Adam Janes, Owner, ABC Leisure Hire: "Pressure is what drives me." Picture: Dorset Biz News.
Published: March 6, 2023 | Updated: 6th March 2023
Adam Janes has it all mapped out.
The 35-year-old said: “The plan is to be a millionaire by the time I’m 40.
“I’ve also got a notification on my calendar which is going to go off in a couple of years.
“When that day comes around, and it goes ping, I should have a Porsche by then.
“You only live once and you want to make some serious money don’t you?
“I just want to absolutely smash it.”
A self-confessed ‘ducker and diver’ Adam, who is married to Hollie and has four children, worked as a salesman for an electrical wholesaler for ten years before deciding to go it alone.
He said: “I’ve always fancied myself as a bit of entrepreneur.
“Anything I can see a profit in then I’ll do it.
“Buying and selling cars, making tee-shirts, window tinting, carpet cleaning, tattoo removal, rubbish removal, Christmas trees – I’ve done them all.
“I’ve started up 17 businesses but, apart from four, they were all fairly small.
“I watch Dragons’ Den on the TV a lot. It’s my favourite show.
“I like seeing the way people come in and pitch, what they’re doing and the ideas they’re coming up with.
“I’m so into that.”
Eight years ago, Adam bought two new bouncy castles for his latest venture.
He said: “The plan was to hire them out for a few months, get my money back and then do something else because I didn’t want to ruin my weekends.
“But bookings just kept coming in and you don’t want to let people down.
“I thought: ‘Crikey, I better get some more because this is getting busy’.”
ABC Leisure Hire now has 28 bouncy castles as well as a wide range of other products – from inflatables to arcade machines.
The Hurn-based business also carries out the testing of all bouncy castles for the Professional Inflatable Play Association (PIPA) and provides corporate hire packages.
One of its most popular events is the Bouncy Planet at Ferndown Leisure Centre for children aged one to 12.
Adam said: “We fill the hall with our biggest and best stock and let the kids run wild.
“Not just castles but drop slides, base jumps and assault courses. It’s absolutely huge.”
Previously known as Adam’s Bouncy Castles, ABC Leisure Hire doesn’t claim to be the biggest bouncy castle operator in Dorset.
But Adam said that with 21,000 Facebook ‘likes’ and 231 five-star Google reviews he believed it was probably the most popular.
He said: “Our reviews are amazing.
“There are no fours, threes, two or ones. Just 231 five stars.
“But we deserve them.
“We literally bend over backwards.
“We’ve got a spare for everything as well as a spare van and spare staff in case anything goes wrong.
“We’re here, there and everywhere in Dorset and not letting anyone down.
“There’s a lot of pressure.
“On a Saturday, for instance, we could have 15 bookings and halls, and all at similar times.
“We’ve got two vans but you’ve got to get everywhere and we’re covering the whole of Dorset so it gets really stressful.”
Future plans include the launch of a 5k race combined with an assault course, base jumps and all manner of inflatable obstacles later this year.
Adam said: “It will be aimed at families and people who aren’t so fit.
“You can walk or run around it.
“There’ll be music playing and bubbles blowing across the field.
“It’s just going to be a lot of fun.”
As well as ABC Leisure Hire, Adam’s other ventures include Blower Fans Direct – supplying air blowers for bouncy castles – and home delivery service, Polar Christmas Trees.
He said: “Pressure is what drives me.
“But you can’t move forward if you’re standing still.
“You’ve got to reach for the stars – and never give up on what makes you happy.”