To help determine if running a roller skating rink is right for you, here are 10 things you must know about the industry before opening your doors.
There’s a lot of cleaning.
It’s a grimy business, and dust collects quickly in your ceilings, corners, and walls. A dirty rink will keep customers from coming back. Plan on keeping your employees busy with constant cleaning.
It’s not a steady business.
Gorgeous outdoor weather will be your greatest competition. It’s a seasonal business where cold, wet, and extreme temperatures will boost attendance numbers. Some rinks report a slowdown in the summer when families all go on vacation. For other rink operators, the bulk of their business comes from summer camps. Results vary depending on your local weather conditions, seasons, or when the carnival is in town. You must be creative to keep the building full of customers, and also plan for times when attendance tapers off.
You’ll be hiring and training a lot of teenagers.
This is their first job and will need constant supervision and correction. Some are more reliable than others. Some don’t take criticism well. Learn how to conduct group interviews and spot the cream of the crop with a good attitude and work ethic.
It’s not a weekend hobby.
Don’t think you can open your doors Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and stay shut the rest of the week. Someone needs to be in the office to receive deliveries, answer phones and complete many tasks such as insurance forms, music licensing, hiring, firing, selling, painting, repairing, purchasing, scheduling, party planning, group sales, payroll, tax filing, banking, food server certification, accident reports, surveillance video, lighting, sound, POS system oversight, cleaning, training, capital improvements, office management, publicity, graphic design, and marketing. HVAC systems need regular service, rental skates need to be serviced, the parking lot needs cleaning, the list goes on and on.
The ambulance will be called.
People who are not skilled skaters and start out without lessons, are the most likely to be injured, along with adults, who haven’t skated in 30 years, and rent skates. You must be able to pivot to address emergencies, but also keep the rest of the crowd entertained.
Lessons are essential.
If you want to cultivate a loyal group of customers, you’ll need to get them rolling in the right direction with a lessons program. Good skaters are great for business. They bring their friends. They grow up and have skater kids of their own. Plant the seeds early and often. When they love to skate, they will come back and support your rink.
Rental skates matter.
When customers have a good experience at your rink, they will come back and eventually buy their own from your pro shop. If customers are expected to skate in old broken down rental skates they will have a horrible time and never come back. The brownies (or peanut butters as they are referred to) are manufactured by Sure Grip, Golden Horse, Riedell, and Crazy Skates. They average about $150 a pair and you can keep them well-tuned with replacement parts (including boots) for years to come.
You won’t be raking in the dough.
Not in the first few years, anyway. But if your first rink does well, then you can open additional locations. Due to size restrictions, and what the Fire Marshall dictates, you can only get so many people into one building. And even if you do achieve a 7-figure rink, don’t count on it to support a large family. Most of the money made will be needed for maintenance and capital improvements. Because if the business gets run down, you’ll be out of business in no time.
Plan on having a lot of fun!
Owning a rink means meeting new friends and spreading your passion for roller skating. Running a rink is not for everyone, but for the right person it’s a life-changing experience where you’ll work in a fascinating industry full of helpful people who want you to succeed.
You’re gonna need some help
Hire a rink consultant who understands the Voice Of the Customer, as well as the chaos of working in a rink — dealing with a multitude of scenarios. At RollerSk8r.com, we’ve got practical webinars and Excel Spreadsheets with what to include for your rink startup. We calculated the approximate costs, and included the formulas, for a closer estimate for your business startup goals. This will save you a lot of time, trying to figure out what you need. Get in touch with us.
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