Billiard business: how to open a billiard club. Billiard club business plan: necessary equipment and documents. How to open a billiard room in a small town Download a ready-made billiard room business plan
Today, billiards has become a fairly popular sports game in our country.
Both adults and even teenagers play it. Gradually it has grown into a specific sport, in which competitions and other sporting events are held annually.
First steps in this business
An entrepreneur who decides to open a billiards club can earn a lot with the right approach. more money than what was originally put into it.
To achieve success in this matter, you need to choose a suitable location and draw up a competent business plan for a billiard club. Such an entertainment establishment must adhere to a certain concept.
Necessary documents for opening
To register a billiards business, no special documents are required. Need to:
Register an individual entrepreneur;
Get required licenses and permissions;
Carefully ensure that the clubhouse meets all the requirements of firefighters and the SES.
Obtaining such documents is a completely standard procedure.
Types of billiard clubs
All billiard clubs that are currently open in our country can be divided into several groups, based on the size of the room and the number of billiard tables.
The first type includes billiard rooms, which are located in holiday homes, boarding houses or hotels. In such a room there are no more than 5 tables intended for fans of this type of sports game.
The second type is billiard rooms located in entertainment centers and large trading houses. These clubs have at least 15 tables, which are intended for different types billiards Billiard clubs of this format often hold professional competitions at the regional level.
The third type of billiard rooms occupies a separate room and has 20 or even more tables in its arsenal. To create this type of establishment you will have to spend money, but an elite billiard club as a business will bring in several times more profit than others.
Subtypes of clubs
In addition to this conditional division into types, billiard clubs are also divided into subtypes: entertainment, elite and sports.
Billiard rooms of an entertaining nature can be combined in one room with other entertainment for visitors.
Professional clubs are equipped with the highest quality equipment and focus on high-quality play, and already in last resort take care of the entertainment side. Many of the professional players come to the game with their own (custom made) cues and always use pool gloves.
The main concept of the establishment
Before you start drawing up a business plan for a billiard club with calculations, you need to decide on its character and think through the concept of the establishment. On paper, it is worth detailing all the costs point by point, and if the business plan is done correctly, then soon you will receive your first income from your business.
Naturally, expect that in the first months of the club’s operation, before you receive your first income, you will have to constantly and heavily invest in it. An establishment of such a high rank requires equipment corresponding to its status. It should not only be of high quality, but also expensive.
Please note in advance that all the financial costs that will go towards holding tournaments will not be recouped, so owners often combine the billiard business with entertainment and entertainment components.
High competition
If you have already decided to found an elite establishment, but do not know how to open a billiard club and what is needed for this, then first of all, in addition to the financial viability of the owner, an initial customer base Necessarily!
If on initial stage business development, the founder of the billiard room will miss these two points, then there is a high probability that the business will simply burn out and bring losses. Business analysts claim that the market for billiard clubs is highly competitive.
There are entrepreneurs who may doubt this statement of analysts and believe that there is enough free space for the development of this type of business, the main thing is to draw up a clear business plan for a billiard club.
But experts stand their ground and assure that this type of business is growing rapidly, and over time the number of billiard rooms, designed for any social strata of the population, will grow exponentially.
Only one has a chance
You can enter any market if you wish, but note that opening an elite billiards club is directly related to big money. In a small town, where there are not many billiards fans, and there are already clubs, albeit of an average rank, they will not give the opportunity to open another such establishment. Therefore, know that your project will fail.
Important points when opening a billiard room
The following conclusion can be drawn: the Billiard Room business will be profitable only if its founder is not so much chasing income as he is obsessed with the idea of an ideal and high-quality establishment.
In such an environment, entrepreneurs survive who strive to raise the club to a certain level and then receive money from it. If the idea of creating a billiard club is based only on generating income, then it is better not to start working in this area!
Recruitment
When an entrepreneur decides that there are enough funds and opportunities to compete with other clubs, the business plan of a billiard club is planned and ideally developed, you can still “stumble” and stop halfway due to the inability to recruit professional, competent staff for your elite establishment .
