Opening a paintball club without much hassle

You don't have to do anything serious to make money. Today, entertainment can also bring income. It is difficult to surprise someone with a game of paintball, however, it is a great help for business. With the onset of the warm season, men and women of different ages are not averse to shooting at each other for fun - this is an excellent alternative to passive relaxation at home on the sofa or in the forest with a barbecue. While the culture is developing, anyone has a chance to enter the market and start their own business.

What is paintball

Paintball is a team game where the main goal is to hit the opposing team with colored bullets from air guns. This kind of entertainment is absolutely safe, the shots cause only slight inconvenience, the balls are made of gelatin and filled with food coloring, which can be easily washed off clothes.

Paintball allows you to experience an indescribable sense of risk and competition, and therefore it is especially popular among office workers who lack thrills. Therefore, paintball as a business sells not just the opportunity to play (and feel like a child again), but an unforgettable experience. This is a trend today and many are willing to pay for it.

However, success awaits such a business only in large towns; in villages and small towns there is hardly a target audience for such entertainment. Paintball will become profitable only if it is constantly improved and introduced new ideas. Don’t expect to make a million by simply buying expensive equipment and renting out a piece of land; clients will only be willing to pay for real exciting adventures. This is what you need to build a business on.

Rules

Paintball is usually played by dividing into 2 or more teams. In the classic version, the goal is to defeat an opponent, but paintball is becoming increasingly popular, where in parallel with the battle it is necessary to complete some task or quest.

Scenarios are possible when the game is built around the defense of a fortress or flag. In the first case, one team guards the territory that the other is trying to get into. Some prefer individual play, where everyone fights for themselves and tries to hit as many other players as possible without being defeated themselves.

Other possible plots:

• “meat grinder” is a game for a while, after some time players have the right to get rid of the paint and return to the battle;
• “duel” - in turn, 2 players from each team shoot at each other to kill;
• game with limited supplies;
• paintball, where you need to capture as many prisoners as possible from the other team.

You should also follow generally accepted paintball safety rules. For example, the impossibility of being on the playing field without a mask, a ban on shooting at point-blank range, a ban on drinking alcohol or drugs, as well as wearing a protective mask and special pads.

Nuances of the organization

Like any other business, paintball has its own characteristics. They should be taken into account when choosing this method of earning money, as well as detailing all the details of the future business in the plan.

Experts highlight the following features of the paintball game as a business idea:

• Pronounced seasonality - the main influx of clients occurs in summer and spring, early autumn; in winter, the climate in Russia is cold, snowy and windy and rarely does anyone agree to shoot in unfavorable weather. Therefore, you need to either stock up on cash during the “freeze” of business during the off-season, or find an opportunity to hold competitions inside an indoor training ground.
• Complexity of security issues. Game weapons fire compressed air and, if handled carelessly or malfunctioning, can cause harm to health. It is important not only to check all equipment before delivery to clients, but also to develop detailed and understandable instructions on the correct handling of such weapons and issue pneumatic markers for playing paintball only upon signature confirming familiarization with the safety rules.
• The first year after opening a business will require a lot of time and attention. You will need to develop game stories that could set you apart from competitors, actively advertise the club, make changes to the existing concept based on the interests of visitors, and establish relationships with sports organizations and clubs.

Strategy

Before starting and registering a business, you should develop a clear plan for the paintball club. It makes sense to start such a business only in a large city, where people employed in industry or the service sector should predominate. Completely different people can play paintball - men, women, with or without physical training. As a rule, office workers often choose this way to spend their leisure time.

Practice shows that about half of the clients of paintball clubs are corporate. Some of them simply conduct corporate events in such a non-standard way, the rest organize paintball trips specifically to strengthen the team. For such cases, it is recommended to hire a special trainer.

Games for students and young people should have completely different scenarios. Consider running promotions and offering prizes.

You can open paintball as a business within the city limits or outside the city. In the first case, it is better to place it in existing entertainment centers or close to them in order to attract additional visitors. Renting such premises is usually somewhat more expensive than outside the city, but this will ease the transport issue.

When organizing such a business in nature, it is advisable to combine it with other outdoor entertainment - sunbathing, boat and ATV rental , sports grounds and a shooting range. It is also recommended to have a restaurant or at least a buffet on site. The more different services there are in one place, the more time customers will spend there.

Official registration of business

After drawing up a business plan and choosing a strategy, it is necessary to make the status of the business official. To do this, you need to register, prepare the necessary documents and choose the system according to which you will pay taxes.

Registration

At the initial stage, it is recommended to register as an individual entrepreneur. With this form of organization, it is easiest to do accounting and submit reports, however, if the business has several owners, you will have to form an LLC (Limited Liability Company). In the future, if the paintball business is successful, you will have to register a legal entity in any case to give the status of a paintball club or federation - this will allow you to organize large-scale games.

Required documents

A license to operate a paintball business is not required, so all that remains is to obtain permits from the fire department and the district administration.

