So you wanna run a paintball games company?
Outdoor pursuits have become increasingly popular with both private individuals and companies using them for team-building exercises. The most popular outdoor pursuit has been paintball. With over fifty sites opening throughout the UK during the past ten years, paintball is a growth industry.

What’s it all about?
In a nutshell, two groups of people chasing each other with CO2-powered guns filled with paint pellets.

Come on, there must be more to it than that?
Well, not much. The two teams, wearing coloured armbands to differentiate them, have their own ‘flag station’ that houses their team’s flag. Once a referee blows their whistle, each team’s aim is to:

a) try to grab the flag of your opponents
b) try to prevent your opponents grabbing your flag.

In between times, you must endeavour to avoid being shot with a paintball by an opponent (once you’re hit, you’re out). The winners are the first team to nab their opponent’s flag and return safely to their own flag station with it.

Sounds thrilling!
Actually, it is. Paintball is nowhere near as gung-ho as it sounds. It requires communication, tactical thinking, swift decision-making, and leadership qualities. It’s also a fast, furious, adrenaline-pumping run around in the country.

So who plays it?
As long as you don’t have a medical condition that prevents you running around, anyone can take part. It’s particularly popular for parties – birthday, stag and hen; and amongst businesses as a fun means of team building.

Yeah, but does it pay?
It can do. The average charge for an afternoon’s paintballing, including equipment, paintballs and kit is around £25 per person for half a day, and £50 per person for a full day. However, if you’re considering starting your own paintball company, there are a number of initial start-up costs you’ll need to consider.

How deep is your wallet?
Setting up a paintball company isn’t simply a matter of buying a couple of paintball guns and a tin of paint. Your primary requirement is land which offers a diversity of courses and challenges.

Land marks
Take, for example, the Task* Force site featured in the ‘Punch The Clock’ series. The site itself consists of five different courses: including wooden fortresses, a woodland assault course (complete with bunkers, a real burnt out helicopter, and a jeep!), and a wild-west style town.

Ker-ching!
Ok, let’s presume you’ve got the assault course. Now you’ve got to look at the equipment:

safety goggles and mask (£16-50 each)
suitable clothing (camouflage jacket £10 each, camouflage trousers £5-7 each)
shoes or boots (£10-15 per pair)
belt pouches for carrying extra paint tubes (£2-3 each)
paintball guns (£180-£600 new)
paintball tubes (£3:50 each)
rounds of paintballs (£5-6 per 100).
Source: see Links for details.

Rules, regulations and law
If you’re going to run a paintball site, you’ll need a health & safety certificate from the Environmental Health or Trading Standards Department of your local authority. You are also required by law to take out Public Liability Insurance and Professional Indemnity in order to cover your clients in the event of an accident.

Future prospects
It’s a definite growth industry, but having bags of money up front is the real stumbling block. So unless you’re cash rich, or you can find a generous backer, it’s a tough one getting out of the starting blocks.