How to Build a Business Others Want to Buy

Chapter 21The little club that could

The Royal Motor Yacht Club of NSW is one of Sydney's finest boating clubs. It's situated on the Hawkesbury River, arguably one of the most spectacular waterways in the world, and offers expansive views, multiple dining areas, a cocktail bar, a wedding venue, an outdoor BBQ area, a balcony and a heated pool. It hosts black-tie gala events, attracts celebrities from around the world and stages world-class regattas. Anyone and everyone with a boat wants to be a member of this club.

And then there's the Kuring-Gai Motor Yacht Club. It's also a yacht club with a fancy title, but unfortunately it does not have the glittering location, membership base or cachet of its nearby competitor. The clubhouse is ‘historic’, which means it's old, has limited moorings, and, being nestled deep in the heart of a national park, down a very long and steep road, is very difficult to access.

At one point, it was on the point of closure as it just could not survive with the limited support it was receiving.

But the locals didn't want it to die, so they got together and brainstormed ways to stay competitive. They knew they could not go head to head with their glamorous counterpart up the coast, so they asked the questions, ‘What can we do well that the other club can't? What can we do differently? What's our unique selling proposition?’

They knew their existing members were mostly families with young children so they decided to eschew being ‘all things to all people’ ...