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Every year, right around mid-December, I start getting the same messages from indoor playground owners:
Black Friday wasn’t what I hoped.
Open play is quieter than I expected.
Membership sales are flat.
Retail isn’t moving.
My party calendar isn’t full yet.
And if you are feeling any version of this, you are not alone.
December can be emotionally confusing for business owners because it feels incredibly busy. Your space is buzzing. Kids are out of school more often. Membership usage ...
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Today we’re diving into one of the most powerful ways you can increase your revenue, visibility, and customer loyalty during the fourth quarter: low-lift, high-impact holiday events that actually sell out.
But before we get into the specifics, I want to address something indoor playground owners feel every December but don’t always say out loud: the holiday season is overwhelming — and not just inside yo...
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As an indoor playground owner, you didn’t start your business so you could spend your evenings chasing down late payments, manually following up on half-completed party inquiries, or answering customer DMs while you’re apple picking with your kids.
You started because you wanted to create community, provide a magical space for families, and still be present for your own family. But without the right systems in place, that balance can feel impossible.
Automation is the solution.
Automati...
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As we approach “crunch time” for last-minute holiday shoppers, I wanted to give you some last minute tips for all of your holiday sales and promotions. Because even though we are well past black friday and small business Saturday now, there is still PLENTY of time for holiday shopping and I want to make sure you are NOT leaving any money on the table.Â
For a lot of areas fall and early winter were unseasonably mild weather-wise and that means revenue may have been down, so this is a gr...
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To celebrate my milestone of reaching 300 Profitable Play Podcast episodes-- I did something a little different.
I dedicated my 300th episode to rounding up some of (what I consider to be) my BEST pieces of advice, that (and here's the catch)-- almost NO ONE takes or implements.
Because I have been doing SO much 1:1 consulting as I prepare to take a break to welcome our third child into the world in a few short weeks, I’ve been noticing a few things.
I’ve been noticing that people are:
A few weeks back I interviewed the amazing Amanda Bybel on my podcast and on YouTube, and we talked about money mindset and we also discussed the different insecure attachment styles we may have with our business, and she also gave us some tips for moving towards a place of more confidence and a more secure attachment style so we can start charging what we’re worth, prioritizing and valuing our time, and really growing and scaling our businesses.
I loved the conversation so much that I asked...
I often talk on my Profitable Play Podcast and on my YouTube channel about Instagram, Facebook, and Google Ads. After all, they’re some of the easiest and most common ways for small businesses like indoor playgrounds to get their products and services in front of their ideal local customers in a way that’s much more cost-effective than something like printed direct mailers.Â
Plus, these ad platforms give us data we can use to measure our results and make data-driven, informed decisions about if...
It was recently estimated by the CDC that over 5.4 MILLION adults in the United States (2.21% of American adults) have ASD. The states with the greatest estimated number of adults living with ASD included California (701,669), Texas (449,631), New York (342,280), and Florida (329,131). And similarly, the nationally representative survey suggests that about 1.5 million U.S. kids have autism, or about 1 in 40.
To put it in perspective, most indoor playgrounds serve between 25 and 200 kids per d...
I've gotten a couple questions lately about WHY I've been talking so much about membership sites lately...
After all, many people have come to my little corner of the internet because they had BIG brick & mortar business dreams.
So... why would I talk about creating an ONLINE membership all of a sudden?
Well, let me explain.
Funding is scarce, banks are more wary of providing loans to brick and mortar businesses given the recent ...
Michele Caruana
Play Cafe Academy Founder & Blog Author
I have over a decade of hands-on local business experience and tough lessons under my belt, and I am passionate about helping current and prospective play based business owners AVOID the same mistakes myself and SO many other business owner's make. Even though I have a Master's Degree in Economics and Years of Business and Marketing experience, it took me YEARS to "crack the code" and turn my Indoor Playground from an expensive hobby into a business-- and I want to get YOUR business get there in less time and with much less stress.
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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!
