Thoughts and ideas? Planning on opening a pool office.

ShootingHank · May 2, 2020

I got this idea from another thread and a buddy of mine from Germany said his local pool hall is just a room that everyone pitches in every month and they get the key. I’m thinking about renting office space less than $1000 divided by 10 pool players everyone gets a key. You come and go as you please.

Have a small fridge or vending machine in there.

2 or 3 or 5 tables?

Legalities? Thoughts?

Not open to general public. It’s private.

David in FL · May 2, 2020

You’d have to charge an “initiation fee” of sorts, to cover the initial equipment expenditures. If you started with 10 members, that would probably be somewhere in the $1500 range. Limit it to 10 people, and if someone leaves the club, they get their $1500 back, when/if someone else buys in…

Then monthly dues to cover rent, utilities, and ongoing table maintenance. Call it $150 a month…

I would certainly consider it.

ShootingHank · May 2, 2020

David in FL said:
You’d have to charge an “initiation fee” of sorts, to cover the initial equipment expenditures. If you started with 10 members, that would probably be somewhere in the $1500 range. Limit it to 10 people, and if someone leaves the club, they get their $1500 back, when/if someone else buys in…

Then monthly dues to cover rent, utilities, and ongoing table maintenance. Call it $150 a month…

I would certainly consider it.

Thanks.

Membership based and you can sell your spot. Spectators are allowed but they can’t play unless with a member. Also upkeep of tables should be low as I expect members to respect the equipment because the public can’t **** it up.

I capped it at 10 members because I like a guy to have a table with company. So 5 tables for 10 members?

Alcohol and booze welcomed. No smoking.

336Robin · May 2, 2020

I think there's going to be a lot of this going on but one problem.

You'll be playing with someone that you don't know where they've been. They breath, you inhale it. Hard to fix that unless its one at a time.

ShootingHank · May 2, 2020

336Robin said:
I think there's going to be a lot of this going on but one problem.

You'll be playing with someone that you don't know where they've been. They breath, you inhale it. Hard to fix that unless its one at a time.

I’m thinking in the future, post-Covid, but not sure about legalities and if you were a landlord would you be open to this.

ShootingHank · May 2, 2020

Square feet?

336Robin · May 2, 2020

ShootingHank said:
I’m thinking in the future, post-Covid, but not sure about legalities and if you were a landlord would you be open to this.

Everyone I've talked to has been fine as long as you sign a lease but I did have one man say that the town codes people have gotten so particular they wanted in every decision he practically made. One person is on the hook for the rent and only one. The other agreements are subleases you have to have permission to do what you're going to but as long as you're up front and your people don't raise hell you'll probably be ok. You're responsible though.

jimmyco · May 2, 2020

ShootingHank said:
Square feet?

IMO, 1500-2000 minimum for five 9' tables.

You will need a landlord leasing commercial space at 50 cents a foot and willing to put ten people on the lease.

ShootingHank · May 2, 2020

jimmyco said:
IMO, 1500-2000 minimum for five 9' tables.

You will need a landlord leasing commercial space at 50 cents a foot and willing to put ten people on the lease.

My thoughts exactly with the square footage. To be safe with 5 tables.

What’s your thoughts on cost and membership fee? I want it affordable for members.

Dan_B · May 2, 2020

...yes,
it's called "equity membership".
The original owner of one can sell it at any price they choose,
subject to the blackball rule by the current equity holders,
this game has been in play for along time and will extend in to the future.
Everything is by simple majority rule, the democrat extension of mob rule, a necessity.

wahcheck · May 2, 2020

my $.02

I don't have any experience in business enterprise, but I do have a couple of thoughts and you can take it with however many grains of salt......

1) If you are the sole proprietor, won't you need some kind of insurance?
Some kind of liability or damage insurance, I'm thinking, because if you
allow alcohol, there could be many negative scenarios.

2) You want it to be affordable, but you need to weigh that against your
expenses and what profit you could have.

3) Maybe Jay Helfert can offer some tips; he's owned a pool business before,
as maybe some others have on this forum too...

David in FL · May 2, 2020

You incorporate and set it up as a club. Depending on your state, maybe even a non profit. Certainly worth talking to a lawyer. All members are on the board and have voting rights.

If you’re going to allow members to bring guests, that will somehow have to be addressed. It won’t last long if the same 3 or 4 guys are taking up all the tables with their buddies during peak hours, leaving the others to scrounge for a table at 10pm Tuesday!

Geosnooker · May 2, 2020

Interesting concept.

. I’d keep it completely informal.Confined to a few friends and a friend of friend. A dozen guys. Someone drops out, the rest just pick up the slack.

Works if you know the others. I’ve done something similar here in Alberta with a fishing/hiking locale. We all chip in, leave a canoe, fishing rods, etc. The key is we all know each other.

