Chapter 5 · Your 90-Day Plan
Everything in this guide, compressed into a concrete week-by-week plan. From "I have an idea" to "the shop is open" in ~90 days.
Learning objectives
- Follow a sequenced, deadline-driven launch plan.
- Know which chapters to re-read at each step.
- Go from idea to open doors without getting stuck or burning cash too early.
~$15k–$45k available, an owner-operated (zero-staff) start, and a smallish retail space (400–700 sq ft). Adjust the timeline if permits in your area take longer — plan for that buffer, don't cut it.
Phase 1 · Days 1–30: Decide & Plan (no big spending)
| Days | Action | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1–5 | Read the Reality Check. Pass the self-check honestly. Decide this is right for you. | Vol 1 ch 1 |
| 5–10 | Walk shortlist neighborhoods. Count foot traffic at 3+ spots, day & evening. | Vol 3 ch 2 |
| 10–15 | Talk to a tenant-side commercial broker; shortlist 3–5 candidate spaces. | Vol 3 ch 2, 4 |
| 10–20 | Call your city permit office: how are coin-op skill/prize machines classified here? What licenses/permits? | Vol 2 ch 3 |
| 10–20 | Line up a CPA for the first year. Build a draft startup budget. | Vol 6 ch 1, Vol 1 ch 4 |
| 15–20 | Check your financing: what can you fund, and keep 3–6 months of opex as reserve. | Vol 1 ch 4 |
| 20–30 | Form the LLC + get an EIN + open a business bank account. | Vol 2 ch 1, 2 |
| 20–30 | Request insurance quotes (GL + property) with arcade classification. | Vol 2 ch 4 |
Phase 2 · Days 30–60: Lock the Space & Order Machines
| Days | Action | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 30–35 | Negotiate the LOI + lease for the best candidate (traffic over cheap rent). Get free rent + a CAM cap + exit/sublet rights. Have an attorney review. | Vol 3 ch 4 |
| 30–40 | Confirm the lease's use clause permits amusement/arcade + electrical capacity for machines. | Vol 3 ch 1, 3 |
| 35–50 | Order machines. Default: 4–6 used/refurb full-size cranes + 2–4 minis + a couple capsules. Confirm cashless-ready and delivered price. | Vol 4 ch 2, 3; Vol 1 ch 4 |
| 40–50 | Line up a licensed electrician for the machine row; plan layout. | Vol 3 ch 3 |
| 40–55 | Order wholesale prize/plush (crane-prize kits) + a few "hero" window pieces. Plan which prize sits in which machine. | Vol 4 ch 5 |
| 45–60 | Secure cashless card/QR payment readers for every machine; set up one provider dashboard. | Vol 4 ch 4 |
| 50–60 | Buy your insurance policy (name landlord as additional insured). | Vol 2 ch 4 |
Phase 3 · Days 60–90: Fit Out, Permit, Open
| Days | Action | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 60–70 | Install machines + electrical; level and secure them (tip-proof). Signage up. Window display of hero prizes. | Vol 3 ch 3 |
| 60–75 | Pass any occupancy/electrical inspector; get the permits confirmed. | Vol 2 ch 3 |
| 65–75 | Set win rates on each machine to the fair 1-in-8 to 1-in-12 range (match prize cost). | Vol 1 ch 3; Vol 4 ch 5 |
| 70–80 | Set up cameras + remote monitoring app; cashless test on every machine. | Vol 5 ch 1 |
| 75–85 | Claim Google + Apple business profiles; post opening social; plan grand-opening promo. | Vol 5 ch 3 |
| 75–90 | Set up bookkeeping (Wave/QuickBooks) + monthly reconciliation + a tax bucket (~30% of profit). | Vol 6 ch 1, 4 |
| 80–90 | Open for a soft launch; walk your day-to-day checklist daily; invite locals to leave reviews. | Vol 5 ch 4 |
| ~90 | Grand opening. Track plays/machine from day one. | Vol 5 ch 3, Vol 6 ch 1 |
1) The cash reserve. Don't spend your last dollar on the opening — keep 3–6 months of opex in the bank. 2) The tax/sales-tax setup. Get the sales-tax treatment on plays confirmed and your collection set up before opening, not after a surprise bill.
Your first 30 days open (the "prove it" window)
- Daily: run the opening/through-shift/closing checklist (Vol 5 · ch 4).
- Weekly: reconcile revenue, restock, rotate prizes, adjust win rates on slow/hot machines.
- Monthly: review per-machine profit vs the budget; set aside the tax bucket.
- Watch the warning signs from Chapter 2 — if plays/machine decline or a machine can't cover its rent share, fix it fast.
Summary
In ~90 days you can go from idea to open doors: a month deciding & planning (no big spending), a month locking the space and ordering machines, and a month fitting out, passing inspection, and opening. The plan deliberately front-loads the cheap de-risking (foot traffic, permits, budget) before the expensive commitments (lease, machines). Follow the sequence, re-read the referenced chapters at each step, and keep 3–6 months of operating cash in reserve.
Checklist (the whole plan, one page)
- ☐ Decided it's right for you (Vol 1 ch 1).
- ☐ Confirmed foot traffic + permits + budget before spending.
- ☐ Formed the LLC, got EIN + bank account, set up CPA + insurance.
- ☐ Signed a fair lease (free rent, CAM cap, exit rights) at a traffic location.
- ☐ Ordered machines (buy, used/refurb) + prizes + cashless readers.
- ☐ Installed, passed inspection, set fair win rates, went live.
- ☐ Set up bookkeeping + tax bucket + sales-tax collection from day one.
- ☐ Track per-machine numbers daily/weekly/monthly.
You now have everything — the model, the legal, the space, the machines, the operations, the money, the real examples, and a 90-day plan. The rest is execution. Good luck — go claw one.
And when the claw wall is earning, there is one more machine business in this guide: Volume 8 — The Photo Booth Shop covers self-service photo booths, the operators already running them in the US, and how to add one to a shop you already own.