The opportunity I selected is the lack of an indoor soccer facility in the city of Gainesville. This is an opportunity with major potential and I also believe will be successful given the strong soccer community present on campus and the city in general. In my opinion, it is the most fun type of soccer to play as well.
One solution towards this issue is to rent out a location - a warehouse would be most adequate - and then comes the process of remodeling the inside to suit the specifications of an indoor soccer facility. This includes netting, boards, turf, etc. I believe that a soccer facility should have a minimum of two 5v5 fields, but if the possibility exists, including a third field would maximize service and profit. Given my experience with indoor soccer facilities, I believe that an owner should charge no more than $100 for the rental of one field per hour. Additionally, playing-wise, I believe that 90 minutes is the optimum amount of time for playing in a 5v5 field because players usually take a grace period beforehand to stretch and warm-up. One is also able to take water breaks and feel less pressured by time to select teams. Specific pricing for a 90-minute rental would depend on the leasing of the warehouses and other expenses but I'd say $140 is fair. To raise awareness for my business, I would create an account on social media platforms: Instagram and Facebook. Additionally, I would distribute flyers with deals for the grand opening around the Santa Fe and UF campuses and in various social hubs of the city.
My other solution towards the issue if a warehouse or existing location does not exist, is to build it from the ground up. The idea is to build a standard-sized building that would support two or three 5v5 fields and this would be built more towards my design and preferences since it is a brand new construction. I would hope to find an area of land for sale that is fairly centralized in the city so it is ideally, equally as close no matter where you live. If not, I would find a location closer towards midtown and downtown because these are the areas with the most activity both in the day and night. In a perfect world, I would give the same prices for services as I did in the previous solution but that depends on the expenses taken on in this scenario. My marketing strategy would be the same as the one above.
Hello Luis,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the community of soccer players in Gainesville and at UF is quite large and I am sure there are individuals who would like to have a private field to themselves for a game. However, to rent the facilities and build them out with turf and netting as well as side walls and goals would be quite expensive. You must also consider the necessity of insurance coverage as people could get injured during games at your facility. With all these expenses is it really going to be a financially successful venture as the facility will likely only be popular and night and most often only weekend nights? I think that while the need is there it may be expensive to meet it.
-Jordan Jacobs
Hi Luis!
ReplyDeleteI think what you have come up with is a great solution to the problem of playable soccer fields in the Gainesville area. I like that you have contingency plans as well just in case the warehouse idea, which I love, does not work out. The idea of using a pre-existing warehouse in Gainesville as a stadium or location for an indoor soccer location is ingenious. Along with the rental to fee in order to keep up with upkeep and property tax/ rent of the location is a great idea. I think that you have a great strategy to overcome this issue and to make you opportunity a successful reality.
Best,
Austin Felter