MoonwalkGuide.com

MoonwalkGuide.com's Rental Company FAQ

The information contain herein should be considered the opinion of the authors

and not necessarily fact. Use this information at your own risk

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Business Questions List of Categories

Should I open a business bank account?
Do I really need to use a tarp on the grass?
Should I provide an attendant during the rental?
Would you ever rent your moonwalks overnight?
Should I accept tips? What about allowing my drivers to accept tips?
Should I require a deposit?
Should I accept Credit Cards?
Should I have an age limit on my units?
How many kids can be in the unit at a time?
Why should someone start a Moonwalk Rental Company?
When is the best time to start an Inflatable Party rental company?

Should I open a business bank account?

You will need a business account if you want to accept checks under your business name. It also make it alot easy when tax time comes around. In order to open a business account you need to goto your local records department and get either a FBN (Ficticous Business Name) or a DBA(Doing Business As). You will need to file you FBN or DBA with the county clerk. Many counties then require you to publish a notice in a local publication for a few weeks. Once you do this you can goto any bank and open the account in the name of your company.

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Do I really need to use a tarp on the grass?

Its up to you. Sometimes grass will actually clean the bottom of the bounce house. If the grass is really nice it's not as necessary. Though if you are training employee's you should get them in the habit of ALWAYS using a tarp. Because when it comes down to it, they won't care about your bouncers as much as you do. Eventually they may get lazy and not use the tarp which could result in damage.

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Should I provide an attendant during the rental?

Many companies make it mandatory and many just offer it as an expensive option ($25-$30 hr). Some insurance companies require it, although most don't. If you are going to be leaving a bouncer in someones backyard it probably won't require your companies supervision as much as a 20' slide might.

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Would you ever rent your moonwalks overnight?

It depends I would really talk with the customer to find out what the moonwalk is going to be subjected too. Senior overnighter...Probably not. Kids sleep over birthday party. Maybe, you have to realize the more time the customer is in possession of the unit. The more chance for the moonwalk to get damage or someone to get injured. The risk of the moonwalk being unsupervised is also increased. So you need to be vigilant and be sure that the moonwalk is going to be taken care of. Be sure the area is secure and that the sprinkler wont automatically come on in the morning.

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Should I accept tips? What about allowing my drivers to accept tips?

You will get alot of people (many intoxicated) offering 5,10,20,50 and even 100 tips. If they are happy with the service you provide, by all means accept the tip. Many customers see how difficult it is to setup and take down the moonwalks. There is no harm in them rewarding you for a job well done. Be sure to say thank you with a smile. Furthermore a thank you letter after the rental acknowledging the tip and showing appreciation for their business is a sure fire way to get repeat business.

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Should I require a deposit?

There are many points of view on the subject of deposits. Some people collect them and many don't. The added work involved with processing and recording the deposit sway many to not require them. On the other hand it is frustrating when someone cancels there party and forget to let you know! Although this is rare, it certainly does happen. When requiring deposits the easiest way to is place a hold on there credit card. This has the advantage of being able to charge the customers card if damage occurs. Though the downside is you can lose business from people who call your competitors who don't require a deposit.

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Should I accept Credit Cards?

You can easily run your business without accepting credit cards. Although you can be missing out on some bounce house rentals if you do not accept them. If you want to process just a few cards a month look into ProPay.com. They offer webbased credit card processing that doesn't require a merchant account.

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Should I have an age limit on my units?

This is an interesting question. In my opinion having a 12 year old age limit is usually a good idea. The reason being is that older people tend to not be in as good physical condition as kids and are at a MUCH greater risk to injure themselves. It will be inevitable that people older than 12 will end up in your moonwalk. But as long as it is stated in the rental agreement that no one over the age of 12 will be in the Bouncer it will be less likely a lawsuit can result from such injuries.

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How many kids can be in the unit at a time?

Each unit is different so you should always check with the manufacturer of the unit to figure out what the units limits are. The size of the people using the unit should also be considered. Generally a 13' units can handle 6-8 riders and 15' units can handle 8-10

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Why should someone start a Moonwalk Rental Company?

Well the most obvious answer is to make money. But there are many reason to get involved in this business specifically.

1. Start up Cost are Very Low. You can get into this business for about $1500 dollars.

2. It not rocket science. If you have good people skills and are a self starter it pretty easy to be sucessful in this business.

3. Its FUN! Think about it your going to parties all the time. People are friendly and your the kids new best friend. 4. The Demand Continues to grow. More and More people are incorporating Bounce Houses into their parties, reunions and functions. Its quickly becoming the standard at parties.

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When is the best time to start an Inflatable Party rental company?

There really is no perfect time to get involved. Basically you should get started as soon as possible. There will be many things you need to accomplish before starting to rent out your moonwalks. (Such as insurance, business licensing, advertising ect.) If I had to put a month on the best time of year to start a bouncy rental business, I would say December or January. Reason being most manufacturers drastically reduce there prices for inflatables during this time, as a result of slowed sales. This is a great opportunity to reduce your startup capital needs. Furthermore it gives you a few months to familiarize yourself with the business. So you will be prepared for the spring and summer frenzy Obviously not too many people have parties outside when the weather is bad. You need to be creative with your marketing and more importantly secure a location to setup your Inflatables during winter. Don't plan on being completely booked your first month or two. Regardless of the time of year you start.

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