Author Topic: Bowling Business Dilemma (Read 2125 times)

Pinbuster · « **on:** July 12, 2004, 07:49:03 PM »

Youâ€™re a bowling center where leagues average 33 weeks.

As all businessmen do you would like to increase your lineage so you are considering starting some short season leagues of 15 weeks.

The upside is that you may bring new bowlers in and all that entails the lineage, snack bar, vending, bowling supplies, etc.

The downside is that some of your full time league bowlers will switch to these short season leagues and you will loose half of their business and all that entails as well. Plus you have the added work of co-coordinating the additional leagues every 4 months.

Does offering these leagues make sense?

Will you get a net increase in lineage?

Should you charge higher lineage for the short season leagues?

If so, how much?

MichiganBowling · « **Reply #1 on:** July 13, 2004, 11:26:29 AM »

I hope you ignore Bones's post, Pinbuster...another one filled with negativity...

To actually answer your question, this is why centers start their mini leagues at any time OTHER than when the full season leagues are starting. Most full season leagues start in late August/early September, so start your mini leagues in October. If you want, try them again in November, and December, and so on. Don't start them just to start them, but ask open bowlers if they would be interested in mini-leagues. It is an art. A good salesperson can acheive this without "hasseling" the open bowlers.

As far as increasing lineage, I think that is old-school thinking to do that simply because the league doesn't bowl as many weeks. In my opinion, you should charge more for any league that bowls prime time (6pm or 7pm leagues), and you should charge less for your 2nd shift leagues, regardless of how many weeks they bowl. Perhaps you will charge up to .50 more for your mini leagues, but nothing outrageous.

If you get a new job that is 50 miles closer to home, does the gas station charge you more for the gas since it is losing sales to you? Hell no it doesn't! The only reason you might charge less to a full season league is because they have been there for longer and it is a type of reward to them for coming back every year. These mini league bowlers may never bowl a league again!

I hope this helps you out.
--------------------
Brian
MichiganBowling.com
http://www.MichiganBowling.com

Famous Last Words of a Pot Bowler--"Ok, but this is my last game!"

Pinbuster · « **Reply #2 on:** July 13, 2004, 11:37:59 AM »

Sawbones â€“ I would never consider buying a center today. But so many bowlers complain about the length of a season without seeing the issues a proprietor has with shortening them.

The dump, ah er, bowling center Iâ€™m currently at offers low price bowling during the summer. You can buy a card (around $25) and you and your guest(s) (up to 9 guests) can bowl for 50 cents a game all summer. Summer league bowlers the card free.

Sounds great for the bowlers but it cost more than 50 cents a game to run the machines and wear and tear on the lanes. Plus the class of clientele you attract is bad and drive off the good customers.

They end up spilling beer, pop, and candy all over the lanes. They throw balls hitting the rakes, they loft balls, adult males will throw 8 and 10 pound balls 20+ MPH breaking the thin shells on the balls, adults will throw heavy balls on the bump lanes breaking the bumpers, they smoke in the lower area burning the scorers, they will even start throwing balls at each other like dodge ball. They often simply tear up more than they are worth.

You get what you pay for and a lot of the time you get the type of business you charge for.

Pinbuster · « **Reply #3 on:** July 13, 2004, 11:42:25 AM »

MichiganBowling â€“ But if the full timers know you are going to start a mini league in a couple of months they may (and some will) just wait till it starts dumping the long season league.

You reward the long season league with lower rates because it cost you less. You donâ€™t have to get them sanctioned twice, you donâ€™t have to enter the league data into the computer twice, you donâ€™t have to setup two bank accounts, two payouts, etc.

tenpinspro · « **Reply #4 on:** July 13, 2004, 11:43:28 AM »

Hey Pinbuster,

We have a center out here that did exactly that, 2(17) week seasons. Due to the failing economy, there are a lot of bowlers who are afraid to commit to that 30+ week league so they tried it and are doing fantastic. I talked to the owners and they run it consecutively, no break. They've been filling up the house (32 lanes?) but I can't tell you if they raised lineage, knowing these guys, they probably didn't. The name of the center is Granada Bowl in Livermore, CA. One of the owners/operators was named Proprietor of the year I believe (Dennis Fanucchi). These guys are good though, they hustle and they provide excellent service to all their customers. Here's their link if you want to contact them, they're real good people. Hope this helps...

http://granadabowl.com/

PS. Watch out for that Sawbones guy, some people just can't stand to see others prosper. People like that are terrible for our sport.....

