Looking for a membership social events business plan? You're in the right place.
A club that sells monthly dues and event seats has to answer questions that a one-off event company never faces. How many members must join before the staff are covered? How many leave each month, and what does replacing them cost? How full does a room have to be before the evening makes money? A generic template has no place to put those numbers.
This article walks through a complete sample plan for a food, wine and travel social club in Atlanta, Georgia, from the executive summary and SWOT analysis to five years of financial statements. The club is fictional. The structure, the unit economics and the stress test are there to be reused.
What you'll be able to do after reading:
- Executive summary: put dues, ticketing and trips on one page, so a reader sees how the club earns before they reach the detail
- Membership tiers and churn: set three price points and a leaving rate per tier, and see how many sign-ups a year the club has to find to stand still
- Event economics: work out cost per seat, fill rate and the minimum guest count that decides whether an evening runs
- Alcohol and venue risk: write down who holds the licenses and who carries the liability, before a lender or landlord asks
- First-year cash: see which months lose money while the roll builds, and size a reserve that covers them
- Five-year statements and a downside case: show how hires, raises and pricing move profit, and what the owner cuts if sign-ups run 20% short
If you're planning a club, a supper society or any membership with an event calendar, read this before you write your own, then change the figures to fit yours.
In this plan
To turn this example into your own membership social events business plan, use the membership social events business plan template.
The Short Version
Long Table Society is an Atlanta, Georgia social club for adults that opens on January 1, 2027. Members pay monthly dues in one of three tiers and buy seats at food, wine and cooking evenings, with a few weekend trips a year. The club is a social group only. It runs no matchmaking and no speed-dating formats. Founder Renee Caldwell owns 55% of the company and two private investors own 22.5% each.
The company raises $190,000: $65,000 of Renee's savings, $80,000 from the investors and a $45,000 bank term loan. Of that, $139,300 stays in the bank as a reserve, $26,000 buys event kit, equipment and an office buildout, and $24,700 pays for legal work, licensing and the launch campaign.
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $317,038 | $630,000 | $982,000 |
| Net income after opening costs | ($111,269) | ($16,746) | $55,095 |
| Closing cash | $51,106 | $29,902 | $59,412 |
The club opens with 90 founding members who joined from a waitlist and ends 2027 with 250. It holds 55 events in its first year, three a month in winter and six by December, with an average of 74% of seats filled. EBITDA is negative in every month except October. Year 3 brings the first profit.
Two risks sit above the rest. Members leave at about 3.9% a month, so the club has to find roughly 324 new members in its first year to reach 250. And alcohol is served at every wine evening, so the licensing and liability position has to be settled before the first ticket is sold. The plan sets out both. It also tests a year in which sign-ups, attendance and trip sales all run 20% below plan.
What Long Table Society Is
Company: Long Table Society, Inc., a Georgia corporation. Founder: Renee Caldwell, 55%. Two private investors hold 22.5% each. Base: a 700 square foot studio office with storage in Atlanta, used on a hybrid schedule. Events take place in venues the club does not own. Opening date: January 1, 2027. Stage: pre-launch. Renee pays for three tasting evenings in the fourth quarter of 2026 from her savings, and they build a waitlist of about 410 people. Of those, 90 (22%) pay first-month dues as founding members before opening. The $16,000 launch campaign is the same money the financial plan books in month 1.
The idea
Single and partnered adults between their late twenties and late fifties, living in or near Atlanta, who want a standing social calendar built around eating, drinking and traveling, with no dating angle and no cover charge for turning up alone.
What a member gets
| Tier | Dues | What it adds | Share of members, Dec 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Table | $49 a month | Member ticket prices and priority notice of new events | 63% |
| Cellar | $95 a month | First booking on 12-seat chef's-table dinners, a seat hold on sold-out evenings and a guest ticket at the member price | 26% |
| Voyage | $159 a month | First call on trips and a place on the invitation list for quarterly small-group dinners, which are ticketed like any other dinner | 10% |
No tier includes free tickets. Dues cancel online in one step, and the renewal terms are stated at sign-up. The club's lawyer reviews the Georgia and federal rules on automatic renewal before launch.
