How to Start a Family Entertainment Center
Publication Date: September 2005
Length: 42 pages
File Size: 820k

You could spend the next 30-90 days searching for materials and information from various amusement equipment suppliers who will all tell you that if you buy their latest and greatest indoor playground, miniature golf, laser tag, or other amusement equipment you will make a lot of money in this business. -- OR -- you can get the unbiased, complete and comprehensive family fun center industry report here.
More Information: Here

Startup Academy
Publication Date: Current
Delivery: On-line via email and telephone

Startup Academy is a 4-week on-line course designed and developed with the new amusement entreprenuer in mind. We help you identify your market, locate the resources and local statistics you need to clearly define your family enteretainment business concept - then complete an executive summary with financial projections you can use to present your ideas to potential partners and funders.

Fun Center Mentoring
Publication Date: Current
Length: As long as it takes

Need some steady, unbiased industry advice? How about a been there-done that shoulder to lean on? Then you need a mentor. The FEC Directory in cooperation with some of the industrues most successful owner/operators have created this unique opportunity to consult with owners and managers regarding your own ideas, market area and fun center concept. Need to know if your financial projections make sense? Want a second opinion on that cool activity idea? How about planning your birthday parties - what works best?
Enrollment: This project comes with a minimal investment that ensures those who participate are serious. As you can appreciate, the time of a successful owner operator is finite and that wisdom is of value. One good call to a participating mentor could save you hours of time and thousands of dollars. Enroll today and let your ideas soar!

Fun Center Operations - CEC Operating Proceedures
Includes Forms: Yes
Publication Date: April 2006
Length: 21 pages + Forms
File Size: 345k Microsoft WORD Document

READY TO PRINT - Download this WORD document and use it in your own Operators Manual. Complete Children's Entertainment Center Operators Manual is a central component to your complete employee handbook. It's all here, opening the store, greeting customers, maintenance schedules, cleaning operations, food area proceedures, close out sales reporting, party booking proceedures, check-in counter, merchandise area policies and proceedure, membership application and much more.
Complete Operating Forms: This Manual / Handbook comes with complete operating forms (pdf format) you can use in your business, including; Store Managers Training Checklist (3-pages), Company Purchase Order, Managers Daily Checklist, Food Service Daily Checklist, Welcome Desk Daily Checklist, Washroom Hourly Checklist, Facility Evaluation Form (16 pages), Opening Daily Checklist and Closing Daily Checklist.

Fun Center Operations - Personnel Management
Includes Forms: Yes
Publication Date: April 2006
Length: 24 pages + Forms
File Size: 164k pdf

Personnel Management means people power. The conscientious hiring, staffing and continued training of employees is crucial to the success of your entertainment center business. This 24 page Operators Manual provides information on how the law relates to fair employment practises, employer - employee relations, recruiting new employees, training and guiding staff, and how to motivate and keep productive employees.
Complete Operating Forms: This Manual comes with complete operating forms (pdf format) you can use in your business, including; Uniform Receipt Form, Employee Time Sheet, Application for Employment Form, Performance Appraisal Reviews, and a Staff Training Check List.

Fun Center Operations - Job Descriptions
Includes Forms: Not Applicable
Publication Date: April 2006
Length: 21 pages
File Size: 212k

READY TO PRINT - This WORD document includes 8 complete, detailed job descriptions for every position in your new business. Why spend time developing a complete set of job descriptions, or trying to make a restuarant template fit your amusement center? These complete descriptions are amusement specific to your fun center / children's entertainment center business.
Package includes; Store Manager, Assistant Store Manager, Guest Services Manager, Guest Services Assistant Manager, Party Room Captain, Party Room Assistant, Equipment Manager and Assistant Equipment Manager. Descriptions detail each positions role in Guest Service, Marketing and Promotions, Operations, Inventory Control, Facility Maintenance, Safety, Staffing and Financial responsibilities.

Fun Center Operations - Complete Operators Forms
Includes Forms: 15 Forms
Publication Date: April 2006
Length: 53 pages
File Size: 650k
Package Price: $59.95

READY TO PRINT - Don't need a full Operators Manual, but could use a complete set of FEC forms? Get all of the above FORMS in one complete package! Easy to print and use - customizable for your business, simply print, add your employee manual, bind it and use it in your daily operations. These valuable forms can be added directly to your business planning.

Complete Family Entertainment Center Business Planning
Publication Date: Market Specific
Delivery: Email, telephone, internet

We do the work for you. Writing an amusement center business plan is a daunting experience to be certain. Use our experience and knowledge to help you get there faster. You do the research, we write the plan. You stay intimately involved, so you can present your completed plan with confidence. Use what research you have done so far, or if starting from scratch - we can help.
More Information: Here

Fun Center Business Plans
Publication Date: February 2006
Delivery: Download word document and financial statements

For the entreprenuer who is looking to complete their fun center business plan. Not some mamby-pamby daycare plan or restuarant plan you still have to spend countless hours editing and completing, this plan is amusement industry complete. Includes industry data, stats, startup costs and complete financial statements for years one - five.
More Information: Here

Fun Center Business Plans - Complete Package
Title: Complete Package
Publication Date: February 2006
Delivery: Download word document and financial statements

Get the complete fun center business plan and a few more goodies and services to make the process even easier;
- Enrollment in the Alternate Sources of Funding Database
- Inclusion in our exclusive Mentor Program
- How to Start a Family Entertainment Center Guidebook
More Information: Here

Children's Entertainment Center - Development
Publication Date: Current
Delivery: Telephone, fax, email

The FEC Directory - Family Entertainment Services has over 12 years experience in providing services and equipment for children’s entertainment centers in countries around the world. We have a diverse experience in the amusement industry, including sales and marketing, counter operations, facility design and layout, content development, birthday party's, and manufacturing. This wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm is available to new Fun Center developers and amusement entrepreneurs.

