Owning or managing a nightclub is more than just a career; it’s a lifestyle. It’s a difficult industry and definitely not the norm, but if you like life outside the box, then this career could be for you!
The nightclub industry is fast-paced, loud, and usually wild – and you’re the one responsible for making the tough decisions, from the hiring and firing, right down to the drinks you’ll sell at the bar.
You’ll need: business and hospitality skills plus experience
Running a nightclub is a lot like running any other business though. You need to have a firm foundation in costing, human resources, purchasing and inventory control, security and insurance, as well as other considerations like crowd control and even music.
Being a bartender or a DJ will give you the insight, but not the business know-how, which is why many nightclub managers these days also have a hospitality qualification under their belt. Because at the end of the day (or night in this case), your job is to make sure that the club is making a profit.
With your education in hand, experience is also a key factor in running a club, and working your way up the ladder is the only way to really learn the ins and outs of what makes a club work.
Work your way up from the bottom
In an interview with BlackBook, twin brothers Cy and Jesse Waits explain how they came to be at the forefront of Las Vegas nightlife, running the mega club, XS:
“[Growing up] we were always trying to make everyone comfortable, making sure everyone is set up and feeling good about themselves. We were the social butterflies, walking around and getting everyone’s input. [...] We started from the bottom up. We did everything in the nightclub business so we get it. We understand the aspect of what it takes to bartend or what the door guy goes through. We get it.”
Have you got what it takes?
The nightclub lifestyle can be one of excess – late nights and the temptation of drugs and alcohol – but it also has a certain allure. Life can be one party after the next, spending time with the rich and famous, becoming rich and famous yourself…
Being a nightclub manager can take a toll on your personal life though because you’ll work harder and longer hours than any other profession. You’ll be working until the sun comes up and sleeping till noon, and then doing it all over again. It takes a motivated and strong willed person to cut their teeth in this industry and be a success.
Aside from business skills, a nightclub manager needs to be an intelligent multi-tasker, with an entrepreneurial spirit, good communication skills, a natural leader who’s calm under pressure, and a people person who is always outgoing. A good manager will also know that it’s difficult to run a business if you’ve been throwing the drinks back with your clientele…
So what does the job involve?
As the nightclub manager, your responsibilities could include: – organising DJs, promotions and entertainment, and negotiating their fee – oversee the running and operation of the club – hiring and training personnel, including waitrons, bartenders, security and more – acquire licenses and observe laws regarding and health and safety, and drinking – the finances, including paying accounts, staff and suppliers – manage inventory and orders – meeting the needs of the club’s patrons – attracting patrons to the nightclub.
Most important is knowing what your clientele want from a nightclub. According to BlackBook, after 12 years in the nightclub industry, the Waits brother have a sixth sense for what makes a club work:
“Cy and Jesse will work on the club’s personality. They’re after the little things, the details customers don’t notice, but nevertheless that enhance their experience. Says Cy, ‘We’ll sit down in booths and make sure everything is comfortable. Everything needs to have a feeling to it. Where are the table sides? How big is the booth? How far are your knees from the ground?’”
If your patrons want cocktails, it’s your job to hire a bartender who has that skill. If you patrons want specific music, it’s your job to find a DJ who fits that mould.
So you want to be a nightclub manager? If you still think this is the job you were born for, get your hospitality qualification in hand and start working your way up the nightclub career ladder!
*Create a link to this info - http://www.hotelschool.co.za/hospitality-course-application-forms*
