Bit of marketing - Children's play centers.

notanewuser

Been having a think. Here are some points from me based on the experiences of me and DD and our friends.

We used to go to "family friendly" cages rather than soft play when they were really little. Our local one had soft mats and a few toys and books for babies which was perfect until they learned to walk. Then it became a nightmare. The toys that needed batteries never had batteries. :mad: good coffee (including decaf) was important, as was cake. We ate salads and sandwiches mostly, giving bits to the babies from our plates. None of my group ever bought food specifically for babies.

Once they could walk and climb we started taking them to smaller soft plays, during the day and never during school holidays. It would cost around £2-3 for entry and then food and drinks on top. They would have been 18 months before any food was bought for them, and they'd share a child's portion usually.

From about 2 they've been capable of exploring the 3+ section of another soft play - that's everything. They have their own food and we get to have a matter rather than chasing them about. A visit now costs around £16-20 including lunch and drinks. We go there in term time only when the weather is bad. If its dry we go to a local pub beer garden that has an outdoor play area for the kids.

It's rarely worth travelling far to other soft play places - they are more expensive and there's lots of stuff ours are too little for. They're huge, it's hard to keep an eye on them so we end up in there with them.

This is a very hard market to please, OP. I don't know whether parents on benefits makes a great business plan to be honest.

notanewuser

Not to mention that DD and I both caught hand, foot and mouth disease from a ball pool (hate them).

dizziblonde

The car parking thing would be very important for me - I've been left with long term consequences of pregnancy complications and can't walk very far at all - I'm really stuck going to places with car parking (when I can get use of the car). It's very limiting.

Lunar_Eclipse

Kayalana99 wrote: »

In general I am thinking that although all the little extras do matter, I feel its a location location location type business - obvouisly if the place is crap no one will go but my aim is for it not to be a special day out, but a nice cheap place one can take the kids for the morning/afternoon as something to do and provide meals not only for toddlers but babies as well.

Not for me, but I'm a car driver.

My children are too old for play centres now, but we used to visit them fairly regularly. DH actually went weekly with some other dads when they were very young. He drove to one about 1/2 hour away because that was the best one.

We had a choice of 3 or 4 places to go, so it was ALL about the little things. Coffee and clean comfortable sofas were the priority. For us to return, it needed to be spotlessly clean. No stains on the sofas and toilets cleaned throughout the day. And when I say coffee, I mean Costa level quality.

I'm possibly not your target market though, since we paid about £5/child over 10 years ago. They loved going, we tolerated it.

If I was setting one up, and I wouldn't because we know people who have and having researched it myself years ago, the ROI didn't meet our income requirements, I'd focus on what the parents wanted. So all the little things.;)

meritaten

ok - the first rule of retail is to identify your market. you say its the mums on housing estates.
now, you go round and ASK the mums what they would want to be provided and what they would pay for! I think you will then find yourself without a market! mums on housing estates will probably tell you they want play facilities 'provided'. FREE!
If you do your market research and a get a different answer - GREAT! base a business plan on this!
the reason most of these fail is because the market research hasn't been done - or the footfall is overestimated.