Editor’s note: This is the first of a series of articles dealing with private clubs and the economy. The National Club Association is compiling a number of resources to assist clubs in a tough economic climate, including a recent membership special report containing articles and
When it comes to planning and strategy, the private club industry is fully engaged. At all levels and in all disciplines, clubs are planning for the future. Just ask any club manager “What’s on the planning board at your club?” and you’ll be presented with
On November 17, 2008, the Department of Labor (DOL) published new regulations for the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). These new rules apply to all clubs that have 50 or more employees during at least 20 calendar workweeks in the past year and they will
In late 2005, the nation was still in shock over the terrible devastation wrought by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. As with so many other businesses, private clubs damaged by the hurricanes were forced to cease operations and start the long process of rebuilding. With
I’d like to tell you that selecting the right technology for your club is not as difficult as you may think. But, I’d be lying. There is no “easy button,” no magic formula and no one single person who will give you the answer. It
Imagine being able to have the dining and wine preferences of your club’s members available at your fingertips, or pushing a few buttons on a computer to determine which members prefer vegetarian entrees and then tailoring an intimate gathering for select groups. Or predicting which
The phone company technician arrived at the club one morning and announced that a service problem in the area was causing businesses to experience outages and poor voice quality. He was at the club to make sure they had the latest switch upgrade to prevent
In the late 1990s the Internal Revenue Service was the subject of hearings on Capitol Hill. One member of Congress after another took to the airwaves to chastise the IRS for its mistreatment of taxpayers. Regardless of whether the abuse of the IRS by Congress
Like any corporation, private clubs have an organizational structure and a number of controls set in place to ensure compliance and best governance practices. One major area of interest for the board of directors and, in effect, members, is the financial oversight that keeps
Maintaining and continuing to improve club facilities is a continual challenge for every club. Falling behind in the reinvestment in the key aspects of a private club can seriously affect membership retention and usage. Also, it will have a dampening influence on a club’s ability