As someone who has been part of the leisure and entertainment industry, I constantly think about strategies to future-proof the business. At the same time, I realise that words like ‘futureproofing’ can be overwhelming, possibly even scary since tomorrow is unknown territory.  

But when simply put, futureproofing means trying to create the best vision for tomorrow, work towards it and, when required, tweak the vision to get the best results. That must not be rocket science, right?  

In effect, futureproofing leisure and entertainment or any other business boil down to a few key approaches. So, what are these approaches?  

Listen to customers 

Those in business are told time and again about the importance of a customer, who lies at the centre of everything we do. And it is not a secret that post-pandemic the customer has changed. Their needs and behaviours have transformed. In our business, for example, customers are keen to socialise, but safety is a priority, and they are also looking for a personal touch.  

Fortunately, offering a personal touch has always been our strong point, which has deepened our relationship with guests over the years. Today we are even more committed to listening to our guests and acting upon what they really want – be that enhanced safety measures, newer product offerings and deeper engagement both online and offline.  

We have also noticed a strong sense of value consciousness among our customers. Before the pandemic, they would look for value but now every penny counts. So even as we roll out new offerings and incur higher expenses to abide by safety protocols at our facilities, we have to offer the best value for money proposition to our customers through new, engaging and memorable experiences at competitive price points.  

Innovate to stay ahead 

Innovation, I feel, has been one of the most overused terms lately. Yet sometimes we fail to understand the essence of innovation, which lies in trying out a new idea, experimenting with a new product or service. It doesn’t have to be flawless, but it must be creative and out-of-the-box. After all, we are in the business of having fun and fun can’t be boring!  

To develop an innovation mindset, our teams must be encouraged to freely ideate, have open communications and share suggestions and feedback. For instance, our team members at Orange Wheels sat together and brainstormed during the monthly meetings. The outcome is a whole new offering – the daily workshops with 10 fun yet learning activities that keep rotating through the month. This not only increased customer visitations and dwell time, but it has helped us to upsell and cross-sell the workshops along with the existing play offerings, therein positively impacting our revenues since January 2021.  

Importantly, researching for new trends is a key component of innovation. I also think that taking a strategic approach towards innovation through SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis is pivotal for any brand to stay ahead of the competition. In the case of Orange Wheels understanding competition and our own strengths helped us to create new opportunities even during a pandemic.  

Create a happy employees = happy customers culture 

Finally, no matter how creative the product offerings and marketing plans are, how robust the sales pipeline is or how competitive we are in our pricing, the thumb rule for great customer service boils down to the happy employees = happy customers culture.  

There is nothing more fulfilling than running a fun business with people who are positive and enthusiastic. However, the big question is how do we create a team that is positive and enthusiastic?  

The starting point is to make our people feel respected and heard, reward and offer them growth opportunities. Above all, a good leader must always genuinely care for their people because that is what makes them want to do their best. And if your people do their best, futureproofing a business becomes much more effective and achievable.  

I will leave you with a simple yet effective exercise that we have implemented at Orange Wheels. We have developed what’s called the ‘Energy Level Chart’ wherein every day in the morning, the team huddles to gauge each other’s energy levels. Those with high energy levels support the ones who feel low to get through the day. Implementing this simple exercise has created an immensely empathetic environment, where our team members feel cared for and safe, finally translating into great customer service.  

By Hayya N. Ahmad,
Area Manager, Orange Wheels