Where the money comes from
| Line | How it is priced | Year 1 share of revenue |
|---|---|---|
| Dues | Monthly, by tier | 48% |
| Event tickets | $74 a seat on average at member prices | 34% |
| Member trips | An 18% margin on the trip price | 13% |
| Sponsorships | $500 to $2,500 a sponsored evening or series | 4% |
Aims for 2027 and 2028
- 250 members by December 2027 and 430 by December 2028.
- An average seat-fill rate of 78% across 2028, up from 74% in 2027.
- EBITDA close to break-even in 2028 and a profit after tax in 2029.
- Owner distributions only once the cash balance supports them, from 2029.
Who Else Fills an Atlanta Evening
What a member is choosing between
An adult looking for company on a Thursday evening has several options already. The club competes with these on price, frequency and the feel of the room, and on the fact that its calendar repeats.
| Alternative | What it offers | Why someone picks it | Where the club differs by design |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dating and speed-dating events | Introductions with a romantic aim | Clear purpose | No matchmaking, so a guest can go without an agenda |
| Free meetup groups | Low-cost or free gatherings, run by volunteers | Price, and plenty of choice | Staffed events with a caterer, a host and a refund policy |
| Restaurant and wine-shop clubs | One venue's tasting or supper program | Good food at a known address | A rotating set of venues under one membership |
| Supper clubs and pop-up dinners | Occasional ticketed dinners | Novelty | A monthly calendar, with trips for members who stay |
| Alumni and professional networks | Events built around a shared background | Existing ties | Open to anyone who joins |
| Tour operators and cruise lines | Group travel | Full itineraries | Short weekend trips with a group that already knows each other |
The table describes categories. It is not a ranking, and no competitor's prices are quoted because none are verified for this plan.
Fixed costs hide in an events calendar
A club with a full calendar can still be short of cash if venue deposits and caterer minimums go out before the last tickets sell. The model pays rooms and caterers at the event and holds no deposit timing, so the reserve carries that risk. Dues, collected in advance by card, keep the plan steady between events, and that is why dues are the base of the revenue line.
SWOT
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| A founder with nine years in hotel and private-dining sales | One senior person, so the calendar stalls if Renee is away |
| Recurring dues that arrive before the events they fund | No brand yet outside the waitlist |
| Three price points that let a member move up rather than leave | Table-tier members leave fastest, at 4.5% a month |
| Opportunities | Threats |
|---|---|
| Venues and importers who want a booked crowd on quiet nights | Free groups and restaurant clubs competing for the same evenings |
| Referrals, since a social club sells best through friends | A liability claim or license problem at a venue |
| Trips and corporate partners as the membership grows | Discretionary spending falling in a downturn |
Who Joins
Professionals who eat out and want company
Typical members work in healthcare, law, tech, education or sales, live in the city or its inner suburbs, and are between 28 and 58. Some moved to Atlanta for work and know few people. Others are long-term residents whose friends have paired off or moved on.
How they spend those evenings now
Mostly dinners with a small circle, apps and the occasional group event found online. The usual frustration is organizing: someone has to book, collect money and chase replies.
What triggers a sign-up
A friend's invitation, a move to the city, a change in circle, or a first evening bought as a guest. Referral credits are the second-largest source of members in the plan, behind paid social.
What they expect
A table with other people, a menu that is worth the ticket, a host who makes introductions easy, and a booking system that works on a phone. Many want the evening to end at a sensible hour.
What a member is worth
| Year 1 | Year 3 | Year 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average members | 179 | 508 | 740 |
| Dues and tickets per average member | $1,462 | $1,663 | $1,792 |
| Blended monthly churn | 3.9% | 3.8% | 3.7% |
| Average stay at that churn | about 26 months | about 26 months | about 27 months |
At 3.9% a month a member stays 26 months on average, so the $173 spent winning one in Year 1 is recovered within the first three months of dues alone.
Selling Memberships and Seats
From first look to first dinner
A visitor to the site sees the next six events and the three tiers. A first-time guest can book one seat at the standard ticket price with no commitment, and on arrival the host explains the tiers.
