The document provides a 3-step process for developing a successful business plan for a FIRST Robotics team:
1. Identify the marketing team members and their roles and responsibilities.
2. Write the plan, including goals, programs to achieve goals, and a timeline leveraging important events.
3. Implement the plan by prioritizing programs, creating a tactical timeline with deadlines, and providing weekly updates to the team.
The document includes an example business plan for the fictional ON Robotics team and emphasizes the importance of presentation for an effective plan.
How to Market Your Awesomeness with a Successful Business Plan
1. HOW TO MARKET YOUR
AWESOMENESS!
3 STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS
PLAN THAT WILL GET ATTENTION
2. Why do we need a plan?
What is a business plan?
Sets the strategic direction of the team
Goals and call to action
Demonstrates teams ability to plan, organize and execute
Is it important?
Yes, teams with good business plans are rewarded and
awarded
Can we get an award without a plan?
Doubtful, the judges are looking for a team’s ability to multi-
task beyond the engineering
3. STEP 1: Identify the Teams
Who is in charge? Who makes up the marketing team?
Team lead and successor
People who like to capture and display information, aren’t afraid
of asking questions, persistent and organized
What is their role?
Communicate the awesomeness of their FIRST Robotics team
Marketing & communications - photography, video, writing, PR,
securing sponsorships, writing plan and project management
What are the deliverables? What = Success?
Identify what the team is responsible for delivering and how to
measure success
Business plan
Sponsor list
Collateral and documentation
4. Step 2: Writing the Plan
Goals: what does the overall team want to accomplish?
Build a functioning robot
Increase sponsorships by 20%
Win the Chairmanship award
Sponsor 10 local teams
Programs: how do you accomplish your goals?
Write down all the great ideas! And save them!!
Hold a bake sale fundraiser
Enter robot in local parade
Send a video to local businesses – future workforce says “hi”
Timing: planning for & leveraging natural news
Holidays, school events, political events, FIRST events
5. Step 3: Implementing the Plan
Where do you start?
The need to prioritize and focus
What can you realistically get done?
What programs make the biggest impact?
What programs need to be scrapped until next year?
The tactical timeline – your guide to success
Identify deadlines and create a work-back schedule
Identify all the “must attend” events
Identify all the “natural news” events
Identify weekly deliverables
Project management is critical, don’t wait until the last minute
Communicate to your entire team weekly
Weekly updates on progress
6. Business Plan – ON Team
GOALS:
Compete at nationals
Win Chairmanship award
Sponsor 2 local teams
Secure more sponsors
STRATEGIES/TACTICS
Document and capture teams progress through video
Create posters and flyers to help promote and highlight team’s success and people
Meet with local schools to educate them on the FIRST program to recruit for new teams
Identify local businesses and meet with them to secure additional funding, sponsorships, donations
Conduct pep-rally at school to get people excited about FIRST
Host car washes, bake sales, breakfasts, events
Identify and send information to local press
Conduct local business faire on future workforce
Meet with school districts and educate about first robotics
Make sure everybody on the team understands the rules for the chairmanship award
Pull in an advisory committee to provide guidance and accountability
Train team on messages and team stories
Create team book with photo’s and bios
Recruit new teams at local high school events, skate parks and teen hangouts
7. Timeline
October: February
Identify the team and assign roles BUILD THE ROBOT
Write business plan Videotape building the robot
November Conduct community fundraiser with
robot prototype
Identify local sponsors
SEND ROBOT OFF
Create video
Host breakfast March
December Compete at Oregon 10th Anniversary
FIRST Regionals
Holiday craft fundraiser of team mom’s Win Chairmanship award
ON Team sponsors local toy drive, senior Video, pictures, pitch success story
center, community activism
Conduct fundraising activity
Pitch story of team and interesting members
or accomplishments April
January Head to Nationals and WIN!
BUILD THE ROBOT Conduct interviews with KGW and MTV
Pitch story to school newspaper HUGE party to celebrate Oregon’s success
Videotape the robot being built and the May
team members Conduct local fundraising activity
8. MAKING YOUR PLAN POP!
Presentation is important
Binder, book, bound paper
Hard copies please
Website needs to be displayed in the binder
Presenters need to be prepared
Team training – everybody needs to know the plan and
messages
THINK BIG>DO BIG!