Essential Tips for How to Start a Theatre Business

 

Starting a theatre business is a great way to start a business you love. If you are interested in starting a theatre business the first step is to learn how to start a theatre business. Learning how to start a theatre business will give you the framework you need to find the success that you want. Here is how to start a theatre business in a few easy steps.

Renovate Your Facility

One of the first tips for how to start a theatre business is to consider the changes you will need to make to your facility. Renovating the facility is a good way to draw in the guests to fill your theatre. Connect with a painting company to give the place a facelift with a fresh coat of paint, and don’t stop there.

There is much more to be done to make your facility presentable to guests. Consider new flooring, something that is easy to maintain and durable. The best way to approach facility renovations is to make a list of all that needs to be done to make the facility presentable, comfortable, and easy to maintain. Work with a commercial buildings construction firm to make any changes to ensure your facility is up to code.

Making some improvements to the facility is a key component of how to start a theatre business because your facility must be looking it’s best. After all the goal is to fill those seats up.

Update Your Entrance

The entrance to your facility is the first thing that everyone sees. If you want to know how to start a theatre business that is successful, add an update the entrance to the list of tips. A beautiful entrance gives people a hint of what they should expect from inside the facility, it will also attract foot traffic to the theatre.

Select commercial glass door hardware will highlight the entrance and make a great impression on visitors. Upgrading the doors, foyer, and other areas of the entrance will intrigue your guests and elevate the experience of visiting your theatre business.

Upgrading the entrance of your theatre is a worthy investment. Connect with a commercial door company that offers great hardware options.

Install Security Measures

Another tip on the list of how to start a theatre business also has to do with the facility. As you can see a lot of how to start a theatre business focuses on the facility. Don’t forget to keep your facility secure by connecting with a locksmith that can evaluate your lock needs, make suggestions, and install the locks.

Security is essential for any business. Locks are your first line of defense against unauthorized entry into your business. A good locksmith will have great suggestions for how to improve your theatre’s security by using state-of-the-art locks and other security equipment.

You don’t want all your hard work to be for nothing. Be sure that you have all the protections you need in place to prevent theft, and burglary, and to keep unauthorized people out of your facility.

Repair Your Roof

Roofing companies can be great allies when it comes to ensuring your property is protected from the elements. Roofing problems, unfortunately, can cause thousands of dollars in damage to your theatre. If you want to know how to start a theatre business and avoid costly repairs down the road, make sure your roof is stable.

It is strongly suggested that you have a roof inspection done prior to opening your doors. A roof inspection can reveal issues that could turn into problems for your facility. A commercial roofing company can inspect your roof and make repair recommendations. They can also maintain your roof.

Roofing problems often get out of control because the property owner is not aware there is a problem. Have your roof inspected by a professional roofing company to ensure the safety and stability of the roof. Address any problems that are detected during the inspection ASAP. The sooner you act the less expensive the repairs will be.

Of course, being proactive about the roof on your facility will also reduce the risk of damage from roofing problems greatly. Call a roofer and have the roof inspected.

Refurbish Your Lobby

How to start a theatre business and find the success that you want may mean a lobby “redo”. An outdated dingy lobby is not going to send the right message to your guests. You want your lobby to look and feel fresh to ensure guests fully enjoy the experience at your theatre. Happy guests are guests that will return.

Start with the painting company that you hired to update the facility. Have the walls painted. Then move on to lighting. Lighting is not only an aesthetic upgrade but it is also a safety upgrade. You want a well-lit lobby where people can see where they are walking.

Don’t forget about guests’ comfort. Connect with an air conditioning installation company to have a new system installed or to repair your current system. The last thing any guest wants to deal with is a poorly climate-controlled lobby. Make sure everything in the lobby works as it should.

The final step in how to start a theatre business by upgrading your lobby is to call a carpet cleaning business to clean the carpets if the lobby is carpeted. A professional carpet cleaning company can do amazing things with old carpets. You will be pleasantly surprised by the results.

Keep Pests Away

You want to ensure that your facility is pest free. Pests are not only an annoyance they are a health and safety threat. Of course, guests certainly do not want to have to spend time in a theatre with pests buzzing around.

A fact about how to start a theatre business that many people don’t consider is that the guest of the theatre businesses’ safety and comfort is the responsibility of the theatre business owner. Contacting pest control services will ensure that you are doing your part to keep the pests away and the potential threats of guests being stung or getting sick.

