5 KPI & Metrics for Trampoline Park Success: What Should You Track?
Trampoline Park
You're running a trampoline park; track five KPIs: MRR (monthly recurring revenue), rolling 12‑month member retention, ARPU (average revenue per user), instructor cost ratio, and cash runway. Review monthly, compare to Year 1 revenue of $1,200,000 and Year 2 revenue of $1,700,000, and keep minimum cash above $137,000 while watching Jan-29.
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KPI Metric
Description
1
MRR
Total monthly subscription revenue; indicates predictable cash flow and capacity to cover fixed costs.
2
Retention / Churn
Percentage of members retained or lost; impacts recurring revenue and long-term profitability.
3
ARPU
Average revenue per user including subscriptions, drop-ins, merchandise, and events; reveals monetization effectiveness.
4
Cash Runway
Current cash and projected months runway; guides fundraising timing and necessary cost reductions.
5
Instructor Cost Ratio
Instructor pay as percent of related revenue; measures labor efficiency and contribution margin health.
Key Takeaways
Track MRR monthly and compare to fixed costs
Protect runway: keep cash above $137,000 minimum
Reduce churn by measuring rolling 12-month retention cohorts
Control instructor costs as percent of program revenue
What Are The 5 Must-Track KPIs?
You're running a trampoline park and need a concise dashboard: track membership MRR growth rate, member retention (rolling 12‑month cohort), ARPU including leagues and certifications, instructor cost as a percent of relevant revenue, and cash runway with a minimum cash level to spot risk fast - read on and see how these feed decisions like pricing, scheduling, and hiring. Also check How to Start a Trampoline Park? for setup context. These five trampoline park KPIs form the spine of monthly reporting and marketing ROI checks.
5 Must-Track KPIs
Membership MRR growth rate
Rolling 12‑month retention rate
ARPU (memberships, leagues, certification)
Instructor cost ratio & cash runway
What Numbers Tell You If You're Actually Making Money?
Your scorecard is simple: track monthly gross margin, EBITDA trend, contribution margin per member, operating cash flow, and the modelled breakeven revenue to know if the trampoline park is profitable - keep reading to see which to watch first. Watch gross margin after COGS and instructor commissions each month and watch EBITDA trending toward positive territory by Year 4 and Year 5. Reconcile contribution margin per membership and operating cash flow after fixed expenses and debt service, and confirm the model's breakeven revenue level reached in Year 5. See operating cost details here: What Operating Costs Does a Trampoline Park Incur?
Key profitability checks
Gross margin after COGS and variable instructor commissions monthly
EBITDA trending toward positive by Year 4 and Year 5
Contribution margin per member after direct variable costs
Operating cash flow after fixed expenses and debt service
Which KPI Predicts Cash Flow Problems Early?
Watch minimum cash balance vs forecasted burn - that gap flags trouble before revenue reports do, so monitor it monthly. Also watch receivables aging for unpaid corporate event invoices, membership churn spikes after marketing cuts or seasonality, and timing mismatches between capex loan repayments and ramping revenues. If ARPU declines while fixed costs stay steady, your cash runway trampoline business tightens fast; see How Profitable is a Trampoline Park? for related breakeven context.
Early Cash Problem Signals
Minimum cash balance vs forecasted burn
Receivables aging from corporate bookings
Membership churn spikes after marketing cuts
Capex loan repayment timing mismatch
Which KPI Shows If Marketing Is Paying Off?
Measure the direct link between marketing and paid sign-ups. Track new paid memberships attributable to specific campaigns, customer acquisition cost (CAC) versus first 12-month revenue per member, conversion rate from trial or drop-in to subscription membership, and corporate event bookings per marketing dollar spent to see real ROI. Also tie league and certification fee growth to referral partnerships and compare marketing-driven revenue to operating costs What Operating Costs Does a Trampoline Park Incur?. Here's the quick list to monitor monthly.
Marketing ROI metrics to track
New paid memberships by campaign
Customer acquisition cost vs first‑12‑month revenue
Conversion rate: trial/drop‑in → subscription
Corporate event bookings per marketing dollar
What KPI Do Most New Owners Ignore Until It's Too Late?
You're likely tracking MRR and retention, but owners often miss big-cost timing and utilization risks - read on to fix that and protect your cash runway for the trampoline business. Check operating cost timing against What Operating Costs Does a Trampoline Park Incur? for context. These overlooked items directly hit contribution margins and instructor cost ratio.
Ignored KPIs that break cash flow
Deferred maintenance & pit foam replacement - schedule and cost impact on cash runway.
True fully-burdened instructor cost - include commissions, benefits, and variable fees for accurate instructor cost ratio trampoline park.
What Are 5 Core KPIs Should Track?