In the entertainment market, the billiards business is quite an interesting niche, but it is difficult to make money from such a business and achieve stable, sufficient profitability. Therefore, in order to achieve good results and good profits in this business, you will need to draw up a business plan. 
If an entrepreneur is a fan of this wonderful game, then most likely he will succeed. This billiard room business plan will describe in detail all possible nuances, contain all calculations and describe the situation on the market in Russia.
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What will you need to open a billiards club?
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The amount of cash investment that will be needed to create your own club
The business plan must include the amount cash, which will be necessary to open your own billiard club with a standard set additional services(most often a kitchen and bar) can be approximately $40,000-$200,000.
Those clubs that require a large amount of financial investment most often include elite clubs and clubs for the masses, which have a large number of billiard tables (their number, as a rule, is about 15-20). Such clubs are not widespread. Therefore, to open one of them you will need to make all the necessary economic calculations.
Regarding cheaper projects (the cost of which is about $40,000), it is worth noting that their share is small and the entrepreneur will soon be able to find out why.
The turnkey cost of one square meter will depend on the chosen class of establishment and can range from approximately $400 to $800.
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Payback period for a billiard club
The business plan must also include a payback period for the billiard room. It can vary from 2 to 4 years. The timing will depend on various factors, but the main one is attendance. Attendance will depend on where the club is planned to be located and how many services it can offer to its clients. The quality of such services is also important.
On average, no more than 3 months can pass from the opening of a billiard club to its expected attendance. If the club’s attendance does not reach the estimated value within 3 months, the owners of such a billiard room should definitely reconsider their attitude to business.
However, if you take into account everything that will be outlined below in this business plan, the entrepreneur will succeed and will not have to face such problems.
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Choosing a suitable room for a billiard club
You need to start by finding premises that are suitable for opening a billiards business. It will be necessary to determine the location and concept of the club. It is important to note that there is no need to be afraid of residential areas. This is due to the fact that not only in Moscow and St. Petersburg the center may not be the best place to start a business, but also in the regions. Therefore, there is reason to think about placing a billiard room in some residential area. There may be several reasons for this choice:
- potential visitors to mid-level billiard clubs are often too lazy to travel to the city center, therefore, it will be more convenient for them to find a club nearby;
- Quite often, it is better for potential clients of elite billiard rooms to drive a longer distance by car, but drive up to the club itself. It's no secret that the central areas of most cities are heavily congested by road transport, and therefore it is not always possible to organize large and high-quality parking.
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What area of premises is suitable for opening such a club?
The selected premises must meet two main requirements:
- The area of the room should be quite large, about 400-450 square meters. meters for a medium-sized club.
- If there are columns in the room, they must be located as close as possible to the perimeter of the hall. Otherwise, there is a possibility that they will interfere with the correct arrangement of the pool tables.
Therefore, from this we can conclude that the ideal room for a billiard room is a wide hall, which has a rectangular shape.
The required area must be calculated based on the fact that most of the space will be occupied by billiard tables, which will require from 30 to 40 square meters. meters for each table. The area will depend on the size of the tables themselves and the level of comfort provided to visitors during the actual game.
In addition to the fact that you will need to multiply 30-40 sq. meters for the number of gaming tables that are planned to be located, it will be necessary to allocate a sufficient amount of space to place a bar counter, tables for potential visitors who want to use the kitchen services, as well as chairs and tables that will be located near the billiard tables and are intended for players to relax and their friends.
We must not forget about the space that will be needed to accommodate technological and utility rooms.
Based on required quantity square meters for all of the above premises, you will be able to find out the total area that will be suitable for opening your own billiards club.
It is worth noting that pool tables do not require licensing. Regarding the requirements that officials impose on the premises, and all the necessary permits that will be needed in order to open a billiard room, it is worth noting that the process is no different from the process of opening a bar, restaurant or cafe.
