How to Build a Profitable American Football Club

It is no secret that most American football clubs outside North America play for the love of the game. Ask a mid-level club Germany, Brazil or Australia how much income they generated last year and, with a few exceptions, most will tell you that they did just enough to cover their costs. And there is no shame in that; making a small profit in a minority sport is commendable. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

To benefit as an American football club, you must approach the many existing opportunities in the right way. Below are some surefire ways to transform your bottom line from red to green.

Membership Fees

If you’re reading this, chances are your club is already charging an annual membership fee to its players. Membership fees are important for a few reasons: they help cover the costs of practice / playing fields, equipment usage, away game buses, and usually insurance for each paying player.

It is important to keep the fee at a reasonable number; you don’t want it too low and you risk losing money, but you don’t want it too high and you risk losing players. The number may vary depending on the country / level. I know some teams that only cost 90 / year and some that are as high as 350 / year. Some charge 20 / month for the whole year (which eventually becomes 240 / year). Find the right song that works for your club and make sure your players get their money’s worth.

Box office

This is very country specific, as many clubs in countries where American football is still relatively new do not (and do not) want spectators to come and watch a game. This can keep people from learning about your team and your sport, so it’s understandable if this isn’t realistic for your club.

However, if you sell tickets for games, it is imperative to find the right price. If you have paying spectators you need to provide a real game day experience, not just hope that the gameplay itself is the only selling point. Some teams charge 5 / game, others 10 / game, and I spoke to a team that has a donation box where fans can choose how much they decide to give at the gate.

Sponsorship

Securing a sponsor is a great way to make money with your club, gain more exposure and generally gain credibility. Sponsors (or partners) usually offer cash benefits or exclusive access or discounts for their products and services. Sponsors come in all shapes and sizes, so even partnering with a local hairdresser is likely to benefit both parties.

That said, if you really want to invest and offer a lot of value, it might be better to go after a title sponsor than your club. Well-known European clubs such as the SWARCO Raiders Tirol, New Yorker Lions, Dacia Vienna Vikings, SsangYong Danube Dragons and the Projekt Spielberg Graz Giants all benefit from title sponsors.

Merchandise

Selling merchandise is a simple and effective way to make a profit as a club. Not only does it deliver a quick profit, but it also significantly increases your brand awareness. Think about it: the more merchandise you sell, the more likely people will be to see, recognize and learn about your club. In addition to social media, merchandise is the most effective way to create brand awareness.

Many European retailers offer great team clothing deals and services. Check out K. Noah (Austria), ACE Performance (Germany), Ridge Sports (France) and EP Sports (England). Many teams in Europe invest heavily in merchandise and reap high financial rewards such as the Marseille Blue Stars, Potsdam Royals, Oslo Vikings and Limburg Shotguns.

Discount cards

Perhaps the most unique and potentially very rewarding way to benefit as a club is to have a discount card. Used primarily by US high school fundraising teams, discount cards are very cheap for clubs to take advantage of. You usually sell a discount card for, say, 20, and it includes several discounts for businesses and restaurants in the area. Local businesses usually offer quick discounts on cards like this as it usually takes people to their store / restaurant who wouldn’t otherwise come.

Here is an example of a team in the United States using a discount card. In Europe, the Black Panthers of Thonon-les-Bains have successfully benefited from discount cards since 2012. It is an unusual yet inexpensive way to generate serious income for your club.

To win!

This is the best way to take advantage. Period of time. The better you put on the field, the more fans will buy tickets for games. The better you put on the field, the more people want to buy merchandise. The better you put the product on the field, the more sponsors will come to you instead of going to them.

It is the easiest to say, but the most difficult to do. But if you are a consistent winner, profitability is imminent.

Many teams don’t use their resources or exhaust all options to take advantage. It is certainly not easy, but several stones remain about ways to earn more club income. The above ideas are just a few ways to take advantage – there are countless others.

Find out what works for you. Be unique. Be creative. Use social media. And grow your club from a slow release to the rising trump card you know it can be.

Read the original article at spencerferrari-wood.com