Feasibility analysis, facility layout and design, indoor playground development and more...
- Fun Center Business Plan
- Enrollment in the Alternate Sources of Funding Database
- Inclusion in our exclusive Mentor Program
- How to Start a Family Entertainment Center Guidebook
More Information: Here

How to Start a Family Entertainment Center
Publication Date: September 2005
Length: 42 pages
File Size: 820k

You could spend the next 30-90 days searching for materials and information from various amusement equipment suppliers who will all tell you that if you buy their latest and greatest indoor playground, miniature golf, laser tag, or other amusement equipment you will make a lot of money in this business. -- OR -- you can get the unbiased, complete and comprehensive family fun center industry report here.
More Information: Here

Would you like some fries with your fun?
Publication Date: March 2006
Length: 5 pages
File Size: 1.1mb

Food service will play an ever-increasing role in the changing face of today's family entertainment business. If you have kids, or even just know a few, you are well aware that food is an important, tricky part of a successful formula for attracting and keeping customers.

Indoor Playgrounds - How to Design the Ultimate Indoor Playground
Publication Date: April 2006
Length: 14 pages
File Size: 2.4mb

Starting a Childrens Entertainment Center or planning on birthday party's usually means including an indoor playground. At last count there were 10 plus indoor play manufacturers - how do you chose the right one? In this 14 page Guidebook learn how indoor playgrounds are priced, how the included activity mix (slides, punch-bags, ball-pools, climbs, crawls and more) are critical to your fun centers "Play-A-Bility" factor and how to design the best indoor playground for your business goals. What activities are must have's - and what activities the manufacturer will try to include to save themselves time and money at the expense of your business success. Strategies discussed include themeing - should you? At what cost? Or are there alternatives? How to please your most important customer - Mom, and what activities to include that will maximize your return while ensuring a high repeat desire (the "nag-factor") from your end customers, the kids. Includes insider tips on negotiating the best price, including installation strategies that will save you thousands of dollars. Know what the playground sales guy knows - and save your money!

Redemption Games and the FEC
Publication Date: August 2005
Length: 8 pages
File Size: 1.5mb

The key to a successful redemption operation in your family entertainment center (FEC) is to start building the demand for redemption prizes among your customers by encouraging them to play your redemption games. This is especially important if your customer base is from the ages 2-12 and you offer birthday party's. The main reason FECs perform birthday parties and advertise discount packages is to bring in lots of first-time customers. Your real profits are made when these customers have a great time and come back again and again. Redemption plays a major role in this cycle.

Redemption Games 101
Publication Date:January 2006
Length: 21 pages
File Size: 200k

Redemption games account for as much as 60% of revenues at some successful fun centers. A huge sales opportunity that can add profits to your bottom-line, but more importantly can help you create a family-friendly play experience that will help you drive repeat visits. In this new developers Guidebook, learn the basics of adding a profitable games room;
- What are the differences between Arcade Games and Redemption Games?
- How to determine which games and what mix are right for your facility?
- Understanding pricing formulas and ticket value.
Merchandise - Real-World Examples.
For many new developers, understanding how ticket-values and pay-outs work can be a little confusing at first. How to source your redemption game merchandise and how to price it to create perceived value while earning maximum return is the primary driver when selecting games, mercahdnise and designing the best games room layout. In this Guidebook, learn some of the best kept secrets from owner/operators;
- How to create a winning redemption counter - that sells. 
- Price examples with case studies.
- How to set point-values on all your merchandise.
80% of Family Entertainment Centers offer games. What works for your business and your market area may not be the same as the guy across town - find out what the differences are, which games and games styles will work for you.

Location, Location, Location
Publication Date: August 2005
Length: 4 pages
File Size: 584k

While facility layouts and attractions selection are critical variables important to your facility's ultimate success, their impact cannot be achieved without first identifying a proper venue. Finding the careful balance between land cost and location is a multi-step process, and one that requires time, patience, and a willingness to perform a substantial amount of research.

Sources of Amusement Funding
Publication Date: March 2006
Length: 11 pages
File Size: 839k

There are two rocks on the road for many new amusement developers; location and funding. For many, funding is the bigger of the two. In this 3-part article learn the realities of funding, including; Government and community programs, equipment financing, new facility funding, street funding, establising relationships with creditors and alternate sources of funding such as venture capital and private investors.

Facility Layout - How to Design Your Children's Entertainment Center
Publication Date: February 2006
Length: 7 pages
File Size: 367k

Good facility design is absolutely critical to the success of your amusement center. At most you have 30 seconds to make that first impression, and having guests stuck at the front entry trying to get past exiting patrons with 20 cake-filled-sugar-high screaming kids is not the best 'Hi, how are you and welcome'. Good design enables you to increase your revenues while reducing labor costs, streamline your party experience, sell more food, peripheral services and products. In this 7 page article learn some of the basic necessities and layout startegies that can help you create the best guest experience. Based on a 12,000 square foot CEC the article includes sample floor plan with example sections, including food service, stage area, main entry, kiddie rides and more.

Group Sales - Developing a Plan that Works
Publication Date: Spring 2005
Length: 7 pages
File Size: 367k

Group sales events are virtually ironclad sources of guaranteed revenue. Many larger parks and FECs have long emphasized group sales, however smaller operations can also profit from the addition of a group sales plan. For smaller centers and individual operators, a group sales strategy can easily equal 30 percent of the days revenues, and usually accounts for much more. And once a group sales program is in place it usually operates very smoothly for years, avoiding the time and expense of constantly having to reinvent the position. In this article find some great resources and ideas to help you develop, initiate and profit from a group sales program.