Are you about starting a social club for profit? If YES, here is a complete sample social club business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE.
Being a social entrepreneur can be such a wonderful experience. However, you might just want to agree with me that being in the social enterprise that is sure to yield dividends is much more a wonderful experience. For this reason, a lot of people are going solo to build brands that can stand the test of time.
Running a social club is akin to running a social enterprise and it means that you will be organizing events that accommodates the social life of your members and such events could mean raising fund for the less privileged or for a cause.
Starting a social club is not too expensive except for the money required to rent and furnish an office space and the money required to carry out a project that can be of help to the society, and usually members of your club are expected to contribute or help you raise fund from the government or the general public.
Running this type of business requires that you should be trained and certified in relevant fields and it is indeed a very lucrative business in the united states.
A Sample Social Club Business Plan Template
1. Industry Overview
Social club business falls under the Civic, Social & Youth Organizations industry and this industry is made up of clubs or groups (social enterprise) that carry out membership services, gaming services, rental of nonresidential space, private gifts, grants and donations, government grants and support and all other sources of revenue.
In a nutshell, the Civic, Social and Youth Organizations industry is composed of organizations that promote the civic and social interests of their members. These organizations include social clubs, alumni organizations, education societies and professional associations.
Industry organizations generate revenue largely through corporate partnerships, private donations, government grants and membership fees. A recent report published by IBISWorld shows that improving economic conditions over the past five years resulted in increased donations from both corporations and individuals, benefiting industry revenue.
Over the five years to 2018, industry revenue is estimated to increase an annualized 0.4 percent to $18.7 billion in 2018, including a 0.3 percent increase in 2018 alone, despite the marginal increase in revenue within the said period. In the same timeframe, the number of businesses has declined by -0.1 percent and the number of employees has grown by 0.6 percent.
A close study of the Civic, Social and Youth Organizations industry shows that the industry has indeed benefited from growing employment, which increases the potential pool of members as well as disposable income and corporate profit levels, which raises the propensity of employees or employers to pay membership dues for industry services.
Going forward, declining unemployment and of course rising disposable income and corporate profit will no doubt increase the number of potential members who would pick up membership from civic, social and youth organizations.
Statistics has it that in the United States of America alone, there are about 44,372 registered and licensed civic, social and youth organizations scattered all across the country responsible for employing about 264,068 and the industry rakes in a whooping sum of $19 billion annually.
The industry is projected to grow at 0.4 percent annual growth within 2013 and 2018. It is important to state that there are no establishment in this industry that has a lion market share.
One thing is certain about starting a social club, if you are able to conduct your market research and feasibility studies, you are more likely not going to struggle to secure clients because there are always individuals, and corporate organization who would want to be part of your social club.
Just ensure that the club is properly located and you have the right business network and of course programs that will benefit your members.
2. Executive Summary
Helping Hands® Social Club a licensed social enterprise that will be based in Annapolis – Maryland close to Washington DC, the capital of the United States. We have been able to secure a standard and well – positioned office facility in a business district in the heart of the city capital.
Helping Hands® Social Club will handle all aspects of social enterprise that promote the civic and social interests of her members. We are aware that to run a standard social enterprise that can accommodate people of different cultures, tribes and creeds can be demanding which is why we are well trained, certified and equipped to perform excellently in our endeavors.
Helping Hands® Social Club a client-focused and result driven social club that provides broad-based social services at an affordable membership fee that won’t scare our members. We will organize social and civic events that will be of benefit to all our individual members, and corporate donors.
We will ensure that we work hard to meet and surpass our members’ expectations whenever they pick up membership in our social club. Our members and donors’ best interest would always come first, and everything we do is guided by our values and professional ethics.
Helping Hands® Social Club will at all times demonstrate her commitment to sustainability, both individually and as a social enterprise, by actively participating in our communities and integrating sustainable business practices wherever possible.
We will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards by meeting our client’s needs precisely and completely.
Our plan is to position Helping Hands® Social Club to become the leading brand in the industry in the whole of Annapolis – Maryland, and also to be amongst the top 20 civic, social and youth organizations in the United States of America within the first 10 years of launching the business.
This might look too tall a dream but we are optimistic that this will surely come to pass because we have done our research and feasibility studies. Helping Hands® Social Club founded by Dwight McGregor and Calvin Jefferson. The organization will be managed by both of them since they have adequate working experience to manage such social enterprise.
