Looking to open new site, Help Info Needed

[Kacarott]

Hi guys,

Im new to the airsoft world but iv always loved the idea and wanted to try, So im thinking of jumping in with both feet and opening a site in my area as there is nothing like this round here.

Since im new to this I dont really have much of a clue where to start tho, So im looking for as much infomation as possible from you guys.

What licences and everything do I need?

Will I be able to order weapons for people to play with that are solid colour and not 2 tone?

And just basicly any info that will help please.

Hope something like this has not been posted before, If it was I could'nt find it lol.

Cheers guys

Davis. :lol:

 

[Tariq]

You will need to be UKARA registered like the rest of us AFAIK. I know its not the only form of defence but i doubt you could play the "i run a airsoft site" card just yet .

Do you own any land, or are you planning on renting an area?

 

[Kacarott]

Do you own any land, or are you planning on renting an area?

Im going to look into renting when I get started.

 

[TPI]

I`m just putting it out their but you kind of need a place to get started do what i`m doing contact your local forrestry commision with a few picture`s and idea`s of where your interested in renting and see where it goe`s because really RIF`s Are the LAST Thing you should think about (Well Almost)

 

[Deva]

I would have thought the 'I run a skirmish site' would be quite a good defence actually. If you've opened up, have had a few games, pictures of the event, a website, a contact number, reviews of how the days play was.. you're pretty established. How would that not class as a valid defence?

You're right, there isn't a lot up your way:

http://www.airsoftmap.net/Skirmish/

But you also need to check there is actually airsofters in your area were you to open a site..

 

[Tariq]

It could... but not really before you've opened

If thats the case, i could claim my back garden as a skirmish site and bypass ukara

 

[Kacarott]

You're right, there isn't a lot up your way:

http://www.airsoftmap.net/Skirmish/

But you also need to check there is actually airsofters in your area were you to open a site..

Yea up here all we have is paintballing and its not that great to be honest.

Im hoping to open a place where people can just book and come play, Id have all the gear and weapons on site so they can just use the sites insted of being a full time player owning everthing themselvs, we have a old store here with a car park so i could have inside and outside games of different variety.

 

[Hibernator]

I think you need to do a bit of market research before you start in that case. It's quite obvious you don't understand the business model being new to the game!

Most airsofters have their own gear rather than renting. You'll always need rental guns for customers who want to try it or play once in a while. But you'll find that most of us airsoft because the kit is much more accessable than paintball and it's way cheaper to play since we don't need to rent. We can buy big bottles of ammo for a few quid. Most of your customers will expect to pay £15 - £20 each and provide their own kit and ammo. Rather than paintball where you can charge £50 and then big money for more paint.

 

[andy oliver]

find out about insurance , this could kill off any plans you have from start

apart from that all the very best more sites the better mate !!!

 

[Kacarott]

I understand most people who play often will have their own gear, If they wanna come and use their own stuff obviously it will be cheaper than comming down and renting mine.

 

[Cartman03]

Id say it wouldnt be the easiet thing to set uo overnight, you got to think of the basics first a site, if rented need permission from the land owner. Insurance this wouldnt be cheap, also you got to get a legal side sorted, with disclaimers etc.. Hire weapon initially 20-30 fairly durable rifles, loads of mags vest etc.. have you got the financail capital to start with as these investment wouldnt be cheap. You though about partnering with a excisting site owner ? or befriending 1 ?

 

[solidsnake fitz]

I had the same idea mate im from barrow was looking at starting a airsoft site indoor area and outdoor site plus shop on a massive scale, but like the guys say insurance is a killer , plus change of use on buildings large enough

(usually industrial B2 are best but in order for it to be a game site it would have to be leisure D2 and our councils are very stick and want a fortune just to apply for chage of use and it isnt even a guaranteed yes)

Then there is the out door site as agricultural to be given permission for use too, its all red tape and hoops to jump through, ive done months of looking into it and our area seems to be an endless list which is probably why we dont have one here in south cumbria.

I have recently accepted to go into the army royal engineers start in September going to save like crazy while i am serving then hopefully my house will have made enough equity in it too and look at going full throttle into it once i leave the forces with more cash behind me.

As well as me there are a few lads i have been speaking to including one airsoft technician (most of us can service, mod, repair out of us) who live here that have thought about it, we are not alone ha ha.

i have spoken to the guy who owns a paintball site in cumbria and he says he would let me and my group play on his site for bowt £20 but obviously it is groups rules and grou is liable for everything that go's on not him, he is basically hiring the site for a use nothing else its the best thing i have found so far to play without having to travel 1.30-2 hours to nearest site to us.

sorry for the essay email me if you need any other info or fancy joining us for some games [email protected] or look me up on facebook Paul 'fitzy' Britton

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[Saltyyy]

i have spoken to the guy who owns a paintball site in cumbria and he says he would let me and my group play on his site for bowt £20 but obviously it is groups rules and grou is liable for everything that go's on not him, he is basically hiring the site for a use nothing else its the best thing i have found so far to play without having to travel 1.30-2 hours to nearest site to us.

Just putting this out there, not alot of Airsoft players like Paintball sites because they're alot smaller usually and the paint can get on people's guns and clothes, which is something we'd like to avoid

 

[Ian_Gere]

To be perfectly frank, I find it highly unlikely that a person who doesn't know much about airsoft could set up and run a successful site from scratch. Who will you employ as marshals? How will you know if they are the sort of people you want doing the marshalling? How will you design skirmish scenarios?

Apart from the site itself and its' facilities, those two are going to impact your customers' opinion of your site most, IMO. I'd get some games in myself if I were you, at various venues so you can see how its' done well and not so well... Even so, it'd probably be best to go into partnership with an experienced airsofter.

 

[solidsnake fitz]

Just putting this out there, not alot of Airsoft players like Paintball sites because they're alot smaller usually and the paint can get on people's guns and clothes, which is something we'd like to avoid

Yeah that is true mate, but if you look on the airsoft gamesite map for ones listed, here in barrow the closest place to us is over 100 mile away :-( paint ball sites are all we can use :-(

 

[Ian_Gere]

Yeah that is true mate, but if you look on the airsoft gamesite map for ones listed, here in barrow the closest place to us is over 100 mile away :-( paint ball sites are all we can use :-(

Skirmish Airsoft Mansfield is a paintball site, but it's also excellent for airsoft. Yeah there are always a few paintballs lurking around and once or twice I've got a one or two inch smear of paint on my kit. I don't care. I suspect that, even if I did care, that would be outweighed by the calibre of marshalling and how friendly the whole place is.