The Business of Pickleball - Pickleball Brief

Welcome back to the podcast with Robert Allen and David Feldman, who's also our in-house pickleball expert. Today we have Gordon Jones from Pickle Zone joining us. He has an extensive background in health administration and technology, including creating a web interface for physician billing systems and working with blockchain technology.

Gordon got into pickleball after being introduced to it at a wedding and quickly became involved in the sport. Despite his tech background, he found joy in playing pickleball locally and competitively. Now certified as a coach, he saw the need for more coaching resources nationwide.

With Pickle Zone, Gordon's goal is to enhance player experiences by making it easier to find matches, schedule games, track scores using blockchain for trustworthiness, and reward players through tokens that incentivize play across different clubs. This system aims to integrate various technologies within club settings while keeping strong relationships between facilities and members.

The conversation turns towards how AI can help personalize member experiences even further by recognizing preferences like equipment or food choices without needing constant staff training due to high turnover rates.

Lastly, Gordon emphasizes the importance of digital identity that goes beyond devices—a concept he believes will revolutionize interactions within sports communities like those of pickleball enthusiasts.

Innovative apps like Swing Vision and PlaySight are transforming how we play sports by capturing video data during matches. This data includes every detail from paddle position to player movement on the court. Pickle Zone plans to use this information for skill development by feeding it to our AI coach who could then provide real-time feedback through an app or even directly to your smartwatch.

The future holds more than just advanced coaching tools; technology will enable us to identify talented young players early through video analysis — much like professional soccer scouts do today. As pickleball grows in schools and clubs, tech will be crucial not only for player development but also for managing club operations effectively.

For new club owners entering the space, understanding that there's a "tech ladder" is key — start simple with basic operational software before exploring more complex options like AI coaching or fully automated facilities. It’s about taking one step at a time towards integrating technology that suits each stage of business growth.

To learn more about these innovations or connect further, visit picklezone.com or reach out via LinkedIn under Dr. Gordon Jones as well as attend upcoming events where these topics will be showcased live.

Welcome to another episode of The Business of Pickleball, brought to you by Pickleball Brief. I'm Robert Allen, and with me is Dave Feldman. Today we're diving into timely news and events after celebrating our successful launch. We thank everyone who subscribed – your support means a lot! If you enjoy our content, please share it with colleagues or anyone in your organization who could benefit from it.

We don't have an affiliate program yet, but it's on our list for the future. Our focus remains on delivering top-notch content and growing our subscriber base. So keep sharing!

Dave echoes my gratitude towards subscribers and emphasizes the value we aim to provide – high-quality insights that drive sharing naturally if the product is good.

We believe in creating something we would use ourselves because like attracts like. We're seeking those interested in building a valuable pickleball business grounded in foundational principles rather than chasing trends.

Our audience may not be massive now, but they are influential within the niche pickleball industry which lacks depth in practical business experience due to its youthfulness.

We've made some key decisions regarding subscriptions: Gmail or Yahoo users will need to whitelist us due to algorithm changes on these platforms; otherwise, we risk being marked as spam which can lead to "email jail." Professional domain emails are recommended for serious entrepreneurs as part of their infrastructure investment.

Another big step is eliminating free subscriptions; Pickleball Briefing will be paid-only moving forward. This decision reflects our commitment to serving professionals who see value in investing $349 annually for actionable insights that help them succeed over time.

Lastly, through personal experiences such as organizing indoor play during winter months when outdoor courts aren't viable options showed me that people are willing pay for solutions - reinforcing why offering valuable content shouldn’t be free if it solves problems effectively within the market dynamics of pickleball.

Private equity is a complex topic that many don't understand—how it's structured, how it operates, and its implications for businesses. It's essential to grasp these details to comprehend this unfolding transaction better.

David, can you share your initial thoughts on private equity in pickleball? It indicates there’s money and demand in the sport since such investments wouldn’t occur otherwise. However, not all private equity firms are alike; some aim for genuine business growth while others seek quick profits with little added value.

The entry of private equity into pickleball is notable—it shows potential profitability within the sport. But as they vary widely in approach and reputation, their impact remains uncertain.

Understanding different investment types—from bootstrapping to venture capital—is crucial before reaching the stage where private equity becomes relevant. Examining a firm's track record can reveal much about what they bring to a transaction.

Some firms are now publicly traded, offering transparency through SEC reports or resources like PitchBook for deeper research into market players' expectations during transactions.

It’s important for those involved in growing pickleball businesses or franchises to pay attention to who is investing in their space—their choices could significantly influence future outcomes.

