Okay, so... Float On only has one location (not counting Float On Hong Kong) and there's certainly a reason for that. Graham and Ashkahn have toyed with the idea of opening up another center multiple times throughout the years but something else always came up. As they've met more people in the industry, they've seen some of the pitfalls and successes from people opening additional locations, franchises and whatever else. They share their thoughts on when they think it'd be best to open and why they say to wait a little bit.

How do you figure out how many people to hire? What's the ideal hours for a float employee to work? Is there such a thing as too many hours? Too few?

Graham and Ashkahn share their insights with staffing Float On and what their staff looks like to cover all their shifts running a six tank, 24 hour float center.

Not all of us are interior designers, but we all want to have a space that is welcoming to our customers.

Graham and Ashkahn definitely have an eye for this, especially after visiting so many float centers. They share some of their favorite designs they've seen, as well as common tactics to help make your center comfy and inviting without necessarily breaking the bank on furniture. They also share some of their pipe dreams for their ideal designs that never came to be.

When Graham and Ashkahn get to definitively answer a question, it's like Christmas. Birds sing and the guys bust out their "Answering a question definitively" dance, which has the added side effect of better crop yields during the coming harvest. It's an exciting time. 

There's a very straightforward mathematical equation for measuring the weight of salt water based on specific gravity, which is excellent. And useful!

Also, whoever wrote this question needs to contact Graham and Ashkahn ASAP!

There's a lot of nuance to how you structure your service menu that can have a significant impact on how your customers spend their money. The size of prices, how they're ordered or arranged, what price you put first on the menu, etc. all make a difference. Given all these small details, it can seem daunting and make some business owners unsure of where to start or who's advice to take.

Fortunately, Graham and Ashkahn have been at this for a long time and really dig marketing psychology, so they have lots of advice, tips and even some of the psychology behind why we do the things we do.

There is somebody, somewhere, that has floated for the longest period of time on the planet. And given how recent the popularity of floating is, it's likely that the person who floated the longest is alive and that Graham and Ashkahn have met them.

The guys share one of their favorite stories from floaters at Float On, which involves the longest float they've ever run. Are you listening Guinness? We're making history!

The float industry has grown like crazy and no two centers are exactly the same. Some are opulent spas, others are small functional lounge type spaces with some tanks in it. Obviously price is a major factor in these designs, but what's the range for the cost of a center? Certainly there's a range, but you also want to make sure you're not skipping out on important things like sound/water/saltproofing or proper ventilation. So how much is it really, all things considered?

Okay. So... this happens. Sometimes float centers open up with the same name. It can be challenging, especially given that there are only so many float puns you can make. Graham and Ashkahn discuss the merits of protecting your name and some of the limitations that come with it, which is impacted by how close another center is, whether or not you have a copyright, and just how much effort you're willing to put forward to ensure that it stays yours.

Is it better to plan out your center for one float tank and build out from there, or should you future-proof your design in case you want to expand? Graham and Ashkahn break down the logistical issues of planning out both and the reasons someone might decide to go one way over another. Construction costs, hiring specialists, and shipping costs are all things to consider when making a decision like this and it can be expensive either way. There are smart ways to build out a center while saving up to expand later, and Graham and Ashkahn make a point to give advice about that as well.

Staff meetings are one of those things for float centers that are just a bit more inconvenient than some other places of business. Especially if that float center is open 24 hours a day like Float On is. 

In this episode, Graham and Ashkahn talk about how they run meetings, what they think is important to cover, how frequently they happen, and the ideal location for holding them (it's possible that the shop is too pleasant and inviting to move quickly from one topic to the next).