Racquet Network members sometimes ask me what happens to the money they pay for services such as box leagues, challenge ladders, clinics and membership fees.
It's a fair question.
In the more than four years since Ian, Shaun and I started Racquet Network (formerly Challenge Network), none of the founders have ever taken a cent in compensation. In fact, we have supported every cost out of our own pockets. To date, we have invested more than $100,000 in sweat equity and more than $5,000 in hard costs.
In the past year, the institution of fees has allowed the network to move towards breaking even. Now at least some of the hard costs are being covered by fees. Before the end of 2009, we hope that the need for us to continue spending out of our own pockets will be at an end.
When and if that happens, we will have to begin to consider the issue of how to spend surpluses. Priority one, of course, will be advertising the network in order to help it grow in other markets.
One day (in a few years we hope) the possibility may be there for us to draw a fair wage for the work we do helping Racquet Network members. But until that time, we will continue to work for the sheer pleasure of meeting new players and adding them to this network of amazing people.
