Your Beginning-of-the-Year Checklist

1. Review your collateral

• Look for outdated images and images with Members who have left and note them for replacement.
• Create a shot list now so that when you’re in season, you’re prepared.
• Evaluate your photos. Is the quality in-line with your Club’s brand experience?
• Identify current stock photography and develop a plan to replace with authentic images from your Club.
• Start building your library during the quiet season so that you’ll have plenty of content for social media when things get busy.

2. Complete your entire annual social calendar

• This includes all social activities and sporting events.
• Reach out to new Members to make sure they’re aware of your biggest events and help them to secure advanced reservations.
• Some Clubs give new Members VIP access to their biggest sell-out event to create anticipation.
• Develop a Member plan to excite, introduce, and help make event reservations.

3. Schedule a time to sit with Chef

• Go over the event calendar and make a culinary plan for every event. This will ensure you aren’t scrambling when your newsletter is due or your event arrives.

4. Prepare each month’s budget

• Review your annual budget with your key managers every month. Be sure to also forecast business, as things change and your operating budget is usually an educated guess.
• Each month, you should forecast and re-forecast 90 days out so you can anticipate additional staffing needs, develop top-line revenue ideas to engage and excite, and reallocate resources or reductions in spending. The best managers review financial performance daily and weekly to see if sales are on-trend, and if not, what needs to be adjusted to ensure a great experience.
• Use this monthly opportunity to teach and coach your managers. Financial acumen is one of the critical pieces missing in today’s management talent pool.

5. Make sure your HR policies are up-to-date

• Check the Society for Human Resource Management for any recently-passed employment legislation.