The Family Entertainment Brand’s Franchise Owners Come From Diverse Backgrounds
The Sky Zone franchise prizes diversity in its activities and its owners. Sky Zone entertainment parks center on trampolines but also offer dodgeball, hoops, climbing, zip lines and sliding. Multi-unit owner Usman Rao attests to the diversity among franchisees as well. “The vibrant franchise network is made up of all cultures, religions and ethnicities, and everyone shares a key focus on delivering the best guest experiences. I have never come across any biases.”
At his franchises — four in his home state of California and one each in Arizona, Connecticut and New Jersey — Rao is intentional about employing a multiethnic workforce. “I firmly believe that this diversity is essential for delivering an exceptional guest experience and effectively serving the diverse communities in which we operate. Coming from a diverse background myself, I have cultivated an inclusive environment that fosters a diverse team. Our primary focus remains on merit-based employee growth and consistently exceeding customer expectations.”
Rao opened his first Sky Zone in January 2016, and this year he’ll launch more units in California and New York. Personal experience first attracted him to Sky Zone. “The first Rockin’ Jump, which rebranded as Sky Zone, opened less than a mile from my home, and I took my kids there every week. They absolutely loved it. With my kids in different age groups, Sky Zone offered something for each of them, providing not only entertainment but also great physical activity.”
Leadership Experience
Rao leveraged a tech and corporate background in nurturing his franchise success. “I hold a degree in computer engineering and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management [at Northwestern University in Illinois]. Throughout my career, I’ve had global operations, product management and corporate strategy roles at companies like Cisco, McAfee, Intel and CrowdStrike, but I always aspired to own and scale a business.”
In particular, his corporate background facilitated scaling. Rao knew to build a high-performing operations team, monitor key performance metrics and streamline processes to stay cost-efficient. Experience with business valuations helped him evaluate acquisition opportunities. His tech expertise led two significant innovations: a call center that drives growth and development of machine learning algorithms that create predictive staffing models, “enabling us to maintain healthy margins despite rising labor costs.”
Nevertheless, Rao admits that “transitioning from the technology sector to a consumer-oriented business was a significant shift with a steep learning curve. Navigating negotiations with brokers, lenders, a contractor and city officials as well as managing a workforce primarily composed of teenagers presented hurdles. Time management quickly emerged as one of the most critical factors in running a small business.
“While entrepreneurship was far from easy when I began, it has proven to be the most intellectually stimulating and financially rewarding journey I’ve experienced. Throughout all of my initiatives, Sky Zone’s corporate team has been incredibly supportive, fostering innovation and growth. They treat franchisees as true partners. Sky Zone has been the ideal opportunity, offering a business model that checks all the right boxes: scalable revenue, low inventory, service-oriented operations, low COGS [cost of goods sold], strong product-market fit and high margins. Nine years later, it’s been a journey I’ve never regretted. I am excited for Sky Zone’s future and humbled to be part of it.”
The Sky Zone Difference
Multi-unit Sky Zone owner Usman Rao says the franchise delivers value to all of its stakeholders in these ways:
- Kids enjoy a wide range of attractions, from dodgeball and zip lines to warrior courses and special programs such as Little Leapers for children six and under.
- Parents like the fitness-oriented activities that unplug their children from phones and video games.
- Moms love the convenience of hosting hassle-free birthday parties in an enjoyable, engaging environment.
- Franchisees appreciate 1) the attractive return on investment of a high-margin, service-based business model with minimal inventory requirements and 2) the unmatched professionalism and support of Sky Zone’s corporate team.
For more information about the Sky Zone franchise, visit the company’s website.
