Building Sustainable Clubs
Pro Stream has developed a range of INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS and supporting background information around the fundamental business skills programme outlined below.
In today’s tough economic climate rugby clubs are coming under increased pressure in all aspects of their “business”. Clubs need to work to find and to retain participants, members, businesses and individuals who come to their events since they are in competition with other organisations for these “customers”. They also have to influence potential volunteers that there is “something in it for them” if they give up their free time to work for the club. For rugby clubs to be sustainable they will need to a) optimise the resources they have b) ensure that they have the “business” skills/resources to be able to compete against their competitors and c) have a plan which is simple and achievable.
In order to be sustainable the clubs need to think of their club as a small business and the fundamental business skills that they need are; Selling – they need to be able to actively “sell” their club to participants, members, families and businesses based on an understanding of their individual “wants and needs”. Customer Service - Once they get “customers” – participants, members, businesses, families etc. they are very valuable to the club and they can’t afford to lose them to the competition. Therefore, they need to offer “customer service” in order to retain them. Communication - In support of the activities highlighted above the club will need to have efficient communication channels to use to sell their “products”, to build up loyalty and to provide information for existing and potential “customers”. A data ethos – The club will need to have a data base which includes everyone who is linked to the club in order to communicate with them and a club “brand” that is promoted throughout the community in which the club sits.