Any field owners out there?

[DeTrevni]

I live in Houston, Texas, and the number of paintball places is kinda small for such a large city. I'm thinking about opening a field as a career. Or even a side job on weekends. I've got a backup option though if that fails, so don't worry!

I guess my question is mainly how's business? Is it difficult to make a living? Are there continuous customers? Do you like it? I need to do some "market research" if you will and any help would be appreciated.

[grEnAlEins]

I live in Houston, Texas, and the number of paintball places is kinda small for such a large city. I'm thinking about opening a field as a career. Or even a side job on weekends. I've got a backup option though if that fails, so don't worry!

I guess my question is mainly how's business? Is it difficult to make a living? Are there continuous customers? Do you like it? I need to do some "market research" if you will and any help would be appreciated.
I do not own a field, but work at one. I know the owner quite well though.
Business seems to be ok.
Profit is down because of the BYOP craze.
I'd think it might be depending on the situation. The field I work at is not the owner's primary job.
He loves owning the field and working there. I love working there. It is some of the most fun I've had.

I hope that'll help a little :)

[mclaggan123]

a field is not the same everywhere you go. a filed in my area is going to have different buisness than a field in your area. lots of things affect paintball, such as weather, popularity of the sport in said area, price and advertizment. we can give you advice but it will differ due to these and many more factors. the only way to tel how a field is going to do in your area is to go to all the field in your area and listen to the players there. dont ask any questions just listen. hear there complaints and likes and see how much buisness the fields do on a regular basis. vist at least three different fields at least 4 or 5 times to see how regular buisness is and see how things are run. thats the best way to do research cause like i said paintball in sandiego california is going to be different than podunk south dakota. no offense to anyone just using those places as an example. owning a field is lots of hardwork and lots of time. just make sure you have the capitol to include the type of fields you want and the players want and to have enough money for emergencies. the worst thing you can do is open a halfassed field with halfassed service. if you do decide to open a field just remember to enjoy yourself. best of luck and let us know what you decide.

[kruger]

I am a field owner, and, my advice is dont quit your day job. Open a field because you love the game and the people that play. DONT open a field just to make money, you wont. People can tell the difference. If it is only to make a profit, then that will be the guiding factor for most of the decisions that you make at your field. If it is for the love of the game, then that will be the guiding factor. Dont get me wrong, you must make a profit to stay in business, but you absolutly have to view your field from the players point of view. As you build your field, or even run your field, ask yourself if YOU would like to play the field with "this or that". On each and every bunker or complex that I have built, I have checked the angles and to see if it "fits" with the terrain and the other bunkers that I have/will build. I built the field the way that I would want to play it. Also run the field with the idea that you have to be fair, safe, and fun for the player. Dont forget the fun part. Also, at my field, the only rules that are rigid and not bendable are the safety rules. Everything else is debatable and open to change, depending on the group at that time.
My advice to you is to visit all the fields that you can, just to get an idea of how others have built their fields and how they run them. Take the things that you like and start your field from there. Do listen to the players, they are the reason that you open a field. Good luck

[Skeeter]

Good questions. As an avid player, thinking about opening a paintball field is one of the scariest options you could ever consider. As a field owner, your playing days will be few and far between. It will probably take a few years to make back your initial investment, so you definitely want to keep your day job. Recognize the good and the bad in the sport. Find out what players like, and don’t like. Taylor your operation to fit the area. DO go through the legitimate business process… business and retail license, full insurance (an absolute must), safety certification if you can get it (APL is the only agency providing this label, that I am aware of).

Think hard about this: If you are willing to work EVERY weekend for the next few decades (if all goes well) to make the business fly, including the first few years without pay, you might have potential. I average about 20-30 incoming calls a day (Monday through Friday), all this while doing my 50 hour a week real job. I probably invest 22 hours per weekend at the field/store + another 2 hours a day, on the phone with vendors, customers, apprehensive soccer moms, staff (store and field), just to name a few. Guess that makes my average work week around 82+ hours, and I have a business partner! He also works at least 22 hours each weekend (plus a few nights a week) maintaining and building all of the structures on the field, manicuring the speedball fields, mowing / digging / chopping all tank paths & maintaining all of the infrastructure within the business facility (compressors, fill stations & other hardware). We just celebrated our 10 year business anniversary last month & run one of the safest & most professional operations on the east coast.

Your playing time will be very limited (at best), you will have more headaches than you ever thought possible. The hours are long, the expenses of operating a paintball field will amaze you (trust me on this one). You WILL end up reffing games yourself, especially at first, on a freezing Sunday morning, in the rain, when your referees don’t show up on time, or get sick, or have car troubles, or (in one case) land in jail, or…

If you honestly believe you can be motivated by the smile of some young player after they play their first game, when they tell you the whole story of how they almost got the flag hang… then you might be worthy. If you need to play to maintain the love of the sport, then don’t do it. You need to be able to get your motivation to wake up early, leave the wife and kid(s) for another day at the field, by the enjoyment that others have at your business. The money won’t be there (not at first, anyway), the playing time won’t be there (ever), the appreciation by others wont be there, when they don’t get exactly what they want, when they want it… It can be a very thankless job, and not many people are up for that challenge.