Of course, professional pest control will also help to protect your facility. Pests can be very damaging. They can eat away at the structure of your building. Certain pests can gnaw away at electrical wiring. They carry disease, and are associated with “dirty spaces”. Get professional pest control services on board to build a theatre business you can feel proud of.

Offer Performing Arts Classes

This tip for how to start a theatre business is not focused on the facility but instead on how to ensure that your theatre business makes enough income. Offering performing arts classes during off hours can help to boost your income. Jazz dance classes, acting classes, workshops, tap dance classes, and other classes can boost your revenue.

Offering classes is a great way to bridge the gap in income during off-peak hours. Instead of your facility sitting there empty not generating income, you could offer classes that will use the facility to its fullest extent. Getting the most out of your facility by offering classes will reduce the cost of running your facility.

Theatres move “in-season” often with breaks in between seasons. During those break periods, the theatre sits unused. You can make the most of the facility by using it for other events like classes or even renting out the space for corporate events, birthday parties, and other gatherings.

It is essential that you get creative with ways to improve the income potential of the facility. Relying solely on theatre shows to raise enough income to ensure that the business stays afloat is risky. Offer more options for people to enjoy the theatre space and improve the odds that your theatre will be successful.

Open A Gift Shop

A gift store in your theatre will give guests an opportunity to commemorate their visit. Of course, you want to fill the store with branded merchandise so you can also get some free advertising for the theatre. Think about selling t-shirts with the theatre logo, coffee mugs with the logo, keychains, and other merchandise that represents the theatre.

Your gift shop should include posters of the plays and other memorabilia that people can purchase to commemorate their visit. Look at what other theatres sell in their gift shops to get some ideas. A gift shop is a great way to drive more income for the theatre, brand the theatre, and give people an opportunity to take something home with them.

Every theatre has a gift shop, yours should too. This tip for how to start a theatre business is a great tip for improving income streams for your theatre. Anything that you can do that will improve the income stream is good. The more money you have coming in the more likely your theatre will succeed.

Feed People, Open a Concession Stand

Every theatre should offer concessions. A concession stand can be an elaborate affair that offers high-end tidbits or it can be a simple space where people can grab a snack and beverage during intermission. A concession stand is another way your theatre can generate cash flow.

The beauty of having a concession stand in your facility is that you don’t have to do any direct hiring if you choose not to. You can contact a company that specializes in theatre concessions. Instead of paying staff, you could be paid by a concession company to host their concession stand.

When you contract a concession company to fill the concession space in your theatre they pay you a set sum or a percentage of the profits that they make. It can be a lucrative deal that keeps the workload down for you.

Most everyone that goes to the theatre expects to find a concession stand. Drinking and snacking are a part of the theatre experience that patrons expect. Don’t forget to provide food and beverage options. It will keep your guests happy.

Add Signage

Signage that brands your theatre, provides direction, and gets patrons’ attention is a must for any theatre. About 60% of consumers report that they found a business because of its signage. People expect that a theatre will have signage that provides information about shows, showtimes, special offers, and more.

No tips about how to start a theatre business would be complete without talking about signage. Think about the infamous “lights on Broadway”. Those lights are marquees that announce the plays, headliners, and more.

Signage is incredibly important to a theatre business. Don’t skimp when it comes to the signs for your theatre. Attention-getting signs will fill your seats.

Offer Specials and Discounts

Once you have your facility ready, the signs are up, and you have decided on concessions, and how you will run your theatre, it is time to move on to how you will market your theatre. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that because you are going to offer great entertainment people will find out about your theatre.

If you don’t get people to the theatre they will never know about how great your shows are. A good incentive is to offer specials and discounts to lure in new guests. For example, offer a matinee discount for large groups like school groups. Pick a day of the week and make it senior day and offer a discount for senior citizens.

People love a good deal and they will come to the theatre if you offer them a good deal. Once they have enjoyed the experience at their discount they will come back and pay full price. It is not enough to know how to start a theatre business. You have to learn how to start a theatre business and then how to make it thrive.

Learn more tips about how to start a theatre business before you open your doors. Planning is everything when it comes to getting your business off to the right start. Do your research on how to start a theatre business, then dive right in. Get started today.