Dwight McGregor who is the lead partner has over 10 years’ experience working at various capacities within the Civic, Social and Youth Organizations industry in the United States of America. Dwight McGregor and Calvin Jefferson are Lawyers and Social Workers. They both have the required experience and qualifications to build a world class social club.
3. Our Products and Services
Helping Hands® Social Club is going to offer varieties of services within the scope of the Civic, Social and Youth Organizations industry in the United States of America. Our intention of starting our social club is to favorably compete with leading players in the industry both in the United States of America and in the world at large.
Our business offerings are listed below;
- Membership services
- Meals and beverages, prepared and served
- Gaming services
- Rental of nonresidential space
- Private gifts, grants and donations via fund raising and other means
- Government grants and support
- Promoting the professional interests of members and the profession as a whole
- Organizing seminars, conferences, trade shows and other events
- All other sources of revenue
4. Our Mission and Vision Statement
- Our vision is to build a social club that will become one of the preferred choices for both individual members and corporate organizations in the whole of Annapolis – Maryland.
- Our mission as a social enterprise is to welcome members from all walks of life and to ensure that we always promote the civic and social interests of all our members via our well organized social events that serves our immediate community and the world at large.
Normally we would have settled for two or three full – time staff, but as part of our plan to build a standard social club in Annapolis – Maryland, we have perfected plans to get it right from the beginning which is why we are going the extra mile to ensure that we have competent, honest and hardworking employees to occupy all the available positions in our organization.
We will ensure that we only hire people that are qualified, honest, hardworking, customer centric and are ready to work to help us build a prosperous business that will benefit all the stakeholders.
As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our senior management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of five years or more depending how fast we meet our set target. In view of that, we have decided to hire qualified and competent hands to occupy the following positions;
- Chief Executive Officer/Principal Partner
- Event Planning Consultant
- Fund Raiser
- Company Lawyer
- Admin and HR Manager
- Accountant
- Customer Care Executives
5. Job Roles and Responsibilities
Chief Executive Office/Principal Partner:
- Increases management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results
- Creates communicates, and implements the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
- Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the member’s needs, and communicate with clients
- Accountable for providing direction for the business
- Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
- Evaluates the success of the organization
Event Planning Consultant
- Organizes social, sports, civic and other related events
- Responsible for interviewing and hiring vendors, selecting and ordering materials, negotiating rates, coordinating the sequence of events, following up with guests and vendors and producing full-scale events.
- Plans, designs and produces events while managing all project delivery elements within time limits
- Liaise with donors and sponsors to identify their needs and to ensure customer satisfaction
- Conducts market research, gather information and negotiate contracts prior to closing any deals
- Provides feedback and periodic reports to stakeholders
- Proposes ideas to improve provided services and event quality
- Organizes facilities and manage all event’s details such as decor, catering, entertainment, transportation, location, invitee list, special guests, equipment, promotional material etc.
- Cooperates with markets and PR to promote and publicize event
- Proactively handles any arising issues and troubleshoot any emerging problems on the event day
- Conducts pre- and post – event evaluations and report on outcomes
Fund Raiser
- Responsible for organizing and helping with traditional fundraising activities such as sponsored or promotional events, raffles, house – to – house and street collection
- Responsible for recruiting and coordinating the work of volunteers
- In charge of approaching individuals, schools, universities, local authorities, government establishments and commercial organizations for sponsorship and donations
- Responsible for developing new fundraising ideas and events
- Responsible for handling all trainings both internal and external for volunteers
- Identifies development opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts
- Writes winning proposal documents, negotiate fees and rates in line with company policy
Company’s Lawyer/Secretary/Legal Counsel
- Responsible for drawing up contracts and other legal documents for the company
- Consults and handles all corporate legal processes (e.g. intellectual property, mergers & acquisitions, financial / securities offerings, compliance issues, transactions, agreements, lawsuits and patents et al)
- Develops company policy and position on legal issues
- Researches, anticipates and guards company against legal risks
- Represents company in legal proceedings (administrative boards, court trials et al)
- Plays a part in business deals negotiation and take minutes of meetings
- Responsible for analyzing legal documents on behalf of the company
- Prepares annual reports for the company
Admin and HR Manager
- Responsible for registering new members
- Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
- Maintains office supplies by checking stocks; placing and expediting orders; evaluating new products.
- Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; calling for repairs.
- Defines job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
- Carries out staff induction for new team members
- Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
- Responsible for arranging travel, meetings and appointments
- Oversees the smooth running of the daily office activities.
Accountant
- Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
- Provides managements with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports
- Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
- Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
- Ensures compliance with taxation legislation
- Handles all financial transactions for the organization including collection of monthly fees from members and donations and gifts from donors
- Serves as internal auditor for the company
Client Service Executive
- Welcomes guests and members by greeting them in person or on the telephone; answering or directing inquiries.
- Ensures that all contacts with members and donors (e-mail, walk-In center, SMS or phone) provides the member or donor with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
- Through interaction with members and donors on the phone, uses every opportunity to build donors and member’s interest in the company’s services
- Consistently stays abreast with any new information on the club’s social, promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to members and donors when they make enquiries
- Receives parcels/documents for the organization
- Handles enquiries via e-mail and phone calls for the organization
- Distributes mails in the organization
- Handles any other duties as assigned by the line manager
6. SWOT Analysis
Going by our vision, mission and the kind of business we want to set up, we don’t have any other option than to follow due process. Following due process involves hiring business consultant to help us conduct SWOT analysis for our business.
Helping Hands® Social Club hired the services of a seasoned business consultant with bias in startups in the United States to help us conduct a thorough SWOT analysis and to guide us in formulating business strategies that will help us grow our business and favorable compete in the industry.
Here is a summary from the result of the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Helping Hands® Social Club.
- Strength:
Our core strength lies in the power of our team; our workforce. We have a team that are considered experts in the industry, a team with excellent qualifications and experience in the Civic, Social and Youth Organizations industry.
Aside from the synergy that exists in our carefully selected team members and our strong online presence, Helping Hands® Social Club well be positioned in a city with the right demography close to Washington DC and we know we will attract loads of members and donors from the first day we open our doors for business.
- Weakness:
As a new social club in Annapolis – Maryland, it might take some time for our organization to break into the market and gain acceptance especially from top profile members in the already saturated Civic, Social and Youth Organizations industry; that is perhaps our major weakness. So also, we may not have the required money to give the club the kind of publicity that we would love to give the business.
- Opportunities:
The opportunities available in the industry is massive considering the number of social events that takes places on a daily basis in the United States. As a standard and licensed social club, we are ready to take advantage of any opportunity that comes our way.
- Threat:
Some of the threats that we are likely going to face as a social club operating in the United States of America are unfavorable government policies, the arrival of a competitor within our location of operation and global economic downturn which usually affects donations and spending on social events/clubs.
7. MARKET ANALYSIS
- Market Trends
The Civic, Social and Youth Organizations industry is in a continuous state of evolution and as such, ground breaking strategies and ideas that are once highly successful are no longer as productive as they were in time past. Close observation of the trend in the industry reveals that the past few years has seen the rise and proliferation of social media and new tech tools.
The trend also extends to increased attention paid to engagement and new market segments, adopting eco-friendly measures and sustainability when planning events, and of course increase in demand from event sponsors. Raising funds is one key area that makes a social enterprise stand out. Government funding accounts for 4.6 percent of industry revenue in 2018.
For that reason, fluctuations in federal funding influence industry revenue growth. In recent years, federal funding for social services has been limited because of national budgetary concerns. Federal funding for social services is expected to decline in 2018, presenting a potential threat to the industry.
Changes in per capita disposable income affect membership and the level of donations to an organization. Greater disposable incomes enable more individuals to afford the cost of joining and donating to organizations. Per capita disposable income is expected to increase in 2018, representing a potential opportunity for this industry.
8. Our Target Market
Even though Helping Hands® Social Club will initially serve small to medium sized communities, but that does not in any way stop us from growing to compete with the leading social clubs and other social enterprises in the United States.
Our target memberships base and donors cuts across people of different class and people from all walks of life. Below is a list of the people and organizations that we have specifically designed our products and services for;
- Residence
- Blue – chips companies
- Corporate organizations
- Religious organizations
- Political parties / politicians
- Households/families
- The government (public sector)
- Schools (high schools, colleges and universities)
- Sport organizations
- Celebrities and public figures
- Entrepreneurs and Startups
Our competitive advantage
No doubt, the Civic, Social and Youth Organizations industry is indeed a very prolific and highly competitive industry. Members will only join your social club if they know that you will help them get satisfaction in their social life and donors will only donate to your club if you handle projects that appeal to them.
