The Philosophy Of Indoor Playground Business

In an earlier blog post, I discussed that the 7 things I do in my indoor playground company as I have grown and matured as a company owner.
I chased Michael Hyatt, who, in most of his novels and programs always refers to designing your ideal days and weeks as"the desire zone." Operating inside your dream zone, even as he describes it, only means you're spending the majority of your time doing what you love AND are good at.
While there are lots of tasks I cut completely and some I delegate to better-suited team members, there are several responsibilities that still lie within my"desire zone," and that I feel are important for me to handle personally. While this is constantly changing as my priorities (both professionally and personally) evolve, these are just 5 of those tasks that I am not giving up only yet for a business proprietor.



At Growing Vines Cafe and Play, we've picked our exceptional private birthday parties as the main attention of our small business .
Because of this attention, I've chosen to personally plan the primary aspects of each party we host. Whenever someone books their occasion with us, they receive a detailed confirmation which includes my contact info and mentions that I will be in touch because their event draws near.
While I don't normally take care of the execution of our celebrations, I do still act as the major touchpoint for parents and gather all of their information and tastes. Ten days prior to each party, I send a personalized celebration"questionnaire" that comprises all the details we have gathered up to that point, provides added day-of info, and inquires about last-minute details.
I answer all questions the host may have in reaction to that email and-- after a few back-and-forth communication-- I record all of their event info on what we call a"party prep sheet" Based on customers' choices, I make a listing for all of our vendors (catering, party supplies, balloons, paper products, etc.) and will usually have a team member complete the shopping and arrange all the supplies so that they are grouped by party. Since we have up to 6 all-inclusive events in one weekend, this organization is indispensable!
The party-prep sheet is an extremely detailed document that allows our party hosts to do the event to the specific specifications of their parents, leaving no rock unturned. This has allowed me to have most weekends free nonetheless still feel convinced we are delivering an above-and-beyond birthday celebration experience.
After the celebration, we send a survey to each hosting family. If they have opinions, whether it be positive or negative, I follow up personally. This closes the loop on clients' expertise and makes certain they know I truly care for their child's special day. This process has lead to a significant amount of repeat bookings and consistent testimonials from previous parties.
Not merely is planning these celebrations some thing that I excel in, but I also take great pleasure inside . Event planning is how I got into this business in the first place, so I'm more than pleased to take on this endeavor. If I'm ever feeling overwhelmed with the details, I understand I have amazing team members I can lean on.

2) OVERSEE HIRING AND FIRING


Speaking of our incredible team members, another job I choose to get a hand is our hiring and firing process. While I do leave the final decision up to our cafe supervisor, I would rather write the project posts and filter and descriptions through resumes and software before bringing anybody in for an interview.
Having spent several years shooting and hiring my fair share of employees, it's easy for me to see red-flags on software and also find"diamonds in the rough." Since we've got the majority of our standard operating procedures documented and optimized, I would rather hire based on personality and excitement rather than experience.
In addition, I make sure I welcome each employee to our staff and touch base with them often to check in and gather feedback from them.


Since I no longer spend some time doing those 7 things (and more!) , my energy and time are freed up to research what our ideal clients want and need and find out a way to incorporate that into our business model.
As an example, I noticed that our birthday party bookings were slowing down at the summertime. When I asked a few customers, they mentioned that they DID adore our events and attention-to-detail but chosen a Summer party to be outside at their residence (since many have backyards and pools). We then began offering mobile events, where we'd bring food, decorations, and activities for the children to their houses, and it was a hit!
Another illustration 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 hours and receive an enhanced experience through the theme of the event, class, jykids.net or activity.
If I were I still doing EVERY job in my enterprise, I wouldn't have nearly enough time to perform as much research or innovation.

4) CONNECT WITH CUSTOMERS

If it comes to knowing how to innovate and what to provide, it starts with forging a genuine connection with customers.
It's for this reason that I love interacting with our clients all time (when I could ) and on social media. I opt to work celebrations, events, as well as open-play when my family's schedule permits it so I could stay involved and aware of what's happening during the day-to-day. Additionally, it gives me the opportunity to observe how clients are using our space first-hand and listen to any concerns or questions they have. Although at this age of technology you can find testimonials, forms, and polls, I have found that NOTHING can replace having a face-to-face conversation with customers using your space (and likely visits competitors too!)
It's for this reason that you will also see billionaire CEOs seeing retail places on a regular basis. Howard Schultz, the former CEO of Starbucks, was famous for seeing hundreds of stores around the nation every year, spending time with the customers who had been spending their money on his products.
I love being a family owned and operated business, and I love for my clients to understand that I'm completely invested in their own happiness.

5) HELP OTHER ENTREPRENEURS ALONG THE SAME PATH

While I no longer do one-on-one consulting for people hoping to open indoor playgrounds, I do spend a substantial amount of time producing absolutely free content for them on my blog and above on YouTube. In addition, I have a totally free, 44-page eBook for play-cafe-owning hopefuls that they can download right on our website or simply by clicking here.
If a person consumes that free information and determines they would like to proceed with their programs, I also have an online program named Play Cafe Academy where I help entrepreneurs gain from daydream to opening-day in significantly less time and with less strain than they ever thought possible.
When I was studying this business model, there was not a lot of information out there. Current owners actually keep all their business secrets near their vest, and I don't blame them! Even if you charge a consulting fee, you're still sort of giving away the keys that you have worked so difficult for and it's very easy as a company owner to acquire a little smug and protective of your research and development.
When it came time to open my own business, I wound up making a ton of mistakes (and I mean a TON of errors ) since I simply did not know any better. When I began getting calls and emails to consult for additional potential play cafe owners, then I couldn't keep all this information to myself. As soon as it's easy for me to feel like an imposter or there are other business owners more capable than me to share this advice, I understand that there is a 4-years-ago me sitting somewhere waiting for the next idea to leap out in them.
And frankly, I don't need to see an additional company close because someone who is walked before them didn't share any information! So why don't you discuss it myself?!
But my time is valuable. I've got two little children and also run another business... I don't have 12 hours to devote hand-holding each standpoint owner through the process. (And allow me to tell you, it is going to require at least 12 to 24 hours of paid one-on-one consulting to break the surface of everything you need, including documentation.)
PCA is broken down into eight modules at which I cover everything from writing your business plan to deciding on a location and signing the proper rental to organizing your own streams of revenue and much, much more. Students can go through these modules at their own speed, and I don't need to take some time to walk my students throughout the program.
This enables me to help other entrepreneurs in their path while also reserving time and energy that I need for my family and other commitments.
Overall, this business model may truly be anything the owner wants it to be. I know many owners who choose to do ALL of the items inside their small business, and it works for them since most of us have distinct"desire zones."
I feel very lucky that I have heard through the years what my strengths (and weaknesses!) Are and can design my"perfect" weeks accordingly. When I was still burning the candle on both ends trying to handle everything , I would do myself, my loved ones, and my customers a major disservice.