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Defining the concept of the billiard club to be opened
Today, the most popular are 3 main concepts of billiard clubs. It is worth noting that one of them will need to be selected as a base one even before the actual opening of the club, because each concept dictates the corresponding requirements.
- Commercial concept. A billiards club, which is intended for the general public of various levels (not only billiards players). In such an establishment, billiards acts as a means of recreation.
- Sports concept. This billiards club is intended for professional players of this game. Consequently, it will no longer attract those people who view billiards as a means of recreation, but people who are interested in the actual game of billiards.
- Elite club concept. This billiard room is positioned as an establishment for wealthy clients. Its peculiarity is the provision of expensive and exclusive services, which often have no analogues in other billiard rooms in the city.
The most expensive of these types will be an elite billiard club. After it there will be a sports billiard room (requires the purchase of expensive equipment). The cheapest option would be to open a commercial club. However, there are cases in which a commercial billiard room can be more expensive than a sports club. This may be due to the high level of costs for various additional services such as a bar or kitchen, which must be included in a commercial club.
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Suitable layout for creating a billiards club
There is enough large number There are different opinions on this matter, but the most common approaches are the following:
- For opening commercial and sports billiard rooms, the most suitable layout is one in which the various functional areas of the billiard room (tables for visitors, a bar, the place where billiard ashes will be installed, and so on) must necessarily be combined into one room, in one space. It is believed that a single place can create a specific atmosphere of a billiard room, where potential visitors will come not only to play billiards, but also to show off in public. At the same time, other visitors not only drink and eat, but also watch the game as a free show.
- In order to open elite billiard clubs, you will need a layout in which the visiting company will be able to retire in a separate room, which will have its own billiard table.
It is important to note that today a fairly common option is to create a commercial club that has a separate VIP room.
In order to properly position billiard tables, it is recommended to use computer programs, which allow you to correctly arrange everything you need in the room. In addition, it is worth knowing that a similar service is currently provided by a large number of billiard equipment suppliers.
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What games will potential visitors be able to play?
The main games that will be offered to potential visitors are pool and Russian pyramid. In some clubs you can find tables for carom and very rarely - for snooker. Therefore, we can conclude that the current practice reflects the needs of customers in certain games.
It is important to know about the main differences between games such as pool and Russian pyramid.
In the Russian pyramid, the size of the pocket is only a few millimeters wider than the diameter of the ball. This makes it extremely difficult for the ball to get into the pocket and, accordingly, contributes to the delay of the game for an hour or more. The main conditions for a successful game are not to pocket the maximum number of balls yourself, but not to let your opponent pocket a single ball.
In a pool, the size of the pocket is almost twice as wide as the diameter of the ball. Accordingly, the game will play out much faster. Quite often there are cases in which a player, having successfully broken the balls at the beginning, begins to drive them in one by one, without allowing his opponent to score a single ball. There are other cases in which a player, having made at least one mistake at the end of the game, will be forced to watch his opponent pocket all the balls.
Almost all over the world, American billiards is the most popular. Las Vegas, for example, hosts a large number of world championships, in which prize fund can reach $500,000.
In Russia, the situation is as follows: older and middle-aged men prefer to play Russian pyramid, young people prefer to play pool and a little Russian billiards, and women mainly play pool.
The Russian pyramid is also not lacking in the number of competitions and tournaments that are held at the level of Europe, Russia and even the world.
So, let's figure out how to open a billiards club. First of all, you need to choose a legal form; the best option would be to register an LLC. This is due to the fact that you will have to obtain a license for alcohol, without which the billiards revenue will be much lower. Registering an LLC today will cost four thousand rubles, plus authorized capital at least ten thousand.
A license to sell alcohol is issued for a period of one year, its cost will be forty thousand rubles. To avoid problems, hire a lawyer and an accountant part-time. They will be able to correctly prepare a package of documents.
After registering and obtaining a license, you can start organizational issues: searching for premises and purchasing equipment.
Remember: any entertainment business, including billiards, requires constant improvement, adding chips and original ideas. Otherwise, customers will simply get bored with it.
