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.

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!