Defining the Business

Concise

The mission statement should be clearly and briefly sate

Believable

The mission statement should be honest, sincere, and easily understood. It does not include empty phrases, generalities, and marketing hype

Relevant

The mission statement should be incorporated in 1. staff daily's work enviorment 2. integrated clearly with the facility's policy's and procedures 3. discussed in job interviews 4.The goal is for everyone to live the mission as they go about their workday

Evolving

The mission statement should be revisited annually, revised overtime to reflect changes at the facility and in the overall market.

Types of data to access

on the regional golf market, relevant competitors, and a detailed profile of their current and potential customers. -This wealth of information is continually analyzed and used during both short-term and long-term business planning processes; it allows facilities to take advantage of opportunities when they arise and be prepared for potential threats. Therefore, it is imperative that any business definition includes an in-depth look at these components and how they affect golf operations

Examples of clearly stated Core Values

"Honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy, and judgment" (The First Tee) • "Integrity, honesty, respect, and cooperation" (Duke University Golf Club) • "Self-determination, courage, a competitive spirit, integrity, and hard work" (The Ben Hogan Foundation) • "Leadership, teamwork, member/guest satisfaction, professionalism, integrity, commitment, innovation, being a mentor and a coach, flexibility, vision, pride, and empowerment" (Oakmont Country Club)

The Vision Statement says what?

"this is what we stand for, this is where we're going, and this is what we will accomplish.

Direct competition 2

A golf facility's direct competitors are businesses that are working to attract the market that has chosen to spend its recreation money on playing golf or purchasing golf-related products and services. Direct competitors are not just other golf facilities in the region, but also stand-alone practice ranges, golf instruction centers, golf retailers, and any other golf-related business that could meet the same need with a similar set of products and services. Even online golf retailersand distant resort facilities could fall into this category

Defining The Business

-Defining the business is the foundation of the entire business planning process. - During this phase, input from key stakeholders is used to establish the facility's purpose and direction, including its core values, vision, and mission. -important to decide where the business is now before making long term goals. -defining the business also requires creation of a profile that describes the facility and its current business context.

Facility Profile

-identifies the business's assets, departments, core business areas, market demographics, and target customer segments.

Effective Mission Statements AVOID....

1. A re-statement of the facility descriptions 2. long and detailed description 3. something that the staff does not believe in or live by 4. A claim to be something the facility is not 5. written without the input of key stake holders

Key Characteristics of an effective mission statement

1.concise 2. believable 3. Realistic 4. Relevant 5. Evolving

Indirect Competition

A business's indirect competition is any organization that meets the same customer need with a different service. The organization must recognize its indirect competitors in order to tailor the facility's golf and non-golf related amenities to draw as many customers as possible from those competitors. For example, private clubs often have tennis or aquatic facilities in addition to golf in order to attract entire families and make the membership expenses more desirable; by marketing themselves as a facility that provides recreation for every member of the family, they neutralize many of their indirect competitors.

Facility Profile

A facility profile is based on a set of descriptive data about the facility type, geographic locale, customers, competitors, golf trends, economic conditions, play value, and related amenities

Direct competition

A facility's direct competition is any organization that meets the same customer need with the same or similar products and service (in this case, golf). Note that "golf" is the service provided, not the need that is fulfilled

Indirect Competition 2

A golf facility's primary competition is not actually other golf facilities, but the indirect competition offered by the other activities that customers could choose other than golf. In fact, research by the World Golf Foundation suggests that before a customer even thinks about choosing a golf facility, he or she must first make the decision that golf is preferable to other recreation activities. For example, customers who live in a busy metropolitan area and want to spend their recreation time and dollars on an athletic activity may have to choose among golf, aquatics, skiing, or their children's Little League game. Indirect competition outside of athletics could also include movies, concerts, museums, shopping, dining, or seeking quality family time at any venue. The main point is that the golf industry is competing for people's recreational time.

Mission Statements

A mission statement is a brief statement of a facility's purpose. It is a "why we exist" statement. It defines the business's purpose, not the business's vision or underlying financial model. Ideally, a mission statement should guide all business decisions and actions of a facility and steer the decision-making process for all levels of staff.

Mission Statement two

A mission statement is a dynamic statement that changes over time. As the market changes, or the facility grows (possibly in unexpected directions), or the business model changes, the organization must periodically re-visit its mission. Revising the mission statement is not a sign that the previous mission statement was a failure. Instead, it is an indication that the business has changed in response to internal factors and external market conditions.

The facility planning team should have this detailed information at their finger

Course architect, number of holes, yardage, type of course (regulation, par 3, etc.) • Course ownership (club members, a municipality or government entity, military, university, resort, development, etc.) • Course access (public, semi-private, private, etc.) • Fee structure (green fees, initiation, dues, and how the fee structure compares to area as high, moderate, low) • Amenities at the facility other than golf (restaurant, snack bar, aquatics, tennis, health and fitness, etc.) • Description of the physical plant (facility square footage, acreage, surrounding community description, patron demographics, etc.)

Dangers of vision statements

It is extremely important to understand that its development is a commitment to having it drive all strategic decisions and your planning process. An effective vision statement will ultimately define what the business should look like, what it stands for, and what it will achieve. It is not mere lip service.

Realistic

The mission statement reflects the true purpose and type of the facility.

Successful Mission Statement

Sets the stage for integrating the vision and core values of the organization seamlessly, and serves as a touchstone for all future planning decisions, including 1. Business planning objectives 2. financial forecasts 3. customer goals

PGA Professionals Today

Today, unless they are hired by a brand new facility, most PGA Professionals involved in business planning are not defining the business from its inception. Instead, they are revisiting or updating how the business has been defined and operated in order to react to recent changes in the business environment

Visions Statement examples

Vision statements can be short, i.e., "We will land a man on the moon," or they may encompass multiple pages. In either case, they must provide a clear and compelling portrait of the future. There are no specific rules for creating a vision

What are the Key Questions the business owner will ask?

What resources, systems, technology, and people will be required for success? What are the best- and worst-case scenarios that could impact success? For example: What are the effects of weather, economic conditions, health care, terrorism, unemployment, and inflation? What will the pulseof the golf industry be like in 5, 10, or 15 years, and who will be the key decision makers? What types of customers will exist in our markets? What or who will be key internal and external competitors?

Vision

a catalyst that ignites a business to move toward a seemingly ambitious dream, and helps motivate staff to transform that dream into reality. A vision is a goal of the highest orderand helps define what a business will ultimately accomplish -A vision statement also helps define a business's culture and core values, and encourages staff and stakeholders to embrace them

Facility Location

he climate and seasons in the facility's region obviously affect the length of the playing season and the number of rounds and patterns of play. Weather and climate also influence merchandising choices in the golf shop (although customer demographics have the greatest influence on merchandising), the type of maintenance required for the course itself, and the amenities offered by the facility, such as outdoor dining or the hours of operation.

Fundamental Step in business planning process.

involves understanding how the profile affects financial results; for example, opportunities for revenues will be dramatically different if a facility has a year-round season, as opposed to an eight-month season

Typical outcomes that are produced when defining the business

• A written mission statement • A written vision statement • A written set of core values • A detailed facility description • Descriptions of core business areas and how to evaluate them • A market analysis that specifies a geographic market, target customers, and competition