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Sports Scheduling Has Never Been Easier: eSoft Planner offers Low Price and High Power

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Introduction

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 system 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, because we know the eSoft difference is something truly special! And don’t 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, and there’s no problem we won’t be willing to assist you with. 

eSoft Planner offers affordability and adaptability. – and a la carte pricing means you aren’t forced into high rates; pay for what you need and want.

eSoft Planner offers affordability and adaptability. – and a la carte pricing means 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 and not the other way around. This means 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 scheduler among trainers, coaches, organizations, and academies across the country.

eSoft Planner is a favorite sports scheduler among trainers, coaches, organizations and academies across the country. After 15 years 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. – which means we’re here for you every step of the way. 

There are a number of benefits to using eSoft as your sports software. One of the most important is that it helps you save time, money and resources by streamlining your business processes and reducing admin time and report creation. The eSoft Sports Software also 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. – just another key example of the power and convenience of eSoft Planner.

availability sports planner with 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 with scheduling 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, making relationships stronger and more meaningful than any other business in the sports planning space. Further, eSoft’s staff is comprised 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 business and budget. 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, making relationships stronger and more meaningful than any other business in.

The Problem With Sports Scheduling and Our Solution.

Sports scheduling and management requires 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 that has been trusted by thousands of sports organizations nationwide that also 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. This means 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. 

esoft mobile

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 – from a single team up through 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. Check out some of the capabilities below: 

  • Lessons

  • Rentals

  • Camps/Clinics

  • Packages

  • Memberships

  • Retail/POS/Web Store

  • Barcode Tracking & Integration

  • Teams

  • Upsells & Value-Adds

  • Leagues

  • Swim Club

    Another key aspect to consider is that as your program grows, your subscription rates will stay the same. – and 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 has 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. Time and time again, eSoft earns clients from under-committed competitors for this very reason. Now is the time to experience the most robust, client-focused, sports scheduling and planning software in the country.

Other Helpful Resources: Sports Facility Expert
  • Best Practices in Sports Scheduling

Best Practices in Sports Scheduling Software: How to Grow Your Business Effectively

esoft planner : #1 in sports planning and athletic businesses

Best Practices in Sports Scheduling Software: How to Grow Your Business Effectively

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Introduction

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

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 Automates Sports Scheduling

  • Business Processes Streamlined Automatically

  • Admin Work Eliminated

  • Reports Created Automatically 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. eSoft Planner is also an app for sports and facility management that 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, if 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 don’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 as well as determining 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–or 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, and 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 by eliminating 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 check out our free trial here!

Fitness-Skills-Evaluation-Memberships

Use Fitness and Skills Evaluations to Sell Memberships

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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 assessment in your sales pitch, potential clients will understand that the assessment is essential to their success and will pay for it, 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, and you just sent out marketing materials to 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, the equipment used for the evaluation, and even the commission for the staff member that sold the membership.

Once laid out in front of them, clients will understand that for a small fee to get started, they will walk away with a private assessment that uses industry-leading evaluation technology, plenty of merchandise, and a written in-depth report to guide them through their membership program.

Make it a Sales Tool

Additionally, the assessment can be a great incentivized sales tool when a client is stuck on the overall cost of the membership. It can be waived or discounted as a strategy to confirm the sale. Another way I allowed the staff at DNA Sports Center to utilize this tactic is that they could waive 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.

Learn More About eSOFT PLANNER

eSOFT PLANNER is flexible, affordable, simple, and perfect for small business owners.  Request your free demo today to see how we can help you consolidate effort, save time, increase revenue, and grow your business.

Paperwork for Creating a Marketing Plan

Marketing Plans are Annual Need for Sports Facilities

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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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

Laptop with Screen of Sports Facility Website

How Can You Create a Sports Facility Website?

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Sports Facility Website Guide Part 1: The Basics

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.

  1. 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.”

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

Planning a Sports Facility Exit Strategy

Defining Your Exit Strategy for your Sports Facility

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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. 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. But 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.

Volleyball for sports facility financial strategy

Developing a Sports Facility Financial Strategy

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Developing a Sports Facility Financial Strategy

This is the fourth in a series of posts on creating a business plan for a sports facility – sports facility financial strategy.

