One of the key mistakes that most moonwalks rental business owners make is that they do not realize that there are times when they need to ask for help. There are times when they’re not able to do the things that need to be done for the business and rather than asking for help, they try to do those things themselves. If you would like for your moonwalks rental business to not only stay open but to thrive, it’s vital that you learn when to ask for help.

Asking for Help

Everyone has limitations, and that is not a bad thing. Limitations let us know what we can handle and what we can not, and recognizing and acknowledging your limitations is extremely important. One way to figure out when you need to ask for help, and when you do not, is to think about your strong points, and your weak points, and to list them all down on a piece of paper.

For instance maybe you’re great with people. Then you would write down something like “people person” on the paper. Maybe you’re great with numbers, or you are a very technical person – these are all things that you should write down on your paper. Then, on another paper, you’ll write down things that you’re not so good at. Maybe you’re not great at running a website or thinking up an ad campaign.

Once you’ve figured out the things that you’re good at, and the things that you need help with, you should post the lists somewhere where they are easy to see. Then, when something pops up that you have on your list as being something you’re not very confident in doing, you can get some help. Eventually your moonwalks business may grow to the point where you have to hire help, but you may be surprised to find that there are likely people all around you who are more than happy to lend you a hand. Knowing when to get help is key to having a successful business.

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When to Ask For Help

In reality, however, trying to market your business in a rural area can actually be much more difficult than trying to market it in a larger city. But what makes marketing in a rural area so difficult? One thing that makes it difficult is that many people in smaller towns do not deal with change well. They tend to like things exactly as they are and they may have a difficult time allowing a new company to get the business that an older, more established company may have already been getting. There are, however, a few things that you can do to help market your inflatable jumper rental business in a rural area.

Make Friends – One of the most important things you can do when it comes to marketing your business in a rural area is to make some friends. In smaller areas word-of-mouth is far more important than how much money you spent in getting a great ad design. The more friends you make, the more likely those friends will be to tell other people about your business.

Donate to Charity – While donating money is a great thing, donating your time, and your inflatable jumper, to charity can be a great way to help get your business known in a small town. Many small towns come together when they are trying to support something, or someone, and showing that you’re willing to be one of them, and that you’re more than willing to donate your time and your inflatable jumper, will put your business in a good light.

Keep Things Cheap – Take a look at your expenses and try to keep things as affordable as you possibly can. People in smaller towns generally make a lot less than those in larger cities, so keeping things affordable is definitely a good way to get new clients.

There are a number of things to keep in mind when it comes to advertising in a small town, but first and foremost remember that reputations are key in small towns. The better your company’s reputation is, the more likely it is that you will get work.

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Marketing in Rural Areas

Identify the Problem

The first thing any business owner should do is to identify how things started to go badly. Thanks to today’s social media it’s a lot easier than it used to be to find a disgruntled client. Trace things back, and feel free to contact people who are against your business and to politely ask them if they have any information, and figure out exactly who started the negative discussions about your business.

Once you’ve learned who has a problem with your commercial moonbounce rental business, you can then contact them directly. Remember to speak calmly and rationally with the person and to give them a great deal of respect, even if they are not giving it back to you. Ask them why they have a problem with your business. Identify the exactly problem and then try to quickly come up with a remedy. If they are rightfully unhappy with your business it is polite to offer a refund. If they are upset because the bounce house was not as good as they wanted it to be, offer to set up another commercial moonbounce for them free of charge. If you’ve made them happy they will likely rescind their complaints about your business.

There are times, however, when a person may be disgruntled for no valid reason. It is still important to speak with them calmly, but it is also important to make sure that you are firm in your politeness. Explain that you would like to help them and that you want them to be happy with your services, but be clear in telling them that whatever they are upset over is nothing you had control over. If they continue to malign your commercial moonbounce rental business, go viral. Post respectful comments on your social media sites about the situation and explain that your side of the story. People are generally smart enough to make their own decisions.

