You can see bounce houses everywhere in the warmer months.
You might have even rented one in the past. And there’s a
good chance that you’ve thought about starting a bounce
house business yourself.
Bounce houses rent for anywhere from $65.00/day on the west
coast to $250.00 & up in other parts of the country. Here in
Indianapolis, we rent ours for around $225.00 for four to
six hours. So if you charge $150.00 for your rental, you can
make an extra $300.00 per week in income.
Like any business, you’re going to have some expenses. A
bounce delivery requires a truck or a small trailer. An suv will work too.
You’ll need extension cords, business cards, insurance, dollys and
other small business supplies. Most rental company owners
start by doing deliveries and bookings themselves so they
won’t have a lot of additional labor costs. The real joy of
this business is that you work when you want to work, and if
you feel like taking time off….just don’t take any
bookings for that day. But, the downside is that if you
want to make a great deal of income, you’re going to have to
be available when people want to rent. And that’s generally
on the weekend.
Insurance is the biggest cost. Although it seems to get
cheaper when more units are added, start up costs are tough.
Bounce House purchase prices average around $1500.00 but
insurance will be around $750.00. That means your first
year start up is going to cost around $2500.00. If you rent
your unit for $150.00, you’ll still have paid for your costs
in less than 20 rentals. And, of course, the more you
charge, the quicker your investment will pay for itself.
You might be surprised to find that there is a lot more to
rentals than bounce houses. Our initial start up five years
ago was two bounces but within just a short time we have
grown to over 50 inflatable and interactive games. You can
find giant slides, obstacle courses, casino tables, Bungee
Runs, Toddler Games and fun foods. The business actually
will grow as large as you want it to. As long as you get
the equipment out in front of people, you’ll be booking
rentals. The units themselves are their own advertisements.
To get going on your new business you just need to follow
these simple steps.
-Find out from your state and local board what you need to
start a bounce rental business. There might be restrictions
on what you can do.
-Check on suppliers. You can look on the web for “bounce
house” or “inflatable games”.
-Ask the suppliers to give you insurance info. Do NOT make a
purchase until you’ve secured insurance.
-Order your bounce(s) just as soon as you have your
insurance in place.
-You have plenty to do while waiting for equipment. Design
fliers and business cards. Get your phone number and Domain
name. Start on a website. Tell ALL your friends about your
new business.
-Although you’re starting to advertise, it’s not recommended
to book your units before they arrive. That’s just asking
for trouble.
-The day your equipment arrives is so exciting. Make sure
though that you fully inspect your equipment for damages
before your delivery driver leaves. And also check to make
sure you’ve received everything.
-Now for the fun part. Inflate your new unit and get
familar with it. Let the neighborhood kids play. You want
your unit seen so people will want to rent it.
Pretty simple, isn’t it? Of course I just touched on the
steps but it’s not much more complicated than that. If you
join the Party Rental Industry you’ll be sharing fun with
everyone. And that’s a great way to make an income.
