Welcome to Sports Facility Expert – your one-stop shop for building, running and growing your sports facility
The 1 Word I NEVER use with my Sports Facility Staff
In my last post on fixing your sales process for camps and classes, I realized that I broke one of my own rules — a rule that I’ve recently discovered makes a big difference at my sports facility.
That rule is to never use this word when I’m discussing our approach to promoting classes, memberships and lessons.
Low Enrollment for Your Camps and Classes? Fix Your Sales Process
It’s not difficult to convince sports facility owners and managers that group programming – camps, classes, clinics, and even leagues and tournaments – is the best and most profitable option for their space. It is difficult, however, to get sports facility owners and managers to make the real effort that is required to fill those programs with athletes. Ideas are great, […]
Sports Facility Programming Idea: Pool Running
There’s always a segment of your target client base who can’t do the full-intensity workouts you typically offer. Maybe they have an injury or a medical condition that is limiting their workouts temporarily. Or, maybe they prefer low-impact workouts for personal reasons. Do you have a fitness training solution for them? One of my newest […]
3 Steps to Pitching Sports Facility Partnerships
Partnerships with other sports facilities and businesses can give you access to unique benefits that you can’t offer on your own. Those benefits can give you a serious edge over your competitors and create valuable cross-promotion opportunities – but only if you approach your partners wisely.
Sports Facility Marketing Tip: Track and Promote Records
We all wish we had more time to spend on efforts for marketing our sports facilities. But even if you’ve fallen behind on your annual marketing plan, there’s one tactic you can implement this week if you haven’t done so already: establishing facility-wide records. Even if you’ve just opened your doors, you can start the tradition […]
The One Sport You Probably Forgot to Offer Strength Training
You already know that reaching out to local sports teams is essential to your sports facility’s success. You probably have relationships with plenty of school-based sports teams and coaches, and you may even attend local meets and games to check up on their progress. However, if you’re like most of the sports facilities I’ve worked with, you’ve […]
Increase Sports Camp Enrollment With This Tip
How many times have your instructors assured you that plenty of kids were verbally committed to attend an upcoming camp, only to have those assurances slowly disappear as the camp registration date closes in? If your sports facility is anything like mine, it happens a lot. It’s natural for instructors to feel optimistic about the prospects for an upcoming camp, […]
Clients Love This Basketball Academy’s Creative Player Spotlights
It’s not uncommon for sports facilities to list upcoming events and news on their web sites. However, you know you’re doing something right when your clients call to ask when the latest updates will be posted. That’s exactly what happens at Pro Skills Basketball in Charlotte, NC, thanks to their popular “Player of the Month” feature. For each Player of […]
The 5 Hidden Costs of Free Scheduling Software
Pamella Shaw doesn’t own a sports facility, but her sewing school in Alexandria, VA offers similar products: lessons, classes and equipment. When she started planning for her new business, she began looking for scheduling software right away. “I was not going to start a business without it,” she said. “I wanted to be able to focus as much as […]
How New Technology Improves Your Baseball Facility’s Bottom Line
Baseball academy owners tend to be traditional. They like to stick to selling the same training methods that have always worked for them over the years. Brian Ching of Ninja Sports Performance in Mount Washington, Kentucky, however, is one owner who has embraced new training methods made possible with new technology for baseball academies. The results, both […]
Private Lessons: Best Practices for Instructor Pay and Scheduling
Most sports facilities offer private, one-on-one training, whether it’s in the form of sports-specific lessons for kids, speed training for serious athletes, or personal training for adults trying to get in shape. However, the way these lessons are regulated and paid for varies a lot from facility to facility. Your own practices probably depend on your business size […]
How to Create a Training Program for Your Team
If your facility hosts its own sports teams (such as select soccer, elite baseball, or all-star cheerleading) you know that most of your practice time is often spent on team strategy, preparation for upcoming events, and other sport-specific drills. Time spent on pure physical conditioning has its place, too, but it’s usually taken care of at the beginning or the end of […]
Indoor Baseball Facility Layout: Best Practices
I’ve had a lot of great experiences working with baseball facility owners when they’re just starting out. Because of the conversations I’ve had with these owners, I know that indoor baseball facility layout is a big concern. Many are proactive enough to look for baseball facility scheduling software long before they open – sometimes before […]
Preventing Theft at your Sports Center
Being a victim of theft is always painful. It feels very personal, whether the thief steals from you directly or from your sports center. Potential stolen assets range from physical products (such as candy bars from the concession stand) to data (such as client contact information). Even if you haven’t been stolen from yet, you […]
Make Your Sports Team Budgets Public
At this point in the season, you’re probably busy completing budgets, schedules and rosters for the spring sports teams that your facility sponsors. I have an unconventional suggestion as you start a new season: Share your completed budget with all your players and their parents. Benefits of A Public Budget You might worry that this […]
Advice for Students Who Want to Become Sports Facility Owners
I’ve received a few emails recently from students seeking advice on how to best prepare to open their own sports facility in the future. I’m always impressed when students are proactive about their careers and take the extra step to connect with others to try to seek help. That is already a sign of future […]
The Right Way to Give Free Lessons
Getting your sports facility noticed can be difficult, especially if you’re just getting started. Many prospective clients will only respond to your marketing if they know they’ll get a great bargain. The possibility of gaining long-term customers is usually worth the cost of giving away some free services initially, but only if you take the […]
Baseball Facility Best Practice: Umpiring Clinics
Most of the sports facility managers I talk to on a regular basis are always looking for new programming ideas. In particular, baseball and softball facilities are usually looking for ideas. Typically, they’re at risk for over-relying on rentals – which is one of the top contributors to sports center failure. If you’re struggling to […]
Give “Heroes Without Capes” Special Recognition at Your Facility
One of our newest eSoft Planner clients is doing something special at their sports facility. It’s a great idea that promotes a sense of community and also helps out their local citizens. So, I wanted to share it with you. The Athletic Edge, a new sports facility in Tunnel Hill, Georgia is offering a discount […]
How to Purchase Equipment for Your Sports Facility
There are always plenty of equipment options available that could improve your facility’s image and service range. Whether you’re considering state-of-the-art performance analysis machines or something as simple as real leather baseballs for your batting cage, you can use the following steps to analyze whether or not the purchase will be a good investment for your facility. Step 1. […]
Sports Facility Programs for Parents of Young Children
Most of the programming at sports facilities tends to be for school-aged kids, because that age group is typically the most active in sports. However, as I mentioned in another post about sports facility fitness programs for adults, it’s important to offer diverse programming so your facility stays busy all day and year long. One […]