This guide is designed to help anyone who is interested in starting a Padel project, and who needs some advice and suggestions, to get it right.
In this guide, you will find some of our best tips and suggestions to start your own padel club.
Before starting your project, you should consider the following basic aspects.
1. Range of services. Should I just offer padel? Do I want to combine padel with a restaurant or with other sports, such as gym, fitness or other sports activities that can create synergy / mutual benefit effects? How can I have income from all areas of my company? Will I have them?
2. Business concept. What do I want my project to represent?
3. Target group. What is my target audience?
4. Market. Is the local market big enough for my project? Number of residents?
5. Competition. Do I have or can I have competition in the near future? Can I do synergy? Can I take advantage of the competition?
Did you know …
…. we can help you with a business plan?
There are many details to consider when choosing a location. Here are some:
1. Location. Will my clients find me easily? Is there good parking? Public transport? Bike lane?
2. Size. How many padel courts do I want and how many can I have? The cost of management and maintenance of 2 or 6 courts is similar, however, the more padel courts the more incomes.
3. The efficiency of space. How do I distribute the premises? How do I orient the courts to be regulatory and not have dead areas? Where do I put the rest areas? Cafeteria? Meeting room?
4. Dimensions. How much free height should the tracks have? At least 6 meters, preferably 8 meters or more.
5. Services and supplies. Is there electricity, drinking water and sewage systems in the building / plot? How does this influence in relation to where I would like to install the bathrooms and showers? How is the existing concrete base? A minimum of 15 cm thick is recommended. Roughness of the base? A slight roughness is recommended. Does it have slope? Maximum 1% slope
6. Investments. Is a significant expense required for reconstruction works to make the facilities suitable for my project?
7. Economy. How much is the rent? Can the business pay all the expenses and still be profitable? Even if the rental prices of the padel courts decrease due to greater competition?
8. Conditions. What is the maximum rental price that I can pay? How much money do I need to save to start?
Did you know …
…. WE can help you with a checklist for inspection of the building?
… WE can also help you with a proposal or a drawing on how you can see the distribution of your sports center?
The operations may require different authorities. Here is a list of some conditions you should review:
1. Building permits – outdoors. When a padel court has no roof, normally the local authority does not count it as a building, but as a removable installation, in this case it will be sufficient to pay local taxes. However, some municipalities claim that the metallic structure and glass are considered construction, requiring the project of an architect or engineer. It is also an important aspect if you are going to carry out commercial or business activities. All this depends on the municipality and you should inform yourself at your town hall.
2. Building permits – indoors. According to the urban qualification of the building and depending on each municipality, may or may not perform the installation. Check with the owner first and second, with the city planning office or city hall. Finally, you must hire an engineer or architect to write a project that complies with all legal regulations so you can receive your opening license without problem.
3. Accessibility Consider the legal spaces and distances so that your center complies with the accessibility, safety and evacuation regulations in case of emergency. This will also be important for the design and use of space. Your architect or engineer will be able to advise you on the existing regulations.
4. Environment and health. Some municipalities require permits for the environment and health, based on self-control and other measures to maintain good hygiene and protection of the environment (ventilation, air conditioning, lighting, cleaning, treatment of generated waste, etc.).
The economy is always a fundamental factor. It is important to have the correct expenses in order to be competitive, also to stand firm in the situation of greater competition and decrease in rental prices for padel courts. Here are some economic factors to consider:
1. Rental or mortgage expenses. As the rent or mortgage will be the most expensive operating expense, this affects the business to a large extent. You must also add the fixed costs of air conditioning of the room / water / electricity / gas / local taxes / insurance / etc.
2. Personnel expenses. Most padel clubs, nowadays, operate through “self-service”, leaving space to control this expense. Staff can be increased depending on the increase in demand for padel courts or services offered. You can also hire a private professional coach to cover the peak hours.
3. Operating expenses. Electricity is the second largest monthly operating expense, but it is quite easy to calculate, since it is a variable expense based on income. For example, a padel court that has 8 LED projectors of 150W, consumes 1.2 Kw per hour, knowing the price of Kwh that has hired, you can make the calculation and increase this price to rent to padel courts.
4. Initial investment. The initial investment consists of the purchase of the padel courts, the electrical installation (we always recommend hiring a qualified electrician), installation of water, remodeling the building (unless the owner can offer help with this) and furniture (changing rooms, cafeteria, shop, rest room, meeting room, benches, cupboards, TV screens, possible music equipment, etc.). It is also necessary to consider the project expenses, licenses, municipal taxes and the opening license.
5. Maintenance expenses. Normally all equipment and installations must be maintained for proper operation. You should keep in mind what jobs you can do yourself and what jobs you should hire a professional. With a small maintenance, your investments will last much longer in good condition and your customers will be more satisfied.
6. Amortization term. Find out about the useful life of all equipment and installations. Calculate a repayment term and include the proportional part for its renewal in the annual budget, so that when the time comes, you can afford the expense without problem.
7. Good financial control. As in all companies, financial control is the path to success. Make sure you make appropriate budgets (annual budget, income and expense accounts, monthly cash flow, amortization terms for equipment, etc.) and do not forget the importance of following this continuously. Use appropriate tools, create simple and efficient procedures for their control.
Did you know …
…. WE can help you with a template for Calculation and Budget?
In this topic, we are experts … choosing the best padel court will guarantee a greater influx of players and a longer duration of the investment, in the same conditions as your competition with other courts. Keep in mind:
1. Metal structure model. Depending on the price, appearance and function, you can choose between different models, according to your needs.
