CASE STUDY – Big City Volleyball

 

Executive Summary 

This case study provides details of the work led by WIT Sports Consulting to carry out the strategic business transformation of Big City Volleyball (BCV), focusing on continuous improvement initiatives, sales growth, operational efficiency, and technology adoption. The goal of this project was to transition BCV from its legacy systems and operational methods into a scalable and growth-oriented business. The partnership between WIT Sports Consulting and BCV incorporated key initiatives across team building, technology, sales, and operations, resulting in revenue growth from $1.5 million to $4.3 million between 2020 and 2024. This case study outlines the challenges, solutions, and outcomes of these efforts.

 

Problem Statement

BCV was a well-established social volleyball company with a strong reputation. However, its growth was limited by outdated processes, lack of operational efficiency, and dependence on manual systems. As the company struggled to grow and adapt to new market conditions, it became clear that a more structured approach to team management, digital marketing, and operations was needed. Additionally, BCV lacked a clear financial model for scaling and a systematic approach to project management.

 

Proposed Solution

WIT Sports Consulting initiated its work with BCV by identifying the current baseline and working with BCV to envisage a clear “North Star” goal. This allowed WIT Sports Consulting and BCV to define the then-current “as-is” position as well as the “to-be” future status. With these start- and end-points in mind, WIT Sports Consulting constructed a dynamic backlog of initiatives which was then continuously reprioritized to adapt to evolving business needs. 

 

WIT Sports Consulting proposed key initiatives spanning the following areas:

  1. Technology – Revamp the website and transition to a new registration vendor to serve as the backbone of operations. Implement payroll management systems, software and operational tools as well as a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) platform to enhance efficiency and customer engagement.
  2. Marketing – Use the CRM to streamline marketing processes and implement Google Analytics for enhanced customer insights, aiming not just to optimize existing sales programs but to expand program offerings, fueling significant revenue growth.
  3. Team Building and Development – Roll out structured team-building exercises, employee handbooks, and a continuous learning loop to promote a cohesive and proactive workforce.
  4. Operational Efficiency – Standardize staff assignments, training, and curriculum. Introduce operation focused metrics (KPIs, etc) to track the performance of each program.

Implementation

The core WIT Sports Consulting implementation process was technology centered, goal-oriented agile transformation across business areas. It used iterative sprints to increase flexibility, allowing for continuous feedback and improvements to support long-term growth. 

WIT Sports Consulting directed the implementation of key initiatives that included:

 

Technology:

  1. Customer Registration Platform: Chose a reliable, scalable partner to ensure continued development and alignment with future needs.
  2. New Website: Developed a dynamic, user-friendly website (bigcityvolleyball.com)  to enhance engagement and streamline interactions.
  3. Software and Operational Tools: Seamlessly integrated essential software and operational tools to optimize processes and improve efficiency.
  4. Data-Driven Approach: Adopted a growth-oriented mindset with integrated essential software and operational tools to optimize processes and foster data-driven decision-making to prioritize key initiatives.

Team Initiatives

  1. Staff Development: Established a learning loop where staff could consistently provide feedback on operations and training. Regular reviews allowed the company to pivot and improve rapidly.
  2. Team Building: Put in place team-specific training for coaches and employees. Updated BCV’s employee handbook to reflect its company culture, emphasizing core values and expectations. 
  3. Employee Handbook: Revised this document to align the team with BCV’s long-term goals, defining roles and responsibilities for both administrative and field staff.

Marketing

  1. HubSpot Adoption: Rolled out HubSpot as the CRM, which was key to manage and optimize marketing efforts. This platform allowed for better tracking of customer interactions, leading to improved conversion rates, optimizing existing program offerings, and ultimately fueling significant revenue growth.
  2. SEO, SEM and Google Analytics: Integrated Google Analytics to allow BCV to track the performance of marketing campaigns, optimize content, and better understand customer behavior. This data-driven approach helped streamline digital marketing efforts.

Operations

  1. Staff Efficiency: Standardized staff assignments and training, to help BCV deliver consistent services. Clear curriculum standards for volleyball drills and operations helped improve the overall quality of offerings.
  2. Goals and Metrics: Developed program-specific goals and KPIs that tracked performance. This approach ensured that any underperforming areas were quickly identified and optimized.

Key Results

  1. Revenue Growth: BCV’s revenue increased from $1.5 million to $4.3 million between 2020 and 2024 due to expanded program offerings, improved sales strategies, and optimized marketing efforts.
  2. From 1-Person Shop to Team-Based Growth: The identification and delegation of day-to-day tasks paved the way for team-building as the engine for growth fostering a stronger company culture, leading to higher employee satisfaction and performance.
  3. Road to Operational Efficiency: Clear roles, responsibilities, and standardized training procedures enhanced staff productivity and program quality.
  4. Technology Integration: HubSpot, OpenSports, Slack, Google Analytics and other tools, provided insights that helped refine marketing strategies, resulting in better customer engagement and higher conversion rates.

What’s Next for BCV with WIT Sports Consulting

As the team gets stronger and nurtures organic growth, BCV and WIT Sports Consulting are entering a new phase with the goal of reaching $10M. Introducing new volleyball programs and expanding into new locations will drive increased market share. Strategic acquisitions and long-term partnerships will be pursued to support continued growth.

 

Conclusion

WIT Sports Consulting implemented key initiatives and led a process that resulted in BCV’s transition to a scalable and growth-oriented company. The success of this work was driven by structured initiatives across team management, technology, sales, finance and operations. BCV’s ability to experiment with new programs, and implement an agile project management approach ensured continuous improvement and growth. The results show not only significant revenue growth, but also improved operational efficiency, and a stronger, more cohesive team. Moving forward, BCV is well-positioned to continue its growth trajectory, leveraging its new systems and processes for sustained success. WIT Sports Consulting is excited to walk this journey and driving growth together.