Thinking of opening a sports facility? You need to start by making a business plan.
A business plan won’t guarantee success (nothing can), but it will force you to think seriously about what you’re about to do and clarify what you’re trying to accomplish.
Read our blog posts to learn more about creating a business plan, as well as the aspects that can lead into building that plan for your sports facility.
Did you know that you can reduce no-shows by 29% with automated reminders? Automated communications via text and email can benefit your facility in many ways, including reducing no-shows. Our software utilizes these to send a variety of messages for your customers and staff.
Features For Automated Communications
Here are some features of our software that will make your facility more streamlined:
Client Communications
Confirm any order or scheduled event via email
Send reminders by text or email for scheduled events
Remind your client of your cancellation policy
Confirm all reschedules and cancellations
Staff Communications
Confirm lessons or camps booked
Send reminders (itinerary) of their day
Notify them of all reschedules and cancellations
Benefits For the Facility
Improves customer services: Now, you don’t have to miss any communications. All reminders and confirmations will be sent easily. With personalized messages, it will improve the relationship between you and your customers.
Reduces administrative costs: The services can do all the automated text and email communications. You don’t have to pay someone just to send out messages to your customers. Also, no need to show someone how to send all those communications themselves – it will just send automatically!
Improves staff communication: Staff can easily check their schedules and plan for the day. They don’t have to worry about missing any appointments or messages.
Conclusion
Automated communications can be very beneficial for your facility. Not only will it save you time and money, but it will also improve your communication and your customers’ impressions.
To take advantage of our software’s automated communications, request a demo.
Pickleball is exploding both as a sport and as a business. Pickleball is currently the fastest growing sport in the United States, with participation nearly doubling just last year. Facilities with courts will miss out on large amounts of revenue if they haven’t considered running their own pickleball leagues. Take advantage of this growth and add pickleball to your facility today with pickleball club management software.
Improve Efficiency and Seasonal Revenue With Pickleball Club Management Software
Businesses centered around pickleball need to ensure they are efficiently scheduling their court time. With outdoor courts, that court time and demand will be seasonal. It is especially important to manage efficiency, as facilities geared towards specific sports are almost always seasonal. With eSoft Planner’s software, you can offer peak and non-peak pricing based on the time of day or year. That way, you can earn more money when filling spots with higher demand.
Streamline Your Pickleball Facility with eSoft Planner’s Pickleball Club Management Software
With eSoft Planner’s management software, you can:
Lower admin costs by allowing clients to book their own rentals and lessons
Offer 24/7 registration for summer camps/beginner classes and even leagues
Become more efficient while spending less time managing the facility’s schedule
Improve communication and reduce cancellations with automated email/text reminders
Conclusion
With the massive growth of pickleball as a sport within the last few years, it would be a great benefit to your business to add it to your facility. It will help your facility grow, especially with the community pickleball currently has. Finally, with the help of eSoft Planner, it will lower admin costs and improve efficiency, even in the off-seasons.
Want to learn more about how adding pickleball club management software can benefit your facility? Talk with eSoft experts today. Also, if you would like to consult with experts on how to improve your sports facility, visit Sports Facility Expert now.
Are you an existing facility looking to add new products or services? Are you a new facility wanting to add memberships? Do you need to add a promotion for new business? eSoft Planner’s new feature for preselling memberships is perfect for both types of facilities.
A facility’s membership will have the option to be sold before the start date. The fees will be paid approximately a month before the membership’s start date. It provides opportunities for supportive customers to get it first, and at a discount.
Promotion For New Business: The Features
A new feature in preselling memberships is that you can set a specific date for the membership to start. That way, you get to choose which day (usually the 1st or the 15th) works best for your facility. Also, staff will be able to buy these memberships for any customers, in case they run into any issues with purchasing the membership themselves.
Promotion For New Business: The Benefits
One of the main benefits of memberships is that it brings in consistent revenue. With preselling memberships, we can improve cash flow before offering products or services. This extra cash flow allows you to potentially save or invest in expanding the product or service. It is also a good tool for improving customer awareness, especially for newer facilities.
