How To Start Jumping Castle Business In South Africa
What is a Jumping Castle?
Inflatable castles are temporary inflatable structures and buildings and similar items that are rented for functions, school and church festivals and village fetes and used for recreational purposes, particularly for children.
How To Start Jumping Castle Business In South Africa
STEP 1 – Research
This is by far the most fundamental part of your bouncy castle hire business strategy. Getting this part right is crucial for any entrepreneur wanting to run a profitable bouncy castle hire business. Knowledge is power, as the saying goes and also the groundwork of starting your bouncy castle hire business.
Branding
By branding I mean business name, logos, slogans, and brand colours. These are the things that stick in our minds when we remember where we last purchased something.
I’ll give you an example! Somebody asks you “the best place to buy car insurance?” you’re struggling to remember where you got the best deal and suddenly that annoying song comes into your head. Go compare, Go compare, aha that’s the one, I remember now.
Pricing
This aspect for me is one of the most important things to get right when starting your bouncy castle hire business. Too expensive and nobody will hire from you, too cheap and your business will never grow to it’s true potential.
Types of inflatables to buy
Okay, so we’re now looking at what inflatables to buy when starting your inflatable hire business. The bouncy castles on offer today are simply mind blowing. The days of a simple medieval style bouncy castles and simple bouncy castle designs are gone.
Step 2 – Heath & Safety
This might not be the first thing you think about when starting a bouncy castle hire business but it’s a very important aspect and should be given plenty of thought.
Health and safety in the bouncy castle hire industry is often overlooked or corners are cut when starting out in the business. You should NEVER do this and any self respecting person should never do this no matter what industry you carry out your work.
Step 3 – Getting Customers
So we’ve thought up our name, designed our logo, researched our market and pricing structure and looked at the many inflatables to buy. Also the best ones to start a bouncy castle hire business with. We’ve also looked into how to safely manage our bouncy castle hire business and uphold the best safety practices.
Next on our list is where do we find the customers who want to hire our shiny new inflatable products? In todays fast moving digital market, you are going to need some online presence. The old days of sticking your advert in the yellow pages and the local newspaper, simply don’t work.
Step 4 – Avoiding Pitfalls
Buy new or used inflatables
If you asked the question to a number of inflatable hirers, “Who’s your favourite manufacturer for bouncy castles?” You are likely to get a wide array of answers.
Every inflatable manufacturer has their own merits for one reason or another. You can buy budget inflatables that will last a few seasons. Sell them on while there’s life left in them and rotate stock regularly.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
Is a jumping castle business worth it in South Africa?
Hiring out bouncy castles and inflatables is a really great business to be in either full time or part time, and the rewards can be high. As well as the “fun factor”, i.e. delighting children, and their parents, or adults, at an adult party, the monetary rewards and cash-flow can be excellent.
How much electricity does a jumping castle use in South Africa?
How much electricity do they use? Between 1kw & 2.5kw dependent on the castle. Typically they will use less than 20 units for an entire day inflated. Each jumping castle requires its own plug point if you hire more than one castle.
What material is used for jumping castles in South Africa?
Construction. The surfaces are typically composed of thick, strong PVC or vinyl and nylon, and the castle is inflated using an electric or petrol-powered blower.
Do I need insurance to hire out bouncy castles in south Africa?
Absolutely YES you definitely need public liability insurance if you are hiring out bouncy castles or inflatables to the general public. There are lots of insurance companies that specifically deal with leisure insurance lie hiring out bouncy castles etc.
How much room do you need for a jumping castle in South Africa?
The most common size for a bouncy castle is 12ft by 12ft or 12ft by 15ft but this is the size of the bouncy castle not the size of area that the bouncy castle requires. You will need extra space for the fan, blower tube, Safety mats, impact area, anchor pegs, etc.
How do you secure a jumping castle in South Africa?
Big Metal Stakes pegged into the ground are best to anchor the jumping castle. In some instances heavy sandbag weights can also be used where installations on hard surfaces such as driveways or courtyard areas are the only option. The safety of your children is something you cannot ignore.
Can bouncy castles explode in South Africa?
Two small girls are seriously injured after a bouncy castle suddenly ‘exploded’ and flew to a height of 25ft, throwing them over a metal fence and on to tram tracks. Footage shows panic in the Russian city of Barnaul as the giant inflatable tore off its moorings and hurled the children aged three and four into the air.
How many amps does a bounce house blower use in South Africa?
In general, a bounce house will need a blower rated for 115 volts and between 7 to 14 amps to inflate a bounce house properly. Larger bounce houses may require a second blower, and an additional circuit to keep it inflated. Blowers between 1 to 2 horsepower are commonly used to keep bounce houses inflated.
Do bouncy castles get hot in the sun in South Africa?
WARM WEATHER & BOUNCY CASTLES
However, due to the vinyl material used in bouncy castles, they can get very hot, especially in the sun with recorded temperatures up to 47 degrees Celsius.
Are home bouncy castles Safe in South Africa?
Putting fun aside, bouncy castles do expose your kids to a level of danger. According to emergency room data, more than 40% of kids’ injuries result from these so it’s justified to be asking are bouncy castles safe. As children enjoy laughing and jumping around, there are high chances of colliding.