A couple of moms, who recognized the need for a clean, family-friendly facility for children to have fun and get exercise, own and manage Jumpin' Jax.  To have fun with our children we heard about and visited several inflatable facilities in both Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids.  After visiting these facilities we knew that we had to open one up in Greater Lansing.   For a reasonable admission price, our children had loads of fun and as parents we didn’t feel guilty about bringing them somewhere to load up on calories and play video games.     

As parents and as business owners we are excited about bringing this opportunity to Greater Lansing.  For an affordable admission fee of $8.00, a child will be able to enter our facility and have fun. We also offer a place for parents and their children to have reasonably priced birthday parties.   Jumpin' Jax provides a room for a private party to be held, as well.  We will gladly host the party for you; let us take care of set up and clean up.   We also offer basic snack and beverage items for our guests. 

 

Capital Area's "Queens of Bounce" Featured!

Jumpin' Jax Bounce Arena was recently featured in the August issue of Capital Area Women's Lifestyle magazine. Click the image to read the entire article.

 

"It all started as a notion, a seed of an idea sparked by the lack of local places to take children for physical activity.  A place where children weren't absorbed in video games, where they burned as many calories as they took in, and where they could run and play in a safe environment."

 

 

DeWitt Moms Jump Into Family Business With Bounce Arena
Capital Gains, 7/9/2008

After running out of indoor exercise options for their children, Kelly Ramirez and Joan Blackmer laid out a business plan to open a 10,000 square foot bounce arena in Lansing Township.

A year later, they opened Jumpin’ Jax, a massive bounce arena where kids can go to get rid of excess energy. Jumpin’ Jax has five inflatables, including a standard jumping castle for younger children and a 22-foot double slide for older kids, giving the kids access to unlimited, safe, jumping and climbing.

“We knew Lansing needed something like this,” says Ramirez. “The statistics show that obesity is on the rise and kids are not getting physical exercise like they used to.”

“We wanted parents to have somewhere to go that was clean and safe and they could talk,” says Blackmer.

The women strategically opened their business (which is in a former hockey arena) next to the Lansing Indoor Sports Arena on Lake Lansing Road. Not only does the location give them plenty of space for expansion, it also peaks the interest of Lansing Indoor Sports Arena parents and kids.

Jumpin’ Jax has two party rooms, a lounge area for parents and several massage chairs for overworked and underpaid moms.

Ramirez and Blackmer have only been open since March, but they’re already looking to expand.

Ramirez says they want to create a toddler-only section so younger kids have a place to play. They also want to add an in-house café and other inflatables to the area.

Source: Kelly Ramirez and Joan Blackmer, Jumpin Jax Bounce Arena

Ivy Hughes, development news editor, original article can be seen here

On April 30,2009 we were awarded 2008 Best Small Business of the year by the MI-Small Business & Technology Development Center. Thank you! We are SO excited and honored! Best Small Business is chosen from clients within their six county region which includes Clinton, Eaton, Ingham, Ionia, Livingston and Shiawassee counties. Businesses are chosen by this criteria, they have to be a unique business with growth potential, and the owners may have faced challenges and rose from the challenges to open or grow a successful business. Thank you to all those who've come and enjoyed our bounce house, we couldn't have done it without all the great customers.

Female Entrepreneurs Get Boost From Bounce House Venture
Lansing State Journal, 12/17/2008

Mothers and entrepreneurs, Kelly Ramirez and Joan Blackmer, are enjoying the entertainment and economic kickback from their new 10,000 square foot bounce arena.

According to excerpts from the article:

Ramirez, 40, a former interior designer, and Blackmer, 37, a former social worker, have created the Jumpin' Jax Bounce Arena, a 10,000-square-foot play area filled with colorful inflatable structures that kids can slide down, bounce on or climb over.

Five days a week, hundreds of kids whoop it up, giving their parents a chance to read magazines, make a Wi-Fi connection, or even join in the fun on one of five giant inflatables. The cost is $8 per child for unlimited fun.

Lisa Aylward, a DeWitt mother of three high-energy boys, 7, 5, 3, said her sons "love it. They would go every day, if I would let them. . . . I take them there every four to six weeks to burn off their extra energy."

Read the entire article here.

Joan & Kelly are a couple of moms, who recognized the need for a clean, family-friendly facility for children to have fun and get exercise. To have fun with their own children they heard and visited several inflatable facilities in both Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids. After visiting these facilities, they knew that they had to open one up in Greater Lansing.
The business development started March 09, 2007 and with research Joan and Kelly quickly found out they needed a building with high ceilings more like a warehouse type location. Many of these types of buildings are located in industrial parks and finding the right location that would provide the safe environment was a challenge. After months of searching, November 2007 they found right location on Lake Lansing Road, which is approximately 1 mile west of the Eastwood Town Center and right next to Soccer Locker.
On March 15, 2008 Jumpin' Jax Bounce Arena opened with Joan and Kelly as the only employees.
Jumpin' Jax is a 10,000 sq foot facility that contains 5 (five) giant inflatable's. If you have ever been to a fair, carnival or festival you have seen an inflatable. Jumpin' Jax brings them indoors into a clean and safe climate-controlled facility so that they can be enjoyed year round, providing an excellent opportunity for exercise and fun.
In November they hired 7 part-time employees as hostess to handle the increase demand for private parties.
Future plans are to expand the toddler area, add more lounge seating, a café and wireless internet. They were also nominated for the MI-SBTDC Region 8 Best Small Business Award.
Check out their website at: http://www.jumpinjaxbouncearena.com
Written By: Kelile Hanford, Certified Business Consultant