One of the powers of preselling memberships is the ability to offer special promotions. Oftentimes, facilities will discount a standard membership in order to create the fear of missing out in their new possible customers. This allows them to sell more memberships in advance, which, in return, increases cash flow and improves confidence in your business model.
Conclusion
eSoft Planner’s new feature for preselling memberships is a great promotion for new businesses. Not only will it increase revenue, but it will also be easy and accessible for your staff and customers to utilize.
Want to learn more about how preselling memberships can work as a good promotion for your business? Talk to eSoft experts today. If you’re looking for some other ideas on how to improve your business, learn more about our new access control features here or our event tickets options here. Finally, if you want to consult with experts on how to improve your sports facility, visit here.
Small business sports facilities are investing in new technology to streamline and automate their operations. One of the newer and more popular business strategies is offering a 24-hour access control membership to the space for athletes to train.
The benefits are simple – Lower Admin Costs and more time available for your customers to book.
Not only can you offer codes to customers for each individual rental they reserve, but you can also offer them Priority and Status by combining the use of an access control system with a simple membership program. There are 2 simple Membership models that you can adopt when using access control as the selling point.
1. Priority and Status Memberships
This is the simple idea of allowing customers to purchase a membership that gives them special priority/status/pricing, etc. Think about the standard Silver and Gold memberships: A silver member may be able to schedule up to 6 hours a month and only able to schedule 7 days in advance. The benefits that these are giving them include access to the facility and the ability to schedule a week in advance, whereas a non-member would have to pay for each booking and only be able to book 3 days in advance.
Then, you offer the premium/gold membership and allow them unlimited access to the facility and the ability to book 2 weeks in advance. The possibilities for this type of program are endless.
2. Open Access Memberships
Another membership Model to think about especially if you are limited by the population and community around you would be the open-access membership. Charge a set price each month. Also, allow each customer to have their own key fob or code to gain access to the facility
Conclusion
Both of these membership models are best when setting them up as auto-renewing memberships. The subscription business model is still considered one of the best models out there. Consumers are now aware of this and often balk at subscription services, as they know the value depends on their usage. So, you may want to price these memberships low enough to increase their perceived value so that you would be able to sell enough memberships to be profitable.
For additional consulting about possible membership options and to learn about all the possibilities, go here. If you want to learn more about how eSoft and access management can help your facility, request a demo or read more about access control here.
When it comes to sports scheduling, there are many problems and few solutions. If you’re in charge of scheduling everything from tournaments to practices and games, then you know about the headaches that come with managing all those moving parts. You also probably know that finding a sports scheduling app that offers affordable pricing, ease of use and powerful features is next to impossible.
Enter eSoft Planner: your low price solution for your sports scheduling needs! eSoft offers adaptable pricing based on how much power you need. So, if you have just one league or sport, we can help with some of the lowest rates and best user experiences in the sports scheduling industry. Even better, we don’t force anyone into signing unreasonably long contracts. We know the eSoft difference is something truly special! In addition, you don’t need to worry about customer service either – since we are consistently ranked #1 in this area among all sports software providers in the country. We’ve been helping organizations across America schedule their programs since 2007. There’s no problem we won’t be willing to assist you with.
eSoft Planner offers affordability and adaptability. With a la carte pricing, you aren’t forced into high rates; pay for what you need and want.
You can choose the features that work best for you and get the most bang for your buck. With multiple modules to choose from, you can tailor the software to your business no matter the sport, hobby, or layout of your space.
The software is easy to use and can be customized to fit the needs of any facility or sport. It’s designed around your business, not the other way around. Then, you don’t have to pay for features you won’t use or train staff on features they won’t need.
eSoft Planner is a favorite sports scheduling app among trainers, coaches, organizations, and academies across the country.
eSoft Planner is a favorite sports scheduling app among trainers, coaches, organizations, and academies across the country. After 15 years of leading the industry, eSoft boasts a growing list of satisfied clients. As the ultimate sport scheduler software, it helps optimize, streamline, and grow sports / training businesses across the country. There are eSoft Sports Software clients in every state in the country (and many more countries around the globe), and the number is growing every day!