Helping Hands® Social Club might be a new social club in Annapolis – Maryland, but our management team are considered gurus in the industry. They are core professionals, licensed and highly qualified people that can successfully help her members derive satisfaction when it comes to reaching out to the society and the needy.
These are part of what will count as a competitive advantage for us. Aside from our robust experience and expertise of our team of experts, we have a very strong online presence that will enable us welcome members and donors in different parts of the world.
Lastly, our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category in the industry. It will enable them to be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and achieve all our business aims and objectives.
9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY
- Sources of Income
Helping Hands® Social Club is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the Civic, Social and Youth Organizations industry and we are going to ensure that we attract clients on a regular basis. Helping Hands® Social Club will generate income by offering the following services to individual clients and for corporate organizations;
- Membership services
- Meals and beverages, prepared and served
- Gaming services
- Rental of nonresidential space
- Private gifts, grants and donations via fund raising and other means
- Government grants and support
- Promoting the professional interests of members and the profession as a whole
- Organizing seminars, conferences, trade shows and other events
- All other sources of revenue
10. Sales Forecast
We are well positioned to take on the available market in the United States and we are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of generating enough income/profits from the first six months of operation and grow the social club and our membership base beyond Annapolis to other cities in Maryland.
We have been able to examine the civic, social & youth organizations’ market space, we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast.
Below are the sales projections for Helping Hands® Social Club, it is based on the location of our social club and the wide range of projects and social services that we will be offering;
- First Fiscal Year: $150,000 (Membership fees): $200,000 (Gifts, grants and donations)
- Second Fiscal Year: $250,000 (Membership fees): $300,000 (Gifts, grants and donations)
- Third Fiscal Year: $250,000 (Membership fees): $500,000 (Gifts, grants and donations)
N.B: This projection was done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown and natural disasters within the period stated above. There won’t be any major competitor offering same services as we do within same location. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.
- Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy
We are mindful of the fact that there are stiff competitions amongst social club and other social enterprises in the United States of America, hence we have been able to hire some of the best business developers to handle our sales and marketing.
Our sales and marketing team will be recruited based on their vast experience in the industry and they will be trained on a regular basis so as to be well equipped to meet their targets and the overall goal of the organization. We will also ensure that our excellent job deliveries speak for us in the market place; we want to build a standard professional organizer business that will leverage on word of mouth advertisement from satisfied clients.
Our goal is to grow our social club to become one of the top 20 social clubs in the United States of America which is why we have mapped out strategies that will help us take advantage of the available market and grow to become a major force to reckon with not only in the Annapolis – Maryland, but also in other cities in the United States of America.
Helping Hands® Social Club set to make use of the following marketing and sales strategies to attract clients;
- Introduce our social club by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to corporate organizations, colleges, households and key stake holders in Annapolis and other cities in Maryland.
- Advertise our business in relevant business magazines, newspapers, TV and radio stations
- List our social club on yellow pages’ ads (local directories)
- Attend relevant international and local expos, seminars, and business fairs et al
- Create different packages for different category of members and donors in order to work with their budgets
- Leverage on the internet to promote our social clubs and members
- Engage direct marketing approach
- Encourage word of mouth marketing from loyal and satisfied clients
- Join local chambers of commerce and industries with the aim of networking and marketing our services
11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy
We have been able to work with our brand and publicity consultants to help us map out publicity and advertising strategies that will help us walk our way into the heart of our target market. We are set to take the Civic, Social and Youth Organizations industry by storm which is why we have made provisions for effective publicity and advertisement of our social club.
Below are the platforms we intend to leverage on to promote and advertise Helping Hands® Social Club;
- Place adverts on both print (community based newspapers and magazines) and electronic media platforms
- Sponsor relevant community based events/programs
- Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google + et al to promote our brand
- Install our billboards in strategic locations all around Annapolis – Maryland
- Engage in roadshows from time to time in targeted neighborhoods
- Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas
- Contact corporate organizations by calling them up and informing them of Helping Hands® Social Club and the services we offer
- List our social club in local directories / yellow pages
- Advertise our social club in our official website and employ strategies that will help us pull traffic to the site.
- Ensure that all our staff and members wear our branded shirts and all our vehicles are well branded with our logo.
