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

14 Things I LOVED About The New-And-Improved Friendship Fortress Indoor Playground Facility

Jul 08, 2024

A couple weeks back I posted a video tour of a play space called The Friendship Fortress that’s not only local to me, but is also near and dear to my heart. 

And this is because one of my long-time  Play Cafe Academy and Play Maker Society members, Timea, is now the co-owner of the space.

If you’re a longtime listener, or if you watched that tour, you may remember that Timea actually opened her own space first called Tumbles Play Cafe, which I also toured and filmed...

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6 Ways You Can Apply Disneyā€™s Magic TODAY To Elevate Your Indoor Playground Business

Jun 07, 2024

 

You may have noticed that I’ve been covering some HEAVY topics on the Profitable Play Podcast lately.

We’ve talked about regulating our nervous systems to prevent a lot of the health issues brought about by chronic stress which is unfortunately not uncommon for indoor playground owners. 

We’ve talked about handling conflict with customers and within our own teams, and most recently we’ve talked about navigating divorce as a business owner. So, like I said,...

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When Customers Become Competition- More Tips For Handling Competition and "Copy Cat" Play Cafe Businesses

Apr 05, 2023

Running an indoor playground business can be a fulfilling and exciting experience. However, it can also be challenging, as all of you listening likely know, especially when a CUSTOMER expresses an interest in opening a similar business in the same area. 

I talked about this a bit in my YouTube video recently and I was so shocked because I got SO many comments both in play maker society and on YouTube letting me know that hey, I’m not the ONLY one who feels this way. So I wanted to...

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Prepare Your Indoor Playground, Play Cafe Business, Or Family Entertainment Center For A Recession

Feb 27, 2023

 

In this article, we are covering a bit of a heavy topic, but I know it’s one that’s likely been on your mind and heart lately- so we’re going to dive right into it.

That’s right, today we are covering recession prep. But fear not because I actually feel very strongly that if you are reading this right now and if you are constantly seeking to learn and improve and invest in your success– whether it’s here with me or with another business or life...

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UNPOPULAR OPINION: Launching a Business in 2020

May 03, 2020

It’s May 2020, and we are right in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis and all of the uncertainty that comes with it.

I’ve been paying attention to the conversations happening on podcasts, YouTube channels, and inside Facebook groups, and I’ve actually been quite surprised at the comments being made.

Understandably, a lot of people are feeling scared and stuck, and like their dreams are on pause.

However, the surprising part to me is that a lot of prospective business owners...

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Tips for Opening a MOBILE Play or Party Business

Mar 06, 2020

As I mentioned in my blog about the important trends I see emerging for indoor play spaces in 2020 and beyond, Mobile Play services are a great option for thinking outside the box and either generating an additional source of revenue for your brick and mortar indoor playground OR for raising funds to start a brick and mortar space.

SO, WHAT IS A MOBILE PLAY RENTAL SERVICE?

Specifically, what I referred to in my “Important Trends” blog are businesses that bring a mobile soft play...

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Book More Birthdays: 9 Ways to Pack your Party & Private Event Calendar

Feb 03, 2020

As you likely know if you’ve been following me for a while, we focus on birthday parties at our indoor playground locations.

We rely on having a booked-out party calendar every single weekend to be able to be successful. I love being able to look at the month ahead and know with certainty that not only will all of our bills and team members be paid, but also that I can pay myself consistently as the business owner.

Even if you do NOT plan on making parties your main focus, relying on...

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Indoor Playground/ Play Cafe Business Model Trends for 2020

Jan 13, 2020

Something I am careful to do constantly is monitor other indoor play spaces in order to best understand what’s working and what’s not working in the indoor play industry. 

As we kick off a new year, I wanted to share 4 emerging trends that have been increasing in popularity, especially during the last 18 months or so.

For current indoor playground owners and prospective owners alike, adapting to at least 1-2 of these trends to accommodate changing customer preferences will be...

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2019 in Review-- The Lessons We Learned and the Challenges We Overcame-- Together

Dec 30, 2019

Earlier this week I put an ask out to the 100+ entrepreneurs in my group coaching program, Play Makers Society. I asked for them to share either:

  • One significant thing they’ve learned this year on their business journey

  • One roadblock or issue they encountered that surprised them, OR

  • One piece of advice they’d give their former selves or other prospective business owners

And, wow. 

Their responses were so detailed and insightful, I had to choose a handful of them to...

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3 Reasons Why I Did Not Open an Inflatable Bounce House Business

Nov 13, 2019

Another one of the most common questions I get from prospective indoor playground business owners is around WHY I chose my specific indoor play concept for Climbing Vines Cafe & Play. As you likely know, our space is cozy & intimate and focuses on imaginative play for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.

Many people looking to break into the indoor-play industry struggle around refining their own concept and wonder what they should focus on. For example, should there be a large play...

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Can I Send You My NEW Free 2024 "What's Working In The Indoor Play Industry" Guide?

I asked 11 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 2024 "What's Working" Guide!