Room
For a billiards club, you need to find a room with an area of 120-150 square meters. This area should accommodate the main hall, kitchen, toilet, and small storage room. In the main hall there are: 5-6 billiard tables, a bar counter, 5-6 tables for those who want to relax and have a snack.
Bar – necessary thing in the billiard room, since people who come to relax don’t mind drinking a couple of glasses of whiskey, beer or cocktails. You can make good money on alcohol and drinks, but without them the club may become uninteresting for clients.
The cuisine may have a small assortment, several hot options, salads, dessert. You can periodically update the menu, replacing unpopular dishes with something else. Thanks to the kitchen, you can earn money from passers-by who come in for a snack or coffee, thus expanding your circle of customers.
Important: make sure that the premises comply with the standards of the fire service and SES. Otherwise, you will face large fines.
It is best to rent the premises in which there was a cafe. In this case, you can agree with the owner to add several tables for food, an equipped kitchen and a bar counter to the rental. Thus, you will be able to save a good amount at the initial stage; new furniture and kitchen equipment are expensive.
Club equipment
If you were able to find a room with furniture and a bar counter, then all that remains is to purchase billiard tables, cues, balls and the necessary small items. It is also best to invest in automated time-keeping equipment; this will make the work of staff easier and will avoid wasting money. The cost of such a system ranges from 20 to 30 thousand rubles.
For an average club you need a couple of tables for playing Russian billiards, one small table and two tables for American pool. In total, you need to purchase five tables. Their total cost will be about 350 thousand.
Tables, as a rule, are equipped with balls, but it is better not to save money and buy spare ones (it will cost 4-5 thousand rubles). Also, five tables will require twenty cues, with an average cost of 2-3 thousand rubles.
Also, for each billiard table you need to buy a lamp; five lamps with six lamps (for each table) will cost 70-75 thousand rubles.
Staff
For successful activities in the billiard business you need a professional marker. This is not just a person who is familiar with the rules of all billiards games, but also who owns a cue at a high level. He often has to play with clients, so he must be good psychologist who will understand what a person expects from him. He must be able to impose a fight on the most avid player in order to earn his respect and increase the authority of the club. His functions also include maintaining inventory and resolving conflicts that arise. Usually markers are received daily payment, bonuses from management and large tips from clients.
Also for customer service you will need
Bartenders (2 people, in shifts),
Waiters (4 people, 2 per shift),
Cooks (2 people, in shifts),
Administrators (2 people, in shifts),
Cleaning woman.
The profitability of your billiard club will depend on the correct selection of personnel. People strive to relax in a place where they are answered politely, served professionally and are not rude in any way. Therefore, carefully monitor the work of your subordinates, train them, and punish them for any carelessness that affects the client.
Expenses and income of a billiard club
The billiard club given as an example has several sources of income:
Billiard table rental,
Let's assume that the billiard club will be open 14 hours a day (from 12 noon to 2 am). The average cost of renting a billiard table is 300 rubles per hour. IN this club can rent five billiard tables at the same time. The main flow of customers occurs from 19 pm to 2 am. Then the average monthly revenue from table rental will be 300-350 thousand rubles. With such attendance, a bar can bring in 250-300 thousand revenues per month, and a kitchen 150-200 thousand rubles.
Total monthly revenue is 700 – 900 thousand rubles.
Now let's move on to costs. At one time you will have to spend 460 thousand rubles on the purchase of equipment. In this amount the system will enter time tracking, five billiard tables, cues, balls, lamps. Also, to these expenses we will add obtaining a license for alcohol - 40 thousand rubles. Total one-time costs: 500 thousand rubles.
You need to pay rent monthly, approximately 150 thousand rubles. Salary employees - 200 thousand rubles (15 thousand salary for a waiter and bartender, 15 thousand for an administrator and a marker, 20 thousand for a cook, 7 thousand for a cleaner, 5 thousand for a lawyer and accountant). Taxes – 35,000 rubles. Purchase of food and alcohol per month – 150 thousand rubles. Total monthly costs will amount to: 535 thousand rubles.
