Thoughts

[Oli HPG]

If you have seen how much demand there is for pure SupAir and how many people have asked me when we are setting up. There is a huge market.

Depending on if you can afford the proper set up.

Any site owner that is not willing to change his approach to the customers will have a massive down fall in the long run.

We have done a fair bit of market research and evaluated the UK market. There are still sectors in paintball that have not been addressed, the demand has not been met and we will see a grow in paintball if people realize the potential of those markets and have the understanding how to meet the demands.

There is a lack of business sense by many site owners who seem to have a short term business strategy.

What I would like to see is that site owner start to work a bit closer together. Competition is good for any business but co-operation can make all the difference.


Oli

 

[Chicago]

Originally posted by Liz
Exactly my point Markie. For every one operator who earns a fortune from sites there are dozens like you who have had to scrimp and save, and maybe even put their homes at risk, to build a decent site.
You clearly run the Northern Quarter for the love of the game, and state yourself it does little more than pay off the loan you took out to set it up. Then you get people slagging down sites because the location isn't perfect (by their standards) or some such other thing, and proclaiming that you must be earning a fortune as they have no idea of the hidden costs. Then they start whining because they have to pay a green fee that barely covers your outlay.

If he set this up as a hobby, great. IF he set this up as a business, and people think the location stinks while other parks have better locations, well, picking that location would probably be a bad business decision.

If you want a successful business, you ened to provide something other people will pay for. If they don't want what you're trying to sell, that's your problem, not theirs.

I am amused by the number of paintball field/store owners who think that just because they want to run a store that people should be their customers. It doesn't work that way, nor should it.

 

[blackhawkjac]

this is a little off the point and redirect me to a suitable thread if you know of one but, in general we brits have significantly less players and less events but the way in which we start playing tourneys comes directly from that after rec-ball, however because Americans (un)fortuneatly have that "midpoint" in which a player can go into paintball, but doesn't have to play only tourney's in order to do this, does that mean our "average player" is suggestively better than in America!!

this came spontaneously out my head so i'm in no way implying anything here i'm just speculating...please don't flame me lol

 

[Ronnie Hollington]

i agree everyone does forget that there is no real tranisition for players in the UK.

 

[Lump]

then lets all hope the change comes,there does seam to be a different feel to the way people are talking about this year,lets see how it goes.good luck to us all

 

[jonhaley]

One problem that holds back the development of tournament ball in this country is the planning system. Woodsball, by definition requires woodland whereas any form of tourney ball requires open playing areas. Local councils are reticent enough about granting planning permission in woodland where games areas are out of sight and inaudible. The main reason councils reject planning applications for tournament sights is that bunkers are a visual intrusion compared to a green field. The visual impact of a tournament sight is significantly greater than a woodland site. We then have a catch 22 situation - If the game was recognised as a sport, local councils would be obliged to consider providing proper facilities for it in the local area. However, as it is, paintball is a game for rambos running round the woods, hence not a proper sport, hence no planning permission for tournament sites, hence paintball stays in the woods. etc etc. I totally accept what Pete says and agree with the sentiment but what is not fair is to lay the blame wholly at the feet of all site owners when many of us would dearly love to (and have previously attempted to) run dedicated tournament sites only to be refused planning permission and be evicted by the powers that be who would rather we went back to hiding in the woods.