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The Mother Lode! This is the business I was in for 11 years. I made from $1500.00 to $7,000.00 per picnic. My average was about $2700.00 net profit per picnic. My company picnic business manual shows you how:
YOU CAN MAKE A
LOT OF MONEY WITH A
PICNIC SERVICES BUSINESS!
There are two ways to approach this business:
1. Supplementary Picnic Services
2. Full Service Picnics.
SUPPLEMENTARY PICNIC SERVICES! This is the simplest and easiest way to be in this business. For supplementary services, you can start this business like I did and keep it simple and small if $300.00 to $1000.00 per picnic suits you. This only requires several hundred dollars worth of equipment and a station wagon, van, or pickup truck to transport it. Let's look at some of the ways you can make incredibly easy, fun money with just supplementary services alone:
- One hour of picnic games for adults and kids can make $150.00 to $200.00! Easy Money!
- Anotherhour of what I call "Kids Fun" (different games) will net $100.00! Easy Money!
- A $70.00 piece of equipment will net you $50.00 every picnic you book it for!
- I'll show you how to rent a variety of equipment that you can store in your garage, basement, or spare bedroom. Rent it to companies having picnics. They pick it up and return it, or for an additional charge, or you can deliver it and pick it up for them. This equipment will pay for itself in almost one single rental! Plus, you won't even have to be at the picnic! Easy Money!
- With one phone call and faxing one piece of paper, you can make one dollar for every person at the picnic! (My average picnic was almost 300 people.) Easy Money!
- I'll show you three different games that you can do within a half hour and net $110.00! These games are for toddlers, kids five through 12 and adults. Easy Money!
- You can add $50.00 to $200.00 to your profitsat each picnic by simply making a few phone calls and faxing some paperwork in advance of the picnic! Easy Money!
- I'll show you how to buy something that costs you 25 cents and sell 45 of them at every picnic for 85 cents. You'll make $27.00 and all you do is pass them out! Easy Money!
- You can buy $150.00 worth of merchandise and make $50.00 every time you book it by simply laying it out on a table at the picnic! Easy Money!
- There is an item you can buy for less than $20.00 that makes a one of a kind work of art that each child makes and gets to take home. I'll show you where to buy the supplies needed. All of this costs you about 15 cents per child. If you have 50 kids at the picnic, your cost is about $7.50. I charged $125.00 for this. You will make $118.50 for an hour of having fun with kids! Easy Money!
- I created a fun game called THE ICEBREAKER GAME. All you do is pass out a sheet of paper with the game printed on it (this printed sheet is included in my manual) and a pen to everyone playing. Wait a half hour and pass out a teddy bear to the winner. $45.00 profit for doing hardly anything! Easy Money!
- I'll show you how to make $50.00 with recreation equipment at picnics by doing nothing more than bringing it to the picnic! You don't have to lift a finger! Easy Money!
- Make $100.00 by doing some shopping for your customer at any department store in advance of the picnic. Then just deliver the goods to the customer on picnic day! That's all you have to do. Easy Money!
FULL SERVICE PICNICS! This aspect is purely optional on your part. You don't have to go into full service unless you choose to, but it sure is easy. The only difference in full service picnics is that you simply expand on all of the supplementary services. You're just adding more services (including services for adults), investing in more equipment (inflatable attractions, soft drink service, amusement games & equipment, booths, etc.), hiring staff people to do the work and making more money per picnic. You're investing more, but you are making more profits! Doing full service picnics, I averaged between $1500.00 and $7,000.00 gross profit per picnic.
VERY PROFITABLE! You can readily see how the dollars add up to a great deal of money with very little work. One year I netted $61,000.00 producing only 22 picnics. (I had expanded beyond the low budget, supplementary services startup phase. I had purchased more equipment, a truck and hired staff people. I was doing full service picnics, which are more profitable.) About $7000.00 of that was from providing supplementary services (Mini Packages) rather than a full service picnic. (You'll learn some secrets as to how I did that without using my own staff people or even lifting a finger.) Plus, the "work" is great fun on a sunny day in a beautiful park with a free meal and lots of nice people. How much money could you make?
The length of seasons will vary according to your location. If you have a longer warm weather climate, you will make even more money. (I was working with four months per year.) Let's say that you were booked every Saturday and Sunday from June through September. (It will take you a while to get that solidly booked, but you will if you wish to.) That's about 32 picnics. Let's be conservative and say you make only an average of $500.00 per picnic. That's $16,000 you will make. Then let's say you hire and train someone else to do this for you at other picnics in addition to the 32 picnics you are already doing. Let's say they go out and do 32 picnics also. (As I say, this will take time to work up to this point.) Let's say you pay them $75.00 per picnic. (That's good money for basically having fun.) That extra person would then be making you an additional $13,600.00 on top of your original $16.000.00 you are making yourself. That's a total of $29,600.00 per season. You will never make any easier, more fun money in your life!
