Thomas Adds ‘Bounce’ to Kids’ Entertainment Options

Boingo Bounce LLC

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Owners: Jamie Thomas

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Address: 240 E. Township St., Fayetteville

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Phone: 479-444-1419

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E-mail: [email protected]

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Hours: Open jump 4-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday; pre-school jump 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Wednesday; other times by reservation

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Website: www.boingobounce.com

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Startup date: Sept. 15

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Jamie Thomas and her husband were exploring the possibility of opening a business filled with the kinds of inflatable play structures most children find infinitely entertaining when they realized just such a place already existed in Bentonville.

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“We went, my kids loved it, and I said, ‘We have to do something like this in Fayetteville,'” Thomas said.

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And that’s how Boingo Bounce LLC became the Fayetteville equivalent of Bentonville’s Jump!Zone. At Boingo Bounce, about 4,700 SF of the total 6,700-SF space is devoted to housing the giant slides and bounce houses.

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Thomas said such inflatables typically range in cost between $3,500 and $15,000. Boingo Bounce has no less than six available for play during regular hours or reserved events like field trips, birthday parties, baby showers, or “any event you want to celebrate,” Thomas said.

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Prices for the open jump times are $6 for children ages 2-5 and $8 for those 6-17. Three party rooms – small, medium and large – also are available.

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Thomas said she made sure to include a small seating area and family restroom adjacent to the jump area, and she offers a small selection of snacks and drinks. Boingo Bounce currently employs a staff of nine.

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Recently Passed Bill Extends Loan Sweeteners

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At least one provider of products and services for small businesses believes the Small Business Jobs Bill will, indeed, benefit those it’s aimed at helping.

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Congress passed the bill Sept. 23.

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“The bill extends the SBA loan sweeteners … which reduce fees for borrowers and increase the government guarantees bank and non-bank lenders receive on agency loans,” Newtek Business Services Inc. president and CEO Barry Sloane said in a news release.

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Newtek is a non-bank SBA lender that claims to have originated $300 million in such loans since 2003, and expects to provide $70 million more this year.

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“This legislation provides continuing funding through the end of the year and possibly beyond for these loan sweeteners, which have been extremely popular and are sorely needed by small businesses throughout the United States,” Sloane said.

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“Newtek anticipates the benefits from (the bill), along with our expected Capital One Bank financing and securitization initiatives will significantly improve the performance of our small business lending segment in 2011.”

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According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, there are more than 29.6 million small businesses in the United States, which in total represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms. 

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Submit tips about new businesses in Northwest Arkansas to Rob Keys at [email protected] or 479-725-0394, ext. 323.