The eSoft Sports Software is a powerful and easy-to-use tool that allows you to manage your entire sports business. It’s the only software in the market that offers both unlimited, consultative customer service from dedicated U.S.-based experts, as well as no pricing increase for growth or expansion. We’re here for you every step of the way.
There are a number of benefits to using eSoft as your sports scheduling app. One of the most important is that it helps you save time, money, and resources. It streamlines your business processes and reduces admin time and report creation. Also, the eSoft Sports Software allows you to create custom reports that can be exported in any format (PDF, Excel, Word, etc.) for easy sharing with your clients or other stakeholders. It’s just another key example of the power and convenience of eSoft Planner.
The system is flexible, powerful and so affordable you don’t have to think twice before buying – Whether it’s swimming pools, courts, fields, or something totally unique.
eSoft Planner is flexible, powerful and so affordable you don’t have to think twice before buying – Whether it’s swimming pools, courts, fields, or something totally unique.
Whatever your needs are, eSoft Planner can help. It schedules leagues, tournaments, and practices. Further, it can track inventory, sales, revenue, etc…
Whether you are looking for a way to track your players and their progress or just need a simple way to schedule games and practices, eSoft Planner has the tools you need.
Clients love the service they receive from their account managers and other support staff at eSoft. eSoft Planner is consistently ranked #1 in customer service.
eSoft Planner has been trusted by thousands of sports organizations. Clients love the service they receive from their account managers and other support staff. In fact, eSoft Planner is consistently ranked #1 in customer service across the entire industry.
The executive team and employees at eSoft have a personal interest in the success of their clients. It makes relationships stronger and more meaningful than any other business in the sports planning space. Further, eSoft’s staff is comprised of former trainers, athletes, and facility owners, giving us unique insights into the industry and what it takes to help our clients succeed.
If you’re a coach or owner of a sports organization, you’ll find that eSoft Planner is the perfect solution for your needs. We offer flexible options to fit any size of business and budget. Also, our software is extremely easy-to-use, yet powerful enough to meet the demands of any coach or business owner. eSoft Planner is the industry standard for sports organizations and has been trusted by thousands of clients over the last decade. Clients love the service they receive from their account managers and other support staff, which is why eSoft is consistently ranked #1 in customer service across the entire industry. The executive team and employees at eSoft have a personal interest in the success of their clients. Therefore, relationships are stronger and more meaningful than any other business in the sports planning space.
The Problem With Sports Scheduling and Our Solution.
Sports scheduling and management require a lot of time and attention to detail. The problem with sports scheduling is that it can be hard to find an affordable solution that works for everyone. Our solution solves this problem by providing an affordable, flexible, and powerful software program. It has been trusted by thousands of sports organizations nationwide. Also, it aligns with the varied, diverse landscape of needs that confronts so many coaches, owners, and trainers.
With eSoft Planner, you can easily manage clients, classes, courts, guest passes, inventory, merch, and customers without spending hours on the phone or at a computer. Then, you’ll have more time for coaching, hiring, marketing, and growing your business!
You can even utilize the software’s marketing capabilities to send email updates, point to blogs and social media, and promote client achievements.
Affordable, Flexible, and Powerful
Sports scheduling has never been easier. eSoft Planner offers a low-price, high-power system that is customizable, user-friendly, and easy to use. It works with any sport or activity and can be used by organizations of any size. Due to that, sizes range from a single team up to the biggest leagues in professional sports. If you need an affordable solution for your sports scheduling needs, then look no further than eSoft Planner!
eSoft Planner is the simplest, easiest way for sports teams and organizations to schedule their games. It’s loaded with powerful features that let you easily manage your team schedules, player availability, game results, and more. To learn more, check out some of the capabilities below:
Another key aspect to consider is that as your program grows, your subscription rates will stay the same. Perhaps even better, our software is so robust, that we can actually personally tailor it to your exact needs. One sport, multiple sports, inventory management, marketing capabilities, and more! The sky is the limit, as we’ll never engage in practices that hinder your bottom line and/or your ability to grow.
