Introduction.

Rental of bouncy castles and other inflatable games for children’s parties, family events, etc. It’s a great home business to work full or part time, and the earnings can be high, as well as the fun element! You own the business and all the equipment, you do not need to pay franchise fees or license fees. For example, operating just three bouncy castles part-time on weekends, at £ 55 ($ US88) per day per gorilla will generate around £ 330 ($ US528) per weekend, or more than £ 1,300 ($ US2, 080) per month. . Assuming expenses of around £ 300 ($ 480) per month, this leaves a profit of over £ 1,000 ($ 1,600)! Not bad for working a few hours!

Children have birthdays every day of the year. In summer and fall, your parents can rent a bouncy castle for the backyard or patio. In winter and spring, parents can hire a community room to host the party and accommodate the janitor.

To run a successful bouncy castle rental business, you don’t need to quit your full-time job and you don’t need a large capital investment either. This article will show newcomers how to successfully start and run a bouncy / inflatable castle rental business from home and avoid the mistakes others have made in the past.

1: Research.

When thinking about starting a bouncy castle rental business, the first thing to do is check all the local newspapers (classifieds sections), yellow pages, and online. See if there is anyone else in your city that advertises a bouncy castle rental business. If you find a regular advertiser, don’t be discouraged, there is still room for you. In most cities, the demand for bouncy castles far exceeds the supply, especially in the summer months. You will have a very clear idea of ​​the competition in your area. In a busy area, rival companies will often pass inquiries and even reservations to other companies when they are too busy to complete the reservation themselves. If you are very lucky, there may be no rivals operating in your area.

2: Necessary equipment.

Below is a list of the equipment you will need to start a bouncy castle rental business:

a) Bouncy castle, rain cover, electric blower and anchor stakes.

b) Ground sheet to protect the bottom of the hammock.

c) Electric extension cable (25 – 30 meters long).

d) RCD circuit breaker. (safety cut-off device).

e) Safety mat to put in front of the castle.

f) A satellite navigator or a local street map of your city and its surroundings.

g) Large A4 size desk agenda to make reservations (1 page per day).

h) Ledger to record income and expenses, etc.

i) Civil Liability Insurance Coverage. We highly recommend a million pounds as an absolute minimum.

j) Safety instructions sheet and client liability exemption form.

k) A bag cart.

From experience, we highly recommend that your first bouncy castle be 12 feet by 12 feet. (3.6 mx 3.6 m) with a 3- or 4-foot (Approx. 1 meter) safety step at the front. This size is by far the most popular with customers and is easily handled and stored, and when inflated it will fit in most backyards and community hallways.

There are many excellent companies that sell bouncy castles. Most new bouncy castles come with a one-year warranty, while some manufacturers offer a two-year warranty. Make sure a minor repair kit is included in the price of your hammock.

If you buy a new one, make sure the inflatable has a certificate saying that it has been manufactured according to the recognized standard which as of January 2010 is: BS EN 14960: 2006 (UK and Europe).

Be very careful when buying used play inflatables, as the seams in the seams wear out over time and can cause bed failure. Take an experienced person with you, who will know what to look for.

3: Where to get customers.

Fortunately, children are born every day of the year, so there is a practically endless supply of potential clients. Most parents prefer to use their own backyards or the local community room to host the party. In addition to private parties for children, there are several other places where you can rent your doorman, for example, playgroups, nurseries, pubs, hotels, extracurricular clubs, shopping malls, school parties, trunk fairs, shows and galas, events of charity. , soccer clubs, barbecues, beach parties, christening parties, wedding receptions, tennis clubs, puppy and scout groups, brownie and guide groups, trade promotions, open houses, etc.

4: How to get reservations.

To get your first hires, I recommend that you do the following: First, tell everyone you know you have young children that you have a bouncy castle for rent. Offer to rent it at a discount, if they are willing to tell all of their friends and family.

Second, you must place an ad in your local newspaper and in your local yellow pages directory. This advertisement will attract inquiries, and as long as your phone form is courteous and helpful, you will get bookings almost automatically.

You should also consider registering for free on Google Maps, so that your potential customers can easily find you when they type the name of their city and the bouncy castle for rent in the Google search engine. (It is a very good idea to have a website, but it is not essential to have one in order for your business to appear on Google Maps for free.

Initial inquiries will take several forms, most callers want to know the cost of hiring a bouncy castle initially, what sizes are available? How many children can use it at the same time? Up to what age group can you use it? When a customer calls, the first question you should always ask yourself is what date is the party on? Second, ask how old the children will be. Armed with this information, you can suggest a bouncy castle size, 90% of the time it will be a 12ft x 12ft bouncer. If the children are very young, that is, 1 to 4 years old, it may be better to suggest a smaller gorilla, or even a bouncy ball (a small semi-closed bouncy castle filled with multi-colored plastic balls).

Also, tell the customer that he can hand over the castle, set it all up, and pick it up at the end of the party. Tell the customer that you will call them a couple of days before to confirm the delivery time, etc. This approach helps build trust with the customer, which should bring them back next time.

Always inform the customer that there is a rain cover included in the price.

5: Promotional items and references.

It is very important to take advantage of your first bouncy castle reservations. For example, a father just rented his bouncy castle for his son’s birthday party. He just took twenty-five kilos or so. But it doesn’t end there. At this party, there will be parents of other children, and these children will also have birthday parties, so you should promote your company as much as possible. The best way to do this is to hand out A5-size brochures. It is also a good idea to print and distribute some business cards.

Always remember that customer satisfaction is the number one priority. You really want your party to be a success and your kids have a lot of fun. That way, parents are more likely to refer you to their friends and hire you over and over again.

6: Security.

Obviously, with children, safety is absolutely paramount. We strongly recommend that you provide your customers with a Safety Instruction Sheet. We have put together some templates for you. You can find a copy of this on the home page of the BIHA ​​website (see link below). In addition, you should familiarize yourself with the legal requirements and codes of practice that apply to the operation of bouncy castles. (See: BIHA ​​website link below)

7: Basic accounting.

It is very important to keep track of all the money you receive. Also, of course, your expenses for advertising, printing, fuel, phone calls, etc.

8: Expanding your business.

After you have your first few hires under your belt, you will probably start to think about other types of inflatables that you can invest in, such as inflatable slides and inflatable balls. Do not forget that the corporate market can be very lucrative (eg city councils and large companies in your city).

Good luck and all the success!