While the start of the new year is a great time to hit the reset button personally, it’s also an ideal time to reset your business and prepare your family entertainment center (FEC) for the new year ahead. Here are a few tips to start your year off strong and create the momentum you need for success.

Review Your Technology Stack

The technology you deploy across your FEC sets the foundation for all your operations. Yes - ALL! All-in-one solutions like Clubspeed, empower your facility to run all of its front end and back end operations from one easy to use system. The fewer technology solutions you use, the more integrated your operations will be, streamlining efficiencies and saving your FEC the time and money associated with managing multiple technology solutions.  Here are a few things to consider.

• What technology solutions can you consolidate?
• Are you maximizing your existing technology solutions?
• Do your employees need any training on new solutions or new features?
• Do your solutions allow you to scale or are they holding you back?

If you are considering a switch in your technology provider, here is an article that can help. 

Create a Promotions & Event Calendar

If your FEC suffers from the post-holiday slow down, you’re not alone. In order to fight the lull, be proactive and give your guests a reason to come in. Start by setting your mindset to what might motivate customers after a busy holiday season. Here are a few tips and ideas to get you started. 

• Promote a food & fun package for the month of January. Sell your FEC as a place to decompress after the holidays and take a break from cooking.
• Parents night out. When you want to get away from it all, a family entertainment center is the perfect place to go. Parents that have been juggling the shopping, traveling and working all while having their kids home over winter break will welcome a fun night out. 
• Plan a college night. Most colleges don’t return to their normal schedule until mid to late January. This enables your facility to increase foot traffic from local college students and the student home during the break. 

Have your event and promotions calendar planned for at least 3 months in advance. With spring break expected a little earlier than usual this year you can start promoting your spring break specials now and reach an even wider audience. Here are more tips on drafting your marketing calendar.

Training

The interactions your guests have with your staff will be a major indication of customer satisfaction and driving repeat business. Start the year right with a reset and get your employees trained, retrained and refreshed. A solid on-boarding and ongoing training program not only improves their work performance, but also boosts morale. Schedule a mandatory meeting to review your training material. Take a look at this list of what your training program should include. This is also a perfect time to bring your team up to speed on any new changes, large or small. Here are a few to consider:

• Using new technology
• Implementing new policies and procedures
• Any new laws that take effect in 2020 and could impact your business: safety, communication, payments, or other
• Changes to schedules, menus or operations

Ready? Set? Success!

While it’s important to reflect on your successes and failures from 2019, switch your focus to the new year, set your goals and create your plan to achieve them. Share your goals and expectations with your entire team and hold each other accountable. Most importantly, surround your FEC with those that support your business’s success, including; employees, vendors and partners. For more information about Clubspeed's complete venue management solution, contact us today or view our list of features to learn more.