The PANORAMIC court is more expensive and slightly more fragile, but it gives an open and spectacular impression. The VISION court (standard court) is the most stable and versatile, also suitable for all players, easy to transport and install. The FORTE court is the classic model, the most robust, extreme weatherproof. All are prepared to be installed outdoors, even with the possibility of incorporating protections and extra reinforcements (although the standard courts are all the highest quality and work excellently).
2. Artificial turf. In general, there are two types of turf, monofilament and fibrillated. The best is always monofilament, for its greater resistance, greater game comfort and less maintenance. Regarding the monofilament turf, there are two types of fibre: upright and textured.
Without any doubt, the quality is worth it. Also, consider how much maintenance you want / can do (a good turf requires less maintenance) and the useful life of the turf (a good turf lasts longer). What guarantee does the manufacturer offer? You can read more about the material here.
3. Crystal It is available in 10 mm or 12 mm thickness. In 10 mm it is more common for VISION and FORTE models. The PANORAMIC court do not have pillars behind the glass and 12 mm glass is used to obtain the appropriate stability. It is important to verify that the glass complies with EU standard EN12150. The glass must be “tempered glass”, which means that it is heat treated for hardening and greater safety. If it broke, it would in millimeter pieces with less risk of injury.
4. Lighting. It is important an illumination that provides a comfortable light (the color or perfect temperature should be around 5.000 Kelvin) and good (the minimum requirement ranges between 200 and 750 lux on average). Cutting edge LED floodlights provide 130 lumens per watt (compared to normal LED that provide 100 lumens) and, therefore, better light. This achieves greater lighting with lower consumption, in addition to doubling the life of the floodlight. It is also important that the light does not blink, which makes it easier to see the ball. Consider energy efficiency to keep electricity costs low and to be more respectful of the environment. Installing the lighting directly on the ceiling (instead of using lighting columns) is an option that has its advantages.
5. Accessories. A wide variety of accessories are available to customize the padel courts according to the wishes and requirements of the client. Examples of accessories are the different types of scoreboards, benches, protections for the entrances and net posts, sliding doors, extra zinc primer (previous to painting), custom corners with laser cutting, use only large glasses (WPT system), lighting columns with different shapes, etc.
6. Transportation. 99% of the world’s padel courts come from Spain. The transport can be by truck or by container (maritime transport). Check with the supplier so that transportation is included in the price. Make sure that the supplier protects the material so that it arrives in perfect conditions.
7. Installation. The installation of the courts must be done by professionals, because many construction auctions require experience and knowledge of the assembly. Although installing a metallic structure may seem simple, it must be calibrated perfectly correcting the millimeter unevenness of the floor so that there is no problem with the installation of the glass and the end of the turf below the structure. If you are thinking of saving some money and want to install the court yourself, WE can send a smaller team to help you. The installation time for a good quality court is approximately three days and three people. Additional time may be required if many accessories must be installed.
8. Maintenance. Make sure your supplier delivers extra material from each component to facilitate future maintenance of the padel courts. For example, extra sand, glue, screws, plugs, LED floodlights, glass, etc.
9. Service. Consult your supplier to obtain a maintenance manual for the courts you buy. Also make sure you have someone who can carry out the regular maintenance of the courts and if the provider can help you with this.
10. Guarantee. Consult your supplier about the applicable warranty conditions. Normally, these are different guarantees depending on what parts of the court are involved. The guarantee in construction is usually 3 years and up. The guarantee on glass generally does not exist, since it depends on “external circumstances”. The guarantee on the turf also varies according to the quality of this, as well as for the lighting.
Did you know …
…. WE can help you choose the correct paddle tennis court?
1. Prepare the delivery. It is important to think and plan how to bring the courts to the installation place. An opening / door of at least 3.5 x 3.5m is required (better if the truck can arrive directly to the installation place). Once the courts are unloaded at your installation site, you can reduce the size of the entrance, although you should always think about future maintenance or replacements.
Most suppliers require that you receive the material by yourself, for which a truck crane and 4 people are required. In any case, you should consult with your provider about everything you need. We send a personalized unload manual, photos and videos during the loading of your courts, and a manual with all the practical information prior to installation.
2. Electrical installation. Remember to always use a qualified electrician to do and be responsible for all electrical installations. Saving money here can be very expensive in the medium or long term.
3. New concrete bases. Remember that you must install the buried tubes for electrical cables until to the lighting columns of the padel courts (you can also install the light on the ceiling, if it is covered, avoiding vibration in the floodlights by receiving hits during the game).
4. Do you build your own padel club? Get help from companies that previously created padel clubs, talk to the owners, get their advice, suggestions and experience.
5. Optimization of day incomes. Schools are an interesting target group to create visits and income during the day. One way to get a more efficient use of a padel court is to install an adjustable net that can be used for both padel and volleyball (volleyball is a popular school activity and can be played well on a padel court). Think of offering other sports to expand your service portfolio. In the mornings, offer services or special prices for retirees, for companies or for groups of friends.
6. Padel singles (20x6m). If you do not have space for another padel court of standard dimensions (which has exterior dimensions of 20.8×10.8m), then you may be able to place a padel singles (with the outer dimensions of 20.8×6.8m). Excellent as a technical court, appreciated among friends and couples, because sometimes it is difficult to gather 4 people, good for training from small children to seniors, so that they become familiar with the ball, racket, net and walls.
Did you know …
…. can you get help asking other owners of padel clubs?.
