3 Reasons Why I Did Not Open an Inflatable Bounce House Business

Another one of the most common questions I get from prospective indoor playground business owners is around WHY I chose my specific indoor play concept for Climbing Vines Cafe & Play. As you likely know, our space is cozy & intimate and focuses on imaginative play for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.

Many people looking to break into the indoor-play industry struggle around refining their own concept and wonder what they should focus on. For example, should there be a large play structure? Should there be multiple play areas for different age-groups? Should the space be a 20,000 square foot warehouse or an intimate 2,500 square-foot cafe space?

My first response when I get this question is that the “correct” answer will depend on a few factors.

1. WHERE YOU ARE LOCATED AND WHICH COMPETITION YOU ALREADY FACE

2. WHAT PARENTS IN YOUR AREA NEED FROM AN INDOOR PLAY FACILITY

3. WHAT FAMILIES IN YOUR AREA ARE WILLING TO PAY TO PLAY

I have a comprehensive 5-day workshop all around validating your local indoor playground (or really any brick and mortar!) business idea with more specifics that you can access here. I it, we break down these 3 factors in-depth.

But in this blog I wanted to answer this common question and share 3 specific reasons with you about why I chose to NOT open an inflatable bounce house business and instead went for a more intimate, imaginative feel for my space.

But first-- an important clarification I want to make is that I am specifically referring here to an indoor brick-and-mortar inflatable bounce house business. In my opinion, a bounce-house rental/ mobile business is a different concept entirely and is not what I will be discussing throughout this blog.

1) I FELT MORE COMFORTABLE WITH LOWER OVERHEAD

The first and most obvious reason, to me, that I opened a smaller-scale space is that I wanted to operate with low-overhead. In the season of life I’m currently in (two very young children at home) I knew I had no desire to operate a mega-complex type of facility.

I wanted to have under 10 team members and I wanted my costs to be such that, if I needed to take time off from the business, I could do so without much worry.

Inflatable bounce houses require SPACE and space requires money. The bigger space your business requires, the higher your costs will be. YES, some bigger, warehouse-style buildings can actually be less expensive to rent as compared to smaller facilities with more finishings.

However, rent is not the ONLY expense you need to consider.

The bigger your space, the more expensive some of your build-out costs will be. Paint, flooring, decor, furniture, etc. will all be needed.

Also, you will likely need a larger team and therefore encounter a larger payroll expense if your facility is on the bigger side.

You will also need to pay insurance which is based on square footage, and utilities which also, of course, is dependent on size.

This is NOT to say that businesses with larger facilities cannot be profitable. However, I knew at the time of my lease signing that a larger facility came with risks I was not prepared to assume. We only had one child at the time but knew we wanted more very soon and I am very happy with my decision.

Our lease is now coming to a close and we are considering a larger space (among other things!) as an option but only because my lifestyle is more flexible and more accommodating of risk.

2) AN INDOOR INFLATABLE BOUNCE HOUSE BUSINESS WOULD HAVE BEEN “WHITE NOISE” IN MY AREA

Even though several inflatable bounce-house businesses have opened in my area since we have opened and seem (from the outside) to be doing OK-- I still felt that this type of facility would have been “white noise”.

What I mean by that is that the Rochester area already had many large, gross-motor focused facilities where parents could bring their children to run around in big open spaces and bounce.

Trampoline parks, children's museums, and more, were already scattered throughout the area. Children aged 3 and up already had many different options for indoor play, specifically gross-motor focused.

What we DID NOT have in our area was a smaller-scale, imaginative space for children aged 5 and under. 

I knew it would be much easier to stand out and differentiate my business by filling a need that was not yet met, as compared to trying to work myself into an already saturated market.

If you need more information and guidance about how to decide which type of concept will work in your area, you can access my 5-day “Validate your Local Business Idea” workshop here!

3) IT’S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO BE INCLUSIVE 

I would first like to preface by reiterating that there is space for ALL types of facilities, and I am not intending to speak ill of any one model. My children LOVE to go to spaces with large climbing structures and trampolines.

However, when I examined my own personal values and what kind of space I wanted to provide for my community, the inclusivity of children of all abilities was high on my list.

While larger bounce-house facilities can, of course, have different areas made specifically for children with different needs, I wanted my entire space to be accessible to all. We do not have a climbing structure but rather playhouses with ramps for all to access. We also have many toys/ pieces of equipment fixated to the wall for children of all abilities to engage with.

An inflatable bounce house facility would just not have fulfilled my values as a business owner and didn’t match my vision.

Not only can bounce houses not be accessed by very small children or children with physical disabilities, but they can also be very overwhelming to children with sensory processing issues or who are on the autism spectrum. 

The noise of the fans and bright colors and sheer size of these pieces of equipment can be very triggering, in fact, to children without any type of special need.

It is for this reason that I again opted for a smaller-scale, imaginative space that promoted inclusivity.

If you are struggling to decide which type of facility you should open, I urge you to consider BOTH your area’s competitive landscape and also your values as a person.  

The perfect space for you will come at the intersection of need and your desire and passion to provide.

If you need more information and guidance about how to decide which type of concept will work in your area, you can access my 5-day “Validate your Local Business Idea” workshop here!