I'm the new club president?!

Discussion in 'General Forum' started by hyperactive, Jun 26, 2007.

  1. hyperactive

    hyperactive Regular Member

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    Hi there guys!

    I play at the University of Southern Queensland Badminton club and the president will be heading back to his home country. I'm no pro at badminton, as a matter of fact I'm pretty much a skilled beginner...

    Anyway, point is nobody wanted to take over because the clubs been losing money (fees are low and costs are high). I stepped up and will try to get it going again next semester but I need a couple of good tips from the rest of ya!

    How much are you paying for yearly membership? How much per session? and if you were to book ur own court, how much would it cost (per hour)? Please state currency used...I searched for the "How to build a badminton store 101" but its a long read and I dont have time...I need a "How to be badminton club president" lol...

    Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

    Thanks!
     
  2. LazyBuddy

    LazyBuddy Regular Member

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    I don't have the 1st hand information regarding the $$$ in your region. Hope you have a nice and smooth process to get your club back on track.

    Don't worry too much about your playing skill. The president of the club, does not have to be the world champion, but someone who's willing to contribute their time and effort to establish a nice and comfortable playing environment for the group.

    I think the 1st step is to "study" the previous finanacial record book, and calculate how much $$$ you lose, due to the difference between cost and member fee. Then, use the difference to divide up by the rough head counts. To be safe, may consider add another $5-10 per head, just in case you have less members than you expected. I think that should be a good way to start. ;)
     
  3. silentheart

    silentheart Regular Member

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    I second what LB says. Also, make sure you enforce the paying rule. If you don't you will expose yourself to abuses and that will make your badminton experience and life SUCKS!
     
  4. LazyBuddy

    LazyBuddy Regular Member

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    Another way to cut down / control the cost is to ask the members bring their own shuttles. Regardless how many ppl showing up, the gym rental should be the same. However, cost of shuttle usage can be greatly varied from 10 ppl to 60 ppl.
     
  5. silentheart

    silentheart Regular Member

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    I don't like what I am suggesting. However, this might be the a OK option. Keep 2 tube of good plastic shuttles. If someone did not bring their own shuttle and want to play, he/she can borrow the plastics with $5 deposit to make sure the player bring the loaner back.
     
  6. hyperactive

    hyperactive Regular Member

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    wow, thanks alot guys! All good suggestions...and I thought no one would bother to read...

    Thanks LazyBuddy! Yeah, I'm just addicted to badminton and don't want it to close. Nobody else wanted the position and I'm doing a management course (IT Management, but still management, lol) so I thought it would be a good opportunity to practice what I learn...

    I agree with what silentheart said about the paying rule. This past semester a lot of newcomers don't pay because no one enforces it. Of course the regulars like myself will but if you come late or something and slowly play your way in nobody would know you didn't pay. Any suggestions on how the paying rule can be enforced???

    shuttles here are crazy expensive! There are only 2 brands of feathers: Yonex AS10 and Arrow 100 which cost AUD30/40(depending on which shop) and AUD15 respectively. Arrow100 sucks.

    Heres how its been working for the past semester:
    Yearly membership is AUD6.50 per year and AUD2/session (This is probably cheapest worldwide, haha!). The thing is most of the members are international students from Malaysia/singapore/india etc...the mistake we made was to convert money back to our home currency (mine being RM) and that was how much I was willing to pay.

    The problem is court hire is AUD8.50 per court per hour. We open 3 courts...for 3 hours at a time. You do the math.

    I can only hike the price in a formal AGM which I will hold next semester. How much should I charge? Btw, I'm thinking of opening a 4th court (max) for the 3 hour period.

    So whadaya think???

    ...back to my hunt for cheap shuttles!!! (anyone knows the cheapest deal for RSL Tourney No.1??? cheapest I've found is USD12.30/tube excluding shipping which is STEEP! Anyone got one cheaper? ...or do I hold the record?
     
  7. phaarix

    phaarix Regular Member

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    Sorry I can't help much but our per year club fees are usually between NZ$40-50 for the two main clubs I go to. One of which uses feather shuttles and the other plastic. They both have enough members to fill three or four courts. Although I don't think we'd be paying anywhere near what you've just said for court hire. The plastic shuttle using club I go to was forced out of our old hall as the school brought in a new Sports Admin who decided it was a good idea to bump up the price from $10 an hour to $35 an hour and we really could not afford that :(. That not only forced us into a worse hall, but also completely ruined another good club.
     
  8. Russki Bear

    Russki Bear Regular Member

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    You need to figure out what you need to charge to survive and enforce upon the members that this is a matter of survival. I suggest you get some shuttles interstate - you can get RSL's which are AS30/40 ballpark quality for much better prices than the AS10s. Look for badminton stores that operate online - jtultra, xinsports etc....

    Are you affiliated with the Queensland Badminton? That should be an option you should consider as if they are like NT Badminton Association, by affiliation you get injury insurance as per the Badminton Australia policy.

