BURNLEY are planning to get a head start on salary cap proposals with the introduction of new money-making schemes.

Turf Moor chiefs fear that unless they act now, the club could struggle financially when limitations on spending are enforced.

The plan for wages to be based on a percentage of turnover – already in action in League Two and set to begin in League One this season – will kick in for Championship clubs at the start of the 2012/13 campaign.

Burnley chief executive Paul Fletcher said: “The salary capping that has affected Leagues One and Two will be coming to the Championship.

“It’s not yet a rule but they are nudging towards that. The bottom line is they want clubs to operate within their means, which is no bad thing.

“The idea is that we can only spend a percentage of turnover on wages. But it’s a scheme that is a lot easier to put into practice in the lower divisions.

“In the long-run if wages had to be capped based on turnover it would affect Burnley badly because we’re not a big city club.

“We don’t have a massive gate every week. That’s why, as a club, we are looking for lots of different avenues to increase turnover at Turf Moor.”

With the club’s University and College of Football Business ready to open in September, the Clarets are also set to further boost turnover with the launch of a new corporate facility on matchdays for the forthcoming season.

Fletcher said: “We need to get Turf Moor performing better, hence the introduction of our football university and extra corporate hospitality facilities.”

Although Fletcher fears the club could be hit hard by the proposed salary cap plans, he does agree with the concept.

“I think there has to be some form of salary cap to stop clubs going bankrupt at the end of each season,” he said.

“But if it is based on turnover it would affect Burnley more than other clubs, especially those in new stadiums which have been designed with boosting corporate income in mind.”

League One clubs will this year only be allowed to spend 55 per cent of their annual turnover on wages, and League Two clubs will fall in line after previously operating at 60 per cent.

The rest of the Championship will follow suit the following season, and in the event of the Clarets being in that division, they are making plans for the future.

Burnley made just over £3.2million from catering sales and other commercial activities in the last financial year - almost £500,000 up on the previous 12 months - while club shop sales brought in just over £1.6m.

To boost income further, the club is introducing a new matchday corporate initiative, called ‘The Premier Club’, with competitive rates designed to attract small businesses.