Now that you’ve thought out the details of your products, staff and operations, you can use that information to estimate your business’ finances.

We’ll do that by estimating your revenue, comparing it to your expenses, and determining if you’ll make enough profit based on those numbers.

Step 1: Monthly Revenue Estimates

First, you’ll need to review the marketing plan you created, including your plans for busy seasons, major events and promotions. Then, estimate how much revenue they’ll bring in, based on your pricing.

You should be conservative in your estimates. It’s always better to exceed expectations than to come up short, especially when trying to attract investors.

Here is an example of how you might chart out your revenue estimates for your various services:

Step 2: Monthly Expense Projections

Now it’s time to get totals for all your business expenses.

  • Check the marketing section of your business plan. Add up the monthly costs of all your marketing tools.
  • Check the operations section of your business plan. Add up all monthly staff costs, such as the salary, apparel, unemployment and bonuses.
  • Check the operations section of your business planagain and add up all the monthly costs for your building and equipment. This includes utilities, monthly payments plus interest on any equipment that you’ve financed, rent costs, and any other regular building costs.
  • Add up the monthly cost of any other ongoing expenses, such as taxes, accountant’s fees, insurance, internet and phone, scheduling software, cleaning and maintenance, and security. Larger, one-time or semi-regular annual expenses, such as legal fees, should also be split up into monthly amounts and added here. Even if you paid certain expenses upfront, you should still account for them in the month they’re due, so you’ll have the money ready when the expenses come up again next year.
  • Total all of your expenses to get a final monthly number. If your costs and revenues vary on a monthly basis, it’s OK to list each month’s expenses separately.

Step 3: Calculate Your Profit Margin

The profit margin is a handy figure that lets you know what percentage of your revenue is going to profit. Best practices for target profit margin depend on what kind of business you have, but it is a good idea to aim for 30% minimum.

You can find the profit margin by dividing the expected profit by the total expected revenue.

Step 4: Troubleshoot and Adjust

If your profit margin drops below 30% consistently, it’s time to make some adjustments to your financial strategy.

First, determine your least profitable piece of equipment and get rid of it. Is there a less profitable area of your building that you can eliminate? Do it. What about your staff — can you justify each staff member’s pay based on the revenue they’ll bring in? Maybe you should switch to a commission-based pay structure.

Your sports facility financial strategy is the meatiest part of your business plan and incorporates all the previous steps. If these numbers don’t look right, you NEED to fix them before you move forward.

Next, you’ll need to consider and plan your exit strategy — a particularly important aspect of your business plan if you have investors or partners. We’ll look at that next month.

The team at eSoft Planner has experience helping businesses like yours be more profitable. If you’ve run your numbers and found lower profit margins than you’d like, talk to us about scheduling, marketing, and package ideas that can improve your financial performance.

Sports Facility Operating Strategy on Court

The Third Step in Your Sports Facility Business Plan

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Creating a Sports Facility Operating Strategy

This is the third in a series of posts on creating a business plan for a sports facility. This is about creating a sports facility operating strategy

You’ve already established a summary of business objectives and details of how you plan to introduce your sports facility to the community. It’s time to describe your facility’s operations. This step in your sports facility business plan has two parts: the physical building and equipment and the facility’s human resources or staff.

Part 1: Infrastructure

The Space – Describe your ideal physical building for your sports facility. Make sure to include:

  • The facility’s square footage
  • A few sentences about what makes it ideal
  • A list of both monetary and temporal costs of the purchase or rental and maintenance of your physical facility (including cleaning, estimated repairs, and utility costs)

If you don’t have your site finalized yet, you can put estimates into this section.

The Equipment – Describe the equipment you will need to run the facility and discuss how you will use it. List estimated costs, both upfront and ongoing, including taxes, shipping, maintenance and installation.

Here’s an example of an introduction to the infrastructure portion of your operations plan:

DNA Sports Center’s facility features an open turf field that can be split into various pitching tunnels and batting cages. It also features a strength training room, a staff office and a WIFI-enabled waiting area for parents. Because we are operating out of a previous fitness facility, our physical costs will be kept to a minimum by taking advantage of existing resources. The following equipment will need to be purchased and installed: (include a list of equipment and costs).

