Throughout the summer months it’s rare to get through a weekend without seeing kids jumping up and down on a bouncy castle somewhere. And every time I do, I think to myself what a great business idea it is.

So why is it such a good business idea? Well it’s relatively cheap to start and if you decide it’s not the business for you, then most of the equipment can be sold on, allowing you to recover a good portion of your initial investment – in other words the downside is limited. It’s also an easy business to start part-time around an existing job as most bookings will be for the weekends. Finally it’s a relatively easy service to sell.

So if you like kids and would like to spend your summer weekends working outdoors then starting a bouncy castle business could be the perfect part-time business idea for you.

How to start a bouncy castle business

Before starting I suggest you check out the local competition. See what they offer, what they charge, how many of them there are and how busy they are. You’re looking for two things:

1. Is there a gap in the market – which you can fill?
2. Is there enough demand to support another business?

If you believe there is a gap in the market for you and that the market is big enough to support your business then it’s time to start buying the equipment and insurance that you’ll need.

You’ll need to buy at least one bouncy castle, a compressor (for each bouncy castle), repair kit, a vehicle to transport the castle(s) (if you don’t already have one) and suitable public liability insurance. You should also budget a good amount for marketing.

How much will it cost to start a bouncy castle business?

The exact start-up costs for a bouncy castle hire business will vary. If you already have a suitable vehicle and are able to source good second hand equipment you might be able to start for around £1,000 at the other extreme you could spend £15,000 or more on a new vehicle and several new castles plus supporting equipment. Personally, I would suggest you start small and scale as you gain experience.

Marketing a bouncy castle business

When it comes to marketing your bouncy castle business I would suggest you consider all of the following:

• Yellow pages
• Local directories
• Creating a website
• SEO
• SEM
• Local press coverage
• leaflets drops (kids parties)
• business card in other local businesses

Once you’ve done all that check out my list of free marketing ideas and use as many of them as you can.

Have you got experience setting up a bouncy castle business? If so please add any suggestions you have in the comments below.

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