Relocation

[reawl]

Our club is thinking of moving from our space that houses 3 strips to a place that better matches our membership (we've been growing). What I'd like to minimize are the number of fencers we drop in the transition.

Currently, our space is part of a community center. We will probably lose some fencers because the only reason they fence is they have a sibling taking another class at the same time.

Moving also means we'll probably be at least a mile away from our current location. I t may also mean increased dues to cover the costs of the new facility.

We've discussed ideas, such as providing a shuttle to pick kids up and get them to and from fencing, making it easier on the parents. We've also talked about soliciting donations to try to keep dues where they're at. Any other ideas?

[PeterGustafsson]

Hi!


Is it not better to emphasize to get new fencers due to the location change, rather than to retain those whose interest is so marginal so that one mile change is the breaking straw for them?

New ones will only have known the new place, so not yearn for the old. If you try to retain the maginal oldies, chances are that you will have to continue "bribing" them to stay, sapping resources.

Or is there some other issue at hand that voids my reasoning?


Have a nice time!

Peter Gustafsson

[reawl]

I was taking the approach that "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush", meaning that it's harder to recruit new people than it is to keep the ones you already have.

[PeterGustafsson]

Hi!

Originally Posted by reawl

I was taking the approach that "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush", meaning that it's harder to recruit new people than it is to keep the ones you already have.

Well, with that in mind...

How about organizing a lottery! Each hour worked in connection with the moving done by the members is a lottery ticket. The prize(s) should be something fencing-related and only useful in connection with the club, such as a free yearlt membership. By doing that (if sucessful) you will get people to chip in with all the moving drudgery, and if a marginal member wins he will be motivated to stay on as a club member in the new location.

For added effect, you can list the minor prizes, but the 1st prize will only be listed at commercial value, but not what it is. Less risk of truly marginal members opting out of everything before the moving starts that way.

[irishfolker]

When our club moved a few months ago, current members were given a discount for the first several months. I came in after the move, so I don't know the details, but I think everybody really likes the new space, which is dedicated space versus the community center it was located in before.

[riceboy]

I wasn't around when my club made the switch from community program to permanent space, but I was talking to my owner today, and he told me that he budgeted a ~25% loss in students due to the move. He said that's about what he did end up getting, but that he had enough students already that such a loss would not kill his chances of at least breaking even in the short term.

I know that may not be helpful, but that might give you a sense in terms of numbers of what you're looking at when you do make the change.

[hpfencing]

We've moved our club a total of 4 times now. Every time we only lose a handfull of people. If they are really intersted in the sport they will probably follow.

One thing we did that helped our last move is how we did the rate increase. We increase the dues BEFORE the move, like 6 months before the move and started saving up the dues difference for expenses of the new building.

The time before that we grandfathered all the "old" fencers and did not raise there membership dues assumming they never quite or left the program. I think we still have one fencer paying that much lower rate from 4 years ago...

[introspective]

No! no a thousand times no. Prizes are mere bribes. Please don't bribe them! Simply write to your students and their parents notifiying them of the new location and include a little map with directions and the reason you are relocating - for the students to have more space. I doubt that anyone will drop.

It's really up to the personality of the Coaching team, if you're really good and you're good to your students they'll make it a point to move with you.

Your new location may even be better - if it's nearer to a high school or college you may be able to recruit some new students from there - It depends on what state you're from as well, some places have a stronger connection to fencing than others.

Try putting a small ad in a newspaper right before college starts that you are now accepting new students and see what happens to enrollment. Of the 50 that will sign up about 40 will drop it in one year, but it educates them to what the sport is.

[epeeforlife]

Originally Posted by introspective

It's really up to the personality of the Coaching team, if you're really good and you're good to your students they'll make it a point to move with you.

This sums it up completely! Well said.

[jjefferies]

If you move you're bound to lose some. If you change your rates you're bound to lose some. If your coaches move on you're bound to lose some. If you stay in the same place you're bound to lose some. Change is part of the game. We all have to live with it.