BE CREATIVE!

Think of NEW ways to create income. Fill the dead time at your facility. Offer new things that are complementary to what you are already doing. Stretch your thinking to create ways to bring in extra revenue.

	Aaron and Joelle Scott - Universal Kentucky Cheer (KY)
	More sources of revenue in facility Inflatable area for parties and for younger siblings to play on during practice times. Snack Shop Great for kids coming straight from school and parents sitting around with younger siblings Fitness Center/Tanning Parents can pay $15/month membership for use of fitness equipment – keeps parents at the gym and brings in extra revenue Camp U (Universal) Clinic Held throughout the year (especially right before tryouts – to get more kids through the doors) Have parties/events during all Holidays Daytime revenue Mommy’s Day Out – 9am – noon (certain days/week) allows moms to drop off kids to get errands done.
	Robbi Messer - Orlando All Stars (FL)
	You don't need to be creative as much as business smart. Be realistic about the economy - too many gyms are nickeling and diming their athletes and there is a breaking point.  Treat your customers’ money as if it were your own!  Treat your kids fairly. Turnover is the key. If you have a kid, don't lose them. Spend as much energy keeping what you have as you do trying to get more. There is a lot of glory in a level 5 Worlds team, but not a lot of profit.  Pay attention to your youth and level 2s - not as glamorous but much more profitable.  Your bills are paid by that average kid.
	Kevin Hooker - Elite Cheer Nebraska (NE)
	Martial arts is now a big part of our gym Special needs during the day – great way to give back! Charge 10% fee on competition travel – act as travel agent
	Jeff Miller – Pro Spirit (TX)
	Hold a Youth Football Clinic – 1 day for cheer coaches (FREE); 3 day for cheerleaders ($30/athlete); send home fliers with these kids; put on a show for parents at the end of the week
	Alisa Kiefer – Twister All-Stars (GA)
	Have a summer tumbling program where athletes pay $250 for the summer to come to as many 1.5 hour tumbling classes as they would like.  (Brings additional revenue into the gym during the slow summer months and keeps athletes in shape)  It helps with the issue of kids committing to a specific class day and then continually missing due to vacations, other sports, school practice, etc.  Have a few lower level teams that attend fewer competitions than the rest of the program, typically 5-6 rather than 8-9 and only 1 travel trip.  This has helped to offer a more affordable product to those who want to be involved with all-star but can’t afford the extensive travel and competition fees. Additional Programs: Parent’s Night Out once a month - open gym, order pizza, and watch movies on a Friday night.  Saturday clinics which last 3-4 hours and focus on certain skills.  Personal training program where they split the profit. The trainer teaches a strength, speed, and conditioning program.  This attracts athletes from Twisters, as well as athletes who aren’t involved with cheer and dance. Home school program that offers a physical fitness course to children who are homeschooled.
	Jamie Bennett-Bailey/Cathy Bennett - Ohio Valley All Stars (WV)
	Local Team People are scared to commit time and money for a whole year. Local team performances, pep rally, basketball games, local competitions Lower monthly fees, practice once a week Teeny-tiny 2-5 years T-shirt, shorts, performances, learn basics
	Travis Franklin - Southern Extreme (TN)
	Help parents with fundraising.  Southern Extreme sets up one fundraiser a month for their athletes to participate in to help them pay for gym fees, competitive fees, uniforms, etc.  Alternate selling items and working events to offer a variety of options to choose from.  Hold a pageant. Make sure to advertise this well - you’ve got to get the word out on this event.  Anyone is eligible to participate in the pageant, but most are usually pageant go-ers.  They have their older athletes work the event, as ticket collectors, concessions, judges helpers, etc.
	Caryn Hale, Wanda Whipkey, Laura Dudley  - American Elite (OH)
	Offer Zumba, Cross-fit and Kickboxing in the gym.  Parents of kids in gym can buy a card for these classes, and it gets punched each time they attend a session (doesn’t tie them to one particular day/time). Turned one of our old racquetball courts into a Fun Gym for Pre-school age kids, called My 1st Open Gym.  This provides a small area where they can’t run around too much and frees up the larger area of the gym for classes and teams.
	Sean Sutton - Cheer Force One (AL)
	Start an after-school tutoring program.  Pick up the kids from 4 of the local school systems and then bring them back to the gym.  Rather than just having a ‘free for all” aftercare, have an employee work with the students on their homework.  This program has also attracted new clients into the all-star program and cheerleading classes.  Nearly all of these after-school children have now signed up for classes, all-stars, etc. at CFO.
	Jason Mitchell – Arizona Heat (AZ)
	Add adult boot camp classes, self defense classes, and recruiting more high schools to use our facility.  Offer home-schooled kids classes to attend during normal school hours.
	Shannon Gregg - Fire and Ice Allstars (PA)
	Use the summer time to turn profit. Day care facilities are always looking for field trip opportunities and they have $$ to spend.  Bring in college staff members to work for minimal pay and keep electric costs down (keep lights off and don’t use heat or air unless necessary) Direct vendors (Mobile spray tans, clothing vendors, etc.) They will pay you a portion of their profit for just allowing you to have them on site.  Make money without doing anything at all.
	Morton Bergue - Cheergyms.com (CA)
	Offer Fitness Boot Camps in the morning hours.  Start a preschool.  If possible, close the gyms on Fridays and Saturdays to only specialty workshops and events, which makes our Sundays – Thursdays more profitable because we have crammed more in those hours.  Work with the local YMCA’s and becoming their cheer source.
	Todd and Amy Bragan – High Fly All-Stars (AL)
	Offer Unique Teams: Tiny Exhibition team - pull together younger athletes who were already in tumbling classes at the gym and offer them an exhibition team for just a few extra dollars a month.  The parents loved the idea because they were getting twice the time in the gym, cheer uniforms, and the ability to allow their daughters to perform.  Local travel team - group of 16 athletes who were never able to afford competition cheer before, but since this team will only compete in Birmingham at local events they are able to afford to participate.  Between the local travel and tiny exhibition team, High Fly has acquired 24 new athletes who previously were unable to participate in all-star cheer. Referral Promotions: Current student who brings a friend receives a free month of tumbling if their friend signs up for classes.