Conclusion
Countless reviewers, clients, and coaches have found that eSoft Planner is the best option for sports scheduling. Given the unique variety of needs in the sports and training industry, we find that clients’ reasons for choosing the software are as robust and wide-reaching as the software itself. Whether it’s the ease of adding new trainers or clients, the powerful field/court reservation mapping options, seamless barcode-integrated guest passes, or one of the many other proprietary capabilities that have made eSoft the authority in the industry, there is almost a certainty that eSoft Planner will help you take your team, league, group, or academy to the next level. For more information, feel free to request a demo or give us a call and speak with a dedicated expert today.
As the sports scheduling market grows, you’ll want to lean into software that is built with you in mind, operated by companies that prioritize you. From time and time again, eSoft earns clients from under-committed competitors for this very reason. Finally, now is the time to experience the most robust, client-focused, sports scheduling and planning software in the country.
Sports agencies, teams and other organizations use sports scheduling software to manage their business. It helps them automate tasks like scheduling games on fields, sending text alerts and emails, tracking player statistics, and much more.
To grow your business effectively, use eSoft Planner to automate sports scheduling, streamline business processes, eliminate admin work, create reports automatically, organize maps and reservation programs, and send marketing emails for increased player retention.
The benefits of using a sports scheduling software are numerous. For example:
Sports Scheduling Software Can Help You Manage All Your Games And Practices Easily!
1. Automate your scheduling process with eSoft Planner
eSoft Planner is the best online sports management software of 2023, and it’s easy to see why. It’s the most advanced, easy-to-use, and affordable sports scheduling software on the market. Also, eSoft Planner is an app for sports and facility management. It allows you to allocate resources effectively while saving time in the process!
2. Avoid scheduling conflicts, double-bookings and overbooking
eSoft Planner helps you avoid scheduling conflicts by allowing you to set a maximum number of teams that can be hosted at any given time. For example, say your facility has 20 ice sheets available for use and it’s already booked up with 17 teams on different days (and no cancellations). Then, eSoft Planner won’t allow another team to schedule a game until one of those other 17 teams cancels their game or gets moved due to weather conditions. This feature prevents double-bookings and ensures everyone gets enough ice time at your facility!
Additionally, eSoft Planner allows users to set preferences based on specific criteria such as age level (youth vs adult), gender (male vs female), or skill level (beginner vs advanced). This helps ensure that leagues are matched appropriately. So, they won’t end up playing against each other when one team may not be ready for competition yet while another might have been waiting months just for an opportunity like this one!
3. Streamline paperwork and avoid errors with standardized reporting.
Sports scheduling software can help you to organize your team’s games, track attendance, and even generate revenue. However, if you’re not using a robust system for reporting on these activities, it’s possible that you may be missing out on important opportunities for growth.
The best sports scheduling software will allow you to create reports that provide insights into how many people attended each event or game during a given period of time (e.g., season). This type of data helps managers better understand what works–and what doesn’t–when it comes to marketing their organization’s events online or offline. Also, it determines whether there are any discrepancies between actual attendance figures versus those projected by the team owners/executives beforehand, based off previous years’ experiences at similar venues/venues nearby without taking into account current conditions like weather patterns affecting travel times, etcetera…
4. Optimize sports facility usage with text and email alerts.
Text and email alerts can be a great way to stay on top of your sports scheduling. When you set up text and email alerts, you’ll receive notifications when games are scheduled and when you have to make changes. You can also use these tools to remind yourself of upcoming events, registration deadlines, payments due. It also works for anything else that’s important for your business!
5. Increase player retention and loyalty with marketing emails.
Marketing emails are a great way to keep players coming back to your facility. You can use eSoft Planner to send marketing emails automatically. Also, send text notifications to players who have signed up for text alerts.
6. Eliminate admin work with the best online sports management software of 2023
Sports scheduling software is a powerful tool that can help you save time and money. It eliminates the need for manual tasks like entering scores, tracking players, and creating schedules. However, not all solutions are created equal. Some are better than others at helping you accomplish your goals as an organizer or manager. With these six tips in mind, you’ll be able to find a program that fits your needs perfectly!
Stay organized by setting up different schedules for each season, league or time of year (e.g., high school football in the fall).
