Escape room business plan template

Download this escape room business plan template in PDF or Word format, or tailor it to your project directly in our business plan software.

Discover our escape room business plan template

Our escape room business plan template gives you the structure to write a professional plan

Not accustomed to writing business plans? Our escape room business template will turn a typically challenging process into a total breeze.

Modelled on a complete business plan of an escape room in Normandy, our template features both the financial forecast and the written part that presents the project, its team, the local market and the business strategy implemented by the management.

Cast your eyes on this template to achieve a better understanding of what your bank and investors would like to see, so that you can create a business plan that meets their expectations.

escape room businesss plan template
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How to use this escape room business plan template

Edit the escape room business plan template online, or download it

There are 3 ways to use this template:

  • Edit it online: you can adapt this template to your business idea by changing the text or the financial forecast directly in our business planning software
  • Download in PDF: if you're just after a little inspiration, you can download the escape room business plan template in PDF to read over it
  • Download in Word format: want to edit your plan on Word? Simply export the escape room business plan template to Ms Word (.docx) format
online editor for escape game business plan template

Escape room business plan template content

This template includes a complete escape room business plan example, with a financial forecast and the following sections:

  1. Executive summary: the executive summary gives the reader a clear and concise overview of your business idea
  2. Company: this section lays out the structure of your business, including its location, management team and legal form
  3. Products and services: here, you'll give an overview of the different themed escape rooms your business offers
  4. Market analysis: the market analysis is where you’ll demonstrate that there is a strong demand for your escape room through a thorough assessment of the industry (customer profile, hot trends, regulation, competition, etc.)
  5. Strategy: this section highlights your escape rooms' game plan when it comes to pricing, marketing and mitigating risks along the way
  6. Operations: this step lays out your escape rooms' operational organisation, including the recruitment plan
  7. Financial plan: the financial plan includes a table of sources & uses (initial funding plan), and complete financial statements (P&L, balance sheet and cash flow statements).
  8. Appendices: this part provides the opportunity to include multiple financial appendices generated by our software (debt maturity profile, monthly financial statements, financial analysis, etc.).
cover page and table of contents for the escape room business plan template by The Business Plan Shop
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Executive summary for an escape room business plan

The executive summary gives the reader a clear and concise overview of your business idea.

Our escape room's executive summary is formed of the following subsections:

  1. Business overview: in this subsection, we outline who the escape room founders are, what legal form they've chosen for the business, and the rationale behind the choice of their location
  2. Market overview: in this subsection, we summarize the conclusions of the market analysis performed by the escape room's owners and explain what age groups and genders they aim to target
  3. Financial highlights: in this subsection, we give an overview of the forecasted financial performance of the escape room over the first 3 years of operation
  4. Our ask: in this subsection, we outline the amount of financing required to start the escape room and how it's going to be funded (the founders are seeking a bank loan to start their escape room)
executive summary for escape room business plan sample

Company overview included in our escape room business plan sample

This section lays out the structure of your business, including its location, management team and legal form.

Our escape room business plan template's company section is formed of the following subsections:

  1. Structure & Ownership: in this subsection, we outline who the escape room's shareholders are and what legal form they've chosen for the business
  2. Location: in this subsection, we present the area surrounding the location chosen for the business and the layout and main features of the premises
  3. Management Team: in this subsection, we give an overview of the background of each of the escape room's founders, explain how they met and why they decided to start a company together
company overview included in escape room business plan template
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Products and services offered by the escape room

The products and services section is where you will present the different themed escape rooms offered by your business as well as any extras that can be purchased on site (some escape rooms have photo booths, snacks etc.)

In our escape room business plan template products and services section, we cover:

  • William the Conqueror: an escape room where players have to find several pieces of torn parchment, assemble them together, advance to the final room and solve the riddle
  • Vikings: an escape room where players will be tasked with finding religious relics lost in the Norman conquest before the guard arrives
  • Discounted "loser" rates: a reduced rate for those that have visited our escape rooms previously but not managed to succeed in the game and want to try again
product and services description of the escape room business plan example

Market analysis for the opening of the escape room

The market analysis is where you’ll demonstrate that there is a strong demand for your products and services through a thorough assessment of the industry (customer profile, hot trends, regulation, competition, etc.)

