As you read this article, you must have observed this interesting opportunity. The bounce house is popular at each birthday party and all kinds of activities. Not only kids like them but also adults like them so much too. And all clients will come back again and again if you supply good service.
Smart as you found you can rent bouncy castles to people directly. Or charge an entrance fee by opening an indoor or outdoor business.
It is popular more and more. But obviously, the supplier is not enough to fulfill all of these needs.
You have already had an idea. You will start a bounce house rental business and fulfill their needs. It seems like fun and easy to start up. But you do not know how to do. The act is always harder than thinking. People are always afraid of the first step-going. We know that. Here we give you some tips for your starter. Just follow us from the beginning and have your win.
Step 1: Plan your start-up cost
The inflatable rental business is a flexible business. You can start it as a side business or day job. It is totally based on your choice.
How much do you need for the business? It depends on what you buy. It will be great if you have enough budget, you can have a package, inflatable slides plus bounce houses. That will be a perfect combination. Regularly, a slide can rent for 4 months. A bounce house can last the whole year. People like water slide much more in hot weather. While they choose a bounce house the other time. You will seize the whole year’s business if you own all of them at the same time.
A slide needs about $3000-$5000, a bounce house costs about $1500-$2500. The price is different for each supplier. If you were interested in this business. Maybe you will touch your pocket, count your cash. Thinking about what you will start from.
Step 2: Find your niche in the market
Congratulations if you have enough budget for starting. And you decide to do this business. Now you’d to do one thing yourself. Making market research.
Look around your area, see who is doing this inflatable rental business. You will be surprised someone had done this business for over 20 years. They have a giant sales team, their advertising full of the city, online and offline, as well as on the street. You may find some guy who started December 2020, or January 2021, now he did great success. Or someone closed his business suddenly. Maybe not only one such competitor. Yes, that is right. Some were successful while the others failed. Don’t be scared of that. What you should do is the following.
Check out what bounce houses they supply. The way they do business, such as their rental charge, and their service. Learning what they did well. Taking lessons what they did worst. Finding your different and special way from them.
Compare yourself with your competitors as an apple to oranges. Find any of your advantages, such as good service, fast delivery, cleaning, safe, etc. What you can do but they don’t. For example, you will earlier 30 minutes delivery while others will never do that. Or the business choice. If they mainly serve customers of parks, schools, activity. You can start from friends, neighbors, nearby orphanages.
You maybe have more ideas right now. As a small business starter, finding your position in the competition is very important. Anytime keep you are outstanding.
Step 3: Determine a reasonable charge
After deciding your target market. Now you should consider a reasonable charge.
Basically, inflatables average $200-500 for a four-hour rental. Not the same for all inflatables. It depends on different designs and sizes. Each city charges different fees. You should compare with your competitors in your city, or even only your area. Not higher than them, not lower too much than them. It will be better if your charges are in the middle range.
Don’t know how to research competitor’s charges? Search on their website, some will remark all charge-list on it. Ask your friends and neighbors how much they would like to pay. Check more than 10 competitors. Compare again and again. Now as clever as you must know how much you will charge.
Step 4: Give a good company name
Give a good name to your company.
The messages your company name sends are super important. A good name is good for spreading and helpful to your business. Nowadays SEO and marketing are very important in the business. No matter from online or offline. A short, easy-to-remember and the special name is always your first choice. It will make your business a huge difference. People will know what it stands for by hearing it, or know what is the difference with your competitors.
You are outstanding. When you are a joy creator, happiness brings. While people saw a bunch of party rental, event rental, or inflatable rental. You are the apple in the oranges. Think about it, you will be their first choice at this moment.
We know the apple company. They own the best name in the world. People remember it in 1 second. They are successful in the name. When you want to buy a phone, you will think about apple first. You can be much more successful if you own such a good name.
Thinking well about your company name from now on.
Step 5: Build out marketing strategy
This part is very very important. Must pay much attention to it. The quality of marketing directly determines if a business be long and lasts or not.
Maybe you have the best inflatables with the lowest prices in your area. It is hard to rent out if no marketing. After all, it’s like an unfurnished house, you can’t live there. Marketing is the soul of this business.
One factor of a successful business. To let more and more people know your bounce house business exists. How to do marketing.
In the past people made advertising on TV, magazine, Ads page, etc. Nowadays, things changed. The internet changed marketing. Both online and offline marketing is in use. You need to do advertising on the website, Facebook, Youtube, Instagram online. Making ads in the phone book, newspaper, and local magazines offline. Sometimes sending business cards and flyers to people, etc.
