Today we’d like to introduce you to David Khoh.
David, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Graduated from UC Berkeley in 1997 with a degree in Psychology and Social Welfare. I got my first job as a Network Admin in the financial district of San Francisco. After a few years, since my family was in Southern California, I came to a fork in my career. If I moved back to LA, I’d have to give up a much higher paying job in IT for a much lower paying salary for the same job in Southern Cal. My family and I, decided together, I would try my hand at running a business with the money I saved as well as some help from family.
After moving down, I got business listings from an agent and drove around for months all over Southern California checking out these opportunities. I eventually came to own a Baskin Robbins in Lake Perris, CA. Although the location itself was not where I wanted to be, I had made a conscious decision that I would go where the opportunity is located.
I ran this Baskin Robbins with huge sales growth for a few years and realized that my mind naturally worked well in as a business owner. I eventually bought two more stores in Huntington Beach as well as Fountain Valley, Due to the proximity I sold my Lake Perris store and ran the two OC stores for a about 5 years.
After some issues with the franchisor, I decided to sell my stores and try my hand in a new business.
I ended up buying an indoor playground in Anaheim Hills. Although the seller didn’t have any proof of what they claimed were the profits, I did my own research and sat inside the business for months on the busiest weekends to get a grasp of how much revenue was coming in as well as their costs. I decided it was a great opportunity and purchased Seascape Kids Fun in Anaheim Hills.
I have run the playground for 5+ years now and has been the most successful business decision I have made thus far.
I am, again, in a fork in my business ventures. I have lost the excitement of running this business and am interested in either adding another business to my portfolio or replacing my current business with a new venture.
I make it clear that I do not limit myself by proximity or type of business…. I go where I feel the greatest opportunities lie…. ideally, I feel children businesses are the safer bets…I feel parents spare no expense for their children in any type of economy…. but again, I still consider all businesses that may come up.
After two years of running Seascape Kids Fun, I had received an offer for 8x from my purchase price. Although I was tempted, I declined due to the huge capital gains tax liability.
To this point, I have run small businesses…I am now considering a bigger venture…maybe with a partner….
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
For the most part, it’s been smooth. I was lucky enough to be able to own all my business without any debt. Thus, cashflow has never been an issue for me. The only problem is after a 3-5 years of running a business…I stop learning…. At this point, I don’t pay as much attention to my business as I should.
The biggest struggle I am going through is now. My industry in the playground space has become so diluted that the revenue has been in decline this year.
Please tell us about Seascape Kids Fun.
Seascape Kids Fun is primarily a children’s birthday party venue. About 80% of our business is birthday parties. We have a 3 story structure with 13 air guns and a ball pit area with ball fountains. We also carry the typical inflatable slides, obstacle course and bouncers.
My business motto is mainly customer service and cleanliness. We have great yelp review and strive to make sure all our guest leaves our facility with a positive experience.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Not having to worry about anything. Going places and never having to worry about packing/unpacking/cooking etc. My parents bore that burden. Since I am grown and have my own children… I can now fully appreciate what my parents did for me growing up.
Contact Info:
- Address: 4771 E. Hunter Ave.
Anaheim, CA 92807 - Website: www.seascapekidsfun.com
- Phone: 714-970-7100
- Email: [email protected]
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/seascape-kids-fun-anaheim
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