 THERE'S A NEED FOR THIS SERVICE! I discovered there was a basic need among corporate America for a specialized company to handle all the time consuming details involved in producing a company picnic. Usually, the person handling the details was pretty busy already handling their regular full time job. The last thing they wanted to do is handle the undertaking of coordinating dozens of elements prior to the picnic. Then, in addition to that, they had to spend the whole picnic day working to direct the picnic instead of enjoying themselves like everyone else. Plus, the results were usually lackluster compared to what a professional company who had the right equipment, supplies, staff and experience could achieve. What I was providing was a basic need - convenience and service for picnics!
IT'S INEXPENSIVE TO START THIS BUSINESS! I started my business years ago with a few hundred dollars, a station wagon and embarrassingly bad brochures. I poured all my profits back into more equipment and grew very fast. Someone else who had more money could purchase more equipment to launch a larger operation right off the bat. The more equipment you have, the more profitable each picnic is. Either startup version is fine, but the larger your initial capital, the more profitable you are when you begin.
If you want to start small, like I did, by just offering games, contests, recreation, etc. that require a small investment, you can do that. You can make from $300.00 to $1000.00 in an afternoon with a van or station wagon. Then, as I did, you add more equipment when you can afford to till you're a full service company. You may desire, however, to stay small and keep things simple. It's still a remarkable profit for just having fun! Even only doing supplementary services, a few picnics pays for our business plan.
To start your business at the lowest possible cost, you would need my E-manual, plus several hundred dollars for minimal startup equipment and advertising. (In the beginning I had my customer list me as an "additional insured" on their insurance policy for the picnic day only. That saved me from having to insure myself. Later, I bought my own insurance.)
Also, you will get 50% of your fee in advance upon the signing of your contract. This is usually months in advance of the picnic. All of these advance deposits can go toward your startup costs. If you book ten picnics with a profit of $700.00, that's $7000.00, of which you should get $3500.00 in advance. This alone would pay for your startup costs!
LOW OVERHEAD! I ran my picnic business out of my home. I had a desk, phone and typewriter. (No computer in those days.) I stored my equipment in my garage, then I added a storage barn. When I went full scale, I kept the equipment at a nearby self storage facility in a 12' X 20' unit that cost $60.00 per month. (I later added another unit.) I wrote off many things on my taxes because of working out of my home. I had no sales staff, no year round employees, no rent, no health plan, no inventory to maintain, and no worries.
IT'S REALLY A PART TIME BUSINESS EVEN WHEN IT'S FULL TIME! Let me clarify what I mean by part time versus full time. "Full time", meaning that's all I did for a living, was really part time. I didn't do anything during October, November and December. I mailed my brochures in January and waited for the phone to ring. I basically went about my business and let my answering machine (use voice mail these days) take the calls. I would return them later. From January to March 31, I probably averaged three or four phone calls the whole time. I spent an hour usually preparing a proposal and mailing it to them. That's four hours work in three months. Then, the closer you get to summer, the more the calls pick up, but still even at peak booking season I didn't get more than one call per day on average. From April through July, I probably spent five or six hours per week on proposals, plus another two hours of phone conversation. For each picnic I booked, (22 as an example) another two hours were devoted to writing the contract, scheduling and contracting with vendors. Allow one to two hours to prepare for the picnic a day in advance. The only other time spent was doing the picnic itself, usually an eight hour day. (Sometimes you will be asked to attend a meeting with the customer.) Based on 22 picnics, all of the above boils down to the equivalent of only 49.5 EIGHT HOUR DAYS PER YEAR, including all of the picnic days themselves. Regardless of the number of picnics one books, the amount of work it takes to get those picnics is ridiculously small.
 THIS BUSINESS IS FUN! Let's face it. This is not digging ditches. I think you will have more fun with this business than anything else you have ever done. I remember so many times being out on a picnic site eating a delicious fresh cooked meal, playing volleyball, listening to music, laughing at a Tug of War competition, watching children having the time of their lives, being entertained by a multitude of performers, playing games, meeting new people, joking around with my staff on a sunny, beautiful day in a park with the fresh air, feeling gratified and satisfied that I was the one who made this all happen and saying to myself, "I can't believe that I'm being paid to have fun! This is the way I make my living!"
It isn't all fun and games, but it beats a regular 9-5 job any day. The only real work in my mind is loading and unloading the equipment, but my staff handled that for me anyway. (If you're only doing supplementary services, the equipment loading only takes five minutes anyway.) In fact, my staff could (and many times did) handle doing the entire picnic without me even being there. Once the equipment is set up, the whole picnic kind of unfolds by itself, anyway. Doing the picnic is the easiest and most fun part of this business. As far as I'm concerned, it's a dream business. I know what you're thinking. If it was such a good business, why did you retire? The answer is simple. The business is great, but retirement (not working at all) is even better! You'll see some day.