To stay organized and avoid confusion, it’s important to set up different schedules for each season, league or time of year (e.g., high school football in the fall). eSoft Planner allows you to do this by creating multiple schedules at once. You can also use eSoft Planner by multiple teams and leagues at once if they have similar scheduling needs such as baseball teams playing against each other during spring training.
Use eSoft Planner’s unique mapping feature to show where teams are located and reserve times with automatic notifications sent to administrators.
eSoft Planner’s mapping feature is an innovative, time-saving feature that allows you to show where teams are located and reserve times with automatic notifications sent to administrators.
View all schedules on one map
Easily reserve times from anywhere on the schedule by dragging and dropping your mouse over the desired location on a map. You can also click on any location in order to see associated schedules or view details about that team’s schedule.
Get automatic notifications when someone else attempts reservations at your favorite sports field or gymnasium.
Conclusion
eSoft Planner is the best online sports management software that helps you grow your business effectively. It’s packed full of features like automated scheduling, streamlining business processes, eliminating admin work and creating reports automatically. If you want to get started with eSoft Planner today, then request a demo here!
You may be asking, won’t an upfront fee scare away new business? The answer – it won’t if you provide something of value in return. If you properly utilize the fitness evaluations in your sales pitch, potential clients will understand that the assessment is essential to their success. Then, they will pay for it. It’s for the same reason they choose to pay for the classes and training. Some other things you can include with onboarding new members would be facility branded T-shirts, a bag to carry fitness gear, a printed manual going over the programs offered at your facility, and more. The potential member is happy with the free gear. In addition, you can send out marketing materials. Then, they will be seen by friends, classmates, and teammates.
Pricing for this upfront fee can vary based on your membership pricing, how much you pay your staff, and more. In my past experience owning DNA Sports Center, I charged $69 (not including tax) for the enrollment fee. This cost allowed me to pay for the staff’s pay for the assessment, the onboarding member materials, and the equipment used for the evaluation. It even covered the commission for the staff member that sold the membership.
Once laid out in front of them, clients will now understand the benefits. For a small fee to get started, they will walk away with a private assessment that uses industry-leading fitness evaluations technology, plenty of merchandise, and a written in-depth report to guide them through their membership program.
Make it a Sales Tool
Additionally, use the assessment as a great incentivized sales tool when a client is stuck on the overall cost of the membership. Waive or discount it as a strategy to confirm the sale. Another way I allowed the staff at DNA Sports Center to utilize this tactic is waiving the enrollment fee with the purchase of a longer membership package. Waiving this small, but often intimidating, fee is typically more cost-effective than discounting other services that come with the membership.
eSOFT PLANNER is flexible, affordable, simple, and perfect for small business owners. Request your free demo today. See how we can help you consolidate effort, save time, increase revenue, and grow your business.
Create Annual Marketing Plans for Your Sports Facility
What’s the best way to market your sports facility to your community? Planning ahead with developing a marketing plan is critical — whether your business is brand new or has been around for decades.
If recent events have taught us anything, it’s that your business’s financial situation can change in a moment. You need to be flexible! But if you don’t have a plan, you’re not being flexible, you’re simply unprepared. Planning ahead is especially critical for sports-related businesses to avoid a slow season and a lull in revenue that can make or break your business.
Break the Year Down and Find a Focus
Use your annual marketing plan to break the year down. Decide what to focus on each month and write it down.
What your clients will want to buy that month. You know your clients better than anyone. Familiarize yourself with local school schedules and sports schedules. Which sports and fitness programs are the most popular in your community, and when? Note those details on your calendar.
What programs, classes, or events will provide the optimal revenue for your facility. Remember that each area in your facility should have multiple uses throughout the day. Diversify your space to maximize your revenue! Keep your clients’ range of ages and interests in mind when planning programming. Make sure that there’s something for everyone! Remember, each square foot of your space costs you money every day. Each square foot should be generating as much money for your business as possible. Don’t worry about getting too detailed here. The most important thing is to note the start dates, staffing, focus, and tentative pricing. You can finalize all the details as the event gets closer.