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When Your Business Reputation Takes a Dive

Packing List

• Chair – Standing around all day watching children jump on your inflatables can make the day a very long one, so make sure that you always pack a chair or two to bring with you. Folding chairs work beautifully for this as you can leave them in the trailer with the moonbounce for sale that you purchased.
• Water – Never make the assumption that water will be available wherever you are. Quite often you’ll find yourself sitting or standing in some very warm weather, and not having access to water can make things extremely uncomfortable, which may make you testy and which then may also reflect back poorly on your business. Always pack a cooler with a bunch of water in it so that you’re able to stay hydrated.
• Food – Another mistake first-time business owners make is to believe that they will have access to food as well. Just because there may be a barbecue going on at the location doesn’t mean that you will have a chance to eat any of it. Maybe you won’t be invited to enjoy the food, or maybe you will be but you won’t have anyone to watch the inflatables while you get the food. Pack some food into your cooler to make sure that you don’t go hungry!
• Sunscreen/Hat – Once again, remember that we’re dealing with a lot of warm weather. Make sure you have a hat in your vehicle so that you always have protection from the sun, and invest in some sunscreen as well!
• Business Cards – Finally, always remember to bring business cards along with you. The more you pass out, the more likely it will be that you’ll get more business!

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What To Pack

But what happens when things go wrong? Things can go wrong in a variety of ways, including small or large things going wrong when you are setting up or taking down your bounce house, or small or large things going wrong in your business. Today, let’s talk about what you should do if something goes amiss when you’re trying to set up, or take down, a bounce house. How do you handle situations when things go wrong?

What Went Wrong?

Before you start to panic you need to make sure that you know what, exactly, has gone wrong. Take the time to do some serious research about the situation and try to figure out what has happened. If you’re talking about a problem when you’re setting up your inflatable than you have a few things to look at: the power source, the inflatable itself, or the blower. Start by looking at each item thoroughly. If the problem makes itself known quickly than you can fix it and move on. But what happens if the issue doesn’t resolve itself immediately? If this happens then you still have a few options. It’s likely that you purchased more than one inflatable from the moonbounce manufacturer, and if you live close enough you should be able to get the inflatable to the location in enough time to keep the party from being a bust. Some business owners even keep a spare in their trailer all the time for situations just like the one described.

If you can’t get the inflatable to set up correctly than you have one option left: a refund and an apology. Offer the client a full refund and apologize profusely about the problem. Offer to contact another local bounce house business and to pay for any extra fees that the spur-of-the-minute timing may incur. While this takes money from your pocket, it helps to keep your business reputation intact, which is definitely more important in the long run.

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What to Do When Things Go Wrong

Wasting Your Time

You’ll find that you have a number of different types of clients that you will have to deal with on a regular basis. Some will be in great moods and will be ready to book your services the minute they talk to you, while others may be a bit grumpy. Handling either of these types of clients is generally fairly easy if you’re good with people, but what do you do about the “lookie-lou’s”? what are lookie-lous? These are the potential clients who are constantly calling you and asking questions, or who act like they are going to book your services but never do. There’s nothing more annoying or frustrating than being held off by a potential client, so how do you handle it?

First realize that they aren’t trying to play games with you. It may initially feel like they are trying to make you feel like a mouse in a maze, but they aren’t. They may honestly have a number of questions that they want answered, like what inflatable slide manufacturer you purchased the slide from or how much weight your bounce houses can hold. They may be the type of people who want to know the answer to everything before they book anything. It may also be that they are the type of people who truly can’t make up their minds.

Dealing with see people is definitely difficult, but there are a few things you can do to make the situation more tolerable. First, realize that they’re likely not intentionally trying to be difficult. Secondly, make sure you’re as patient with them as you can be. If you let your frustrating explode on them they may talk with friends or family, potentially diminishing your customer base. Also, ask if they would like to stop by one of your setups one day. Generally when you ask a difficult client like this if they would like to see the item from the inflatable slide manufacturer in action, they tend to make a decision one way or another.

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Wasting Time with Potentials

Take It Inside

Every area of the country is different, and while there are some areas of the country where the sun seems to shine all day, there are other areas where rain and snow may be something that you have to deal with continually. How can you fight back against perpetual inclement weather when you own a bounce house business? Take it inside! More and more frequently bounce house business owners are renting large spaces where they can create a virtual jumpy playground for their clients. These spaces are ideal for allowing children to get some energy out as well as for giving parents a little break.

A lot of business owners, however, don’t know what they have to do in order to bring their bounce house business indoors. There are a few steps that you may have to take. Firstly, figure out what types of laws your area has in regards to having jumpy houses indoors. Some states and areas require certain permits if you are going to have anything very large in an enclosed space, so make sure you check the regulations before you do anything else.

