Business · Updated 5 October 2026
A business plan is a tool for finding out whether the project works before you spend the money. It is also what banks, landlords and partners will ask for. Keep it clear and honest, and show your assumptions.
1. Summary
One page: the concept, the location, the number of courts, the total investment and what you need from the reader.
2. Market and customers
Who will play, where they live, which competing facilities exist and how busy they are. Back claims with observations rather than general statements about padel growth.
3. Concept and offer
Court bookings, coaching, leagues, memberships, events and extras. See revenue streams.
4. Site, design and permits
The site, number of courts, layout, permit status and timeline. See dimensions and space and what permits you may need.
5. Investment budget
Every cost category from the cost guide, with a source or an estimate and a contingency.
6. Operating budget
Staff, rent, utilities, maintenance, insurance, software and marketing – see operating costs.
7. Revenue forecast and scenarios
Model occupancy by time of day and season. Build at least a cautious, a realistic and an optimistic scenario, and find the occupancy at which the centre breaks even. Read how profitable is a padel centre?
8. Risks and next steps
List the main risks – permits, construction delays, lower demand, new competitors – and what you would do about each.
An outline you can copy
| Section | What it should answer |
|---|---|
| 1. Summary | One page: concept, site, courts, investment, ask |
| 2. Market | Catchment, competitors, observed occupancy |
| 3. Concept | Revenue streams, pricing, opening hours |
| 4. Site and permits | Layout, permit status, timeline |
| 5. Investment | Every cost category with source and confidence |
| 6. Operations | Team, opening hours, roles, systems |
| 7. Financials | Monthly forecast, three scenarios, break-even |
| 8. Risks | Top risks and what you will do about them |
Build the forecast around occupancy
The main driver of revenue is how many of the available court hours you sell, and at what price. Build the forecast month by month: available hours = courts × opening hours; booked hours = available hours × occupancy; revenue = booked hours × average price, plus other revenue. Use different occupancy for peak and off-peak hours, because they behave very differently.
Run three scenarios
Make a cautious, a realistic and an optimistic scenario. Change one thing at a time – occupancy, price, opening date, rent – so you can see which assumption the business depends on most. If the cautious case still survives, the plan is robust; if it does not, you need to know that before you invest.
Show where the numbers come from
Mark each number as a quote, a measured observation or an assumption. Banks and partners will trust a plan more when assumptions are visible, and you will learn more when you can test them one by one. Avoid copying general growth claims into your forecast; use what you can observe in your own catchment area.
Check the plan against the real world
Before you finish, check it against the actual cost categories in the cost guide, the operating costs and the revenue streams. For the court part of the budget, price your courts in the configurator.
Frequently asked questions
How detailed should a padel business plan be?
Detailed enough that someone else can see your assumptions and test them. Banks and partners will usually want the investment budget, operating budget and a forecast with scenarios.
What is break-even occupancy?
The share of available court hours you must sell to cover all your costs. It is one of the most useful numbers in a padel business plan.
Planning a padel facility?
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