Starting a fan club can be a lot of fun but it can also be a lot of hard work. and can take up a lot of your time.
There are a few things you should consider before deciding to start a fan club. I strongely recommend buying and reading the FAN CLUB GUIDE, published by the NAFC. It is not at all expensive and this guide will help you a lot - even after you started your club.!
1. Will you have the time?
Whether you start a fan club as a hobby or for a profit , it takes a lot of time to run - so review how much time in your day you have to spare.
2. Do you have the money to spare.?
Fan Clubs, especially the offline ones takes lots of money to run and
it costs money to set up a fan club. Do not depend on the Celebrity to pay you, mostly they don't. Most Fan Clubs do not make money - they only cover the costs!
3. OFFICIAL OR UNOFFICIAL?
Official is better, but sometimes the only way to start a fan club is unofficial! Before starting an unofficial fan club, you should at least try to make it official!
4. WHY DO YOU WANT TO RUN A CLUB?
Think about this very carefully. Maybe you have a desire to meet the celebrity , well think again: Many club presidents have never met their celebrity. You should run a club because you like the celbrity/show etc. and want to meet other fans to share information about the celebrity.
5. WHAT MY CLUB WILL OFFER?
Think what your club will offer and how much to charge for it. Whatever you choose, you have to offer some kind of publications: A newsletter is the most common, and photo's, membership cards and maybe something like stickers.
6. DO I HAVE THE EQUIPMENT AND RESOURCES?
The most common thing is a computer or typewriter. A talent for writing will also help.
7. DO YOU LIKE DEALING WITH PEOPLE?
You will work with people all the time - this is not a maybe but a must. If you don't like working with people then don't start a club!
8. IF THE FAN CLUB BRINGS IN FEWER MEMBERS THAN YOU PROJECTED, WILL YOU STILL WANT TO RUN IT?
Do not think about 1000's of members. Most clubs average about 80-150 members.
9. ARE YOU WILLING TO COMMIT YOURSELF TO RUNNING A CLUB?
You can not cancell everything after 8 months or so. Running a club takes a lot of commitment !
10. WILL YOU RUN THE CLUB BY YOURSELF OR WITH OTHER PEOPLE?
Be careful who you work with. Todays friend can be tommorrow's enemy. Choose your partner/s carefully to avoid staff problems later!