Don't forget to prepare the following documents:

• certificate of payment of single tax;
• certificates for markers and paintball equipment (these are optional documents, but will show the seriousness of the approach to business);
• lease agreement or confirmation of ownership of a plot of land on which paintball is organized.

With these documents, you can safely start a business and be sure that you provide paintball services legally.

Tax system

The best option for this type of business is UTII (unified tax on temporary income). You can also choose the simplified tax system (simplified taxation system), which pays 15% of net profit.

Selecting OKVED number

There are two codes to choose from in the registry that are suitable for paintball. It is recommended to specify both:

• 62 – denotes other sports activities;
• 29.9 – for entertainment and entertainment activities not included in other groups.

Club area

The ideal place for holding paramilitary games, and accordingly for organizing a business based on the game of paintball, is old abandoned military units, testing grounds, territories of former military units, abandoned warehouses or factory workshops. The place must be spacious and such that bases and administrative premises can be organized there.

If the facility is located outside the city limits, make sure that the paintball club can be reached by public transport or organize a transfer - buy a bus or enter into a contract with a transport company. If you manage to find a site in the city, it is better if it is close to public transport stops and close to other entertainment facilities.

Take care of the club's infrastructure - arrange a parking lot for clients, equip toilets and shower rooms.

Paintball visitors will have different requirements for comfort in the city and outside it, and it is important to take this into account. If clients of your business outside the city are ready to put up with spartan conditions - for them this is part of the adventure, then in the city everything should be organized with convenience. The cost of rent in the city will be several times higher; on the other hand, you can spend less money on advertising - people will come from nearby shopping centers.

The area for playing paintball should be fenced off with a net.

Where to open a paintball club

The main feature of the game of paintball is the large space. This can be a closed area or an open area.

There are several options for choosing a territory, let's consider them:

• rented space in an entertainment club. Most often, such establishments already offer additional services in the form of: bars, saunas, fitness rooms, tennis courts and more. Such places are intended for active recreation, which is what playing paintball is;
• abandoned factory or military unit. Such sites will be suitable because they do not require the installation of additional obstacles that are needed to create an atmosphere of battle;
• large areas where tourist centers are located. Most often this is a forest, the advantage of which is the huge areas with natural obstacles. At the same time, the big disadvantage will be the method of transporting clients who will come from the city.

Once you have chosen a place, it is time to start improving it. The open area should be fenced with a net, and there should be places for changing clothes and toilets.

Paintball equipment and materials

When drawing up a business plan, you need to calculate the amount needed to purchase equipment for at least 4 teams of 5 people each and an additional 5 sets.

This includes:

• uniforms for players – it’s cheaper to have them made to order according to your own design, taking into account different sizes;
• protective elements of a paintball suit - mask, vest, knee pads, goggles and helmet;
• equipment for judges;
• markers (pneumatic weapons) – at the initial stage it is better to focus on mechanical models;
• compressed gas cylinders and reducer;
• transport 350-atmospheric cylinder;
• filling station for cylinders;
• gelatin bullets for guns - sold in boxes of 2000 pcs., come in different varieties - summer and winter, if you plan to run a business throughout the year, purchase both options;
• items and materials for arranging the play area (you can use improvised means - boards, tires, rubber figures); The main thing is to use your imagination to make the game truly more dynamic and interesting.

Business advice! Most of the paintball supplies you need can be purchased at wholesale stores. By purchasing a lot at one time, you can negotiate favorable terms of purchase.

Purchasing equipment and renting a landfill are the most expensive items in this business. Just for 25 sets of full equipment you will have to pay about $7,000.

Paintball equipment and supplies

To play paintball you need the following equipment:

1. Mechanical marker Tippmann “98”, “Kalashnikov” - cost approximately $130;
2. Gasket kits;
3. Air tank with reducer for each kit - cost approximately $90;
4. The mask is from a single glass, very reliable - the cost is about 30 dollars apiece.
5. Protective vests Kits for girls and small players are needed.
6. the uniform to order, which will save a lot of money. There is no need to sew many zippered pockets onto the uniform. And every lightning bolt costs money. Each player on any team must have at least three sets of different sizes. Children's suits and suits of very large sizes are also needed.
7. Protective mesh , special, preferably synthetic, at least 350 meters - cost approximately $350.
8. Transport cylinder, 350 atmospheres , used as scuba gear for diving - cost approximately $150;
9. Adapter or filling station - cost approximately $70.
10. Ammunition or balloons filled with gelatin and paint. There are 2000 pieces in the box. There are two types: for winter and for summer. When holding competitions, rental or sports balls are required, the cost is approximately $30 to $40 at retail, the wholesale price will be lower, approximately $25 to $35.

It’s basically clear how much paintball equipment and consumables cost ; there are other expenses that you can either take into account or try to reduce.

On video: advice to a novice businessman on how to open a paintball club from scratch and start making money from it

Staff

It will be difficult to manage on your own in such a business. The exception is when a paintball club is organized by a group of like-minded people who are ready to independently serve clients at first.

