Business, Marketing, and Life Advice for Play-Based Business Owners

13 Frequently Asked Birthday Party Questions We Get At Our Indoor Playground!

Aug 15, 2019

Hosting a birthday party at Climbing Vines is a guarantee that your child will have a unique and fun experience! Every one of our packages includes a private rental so you can enjoy our play cafe with just your guests. Each party is completely individualized and we accommodate for nearly any sized event.

Whether you’re considering hosting a part in our indoor playground space or are looking to create your own indoor playground birthday party package, below are some frequently asked...

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15 Frequently Asked Questions About Our Indoor Playground Facility

Jul 30, 2019

Our family-owned and operated 2,500 sq. foot space features a clean, imaginative play-area for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, as well as a barista-staffed gourmet coffee, tea, and espresso cafe for adults. It is large enough for the children to run & play, yet intimate enough for adults and caregivers to relax, have a conversation, or catch-up on work.

If you’re a regular at Climbing Vines Cafe and Play, this information should be familiar, but today we want to share some...

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5 Ways We Prepare our Play Cafe For Emergencies

Jun 26, 2019

These days, especially if you are in the U.S., even minor injuries like a finger jam or a slip and fall can have devastating effects on your small business, so the recreational aspect of an indoor playground makes us especially vulnerable to injuries, lawsuits, and disgruntled customers.

We also of course want to prioritize the safety of our guests as much as we possibly can.

Remaining prepared during any sort of personal-injury emergency should be self-explanatory but it’s,...

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5 Reasons to Book an Indoor Summer Birthday Party for your Child

May 21, 2019

If you live in an area like we do in Western New York (we’re in Rochester!) with beautifully hot summers and cold snowy winters, you’ll know that your options for your child’s birthday party are largely dependent on the weather.

As an August baby, we always had small family parties outside at my house. But, with sons born in November and March, we are always left to book an indoor venue for their celebrations, if we chose to have them that year. While those with children...

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5 Things I Still Do Myself in My Indoor Playground Business

May 09, 2019

In an earlier blog post, I discussed the 7 things I no longer do in my indoor playground business as I have grown and matured as a business owner.

I referenced Michael Hyatt, who, in many of his books and programs continuously refers to designing your ideal days and weeks as “the desire zone.” Operating within your desire zone, as he describes it, simply means you are spending the bulk of your time doing what you both love AND are good at.

While there are many tasks I cut...

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7 Things I did the First Year of Owning My Indoor Playground Business that I DON’T Do Now

Apr 28, 2019

As I have grown and matured as a business owner, one of the most important things I have learned is what to spend my time and energy on, and what I am better off delegating.  Michael Hyatt, in many of his books and programs, continuously refers to “the desire zone” when it comes to designing your ideal days and weeks. Operating within your desire zone simply means you are spending the bulk of your time doing what you both love AND are good at.

For me, a great example of...

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6 Ways we Deliver an Above-and-Beyond Birthday Party Experience

Apr 11, 2019

At Climbing Vines Cafe & Play, we offer a variety of services from classes and camps to open-play and private events. It’s our adult and child-friendly birthday parties, though, that we have chosen as our focus.

While we, of course, put time and resources towards making each aspect of our business the best it can be, I have found that having one primary focus helps us best serve our customers. Having one top priority has also helped our indoor playground stand out against our local...

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The 3 Most Common Complaints We Get (And Why I Choose to Ignore Them)

Mar 11, 2019

Over the last 3 years in business, we have gathered a tremendous amount of feedback from our community. While we try and take all of this into account and make improvements and changes based on the needs of our customers, we sometimes get suggestions that we choose to not implement.

This isn’t to say that we don’t value these suggestions or the customers who make them. However, I firmly believe that if you try to please every person who comes across your business, you will end up...

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The 6 Biggest Misconceptions I Hear about Starting an Indoor Playground Businesses

Feb 04, 2019

Through the years I have gotten hundreds, maybe THOUSANDS of calls, emails, and in-person inquiries from prospective play cafe owners. They generally all start the same, with an innocent, “Hey Michele, I was wondering if I could pick your brain about opening a play cafe in my area?”  When I had more time and only one business, I took close to 100 of these calls and meetings.

This was one of the many reasons I created Play Cafe Academy; because I noticed everyone had the same...

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A Train Birthday Party for a Two Year Old

Feb 20, 2018

CHOO CHOO BENJAMIN IS 2!

I remember being so excited to plan this party for Benjamin because it was the first year he was really INTO something- TRAINS!

The party was smaller than his first, with mostly our extended family in attendance along with a few friends who came to play.

The atmosphere was wonderful- the children entered right into the play area and the adults got to mingle, drink coffee, eat, and RELAX!

This birthday party was in the afternoon, so we went with subs, pizza, veggies,...

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Can I Send You My NEW Free 2023 "What's Working In The Indoor Play Industry" Guide?

I asked 7 Play Cafe Academy and Play Maker Society members what is working RIGHT NOW in their businesses to attract customers and grow sales. I want to send you their answers in my FREE newly updated 2023 "What's Working" Guide!