For those of us who love Halloween, owning a haunted attraction sounds like a dream. But running your own business demands more time, passion, and attention than any job you’ve had before.
Expectation: You’ll have loads of fun scaring customers night after night
Reality: You’ll spend your weekends balancing the books and cleaning up fake blood
…and, occasionally, very real pee when one of your guests gets a little too frightened.
Expectation: You’ll make tons of money and keep all the profits
Reality: Before you can pay yourself, you have to take care of the bills, payroll for your staff, and other expenses
BTW if any of those other expenses you’re paying include processing or service fees on ticket sales, give us a call. We can help you get rid of them for good.
Expectation: You’ll love being the boss and have tons of freedom
Reality: You’ll work harder than ever
It’s totally worth it, though, tbh.
Expectation: You’ll open in 6 months as soon as you’re done building all your props
Reality: Delays with building permits, fire inspections, and insurance paperwork can set you back months or even years from your original timeline
Not to mention all the added costs that come along with those delays.
Expectation: You’ll get to visit other haunted attractions around the country, in the name of “research”
Reality: You have literally no time during Haunt Season
Barely enough time to buy toilet paper, let alone a plane ticket.
Expectation: You’ll use all original designs and meticulously build everything by hand yourself
Reality: You can’t handle it all on your own
You need a strong team because there is literally. Too. Much.
Expectation: You just need to build an awesome haunt and customers will start flowing in
Reality: You need a plan to get the word out
We’d love to help you find more fans and make it easier to sell tickets, whether you’re a new haunt just starting up or an established business. Let’s chat!
Expectation: You’ll never lose your passion for Halloween
Reality: It will forever be the greatest holiday of all time
It’s hard work, but we wouldn’t trade it for any other job in the world.
What do you wish you’d known before opening your haunted attraction? We’d love to hear your tips and advice in the comments!