How to Start a Bouncy Castle Hire Business

You can hire bouncy castles while working full-time, taking care of children or other obligations. You can be flexible. Just set up an account with an email address and a voicemail for professional use (in case your phone isn’t working) and respond to inquiries when you are able, whether it’s on your lunchbreak, evenings, or when the children are asleep.

You don’t have to spend a lot of weekend time – you can start with one or two bounce castles and drop them off, then set up for 10/15 minutes and collect in the evening.

Easy to set up. Set up a website or Facebook page, and let HMRC and the government know you’re going to be self-employed. It is free to use social media to promote your business.

Find your target location

You’ll need to know the local area before you start a business that hires out bouncy houses. Check out the local papers to see who is advertising. Google “bouncy Castle Hire”, to find out who your local competitors are.

There’s no need to worry if you find that there are already other companies in your area. You can still offer the same service. You can then check out what the competitors have to offer, such as bouncy castles, obstacle courses, and inflatables.

If you do this, you can find out if they have any obvious areas they are missing. For example, if they only offer childrens bounce houses, you may discover that there is a need for adult bouncing castle hire in Auckland. This will give you a good place to start.

If you’re looking for pricing ideas, you can start with bouncy castles, but don’t go too high or low. You could lose out on revenue.

Bouncy Castles Recommendations

Choose wisely when you are starting out. You will only need one bouncy house or two. Do not buy just one princess-themed bouncy house. This will limit your market to girls and may also be unsuitable for many people’s backyards.

Choose a design that is gender neutral and suitable for both boys and girls. Select a design suitable for boys and girls.

You can expand the design of your bouncy house to make it appealing to boys and girls without having to purchase more castles. It is possible to add Velcro to your castle, and have different themed Velcro art that you can swap out. This option is much more affordable.

You’ll also need the following equipment

It’s now time to buy the equipment that will help you run your business efficiently.

• Bouncy Castles, with or without a cover.
• Sandbags, anchor pegs and anchors for use inside or outside.
• An electric blower.
• Underside of bouncer protected with a ground sheet.
• Electrical extension cable (approximately 25-30 meters in length).
• RCD circuit breaker (a safety cut-out device).
• Place a safety mat in front of the castle.
• Computer for recording bookings and recording income and expenditure.
• Safety instructions sheet and Customer Disclaimer Form
• A sack trolley.
• Vehicle and GPS for the delivery and pickup of equipment.

Find Customers and Get Bookings

Advertisements in local papers can bring in new customers. You can also contact local schools to see if they will let you attend their events. If you distribute flyers at these events to the parents, you may be able to get a lot more customers.

Flyers can also be distributed at places where parents congregate, such as charity events, shows, galas, brownie and Guide groups, open days, etc. Be sure to include all important information on your flyers, such as your name and contact details.

You may also find that many people are looking online to hire a bounce house. If that is where your clients are, then you need to be there! Utilise social media – Its free! Join sales groups in your area to advertise your business and link your Facebook page.

It is vital that people leave reviews on your page. This will build trust in your business. After collecting the bouncy castle, ask your customers to leave a review of your Facebook page. If you have the customer’s email address, ask for a review after collecting and include a link to your facebook page.

Ask for reviews. In today’s world, people are more likely to pick a business that has reviews. If you get a bad review, whether or not it was your fault, it doesn’t matter how you respond.

You can quickly grow your business by advertising on Social Media or through word-of-mouth from customers. Soon, you’ll have all your weekends and weekdays booked.

You can even use your own website to attract more customers.

Prepare for questions from customers

Be prepared to answer questions from your customers. You will likely be asked the following questions:

• What sizes of bouncy castles do you offer?
• What are your styles and designs? What styles/designs do you have?
• What is the cost of hiring a bounce house?
• When do you deliver and pickup?
• Where are they located?

Prepare answers to the most important questions. Make a note if you are asked a question that you do not know the answer to.

Protect Yourself

Public Liability Insurance is a must. A minimum of one million pounds should be purchased. You will be protected in case of an accident when your equipment is being used by others.

Employers liability insurance is also available through your insurance broker.

Safety

Safety is important, no matter what type of business you are in. Make sure to familiarise yourself both with the Health and Safety at Work Act and Use of Work equipment regulations as they directly relate to your business.

Create a safety sheet to hand out to your customers as you deliver the bounce house. It should include what your customers can and cannot do, the maximum number of people that can be on the castle at one time, etc. It is not just for you but it also helps your customers.

Track your finances

You’ll also want to keep track of all your expenses and income. Note everything: flyer costs and fuel expenses, review cards, advertising expenditures. Make a spreadsheet in your computer to keep track of all expenses.