Something in the world of floating have you stumped?
Show Highlights
You’re thinking about opening up a float center in your town, and there’s already one humbly chugging along nearby. Like an awkward teenager, you’re not sure if you should ask them to dance. But you totally should.
In this episode, Graham & Ashkahn will talk about what it’s like opening and operating in a city with other centers.
The takeaway? Get out there and say hi!
Show Resources
FTS Blog – Marketing is about relationships
FTS Blog – TAM, SAM, & SOM
FTS Blog – Competing on Price without Slashing Prices
Listen to Just the Audio
Transcription of this episode… (in case you prefer reading)
Graham: We have a good one for you today from our listeners out there.
What are the dynamics and ethics of opening a float center in close proximity to an existing one? Can they coexist in cooperation instead of feeling like adversaries or competition? Specifically in a location with a significantly smaller population size than say, Portland?
Which I don’t know why they chose that city, but …
Ashkahn: First of all, let me tell this person that they need to work on making their questions more succinct. That’s the first lesson here. It’s an interesting question and like we say on this show, fundamentally we don’t really have a good idea because there’s not a lot of cases of this happening out there yet.
We don’t see a ton of float centers right next to other float centers to really know how well they do or how much it affects them. It’s a little bit based off of our hunches on the situation.
First of all, a smaller population than Portland can obviously mean a lot of different things. Then we should talk about this idea of saturation involved in opening float centers too. At some point, if you actually had one float center for every person in the town, that’s too many float centers. That’s not good. Then you’re going to hit too many float centers well before that, but just as an example, there is such a thing as too many float centers for an area, or even too many float tanks.
Graham: Yeah. What that is, that saturation point, will also change based off of how many people know that floating exists and how many people are actively floating. We’re still in a period where only a certain percentage of the population is even aware that this concept is a thing when you compare that to things like massage or other industries. You’d be hard pressed to find someone out there that hadn’t heard of massage before. This is a shifting number too, I think, as this industry develops.
Ashkahn: I guess that’s launching right into things and almost taking our opposite side of the argument, but for those of you who are just joining us or don’t really know our background on policies like this, our general stance is that cooperation is the way to go.
We fully believe that opening float centers in the same city is often times good for both people and that there is great cause to collaborate and rejoice in being in the same awesome industry that you’re part of. In our minds, there is very little reason to treat each other as competition or as the enemy. That’s very much our strong stance on this.
Then there’s all the little details that go into it from there.
Graham: That especially makes sense when you think about this concept of saturation and population, and you have to factor in this huge variable of how many people know about float tanks. Unless that number is 100% or close to 100%, there’s much more room for things to grow and that’s the benefit of having other float centers open up.
[That other center is] somebody else out there who’s spending all day every day trying to get people to know what float tanks are and to come experience them. When you view it from that perspective, another float center opening in your town, is somebody else actually spreading the news on floating and getting more people to know about it, and expanding that pie rather than taking a slice of it.
Ashkahn: Yeah, for a long time, and for many places, I’ve been fond of saying that our greatest competitor’s not other float centers. It’s just general lack of awareness.
It’s not even the massage industry where something like that is a competitor to us as much as just people who have no idea what we do or that we even exist. In that sense, again, that idea of opening up and marketing to more people is exactly what you want to do. The flip side is that I think that there’s right and wrong ways to also go about it and respectful ways to enter into the game.
Not even the float industry, but any industry can open up in the same town. I’ve heard a lot about tattoo places opening up. The kind of ethics that go into opening a tattoo shop in maybe a city that only has one other tattoo shop, and it reminds me very much of float centers as well.
First of all, you don’t want to rent a space in secret, and start opening up, and only tell the other float tank center that you’re opening here one week before your grand opening, and invite them out or something like that, right?
That would be the absolute wrong way I would say to open in the same city as someone else.
Graham: You’d be surprised how much when you go approach float centers, if you’re thinking of opening up near some others, how friendly they’ll actually be. Most of the time, people tell us that not only was it not weird or awkward, but in fact they went and got drinks right afterwards and it was actually really nice to be able to talk to someone. Getting started on that float and getting familiar with the people around you, and realizing they’re your allies more than your competition is going to help you in the long run.
