What is An Unstaffed Indoor Playground? And Why You Should Open One
Opening an indoor playground is an exciting journey. If you've finally decided to open your own play space, congratulations! Get ready to dive into a world of opportunities and undertakings, from drafting business plans and securing loans to signing leases and making decisions… and that’s just the beginning.
The early stages of starting your business may be overwhelming, but don't stress it, you got this! Believe it or not, this is the most exciting part, where the possibilities are still endless and anything is possible. If you've stumbled across this article at this stage, you're in luck. I'm going to introduce to you to a unique business model that will set your indoor playground up for lifelong success from the get-go: running your facility unstaffed.
As I mentioned earlier, I know your head is probably spinning with all the decisions that new business owners must make. And I bet that reading about a business model you hadn't even considered doesn't help. But if you stick with me, I promise that the decision to go unstaffed will be the easiest decision you'll make. It's simply too good to pass up.
What is an unstaffed indoor playground?
Before I go further, let's clear up what going unstaffed actually means:
An unstaffed indoor playground is simply an indoor playground that fully operates without a front desk.
The purchasing of day passes, memberships, birthday party bookings, etc. are all done on an online eCommerce website, as opposed to over the counter, face-to-face transactions. Customers buy their passes before entering the facility, receive a unique PIN code upon purchase, and allow themselves access into the playground by unlocking the entrance door with their PIN code. As the business owner, you can oversee your facility at your leisure, while allowing day-to-day operations to run essentially on autopilot. Using this access control-based business model, the monetization of entry into your facility can be achieved without the time, energy, and money of operating a front desk.
Why You Should Open An Unstaffed Indoor Playground
Save money: Running an unstaffed indoor playground significantly reduces overhead costs. By eliminating the need to hire an employee to manage transactions during business hours, you'll inevitably save a ton of money. This allows you allocate funds to other areas like maintenance, marketing, or enhancing the play experience.
Save time: Without the need for a front desk, you can avoid the constant, tiring cycle of hiring, interviewing, training, and scheduling employees. As many business owners know all to well, this cycle gets super old, super fast.
Extend Hours: Unstaffed playgrounds can operate beyond typical business hours, providing flexibility for parents and caregivers. This can attract more visitors, especially those with busy schedules. Plus, extended hours increases daily traffic, which increases revenue!
Embrace holidays: Scheduling employees during the holiday season often feels like a difficult game of Tetris, not to mention the guilt of asking employees to sacrifice time with loved ones to manage day passes. By operating your facility unstaffed, you can offer families the opportunity to enjoy your space without the need for employees to oversee it—allowing everyone to spend more time with those who matter most.
Increase Security: A secure entry systems, such as keypad or mobile pass access, ensures only authorized users can enter. Paired with surveillance cameras, this model ensures a secure facility 24/7.
Please your customers: Parents hate waiting in lines and love the convenience of self-service options. They can book sessions online, check in using a code, and supervise their children without waiting for staff assistance.