Running games all day for a living sounds like a lot of fun. But it is not for everyone.
It is not some “too good to be true†business. Laser Tag is fun, both for the play and the operator. However, it also requires hard work to build a successful business. And it sure ain't a ‘get rich quick’ scheme.
Rather it is a stable business that can make a difference to you, your family, and your community.
With the right cultivation, it can be a great money-making venture. It can be the best attraction in your adventure park. It can be a way to support your family by doing something you love.
Who makes a good battlefield operator?
Here are 5 questions to ask yourself to discover if a battlefield business is right for you.
It might seem these two things would be the same, but they aren’t. Consider this: have you played Dungeons & Dragons? Some people love being Dungeon Masters and others prefer to be part of the playing party.
Both are fine, but to be a successful operator you will need to be the kind of person who loves making games enjoyable for others.
As the owner of a battleï¬eld business, you need to interact with lots of people.
While running a successful battlefield business you will need to be talking to people – all kinds of people. A great operator is someone who loves to talk and share their passion for live gaming with their customers. If you are the sort of person who is always thinking "What does this customer want?" or "How can I make them have a fabulous time?" If you are talking to a Mother, she might want to make sure the activity is safe, or that the event is going to run on time. If you are talking to a pre-teen, they might want to have an action-filled session or one that involves exploring the battlefield.
If you can relate to different types of personalities, if you are happy to communicate with them and you can put yourself in their shoes, it certainly helps.
Here are some traits of a successful battleï¬eld owner:
Can you see yourself thriving within a fastâ€paced, noisy, environment?
On the battlefield, there is a lot of motion. It is somewhere where there are lots of people moving about, loud noises, multiple people asking you questions at once. Our average size group, year-round, is 60 people. Sixty people all talking and gaming can be noisy!
If you know you are good at crowd control then a new venture in battleï¬eld ownership might just be the ticket for you.
Leadership is something a great battlefield owner must have. Both the ability to lead your staff and your customers.
People will have high expectations of you. Be confident. Know what you are doing (Battlefield Sports University has many resources and online home-study courses to help with learning the system). From time to time, you might need to be able to handle a crisis. Feeling confident talking to large groups, and telling them what to do, is fundamental.
What does this have to do with a Battlefield Business you might ask?
Are you the sort of person who can make things happen? Can you get things done?
Think back on your life and career to date: Have you set a goal and achieved it?
A live gaming business requires good execution skills.Consider too:
Being able to get things done yourself is important. As your battlefield business grows you will need to delegate to other people to get things done. This is important as well.
For a small, part-time mobile laser tag business your initial investment could start around $10,000. For an outdoor fixed venue, say as an add-on to a summer camp or an adventure park a battlefield business operator will need around $30,000 for a bigger arsenal. Or if for a serious contender planning a major installation of an indoor laser tag arena then factor in $50,000 or more. In each case, an operator will need an initial marketing budget and some working capital.
Consider this: are you investing your own money? Are you going for a standard bank loan, an equipment lease, or a SBA loan? Or is Mom or Dad stumping up the money?
Whichever way you are getting the funding, be prepared to have some contingency capital to last until the business can break even.
This might be the most important question to ask yourself.
Some of the drawbacks are that you are working when others are on weekends or holidays, and sometimes you may need to work seven days a week, especially in the startâ€up phase of your business. Your partner and family need to support you in that.
We look for someone who asks good questions. Are you interested in laser tag and live gaming? If so, then the prospective operator will ask insightful questions.
If you can answer these five questions with a "YES!" you might make a good battlefield entrepreneur. A live gaming business is a chance to turn your passion into your profession.
People still (even after 20 years in the business) say to me “Do you get paid to organize games†or even “That’s not a real job!â€. And I'm proud to say "Yes, I do!" or "You're right, it's not just a job, it's a vocation!!".
If you are considering starting a battlefield business and you love gaming and love working with people then owning a Battlefield Business might just be your next great adventure.
With persistence and hard graft together with assistance from mentors and suppliers like Battlefield Sports, a Battlefield Business can go from dream to reality.
Are You Ready to Arm Yourself For Adventure?
Find out and take the Battlefield Business Quiz.
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