There's a simple formula to running a successful club. I have had many great mentors in my journey who have taught me a few simple strategies to run a successful club operation.
1. It's all about first impressions and building relationships.
2. Be in the Membership Business.
3. Create a 5 Star Experience for Members, Guest, and Clients.
4. Programs and Events add Value
5. Establish Clubs within the Club
6. Find ambitious people with good attitudes and invest in them, train them, and reward them. They will become your best leaders, and will respect your members and clients, plus properly care for your facilities. They will also become your best sales people for new members and new staff.
7. Understand and manage your numbers daily. (Some use a ZBB or Zero Based Budget - where nothing is referenced from Prior Year. Every expense must be justified. Some use a Static Model where a budget is set for each year for a club and broken down by departments, and Prior Year(s) Forecasting Model is used for revenue and expense projections).
7a. Teach each Department Manager to divide their team goal up like sales teams do and assign everyone a base goal plus a stretch goal and which are listed monthly on a marker board for everyone to see what the target is 🎯. (For Revenue Generating Departments only).
8. Take care of your Facilities with a sense of urgency.
a. Have a Daily Maintenance Plan
b. Have an Event Maintenance Plan
c. Handle Emergencies Swiftly
d. Re-purpose assets when you can
f. Use Sponsorships and Associations to drive improvements
g. Layout a 5 Year Cap-Ex Plan
9. Use Social Media to honor and reward both your members and your team, plus to promote your business.
I will be writing on these specific points and more in the coming weeks.
Keep Making A Difference!
Best Craig