Create a business website. A website is an online business card. You will show up on the search result when people search on google. That being said. Having a clean, fast, and professional-looking website will make things different. Post news on your website daily time. Put your products pictures and videos on it. Chat with them on your website. People can make an order on your website directly. It will be very convenient for both of you.
Build up a Facebook page. Facebook plays an important role in the business. It will be amazing if you linked your Facebook page to your website and Instagram page. You will see how rapid business growth it will bring to you soon. Posts pictures and videos on your page of kids having fun on your inflatable slide. They help to bring your customers close to you. The more you show the more people come to you.
Join in Facebook group. Facebook group is friendly to us very much. Join in knowledge group, owners group, community group, etc groups. Shares and gains different ideas from different groups. You can learn and share your ideas here. You will grow up rapidly from them. Most neighborhoods have their Facebook group. They talk and book service from there too. You will be the happiness-created guy in the neighborhood if you supply excellent service.
Focus on more social media. Such as Instagram, Youtube, etc. You will find more free marketing opportunities.
Sure you cannot give up offline marketing. Making advertising in the Yellow pages and other local magazines is necessary. Parents or grandparents will notice that. In one word the more people see you the more chance for you.
As a person-to-person business. Mouth-to-mouth advertising is important too. A good reputation can make you be a star in your community.
Considering carefully your marketing from now on.
Step 6: Clean and disinfect
Without a doubt. Clean and disinfecting inflatables are very important in this business. Whether you know it or not, people have taken it as their first choice. All of our products are 100% clean and disinfected. The one who did this will win in the competition.
Just imagine, when you open one water slide, full of water and mud, maybe some small alive frog jumps out. It terrible sucks. Not to say, who will let it stay and play on it happily. Sure people will return it back and never rent from you again. Maybe you will be on their black list. What they need is joy and happiness, not rubbish and dirty. They will refuse to use it even if you give them a discount.
Cleaning, disinfecting, and drying your inflatables before they arrive in their yard. Especially now, the covid-19 outbreak, people have a higher need for the disinfected. Clean and disinfect is on the top of the must-to-do list. You did this you will win a good review.
Step 7: Keep your cell phone open at all times
Always open your phone, let people find you easily. People will call, when they make an order, ask for some details, cancel an order, etc.
That is a good job if people reach you immediately and get a reply right away. Otherwise, you will let the chance go. Anytime just pick up your phone and listen to customers patiently. No matter it is in the night at 21:40. Or it is a party maybe half years away. Or even if it is a sue. Who knows. Maybe this phone is an urgent order.
Anyway, don’t be missing it. Just reward yourself and celebrate if it is an order. No need to be scary if it’s a problem. Everything is going to work out, one way or another. Your attitude is very important. You should pass on messages to people you are qualified and responsible, as well as trusted well. Just face it nothing is unsolved. You will know how to solve it only after you know what is the problem is. After all, in this business, no matter whatever you met, some others are already met and solved before. You can ask for help if you cannot solve it immediately. You will get an answer and know how to do it soon once you treat it seriously.
Keep your phone unblocked, once people need they can find you easily. You will gain more opportunities.
Step 8: Deliver on time
On-time, be always. You can arrive earlier as you can. As you know, there are always several kids waiting there. They wish this cherished present show there right now. You can’t imagine how disappointed they are if the bounce house is late to be there. Waiting to make people angry. Earlier to them is present. But later will be a disaster to them. Would you like kids happy, and parents happy, as well as you happy. Then deliver them on time.
Step 9: Service with a smile
We always talk about good service. How should we do in this field? It is a people to people business. Reaching customers directly. Smiles are the most impressive. Good service means always smiling face.
Remember to treat your customers well, do a great interaction with them. Say hello to their kids, dogs, cats each time. Listening and replying from time to time. Show your honesty and kindness as more as you can. Do let people like you and call you for the first time once they need inflatables.
Step 10: Establish and nurture your reputation
A good reputation can make you a star in the community.
Good reviews are the soul of this business. It said “Google reviews are important for one simple reason: your customers trust them. Studies show that 92% of consumers read online services before visiting a business. Google reviews have the most impact. Because people turn to Google more than any other search engine or review site.”
Seize the good reviews from google and your neighbor. Both writing and speaking. The more positive reviews you get the more your reputation will be. You will attract more and more people to order your bounce house finally.
Starting a bounce house rental business is a good choice. It could become better and better If you make the right beginning. Hopefully, this article has provided the information you need. Helpful for starting your own inflatable rental business.