Part 2: Staff

Describe the staff positions at your facility. Make sure to list the job titles and include:

  • Specific job duties
  • Weekly hours for each position
  • Wage ranges
  • Staff payment methods

Certainly, you should briefly note your sports facility’s hours of operation and describe when services would be offered to maximize revenue.

Here’s an example of an introduction to the staff portion of your operations plan:

DNA Sports Center will hire qualified candidates for the following positions: Office Manager, Speed and Agility Program Director / Sales Director, Director of Baseball Operations, Director of Midwest Prospects (an elite baseball team). The rest of our staff, including sports-specific instructors, will be considered contractors. (Include the list of roles.)

Conclusion

Your sports facility operating strategy does not have to be elaborate, but it does need to support your vision. By following the steps for describing your operational strategy, you are well-positioned for the next step of your business plan – developing a financial strategy.

The expert team at eSoft Planner has worked with thousands of sports facility owners just like you. We know what it takes. Our implementation team excels at helping you use the tools to make your dream a success. We love to hear about your plans, and we want to be a partner in your vision.

Start the conversation today! Contact us for a custom demo.

Sports Facility Marketing Strategy for Gym

The Second Step in Your Sports Facility Business Plan: The Marketing Strategy

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Developing A Sports Facility Marketing Strategy

Last month, we looked at creating the vision for your sports facility business plan. Now that you have the foundation, it’s time to consider how you’ll promote your sports facility to your customers and community – also known as your marketing strategy.

Summarize Your Brand

Think about how you want others to perceive your sports facility and write a few descriptive sentences. Consider which colors you want to use to help establish your brand. We suggest getting a professional logo to use on your website, ads and apparel – if you don’t have one yet, you can get an affordable, quality logo with an online service such as LogoBee or 99 Designs.

For example:

DNA Sports Center’s brand identity will be energetic, athletic and professional. It should appeal to both kids and adults. Brand colors will be dark red, gray and black.

Establish Price Points

Why is pricing here in the marketing section? Because it can be a great marketing tool.

Firstly, research what people are paying for similar services in your area. It is likely that your sports facility offers unique services in comparison to your competitors, and your differentiators will help as you consider your pricing.

Do you want to establish yourself as an exclusive, luxury service or as an affordable service for families? Consider your brand image as you establish the pricing for all your services, including rentals, lessons and group instruction. Decide whether you want to give discounts to valued clients or sell packages of services at discounted rates to encourage sales.

(When we get to the financial analysis step of the business plan, we’ll see if you can be profitable at the prices you want to charge.)

For example:

Young athletes around the Cincinnati area are looking for an accredited, professional program for sports fundamentals, as evidenced by the high number of similar programs within 40 minutes of our facility location. However, competing programs don’t have the legitimacy and professional branding that a Parisi Speed School provides. There are also no speed and agility programs within the immediate Milford area. DNA Sports Center will charge between $100 and $300 per month for unlimited access to speed and agility training, which reflects the exclusive, semi-private nature of our training.

Adding additional details about the packages that you will have available will help you define your offering.

List Your Other Marketing Tools

Below are some marketing methods you should consider. Each of them can be an effective tactic in making your facility known to the community.

  • Sales Staff – Sales reps with established connections in the community can be your strongest marketing asset. If you plan to hire any, briefly describe their position/s and include how much you’ll will pay them. For example: DNA Sports Center will employ a sales rep that will be paid a __ base salary plus __% commission for all new memberships he or she sells to the facility. This employee is expected to generate __ leads/memberships per week/month.
  • Email marketing – Costs for a professional program start around $30/month and increase based on the number of contacts in your database. Your facility management and scheduling software should have basic email marketing components, too. (eSoft Planner comes standard with a basic e-mail marketing system.)
  • Website – Get some estimates on a search-engine-friendly web site. Blogging or updating a news section on your sports facility’s web site is a good way to get noticed. Decide who will be in charge of updating the website, and how often.
  • Social Media – Create a social presence and start making connections. Just like a website, social media is only effective if you keep it current and relevant. You’ll need to decide who will be responsible for it and how often you’ll post.
  • Advertising and Sponsorships – You know your community. What are the influential media or organizations in the area that will be noticed by your customers? Research and include the costs to advertise with these organizations in your budget. If you’re having a grand opening event, you can work with local media to make sure it’s covered. And don’t forget digital advertising to ensure you show up in local searches for facilities like yours.