As lending tightens up due to digitization and automation, entrepreneurs must adapt by implementing sustainable operational models without relying solely on themselves if they hope for significant growth or eventual sale opportunities.

Our next briefing will be released in January, offering curated content, insightful articles, and links to our latest podcast. By February 15th, we aim to release a financial tool for club owners that simplifies understanding key metrics essential for running a profitable business.

We've noticed inconsistencies in how clubs are managed; hence we're creating standards through Pickleball Brief. Our industry directory has grown with 33 new companies added recently—it's part of your subscription and helps you find various services related to pickleball businesses.

Lastly, follow us on social media—LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter—to stay updated without cluttering your busy schedule. Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify so you can listen while engaging in your favorite activities. Look forward to more episodes from us! Thank you all for tuning in.

Welcome to the Pickleball Brief podcast with Robert and Dave Feldman. This week, we have been focused on perfecting our newsletter, ensuring a seamless experience for our readers. Our goal is to provide a smooth navigation without interruptions.

We are also in the process of building our team and establishing standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure longevity and value in the industry. As we approach our launch day on the 15th, we are fine-tuning the details and ensuring high-quality content that will continue to evolve over time.

In addition to our preparations, we have discussed our aim to be a resource for industry professionals. We want to provide solutions for common business challenges, such as choosing between fixed or mobile nets based on facility needs.

We want Pickleball Brief to be your go-to source for information that helps you make informed decisions about equipment suppliers or service companies that address your specific issues.

Our focus includes helping those new to pickleball understand how they can integrate it into their businesses, whether they are starting a facility from scratch or incorporating pickleball into an existing venue like a country club or even a bar looking for additional revenue streams.

Lastly, we discussed how professional tennis players transitioning into pickleball are changing the dynamics of the game, bringing athleticism and power that could significantly impact business strategies around equipment manufacturing and club management as cultures merge within facilities.

As part of our upcoming premium subscription, expect in-depth analyses such as "What State Offers the Best Opportunity for New Pickleball Business," which evaluates states' business-friendly environments against current demand levels using data from various sources, including USA Pickleball registered facilities.

Stay tuned as this valuable insight could guide investment decisions in expanding or starting up pickleball ventures across different regions.

Our briefings are valuable resources that you will want to save and refer back to during meetings or for sharing with colleagues. As a premium member, not only will you receive monthly briefings, but you will also gain access to our archive of past content.

With this subscription, you can review previous materials anytime, which is particularly useful for making informed business decisions. We are excited about the launch on the fifteenth and confident in the quality of our offerings.

Additionally, we have created an extensive database of industry products, services, and resources exclusive to premium members that is unparalleled elsewhere. This tool allows for easy reference and contact with the companies we discuss.

Thank you for your time and attention; it means a lot among today's myriad options. Our podcast is available across all directories with direct links from our site for convenient subscribing.

We hope everyone is doing great and look forward to connecting next week!

Welcome to the Pickleball Brief podcast. I'm Robert, joined by Dave Feldman from New York. Today we're discussing brand marketing strategies in pickleball, particularly the use of brand ambassadors and influencers with discount codes.

Manufacturers have representatives who can sometimes mishandle branding if not passionate or strategic about their approach. This risks damaging the brand's reputation locally. Personal branding and company marketing are crucial; when left to random reps, control over quality is lost.

Some representatives excel at promoting lesser-known brands through thoughtful strategy, while others struggle despite representing well-known brands. The key is balancing cost against benefits—some ambassadors may harm your brand's goodwill more than they help.

We also touched on distribution changes as private member clubs become natural product nodes. Club owners still face challenges establishing direct relationships with manufacturers, often resorting to buying from online retailers at a loss to satisfy customer demand.

Regarding international expansion in pickleball, it's vital for companies to consider whether their business model is robust enough before pursuing opportunities abroad due to legal, tax, personnel, and cultural differences across regions.

Lastly, we discussed our upcoming newsletter launch set for January 15th and expanding podcast distribution platforms like Apple and Google Podcasts along with Spotify soon. We're building an industry database that will be a valuable resource connecting people with products and services within the pickleball community.

Remember to subscribe on your favorite platform for updates!

Summary: In this episode of Pickleball Brief, Robert Allen and Dave Feldman discuss the pre-launch experiences of digital platforms for their trade publication. They mention the challenges of email deliverability due to changes by Google and Yahoo, and their choice of platform reflects their focus on providing industry professionals with insights. They emphasize that Pickleball Brief aims to be a go-to source for trade professionals in the pickleball industry, offering tailored content and information for business success.

Key points:

Hi everyone, Robert Allen and Dave Feldman here from Pickle Ball Brief. We're a digital newsletter for pickleball businesses and professionals, providing data, networking opportunities, and valuable insights to help you thrive in this booming industry.

