Suppliers, the soft play industry needs you!

ShareAndComparePlay is an independent voice in indoor play; our purpose is to provoke thought and encourage innovation whilst providing transparency throughout the value chain (by providing comparison services) for those willing to invest in new products and services.

In my fifteen years in the industry, there has been virtually no value creation or innovation and consequently the ecosystem is in decay; soft play suppliers are not making enough money to spend on R&D whilst non-core suppliers don’t invest in the market because they cannot see the ROI.

If this continues, what will the market look like? More importantly, how will we design and operate the play experiences that children need to learn the skills required to their lives in an increasingly complex world?

Although at times it may not sound like it, we see a very positive future for the indoor play industry but it requires (perhaps painful) change. As a result of our blogs, website and soft play seminars, we are beginning to see the next generation of play operators demand new services and the option to work in a way that reflects their ideas and business ethos.

At present, the supply side of the ecosystem does not seem able and / or willing to meet the needs of this next generation of play operator.

This situation leaves us with a dilemma; we have helped to create demand for new products, services and ways of working that suppliers either don’t understand or aren’t capable of serving. As a result, we are frequently asked by frustrated entrepreneurs / operators if we will provide the service and thus potentially threaten our vow of independence (not sure if this can be true when the market is not providing a service).

In short, this blog is an attempt to encourage suppliers to meet this pent up demand; it is an invitation to all suppliers to consider the following opportunities (this list is by no means exhaustive) and get in touch, these products and services are in strong demand and one way or another we need to meet demand:

• Independent Business Consultancy (operational and business model innovation)
• Social Media / Web / IT Consultancy
• IP Free Soft Play Design and Costing Services (Chargeable)
• Property finding services
• Marketing / Character Development / Visualisation
• Product innovation (Particularly for children over ten years of age)
• Commercial Education products (Edutainment)
• Courses (ranging from Sports to Cookery and Art classes)

As the suppliers able to provide such services are likely to be new to the market (or an established supplier looking to innovate their business model) then we are willing to explain further the opportunities and standards required for participation. If you are unsure or confused about ShareAndComparePlay.com for any reason then please get in touch and we will reveal all.

I am not sure of the response to this call for action and so as our business continues to expand, the following criteria will determine our actions:

• Is our action for the overall good of the play industry?
• Are reputable suppliers able to meet the needs of the market?
• Does our involvement conflict with our independent position?
• Do we have the skills, capability and resource to deliver an exceptional service?

I hope this helps clear things up for now (or at least encourages communication); any thoughts, comments or questions, please let us know.

PS. I would suggest that the answer to the lack of spending on R&D is collaboration and an open-source approach to the development of key products but that is a post for another day.