    That will make membership more like the $55 a year the Darwin Badminton Club charges - some is dues to Association, some they keep. That is a CHEAP membership with insurance (may be more in QLD). For whatever reasons, you may choose to NOT do this as well.

    To add incentive to pay the membership, you will have to do something like make members say $4 per night and non members $8, so equation is better if you are a member if you come 95% of the open nights....

    As for payment - you will have to write everyones name down and maintain a membership list. Do a head count and actively ask for payment. Reinforce that this is a matter of survivial for the club - you should not at all be out of pocket for it.

    Feel free to contact me, I am the NTBA secretary and I run a loosely affiliated club on Wednesdays that doesn't have a strict membership status.
     
  9. silentheart

    silentheart Regular Member

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    Suggestion is to hand out membership card to the one who paid. Check the card as they come in. Ask a officer to sit at door to check membership card. Also keep a list of who paid in case of lost or forgot to bring in the card.
    No, you do the math. You are the president, you run the show. Increase the fee as needed. We pay $5 to $10 USD per 2 or 3 hr playing time. For $6 AUD, you might as well give it out for free. Another option is to do group shuttle order, sell it for $1 over your cost per tube. Use the money to supp the court fee.
    I will suggest you to write to Yonex Aus, Victor or RSL in AUS and ask for the local distributer info. Contact the distributer, explain your situation and ask if you can order shuttle direct from him/her at dealer price or any discount.

    Good luck.
     
  10. hyperactive

    hyperactive Regular Member

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    Thanks Russki Bear! Good to have someone who understands the badminton condition here...Tennis, football, rugby are the big sports in this region so badminton resources are very limited.

    We are not yet affiliated with QLD Badminton. What benefits are there by being affiliated? How much do we have to pay them per person for insurance? Also, I'm not sure If I can go directly to them or if I have to inform the student guild first. We're having a meeting tonight so the past president can fill me in on whats goin on as well as introduce me to the ful committee...

    The university considered us a social club until they noticed a growth in member numbers. Its now considered a "sports club" or something like that. I dont know what the difference is but they want us to send a team down to compete at the Australian University Games at the Gold Coast this september.

    I was thinking of drastically hiking the yearly membership to cover the first few weeks. Only problem is according to university policy I can only propose it in an AGM. Its holidays now so It'll have to wait til next sem.

    Oh believe me I've done the math over and over. My conclusion is that we can sustain 4 courts for 3 hours by charging an average of AUD7.50 per person.

    Shuttlecocks:
    Heres where it gets interesting. I've been corresponding with a couple of people. Yang Yang 300Bs have worked extremely well in the past. I contacted RSL Australia and the prices for 25 tubes are just crap. It's even cheaper importing it from the US.

    As for Yonex Australia only retails AS10 and AS20 (although never seen AS20 in stores) I couldn't find the distributor/wholesaler in Aus but I'm pretty sure thats all they got anyway. For the price I'd rather go for RSL/YangYang. I'm trying to contact Protech Malaysia to see if they'd ship to Aus too....
     
  11. Russki Bear

    Russki Bear Regular Member

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    You would need to contact the Badminton Queensland secretary about affiliation...I'm not even sure who that is actually...but they should be able to list the benefits. Personal Injury Insurance is the ticket item here.
    Big clubs probably should be.
     
  12. hyperactive

    hyperactive Regular Member

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    yeah, i went to the Queensland Badminton Association Website looking for other clubs around Toowoomba... All I have is a telephone number...should I ring it...?
     
  13. Maz

    Maz Regular Member

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    Hi mate, I used to help run the Sydney Uni Badminton Club. Have a look at their website for an indication of their fees. I think the fees have changed a little since VSU came in though. The site is http://www.usydbadminton.com

    Regarding shuttles, try to contact some dealers in Australia, as I'm sure you'll be saving on shipping costs. Here are some Aussie contacts:

    Nitin at Zen Sports: zen@zensports.com.au
    Patrick at Hi-Qua: wupatrick@hotmail.com
    Kobeng at RSL: kobengna@badmintonacademyofvictoria.com.au
    Rhonda/Noel at Cason Sports: casonsports@hotkey.net.au

    This list will allow you to shop around for the best product and prices. Zen Sports can probably sell you Aeroplane shuttles, Hi-Qua and RSL will sell you their own brands, while Cason Sports will probably sell you Carlton shuttles.

    Hope this info helps, otherwise PM me for any other info.
    Maz
     
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  14. Oinkers

    Oinkers Regular Member

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    Hey, I'm from UniSA Badminton Club. I was meant to be the president for 2007, but decided to take vice president instead..

    We charge $1.50 (through a stamp card.. 10 sessions for $15), casuals are $6, and membership fee is $30. We are also thinking of increasing, as we are using more shuttles for the price we are raking in.

    Currently using Epsilon Gold and Orange, all of which are roughly $23, while court hire (4 courts), for 4 hours + is $55 (but we got a deal with the high school nearby).
     
