Creating a Treasure Hunt as a Business
By Steve Gillman
I don't remember if it was myself or my friend who had the
idea of creating a treasure hunt, but soon we were heading out
several times each week into remote canyons, and up nearby mountains.
I placed clues and stashes of goodies, then put the latest hunts
on my new website, www.ColoradoTreasureHunting.com, with prizes
for discovering various treasures or completing three hunts.
It has been fun, but how do I make money with this. To be
honest I don't make much, and this is more of an "ideas"
page than a business plan. But the basic goal was to make money
from the site. This year it will make only about $300 from advertising
and ebooks I sell. Sadly, some sites catch on, and some don't.
On the other hand I have spent only a few hours on the site this
year, and traffic is growing. It costs me just $10 per year to
keep it (we get unlimited sites on our servers), and only $100
for the top prize if anyone completes the entire challenge (I
have one serious contender that recently emailed me).
Other ways to make money from creating a treasure hunt include
having entry fees and organizing the hunt as part of some larger
event. For example, during a festival in your area, you might
hide clues and treasure on public lands, with a $1,000 final
prize, $200 in other treasure, and $800 in advertising. With
an entry fee of $20 you would need 100 participants to break
even, and beyond that you would have a profit.
You might recall that many years ago there was a treasure
hunt set up with clues in a fiction book. I don't remember the
details, but the treasure was substantial and there was a lot
of news coverage, so book sales were great. Nobody has tried
this again to my knowledge, so the time may be right.
How Much Can You Make?
There is no way to know what the potential is from creating
a treasure hunt as a business venture. It is not something that
has been tried very often.
Ways to Make More | Related Opportunities
| Tips
The more unique the project and the treasure, the more free
publicity you are likely to get. If it is a long-term or ongoing
treasure hunt that will be around for a while, you can spread
the word using social networks online.
Qualifications / Requirements
A creative mind, a sense of adventure, and a knack for marketing
will all help.
First Steps
Brainstorm a good plan for both creating a treasure hunt and
making money from it. Run your ideas past a few people who are
honest but not automatically negative (like many people are).
Resources
http://www.uniqueprojects.com/projects/treasurehunt/treasurehunt.htm?page=3
- Some suggestions for how to create a treasure hunt.
http://www.coloradotreasurehunting.com
- My own treasure hunting site.
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