What special events and promotions you can run to reach your goals. It’s up to you to come up with promotions that will entice customers while still allowing you to meet all your financial obligations and keep your doors open. New businesses, in particular, benefit from offering discounts to get new customers in the door. Plan promotions with care and update the pricing as your financial needs change.
Mapping Out Your Calendar
You’ve established your general outline of events. Now it’s time to create a calendar.
eSoft Planner’s team of industry veterans have found that the ideal window for getting the word out about a new class, program or promotion is six to eight weeks ahead of time. Classes may or may not fill up that early. Sometimes they do! But it does get people thinking about the event.
We typically send out a dedicated email during this window. We remind followers on social media about the event or class after a few weeks have passed. Finally, we send out yet another email linking directly to the registration page. We repeat this last step at the beginning of the week of the actual class or event, or the registration deadline for the class or event, if that comes first.
Having specific to-dos on a highly-visible calendar will keep your staff on track. You’ll want to assign a staff member to enforce the deadlines contained in your plan.
Make sure to revisit the plan every month to make additional changes and add details. Every six months you should be planning ahead for the next six. You’ll be able to stay a year ahead at all times!
For More Information
eSoft Planner’s customizable tools and features as well as an experienced team of consultants help fulfill your small business scheduling needs. The marketing module can track customer interest, email customers, post messages where they’ll be noticed, and keep you organized across the balance of the year and into 2021.
Fill out this form to request a free demo and learn more about eSoft Planner’s comprehensive scheduling and management system for sports facility owners across the country.
Many new sports facility owners don’t think of themselves as “computer people.” You spend your time out on the field or the court — not in front of a screen.
You know a website is important for your new business. But where do you start? Many jump at what seems like the simplest or cheapest option without looking before they leap. There are better choices out there!
What are the common website stumbling blocks and priorities for new sports facility owners? Here’s a basic roadmap for beginners who need a website but don’t know much about making one.
What You Need: A Summary for Beginners
You’ll need four building blocks regardless of who builds your website or how much you pay for it. Some web designers or web builder packages include all four in the total price and do the setup work for each one — but you’ll pay for them one way or another.
A Domain Name
You know these. They start with a “https://www” and usually end with a “.com.” These are also referred to as your website’s “address.” It works the same way as a postal address does by pointing visitors to your website’s location and displaying that location at the top of your browser. You can buy (or “register”) your domain name through a variety of domain name registrar companies. You have exclusive rights to your domain name once you register it. Make sure you own this and register it in your name — it shouldn’t be owned and controlled by the company making your website. As the address becomes more valuable, you don’t want a landlord. Unfortunately, you won’t have all the building blocks for a working site just yet.
If your website is a house, the domain name is its address.
Average cost: According to GoDaddy, “a domain name can cost you anywhere from $2 to $20 per year, depending on specials or discounts.”
Hosting
Your website’s electronic files must be stored somewhere. Plenty of companies are happy to host those files on their own servers for a fee. Many domain name registration companies also offer hosting services, or you can use a different company for each service. However, buying a hosting account is not the same as buying a working website.
If your website is a house, a server is the plot of land you want to build on.
Average cost: “Websites for individuals and small to medium-sized businesses can generally get everything they need from web hosting plans somewhere in the $2 to $20 a month range, with $50 being the upper limit you’re likely to face,” says HostGator. Be aware, however, that prices can climb with added services.
It’s worth considering a hosting service that provides easy back-up and restoration services and/or even a “development” or “staging” environment. These features make it easier for you to fix your website if it ever goes down or you break it while trying to make updates or changes.
Design and Programming
Here’s the real cost. Programmers and graphic designers will create and code your site — either from scratch or from a basic template. Your options range from individual freelance designers to big companies with hundreds on staff to offer these services.
If your website is a house, this is the actual construction — the bricks and mortar, as well as the aesthetics.
There are two models for having someone build it for you.
Some companies charge an upfront fee and then a monthly fee for their website development service. Keep in mind that this cost adds up over time and you might end up spending more in the long run.
Other companies charge just for the development of the website. Look for one that will turn over the keys to the house and give you tools to do your own content changes — like adding items to your calendar, updating pricing or adding pictures.