Where sign-ups come from in Year 1
Of the 324 gross sign-ups, 90 are founding members from the waitlist. The other 234 come through:
| Source | Sign-ups | Share of the 234 |
|---|---|---|
| Paid social | 80 | 34% |
| Member referrals | 60 | 26% |
| Partner and venue evenings | 50 | 21% |
| Website, search and email | 24 | 10% |
| Corporate and alumni groups | 20 | 9% |
Pricing
Dues are set at $49, $95 and $159 so that the middle tier is the obvious step up for someone who attends twice a month. Seats are priced by format at member prices: $105 for a dinner, $60 for a tasting, $65 for a cooking class and $35 for a mixer. Non-members pay $10 more a seat. With 40% of seats at dinners, 22% at tastings, 18% at classes and 20% at mixers, the member-price average is $73.90, shown as $74. The model does not count the non-member uplift. Prices rise 3% a year from Year 2.
Membership by tier
| Year-end | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Table | 158 | 265 | 350 | 410 | 450 |
| Cellar | 66 | 115 | 160 | 195 | 220 |
| Voyage | 26 | 50 | 75 | 95 | 110 |
| Total members | 250 | 430 | 585 | 700 | 780 |
| Gross sign-ups in the year | 324 | 336 | 386 | 404 | 411 |
Growth slows in later years because the calendar, not demand, becomes the limit: each extra event needs a producer.
Marketing Plan
Spend and what it buys
Year 1 marketing is $56,000: $16,000 of launch spend paid from the opening funds and $40,000 of running costs. That is 18% of Year 1 revenue. It falls to 7% of revenue by Year 3 and 6% by Year 5 as referrals take over. Across 324 gross sign-ups the cost is about $173 a member.
| Item | Year 1 spend | What it is expected to do |
|---|---|---|
| Brand, member site and booking platform (launch) | $9,000 | A site that shows the calendar and takes a card payment on a phone |
| Waitlist campaign and three pre-opening tastings (launch) | $7,000 | A waitlist of about 410 and 90 founding members, about $78 each |
| Paid social | $20,000 | About 80 members at roughly $250 each |
| Partner and venue evenings | $5,000 | About 50 members at roughly $100 each, co-hosted with wine shops and restaurants |
| Member referral credits | $5,000 | About 60 members at roughly $83 each |
| Website, search and email | $4,500 | About 24 members from guides to the city's food calendar |
| Corporate and alumni outreach | $2,000 | About 20 members from group presentations |
| First-visit guest seats at a reduced price | $3,500 | Supports every channel above |
Marketing milestones
- January 2027: 90 founding members and three events.
- June 2027: 180 members and the north Georgia wine weekend.
- October 2027: 228 members and the Charleston weekend.
- December 2027: 250 members, with $18,146 of monthly dues.
Running the Calendar
The Atlanta office
A 700 square foot studio office with storage for event kit, about $41 a square foot, at $28,800 a year in Year 1. It has six shared desks, and staff work a hybrid week with two or three days in the office, so it holds a team of six or seven. The club moves to a larger space at $38,400 in Year 4. The office has no public entrance, and members never visit it.
Cost of one seat
| Format | Share of seats | Member price | Food and drink | Room | Hosts and supplies | Fees and breakage | Cost per seat | Left per seat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dinner | 40% | $105 | $39.50 | $9.00 | $4.50 | $3.50 | $56.50 | $48.50 |
| Tasting | 22% | $60 | $23.00 | $7.50 | $4.20 | $2.50 | $37.20 | $22.80 |
| Cooking class | 18% | $65 | $18.00 | $9.00 | $8.00 | $2.00 | $37.00 | $28.00 |
| Mixer | 20% | $35 | $11.00 | $4.50 | $3.00 | $1.50 | $20.00 | $15.00 |
| Weighted average | $73.90 | $26.30 | $7.77 | $4.76 | $2.61 | $41.44 | $32.46 |
The average cost is 56% of the ticket price. Mixers earn the least per seat and run mainly to bring in new faces; dinners carry the calendar. The $74 used elsewhere in the plan is this $73.90 average, rounded. With 36 seats an evening needs at least 18 booked guests 72 hours ahead, or it is merged with another date or cancelled with a full refund.
Events and fill rate
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Events in the year | 55 | 109 | 159 | 198 | 226 |
| Average a month | 4.6 | 9.1 | 13.3 | 16.5 | 18.8 |
| Average fill rate | 74% | 78% | 80% | 81% | 82% |
| Seats filled | 1,463 | 3,060 | 4,568 | 5,778 | 6,660 |
Fill rate is the lever that matters most. At 74%, a 36-seat evening seats 27 guests and earns about $865 over its direct costs. At 60% it seats 22 and earns about $700.