Our escape room business plan example's market analysis section is formed of the following subsections:

  1. Demographics and Segmentation: in this subsection, we explore the market in depth. We look at the supply and demand sides both at the national and local level, analyse the hot trends perceived by the founders, and the key statistics that will help the founders build their positioning
  2. Target market: in this subsection, our founders explain who they view as their ideal customer (our escape room business plan template targets locals, tourists, schools and companies)
  3. Competition: in this subsection, we take a look at the direct (independent or franchised escape rooms nearby) and indirect (other popular group activities in Caen) local competition to ensure we have a differentiated positioning and that the market is large enough to accommodate the arrival of a new escape room
  4. Regulation: in this subsection, we give an overview of the main regulation applicable to our escape room
market analysis section of the escape room business plan template
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Setting the strategy for our escape room

This section highlights the company's game plan when it comes to pricing, marketing and mitigating risks along the way.

Our escape room business plan template strategy section is formed of the following subsections:

  1. Pricing: in this subsection, we explain how we set our escape room rates (off-peak, peak time, two-room, last minute, "second-life") and the rationale behind our choice
  2. Marketing plan: in this subsection, we explain what action we'll put in place to build awareness and loyalty among our escape room customers
  3. Milestones: in this subsection, we give an overview of the main goals we set for ourselves for the next 3 years
  4. Risks and Mittigants: in this subsection, we perform an assessment of the medium and long-term risks that could jeopardize the financial viability of our escape room and outline how we intend to mitigate them
escape room business plan example: strategy section

Operations section of the escape room business plan template

This part lays out the company's operational organisation, including the recruitment plan.

Our escape room business plan operations section is formed of the following subsections:

  1. Personnel plan: in this subsection, we explain what our opening hours will be and explain the responsibilities of each of staff member in our escape room
  2. Key assets and IP: in this subsection, we list the assets and intellectual property rights which are critical to our business operations and explain how we will secure and protect each of these
  3. Suppliers: in this subsection, we give an overview of the main suppliers we will use our what commercial terms have been negotiated with them
escape game business plan template: operations section
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Financial plan included in our escape room business plan template

This section presents the expected financial performance of the escape room over the next 3 years.

Our escape room business plan example's financial plan is formed of the following subsections:

  1. Start-up funding: in this subsection, we list the cost of each item required to launch the escape room
  2. Important assumptions: in this subsection, we explain the methodology and the main assumptions used to build the escape room's financial forecast
  3. Sales forecast: in this subsection, we detail the expected revenues and growth rate for our escape room in the coming years
  4. Cost structure: in this subsection, we list all the expenses required for our escape room to operate smoothly
  5. Projected Profit & Loss statement: in this subsection, we analyse our forecasted P&L and comment on the expected profitability of our escape room over the next 3 years
  6. Projected cash flow statement: in this subsection, we analyse the expected cash generation of the escape room
  7. Projected balance sheet: in this section we give an analysis of the liquidity and solvability implied from our balance sheet
escape room business plan template: forecasted P&L

Appendices of the escape room business plan template

This part provides the opportunity to include multiple financial appendices generated by our software (debt maturity profile, monthly financial statements, financial analysis, etc.).

Our escape room business plan template's appendices include:

  1. A maturity profile chart showing the principal repayments of their loans over the next 3 years
  2. A monthly cash flow forecast: showing how much cash is being generated or consumed each month over the first 3 years of operations
escape room business plan template: monthly cash flow forecast

Escape room business plan template sample

Executive Summary

Business Overview

Escape History will be an escape room specializing in historical-themed games.

Both of our game rooms are at the same Caen venue and have been inspired by Norman History (the theme for room one is William the Conqueror whilst the theme for room two is the Vikings).

Each room can accommodate 3 to 8 players per game.

The aim of the game is to decipher a tough riddle with the help of a series of clues. Doing so means you've "escaped" and subsequently won the game. The time limit for each game is 60 minutes.

Escape History will be a limited liability company, managed by Alain D. and Victor D. whose profiles and industry experience complement each other.

Alain D. has great knowledge of the industry, having worked as a stage manager in Caen for 15 years.

Victor D. has a doctorate in history, which will enable him to design puzzles inspired by historical events in the region.

Market Overview

National Market

Key figures from the escape room industry

Escape rooms are relatively new concepts in France. Since 2013, there have been 500 startups in this sector - 60 of them opened in 2018.

There are currently 4 escape rooms in Caen, all of them diverse. Themes include:

  • World War II
  • Pharaohs
  • Alice in Wonderland

With the population of Caen being 106,260 in 2015 and only four 4 escape room businesses in the region, we believe that there is a significant gap in the market for a historical-themed escape room. 

The average escape room game in the market, involving 3-8 players is estimated to cost between €18 and €30 per person. The average price per person is approximately €22 per player.

Being situated in the city centre allows us to target both local residents and companies organising team and social events.

Our historical positioning also helps us target tourists coming to visit the Caen region as well as schools wanting to organise educational outings.

