Happy Thursday!
Really quick before I dive in, I get this question all the time: “How do I actually make money with all these AI tools?” Thats why I built Playmakers: my AI agency program where I teach you how to charge local businesses $500-$5,000 a month to set up and manage AI for them. You get three live calls a week, plug-and-play automation templates you can deploy for clients on day one, a 5 Day First Client Challenge, and my personal lead lists with businesses in your area ready to connect.120+ people are already in the community building agencies right now. Go to playmakersai.com and check it out.
Okay, let’s get into it!
Every weekend, somebody near you throws a 60th birthday party or a baby shower and needs a room for it. Justin Hall and his wife rent them one. I sat down with Justin a few weeks ago and he walked me through how an old church in a strip mall became a $16,000 a month business he runs on top of his full-time job.
The Business
Leases a 3,000 square foot former church in a Stone Mountain, Georgia shopping center
Averages about $16,000 a month in revenue, with a best month of $22,500
Makes about $8,000 profit in an average month
No employees, just Justin and his wife
Booked $10,000 in a single day on less than $100 in Facebook ads
If this interests you, watch or listen to the full walk-through on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and by the end, you will have everything you need to start your own event venue!
How It Works
You lease a big open room, make it look great, and rent it out by the event. Customers book a block of time, usually 6 hours, then pay extra for screens, linens, balloons and decor. Justin said people are paying for convenience.
How Justin found it: He paid about $2,200 to rent a small venue for his wife's baby shower. When he toured other venues, owners were booking dates on paper calendars with highlighters. He knew he could do better.
The Numbers
Per event:
Blank canvas rental with tables and chairs: $1,000 for 6 hours
Average party: about $1,800
Decor packages: $2,800 to $4,000
Wedding package: $7,000
Profit per event:
About 90% on a $1,000 event
About $3,200 on a $4,000 event
Startup costs:
Build-out: $20,000 to $30,000 for floors, bathrooms, paint, an LED wall and a prep kitchen
Tables and chairs: about $5,000, mostly from Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist
The churches cover the rent. Three churches pay about $1,000 a month each to meet on Sunday mornings.
Playbook:
Step 1: Find a Space With Parking
Justin said don't fall in love with the building. He passed on beautiful spaces in downtown Atlanta because there was nowhere to park. Check these before you sign:
Parking for a full house (his plaza has about 170 spots)
Whether your county allows event venues at all
Whether the landlord will allow a venue (a lot of them told Justin no)
Step 2: Negotiate the Lease
Bring a business plan, because Justin's landlord asked for one. Then ask for free rent while you build out and a non-compete so the landlord can't fill the plaza with other venues.
Justin skipped the non-compete. His landlord moved four more venues into the plaza. Justin outlasted all of them, but he called it a regret.
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Step 3: Open Before It Looks Finished
Justin did most of the build-out himself on nights and weekends, and he said his biggest regret was moving too slowly. He signed the lease in August 2024 and didn't have his grand opening until November 2025. He said he could have booked dozens of events in the unfinished space.
Step 4: Post the Build on Instagram
Start a page for the venue the day you get the keys. Justin's videos of pulling up carpet and his kids painting did better than the content he pays for now,, and they brought in customers before he had pricing.
Step 5: Run Tight Local Ads
At launch, Justin ran his $2,800 decor package for $1,000 on Facebook and Instagram and booked about 10 in one day. He started out targeting 22 miles. Now he sticks to 5 to 7 miles around the venue.
He also mails 50 cent postcards to people with a milestone birthday coming up, three of them starting three months out.
Step 6: Turn Every Party Into Leads
Justin puts QR codes on the screens and tables. Guests scan and upload selfies that show up on the LED wall, and they enter a phone number and email to do it. After the party, everyone gets the photo gallery and a review request. Justin said about 8% of guests who upload photos have booked their own event.
Step 7: Make Tours Easy to Book
Justin's tours are booked through GoHighLevel, and he said he closes about 70% of the people who show up.
Mistakes to Avoid
Guessing on permits. Justin was told he didn't need an entertainment license. He did, and it cost him four months.
A vague contract. One group hung a goat from the ceiling and cooked it with torches. Now his contract bans open flames, backed by a $350 deposit.
Packing the tables. Justin said his reviews drop when there are more than eight people at a table.
Why This is Great
You might assume that you'd need your own building to run an event venue. Justin rents a room in a strip mall, keeps his day job and runs it with his wife. She designs the events and he handles the tech.
He also said you can test it without a lease by prepaying a local VFW hall for two weekends and renting those weekends out yourself.
What you need to start:
A big open room (with plenty of parking)
Secondhand tables and chairs- check auctions and FB Marketplace
An Instagram page for the venue
Under $3,000 by Justin's estimate, or about $6,000 with first month's rent and a deposit
Three churches at $1,000 a month covered Justin's original $3,000 rent before a single birthday party was booked.
And again, if running an event venue interests you, listen to the full walk-through on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and by the end, you will have everything you need to open your own wherever you live.
Lastly, I'm always looking for cool, unique businesses to share on my podcasts. If you have one and are comfortable sharing your journey, drop your info here!
Have a great week!
Chris
P.S. I share deep dives on business ideas and complete playbooks three times a week on YouTube and every podcast platform.
