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Often in the business world, people step up to the proverbial cliff. They fearfully glance down at the chasm, seeing the danger in a bold venture. But at the same time, they understand the lucrative possibilities that lie beyond.
Such a decision paralyzes many.
 “Most people spend their entire lives wondering if they should jump. That’s not me,” says Theresa Iliff, owner and operator of Camp Iliff LLC, nestled in the tiny town of Newton, New Jersey (population barely more than 8,000). “When I come up with an idea, I don’t hold back.”
Without a parachute, she hurled herself into the family entertainment center world. Along the way, she may have redefined the traditional FEC model.
‘Something Great’
Camp Iliff had modest beginnings. At the turn of the millennium, Iliff was renting out a  small portion of a minor league baseball park in rural northern New Jersey for a summer camp and wrestling camp. Families loved the experience for their children, and one parent in particular asked if Iliff could expand the program to after-school care in the fall. The mom hated the fact that her son had to sit in a boring classroom until he could be picked up at 6 p.m. She thought the camp seemed like a much better alternative, and Iliff agreed. So did scores of other parents.
The program jumped from just four kids in September 2000 all the way to 80 in December of that year, Iliff says. Along with this influx, the camp began hosting birthday parties on the weekend—with similar success.
Iliff realized she had outgrown the small ballpark space. She needed a new structure for her blossoming company, and hesitating at the cliff’s edge was not an option. “I had to build something great for these kids,” she recalls. With the bank’s enthusiastic thumbs up, she received a loan for a site five miles from the stadium. During the building’s construction, another parent suggested Iliff include early childhood care as well.
The idea made sense, Iliff reasoned: “We had to do everything in one space.”
At 11,998 square feet, the new-and-improved Camp Iliff opened in 2001. The facility now offers early childhood care, after-school camp, before-school care, drop-in care, summer day camp, wrestling camp, karate camp, winter break camp, and spring break camp. Birthday party guests and the general public can use a roller rink, movie theater, inflatables, arcade games, and snack bar.
Filling the Dead Time
Camp Iliff has a simple philosophy: The “weak-day” doesn’t exist on its calendar. “It’s all about multiple revenue streams per square foot,” explains Gregg Kubala, the facility’s general manager.
 FECs can’t remain busy just on the weekends, especially in a bad economy, he says: “You have to use all the space in your building at all times to really make money. That’s where these child care programs come into play.”
In fact, in five to 10 years, Kubala anticipates a seismic shift in the two compatible arenas. Standalone FECs and child care centers will soon disappear; he sees a multipurpose facility, like Camp Iliff, as the future. “These industries mesh so well together,” he says. “The day care doesn’t touch an FEC’s prime time, which is the weekends, and vice versa. We fill each other’s down time.”
Iliff firmly believes in the long-term success of her model and urges others to follow her lead before it’s too late. “The business that does not change will go under,” she says. “Just like you change your arcade games out; you have to change the style of business you are providing.”
Steady Success
Her confident attitude comes from positive numbers as well as tremendous feedback from customers. Camp Iliff hosts almost 100 birthday parties a month, and her various child care programs and camps generally run at capacity (and have a waiting list). Her prices rival other traditional programs in the area, she says: “To fill my building, we only need 50 early childhood kids. That’s about $50,000 a month.”
Erica Casario of Hampton Township, New Jersey, is one of Iliff’s satisfied clients. Casario’s children, Abigail, 6, and Anthony, 4, have attended the camp for several years now. While their parents head to work, the pair stays busy playing on the inflatables and chasing each other around. “Each day is filled with stories of what they did with their friends,” Casario says. The mom also feels the senior staff gives her kids the individual attention they need and prepares them for kindergarten: “They learn ABCs, writing, reading, and some math. I love to see what Abigail and Anthony accomplish each day.”
The camp almost has two different staffs, Iliff notes. One group handles the birthday parties and monitors the traditional FEC activities. The classroom staff is trained for child care, but they also learn the FEC aspects.
“The key is cross-training,” says Iliff. “When hired, they’re told about the business we run. They might be expected to take a child to the potty or monitor the soft play unit.”
Spreading the Word
With her facility’s success, Iliff earned a strong reputation for her business savvy. For years, operators from around the U.S. have contacted her for advice and other helpful tidbits. A grateful Texas facility owner once phoned to thank Iliff: “I almost lost my business,” the person gushed. “Now, I’m making almost a million dollars a year. How come you don’t charge for this kind of help?”
That praise gave Iliff her next idea. And, of course, she took the plunge.
In 2006, she formally became a part-time consultant to share her model with others. Kubala came aboard in March 2007 to help expand the company. For a flat fee, “we hold their hands through the entire process,” he says. “We don’t take any residuals on how many kids they sign up. It’s not a franchise. Once the doors open, it’s their baby to run with.”
The company’s services include assistance in equipment purchases, floor plans, how-to manuals, training, birthday parties, and marketing. “We tell you where every pencil should go in the building,” Iliff explains. The consultancy has more than 40 clients on its roster in varying stages of the process. Some don’t even have a building yet; some have just begun the child care licensing process; others will be cutting the ribbon shortly.
Nothing could make Iliff happier. “Do you know how fulfilling my job is?” she asks.
FECs Keep Guests on the Go
CAMP ILIFF ISN’T THE ONLY FACILITY in the industry tweaking the typical definition of family entertainment center.
 For example, Bulldog Interactive Fitness, with locations across Canada, combines video games, exercise, and education on nutrition. The novel concept surprised some people at first, admits Shannon Hanley- Lunn, owner of the Bulldog in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia: “The understanding wasn’t there. That was a bit of a problem.”
To bridge the gap, Hanley-Lunn, who bought the franchise in 2007, smartly marketed the idea to doctors, hospitals, and school boards. They recognized the area’s growing childhood obesity rate and embraced the unique business model. Word spread from there.
“Our video games are hooked into game bikes,” she says. “They have to pedal the bikes to make the cars move [on the screen].They’re not just sitting on their butts. They have to stay active to do it.”
Bulldog also features the popular “Dance Dance Revolution” (guaranteed to make any player break a sweat), a climbing wall, and a traditional exercise area. Employees with fitness experience work with guests, primarily age 3 to teens, on the equipment to provide structure and guidance.
Nutrition tips are part of the program, too, Hanley-Lunn says: “We want to avoid people leaving here and going straight to McDonald’s.” Her facility sells only healthy snacks and drinks, like fruit bars, cheese and crackers, water, and sugar-free juices. For birthday parties, parents have strict instructions to leave the calorie-laden soda, burgers, and fries at home, she says.
Through this instruction, Bulldog’s staff develops a special relationship with their customers, Hanley-Lunn says, an opportunity FECs might miss out on. “I know all the kids that come tomy gym by name,” she explains. “We have a personal attachment to them. They need to feel important.”
Jump Street, with two Colorado sites, also strives to blend exercise and fun, says Rex Ready, district manager for the company. He believes the trend has just started to gain some serious air in the FEC world. Jump Street has the standard inflatables, batting cages, and arcade games, but trampolines are the centerpiece attraction at this indoor park, he says: “You can literally bounce off the walls.”
Customers often find their way to the trampoline dodgeball arena, he notes. The uplifting update on the gym class favorite appeals to children of all ages, and for the older kids, they host dodgeball leagues.
—Mike Bederka |
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