Starting a sports facility is a dream for many people, but it can be a daunting task if you don’t know where to start.  We have over a decade of experience designing, outfitting, installing, and owning sports facilities!  In this article, we are going to walk you through the steps to owning your facility, and things to consider along the way.

Step 1: Understand Your Market

Many people go into the process of owning a sports facility without truly knowing their market, and this can be a risky endeavor.  No matter what field of business you go into, it’s very important that you know your clientele and what value you can provide them that separates you from the competition.  Here are some things you will want to consider when analyzing your market:

  • Are there any competing facilities already in place?
  • What is your target market?
  • Are there enough people in your target market for the business to sustain itself?
  • What are the prices for the services you will offer in your region?
  • What can you provide that makes your business different than the competition?

Once you have answered these, then you will be in a position to formulate a business plan!

Step 2: Develop a Business Plan

Once you have a good understanding of your target market, you can start putting together a business plan.  This will be crucial for many reasons, but most importantly to know how much potential revenue you can bring in monthly.  Here are some reasons a business plan will be essential:

  • Develop a range of potential revenue month-to-month
  • Understand what your budget for a space will be
  • Obtain funding from a local bank or investors
  • Start developing marketing strategies to make your business plan successful

Once you have your business plan in place, it’s time to start looking for space!

Step 3: Explore Potential Facilities

Now that you have your business plan put together and you have a good idea of your potential revenue, you can start looking for your future facility!  As with any business, you will want to be profitable, so keep that in mind as you start searching for properties.  You will want to secure a space that is under 50% of your anticipated monthly revenue.  This will generally allow you sufficient financial freedom for savings and profit, even after you have your normal generic monthly expenses like utilities and software.

When searching for a space, you will want something big enough to fit all your essential needs, but don’t forget space for an office, restrooms, and lounge area!  Some people think that they can simply outfit an entire space with turf and netting, but don’t understand that city codes must be met in order to operate.  These will often include walkways, restrooms, handicap access, etc that all take up space in the facility!

Make sure that your future facility is in an easily accessible area for customers, preferably visible from a main road.  The last thing you want to do is make a large investment into a facility that can’t generate traffic due to location!

Once you find a facility that suits your needs and budget, it’s time to start designing your layout!

Step 4: Design Your Facility

Now that you found the right space for your facility, it’s time to get down to design!  We are huge assets in this department, as we do this on a daily basis, however we also work with many customers that come to us with pre-determined layouts.  No matter what, we are always here to give our input and help you make the best decision for your business!

Things to consider when designing your facility are: 

  • Do you need a full length pitching tunnel?  If so, we recommend at least 65’ of length.
  • How many tunnels do you want to fit?  Is quantity more important than the size?
  • Do you need additional training areas such as a weight room?
  • Where will families wait for their athlete while they are in training?
  • How much storage/office space do you need?
  • Are there obstructions in the space (HVAC, Lighting, etc) that will prevent you from doing the design you want? 

Step 5: Purchase and Install

Once you have designed your facility and received our quote, you can move forward with the purchase!  Our lead time on materials for facility projects including custom netting and turf is generally 2 weeks or less.  We update you with tracking as things ship so you are able to prepare for off-loading!

If we did not bid out the installation, we will still be there every step of the way to ensure you safely get your facility operational!  We have walked countless customers through the installation process, saving them tens of thousands of dollars!

Summary

In this article, we outlined 5 simple steps to opening your own sports facility!  It may seem overwhelming at first, but if you take it step by step, the process can go much smoother.   

With our team of experts, you are in great hands to open a state of the art facility for the right price and be set up for success down the road!

We hope you found this article helpful and we look forward to helping with your project!