Let's calculate the total costs for the year of operation of the billiard club: 535,000 X 12 + 500,000 = 6,920,000 rubles. Payback at average turnover (800 thousand rubles per month) will take 9 months of work.
As we were able to see, a billiard club is an expensive business, but it pays off very quickly and is promising. Therefore, if you decide to open an entertainment establishment, then pay attention to the billiards business. According to experts, six out of ten such clubs are experiencing a payback period and continue to develop further. Good luck in finding your business!
We recently told you how to organize yours, today we'll talk about a game that is also in demand, like billiards. The idea of opening your own billiards club often comes to the minds of people who are interested in this type of entertainment. Businessmen who are passionate about billiards and know a lot about it have a better chance of creating an interesting and attractive billiard room for clients than those who are far from this game.
How to open a billiard club
Opening of a billiard club usually produced in one of three forms:
- A club for a wide range of visitors - the clients are the broad masses of people different levels games for which billiards is a means of entertainment and relaxation.
- Sports club - visitors are professional billiards players; such a club can host tournaments, championships, etc.
- Elite club - this billiard room is positioned as an exclusive club for wealthy people of high wealth. Such a club may be distinguished by the provision of certain services that have no analogues in a given city.
There is no specific relationship between the size of the investment and the type of club. A mass club may be even more expensive than a sports club, as it may require a larger area. But for a sports and elite club, more expensive equipment and special decoration of the halls will be required. Therefore, the amount of investment will depend on all factors in total.
One of the main difficulties you will encounter when organizing a billiards club is choosing the right premises. Quite a lot of space is needed - from 400 sq. m. and above. Each table must be allocated at least 30 square meters. m., or better yet more, because there should be enough space for both the swing of the cue and the placement of spectators around the table. In order to use the entire area of the room as efficiently as possible, it must be of the correct rectangular shape. Don’t forget also about space for additional services – a bar, a dance floor.
It is recommended to compare the layout of the hall with the concept of the club. If you are going to organize a mass or sports club, then it would be more advisable to place everything in one large room - a bar, tables for clients, billiard tables, and a place for a disco. Clients of elite establishments will like it more if they and their company can sit in a separate room with a table and a minibar.
Equipment suppliers will help you set up billiard tables using special software.
The supplier should be chosen carefully; it is better to contact an already well-known company that can offer not only the supply and installation of equipment, but also further maintenance. Good tables are quite expensive, and in addition to them you will also need cues, balls, lamps, stands, electronics, etc. Carefully write everything down in the business plan to avoid unexpected expenses.
A large part of the success or failure of your business venture is your staff. In addition to the manager, bartender, etc., great attention should be paid to the selection of markers. Special requirements are put forward for these people: they must be professionals in billiards, know the rules of billiard games well, when playing with clients, they must feel when it is better to win and when to lose, communicate with clients, discuss the nuances of the game with them, and give advice. It is also the responsibility of the markers to take care of the equipment and ensure that visitors do not damage it. If you yourself are a billiards player, then we recommend looking for markers among your friends, rather than taking people from the street.
Undoubtedly, for a billiard club the most important role is played by billiards itself. But, nevertheless, often the income from the kitchen and bar is higher than from the payment for the game. Drinks will be consumed in large quantities by both players and spectators. So create wide range drinks for every taste.
Another point that should not be missed in your business plan is control over personnel. It will be very useful to equip the premises with CCTV cameras in order to control the bartenders, since sometimes their behavior with clients is not entirely correct.
Prices for food should be set slightly lower than in cafes and restaurants. Still, people will come to you primarily to play billiards, so there will be no demand for cuisine if prices are high enough.
Average payback of a billiard room– 6-24 months. How quickly your business will pay off depends on traffic, and this, in turn, on the attractiveness of your establishment. Therefore, think through all the aspects of organization, and try to make your billiard club unique, not like thousands of others.