ADVANTAGES TO THIS BUSINESS! I think you can see why I'm so sold on this business. It's not a get rich quick scheme. It's a legitimate, professional business that has the following features:
- Very low startup costs.
- Very little work required overall.
- Very profitable in relation to amount of work required.
- It's the most fun business I can think of.
- It can easily be operated out of the home.
- It has very low overhead.
- About 95% of the work is done on weekends.
- You don't have to stay in your "office" all day every day.
- Not a great deal of direct competition that does exactly what you do, the
way you do it, that owns their own equipment.
- Totally flexible hours. You can devote as much time to it as you like.
- It's a great family business. It's perfect for Mom, Dad and the older
teenagers tooperate. If you have a large family, you may not need to
hire any outside help.
- Under the right circumstances, you can hold down a regular job and
operate the business only on weekends. If you want to make it a family
business, it's perfect for one spouse to work full time while the other
spouse answers the phones and does minimal paperwork during the day
at home.
- Except for the picnic itself, almost all the work is done over the phone
and by mail.
THE MANUAL ALSO INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING:
- ONE OF MY SAMPLE BROCHURES
- PICNIC PLANNING SHEET SAMPLE
- "PROTECT YOUR PROPOSAL" SHEET
- VARIOUS PRINT ARTWORK FOR USE IN YOUR BROCHURES
- PRE-PRICED PICNIC PACKAGES
- NON COMPETE/NON SOLICITATION SAMPLE CONTRACTS
- DEPOSIT TO RESERVE DATE SAMPLE CONTRACT
- NON COMPETE CATERING CONTRACT
- LISTS OF CATERING REQUIREMENTS TO DISTRIBUTE
TO CATERERS
- SAMPLE MOONBOUNCE ITINERARY SHEET
- KIDS SCAVENGER HUNT SHEET
- ADULT SCAVENGER HUNT SHEET
- KIDS CRAFTS SHEET
- SAMPLE PICNIC PUBLICITY POSTER
- SAMPLE MENUS SHEET
- BLANK CONTRACT SAMPLE/FILLED OUT SAMPLE
- "COMPARE OUR PICNICS" SEND OUT SHEET
- ICE BREAKER GAME SHEET
- VENDOR'S CONTRACT SAMPLE
- PICNIC SURVEY SHEET
- MINI PACKAGES SAMPLE SHEET
- SAMPLE PRIZES SHEET TO SEND OUT
- TWO SAMPLE PRESS RELEASES TO MAIL OUT
(AFTER PERSONALIZING)
- TERMS AND POLICIES SHEET
- EQUIPMENT INVENTORY LIST
- FOUR COLORING SHEETS TO USE
- INSURANCE/CONFIDENTIALITY SHEET
- HORSESHOES TOURNAMENT SHEET
- BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT SHEET
- VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT SHEET
- SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT SHEET
- PRICING SHEET
- SAMPLES OF PUBLISHED ADS WITH COPY
- SAMPLE MINIATURE GOLF SCORECARDS
THIS MANUAL COVERS EVERYTHING! 355 PAGES! I spent three months writing the most comprehensive picnic manual you could imagine. It is complete with sample contracts, brochures, artwork, press releases, game sheets, pricing info, non-compete forms, proposals, marketing plans, ads, equipment & supplies sources, a list of insurance companies, sales techniques, inventory lists and work sheets. All the games, contests, recreation and so forth are all fully explained in my manual. How to play them, what supplies are needed, where to buy the supplies - everything you need to know is fully outlined. THE PICNIC BUSINESS IS A NATURAL EXTENSION OF ANY KID'S ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS.