Required specialists:

• instructor - must know the rules of the game and explain them in detail to the players, monitor compliance with safety rules, and, if necessary, come up with variations of the game;
• customer service manager - meets guests, selects a service for them, distributes paintball equipment and monitors the condition of suits, guns, etc.;
• security guard.

Depending on the range of services, a team building trainer, driver, cook, bartender, decorator, etc. may be required. At first, the duties of a manager and accountant can be performed by the business owner; in the future, it will be possible to expand the staff.

Paintball as a business: the financial side of the issue

Perhaps this point is the most important. To a reasonable question: “How much does paintball equipment cost?” — it’s impossible to answer accurately, since everything will depend on the quantity and quality of the kits. However, the minimum amount required to start this business is $4 thousand.

This does not take into account the cost of renting the territory, since this issue is very subjective and depends on many factors. If you plan to equip your paintball club with showers, locker rooms, parking, and also provide additional services, then the minimum starting investment will be from 10 to 18 thousand dollars.

Since paintball can be of interest to different groups of people, it is unlikely to create universal advertising for business. Develop a special marketing plan for youth, corporate clients and everyone else and distribute advertising to potential consumers through the channels most relevant to them.

Business advice! Mass advertising can be launched on the eve of the May holidays - at this time the weather becomes much better, and many begin to think about active recreation.

Places for placement can be:

• sports stores, magazines about tourism and recreation - you can not only place your advertisements and leave business cards, but also agree on cooperation, for example, providing a discount to clients of such stores;
• Internet – you need to use everything: a high-quality website with detailed and catchy information and promotion of a paintball company on social networks;
• bulletin boards, streets - even in the era of technology, no one has canceled the old methods.

The main thing is to approach the process creatively. Paintball advertising should be of interest and intrigue, be interesting and present the best aspects of the business. For large cities, it is especially important to focus on differences from competitors.

Business promotion

As you know, advertising is the engine of trade. To sell your services, you need to declare yourself, so that everyone can hear. The target audience for paintball is corporate clients and young people. You need to create an advertising campaign in accordance with the interests of this audience. You shouldn’t settle on just one type of advertising. It is better to use all possible paid and free resources: 1. Your own website on the Internet. 2. A page or group on a social network. 3. Advertising in the media (television, radio, print media). 4. Distribution of business cards. 5. Information in public transport, on billboards. 6. Announcements. 7. Advertising using Yandex and Google services. 8. Distribution of mail messages.

How much does it cost to open a paintball club?

How much money is required to start a business depends on many factors. We present an approximate calculation of the costs of paintball:

• landfill design – 40,000 rubles;
• payment of registration fees, etc., paperwork – 7,000 rubles;
• purchase of 25 sets of equipment (including suits) – 450,000 rubles;
• consumables – RUB 30,000;
• advertising – 30,000 rub.

The result is an amount approaching 600,000 rubles. To this you need to add the costs for the first month of paintball operation (including hiring a manager, instructor and security guard):

• rent – ​​about 100,000 rubles/month;
• employee salaries – from 70,000 rubles;
• registration of documentation – 2,000 rubles;
• advertising – 10,000 rub.

We get a little more than 180 thousand rubles. As a result, the amount required to start such a business is 700-800 thousand rubles. You can accurately calculate only using the data from the business plan of your idea.

What points should you consider when considering the idea of ​​opening a paintball club?

If you still question paintball as a business, then analyze some factors that will help you finally make a decision:

• If you live in a small town, then you are unlikely to be able to organize a successful and profitable paintball club. It is best to engage in such a business in large settlements with a large number of residents.

• If you want to open a paintball club as the main source of income, then to increase profits it makes sense to offer your clients a number of related services: organizing corporate events, preparing and selling kebabs, beer, snacks, soft drinks, etc. In this case, you will be able to attract more visitors, which, accordingly, will allow you to earn more money.

• If you yourself are not particularly interested in paintball, then it is unlikely that you will be able to organize a successful business in this direction. Since in this case it is not enough to simply invest money in the business, constant involvement in the process, establishing communication, communicating with clients, organizing various promotions and events, etc. is required.

How much can you earn from such a business?

Since paintball as a business requires large investments, and success is difficult to predict, it is impossible to say with confidence how long it will take to fully recoup the costs. On average, this is 8-9 months of continuous work.

It is impossible to predict the level of earnings - for this you need to take a specific idea and calculate the cost of each paintball game, even in order to determine the price of the entrance ticket. You can highlight income items:

• entrance fee;
• rental of equipment, suits and protection;
• sale of gelatin “bullets”;
• provision of additional services (from using a shower to a restaurant and the services of a team building specialist).

It is not necessary to use all income items. Entry or rental may be free, subject to additional payment for another service, etc. You can charge money for additional balloons or time; organization of corporate events and team building services can also generate income. In order for the business not to go into the red, it is advisable to conduct at least 10-15 games per month, but from the first days of doing business it will be a success if you manage to receive at least one order per week.