Who are you?

George Gallacher, general manager at Flip Out Glasgow

What does your business do?

We’re Scotland’s only trampoline and inflatables arena. At 63,000sq ft, Flip Out Glasgow is one of the largest indoor arenas in the world.

Where are you based?

We’re based on Southcroft Road in Rutherglen. We chose this area for the fantastic visibility from the M74 and the great catchment area around it – it’s within easy driving reach of Glasgow’s city centre and the west of Scotland. When looking for a location, Southcroft Road was one of the few sites that were big enough for our ambitious plans.

How did you get started?

We went to numerous franchise conventions for ideas and inspiration. Opening a trampoline arena really stood out to us as a great opportunity as trampoline parks were becoming a popular trend and we already had a keen interest in the leisure industry.

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We visited trampoline arenas across the UK to see what they were offering and decided that the Flip Out brand gave us something unique in Scotland.

What is your background?

I was previously an operations director for a McDonald’s franchise in Glasgow. I actually opened a restaurant on Argyle Street in 1998 and worked within the franchise for nearly 20 years. This experience has stood me in good stead for running another franchise business in Glasgow – I know the landscape here and have built up great relationships.

What is your top tip?

When it comes to setting up a business, it’s important that you do thorough research of the industry before making a plan.

My top tip would be to make sure that you’ve created a business plan that you’re confident in and one that is realistic. The first couple of years after opening a new business is tough and success can take some time – but if you work hard on building your brand and reputation at the start, you’ll reap the benefits sooner.

How long has your business been running?

We opened our doors in April 2017 and have been growing our offering every year. This year, we added a new dimension to Flip Out with Inflataflip – a giant indoor inflatable arena featuring Total Wipeout style giant bouncing balls, an airbag drop, a three-lane obstacle course, an inflatable drop slide and ball pools.

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Has anyone helped you get started and how?

We’ve had great support from Scottish Enterprise, who provided up with a grant to get us up and running. Clyde Gateway have also financially supported us in growing our offering.

What was your biggest mistake/or what would you do differently?

One thing that we would do differently if we were to open another franchise would be to use more local contractors. It would have saved us a lot of time and money in our early stages.

Where do you plan your business to be in five years time?

We want Flip Out Glasgow to have cemented its reputation in the community as the number one family attraction in the West of Scotland.

https://www.flipout.co.uk/

locations/glasgow/

Tel: 0141 406 1600.