Success Story: Galactic Fun Zone
Columbia, Mo.

When he wrote his senior capstone project at Mizzou, little did Lorenzo Williams dream that eventually it would be his ticket to the entrepreneurism zone.

To complete his degree in general agriculture at MU, Lorenzo focused his senior project on a business proposal. He unleashed his imagination to design a company compatible with his competitive background. Lorenzo developed a plan for a sports park and entertainment center filled with games, raceways and playing fields for energetic youths.

Monte Wyrick of Galactic Fun Zone describes the difficulties the business encountered with obtaining financial backing and how the University of Missouri SBTDC helped.

"The plan helped me earn my degree, but then all it did was stay filed away on my computer for a few years" recalls Williams, who worked part time during his college days.

That part-time work involved endless hours every week training, practicing and playing football for a boss named Gary Pinkel. Lorenzo was a defensive tackle for the Missouri Tigers from 2003 to 2007, and served as one of four team captains his senior year. While toiling in the trenches on Faurot Field, the Oklahoma native also made sure he finished his degree.

In addition to the laser tag arena (above) Galactic Fun Zone activities include a bowling alley, electronic game arcade, pool tables and concession stand. Additional activities are planned for future development. (Photo courtesy of the Columbia Business Times)

"I knew I would need that degree eventually. I just didn't think it would be as soon as it was," the beefy former lineman admits. He played pro football for two and half years with the Baltimore Ravens and the Carolina Panthers. After he left the Panthers in 2009 he came back to Columbia and waited two weeks, hoping for a phone call to return to camp.

The call didn't come. But Lorenzo didn't sit around and mope either. He started thinking about the business plan he wrote back in his college days.

"I dusted off that computer file and called my old college roommate, teammate and best friend, Monte Wyrick, to see what he thought about the idea," says Lorenzo. "He really liked it. But the guy who shared an apartment with Monte was an accountant and he said, 'What are you guys thinking?'"

They were thinking, "Can do!"

So Lorenzo and Monte made some adjustments to the plan, projected a total investment of $6.5 million and started looking for backers.

When Columbia-area banker Andrew Beverly looked at their proposal, he suggested they scale back their plan. He also advised them to work with Virginia Wilson, director of the MU Small Business & Technology Development Center, to focus their business concept.

Wilson helped the two prospective businessmen with financial projections and spreadsheets for a significantly smaller enterprise. E-mails flew back and forth between the entrepreneurs and their business advisor.

(Above) Afternoon birthday parties are a staple at Galactic Fun Zone. The day these boys came to celebrate Jack's (center) ninth birthday, GFZ had 11 other parties scheduled in its 43,000-square-foot facility in southeast Columbia.
(Below) Jack and his buddies are ready to enter the laser tag arena.

"They proved to me they were serious about their idea," says Wilson. "Every time I sent a message to them they returned an e-mail the next morning with more questions. It was an intense few weeks of advising."

Lorenzo and Monte took their finished business plan to 15 financial institutions. They ultimately secured $350,000 from Central Bank of Missouri. Combined with another $260,000 from private sources, they went to work in January refurbishing a 43,000-square-foot building in southeast Columbia. The 35-year-old building at various times had served as the home of an antique mall, a bus depot and an indoor ice skating rink.

The Galactic Fun Zone opened in August. It started with an electronic game arcade, a laser tag arena, and a concession stand. They've added a bowling alley. And for the adults who bring their kids to play at GFZ, there is a pool hall, bar and lounge.

With room to expand on the six-acre site, Lorenzo and Monte have plans for outdoor activities, such as a go-cart track and a miniature golf course.

Targeting several demographic groups — the 9-12-year-old crowd, early teens through high schoolers, and the sizeable college population of Columbia — Galactic Fun Zone reaches a broad audience. It also has several corporate customers who bring employees for morale-boosting and team-building activities.

"We depend a lot on word-of-mouth to promote our business," says CEO Lorenzo. "We also find Facebook and Twitter to be easy and inexpensive ways to reach our audience."

Lorenzo Williams (right) credits MU SBTDC business counselor Virginia Wilson with helping him and his partner Monte Wyrick focus their business plan and making their proposal worthy of consideration by a commercial lender.

"But one of the best things we found during this whole business-building process was Virginia Wilson. She kept us focused. This is definitely a step-by-step process and she helped us make those steps."

Lorenzo admits GFZ is a work in progress.

"We had some crazy ideas that ended up working pretty good," he says. "We've got a lot of other ideas we want to implement. We're planning to grow."

And what about that doubting accountant, Adam Schussler? He's now onboard with Lorenzo and Monte, keeping the books for Galactic Fun Zone.

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This story was featured in the November 2010 newsletter.

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