Who pours, and under whose permit
| Question | Answer in the plan |
|---|---|
| Does the club sell alcohol? | No. The club holds no alcohol license. Wine and spirits are poured by a licensed venue or a licensed caterer. |
| Whose license covers the evening? | The venue's or caterer's. Each contract names the license holder and its number. |
| Can a ticket price include drinks? | The club's lawyer settles this before the first ticket is sold. The model prices a seat at $74 under either structure. |
| Sponsors from the drinks trade | Taken on only after the lawyer has reviewed the Georgia rules on supplier-sponsored events. |
| Insurance | General liability, host liquor liability, event cancellation, cyber, workers' compensation, and key-person life and disability cover on Renee, budgeted at $10,500 in Year 1 pending a broker's quote. |
| A cancelled evening | The club refunds every ticket. Rooms are charged per head with a 72-hour cutoff, so a cancellation inside that window can leave caterer preparation costs, which the $2,500 refunds and chargebacks line and the cancellation policy absorb. |
The Georgia Department of Revenue runs state alcohol licensing online through the Georgia Tax Center and its Centralized Alcohol Licensing Portal. That page does not say which licenses a ticketed social evening needs, and local licenses are a separate matter. The plan treats both as open questions for the club's lawyer, and $7,500 of legal fees at opening pays for the written opinion.
Trips
Three trips run in 2027: an Asheville food weekend in April, a north Georgia wine weekend in June and a Charleston food weekend in October. The club books through a licensed tour operator that holds the supplier contracts. A member pays a deposit at booking and the balance 60 days before departure, and suppliers are paid on the operator's terms; the model does not track either date. Whether the club acts as principal or agent, and whether any seller-of-travel rule reaches it, are questions for its lawyer and accountant.
Software and member data
A member platform for dues, booking and waitlists, a ticketing and check-in app, accounting software and email. Software costs $9,000 in Year 1 and $19,000 by Year 5. Card details sit with the payment provider and never on the club's own systems.
Tax on food and tickets
Venue and caterer contracts state who collects sales tax on food and drink. Before launch the accountant takes up the treatment of dues and ticket sales with the Georgia Department of Revenue.
The People
Renee Caldwell, founder and managing director
Renee has nine years in hospitality: four in catering sales at a hotel in downtown Atlanta, then five as membership and events manager at a private dining club. She has negotiated venue contracts and built menus herself. Her $65,000 is her savings. She draws a $72,000 salary from the first month.
Where the team is thin
Renee has not run a company's accounts or built a subscription forecast before. An outside bookkeeper and an accountant, budgeted within $16,000 of professional fees, cover that from month 1, and churn by tier is reviewed on every quarterly investor call. She has not yet run trips of her own, which is why a travel and partnerships manager is hired in month 30, after two seasons of trips.
If Renee is out
The membership and community manager, hired in month 3, holds the venue contacts and the booking calendar. Key-person life and disability cover on Renee sits in the insurance budget.
Investors and the bank
The two investors each hold 22.5% and take part in a quarterly call to review members, churn, fill rate and cash. The $45,000 bank loan is secured by a lien on the club's assets and Renee's personal guarantee, and carries a covenant to supply quarterly accounts. Debt service cover is negative in Years 1 and 2, so the interest-only period and the reserve carry the payments until Year 3.
Financial Plan: Dues, Seats and Trips
One model, five years: twelve months of detail for 2027 and annual totals after that. Opening costs and funding come first, then the figures the forecast uses, then revenue, staffing, the three statements and a stress test.
