Chris Pintek a business owner located in Fort Worth, Texas. He began his business four years ago while working as a Honda Sales Associate in Orlando, Florida. Before starting his company, Chris has had extensive experience in the Automotive market, as both a manager and working in the sales department. His first gig was working for a car auction company as a car detailing specialist. He worked his way up to management, eventually running his location, in Orlando, then worked as a body shop estimator. From there, he worked as a car salesman for Coggin Honda, where he was ranked highly in both his district and regionally.
Chris Pintek began his business while working in Orlando as a car dealer for Coggin Honda. He purchased the business from an automobile customer. Chris thought that buying the company was an excellent way for kids of all ages to have a blast during special events. He offers a vast variety of activities, that include Laser Tag, Kiddie Ride Rentals, Foam Parties, Carnival Rides and much more.
When Chris Pintek isn’t working, he enjoys spending lots of time outdoors. He enjoys hobbies such as waterslides, laser tag, boating, swimming, working out at the gym. He is a die-hard Boston Celtics and New England Patriots fan and makes it his goal to watch every game, even if he has to stream it.
How did you get started in this business? What inspired you to start this business?
I purchased my business from a former customer of mine, who was looking at doing something different and decided to offer for me to take over for him. I started buying the bounce houses one-by-one, using my own money. From there, I was getting more customers, which allowed me to purchase more inventory for kids and adults alike to have a variety of fun activities to choose from during their next special event. Then things started taking off.
How do you make money?
I make money by renting out the bounce houses for birthday parties, weddings, graduations, and other events. I also rent out other equipment, such as games, waterslides and carnival rides. All of them combined, helps me make the amount of money I need to make everything work.
How long did it take for you to become profitable?
The first year was a little tough because I was taking my profits and investing them into buying new inflatables and other equipment, as well as for advertising. Once things got off of the ground, the money started to come in a little bit at a time, until things became successful. There wouldn’t have been any success without a lot of hard work and long hours to go with my efforts!
When you were starting, was there ever a time you doubted it would work? If so, how did you handle that?
No, there wasn’t any time where I doubted that things were going to work out. My confidence came from the fact that inflatables are very popular, and so people were renting them left and right, which after maintenance and purchasing new equipment, I was making a profit. Because of that, I always knew that this business is going to be successful and that optimism shone right through and attracted more people interested in what we had to offer them.
How did you get your first customer?
If you are referring to customers I got on my own; I do not remember because it was so long ago. But when I bought my business, some customers already came with the business, so some people loved what we did and were the bread and butter behind our success. But there have been a lot of new activities added, so kids and their parents have things to do, which of course leads to greater success.
What is one marketing strategy (other than referrals) that you’re using that works well to generate new business?
My website has been pretty helpful in growing my success in this business. Plus, I have an outstanding campaign going to where my page sits at the top of the search engines. The campaign includes a ton of SEO, fresh content, photos, and lots of advertising through Google. These have all lead to better business and has given me leads that have not reneged so that I could jump start my new company.
What is the toughest decision you’ve had to make in the last few months?
I haven’t had to make any tough decisions in the last few months. Between my full-time job and the bouncy house rentals over the summer, things have been hectic for me. So, because I have been so busy between everything, there hasn’t been a moment to sit down and think, “Wow, this or that needs to change, now I need to make some decisions” or anything similar.
What do you think it is that makes you successful?
What makes me successful is that I am outgoing and a people person. I am always trying to think of ways to make money, and I am very good at marketing. I come up with a lot of great ideas, and I am the type who is a go-getter, which has helped me achieve great success. Friends and family see me as someone who is trying to make a sale and drum up a lot of new business while making sure that my current clients are 100 percent satisfied. These are just some of the things that I think makes me stand out from others and has in the end been a part of my success.
What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
The most satisfying moment in my business is putting on an event that both kids and their parents will enjoy. When I see that my customers are having a blast, then that makes me happy. My company and I are all about having as much fun as possible and if for any reason that your party or event is boring, then I am not doing my job correctly. When I strive to make sure that everyone is having a great moment and that they’re pleased with the outcome, then these moments are satisfying for me.
What business books have inspired you?
I don’t use business books to help me build my business, to recommend to anyone. I don’t usually read anything but the sports section of my local newspaper. My day consists of going to work and then going to sleep, so I don’t sit down to read anything that has to do with being an entrepreneur or anything similar.
What is a recent purchase you have made that’s helped with your business?
My most recent purchase was the foam bubble machine, to do foam parties. It comes with the pit which is similar to an inflatable pool and the device that you put your soap in to turn bubbles into the actual foam. I bought it recently because foam parties have been one of the hottest trends when it comes to parties, so I want to keep up with the latest of trends to keep my business running strong.
What does the future hold for your business? What are you most excited about?
Well, I am continuing to buy new inflatables for my company and am keeping up with the latest trends, so my customers continue to have a variety of choices for their next party. The more I invest in keeping up with the most recent, the more successful my business will be in the future. I am most excited about being able to juggle between my regular job and my company so that I can bring in some excellent money. This helps me put a lot of extra cash in the bank to help me save up for a home I have always dreamed about buying.