Earning a Living as a Skating Rink Operator or Owner

As a skater you had to skate smart and use good sports strategy to achieve skating goals. Now it is time to have a smart skating business. Whether your building is targeted to public skating or competitive and team roller sports – or both – protecting the business and providing good, safe service will need to be planned, too.

Before your doors open, be sure to get a comprehensive insurance policy. Your best bet will be to get an attorney who can advise you on safe coverage requirements. No one plans on accidents, but in a skating facility there are many opportunities.

Now it is time to set up operation hours. Saturday and Sunday afternoon matinees and Friday evening sessions are the most popular times for public skating. Schedule weekend daytime family matinees for all ages, and plan on keeping your building open later on Friday and Saturday nights for teens and adults. Determine what type of music or music mixture will attract your clients and hire a good disc jockey if public sessions will be an important part of your income.

If your facility is not in the public skating business, make sure to set aside the right mix of hours and session lengths for the activity(s)your building supports. Pee-wee hockey can't skate a midnight. And most adult activities get better attendance in the mid-to-late evening.

As part of the hiring process, you will need to learn about withholding taxes for employees, social security and health benefits, and how these things affect payroll. Get a tax professional and/or help from small business development specialist.

Advertise your skating rink. Run ads in local newspapers and network on the internet to let people know when your facility will open. Have a huge opening day party with free admission, to let everyone get a feel for the place and generate interest in coming to skate. Make sure that every household, school and church in your community is aware of your skating facility. Be sure to include discounts and coupons to get the skating rink going right away. Print a monthly calendar of events to distribute among frequent visitors and neighboring businesses. This calendar should highlight discounted skate rentals, theme nights and special events for skilled skaters that can turn your skate rink into a popular place to hang out.

Once the doors are open, embrace good business practices. Make sure your customers and athletes have a good time. Don't skimp on necessities, charge enough to make a profit, pay employees and run a clean and safe facility. Create a variety of play lists and keep songs playing while your customers are skating. Find a variety of ways for people to come to the skating rink including private parties, birthday parties, team sports, fitness skating, school and church parties and special family skating activities. Come up with unique uses for the building that may or may not be skating-based.

Impose strict rules in your rink to avoid unnecessary maintenance, damages or injuries. Make customers aware of the rules by posting them in high traffic areas like the entrance, snack bar or rest areas. Some rinks have customers sign an agreement that makes them aware of their liabilities in case of damage.

Running a skate rink may be complicated, but a clean rink or arena with a nice skating surface and dependable service hours will attract existing and new skaters in the right location. With proper knowledge and preparation - and a good staff of employees, it is a great way for a skater or someone who loves skating sports to earn a living. Becoming a rink owner or operator may or may not make you rich, but it can provide a nice income for anyone who thinks that the good life is eating, sleeping and skating.

1. Consider Owning a Skating Facility
   
   
2. Find a Suitable Location and Set Your Plans in Motion
   
   
3. Run an Intelligent Roller Sports Business

Have you ever worked in an inline skating or roller sports related job? Share your skating employment story and tell us about the job you found, how you found it, what your job responsibilities were and whether you would recommend this type of employment to another skater.

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