# Professional Haunted House 101???



## Shadojack (Sep 7, 2003)

Well I did find a link for you. http://www.hauntideakit.com/

Besides making sure you get all the proper permits and safety inspections is a good first step. And you'll most likely need to get an isurance policy just in case of accidents. Some places may consider it more of a carnival attraction and may require you to have a first aid kit and other items in easy reach.

Do you intend to have it open all year? If so security is going to be a major concern, unless of course your living there. Of course that could be a great pick up line. "Hey babe, wanna see my haunted house?"

"Even while I breathed there came to my nostrils the breath of the vapor of heated iron. A suffocating odor pervaded the prison. A deeper glow settled each moment in the eyes that glared at my agonies. A richer tint of crimson diffused itself over the pictured horrors of blood. There could be no doubt of the design of my tormentors. Oh, most unrelenting! Oh, most demoniac of men! 'Death,' I said, 'any death but that of the pit.'"


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

Unless you are a wealthy celebrity , most people in the haunted house business have to do the majority of the work themselves and I would compare it to being a general leading an army, the only differnce is besides being the general, you are also the quartermaster, the engineers, the airforce(advertising) the paymaster, the MPs.
Or it's also like as if you are an actor and you want to act, so you have to buy or rent an opera house, buy or rent the stage lights, the scenery, the sound system, hire people to run everything and advertise it, , run it, tare it down and put it away when it's over!
If any of this sounds like almost non-stop work and commitment, you are right , it is!
If you like just scaring and acting and costuming yourself, don't try to have your own place, it will not usually allow you the time or freedom to ever do any of the fun stuff again, as long as you are the Boss!
Haunt in someone else's place or keep it in your backyard for fun.
I have owned my haunt for over 17 years now. I still work on it all the time, and work in it every night,(Tours, I had 24 people tonight, it took me from 7 pm to 11, they all had a very unforgettable time) but then, I guess that I'm a certified work-a-holic. Doing the roofing, plumbing, wiring(steel conduit)heating, construction work, I'm also "Jim the human backhoe" digging 65 feet of exit tunnel through my backyard and making a concrete tunnel, building additions on the house and masonery work, bricklaying, welding, and I also do all of my own artwork on brochures and tee-shirts and bumperstickers.
This is all a very real assesment (as far as I know this business), if it still sounds as if it's something that you want to do, then go for it!
It was a good pick-up line concerning having a haunted house! A friend said to this woman as she introduced us, "Jim has a UFO crashed on the roof of his house!"
And the first words my future wife ever said to me was, "You're a liar!" 
She lasted seven years here and she had an advantage over alot of other women, she's mentally ill! (or maybe that came from living here in a haunted house? It's really SO HARD TO TELL!
Ravens Grin Inn see: hauntedravensgrin.com

"My Insanity is well-respected, until they wiggle free and become a stringer for a tabloid"


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## Gravedigger (Jul 27, 2003)

Since you're in Georgia, you might want to check out Hauntcon in Charlotte in May. It is sponsored by Leonard Pickel, who is well known in the haunt industry and will present a seminar on how to start a haunt, as well as others. There should also be a good group of Halloween and Haunt venders as well. Check out Hauntcon.com for info.

No rest for living,
No peace for the dead.


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

Hauntcon will also have a lengthy bus excursion visiting numerous haunted houses in that area, Mrytle Beach to Charlotte.
Some of these tours will be behind the scenes type of tours.
If only the wheels on my big-wheel turned easier, I'd be there.

"My Insanity is well-respected, until they wiggle free and become a stringer for a tabloid"


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## rweso (Jul 25, 2003)

Let's see, first you would need to find a property zoned for commercial use or petition to have a property zoned for commercial use. Once you get the property then you would need a business privledge licence. Then all of the associated inspections and permits and insurance. This isn't too, too hard just time consumeing. Then get to work.

I have my own business so take it from me. Before you do anything, you have to make a business plan. Don't skip this step. It's a bit of work to do but it will save you a ton of money in the long run. It will normally include all your expensess and overhead such as salaries (yours and employees. Don't forget to pay yourself.) Utilities, supplies, licences and fees, subscriptions, advertising costs...
It will also include market research. How many HH are in your area, what is the demographic that you are catering to, what percent of the population does this include, out of this number what percent is likely to attend, repeat attendees...
All of this will help you determine how many employees you will need, how much you will pay them, how much you will charge, how much you need to budget...
The trial and error method is costly.
I own a daycare and the business plan for this is around 130 pages long. It's a lot of work and sounds scary and time consuming and boring, and it is, but it's a neccesary step. If you don't make one I can almost garuntee you will go bankrupt.


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