If you’re looking for a build-it-yourself option, check out these choices from PC Magazine. They estimate that most monthly fees for these website builders are about $25/month as an e-commerce site. One-time fees range from $1,000 to much more, depending on how many custom features you want. Read the details to see how hosting is handled.
Service and Updates
Aging websites need maintenance. They experience wear and tear or face unexpected disasters, such as hacking. Technology is always advancing. Criminals always want to steal things. You’ll need help keeping your website safe and up to date.
If your website is a house, updates are the homeowner’s policy and hiring repairmen.
Average cost: “Keeping a website relevant requires paying for maintenance and updates,” says Forbes, and hosting accounts and website designers charge service costs. They can start out at as little as $15/month but pay attention to what your plan includes. Make sure you can get ahold of someone to get it fixed right away if something goes wrong.
For More Information
Are you feeling more comfortable with building a website? We would love to discuss with you how eSoft Planner sports facility scheduling software can free up time in your workflow to focus on website development.
eSoft Planner’s staff is also well-versed in industry best practices and sports facility website design trends. Fill out this form to request a free demo and learn more.
How to Build an Exit Strategy for Your Sports Facility
It’s always more fun to create your new business plan than it is to think about how you’re eventually going to STOP running it. But even if your sports facility stays open forever, you won’t be around to see it. So your business plan should conclude with your personal sports facility exit strategy.
If you’re going to show this business plan to potential investors or partners, you’ll want to use this section to emphasize that you’ve planned for all scenarios to protect the business and their investment. (If this business plan is more for your own planning use, you should still add this section. It will help guide your leadership through the years.)
Before we talk about what to write in the “Exit Strategy” part of your plan, let’s talk about your exit options.
1. Sell Your Share in the Business to Your Partners
If you open your facility with other financial partners, any one partner should be able to personally exit the business by selling their portion of ownership to their partners. Your partnership agreement should include the details of how this should happen, and the agreement should be reviewed by a lawyer.
2. Best Option: Sell the Business to a New Owner or Owners
The process of selling your business can be expensive and complicated. It’s not simple to put a value on a business, after all, and there are plenty of legal and accounting fees. However, it’s usually the best exit strategy for sports facilities, because it makes you the most money.
Here are a few common buyers for sports facilities:
Related businesses. Look for companies that could benefit from expanding into your market. Complementary businesses – like apparel or equipment stores – or your competitors could look to expand their business into your location someday.
Current employees. It’s common for facility staff to be interested in purchasing the sports facility where they work, and they can be good buyers because they already understand the business. (Side note: Owners who want to sell to employees often use a “leverage buyout model” that allows the buyers to make payments over time rather than buy the whole business upfront. Unfortunately, this often results in plenty of headaches if the new owners stop being able to make payments. Get as much money upfront as possible to avoid losses and/or being sucked back into the business you tried to exit.)
New sports facility owners. If you list your business for sale, you might get inquiries from new potential sports facility owners who are looking for space and equipment. Although, they may find buying your business outright more practical.
3. Close the Business and Sell All Your Stuff
If you can’t find a buyer, you can simply close the business and sell your assets (building, equipment, furniture, etc.) to whomever will give you the best deal. This isn’t the option you want to include in your formal business plan. However, it is worth noting your assets and the resale value of your equipment and infrastructure.
Add Your Exit Strategy to Your Business Plan
Now that you’re familiar with your options, you can summarize your sports facility exit strategy in a short paragraph to conclude your business plan.
Here’s an example of what it could look like:
All of DNA Sports Center’s owners will agree to a detailed, legally approved document that specifies the terms of any individual’s potential exit from the business.
By consistently investing marketing dollars in DNA Sports Center’s brand and image, focusing intensely on reaching profitability, and by investing in and maintaining quality pitching machines and fitness equipment, we’ll make sure that our facility is attractive to any potential buyers from the sports performance industry.
That’s it — we’ve come to the end of the business plan series. We hope you’ve found some useful information. The team at eSoft Planner is ready to help you make the most of your sports facility because we want you to be successful. Talk to our team today about how eSoft Planner can support your business.