Ashkahn: Even from the beginning, treat this as a possibly beneficial relationship and possibly you’re actually making some lifelong friends here. Again, people who’ve decided to get into this strange, salty industry probably share more in common with you than the bulk of humanity.
You might be surprised at who’s just around the corner and is your next float neighbor. Going into it with that attitude and actually trying from the beginning to make friends and approach it, assuming that they’re going to have a good response to it rather than assuming they’ll have a bad response is definitely step one.
Graham: Would you say at this point there is any way to be too close to another float center?
Ashkahn: I would say if you’re the only two centers in town and you’re right next door to the other one, right? It’s the point that you have as many float centers as people, that’s too much. There’s definitely a way to be too close to another float tank center. What too close is is obviously very wishy washy. It depends a lot on population density too. It’s like you telling me that on your journeys through Hong Kong, you’ll have literally a Starbucks on the same block because one is on the ground floor and another one is however many stories up, 200 or something.
If you’re 200 stories away, but on the same exact block is another float tank center, maybe that is okay. I think it depends a lot on your situation. For a smaller density town, definitely being a few miles away would help, or I’ve even seen people who just out of respect want to open in the next town over and cases of places that only have maybe 10,000 or 20,000 people. Something like that. For a 100,000, 200,000 people population city, again, several miles away seems like a good step. It’s not even to say that that would impact business. That just seems off hand, what I would treat as a responsible move.
Graham: If someone does open very close to you, you might see a dip at first, but then you might see things expand more because it’s not as double the amount of effort to get the word out about float tanks happening right in your neighborhood.
Ashkahn: Although the question specified for cities not like Portland, I should say every time another float tank center open, we’ve seen an uptick in our own business and in interest. I think that comes directly as a result of more people finding out about floating through the other marketing efforts and through more word of mouth being out there, and just more people in whatever city it is actually hopping in a float tank, which is how this whole industry spreads anyway. There you have it. Fair and balanced 100% unbiased report.
Graham: Yeah, that’s right. This is all based off of data and not our own just random opinions.
Ashkahn: I guess one last thing on that front too. I don’t even care what the data is for a Float On. Take what lessons you want to weigh for your own float tank center, but for Float On, if I found out that we have a 3% decrease in business when another float tank center opens in town or something even more dramatic, we’ll gain 20% if we’re jerks to them and treat them as competition, and really launch this harsh advertising campaign against them. We’ll lose money if we don’t do that. I still would want to be friendly and not launch the asshole news campaign against them or advertising campaign, right? Some things I think also come down to the way you want to do business and can’t even come down to the bottom line.
Graham: Yeah. I would say in more cases than not, those things are not at odds with each other and more typically line up than you would think.
Ashkahn: It’s great when those two things align. Best of luck for you out there opening in the same smaller city as another float tank center, and I hope that you guys get to have many great adventures together.
Hopefully you share some nice conversations and meals.
Recent Podcast Episodes
Should I Wire my Float Tanks into the Wall? – DSP 265
Ashkahn is currently recovering from his talk and the after-party last night, but Jake and Graham have gracefully taken the time to answer a construction question again today.
On the docket today is a question about wiring a float tank directly into the wall. Graham and Jake provide an overview of why some people may prefer this (it’s much easier to keep waterproof, e.g.), and why at Float On they use the twist lock for their outlets and how to properly utilize them.
Can I Keep My Old Ceiling With My Buildout? – DSP 264
Hopefully everyone had a lovely time at the Friday Activities and the after-party.
Ashkahn is still busy running the conference, but Graham and Jake have stepped in to talk about construction!
Today the guys talk about keeping a drop ceiling or T-bar ceiling in an existing space that you’re converting to a float center. The short answer is don’t keep it, as it can cause problems, but the guys do have some workarounds if your landlord is opposed to changing the ceiling.