KPI 1: Membership Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)
Definition
Membership Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) is the total subscription income your trampoline park collects each month from recurring plans (memberships, leagues, certification subscriptions). It shows the predictable core revenue you can use to cover rent, payroll, and service debt, and to forecast cash runway.
Advantages
Shows predictable cash available for monthly-fixed costs like rent
Helps forecast runway and capital repayment ability quickly
Enables segmentation by program to find high-value memberships
Disadvantages
Can mask profitability if variable costs (instructor commissions) are high
Seasonality may hide true trend if measured without year-over-year context
Subscription revenue excludes one-off corporate event cash and merchandise
Industry Benchmarks
Benchmarking for trampoline park MRR should tie to fixed cost coverage. Use MRR compared to monthly rent and fixed operating costs; for the provided model, annual revenue targets of $1,200,000 (Year 1) and $1,700,000 (Year 2) imply monthly toplines of $100,000 and $141,667. Those toplines set expectations for the MRR needed to reach breakeven by Year 5.
How To Improve
Segment MRR by program (certification, leagues, general) and raise prices on underpriced premium tiers
Increase conversion from drop-in to subscription with trial-to-plan funnels
Bundle leagues/certification to lift ARPU and reduce churn
How To Calculate
Membership MRR = Sum of all recurring subscription fees received in the month
Example of Calculation
Membership MRR = $1,200,000 annual topline ÷ 12 = $100,000 (upper-bound if entire Year 1 revenue were recurring)
Tips and Trics
Report MRR monthly and compare to fixed costs like rent the same period
Show MRR by cohort (monthly sign-up month) to detect retention issues early
Subtract related variable costs (instructor commissions) to get contribution margin per member
Stress-test MRR drop scenarios against the $137,000 minimum cash buffer; defintely set an action trigger
KPI 2: Member Retention and Churn Rate
Definition
Member Retention and Churn Rate measures the share of members who stay enrolled over a rolling 12-month cohort. It shows whether subscriptions and programs keep customers long enough to cover acquisition cost and drive predictable membership MRR trampoline park.
Advantages
Highlights revenue stability and predictability for forecasting MRR.
Guides whether to spend on acquisition or on retention tactics.
Disadvantages
Can hide seasonality unless you use rolling 12-month cohorts.
Doesn't show revenue per retained member (ARPU needs separate tracking).
Easy to misread if corporate event billing or prepaid packages skew counts.
Industry Benchmarks
For membership activity centers, a sensible target is a rolling 12-month retention rate of 70-80%; under 60% signals acute churn risk. Benchmarks matter because retention drives payback on acquisition: lower retention lengthens payback and strains the cash runway trampoline business.
How To Improve
Link instructor incentives to cohort retention and certification completion.
Create tiered membership upsells (leagues, certification) to raise ARPU.
Adjust class schedules and capacity to reduce waitlists and no-shows.
How To Calculate
Member Retention Rate (12-month cohort) = (Members at end of 12 months / Members at start of 12 months) × 100%
Report retention monthly using rolling 12-month cohorts to remove seasonality noise.
Segment by program (leagues, certification, open-play) and by cohort start month.
Watch churn spikes after price or schedule changes; act within 30 days.
Calculate contribution margin per member to see if retained members cover fixed costs.
KPI 3: Average Revenue Per User (ARPU)
Definition
Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) measures the average revenue each active member generates from subscriptions, drop-ins, merchandise, leagues, and events. It shows whether your pricing, upsells, and programs are increasing per-member value and if marketing spend pays back.
Advantages
Shows revenue lift from upsells like certifications and leagues
Helps compare juniors vs corporate accounts for targeted pricing
Connects marketing ROI to first-year revenue per member
Disadvantages
Can hide big segment differences if tracked as a single average
Influenced by one-off corporate events or seasonal spikes
Requires accurate revenue allocation across programs and fees
Industry Benchmarks
Use segmented ARPU rather than a single park-wide number: juniors, young adults, and corporate should be tracked separately. Compare ARPU growth year-over-year; aim for ARPU to rise while membership MRR trampoline park grows from Year 1 to Year 2 ($1,200,000 to $1,700,000).
How To Improve
Introduce premium tiers and bundled certification + league offers
Build referral deals for corporate accounts to raise corporate ARPU
Test add-ons (merchandise, priority bookings) and track incremental ARPU
How To Calculate
Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) = Total revenue from members (subscriptions + drop-ins + merchandise + events) / Number of active members
Example of Calculation
Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) = $1,200,000 ÷ 1,200 active members = $1,000 per member per year
Tips and Trics
Segment ARPU by program and customer type monthly
Compare ARPU to customer acquisition cost and first 12-month revenue
Watch ARPU vs instructor cost ratio trampoline park to protect margins
Report ARPU trend alongside membership MRR trampoline park growth
KPI 4: Cash Balance and Runway
Definition
Cash Balance and Runway is the amount of liquid cash on hand and how many months that cash will cover your net burn (monthly cash out minus cash in). It shows whether the trampoline park can operate through slow seasons, delayed membership ramps, or missed corporate bookings without new funding.
