5 Digital Cornerstones of Attracting New Customers

A website is like your online office where you conduct meetings with prospective customers around the clock. Just as a welcoming and well-organized physical office can put the customer at ease, an easy-to-use website or app that is well-organized and efficient can speak well of you when attracting potential customers. Here are five digital cornerstones that are essential for attracting new customers through your website and your online presence. A Clearly Visible Call to Action An effective call to action is essential to any business’s marketing strategy and is ...

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An Interview with Pat Ciniello

Continuing our discussion on how bowling centers can help veterans this month, I had the opportunity to speak with Pat Ciniello, chairman of QubicaAMF Worldwide, Inc. Pat has spent more than 48 years in the bowling industry, beginning with Nationwide Bowling & Brunswick. He later served as director of operations for Treadway Companies, where he oversaw twenty-six bowling centers in the United States. He serves on numerous boards of directors and executive committees, including Strike Ten Entertainment and was also Chairman of the International Bowling Museum and Hall ...

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The Bowling Industry’s Veterans Charity: The Bowlers to Veterans Link

Today I had the pleasure to speak with Mary Harrar, the executive director of The Bowlers to Veterans Link. Jim Nyhan (JN): Mary, thanks for speaking with me today about your work with BVL. JN: I want to first start with a simple overview of BVL and the organization’s wonderful mission. BVL was founded in 1942 to help support America’s heroes in uniform. Since then, the organization has raised more than $50 million to provide recreational and therapeutic programs and services. These programs and services will help boost their morale and brighten spirits. Through ...

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An Interview with Fred Kaplowitz

Jim: Today I am speaking with Fred Kaplowitz, president and CEO of The Kaploe Marketing Group. Fred is one of the co-founders of Kids Bowl Free, which has registered more than 17 million kids – usually 14 years old and younger – at more than 1,400 bowling centers in the United States and Canada. Fred, before we discuss some of the specific marketing opportunities for bowling center proprietors, could you share a bit about your background in this industry? Fred: My career started in the financial and banking industry. After graduate school, I secured a job with a ...

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A Conversation with the Founder of Kids Bowl Free

Over the past few months, we have explored different promotion ideas to attract more customers to your bowling center. Today, I sat down with the founder and creator of Kids Bowl Free, Bruce Davis. Bruce is one of my close friends, and I am also fortunate to have had him as a career mentor for many years. His energy has no end, and his lifelong passion for bowling has fueled some of the industry’s most innovative approaches to inspiring future generations of bowlers. Jim: Tell us a bit about your background in the industry. Bruce: I grew up around my family’s ...

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My all-time favorite pricing structure

We have discussed pricing options in the past here in this blog, but today I would like to discuss my all-time favorite pricing structure: the 2-for-5 option (two games for $5). The spring and summer months are a great time to test your market. I’m never a fan of “going cheaper” for the sole sake of reducing prices. However, I am a huge proponent of bundling packages together in a way that gives your customers great value and helps drive business into your centers. This type of bundling structure will always be a win-win for your bowling center. The 2-for-$5 ...

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Gaining an edge through PR tools

Today, we want to talk about an easy technique to drive attendance for your bowling center’s major events. Yes, we’re talking about press releases. Now, before you say, “Jim, I run a bowling center, not a political campaign! Why do I need a press release?”, let me just point out that press releases are an easy and effective tool to drive attendance to your center, garner goodwill and appreciation in the community, and put your bowling center on the map. The first thing to understand is what a press release is. Simply put, a press release is a short news ...

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Using video to take your marketing to the next level

When it comes to your marketing strategy for your bowling center, have you considered using digital videos? I recently came across the article below from WordStream, and I highly recommend that you take a moment to read through it. Online videos are one of the most cost-effective ways to promote your bowling center and to help drive traffic. If you are interested in learning more about how online videos can take your center’s marketing to the next level, feel free to reach out to me. Ten Pin has custom videos for your bowling center, and we would be happy to help you ...

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Do charitable organizations present a business opportunity?

Bowling and charitable work to raise awareness for autism and for those with disabilities. Surprising combination? Not at all! Bowling centers offer a variety of opportunities for proprietors to integrate their own personal charitable passions with their businesses. You may not have considered it before, but charitable work presents an incredible opportunity to grow your business and build your community support while promoting your brand. My own interest in combining charity with business development comes from a very personal circumstance. My son, Jimmy, is ...

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Get organized

Bowling centers are thriving this time of year with league play in full swing, birthday parties, field trips, and other outings creating a constant flow of customers. But the downside of being that busy is that it leaves little time for office work or for organizing. Maybe you are a master of organization and have won awards for your organizational systems. If so, skip this blog post. But for the rest of us who need some help getting systems in place (or maybe just need some help getting motivated to tackle our organizing needs!), here are some of the tricks I have ...

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