What are you looking for in future advancements...

[SlartyBartFast]

What about companies that offer employee discounts? how is that any different?

That's different because it is above and beyond minimum labour standards. Not in lieu of them.

Plus, in many jurisdictions employee discounts or freebies and other benefits are taxable as income.

[Lohman446]

That's different because it is above and beyond minimum labour standards. Not in lieu of them.

Plus, in many jurisdictions employee discounts or freebies and other benefits are taxable as income.

Supposed to be above and beyond. Do you really think, at least in many places, they are? Do you really think they are reported properly, at least most of them?

[SlartyBartFast]

Supposed to be above and beyond. Do you really think, at least in many places, they are? Do you really think they are reported properly, at least most of them?

Uhm Lohman, I was reponding to the question above. I'm in agreement that most small operator paintball fields and stores do not follow the above the table practices.

However consider this: Oraganisations and companies that do everything above board usually have better profitability and a long term future. Thos barely getting by a relying on stop-gap or under-the-table methods, while they may shine in the short term, are usually doomed to failure sooner or later.

If the business can't survive doing everything above board, it usually mean one or more business fundamnetals are being ignored or overlooked.

[Lohman446]

Uhm Lohman, I was reponding to the question above. I'm in agreement that most small operator paintball fields and stores do not follow the above the table practices.

However consider this: Oraganisations and companies that do everything above board usually have better profitability and a long term future. Thos barely getting by a relying on stop-gap or under-the-table methods, while they may shine in the short term, are usually doomed to failure sooner or later.

If the business can't survive doing everything above board, it usually mean one or more business fundamnetals are being ignored or overlooked.

I agree whole heartedly there. However, the below board methods are not a cause of going under, just another symptom of generally poor business practices.

I don't know. I can go to the field at anytime (the field owner lives there), get whatever I want, pay him back whenever I see him again. I can play at anytime I want to drag a group out there, and open the store and run a tab should it not be open when I am. I help set up fields, voice and carry through a lot of changes to improve things. If I want to play paintball at 5AM in the indoor I can. If I happen to jimmy a lock to get in, its no big deal. I have a lot of fun because the people I play with, and allow me to play, are my friends. If I had to answer to some corporate policy I would probably cease playing. His business practices are strong enough that he has been there "forever" and I know enough to not think there is any major concern of a problem in the future.

/Yeh, I'm a jerk
//Yes, yes I do thing I'm just that much better than everyone else :D
///Ok, I'm not really the only one.

[paint magnet]

[sarcasm]Yeah, but its old technology. PPS hasnt made anything new for their markers since forever[/sarcasm] ;)

Kind of hard to improve on perfection, eh?

i Think we need reball like projectiles that are not only reuseable, but leave a mark of some sort. This way you have all the benifits of reball, with less cheating.

The marking reball idea sounds good at first until you consider the fact that you're going to have them lying around all over the place. Try making a run to a bunker walking on marbles. You'd also have to deal with the issue of people fighting over whose were whose after the game was over.

[RogueFactor]

Ready for this one. The reason most fields close is because those starting them up have no clue of standard business returns when they are starting, are (generally) unprepared for the amount of work that goes into a business and the less than spectacular return on investment. I hear too many people who think its some get rich scheme. Most fields fail because of a lack of a decent and reasonable business plan.

I see that more with shops than fields. Most that open pb shops(like bicycle shops), think that retail pb is a sure-fire winner. Then they realize its not.

For whatever reason fields close, ultimately its because the field isnt making enough money. That can be because people stop showing up, or the costs of the field are greater than the revenue coming in from those that do show up.

Either way, there isnt yet a single field as the "model" field to copy. If there was, everyone would copy that model, and prosper. Or that field would expand across the country with their successful model. I dont see either of these happening yet.

And the problem with that is, what works in one region of the country can easily fail in another.

Clear across the US there are old walmarts and targets that are just sitting there abandoned. I've always wondered what if I went in with a group and we bought one.

Those buildings, and the land they sit on, are VERY expensive. I looked into that years ago, it wasnt feasable. Those big companies see that land as an investment when they purchase it. Either to sell to developers when they leave, or to lease to other big-box retail.

Franchising. Reduced risk for the franchisee, with prepared plans and procedures, and the power of bulk buying of supplies and advertising, in return for guaranteed revenues for the franchiser. I beleive Pev's for one offers franchises.

The concept of a franchise is sound. Franchises usually require 2 things to be successful 1. A proven system. 2. A matured and stabilized industry. Paintball is far from either of those.

Example. Starbucks didnt create their industry overnight. It took multiple decades, and only until recently was it capable of successful franchises once it built its proven system, and the industry stabilized enough to become mature enough to be accepted(meaning, 30 years ago it wasnt widely accepted to buy gourmet coffee at $3 a cup)by its branding. This is inherantly required to the franchise concept.

I'd like to see a roller bearing trigger for a mag, or maybe a newer lighter rail with a newly designed sear axle pin... Oh, wait. Rogue already did that. Awesome work. I will have one very soon. They'll work on my ultimate mag frame, correct?

Yes, they will :D