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]

[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]

[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....