12. Our Pricing Strategy
We will ensure that we place membership fee that is affordable to the average member, we don’t want to be known as an elite social club. Please note that a member can afford to increase their stake by paying more. As a social enterprise, we will rely on donations, grants and gifts from the government, corporate organizations and individuals.
- Payment Options
The payment policy adopted by Helping Hands® Social Club is going to be all – inclusive because we are quite aware that different members and donors prefer different payment options but at the same time, we will ensure that we abide by the financial rules and regulation of the United States of America.
Here are the payment options that Helping Hands® Social Club will make available to her members and donors;
- Payment via bank transfer
- Payment with cash
- Payment via online bank transfer
- Payment via mobile money
- Payment via Point of Sales Machines (POS Machines)
- Payment via check
In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will enable our clients make payment for membership fees and donations without any stress on their part. Our bank account numbers will be made available on our website and promotional materials.
13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)
Starting a social enterprise can be cost effective because on the average, you are not expected to acquire expensive machines and equipment. What you should be concerned about is the amount needed to secure a standard office facility in a good and busy business district, the amount needed to equip the office, purchase the required software applications, pay bills, promote the business and obtain the appropriate business license and certifications.
However, this is what it would cost us to start our own standard and world class social club in the United States of America;
- Business incorporating fees in the United States of America will cost – $750.
- The budget for liability insurance, permits and license will cost – $3,500
- Acquiring an office space that will accommodate the number of employees we intend employing for at least 6 months (Re – Construction of the facility inclusive) will cost – $35,000.
- Equipping the office (computers, printers, projectors, markers, pens and pencils, furniture, telephones, filing cabinets, and electronics) will cost – $10,000
- The cost for accounting software, CRM software and Payroll Software – $3,000
- Other start-up expenses including stationery – $1000
- Phone and Utilities (gas, sewer, water and electric) deposits – ($3,500).
- Launching an official website will cost – $500
- Amount need to pay bills and staff members for at least 2 to 3 months – $70,000
- Additional Expenditure such as Business cards, Signage, Adverts and Promotions will cost – $5,000
- Miscellaneous – $5,000
Going by the report from the market research and feasibility studies conducted, we will need about one hundred and fifty thousand (150,000) U.S. dollars to successfully set up a medium scale but standard social club in the United States of America.
Generating Funds/Startup Capital for Helping Hands® Social Club
Helping Hands® Social Club is a social enterprise that will be owned by Dwight McGregor and he will run the organization with his friend and business partner Calvin Jefferson. They decided to restrict the sourcing of the startup capital for the business to just three major sources. Please note that subsequently, monies generated from members via membership fees and even donors will be used to carry out projects and promoting the organization.
These are the areas we intend generating our startup capital;
- Generate part of the startup capital from personal savings and sale of his stocks
- Generate part of the startup capital from friends and other extended family members
- Generate a larger chunk of the startup capital from the bank (loan facility).
N.B: We have been able to generate about $50,000 (Personal savings $35,000 and soft loan from family members $15,000) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $100,000 from our bank. All the papers and documents have been duly signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited.
14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy
The future of a business lies in the number of loyal members and donors that they have, the capacity and competence of their employees, their investment strategy and the business structure. One of our major goals of starting Helping Hands® Social Club to build a business that will survive off its own cash flow without injecting finance from external sources once the business is officially running.
We know that one of the ways of gaining approval and winning customers over is to offer our membership fees a little bit cheaper than what is obtainable in the market and we are prepared to survive on lower profit margin for a while.
Helping Hands® Social Club will make sure that the right foundation, structures and processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of. Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and retraining of our workforce is at the top burner of our business strategy.
We know that if that is put in place, we will be able to successfully hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry; they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.
Check List/Milestone
- Business Name Availability Check: Completed
- Business Incorporation: Completed
- Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts: Completed
- Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
- Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
- Application for business license and permit: Completed
- Purchase of Insurance for the Business: Completed
- Leasing a standard office facility in a good location plus reconstruction: In progress
- Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
- Generating part of the startup capital from the founders: Completed
- Writing of Business Plan: Completed
- Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
- Drafting of Contract Documents: In Progress
- Printing of Promotional Materials: Completed
- Recruitment of employees: In Progress
- Purchase of the needed furniture, office equipment, electronic appliances and facility facelift: In progress