Opening costs and who pays for them
| Use of funds | Amount |
|---|---|
| Laptops, camera kit, badge printer, sound system | $8,000 |
| Event kit: glassware, tasting boards, signage, table styling | $12,000 |
| Office deposit and buildout | $6,000 |
| City business license and event permits | $1,200 |
| Legal: entity, member terms, waivers, alcohol-service advice | $7,500 |
| Launch: brand, member site and booking platform, waitlist campaign and pre-opening tastings | $16,000 |
| Cash reserve for the first two years of losses | $139,300 |
| Total uses | $190,000 |
| Source of funds | Amount |
|---|---|
| Renee Caldwell's savings | $65,000 |
| Two private investors | $80,000 |
| Bank term loan | $45,000 |
| Total sources | $190,000 |
Renee puts in $65,000 of savings and two private investors add $80,000 between them, so equity is $145,000 of the $190,000 raised (76%). Renee holds 55% of the company and each investor 22.5%. A bank lends $45,000 over seven years at 10.5%, interest only for the first six months, secured by a lien on the club's assets and Renee's personal guarantee. The investors give no guarantee. The rate is an illustration for this example, not a quoted lending rate. Of the total, $139,300 stays in the bank as a reserve. The reserve is sized to the first two years: 2027 loses money in every month except October, and 2028 comes close to break-even only on the plan's own figures. The loan is kept small because the club holds cash it does not need until 2029, and debt service cover is negative in both of those years. Interest and the first principal payments come out of the reserve. The $16,000 launch campaign is paid in the last quarter of 2026 from Renee's savings, and the model books it in month 1 with the other opening costs.
Figures behind the forecast
- Three tiers. Table is $49 a month and gives member ticket prices and priority notice of new events. Cellar is $95 and adds first booking on the 12-seat chef's-table dinners, a seat hold on sold-out evenings and a guest ticket at the member price. Voyage is $159 and adds first call on trips and a place on the invitation list for the quarterly small-group dinners, which are ticketed like any other dinner. No tier includes free tickets, so dues carry only card fees and the member platform. The club opens with 90 founding members out of a waitlist of about 410, a conversion of 22%, and ends 2027 with 250: 158 Table, 66 Cellar and 26 Voyage. Dues are charged by card at the start of each month.
- Churn is set per tier at 4.5% a month for Table, 3.0% for Cellar and 2.0% for Voyage. Over a year that keeps about 58%, 69% and 79% of each tier. Blended, about 3.9% of members leave each month in Year 1 and 3.8% after that. Year 1 needs about 324 gross sign-ups to reach 250 members, 90 of them founders. Years 2 to 5 need about 336, 386, 404 and 411.
- Year-end membership is 250, 430, 585, 700 and 780. Dues revenue follows the average membership in each year at the tier prices, with a 3% price increase each year from Year 2. The Year 1 average is 179 members, measured at month end.
- Events run at 36 seats on average. Year 1 holds 55 events, three a month in winter rising to six by December, with fewer in July and August. Fill rate climbs from 65% in January to 82% in December and averages 74%, which puts 1,463 people in seats. From Year 2 each member takes about 0.75 seats a month, guests included, and fill averages 78%, 80%, 81% and 82%. That means roughly 9, 13, 17 and 19 events a month in Years 2 to 5.
- A seat sells at $74 on average at member prices. Seats split 40% dinners at $105, 22% tastings at $60, 18% cooking classes at $65 and 20% mixers at $35, which blends to $73.90. Non-members pay $10 more a seat; the model does not count that uplift. Cost differs by format: $56.50 a seat for a dinner, $37.20 for a tasting, $37.00 for a class and $20.00 for a mixer. Weighted by that mix, delivery costs $41.44 a seat: $26.30 of food and drink, $7.77 for the room, $4.76 for hosts and supplies and $2.61 for card fees and breakage. That is 56% of the ticket price. The room is paid per head, not hired for the night. An evening with fewer than 18 booked guests 72 hours ahead is merged or cancelled with a full refund.
- Member trips earn an 18% margin on the trip price, so supplier costs are 82% of trip sales. Year 1 has three: an Asheville food weekend in April (18 travelers at $780), a north Georgia wine weekend in June (16 at $640) and a Charleston food weekend in October (20 at $920). Years 2 to 5 run four, five, six and seven trips, with larger groups and some longer itineraries, averaging about $15,500, $20,000, $20,800 and $20,700 of sales per trip. The model books each trip at its full price in the month of travel. Trip deposits and supplier payment dates are not modeled.
- Sponsorships bring $13,000 in Year 1 from sponsored evenings and one quarterly series, then $26,000, $38,000, $48,000 and $56,000. Sponsors pay to pour or present, with no say over who is admitted.
- Payroll adds 27% to wages for payroll taxes, health cover, workers' compensation and a retirement match, and 15% for the part-time host. Wages shown are launch rates; the cost of 3% annual raises appears as its own line from Year 2.
- Professional fees of $16,000 in Year 1 cover an outside bookkeeper at about $700 a month, an accountant for year-end and tax work, and a legal retainer. They rise to $24,000 by Year 5. Marketing is $40,000 of running spend in Year 1, rising to $90,000 by Year 5, on top of the $16,000 launch campaign.