Financial Highlights

We expect the business to be profitable from its first year of trading.

We expect to achieve a turnover of €121,033 in year 1 and an EBITDA of €4,461 (or 3.69% of margin).

An improvement in the occupancy rate (number of slots booked) in years 2 and 3, through word-of-mouth marketing and other actions listed in our marketing plan, should enable us to achieve a growth of 8.08% in year 2 and 6.32% in year 3.

In year 3, we expect to generate a turnover of €139,079 and an EBITDA of €21,656 (or 15.57% of margin).

The business should be sufficiently capitalized to enable us to meet our loan repayments and invest in developing new puzzles while retaining sufficient headroom to deal with unforeseen circumstances.

Our Ask

Escape History will require an initial investment of €75,000. Our partners will contribute €50,000 (i.e., 67% of the total amount). 

We would like to obtain a bank loan of €25,000 to complete the financing.

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Escape room Shop Business Plan Template FAQ

What is a escape room business plan and do I need one?

A escape room business plan is a written document that sets out the commercial, operational and financial objectives of the company over the next 3 to 5 years.

It consists of two main parts:

  • A written part that presents, in detail, your escape room business, the team, your strategy, and your medium-term objectives.
  • A financial forecast that highlights the expected profitability of the escape room and the initial funding requirements.

The lack of business planning is one of the main reasons why more than 50% of startups fail within 5 years. If you're starting a escape room, writing a business plan is a must-have in order to reduce the risk of failure of your project.

Business plans are also required by most lenders and investors in order to secure financing, therefore a business plan is also highly recommended if you're seeking a loan or equity investment for your escape room.

How do I write a business plan for a escape room and is it difficult?

Writing a escape room business plan without The Business Plan Shop can be both error-prone and time-consuming - whether you're new to entrepreneurship or experienced:

  • You'll need to research the structure of a business plan, what to include in each section, and what key elements investors and lenders expect to see
  • You may encounter writer's block (especially if it's the first time you're writing a business plan for your escape room)
  • You'll need to create a financial forecast on a spreadsheet which requires a solid understanding of accounting and financial modelling in order to be done without error
  • You'll need to spend hours formatting financial data on Excel or Sheets before it's ready to integrate into your business plan
  • Any updates to your escape room business plan or financial forecast will need to be done manually

Luckily for you, The Business Plan Shop's online platform and escape room business plan template guide you through every stage of writing a business plan, so that you can spend more time managing and growing your business instead.

Our editor follows a best-in-class structure for professional business plans. Each section and subsection includes examples and instructions to help you, while our business plan templates provide further inspiration if you're stuck.

Our financial forecasting software helps you create a forecast and integrate it into your business plan with ease. Anytime you update your data, your business plan automatically updates.

And with our forecasting software all the calculations are done for you, without errors.

What is the budget for an escape room and how much does it cost to get started?

The budget to start and run an escape room will depend on the exact concept and location.

A startup that offers multiple escape rooms, such as the one in our business plan template would likely have greater up-front costs than one that doesn't (some startups only have one escape room theme, to begin with).

The quality of props, lighting and puzzles also affects startup costs. High-quality equipment encourages repeat purchases and positive word-of-mouth from clients but can add to upfront costs significantly.

As an example, in our escape room business plan template the total initial funding requirement amounted to €75,000, with the founders contributing €50,000.

In order to assess the exact budget for your escape room idea, you need to do a financial forecast using a financial projection tool such as the one we offer.

Is The Business Plan Shop the best escape room business plan template for me?

The package we offer at The Business Plan Shop goes way beyond a simple blank template you need to fill. With our platform you get:

  • Access to one of the best business plan software on the market
  • Access to our escape room business plan template which contains a complete example of a written business plan and financial forecast to start a escape room
  • Access to our entire business plan templates library - giving you dozens of examples to take inspiration from
  • Access to our financial planning and analysis platform so that you can track the actual performance of your business against what you had planned in your business plan and re-plan easily

But you shouldn't take our word for it: try our solution for free and make your own opinion!

How does the free trial of The Business Plan Shop work?

The free trial enables you to try the software for free during 7 days in order to verify that it meets your requirements before buying.

Some features are limited during the free trial, the main limits are:

  • You can only create one business plan
  • The financials of the first year are visible, but data for other years are hidden
  • You can export your plan in PDF but not in Word or CSV
  • No access to our business plan templates

You can create your account and start your free trial here.

How much does The Business Plan Shop’s escape room business plan template cost?

Access to our template is included with all our paid subscriptions.

Please visit our pricing page to learn about this in more detail.

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