  15. LazyBuddy

    LazyBuddy Regular Member

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    From the information you provided, it will be about AUD$75 for 3 courts for a session. If only charge 2 per person per session, either you need 40 ppl (which is too crowded for 3 courts) or u lose $$$. A safe start is to charge about AUD$4 or $5 per session for walk ins, and introduce long term membership or "guest pass package" which give some discount (still $3 at least per session in average) for regulars. This way, u should be able to keep at least AUD75 or so, if 25 ppl show up per session.

    I understand the students (especially international students) might have a tighter budget, however, you need to understand what kinda economy you are in. True, the cost of living is higher, but your salary (i.e. part time job) pays much more as well. There's no way you can gain top dollar in the wester world, but the cost of living is on the par of 3rd world nation.
     
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  16. hyperactive

    hyperactive Regular Member

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    Whoa Maz! sweet! thanks alot...I'm sure that'll help not only myself many others as well. Kobeng from RSL isnt quoting as nicely as expected but I guess cost prices are increasing too. I'll check out that website a lil later. Thanks for it though.

    Hey Oinkers, are you heading down to the Australian Uni Games this sept? How much are you thinking of increasing?

    Thanks LazyBuddy, I kinda figured next semester I'd open a fourth court and charge an average of 7.50 per person(members pay a lil less, walk-ins pay more...but whats a good price difference?). That way I need 20 people to make AUD150 per session which will cover court hire and some decent quality shuttles.

    I'll be flying to Chine today coz its uni holidays. I wonder if I can get cheaper shuttles there. I have to wait 6hrs in the Brisbane airport for my flight!!! I hope it has free Wi-Fi...
     
  17. Qu3sT10nMaRk

    Qu3sT10nMaRk Regular Member

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    if your membership is onli 6.50yearly then 1 tube of shuttles would cost more... and your supplying them so ur in HUGE dept:eek:... me want in on your club xD
     
  18. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    That's really wierd to have a membership fee less than the price of a tube of shuttles. However, that might be inline with membership fees that other sports clubs in University charge. If so, I think raising the fees may be a little difficult.

    As for collecting fees during the session, I think you really have to have a core set of persons who know a lot of the people with one person being the coordinator for fee collection. The rules is to be not to be embarassed in going up to people and asking if they've paid. Take their name down and if they are asked again by a different person if they've been paid, giving their name again should be OK. Tell the person they may be asked again as part of the checking procedure and state it's nothing personal if it happens!

    You must do something like this otherwise you will lose a lot of money and your club will get weaker.

    As for hiring extra courts, why not do it at the beginning of the semester when initial recruitment is high. Say 4 courts at the beginning of the Uni year. I can imagine that is going to be the busiest time. Keep an option to reduce to 3 courts later in the semester when people start going to other social activities or get buried in coursework.

    Make it open knowledge that shuttle prices have got higher and that is why the walk in fees have gone up. Also make it known you represent good value for money compared to other badminton places in town. This price cannot be compared to back at home unfortunately. It's the 'market' rate:D

    Also try to have some system to make matches fair and enjoyable for everybody. This way you keep people coming. I went to one University (once off visitor) in Brisbane where the club seemed to segregate into 2 groups - one for more social players, the other side for more competitive types. That day, I paid my guest fees and ended up with the social players being friendly, taking things relaxed and chatting to people that I was visiting from HK. One of the guys I played with was really nice, saw that I could play at a higher level, and arranged for me to play with the competitive players. I think that was a really nice gesture and showed class. Similarly, it goes the other way. Try to get your good players to play with the social players for a game or two a night. It will strengthen the ties in the club which means revenue for the club. Make sure that this explained to potential members - the good players know what is expected, the social players feel attracted to the club. But do also ensure that similar standard players get a chance to get evenly balanced games during the night as well.
     
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  19. LazyBuddy

    LazyBuddy Regular Member

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    Many good suggestions already.

    Overall, I think being a good leader is not a short term effort, but a long term one. You can't expect to figure out several smart ideas in 2 days, and ride it for the next year or two. Everyday, you need to think, to work, and to get others to involve and help. It requires a lot dedication to run a group. Learn and experiement, try to improve in a regular base, and your club will be heading to the positive direction.
     
  20. utopia_imminent

    utopia_imminent Regular Member

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    Get shuttlecocks in bulk! Saves cost and u only need to ship once. www.badmintonshoponline.us and www.mybadmintonstore.com offers good prices including shipping.

    Next, would be to ensure you do not lose any money and get more people to join. The more the people means the costs contributed individually is lesser. One way is to do a monthly payment. This way, regular players try their best to turn up. But, calculate well cos if they use too many shuttles, someone else might need to cover up the cost. Set a maximum number of shuttles (a nice number like 2 shuttles per game, each game taking 10 mins).

    i'm not too sure at this. but, from experience, groups and clubs disband cos of pricing of policies or simply too little players to survive. avoid these probs and u'll do fine.
     

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