- Rent is $28,800 a year for a 700 square foot studio office with storage, about $41 a square foot. Staff work a hybrid week from six shared desks. The club moves to a larger space at $38,400 in Year 4. Both are budget figures, not quotes. Utilities, software and insurance are separate lines, and the insurance budget would be replaced by a broker's quote.
- Cards collect most dues and tickets at booking, so receivables average five days, mostly sponsor invoices. Caterers and venues are paid at the event. The model has no deferred revenue for prepaid dues or trip deposits.
- Corporate tax is 21% federal plus the Georgia rate of 5.19%, which the Tax Foundation lists for 2026. The 2027 rate should be confirmed. Losses in Years 1 and 2 are carried forward in full. Federal rules may limit how much of a carried-forward loss can offset one year's income, which could add a few thousand dollars of tax in Year 3. Owner distributions of $20,000, $30,000 and $50,000 start in Year 3, only from cash the model shows the club can spare.
Revenue by line
| Revenue stream | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Membership dues (three tiers) | $153,120 | $309,000 | $485,000 | $642,000 | $771,000 |
| Event tickets | $108,238 | $233,000 | $359,000 | $468,000 | $555,000 |
| Member trips | $42,680 | $62,000 | $100,000 | $125,000 | $145,000 |
| Sponsorships | $13,000 | $26,000 | $38,000 | $48,000 | $56,000 |
| Total revenue | $317,038 | $630,000 | $982,000 | $1,283,000 | $1,527,000 |
| Growth on prior year | – | 99% | 56% | 31% | 19% |
Dues are 48% of Year 1 revenue and 50% of Year 5, the recurring base that pays for staff and the office. Tickets are the second line at 34% and 36%. Trips add little margin but give Voyage members a reason to stay, and sponsorship is small and almost pure margin. Year 2 revenue is 99% above Year 1 because 2027 starts with 90 members and ends with 250, while 2028 runs a full year at that larger size.
Month by month in 2027
| Month | Membership dues (three tiers) | Event tickets | Member trips | Sponsorships | Total revenue | EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2027 | $6,210 | $5,195 | $0 | $0 | $11,405 | ($16,371) |
| Feb 2027 | $7,640 | $5,275 | $0 | $0 | $12,915 | ($15,367) |
| Mar 2027 | $9,070 | $7,246 | $0 | $1,000 | $17,316 | ($12,442) |
| Apr 2027 | $10,451 | $7,459 | $14,040 | $1,000 | $32,950 | ($2,051) |
| May 2027 | $11,734 | $9,590 | $0 | $1,500 | $22,824 | ($8,781) |
| Jun 2027 | $12,824 | $9,857 | $10,240 | $1,500 | $34,421 | ($1,074) |
| Jul 2027 | $13,562 | $7,459 | $0 | $0 | $21,021 | ($9,980) |
| Aug 2027 | $14,300 | $7,672 | $0 | $0 | $21,972 | ($9,348) |
| Sep 2027 | $15,390 | $10,123 | $0 | $1,500 | $27,013 | ($5,997) |
| Oct 2027 | $16,480 | $12,468 | $18,400 | $2,000 | $49,348 | $8,847 |
| Nov 2027 | $17,313 | $12,787 | $0 | $2,000 | $32,100 | ($2,616) |
| Dec 2027 | $18,146 | $13,107 | $0 | $2,500 | $33,753 | ($1,518) |
Dues climb every month as the roll builds. Ticket income follows the event count, flat through the July and August lull and then stepping up from September. EBITDA is negative in every month except October, when the Charleston trip and a six-event month land together. Cash at month end is lowest in Sep, at about $49,000 once five days of receivables are set aside. Venue and caterer deposits are not modeled separately, so the real low point could be lower in a month with several large bookings.
