There are also quite a few questions that you’re going to need to answer about things outside of your scope. Considering that you’re going to be paid by a whole lot of curious-but-not-sold consumers, it’s important to know your region of operation, the people who are going to give you their hard earned money, the events taking place in the area, and much more.
The work you’re going to do before launching is going to make everything you do afterwards easier.
Region & Population Demographic
This is a given for most small businesses: how many people are there within your target audience? In the Axe Throwing world, that tends to be 21-45 year olds with disposable time and money to spend on a 1-3 hour experience.
Mobile is a bit different however. Putting aside the focus on a slew of people paying $23 a pop to throw some axes, there are 2 distinct types of target consumer for Mobile Axe Throwing.
The Host
The first customer base will be your event host- a mother setting up a graduation party, a corporate event planner looking for an attraction for their Xmas party, and things like that. These people will be your main points of contact for their events.
This is where the lion’s share of our outreach and ad dollars go. Events like these are paramount for a few reasons:
- Your attendance is paid for up front and prior to the event
- You need not worry about accepting payment for the event on a per-person basis
- Your work load is going to be lessened as a result
Digging into the number of companies and corporations in your area for future outreach will pay dividends as well. How depressed or prosperous your area is incredibly important as well- it dictates your potential number of events, pricing, and how to target consumers. The second type of customer leads us into…
Your Local Events
Your second customer base will be event goers- people who are having drinks at a brewery, walking through a street festival, or attending one of your local fairs. This boils down to taking a deep dive into the number of local events and how many people are going to be at each one. You can read more about digging into some of the numbers here.
Some of these events charge you money while others will pay you or exchange no money at all. You need to ask yourself what your scope of event types will be. Make a list of events with all of the pertinent info on there, and keep it updated. If you’re running pay-per-throw (PPT) events, obviously being setup at a 2,000 person event is much better than attending a 500 person one. Don’t sleep on this research!
Putting the ‘Mobile’ in Mobile Axe Throwing
These trailers are big– Odyssey Axe Throw trailers sit at just under 13′ which isn’t too far from the maximum height allowed on US roadways. They’re also 8.5′ wide with 24′ of length for most of them. Are there regulations on size limits in your area? This height regulation depends on your state laws on trailer specifications; It runs anywhere from 13.5′ tall up to 15′ (with most at 13.5-14′). Check your state for their requirements.
Vehicles
What sort of vehicle are you going to use for transport? Do you have something capable or is it going to be another expense? More importantly, are you capable and willing to drive your trailer or have someone that is?
One of the biggest things I’ve noticed with people reaching out to ask questions is when they tell me “I didn’t realize my F-150 wasn’t going to cut it with my 25′ trailer.” Take a careful look at what you’re looking to build and what you’re looking to pull it with. A pro tip- err on the side of the F-250!
COVID Concerns
The sad reality of 2020. How are your events, breweries, and parties going to rebound from COVID? This pandemic has hit the event industry hard, and many local events have postponed, cancelled, or shut down entirely. That’s bound to lead to problems across the board.
Another sad reality: the legwork to get at all these venues and event runners to check in on their COVID plans for 2021 is a lot of work. It’s entirely worth it however; doing the tedious job of forecasting the landscape of events for the next year will pay dividends down the road.
It’s going to vary by location, but be cognizant of the fact that event populations are changing rapidly (as events downscale) and take that into consideration.
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