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Old 10-04-2012
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Frecklychimp Frecklychimp is offline
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: East Midlands
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SlowOne View Post
That's the killer line.

Even in America, where land is plentiful and costs of running a business are low, model shops with tracks come and go. You can build it, but the record is that they don't always come. Ardent and RHR are two that buck the trend, mainly because they are the only ones in the market and they are run by people dedicated to keeping them going who have another job that pays the bills.

Keeping the existing ones going is hard enough, opening another one will help kill off an existing one. If you want to help get a good venue, then go to a local one that needs help and offer your time and money to them. Take note of the comments here and help keep the existing ones going with your time and enthusiasm. HTH
Thats one point i didn't get to... This sport is club based, very social and you were hoping that clubs would come to you to use your facility on a rental basis i guess...

Good Clubs spend years building up reputations, a family like membership base, thousands of pounds and hours into building the venues they already use and have, all on a voluntary basis by keen enthusiasts of the hobby... there is little chance they will walk away from that if established, even if your venue was better than the best.

I can say all this through years in the hobby as a racer and always being involved in helping with the unseen work behind scenes... it's hard work, even just running offroad classes at club level with hosting a couple of BRCA Regional championship meetings in a year... to try and cater for on road classes too is a big big challenge, you would really need to know your stuff...

if its to be done as a business then you will also not get the support like clubs do as people will need paying for their time.

I i could make a living doing what you proposed i would snap up he opportunity, love the hobby and the friends and social side involved, enjoy the work building tracks and networking... but its not viable, even with a massive injection of capital to get it started, it would not last unfortunately... clubs come and go, organisers and commitees change within those clubs but its the ones that have been around for many years, host a few big meetings a year or huge series that will always be around... and i can guarantee that they only make enough to keep the club going and have enough to survive when holiday season hits or xmas time and you lose half you regulars for a few weeks, or the members are out at other events.

there are still more factors matey.

Advice.. if you are keen to build a track/venue and run such a thing and in an area with a thriving off-road region, go see the clubs in the area, talk to organisers, find out if there is room for another track/venue/club (what nights are free to hold meetings in the week? what are the sundays available in the local calendar? etc) propose your venue and guage interest... RENT the land for a years lease and try to get a decent grass track built, organise meetings and advertise well and see where it goes.

Investing in on-road by building a tarmac track will put the budget through the roof, plus as far as i've heard on-road is a bit stale atm, 1/10th electric off-road is definitely building in popularity again (this hobby has rotating phases like this between the bigger classes, one slows and the others grow)

Or as said above just get involved in the local clubs and see how it really works, if you have got the cash to buy land, do so and get planning permission for shops or houses... then spend your earnings on lots of shiny r/c cars and fancy kit and go race where others put in the hard graft!

if you ever spot the opportunity to do this as a business that is viable, give me a shout... i'd consider a job doing it!

I say this often as a joke... if our ofroad club drops of then its being closed, holes drilled in astro with some flags and i'll turn it into a crazy golf course... driving range off the tops of the rostrums above

The scary thing is that it would probably be highly more financially viable to do that and have a crazy golf course on side of A1 than ever make a living from this hobby!

Mark.
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