Who is on the team, and from when
| Role | Annual wage | Starts | Year 1 end | Year 2 end | Year 3 end | Year 4 end | Year 5 end |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Founder and managing director | $72,000 | Month 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Membership and community manager | $52,000 | Month 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Event host and venue coordinator (part time, 20 hours a week) | $26,000 | Month 5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Member experience coordinator | $46,000 | Month 16 | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Events producer | $58,000 | Month 20 | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Travel and partnerships manager | $60,000 | Month 30 | – | – | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Venue and partnerships coordinator | $48,000 | Month 34 | – | – | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Second senior event producer | $62,000 | Month 42 | – | – | – | 1 | 1 |
| Total payroll incl. on-costs | $166,407 | $261,887 | $379,150 | $502,552 | $535,360 |
Renee runs the club alone for two months. A membership and community manager joins in month 3, in time to onboard the founding cohort, and a part-time host and venue coordinator in month 5. Two more full-time hires follow in 2028: a member experience coordinator in month 16 and an events producer in month 20, as the calendar heads toward nine events a month. The travel and partnerships manager arrives in month 30, a venue and partnerships coordinator in month 34 and a second senior producer in month 42. Year-end headcount is 2.5, 4.5, 6.5, 7.5 and 7.5 full-time equivalents. Renee's $72,000 is the one salary in the costs, so profit here is what remains after she is paid.
Profit and loss
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $317,038 | $630,000 | $982,000 | $1,283,000 | $1,527,000 |
| Direct costs (venues, caterers, trip suppliers, payment fees) | ($106,329) | ($211,292) | ($329,346) | ($430,297) | ($512,130) |
| Gross profit | $210,709 | $418,708 | $652,654 | $852,703 | $1,014,870 |
| Payroll incl. on-costs | ($166,407) | ($261,887) | ($379,150) | ($502,552) | ($535,360) |
| Rent | ($28,800) | ($29,700) | ($30,600) | ($38,400) | ($39,600) |
| Utilities | ($3,000) | ($3,100) | ($3,200) | ($3,600) | ($3,700) |
| Marketing | ($40,000) | ($58,000) | ($72,000) | ($82,000) | ($90,000) |
| Insurance | ($10,500) | ($13,000) | ($16,000) | ($18,500) | ($20,500) |
| Professional fees | ($16,000) | ($18,000) | ($20,000) | ($22,000) | ($24,000) |
| Software subscriptions | ($9,000) | ($12,000) | ($15,000) | ($17,000) | ($19,000) |
| Photography, content and member communications | ($6,000) | ($8,000) | ($10,000) | ($11,000) | ($12,000) |
| Phones, supplies and travel to venues | ($4,000) | ($5,000) | ($6,000) | ($7,000) | ($7,500) |
| Refunds, chargebacks and bad debt allowance | ($2,500) | ($5,000) | ($8,000) | ($10,000) | ($12,000) |
| Event kit replacement and new-hire equipment | $0 | ($3,000) | ($4,000) | ($6,000) | ($4,000) |
| City license renewals and event permits | ($1,200) | ($1,500) | ($1,700) | ($1,800) | ($2,000) |
| Annual pay raises (3% a year) | $0 | ($7,857) | ($23,090) | ($46,600) | ($67,192) |
| EBITDA | ($76,698) | ($7,335) | $63,914 | $86,251 | $178,018 |
| Depreciation | ($5,200) | ($5,200) | ($5,200) | ($5,200) | ($5,200) |
| Interest | ($4,671) | ($4,211) | ($3,619) | ($2,962) | ($2,232) |
| Income tax | $0 | $0 | $0 | ($7,497) | ($42,817) |
| Net income before start-up costs | ($86,569) | ($16,746) | $55,095 | $70,592 | $127,768 |
| Opening costs expensed in January 2027 (legal, licensing, launch campaign) | ($24,700) | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Net income after start-up costs | ($111,269) | ($16,746) | $55,095 | $70,592 | $127,768 |
The club loses $111,269 in 2027 after opening costs and $16,746 in 2028. Year 3 is the first profit, $55,095, with an EBITDA margin of 6.5%. Margin holds at 6.7% in Year 4 even though the venue coordinator, the second senior producer, the larger office and accumulated raises all arrive in that window, and rises to 11.7% in Year 5. Income tax starts in Year 4, once the early losses are used up. Years 2 to 5 are spread evenly across each year, so no seasonal low point in 2028 is shown.