What to Expect When Expanding from 1 to 3 Tanks? – DSP 263
Ashkahn is busy preparing for everything that happens tonight and tomorrow for the Conference, but that doesn’t mean Daily Solutions will stop being daily.
Graham and Jake talk construction and what to expect when you’re expecting… a giant expansion for your float center. What’s it look like when you go from one tank to three? How do the demands change? What needs to be put in place to make sure that you’re not hitting snags?
Fortunately, these guys know the score and are happy to share.
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As Ashkahn gets everything ready for the Start a Center Workshop (happening today) and the Float Conference this weekend, Graham and Jake tackle answering construction questions on the podcast.
Today they’re talking about floor drains. What to consider for drains and how they might pair with different types of flooring. Given the hefty price tag for these more advanced drains, having as much research before making a decision on these is essential. Luckily, the guys have done the hard part already and identified a lot of things to consider.
How to Deal with Float Room Humidity – DSP 261
Graham and Jake are at the helm again while Ashkahn puts the finishing touches on the Float Conference.
Today, the guys are talking all about humidity and how to deal with it when constructing your float rooms. They talk about all the little nuances that you (or your contractor) might not think about when it comes to humidity and how soundproofing and regular airflow may not always go hand in hand.
Latest Blog Posts
The Float Tour Blog – Issue #24
Alberta is often called the Texas of Canada. Part large oil industry, part cattle country.
Don’t Mess With Alberta!
At the base of the Rocky Mountains, replete with an Olympic Stadium, Calgary is a world-class destination for winter sports. The float community developed here similarly to Edmonton – there wasn’t anything nearby except for one or two residential float tanks, and then, in a short period of time, several centers opened all at once. Instead of competing, they’ve decided to work together and have developed one of the tightest knit float communities we’ve seen. They even have monthly Float Dinners, much like we do with the float centers in Portland. They don’t keep meeting minutes, so it’s hard to determine what they talk about at these dinners; my guess would be salt, the effects of salt on various substances, and how salty salt damage can make someone salty.
The Float Tour Blog – Issue #23
After Montana, we blazed our way back into Canada. The drive was long, but the scenery was beautiful. We followed the Rockies north, driving up to Edmonton. It’s a bit of a detour but, there are so many float centers in Edmonton, it seemed crazy not to stop by.
The city itself is primarily made up of workers from the oil fields – high risk, high income jobs that fuel the economy. At least until recently. Our visit was right in the middle of the Fort McMurray wildfire which has displaced a lot of the workforce, forcing 100,000 people to leave their homes. Many came to Edmonton, being the nearest metropolitan area to Fort McMurray. Some already split their time between the two cities, living in Edmonton and traveling to Fort McMurray for weeks or months at a time for work.
It’s understood that, in economic hardship, luxury commodities are typically the first thing people cut back on. Surprisingly, this doesn’t seem to be the case for floating. In fact, more people seem to be trying it to help alleviate the stress, many centers even offering free or discounted services to those displaced in an effort to help in a small way.
The Float Tour Blog – Issue #22
We’ve got two more stops in Colorado Springs before heading west. It’s a town known for its military base and long history of weapons testing. With such a large military presence, it comes as no surprise that the float center owners here are veterans, themselves.
After that, we shoot across to Salt Lake City. Utah is filled with gorgeous sights, from breathtaking lakes to stunning painted hills. With an international landmark famous for its effects on buoyancy, Salt Lake City should be pretty familiar with the concept of floating. With five different float centers, and the manufacturer of the Zen Tent out there, there could be some cause and effect.
After that, we head up into Idaho and Montana to close out the Central United States portion of our Tour. We’ll follow the Rocky Mountains north, taking in the scenery along the way.
The Float Tour Blog – Issue #21
Denver has been home to a vibrant float community for a long time. Some of the earliest commercial centers that started up in the ‘70s and ‘80s were out here. 30 years is a long time, and most of the old centers aren’t around anymore, but there’s a conscious community that has been floating since the old days and they love how much the industry has evolved and grown.