The pickleball market is experiencing rapid growth—both good and bad. Entrepreneurs are scrambling to stake their claim amidst the chaos. Our platform helps navigate this "wild west," offering guidance on making smart moves without losing your competitive edge.

We aim to be an indispensable resource loaded with actionable content every time you check our newsletter. Expect links to suppliers, products, apps, technology consultants—and more than just advice—we connect people within the industry.

Our upcoming articles will delve into unique data analyses like the radius reach of various pickleball facilities and how independent clubs compare with franchises in attracting players. This information can inform marketing strategies and investment decisions for business owners.

Pickle Ball Brief's new website design is coming soon but join our email list now at pickleballbrief.com for updates that prioritize clarity and utility above all else.

Lastly, we address recent controversies like mergers or acquisitions gone awry in professional leagues—a reminder of why strong leadership matters in any growing sport or business venture.

 We provide clear data analysis and actionable insights. Our service links you with the information you need to take informed actions. We offer both qualitative and quantitative data, explaining its importance and how to use it effectively.

Our format includes a paid subscription available monthly or annually, with a 7-day trial for new subscribers. The premium edition arrives monthly with in-depth analyses tailored for business growth, while our free newsletter offers quality articles, curated content from respected sources, industry news, and highlights of new additions to our supplier database.

This platform is designed specifically for pickleball industry professionals—founders, CEOs—and not for casual enthusiasts. Subscribers will fill out a questionnaire so we can tailor content to their interests. While focused on trade-only individuals, those passionate about starting a pickleball business may also find value in our startup-focused information.

In closing, we're deeply involved in the dynamic world of pickleball business daily. Every episode brings fresh discussions on evolving topics within the industry. For questions or feedback, contact us at [email protected] – visit our website too. Thanks for your engagement; we'll connect again soon!

Alright. So we are here to capture a conversation about the pickle wall brief. It's just called... It's just called pickle ball brief. It's not the pickle ball brief.

It's not pickle brief. It's pickle ball. It's brief. And the brief because people don't have a bunch of time to sit around on reading, you know, a hundred page publications anymore, 200 page publications anymore. They want everything in 240 characters are less, we're not gonna able to accomplish that.

That being said, our our content will be... Synced and focused. And, you know, when you make the attention investment in it, of of your time and awareness, when you're done, when you when when you take the nuggets that are in your brain that are meta, you'll say, wow, that that was supports my time and my energy. Yeah. So that's...

That's the overarching intent of this piece. But so Dave, do you wanna describe what Pickle ball brief actually is? Yeah. I think it's gonna be a very concentrated, a very concentrated brief, like you mentioned that really provides a lot of value for business owners in the pickle ball industry, business owners and professionals. Because there are a lot of there are a lot of newsletters.

There are a lot of articles. There are a lot of blogs out there. That most of them, I would say are customer facing, a few of them are business facing, but they're still just so fluff up. I would say I would say worthless information for the most part, not to be Call, but just worthless information for a business owner that's running a club or somebody that's trying to put together a tournament or, you know, anybody that's passionate in the industry that's a coach that's that's trying to stand up a, you know, a pickle ball, you know, pickle ball court at their local rec center or something. We need people...

Are we're catering to people that not only are passionate about the business, but passionate about being successful on the business side of Pickle ball. And so everything is gonna go through a filter of is this adding value to the business owner in the pickle all space. Is this information that they would wanna know? Is this information that's gonna help them make better decisions. Is this information that's gonna help them be more successful?

Whether they're trying to build a brand, start club. It's gonna be very concentrated information in a short amount of time that they can read and walk away like you said, with some really valuable information and and, you know, have that on a couple times a month. Indeed. Indeed. 1 1 thing I wanna say about that is you.

So we'll get into how you and I came together on what our backgrounds are on and stuff eventually. But 1 thing we both agreed on and why we kinda decided to to tackle this project is that we each have kind of our own favorite set of newsletters that we get on a regular basis that we can't wait to read. Like, we... We're excited to see what what they're gonna put out next. And that's what we're gonna do.

That's what we're doing. And again, to your earlier point in your description. This is... So if if people are familiar with the term, b versus b to b. We are exclusively b to b.

So we're not gonna we're not talking about, you know, the latest power release, while we made in a different way, but we'll talk about it from a the business lens. We can talk about what those things will be down the road, but we're not covering tournament play. We're not covering... You know, we're not a we're not more of a bubble gum type. Pickle ball content producer, which a lot of the main the main bigger players are right now.