Where the cash goes
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash from operations | ($110,412) | ($15,833) | $55,473 | $71,669 | $129,626 |
| Equipment and event kit | ($26,000) | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Funding received | $190,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Loan principal repaid | ($2,482) | ($5,371) | ($5,962) | ($6,619) | ($7,349) |
| Owner distributions | $0 | $0 | ($20,000) | ($30,000) | ($50,000) |
| Net change in cash | $51,106 | ($21,204) | $29,510 | $35,050 | $72,277 |
| Closing cash | $51,106 | $29,902 | $59,412 | $94,462 | $166,739 |
Year-end cash stays positive in all five years and is lowest at the end of 2028. That figure is a year-end reading, not a floor, because the model does not show a trough inside 2028. The loan principal is repaid on schedule, and distributions begin in Year 3.
Balance sheet
| At year end | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $51,106 | $29,902 | $59,412 | $94,462 | $166,739 |
| Accounts receivable | $4,343 | $8,630 | $13,452 | $17,575 | $20,918 |
| Equipment and event kit (net) | $20,800 | $15,600 | $10,400 | $5,200 | $0 |
| Total assets | $76,249 | $54,132 | $83,264 | $117,237 | $187,657 |
| Bank loan | $42,518 | $37,148 | $31,185 | $24,566 | $17,217 |
| Paid-in capital | $145,000 | $145,000 | $145,000 | $145,000 | $145,000 |
| Retained earnings | ($111,269) | ($128,015) | ($92,921) | ($52,328) | $25,440 |
| Total liabilities and equity | $76,249 | $54,132 | $83,264 | $117,237 | $187,657 |
Margins, break-even and cover
| Measure | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EBITDA margin | -24.2% | -1.2% | 6.5% | 6.7% | 11.7% |
| Net margin (before start-up costs) | -27.3% | -2.7% | 5.6% | 5.5% | 8.4% |
| Payroll incl. pay raises as share of revenue | 52% | 43% | 41% | 43% | 39% |
| Revenue per full-time equivalent at year end | $126,815 | $140,000 | $151,077 | $171,067 | $203,600 |
| Average monthly revenue | $26,420 | $52,500 | $81,833 | $106,917 | $127,250 |
| Monthly revenue needed to cover operating costs | $36,037 | $53,420 | $73,820 | $96,102 | $104,929 |
| Debt service cover (EBITDA / interest + principal) | -10.7x | -0.8x | 6.7x | 9.0x | 18.6x |
The last two rows of the table compare monthly revenue with what the cost base needs. In Year 1 the club averages $26,420 a month against $36,037 needed. Year 2 is close, $52,500 against $53,420. From Year 3 revenue clears the need by 11 to 21%. Debt service cover is negative in Years 1 and 2 because EBITDA is negative, and is 6.7x or better from Year 3.
If members and seats fall 20% short
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $253,630 | $504,000 | $785,600 | $1,026,400 | $1,221,600 |
| Net income before start-up costs | ($102,423) | ($8,352) | $21,466 | $17,659 | $94,346 |
| Net income after start-up costs | ($127,123) | ($8,352) | $21,466 | $17,659 | $94,346 |
| Closing cash | $36,121 | $24,168 | $41,015 | $53,955 | $143,479 |
This case cuts every revenue line by 20% in every year, which means fewer members, emptier rooms and smaller trip groups. The response: every hire from month 13 starts six months later, the second senior producer is dropped, marketing falls 20%, Renee takes a 20% pay cut, the club stays in its first office and pays no distributions. The membership and community manager and the part-time host are not delayed, because the founding cohort needs them. On those terms the club loses money in Years 1 and 2, earns a profit from Year 3 and ends every year with cash in the bank, at no less than $24,168. Year 2 loses less than the base case because the delayed hires and the pay cut save more than the lost margin; that is the response working, and the team would be stretched that year. Equity ends Year 1 at $17,877, so a lender with a net-worth covenant would be watching closely. Later cash is higher than it would otherwise be partly because no distributions are paid. Without the response, the same shortfall would leave the club short of cash during Year 2.
Sources
- IRS, Publication 542, Corporations (revised January 2024): federal corporate tax computed at 21% of taxable income.
- Tax Foundation, Georgia state tax data: corporate income tax rate of 5.19% on its 2026 table. The 2027 rate should be confirmed with the accountant.
- Georgia Department of Revenue, Alcohol and Tobacco: online licensing and renewal through the Georgia Tax Center and the Centralized Alcohol Licensing Portal.
Membership counts, prices, costs and fill rates are the plan's own figures for a fictional club. Competitor categories are described without prices.
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