Mixing business with pleasure is one of the most tempting ways to make money. It’s also not recommended by experts unless you know how to compartmentalize.
But if you can make pleasure a business, then you’re in for a great time. In most cases, this is what folks who want to learn how to start an airsoft field business aspire for.
If you love playing airsoft, wouldn’t it be nice to own a field?
It will let you make money from your hobby, promising that you can have fun while you make a living. And since you own the property, you can also play whenever you feel like it. It will make your leisure time more productive, so it’s certainly an exciting prospect.
But how do you get started in the airsoft field business? What are the things that you need to do to set up a profitable business that will let you make money and have fun at the same time?
We’ll help you find the answers you need in this quick guide.
How to Start an Airsoft Field: The First Very First Steps You’ll Need to Take
So you’ve decided to explore the possibility of opening your own airsoft field. It’s an exciting thought, especially if you spend a lot of your free time participating in war games. But don’t get carried away because your business idea requires quite a bit of work to establish.
To help you get started, here are the important steps that you should take if you want to have an airsoft field of your own.
You need a business plan for your airsoft site.
The very first and possibly the most important thing to do when you decide to start an airsoft site venture is to create a business plan. This will be the very foundation of your business as it involves all of the planning, research, and preparing for the things that you have to do in order to move forward.
To help you create a business plan, allow us to break down the key points that you should address:
#1: Your objective.
What do you want your business to provide or achieve?
What do you want it to be like?
Answering these questions will help you set priorities and point your efforts to a specific direction.
Thorough research about your potential ROI is vital if making significant profits are included in your objectives. It wouldn’t be wise to go hard into the details of your business plan without knowing if it’s worth it or not. To ensure that you’ll cover all of your bases, here are the top questions that you should find the answers for:
Q) How does an airsoft field make money?
If you wish to make money from your airsoft site business then you should know how you can do just that. Learning how airsoft sites generate income will help you streamline your efforts and prioritize certain tasks to achieve the optimal results.
So how do these businesses make money? Here are a few sources of incomes that you can count on:
- Entrance fees for games. Hosting regular games will let you draw players in on a schedule.
- Venue rentals. Some organizers or individuals may want to rent your venue for their organized events or for airsoft-themed parties.
- Gear rentals. There will always be a few customers who will not have their own gear but would like to try out the game. By having gear for rent, you can allow them to enjoy the outdoor activity and make a little on the side.
- Equipment sales. Many airsoft sites also sell different airsoft-related products. This is a good way to make extra as you already have the venue to reach your target market. You can sell all kinds of stuff, too. Most folks start with consumables like ammo and accessories that are often overlooked but will prove to be essential. Some take things up a notch by also selling actual equipment like airsoft guns or parts and other kinds of gears. You can also sell your own site’s merchandise.
- Food and drinks. A snack bar might prove to be quite useful in boosting your sales as players will get hungry after a round or two.
Q) How much profit can an airsoft field make?
How much can you make by owning and operating an airsoft site? The numbers vary greatly depending on the local airsoft scene in your area and the kinds of income-generating measures you have in place. There are also additional factors that can affect the size of your profits as things like insurance are proving to be very tricky for a lot of sites.
In short, you will need to do a more thorough research on this detail based on your local conditions to find out what you can expect to get from such a business.
Q) What is the growth potential for an airsoft field?
Every business needs to look at the growth potential of their venture to ensure their longevity. For airsoft field businesses, your growth is largely dependent on where you are. If your site can still expand in size or be changed up to add new areas for gameplay then you can always offer something fresh to players. If the area your site is in is growing and improving then it can also draw more business as time goes by.
After learning about the answers to these questions, assess your objectives again and whether they are feasible with the kind of business that you wish to pursue.
#2: Your market.
Determining the details of your market is crucial in shaping your business to be capable of meeting their needs and preferences. You should find out who your potential clients are and what they require so you can brand and market your business accordingly.
Does your local airsoft scene need another outdoor field or maybe an indoor space would spice things up better?
Do you need a more beginner-friendly site that can equip customers with zero gear of their own?
These and lots of other more queries related to the nature and characteristics of your market need to be answered if you want your business to provide the solutions your market needs.
#3: Your finances.
Starting a business requires money. This is particularly true for an airsoft site venture since you will need to spend some money on a number of things. By assessing your financial capabilities in starting a business, you will be able to take the appropriate steps needed to create your fund.
#4: Your funding.
After assessing your financial capabilities in starting an airsoft field business, you might still need more money to get the ball rolling. For this, you also have to research about the following details:
Q) What are the costs involved in opening an airsoft field?