Rick

Magic Carpet · « **Reply #5 on:** July 13, 2004, 11:47:59 AM »

MichiganBowling is right, If you give bowlers the choice they will naturally choose the least expensive option with the least amount of commitment. That is just human nature. The problem is that if bowling centers start doing short leagues they will loose lineage. Bowling centers run long seasons because that is what they have to do to stay in business. A bowling center simply canâ€™t stay in business with out long season league lineage. Try short season leagues as fill ins and after all the long season leagues are started.
Have a great season!
Ron Clifton

MichiganBowling · « **Reply #6 on:** July 13, 2004, 11:50:26 AM »

Good point about why to charge less to full season bowlers Pin.

I used to work at a few bowling centers, and we never ever had a problem with full season bowlers joining the mini leagues. Quite the opposite happened. We generated more full season league bowlers from our mini leagues.

I don't know what else to tell you.
--------------------
Brian
MichiganBowling.com
http://www.MichiganBowling.com

Famous Last Words of a Pot Bowler--"Ok, but this is my last game!"

mumzie · « **Reply #7 on:** July 13, 2004, 01:22:50 PM »

We had a league here involving a local radio station. They have 4 10 or 11 week "leagues" with a week or two hiatus inbetween sessions.
So far the league has been a great success. Trios, and was drawing around 26 teams the last I heard. Don't know how many they had over the summer, but it seems to be a very successful program.

Of course, the initial draw was the radio station personalities bowling in the league.

In fact, they started the nighttime league because they had a reasonably successful day time league, but a lot of people wanted a night time league, since they work...

Hmmmm... Maybe this is one of the gimmicks that actually works!
--------------------
All things are difficult
before they are easy.
---- Thomas Fuller

MichiganBowling · « **Reply #8 on:** July 13, 2004, 01:33:45 PM »

It's no gimmick Mumzie. People actually like to bowl! They often just don't think about it, and hardly any centers actually go around and promote their leagues. So when a radio station announces there is a fun league starting in 2 weeks at Holiday Bowl (or wherever), it suddenly reminds people that often never think about bowling, that there are indeed leagues available! Fun leagues with no jackpots with other young people bowling and having fun.

Create a fun atmosphere in a modern bowling center and let people know that it exists, and they will come. It really is that easy.
--------------------
Brian
MichiganBowling.com
http://www.MichiganBowling.com

Famous Last Words of a Pot Bowler--"Ok, but this is my last game!"

RSalas · « **Reply #9 on:** July 13, 2004, 01:39:22 PM »

quote:
We have a center out here that did exactly that, 2(17) week seasons. Due to the failing economy, there are a lot of bowlers who are afraid to commit to that 30+ week league so they tried it and are doing fantastic. I talked to the owners and they run it consecutively, no break. They've been filling up the house (32 lanes?) but I can't tell you if they raised lineage, knowing these guys, they probably didn't. The name of the center is Granada Bowl in Livermore, CA.

Rick:

Point of clarification regarding Granada Bowl. I bowl there, and I talk to Tom and Dennis every week. They only run the short season leagues a few nights a week; the majority of the Fall leagues go for the entire season. In addition, most of the short season leagues are themed (NFL, NASCAR, trip leagues, etc.). But yes, they have been reasonably successful with this concept.

And since when is the economy failing? You ever get out on I-580 in the morning, or I-205 in the afternoon?

tenpinspro · « **Reply #10 on:** July 13, 2004, 05:55:16 PM »

quote:
You reward the long season league with lower rates

Never thought of that, I agree, a very good incentive to have with our everchanging situations.

Thanks Curse for the clarification, it was one of the first houses I knew of in the Bay Area that did this. We have one league that does it but our league gimmick was for cheap practice during the week. Unfortunately the congestion on the roads is just another sign of overcrowding in Cal. Last I drove by Silicon Valley, it was still a ghost town....2002 posted the highest amounts of bankruptcy filings, I know, I was talking to an attorney then too...

Author Topic: Bowling Business Dilemma (Read 2125 times)

Pinbuster

Bowling Business Dilemma

MichiganBowling

Re: Bowling Business Dilemma

Pinbuster

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Pinbuster

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tenpinspro

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Magic Carpet

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MichiganBowling

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mumzie

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MichiganBowling

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RSalas

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tenpinspro

Re: Bowling Business Dilemma