Create a 12-Month Marketing Plan

This is a big one. Sports facilities are very seasonally dependent. As a result, for each month of the first year, you should list the major marketing initiatives you will use for each of your chosen marketing tools above. Remember that you need to anticipate your customers’ needs in advance of each season.

Marketing initiatives include:

  • What your clients will want to buy that month
  • Programs, classes or events will provide the optimal revenue for your facility
  • Special events and promotions you can run to reach your goals.

Conclusion

With your sports facility marketing strategy and expenses established, you can move on to the next step of your business plan, which is to detail the operations at your facility.

The expert team at eSoft Planner has worked with thousands of sports facility owners just like you. We know what it takes to succeed. Our implementation team excels at helping you use the tools to make your dream a success. We love to hear about your plans, and we want to be a partner in your vision.

Start the conversation today! Contact us for a custom demo.

Sports Facility Business Plan with Volleyball Players

The First Step in Your Sports Facility Business Plan: The Vision

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Thinking of opening a sports facility? You need to start by making a business plan.

It doesn’t matter if you aren’t looking for investors. To make sure your business idea is going to WORK and not just suck away months of your life in a frustrating failure, you need a vision.

Why You Need a Sports Facility 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.

Unfortunately, many talented former athletes and coaches assume that their passion for their sport and their reputation in the community will be enough to sustain a business. A long list of loyal clients is a great start, but there’s much more to running a business — and not addressing those other areas is why so many sports facilities close.

In this series of blogs dedicated to business planning, we’ll guide you in the steps to position your business for success.

Don’t be intimidated. We’re not going to make you plot out a line graph with projections for financial scenarios including compound interest and inflation. We’re just going to make sure that you understand what it takes to get your business making enough money to be profitable.

Identifying the basics of any business plan is the first step. Let’s get started.

1. Mission/Objective

Can you describe your business’ objective in a few sentences? Clarifying your mission will be key to marketing your facility, as well as leading your company and keeping your staff focused. For example:

The mission of DNA Sports Center is to develop a new athlete by focusing on teaching kids how to move before they perform sports-specific training.

2. Products/Services

Describe the products/services you’ll offer and explain why your audience needs these products/services.

For example:

DNA Sports Center will offer speed, strength and agility training that focuses on building self-confidence for all athletes. Other services will include sports-specific training, batting cages, and use of the facility for parties and events.

3. Customers/Target Market

Add a few details about your typical customer. Briefly describe their age ranges, where they live, their income levels, interests and skill levels. For example:

DNA Sports Center’s services will benefit kids age 6 through high school, although programs for adults and younger children will also be available. Our services will appeal to those athletes who are striving to improve their skills. DNA Sports Center is in the suburb of Milford and is near many sports-oriented school districts and plenty of families.

4. Competition

Explain why the need for your services is not being addressed by current facilities or services that are already accessible to your audience. What will make your facility better or different? For example:

DNA Sports Center is home to the area’s only Parisi Speed School, which offers a proven successful curriculum for improving speed, agility and strength.

5. Revenue Plan

This is the big one: How specifically will your business make money? Don’t stress about the actual prices here. We’ll get there in the next steps. For example:

DNA Sports Center’s main source of revenue will be monthly payments for unlimited access to speed, strength and agility training. This income will be supplemented by revenue from facility rentals, sports-specific training, and commissions from private lessons taught by instructors at the facility.

Conclusion

By identifying the basic and essential parts of your business plan such as your mission statement, you’ll start to position your sports facility for success. Next month, we’ll look at creating a marketing strategy that lets your client know exactly who you are.

The expert team at eSoft Planner have worked with thousands of sports facility owners just like you. We know what it takes to succeed. Our implementation team excels at helping you use the tools to make your dream a success. We love to hear about your plans and be a partner in your vision.

Start the conversation today! Contact us for a custom demo.