The leisure industry is one that is always in demand because people need to have somewhere to go to have fun, socialize and enjoy themselves. Opening a soft play center for children can be a smart move from an entrepreneur because they can be so popular and it allows you to target a huge market of families with children looking for ways to keep them entertained, so you could benefit from repeat visits. A soft play area is also a smart idea because these can be great fun for young kids but can also help them to stay active and develop important communication skills.
While there certainly is the potential for great success in this industry, it can also be competitive and difficult to make your venue stand out from the crowd. Read on for advice if this is an industry that you are considering entering.
Find The Right Location
Perhaps the most important piece of advice is to find the right location for your soft play center. Ideally, this will be somewhere with enough space but also somewhere that is close to cities and towns and with enough parking.
Use The Services Of A Designer
Designing a soft play center is challenging because you will want to ensure that it captivates the children’s attention and keeps them entertained the entire time they are there. Think about colors, shapes and patterns throughout the center, not just the main play area. This includes where the parents will sit as their youngsters play, in the café and the toilets. There must also be plenty of space for people to flow through. This is why it is a good idea to work with a designer so that you can come up with a design which will not feel overcrowded.
Source your equipment
The children will need somewhere to play in your soft play center, so sourcing your soft play equipment is crucial to do early on. You could benefit from the inflatable theme park options that offer slides, obstacle courses, and climbing walls, for example. Depending on the size of your location, you could get even more inflatable soft play options.
It is also a brilliant idea to have an area where parents can watch their kids play in the soft play area too, so think about sourcing some form of seating.
High-Quality Website & Marketing
In today’s digital age, every soft play center needs to have a strong online presence. You should have a professionally designed website that is attractive and easy to use and clearly shows what is available at your center. You should also start marketing early to create a strong online presence and to build excitement about the opening of your center – you should use a digital marketing agency but also use traditional marketing to target those in the local area.
Hire The Right People
You need to have the right location and great facilities, but this will not be enough if you do not have the right people powering the operation. You need staff that have excellent communication skills, especially with children, and will be committed to helping the children to have the best possible time – it can take a while to recruit the best talent, so you may need to start advertising vacancies early. Starting a soft play center can be a huge undertaking with a lot of work, but it could prove to be a smart business move because these centers can be so popular and attract people with children looking for ways to entertain them.
