There are lots of benefits to shopping local as an individual, but there are even more benefits to shop local as a business.
These have been very trying times that have hit small businesses and independent operators the hardest. Shop Local has been a campaign that was largely a result of the pandemic, but when you look at the benefits of shopping local, we should have been doing this long ago.
There are many benefits to the community and to the club when you choose local. When you use a local business, you are not just supporting the specific business, you’re supporting the community as a whole. This can be a win – win for both the business you support and the club itself.
By supporting your local bakery by purchasing their artisanal bread and burger buns, you’ve now elevated that toast you serve at breakfast and are quickly becoming known to have the best burger in town. Okay, maybe not, but you get where I’m going. You are supporting a local business and, in turn, offering an exceptional product which adds to the uniqueness of your menu.
Don’t just buy the product, advertise it. Let your membership know that your burger is served on a “Bob’s Bakery” bun. They will appreciate the superior product and that you are supporting a local business. Don’t stop at bread, offer some unique locally sourced dessert selections, maybe have a local coffee roaster provide your coffee, or have the local craft brewery’s beer on tap.
Members may even start shopping at these businesses you’ve chosen to support, bringing the relationship full circle.
As a club, you bring the members of the community together in sport, and you have the opportunity to bring the club and its membership together in support of local businesses and the community they serve.
Staffing for success
This season has definitely had more challenges than any other before, but the one challenge that most of us face on an annual basis has definitely been magnified: our staffing.
Sure, every season we face the task of hiring new staff members to augment those returning team members. We spend a great deal of time at the beginning of the season poring over countless resumes and then interviewing and training our new hires, but now we are faced with having to do this throughout the season.
Hiring is no longer a one and done process. With the current staffing crisis in the hospitality industry, hiring staff is an ongoing challenge. With many hospitality professionals leaving the industry during the last year and a half, and the re-opening of most establishments, there are more positions and shifts than there are people that are interested in filling these positions.
What has this meant for clubs? Reduction of hours, closure of outlets, reduced offerings, overworked staff, unhappy members, stressed management…you get the picture.
So, how do we get on top of this crisis and avoid it in the future? I believe that to be truly successful you need to look at it as a multistep process. Firstly, recruiting candidates is a challenge in itself. With the abundance of positions available in the market, what makes you stand out? What is your club offering that would make someone want to work there versus somewhere else?
It’s not just about the money anymore; people are looking at the company culture and work environment that they will be working in. Ensuring your club has a reputation for being a workplace that provides team members with a positive, respectful environment will get your search off to a great start with candidates wanting to work for you.
Now that they are hired, you need to make sure you retain them. Training and onboarding are key. Making sure you don’t just throw them in the deep end and see if they sink or swim will show them that you have a vested interest in their success.
Traditionally, in most cases we are used to bringing in everyone at the beginning of the season and doing a group orientation/training session. With circumstances as they are and hiring happening throughout the season, we don’t always have the same time to commit to getting people started. However, it’s imperative that we give every new employee the same comprehensive training to ensure their success.
A good way to do this is to provide a manual including SOPs, product information and service standards, supported by job training videos and retention quizzes, followed by actual on the job training.
It may sound excessive, but it not only ensures everyone gets the same information, it will provide you with a good barometer for the success of your new hire.
Onboarding is equally important. This allows you to give your new team member a good idea of your company culture, vision and values. Taking the time to do this will ensure they know the environment that the club is trying to provide, and it will also help to make them feel part of your team.
There are never any guarantees when hiring, but by providing new team members with clear and consistent information, it increases your chance for success.