Advantages
Shows solvency: warns before the minimum cash month Jan-29
Guides timing for fundraising or cuts using runway months
Supports scenario planning for delayed membership ramps or fewer corporate bookings
Disadvantages
Ignores off-balance-sheet commitments like deferred maintenance
Overstated if receivables aging is long or corporate events not prepaid
Misleading if seasonal cash swings aren't stress-tested
Industry Benchmarks
For a trampoline park model here, use the modelled safety level of $137,000 as the baseline minimum cash. Track monthly against the forecasted minimum cash month (Jan-29) and aim for runway that reaches the point EBITDA trends toward positive in Years 4-5.
How To Improve
Reforecast monthly under delayed membership ramp scenarios
Convert corporate bookings to prepayments to shorten receivables
Set a buffer above the $137,000 minimum for seasonality
How To Calculate
Cash Runway (months) = Minimum Cash Balance ÷ Average Monthly Net Burn
Example of Calculation
Cash Runway (months) = 137,000 ÷ 27,400 = 5.0
Tips and Trics
Reconcile minimum cash monthly and flag any drop toward $137,000
Stress-test runway for 20-40% slower membership growth and fewer corporate bookings
Monitor receivables aging; require deposits for corporate events
Decide fundraising or cuts when runway falls below your buffer, not zero
KPI 5: Instructor Cost Ratio
Definition
Instructor Cost Ratio measures instructor-related variable costs (commissions) and directly tied wages as a percentage of the revenue streams they support, such as classes, certification, and leagues. It shows how much of program revenue is eaten by instructional labor and helps keep contribution margins healthy.
Advantages
Highlights variable labor pressure on program contribution margins
Enables pricing or schedule changes tied to instructor costs
Supports incentive plans that drive retention and certification
Disadvantages
Ignores fixed payroll and broader burden unless fully loaded
Can mislead if revenue mix shifts (drop-ins vs. subscription)
Requires clean tracking of program-level revenue to be useful
Industry Benchmarks
Use the model assumption that Instructor Commissions start at 20% of related revenue in Year 1 as a baseline for trampoline parks. Track for a steady decline in percent as MRR and ARPU increase; this shows operational gearing. Benchmarks matter because they link instructor spend to the park's path toward positive EBITDA in Years 4-5.
How To Improve
Segment instructor cost by program and price high-margin classes higher
Adjust schedules to increase class utilization and reduce idle instructor hours
Tie commissions to retention and certification completion, not just hours
How To Calculate
Instructor Cost Ratio = (Instructor commissions + Instructor wages tied to program) / Program-related revenue × 100%
Example of Calculation
Instructor Cost Ratio = (Commission 20,000 / Program revenue 100,000) × 100% = 20%
Tips and Trics
Report ratio monthly per program and compare to total MRR trampoline park trends
Forecast instructor cost by program when modeling cash runway and breakeven
Use incentives that raise retention rate and ARPU rather than just hours taught
Focus on MRR, retention, ARPU, cash runway, and instructor cost ratio as the five primary KPIs to run the trampoline park Use the revenue roadmap across Years 1-5 and track EBITDA movement from negative toward positive by Year 4 and Year 5 Monitor minimum cash of $137,000 and month-of-risk signals
Review membership and revenue metrics at least monthly with weekly topline checks for anomalies Track MRR growth and ARPU monthly, compare to the provided Year 1 revenue of $1,200,000 and Year 2 revenue of $1,700,000 Use monthly reviews to spot churn and adjust marketing or scheduling quickly
Maintain a cash buffer above the modelled minimum cash of $137,000 to cover unexpected shortfalls Reconcile runway monthly and ensure coverage through critical months such as the minimum cash month identified as Jan-29 Use buffer sizing to bridge to positive EBITDA expected by Year 4 and Year 5
Yes, track instructor commissions separately because they are a variable expense tied to revenue Assumptions include Instructor Commissions starting at 20% in Year 1 and declining over time, so monitoring this line protects margins Report commissions monthly and compare to program revenue for accurate contribution margins
Measure marketing ROI by attributing new paid memberships, corporate event bookings, and certification enrollments to campaigns Compare acquisition cost to first 12-month revenue per member and assess against Year 1 revenue of $1,200,000 and Year 2 revenue of $1,700,000 Track conversion from drop-ins to subscriptions monthly
