, another task I choose to get a hand is our hiring and firing process. While I do leave the final conclusion to our cafe supervisor, I would rather write the job posts and descriptions and filter through resumes and applications before bringing anyone in for an interview.
Having spent several years shooting and hiring my fair share of workers, it's easy for me to see red-flags on software and find"diamonds in the rough." Since we have most of our standard operating procedures optimized and documented, I would rather employ based on personality and enthusiasm rather than experience.
I also make sure I welcome every worker to our team and touch base with them frequently to check in and collect feedback from them.
Another task that lies within my current"desire zone" is navigating the general direction of our organization and coming up with new ways to best serve our community.
Since I spend time doing those 7 items (and more!) , my time and energy have been freed up to investigate what our perfect clients want and want and find out a way to integrate that in our business model.
As an instance, I discovered that our birthday celebration bookings were slowing down in the summertime. When I asked a few clients, they said that they DID adore our events and attention-to-detail but preferred a Summer party to be out at their home (since most have backyards and pools). We then started offering mobile events, where we would bring decorations, food, and activities for the children to their houses, and it was a hit!
Another example is our events. We are always adding fun new occasions that enable customers, especially working parents with limited weekday accessibility, to visit us out of open hours and receive an enhanced experience throughout the theme of the event, course, or activity.
If I were I doing EVERY task in my enterprise, I would not have nearly enough time to do as much research or innovation.
When it comes to understanding how to innovate and the best way to provide, it all starts with forging a real connection with clients.
It is for this reason that I really like interacting with our clients all time (when I could ) and on social networking. I opt to work celebrations, events, as well as open-play if my family's schedule allows it so I can stay active and aware of what's occurring during the day. Additionally, it gives me the opportunity to observe how clients are using our distance first-hand and listen to any concerns or queries they have. Even though at this age of technology there are reviews, types, and polls, I have discovered that NOTHING can replace having a face-to-face dialog with customers using your distance (and likely visits competitors too!) on a daily basis.
It is because of this that you will also see billionaire CEOs seeing retail places on a regular basis. Howard Schultz, the former CEO of Starbucks, was renowned for visiting hundreds of stores around the country every year, spending some time with the clients who were spending their cash on his products.
I love being a family owned and operated company, and I love for my clients to understand that I'm fully invested in their happiness.
While I no longer do one-on-one consulting for individuals hoping to open indoor playgrounds, I really do spend a significant amount of time creating absolutely free articles for them here on my blog and above on YouTube. I also have an absolutely free, 44-page eBook for play-cafe-owning hopefuls they can download directly on our website or simply by clicking here.
If a person consumes that free information and determines they would like to proceed with their plans, I have an internet program named Play Cafe Academy in which I help entrepreneurs gain from daydream to opening-day in less time and with less stress than they ever thought possible.
When I was researching this company model, there wasn't a great deal of information out there. Recent owners really keep all their business secrets near their vest, and that I don't blame them! Even if you charge a consulting fee, you're still sort of giving away the secrets that you have worked so difficult for and it is very easy as a company owner to get a little smug and protective of your research and development.
As it came time to open my own business, I ended up making a slew of errors (and I mean a TON of errors ) because I just did not know any better. So when I began getting emails and calls to consult for other possible play cafe owners, then I couldn't keep all this information to myself. While it's easy for me to feel like an imposter or there are other business owners more qualified than me to discuss this advice, I understand that there is a 4-years-ago me sitting at work somewhere waiting for the next concept to jump out in them.
And honestly, I do not need to see an additional business close because somebody who is walked before them did not share any info! Why not share it myself?!
However, my time is valuable. I have two small kids and also run another company... I do not have 12 hours to devote hand-holding each perspective owner through the process. (And allow me to tell you, it will require at least 12 to 24 hours of paid one-on-one consulting to break the surface of what you need, such as documentation.) At the typical rate of $100 to $200 an hour to actually consult, imagine what you might wind up paying for just a sign of schooling!
PCA is broken down into eight modules at which I cover everything from writing your business plan to choosing a location and signing the proper lease to organizing your own streams of revenue and much, much more. Students can go through those modules in their own pace, and I don't have to take the opportunity to walk my pupils through the program.
This enables me to assist other entrepreneurs in their path while at the same time reserving time and energy I need for my family and other commitments.
I know many owners who choose to do ALL of the items inside their business, and it works for them because we all have distinct"desire zones."
I feel very lucky that I have heard through the years what my strengths (and weaknesses!) Are and may design my"ideal" weeks accordingly. When I was still burning the candle on both ends trying to handle everything myself, I'd be doing myself, my loved ones, and my customers a significant disservice.
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