Also, don’t ‘sell’ the idea to the guy who wants to save money. It’s not about the money. It’s an informal club. The guy who does it for the money will be like the bad room mate. In contrast, the friend doesn’t blink throwing in an extra $50 or leaving a case of beer.

KISS..keep it simple, stupid. Short term lease in an industrial bay or whatever. One guy has an extra fridge...someone a table. No capital investment. A used table...maybe two different ones for variety.

Worse come to worse. After 3 months a few guys are left and the lease expired in another 3. If someone ends up paying $200/ month instead of $125...no big deal.

ShootingHank · May 2, 2020

David in FL said:
You incorporate and set it up as a club. Depending on your state, maybe even a non profit. Certainly worth talking to a lawyer. All members are on the board and have voting rights.

If you’re going to allow members to bring guests, that will somehow have to be addressed. It won’t last long if the same 3 or 4 guys are taking up all the tables with their buddies during peak hours, leaving the others to scrounge for a table at 10pm Tuesday!

Yea. 5 tables for 10 members. A member is allowed a guest so they don’t have to play alone. I want it where member will always have a table.

Well I want it to be ten close pool buddies and I trust them.

Of course I’m talking like it’s my idea but if this happens all members will have voting rights.

ShootingHank · May 2, 2020

Geosnooker said:
Interesting concept.

. I’d keep it completely informal.Confined to a few friends and a friend of friend. A dozen guys. Someone drops out, the rest just pick up the slack.

Works if you know the others. I’ve done something similar here in Alberta with a fishing/hiking locale. We all chip in, leave a canoe, fishing rods, etc. The key is we all know each other.

Also, don’t ‘sell’ the idea to the guy who wants to save money. It’s not about the money. It’s an informal club. The guy who does it for the money will be like the bad room mate. In contrast, the friend doesn’t blink throwing in an extra $50 or leaving a case of beer.

KISS..keep it simple, stupid. Short term lease in an industrial bay or whatever. One guy has an extra fridge...someone a table. No capital investment. A used table...maybe two different ones for variety.

Worse come to worse. After 3 months a few guys are left and the lease expired in another 3. If someone ends up paying $200/ month instead of $125...no big deal.

Yes. These initial 10 are known guys who also have reputations to uphold and I know them well. Get some tables and the rest can be pitched in. I have a fridge and tv I don’t mind moving.

Some Craigslist couches and items.

Just need tables.

-but-

The sale of memberships is why I’m not familiar with. Just in case a member has beef with another and all that jazz.

ShootingHank · May 2, 2020

wahcheck said:
I don't have any experience in business enterprise, but I do have a couple of thoughts and you can take it with however many grains of salt......

1) If you are the sole proprietor, won't you need some kind of insurance?
Some kind of liability or damage insurance, I'm thinking, because if you
allow alcohol, there could be many negative scenarios.

2) You want it to be affordable, but you need to weigh that against your
expenses and what profit you could have.

3) Maybe Jay Helfert can offer some tips; he's owned a pool business before,
as maybe some others have on this forum too...

It won’t be a business. No money is being made here and it’s purely for enjoyment and a place to go. It may benefit in the long run since it’s like a man cave away from home. We should all feel at home here.

tc in l a · May 2, 2020

ShootingHank said:
It won’t be a business. No money is being made here and it’s purely for enjoyment and a place to go. It may benefit in the long run since it’s like a man cave away from home. We should all feel at home here.

I get where you're going with this but I think insurance is a must, for sure liability insurance. You never know if a member or guest is going to gonna be clumsy and slip and fall.

And what about property insurance in case of a fire, burglary, earthquake, flood, etc. Those table aren't going to be cheap so you'll need to replace or reimburse members for the loss.

What about internet service? If this turns into a hangout for the members they may want to gather and watch Monday night football?

I've had the same thoughts and had one landlord bring up the noise factor. The sound of the break on a rack of balls can pretty loud so any site might eliminate common walls, floors, ceilings.

There are likely other odd things that could add to costs and rules you'll have to address but I wish you the best with your project.

Tony C

CocoboloCowboy · May 2, 2020

ShootingHank said:
I got this idea from another thread and a buddy of mine from Germany said his local pool hall is just a room that everyone pitches in every month and they get the key. I’m thinking about renting office space less than $1000 divided by 10 pool players everyone gets a key. You come and go as you please.

Have a small fridge or vending machine in there.

2 or 3 or 5 tables?

Legalities? Thoughts?

Not open to general public. It’s private.

Well put you ideas out to your target market of members, see what they think. Could work? Will not have any feedback from local until you make your pitch.

skip100 · May 2, 2020

Definitely doable, but it would be a labor of love and probably cost more than you think.

Bavafongoul · May 2, 2020

The idea has merit.

You might need a limited partnership arrangement or something akin to it.

Thoughts and ideas? Planning on opening a pool office.

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