The numbers greatly vary for this as there are several factors that will come into play. There are lots of things that you’ll need to spend money on including the following:
- Purchasing, leasing, or renting of the property you’ll turn into an airsoft site.
- Construction or rehabilitation costs if you need to build or fix structures for various purposes.
- Purchasing of airsoft gear and consumables that you can rent out and sell to players.
- Insurance.
- Permits, licenses, and other legal fees to make your business legitimate.
- Cash reserves for hiring.
- Marketing costs.
If you already own a property that can be used for airsoft games, then that will take a large chunk off the initial investment amount. However, the fact still remains that you’ll need a significant amount of money to open an airsoft site.
Q) What are the ongoing expenses for an airsoft field?
Aside from the initial costs, you should also be prepared to spend money as you run your airsoft business. Since you’re primarily offering a space, it may seem like you don’t need to spend a good amount of money as you operate it but that’s definitely not the case.
There are actually three major expenses that you have to be ready for: maintenance costs, taxes, and insurance.
As the name suggests, maintenance costs are for maintaining the site in good condition. Your site should always be kept in top shape so it can guarantee the safety of the players. This also includes staffing costs. Taxes, of course, is something you’re required to pay for if you have a business, so this should be expected.
What you should be ready for is the insurance costs. Insuring an airsoft field can be costly, depending on where you are. Make sure to study this area thoroughly as some people end up being in the red for having sky-high insurance premiums.
#5: Your business branding and structure.
Your airsoft site also needs to have a character to establish it and set it apart from others. Plan the name, branding, and other details about your site business carefully as well.
Put a lot of thought into the safety measures and rules that you’ll enforce in the site, too. This is very crucial as you don’t want injuries in your jurisdiction. This will also help you plan the structures in your site if you need to get some built.
You need the right space for your intended activities.
Your actual site can also make or break your airsoft field business. It has to suit the needs and preferences of your local airsoft players in order to attract players. This is why it’s best to study the local scene before you make any decisions when planning your business.
When doing this, make sure to learn what kind of field is needed in your locale. Some places already have several open fields so indoor arenas will offer a different option for locals and the other way around.
Considerations in Choosing a Property
If you can find hilly woodlands in your area, you can turn those into airsoft sites. They’re best as they offer great challenges to players and they’re not usually used for other outdoor activities due to the uneven terrain. Open fields are great options as you may not necessarily need to buy land. If you’re lucky, you might find property owners who are willing to lease or rent the space to you.
If you want an indoor site, however, things can be a bit trickier. Unless you have an old warehouse, an abandoned building, or a large covered multi-level complex that’s sitting idly, you might need to have something constructed to use as an airsoft site.
Of course, you can also look for such properties but they might not be the easiest to find. A good deal of research and networking might be needed as not a lot of people rent out properties of this kind. Safety is also a pressing concern, so you have to be very discerning when it comes to the properties that you want to turn into indoor airsoft sites.
Accessibility is Essential
Another important consideration is the location and access to the land you’ll want to turn into an airsoft site. You may find something that’s spacious enough and fit all of the requirements you need but if they’re not easily accessible, they might not work for the purpose that you have in mind.
You need to get the proper permits and licenses to operate your airsoft field business.
You will also need to get the necessary permits and licenses to operate an airsoft field if you don’t want to run into trouble with your local government so make sure to go through the steps to secure them. Failing to do so will result in hefty fines.
There are different state & local business licensing requirements so it’s best to check with your state and city or town for more information on these requirements. You can also turn to the US Small Business Administration for some assistance on the matter.
Important Things to Do Before You Open Your Airsoft Field
Once you’ve got all of your bases covered, you can then already go into the other details of running an airsoft site. Here are two vital points that you should remember to make an effort on to ensure the success of your venture:
Come Up with a Good Set of Rules & Safety Regulations
You don’t want any injuries, accidents, and mishaps in your site, especially if they’re preventable. You can avoid many of them by enforcing sensible and well-thought-out rules and regulations. You can base these rules on what other sites enforce or come up with your own based on your experience. Make sure to be reasonable, however, so your rules will not be too much of a party pooper for some.
Learn How to Promote & Market an Airsoft Field Effectively
Another essential thing you should add on your to-do list is to learn how to promote and market an airsoft field. Due to the unique nature of such venues, they may require more specialized promotions. Ample research will help you greatly and with some creativity, you’re sure to get great results from many techniques.
Starting an Airsoft Field Business: The Takeaways
Starting an airsoft field business comes with a lot of great challenges so due diligence is crucial if you really want to pursue it. It has great promises, however, especially if you’re a big airsoft junkie, so giving it a shot might be worth the effort.