Indoor batting cage centre

Baseball, softball and cricket clubs and players, school and youth groups, parents booking birthday parties, and casual customers wanting something active to try.

Pay-per-session or per-token cage hire, memberships, club and team block bookings, coaching sessions, party packages and a small shop for balls and grips.

• Customer service
• Basic machine upkeep and safety checks
• Organising bookings and staff rotas
• Local marketing to clubs and schools

• Planning permission or change of use for the unit, check with your local council before signing a lease
• Public liability insurance that explicitly covers sports activity, and employer's liability once you hire
• Fire safety, risk assessments and first aid arrangements for a public venue
• Player safety: netting condition, machine guarding and clear rules, plus waivers or terms of use
• Business rates, rent and fit-out costs, and whether local demand is big enough to cover them
• Noise from machines and balls, which can affect neighbouring units

Startup costs are typically around £25,000 to £80,000, depending on the unit, rent and deposit, the number of cages and machines, and fit-out. Check local demand is big enough to cover these costs.

Monthly revenue is typically around £3,000 to £12,000, depending on how many cages you run, your session prices and how well you attract clubs, schools and party bookings.

Check planning permission or change of use with your local council before signing a lease. Also check public liability insurance that covers sport, fire safety, risk assessments, first aid, business rates and noise for neighbouring units.