by John Pahl
 
Much of the advice to follow pertains to both starting and expanding your club
and membership, but for practical purposes we will refer mostly to expansion.
If there is no table tennis club in your area, look for players and start immediately
even if it's just one table in a basement. Check our History section for a complete
outline of how we were able to progress to where we are today.

Incorporation/Non-Profit
Most smaller clubs do not need to incorporate or apply for non-profit status.
There is a cost involved for both: @ $500 to incorporate and @ 250 for non-profit.
It is possible to do both on your own without the help or cost of a lawyer,
the internet being your best friend here for appropriate documentation & even advice.
There may be an added cost at tax time as well to make sure you reap all the benefits.
Being non-profit with a tax id# will help in acquiring sponorships $ donations.
Companies now are much more receptive as you appear more professional, organized
and attractive from an accounting perspective. This added credibility will open many more
doors in your search for support.

Equipment
Good table tennis tables are expensive. Anything will do when you are starting out,
but eventually it is very important that you maintain a minimum standard which is
usually higher than found at schools and rec centers. If there are better, more
experienced players interested, they will expect decent equipment. Everyone will
benefit from good playing conditions. The most convenient method of payment for
some quality tables is private financing through a club member. If this is not an
option, try local sports outlets to either allow payments or sponsorhips. This is not
as easy as it sounds; most sports outlets are constantly hit on for sponsorships
but that doesn't mean they will not be open to your proposal if it is properly presented.
The cardinal rule when soliciting businesses is no different from basic business
practice: present what you are selling in such a way that they will want to buy.
You are selling your club and community service, they are buying a piece of you,
a tax break and community support. You will also want to send your best salesman.
If you are not comfortable meeting & greeting, send or take along someone who is.
The manager of the local Sports Authority usually will not respond positively to
someone asking for free ping pong tables. They may take notice to the following:
"We are a local non profit organization serving our community by offering opportunity
for youth, seniors and everyone between to enjoy and compete in the most popular
indoor sport in the world. We are a multi culturally diverse group planning on
expanding our membership with your help to target all the schools in promoting our
nationally sanctioned club".
The wording is less important than including key words and phrases: non-profit,
community, youth, seniors, multi-cultural, diverse, school, as well as working in any
 angle for your particulr target. The idea here is not to lie, but present yourself in the
best light possible, even if some of your attributes are only in the planning stages.
The application should be in writing as well, these decisions are not usually made
on the spot & are often referred for consideration & approval. Attitude is very important,
being excited about selling a positive product you believe in is the minimum they
expect. If you can't be excited about your pitch, why should they?
Timing is important, corporations usually allocate spending at the beginning of the
year. Asking for a sponsorship during the last quarter has less chance of success
han during the first. Table tennis manufacturers and dealers offer discounts and
incentives and on rare occasions sponsorships. We were lucky enough to receive
$5000 worth of equipment from Stiga through Paddle Palace in the mid 90's in a
promotional club program. Persistance by a club member along with being in the right
place at the right time paid off. We still list Stiga as a sponsor  and have had a good
relationship with Paddle Palace since then giving them all our business including
stocking our pro shop. I recommend contacting all the tt equipment suppliers and at
least establish contact in an attempt to make them aware of your situation and needs.
Some are more receptive than others, you have nothing to lose.

Facility
If procuring equipment was hard, finding a suitable long term facility will test your surely
patience and temper. The obvious first places to check are schools, rec centers, churches,
YMCA, any place that has a gym. While a gym is ideal, some clubs play in rooms with
lower ceilings limiting type of play. The first step is to check out a facility & their schedule.
Always go as high as possible up the chain of command, otherwise you will spend your
time trying to make your case to people not able to make decisions. Facility managers
usually answer to facility directors who may or may not be able to help even if they want in
the case of rec centers. All programs may go through regional directors responsible for
different centers. Go ahead and talk to the facility director & if you get a good initial response,
try to close the deal. If not, thank them for their time & move up the ladder.
Most information should be available on the internet.
This regional director will tend to treat the matter on a more  business like manner, being
more receptive to our key words and phrases from the equipment section: non-profit,
community, youth, seniors, multi-cultural, diverse, school. While there are some county rec
centers that do a very good job of supplying their community with a diverse list of activities,
most seem to go through the motions offering basketball leagues and little else.
It is important that they know you will be organizing your time slot. They usually know little
about table tennis to begin with and will feel better about considering you if you offer a turn
key operation. If the regional director is unable or unwilling to help, keep climbing the ladder.
n the case of rec centers, there are Branch Managers, Planning Groups, Advisory councils
and Commissioners all able to pull strings if your plight gets to the right ear. Keep all your
conversations polite & follow up with an email thanking them for their time. Always ask for
more contacts if they can not personally help. You are playing politics now, & your success
depends on your ability to adapt to their game. Be positive about your program, do not attack
others. Do not even mention other sports that may be taking up a disproportionate amount
of rec center time. We have our key words & phrases for weapons; we must stay neutral for
them to be effective. Eventually your persistance should pay off as someone either agrees
and supports your program, or you have created enough buzz within your community that the
right people will do the right thing.
It is good to arm yourself with as much ammunition as possible: newspaper, usatt & school
newspaper articles can all add not just credibility, but a sense that your efforts are not short
term & are to be taken seriously.
If you feel that your club has good growth potential & is only being held back because of facility
& time problems, don't be afraid to shoot for the moon. Asking for more than you need is a
common negotiating pratice & just might get you that dream facility.
Bottom line: It takes perseverence & patience. We have good intentions & a great game with a
great history on our side. Follow through with what  you start & you will have a positive impact
on your game & community.


Increasing Membership (build it & they will come)
Advertising you club is not difficult. Depending on the size of your city, you have many options
without spending a lot of money. First advertise in any free magazine, they usually offer no
charge advertising for leagues & organizations. The usatt website is useful, but having your
own website, even if its just one page will allow players to find you with ease. You may want
to take out an ad TO kick start your membership drive to raise awareness. Flyers can be
distribiuted at ethnic restaurants including but not limited to any asian variety, east indian,
spanish, etc. as well as sporting stores, rec centers & the Y. If you are looking to increase
the number of younger players, the schools are very receptive to helping reach the students.

The most difficult part of starting or expanding a club is willingness for a few volunteers to
research & scout leads. Most of us didn't land the job we wanted right out of the gate;
sometimes you make due, gain experience & improve your situation over time.
The Charlotte ttc is an example of just that. With some dedicated volunteers, great things
can be done.
There is no reason why every city in the USA can't boast a thriving table tennis club. If you wait
for it to be handed to you, you will be waiting a long time.

Added note:
Just to show you what can be done if you set your mind on it, the city of Charlotte NC will be
hosting the 2006 US Open as of this writing. As soon as Ray Filz (more info in the History
section) had helped us land our own facility, he set his sights on landing an upscale tournament.
8 months later, it was a reality. A year ago none of us believed we would be in our own well
equipped facility let alone aid in hosting the most prestigious table tennis event on US soil.
Rays tenacity was matched only by his disgust of the status quo: if you don't believe it can happen,
it won't. If you act like you're second rate, then you probably are. Great accomplishments are
realized with perseverence. Ray was mostly responsible for changing the face of table tennis in
Charlotte, with reverberations to be felt regionally and nationally. 1 man.
Imagine what can be done if everyone pitches in.