You need to be young, very motivated, intelligent, presentable, have a decent bank account and a real job that allows you the freedoms you will need, and most importantly: Love the sport for all it is worth, because as some point, that is what you will need to keep you going.

Would I do it all over again, now, HELL NO!!! Am I glad I did it 10 years ago, YES, but the sacrifices have been significant.

This is just the tip of the iceburg. PM me if you decide to do it. I am more than willing to share experiences, recomendations & knowlege I have learned about running a field and store for the past 10 years. There are some pittfalls that will kill you, and some pointers that will save you. You just need to know what they are.

[DeTrevni]

These help a lot, actually. I was hoping to set up an indoor field, to tell the truth. I know that would take a lot of resources, but that way, you would have a reliable field, open all year. The only problem would be limited space, but I figured that would be overcome by changing the field setup every week. Obviously, this will not be immediate, but I do have a general idea of what I wanted to do, and a business plan to go along with it.

In order for it to be completely self-sustaining, I'd probably need to open up a pro-shop with it. But I'm pretty sure it won't be my full time job. I love the sport, and refuse to let myself be driven by the money. The "Smart Parts principle" won't get me!

But after reading these posts, I'm starting to question if I actually have the time to do this. I've been wanting to for a while, but the work does seem extremely tedious. Maybe that's why the fields don't seem to be open long around here...

But what about paintball stores? The only good proshop around here closed down recently (or so I've heard. Haven't checked.). Perhaps that may be more up my alley...

[Skeeter]

Pro shops, as a stand alone business, are almost unsustainable. The market just won’t support a retail store in this industry, with both local and on-line competition. A pro-shop can definitely compliment a field, but I would be surprised if it could justify its existence, financially.

If you are thinking of an indoor field, you are in for an uphill struggle. Indoor = speedball only. This places many extra expenses, and limitations on what you can accomplish. You will have a hard time finding new players that can afford to play regularly. Your liability insurance will be significantly higher. Fewer rental markers out on a given day (the best profit center I have been able to identify). Expenses will increase (utilities, rent, flooring/netting, cleaning, bunkers…). Your big weekend days will be limited by the number of players you can get on the field at any given time. Having a speedball only facility will restrict the equipment that you can sell, to a certain degree. A successful operation should be able to sell an entire range of equipment that can ALSO be used at your field. You will have a hard time selling any new players entry-level equipment, if they realize that it will not be competitive at your field. There is always a need to sell entry-level stuff; it just has to be the right stuff. There is a neat bell curve when it comes to profit margins of paintball markers. The extreme low and high ends of the performance/price curve function at the lowest profit margin (percentage). The mid range stuff is where the margin is. Unfortunately, this is the hardest price range to move customers into.

If you are serious about a indoor field, find at least 2 previous owners of indoor fields. They just don’t seem to stay around very long, and you shouldn’t have a problem finding some. They might be reluctant to meet with you, but promise them a modest dinner & have your questions ready before hand. Take notes! I have a few more theories about this, and they seem to be accurate, but I own and operate a large outdoor field, thus not the best source of information. Talk to the previous owners about what went wrong. If they are out of business, there was probably not a lot that went right.

Consider an outdoor field if you can. Look into the obvious locations, near population centers. If you can’t find the right property right away, start up a small field/operation with the knowledge that you will be able to relocate if a better piece of land opens up.

However you want to structure it, you will need a constant infusion of new players, especially new players who will rent equipment several times before buying their own hardware. You don't make any money on veteran players or your regulars. Don't be a FPO field!!! This will kill your business in the long run. NEVER sell above retail (if you should ever get the chance). Offer a reasonable product at reasonable prices. Players will buy local if the prices are decent. Sell good paint at decent prices & the FPO issue will take care of itself. If you cheap out on paint & try to charge for it, players will go elsewhere. Most players are willing to pay a few $$ over internet prices, just not TOO much over internet! Be honest. Customers come first, offer the best product (field wise) at the best price and the players will come.

[DeTrevni]

Hm. Well, I'm glad I asked. It's a shame though. My plans for the future don't allow me much time, unfortunately. I wasn't aware of the time required to put into a field. I knew it would take work, but i didn't imagine it wouild be that intensive. It's a shame. I wouldn't mind getting a job in the paintball industry, and was just weighing my options.

Thanks for the help, seriously.

[Aggravated Assault]

Hm. Well, I'm glad I asked. It's a shame though. My plans for the future don't allow me much time, unfortunately. I wasn't aware of the time required to put into a field. I knew it would take work, but i didn't imagine it wouild be that intensive. It's a shame. I wouldn't mind getting a job in the paintball industry, and was just weighing my options.

Thanks for the help, seriously.

I don't have that much to add, because of the excellent posts by Skeeter, but say again the biggest thing about running your own buisness is putting in the hours. Paintball or anything else for that matter. If you don't have that time, then it is a wise decision to realize it and save a lot of stress and money.

As an alternative, if the idea still interests you, find a good field. Work there. Observe what goes on there and learn. Maybe down the road time and oppurtunity will present itself and you could have a leg up on what it takes to suceed. :)


At least that is my own plan.... :ninja: