Starting minigolf

[greatwestern]

Hi all!

I have a little plan, well quite a big one actually!

To open a mini golf attraction at a budding seaside resort, a cheap and cheerful attraction that day trippers will love!

However, I have a problem...

Im new to "physical" businesses, i.e. I own several businesses, but they are all online! So... how do i assure that I get the charge (£3-£5 per person) from the person, into the till and into the companies bank account?

I apologise for this simple little problem question, but actually its quite serious, how do i monitor sales? Monitor whats going in and out of the till? and get the cash from the till and to my account? I understand that I will have to send someone like securicor to do that last bit, right?

Any advice would help, thank you!

 

[googol]

If it's not that much money you can take it to the bank yourself, and pay it in like you would your own funds. You'll probably have to pay the bank some sort of fee for each deposit though.

 

[greatwestern]

Yes... but... the problem is...

I dont live near a seaside and certainly not the seaside Im looking at opening the attraction.

Maybe If i hired someone with a contracted responsibility to declare and bank the sales?

Would that be possible?

 

[Graemem]

Yes... but... the problem is...

I dont live near a seaside and certainly not the seaside Im looking at opening the attraction.

Maybe If i hired someone with a contracted responsibility to declare and bank the sales?

Would that be possible?

I take it you're wanting to hire someone to run it? Surely you would hire someone whos trustworthy enough in the first place? You could set up a camera behind the till to make sure they don't take anything?

 

[greatwestern]

Well i was thinking about searching for and recruiting someone with the day to day responsibility to run it, look after staff and sales. Then under them would be day to day part time/full time staff to be in the booth.

 

[estwig]

So you want a supervisor, staff and obviously you need a cut.

How much money is there in mini-golf??

 

[greatwestern]

this is what Im trying to analyse, whether its worth it.

The supervisor would be on a "good wage" not exactly a "cut" of the company or profits.

The operating costs are generally low, the course itself, lease of the land (albeit a small piece of land), electricity, wifi, staff and the cost of actually getting electricity to the site in the first place... all quite expensive. Plus out of season it would have to remain closed.

 

[estwig]

I don't know mate, I know nothing about running a mini-golf business.

I would imagine unless either you or someone you trust implicitly is there every day, you stand a good chance of being fleeced.

 

[Lee Jones Jnr]

Why do you need WiFi and more than one member of staff on a mini golf course?

Are you not the 'hotel industry insider' who has never heard of Celtic Manor?

 

[Billmccallum]

this is what Im trying to analyse, whether its worth it.

The supervisor would be on a "good wage" not exactly a "cut" of the company or profits.

The operating costs are generally low, the course itself, lease of the land (albeit a small piece of land), electricity, wifi, staff and the cost of actually getting electricity to the site in the first place... all quite expensive. Plus out of season it would have to remain closed.

Much depends on where you plan to put it?

How far away will you be?

the success of Mini golf can vary by location, for example Seaton Carew in the North East does not get a great deal of visitors compared to Blackpool in the North West, here in lyme Regis the mini golf is a high revenue earner for the town council.

If you plan to run a business when you are not close. you have little opportunity to ensure the staff are honest, so its possible that having a minority partner running the facility would make more sense and give a greater incentive to make it a success.

The seasonal nature of the business could have a major impact if you emply too many people, so a manager running it most of the time, with some part-time assistance would probably be a little better.

 

[14A]

@bill-mccallum
I'm starting to wonder if there is anything you dont know!

 

[greatwestern]

Right let me reply to what you have all said.

okay so no wifi!

And yes I am a lesiure expert, a own a hotel marketing company (how I plan to pay for a new business)

and reference to that hotel... yeah I dont know much about that... hahahaha.

Okay and one or two staff, but to be honest, I think one supervisor and one or two more staff may be beneficial, one staff is NOT enough.

I have convinced myself this could work.

int it what a seaside needs?

 

[14A]

Right let me reply to what you have all said.

okay so no wifi!

And yes I am a lesiure expert, a own a hotel marketing company (how I plan to pay for a new business)

and reference to that hotel... yeah I dont know much about that... hahahaha.

Okay and one or two staff, but to be honest, I think one supervisor and one or two more staff may be beneficial, one staff is NOT enough.

I have convinced myself this could work.

int it what a seaside needs?

I'd say get one member of staff otherwise theres no chance you'll make any profit worth shouting about. One staff member on minimum wage is 12.5k, two staff equal 25k etc etc

You think you'll make more than 25k plus expenses and profit? hmmm

 

[Billmccallum]

@bill-mccallum
I'm starting to wonder if there is anything you dont know!

I'm a mine of information, but there's a hell of a lot I don't know, but I'm happy to admit it.

What I do know is the result of 30+ years of work/life experience.

I have lived in ....

Dundee, Stirling, Ayr, Inverness, Preston, Sheffield, Birmingham, Thornaby, Middlesbrough, West Bay and Lyme Regis and Germany for six months (that's those I can remember).

I have work in most parts of the country, from the south west to north east, including Lyme Regis, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, London and Leicester (and driven to most parts of the country on business).

My work experience covers charity and community group management to running constructions services companies, from landscape gardening to retail sales and marketing.

My education covers:

Business Management (Accounts, Business Law, ICT, Marketing, Communications, Enterprise) [Teesside University, so I'm not very vocal about that]

Marketing - But I have let my membership of the Institute of Marketing lapse.

Adult Education - Level 2 Adult Learner Support; Level 2 Adult Literacy; Level 2 Adult Numeracy.

ICT - ECDL Test Centre Manager, ECDL Tutor.

BUT...here's the secret

Been married to the same woman for 30 years and she always has the answer......

 

[roofing solutions]

Could you keep count of scorecards given out against money taken to make sure all money is accounted for?? plus offer some sort of raffle for a prize at the end of the year for all score cards given back in with a name and phone number on so everyone who comes through makes sure they take the card in the first place??

 

[Chris Ashdown]

At Great Yarmouth we have three mini golf sites on the sea front, the smallest one must have cost about £500,000, the largest well over a million. one has pirate ships, imatation rocks and waterfalls, another has a africa look with Land rovers and crashed planes, all seem to be open all year if only weekends in winter.

Upkeep is high quality all round

The old 9 hole bit of plywood courses just wont compete thes days except on a run down caravan site

If I was you I would do a bit more planning an investigate a few sites

 

[Cybamart]

Hi there, I so hope this works out for you, we have a mini golf at the beach here and I absolutely love it! The one thing I was thinking of though is, will you be able to build a mini golf course on rented land?

As I say I hope this proves a huge success for you, this question just crossed my mind when I saw that the land was going to be rented.

 

[KidsBeeHappy]

If you have a cash business, and an employee and you're not present, being brutally honest, you're going to find a lot of that cash goes missing.

Also, if by "mini golf" you mean crazy golf, then you're going to have to offer something exceptional for that £3-£5 entrance fee. Typically, most seaside crazy golf is £1 for kids, and up to £2.50 for adults.

Thirdly, a lot of towns have an empty crazy golf course, owned by the council, leased to tenents that only bother opening them for 6 weeks a year. There is a reason for this........and anyone that's ever had a seasonal and weather dependent business will know why

 

[Pap_sak]

Just pay your staff an "above average" wage, then work out your break even figure. Go a little above that and start paying out small, but nice bonuses. You do not need a supervisor at a mini golf, just the right staff.

 

[Gregan]

How much do you anticipate spending to build the course and lease the land?

 

[oldeagleeye]

Naff idea and about 25 years too late if your thinking of the old crazy golf course of a few bits of plywood nailed together with a hole at one end and a modern interesting one as another poster pointed out would cost over £100K.

Weekdays are useles takings wise so your looking at about 25 weekends. 60 days in summer to try an earn money. Half of which will not go in the till or would be lost by staff giving friends freebies.

You can't run a cash business without either being on site of having everyone spy on each other and that don't work unless you have 24/7 cctv to back it up.

Better ways to invest your time and money OP.

Robert