TABLE OF CONTENTS OF THE PICNIC E-MANUAL
1.INTRODUCTION TO THE PICNIC BUSINESS
HOW I STARTED
PROVIDING CONVENIENCE AND SERVICE
BASIC NEED FOR SERVICE
2. STARTING UP YOUR BUSINESS
READ MANUAL - PLACE Y.P. ADS - VOICE MAIL - BUSINESS LICENSE - FED. I.D. NUMBER - CHECKING & BANK ACCOUNT - PRESS RELEASES - MAILING LIST - INDEX CARDS - INSURANCE - BUSINESS PHONE - STATIONERY & CARDS - TRUCK, VAN, TRAILER RENTAL SOURCES - ACCOUNTANT - WORKMAN'S COMP - PAYROLL COMPANY - SALES TAX - ORDER ALL EQUIPMENT- WEBSITE
3. PICNIC EQUIPMENT - STARTUP AND ADD ON
STARTUP LIST, COSTS AND PROFILE,
ADD ON EQUIPMENT LIST AND PROFILE,
STORAGE OF EQUIPMENT,
TRANSPORTING YOUR EQUIPMENT,
LOADING YOUR EQUIPMENT,
ADVANCE LOADING AND INVENTORY SHEET
4. PICNIC OPERATIONS
PICNIC LAYOUT,
PLACES FOR PICNICS,
LENGTH OF PICNIC,
RAIN,
SIZE OF SHELTER,
CLEANUP,
PLUGGING ACTIVITIES,
MUSIC, DECORATING,
LOGO,
LARGE PICNICS,
STICKING TO SCHEDULE
5. FOOD AND DRINK
MEALS:
WHETHER TO PROVIDE CATERING,
TIMING OF MEAL,
LEFTOVERS
MENUS
CATERING TIPS
SNACKS: CHIPS AND PRETZELS ONLY
CONCESSIONS:
COTTON CANDY,
SNOW CONES,
POPCORN,
ICE CREAM
SOFT DRINKS:
SOFT DRINKS,
BEER,
ICE TEA / LEMONADE
ICE
6. FUN AND GAMES
PICNIC GAMES, COUPLES, TEAM GAMES, KIDS FUN, LIMBO, CANDY SCRAMBLE, HULA HOOP CONTEST, TODDLER CRAWL, BINGO, PRIZES, TABLE GAMES, HIGH STRIKER, MOONBOUNCE, WATERMELON EATING CONTEST, SEED SPITTING CONTEST, SCAVENGER HUNTS, ICE BREAKER GAME, SPIN ART, HELIUM BALLOONS, KID'S NOVELTIES, TOY BOX, PLAYBALL, HOME RUN DERBY, POWER WHEELS, PONY RIDES
7. RECREATION EQUIPMENT
DUFFEL BAG, VOLLEYBALL, HORSE SHOES,
POP A SHOT, ELEC. FOOTBALL, FOOSEBALL, PING
PONG, MINIATURE GOLF, BADMINTON, CROUQUET, SOFTBALL
8. LIVE PERFORMERS
DJ, LIVE BANDS, FACEPAINTERS, BALLOON ANIMALS, CLOWNS,
JUGGLERS, MIMES, MAGICIANS, FORTUNE TELLERS, CLOWN
SHOW, PUPPETS, SQUARE DANCING, HANDWRITING ANALYST,
SILHOUETTE CUTTER, BBSHOP QUARTET, KAROAKE, CARICATURIST
9. SUPPLEMENTARY SERVICES TO OFFER
GENERATORS, PORTA POTTIES, TICKET DRUM, NAME
TAGS, MAPS, POSTERS, PHOTOGRAPHER, VIDEO,
TABLES, CHAIRS, TENTS
10. MINI PICNIC PACKAGES
11. MARKETING, ADVERTISING, PROMOTION, SALES
START MARKETING EARLY, SALES KEY TO SUCCESS, DIFFERENT MARKETING METHODS,
BROCHURES, YELLOW PAGES, PROMOTIONAL VIDEO, PARKS AND PICNIC GROUNDS, PHOTO ALBUM, TESTIMONIAL LETTERS, CATERERS, PRESS RELEASES, TRADE PAPERS, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, CUSTOMER'S ASSISTANCE, PHONE CALL SALES, INDEX CARD FILES, WEBSITE MARKETING
12. PICNIC ADMINISTRATIONS
WORKING OUT OF YOUR HOME,
FAX MACHINE, COMPUTER
STEERING CLIENTS TO PARKS,
LIST OF ENTERTAINERS,
CONTRACTING WITH VENDORS
HIRING YOUR STAFF,
PAYROLL, WRITTEN PROPOSALS,
CONTRACTS, SCHEDULING STAFF,
PICNIC SCHEDULE, PICNIC PLANNING SHEET,
FOLLOW UP
13. OTHER INCOME IDEAS:
BIRTHDAYS, CONCESSIONS,
MINIATURE GOLF, MOONBOUNCE,
ADULT HIGH STRIKER, DUNK TANK,
FESTIVALS, CARNIVALS
14. INSURANCE
ALL RISK COVERAGE,
SUBCONTRACTOR'S CERTIFICATION OF INSURANCE,
INSURANCE SOURCES,
SPECIAL EVENT PUBLICATIONS
15. COMPETITION:
DON'T BREED COMPETITION,
DIRECT COMPETITORS,
CORPORATE EVENT PLANNERS,
AMUSEMENT PARKS
16. SOURCES FOR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
THE PICNIC BUSINESS IS A NATURAL EXTENSION OF ANY KID'S ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS.
TO ORDER THIS MANUAL
Click Here
To read all about my other manuals,
"HOW TO START AND OPERATE AN AMUSEMENT RENTAL BUSINESS", CLICK HERE!
"HOW TO MAKE BIG BUCKS WITH A KID'S ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS - NO SKILLS NEEDED!" CLICK HERE!
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