Jolly Jumps Inc.
This story appears in the January 2001 issue of Startups. Subscribe »
Do people consider you a kid at heart? If so, Jolly Jumps may present an opportunity that lets you get in touch with your inner child. Whether for birthday parties, church festivals, company picnics, corporate events, carnivals or grand openings, you'll always be the one bringing the entertainment to help create a festive atmosphere.
Description: Rental of inflatable amusement units, including bouncehouses called Jolly Jumps, inflatable slides and water mazes.
Year company began: 1988
Number of dealers: 400-500
Start-up costs: Unit prices range from $2,000 to $5,000 depending on the size and style of the unit you purchase. You'll need a truck or minivan to carry the units. Additional equipment required can usually be purchased for less than $150.
Contact: (800) 80-JUMPS or Sales@JollyJumpsInc.com
Your basic duty is simple: Deliver and set-up Jolly Jumps, and then come back and take them down. Your other main responsibility is to schedule appointments with clients for rentals of your Jolly Jump units. You can run your business part-time on the weekends for extra income, or you can grow it to a large full-time operation with several rental units and employees to do the actual deliveries.
Check out our complete listing of homebased business opportunities in Entrepreneur magazine's Business Opportunities.
Linda Arndorfer, who heads up Jolly Jumps Inc.'s sales and business opportunities, sees Jolly Jumps as a business almost anyone can go into. "This is something easily done out of your home, and it doesn't take much room to store the Jolly Jumps in your garage," says Arndorfer. "That's how Jolly Jumps started-with only a couple of units-and it's now grown to become an enormous business."
Jolly Jumps suggests calling your local competitors to find out what the going rates are for renting bouncehouses in your market. The price for a four-hour rental usually ranges between $69 and $300 depending on your area. Once you purchase a Jolly Jumps, the company will provide you with information on advertising, rental agreements and contacts for insurance. Jolly Jumps also offers in-house financing for unit purchases.