We are very focused in B2b b. So if it has to do with the business of Pickle ball, you know, administration, operations, hiring, sales and marketing, you know logistics, manufacturing, distribution. We could go on and on. We're gonna have a, you know, pretty good palette of, areas to cover, and we will. And and we're gonna get the best.

The cool thing is it's a very vibrant marketplace right now and there's a lot of people that are very passionate about what's taken place. And so where other industries that are kind of dying on the vine or having trouble finding interest from potential contributors and stuff like that. We have people reaching out to us, saying they wanna do stuff with us all already. So the... It's just a different approach.

And why I'm mentioning that is it, You know, this whole thing is So in the past, you know, you you you can still see them there's there's relics out there in the industry. And there's disease. Giant publishing groups that bought up the trade publications and trade shows. And then of course, there's industry associations that have their own trade shows and they attempt to be in publishing. And, you know, they're juggernaut, they were juggernaut and and a lot of them are losing their grip now trade the industry and the way people are doing business is forcing them to their needs to change and to optimize.

And so we're doing that out of the gate. Like, we're starting with a light nimble focused potent set information that you guys can take and read and then get action on it, like actually taking and applied in your business and eventually be able to network with people that are like minded and and be able to be connected with those folks too. So that's the modern that's the modern twist. We're not printing. We don't have...

Don't have a, you know, a press in the back, printing out. Stuff or not doing it that stuff. It's a digital newsletter. We're gonna have a online resource guy and we'll build out a community or membership situation where people can get what they want, and then engages with it that way. The last thing I was mention about that is, you know, we run a call yesterday with these guys over in Europe.

You're not I've talked about specs anything like that. But I just... You wanna speak to the fact that there's, like, a massive international interest in those too. Yeah. The pickle ball is growing extremely fast, especially in the United States, especially within a few regions within the United States.

But it's it's still to your point, it's an emerging sport and it's a blue ocean for entrepreneurs and people that are business owners. Franchisees, owners, people that want to jump into this. It's still blue ocean in America. And we literally talked to the guy yesterday, in the Uk who built basically was responsible for building the first 2 and currently the only indoor, like publicly available pickle ball courts in the entire Uk. They it it just hasn't reached there yet, but there there is a passionate community over there.

And, you know, anybody that's looking to jump into that game over there that wants insights on that sort of thing, you know, the pickle ball brief I say the pickle wall brief, but the pickle ball brief will be a valuable tool. That they can use to, you know, get insights domestically internationally. But, you know, I think will primarily be focused on the Us, but there's there's definitely... Wherever there's opportunities, you know, think of us like your, you know, your your bird dog. Like, we're out there just finding opportunities for people presenting the data, presenting the information, gathering it, conglomerate it into 1 place where you can just open it up, read it in 5, minutes and just be on top of your game, every conversation you have with your suppliers with, you know, your broker.

Whoever you're working with, your investors, you'll have a lot of information in your back pocket. Simply because of the pickle over. Yeah. Alright. Cool.

1 last thing I'll just say about that because we're still... The topic of what is pick about. So there will be a freemium model. This is out of the gate, and we are... This is based on feedback that we seeing our initial conversations.

So we will chart... So there'll be a 7 day free trial to to these check it out and see if you like it. And then at the end of that, you can convert to either monthly or an annual subscription. I'm not gonna get into pricing it because we're still finalizing that, but we have a general sense but that'll be you will pay for the resource. We also will have sponsorship and and marketing opportunities depending on, you know, the level of which you decide to get involved with us.

We wanna to support industry that we get industry to support us. And so we'll talk about that. We'll will have a sponsorship page, which will just give you some high level information. It's being organized right now, and we'll also have a, like, a media kit you can get. Alright.

So that's what you wanna say anything about also about that? That's in my mind. I think get read what think about reasons? I just wanna say... 1 thing I just wanna say and we haven't officially, you know, released the pricing.

But 1 1 thing I wanna see in that area is that the value that you're gonna receive compared to the price is at least I is in my mind unbelievable. If there's people that go out and pay literally hundreds of thousands of dollars, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of dollars, to, you know, to consulting firms, to stand up a team of, you know, data analysts or whoever you know, a bunch of interns, what people on their team that try to find this information, the information that that you're gonna get in the pickle ball brief. And so, I just wanna... I'm, you know, maybe I'm throwing out a little self promotion, but I just think I I can I can already see from the articles we've written from the from the? From the few people that have got a sneak peek into what we're doing.

They already know they can already see the value immediately from and, you know, I'm just saying, bringing again. You're you're gonna get you're gonna get literally like, massive amounts of value for a fraction of what somebody should be paying for it. Yes. I agree. Okay.