Once you understand the regulations it’s time to get set up! You’ll need a space, and surprisingly the space may not have to be as large as you think it might. There are a number of smaller-sized bounce house inflatables that may be the best option for an indoor play area. Or, if you want to go large, you can always look to a larger space. Most cities have a number of empty warehouses that are inexpensive to rent. Simply set up some heaters (if there is none, of course – and far away from your bounce house’s, of course, and you’ll be set to go!

Setting up an inflatables business indoors can be a bit of work, that’s true, but most business owners find that the benefits that you get out of going indoors are definitely worth the amount of time it takes to set things.

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Starting an Indoor Bounce House Business

The Power of Signs

When you’re driving around, what is one of the few things that you are able to see no matter how fast you may be driving at the time? Signs. Signs are all around us, and things like billboards are allowed in most states for one reason: because they work. If you see a sign for a painting business that is done properly, you will instantly know what that business is all about. If the sign is cleverly done you’ll not only know what the business is about simply based on the sign, you’ll also be much more apt to remember it. That’s why one of the first things that you should do after you have purchased your inflatables from the bounce house manufacturer is to invest in a high quality, unique sign.

You may not rent a business space where you can place your sign, but there is one place where you can put it that everyone will be likely to notice it: on the bounce house, of course! This idea is one that works so beautifully that there are actually a number of bounce house manufacturer’s who sell weather-proof signs along with their jump houses!

So what makes a good sign? First, make sure it’s high quality. If it’s made of cheap material it is likely that it will break down quickly. Secondly, make sure that it is weather-resistant! You never know what type of weather situations you will find yourself in, and replacing a sign is something that most business owners simply do not want to be responsible for. And finally, have fun when you create your sign! Make sure that your business name is clearly marked on the sign but feel free to add bold colors or fun graphics so that it stands out!

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Signing Up

All About Information

Mothers today are generally about two things: looks and information. First and foremost they are very concerned with getting information about a potential moonbounce rental business. They want to know how sturdy your bounce houses are, or they may want to know more about the weight limit of your bounce houses. They may also want to know how safe jumping on a bounce house truly is. The more information a mother has, the better she feels about putting her child in one of your bounce houses. She may also want to know a bit about your prices as well, not for safety’s sake but because she wants to comparison shop, and it is these two things that you need to hit hard in your advertising.

First, make sure you include a great deal of information on your website. Have articles about the safety of having a moonbounce for a party, and have information about your specific bounce houses or slides. The more open and forthcoming you are with your information, the more likely it is that anyone looking at your site will find you a trustworthy person. Next, make sure that you put information about your prices on your site, or on your fliers, as well. But you need to not only provide information about how much it costs to rent things, you also need to provide information about why paying your price is worth it. Statements like “free delivery and removal” are things that will definitely make a mother look twice.

You also need to hit on the look of your inflatables as well. Mothers want to make sure that anything they rent will look high quality, even if they got a great deal. Have as many pictures as you can on your website, and save the best photos for your fliers and business cards. You will soon find that your business is extremely appealing to moms.

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Marketing to Moms

Work and Play

Did you know that it definitely is possible to mix work and play together? If you’ve purchased jump houses from an inflatable manufacturer than you have absolutely no excuse for not being able to spend some time with your family, and you can even use that time to help your business as well! But how is it possible to help further your business while, at the same time, having fun with your family?

Firstly, if you have a backyard to set up your bounce house or inflatable slide in than you’re well on your way to having some serious business fun. There are a few ways that you can do this. You can start by inviting a bunch of your children’s friends over (or your adults friends if you wish) and can have them all jump around on the bounce house. How is this work? It tests the durability of the item from the inflatable manufacturer, and it also helps to get the word out about your business. Children love to talk to their parents about things that they are excited about, and you can bet that most children are extremely excited about jumping around on a bounce house!

If you get some release forms for parents to sign you can also take some great photos of the children jumping on your bounce houses. These photos will be great for your website and social media site, and you may even find that they’re the perfect thing to put on your fliers or your business card. Don’t forget: you’re supposed to be having fun with your family so make sure you take some time and get on the slide or bounce house at the same time! Call it market research!

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Inflating For Fun