Best Business Practices

You Are Your Brand

BY THE PSA COMMITTEE ON PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS

Major corporations spend thousands of dollars to create and improve their brand. When you think of iconic brand names like Nike, AT&T, Microsoft, and Walmart, how do you think of them? Does it draw a positive or negative picture? The public forms personal opinions on these companies based on principles, policies, marketing strategies, and customer service.

Coaches should employ the same strategies to enhance their brand. Your name is your brand. You are your brand and the quality of your coaching business reflects the quality of your brand. Add a comma and INC. or LLC at the end of your name and you will start thinking of your coaching business differently, like a professional business (ex. Susie Snowflake, LLC). A company with one employee needs to be as organized and structured as a company of one hundred employees.

You need to have a clear and consistent business model of principles, professional standards, policies, and practices that create a safe and ethical environment. You need to work hard to build a business that is reflective of these principles. Start with written policies for best business practices and strategies, stay committed and consistent with them, and you will have the best chance of increasing the longevity of your career. Your brand becomes symbolic of those business practices.

Below is a list of several coaching policies to consider when developing your best business practices, not only for yourself but also communicating your policies to your clientele.

Coaching Philosophy and Mission Statement

Defining Roles and Expectations

a. Parent

b. Skater

c. Coach

Communication Policy – Who

a. Parent

b. Legal Guardian

c. No minors

Communication Policy – When

a. Weekly email

b. Scheduled meeting time

c. Post-lesson briefing

Communication Policy – Where

a. In person

b. Rink

c. Home – office hours

d. Response time

e. Neutral site

f. Cell phone – text

g. Email

Achievement Policy

a. Daily practice expectations/appropriate for level of skater

b. Testing – all disciplines

c. Competitions

Goal Setting Policy – how often, assessment, adjust

a. Realistic Goals

b. Short –term goals

c. Long-term goals

d. Future strategies

Coaching Fee Policy

a. Private/semi-private lessons

b. Choreography

c. Competition

d. Testing

e. Missed lesson policy

f. Off-ice conditioning

Travel and Accommodation policy

a. Competition

b. Testing

c. Camps

Additional Services Policy

a. Music editing

b. Costume design

c. Fitting skates

d. Blade mounting

e. Skate Sharpening

Social Media Policy

a. No skaters under 18

b. No current students

c. Parents

d. No posting without parent consent

e. Parent re-post only (competition/test day)

Responsibilities

a. To the club

b. To the rink

c. To the community

d. To PSA

e. To U.S. Figure Skating

f. To ISI

g. Yourself (ethics, education, certification)

Sportsmanship Policy – Coach, Skater, Parent

a. Respect the sport

b. Follow the rules

c. Daily practice sessions

d. Test sessions

e. Competitions – win or lose

Conflict Resolution Policy

a. Coach and skater

b. Coach and parent

c. Appropriate place and time to discuss

d. Ethical and professional transition for skater

What makes a brand reliable? In effect, it is to be able to deliver your coaching services in a competent, ethical, educated, and responsible manner on time every time. You must consistently make sure that the promise is fulfilled or surpassed.