8
when you tell them to, based on a schedule."
A good rule of thumb is to be able to describe
the location in about two sentences. "Do you
know where the new Walmart is? We're right
behind it."
"It needs to be convenient and easy to
describe," says Gill, "but it does not have to be
on prominent property, because you probably
can't afford that property."
He also says that security needs to be
a consideration. "If you've driven into an
industrial park and there's concertina wire
around all the businesses, that probably is not
a good place to be."
sEasons
and sizE
While it's
not true for all regions or all
facilities, many facilities are the busiest in the
winter. Gill warns, however, that building your
facility for peak months may not be wise. "If
you build that big, you're most likely going to
be crushed under the weight of the debt in the
slower seasons," says Gill. Rather, he advises
to invest in building as steady a year-round
business as possible. For example, to offset a
slower summer, consider developing camps.
"You've potentially gained tens of thousands
of new clients while school is out. These kids
need summer camps and places to go during
the day."
This leaves spring and fall, the transition
seasons from outdoor to indoor and back, as
the "shoulder seasons". Regardless of when
league and camp seasons fall in a particular
region, the point remains.
"You want to build a facility that can, from
a business model standpoint, financially be
successful. But for the most part, we see a
lot of facilities try to overbuild because they
say the demand is there for the winter; then
they get crushed because of their overhead the
balance of the year."
