Corporate Clients

[Fivez]

Hi there

As some of you know we run community 5-a-side football leagues in disadvatged areas to try and improve the health of youngsters in Scotland.

We hope to offer our services to large corporate firms this year - we are going into a new market. Large companies would pay us to run a 5-a-side football leagues for their staff at a local venue. We would handle everything. These leagues would improve the health and well-being of those that took part. Large firms like to keep their staff happy and i feel leagues could be a good for increasing productivity and lowering absence rates.

Does anyone have any comments? Do you think large firms would go for this?

In addition, does anyone offer a service where they could draft a letter that could be sent to large firms offering our services?

Cheers

Stuart

[bwglaw]

As some of you know we run community 5-a-side football leagues in disadvatged areas to try and improve the health of youngsters in Scotland...

Does anyone have any comments? Do you think large firms would go for this?

In addition, does anyone offer a service where they could draft a letter that could be sent to large firms offering our services?

As a CEO, as soon as I read your post the first thing that came to my mind was; 'How is running community 5-a-side football leagues in disadvantaged area, a service?' By 'service' I mean to in exchange for a fee with an element of profit. You did mention some time ago that you were a commercial enterprise, hence the above, in case other readers do not know where I am coming from.

If you were a not-for-profit or a charitable organisation providing the same 'services' in disadvantaged areas you may well receive a huge amount of support, especially from the Local Authorities (again, referring to your previous post). In England, Local Authorities cannot be viewed to be supporting a particular kind of commercial enterprise that is for profit.

More to the point, if you were a not-for-profit or a charitable organisation you may be entitled to receive support from the Media Trust, and on their website you can even post a project for many media professionals to volunteer their time. Not sure if they will do this for a commercial enterprise.


Jonathan

[IMEX Sourcing Services]

Do you think large firms would go for this?

I think, this is where you need to do some market research. You should go out and talk to some of these companies in the area. Tell them how it would be beneficial to them. Even though it would keep their employees happy, from a firms perspective there are also other things which can keep employees happy, so they have to weigh the advantages of using your service to their other options, for e.g. giving their employees membership to a gym. They will ask themselves, "what is the opportunity cost of using your service to other available alternatives?".

Once again, you can hire professional to do the market research for you.



In addition, does anyone offer a service where they could draft a letter that could be sent to large firms offering our services?

A professional Copywriter could help you with this. I think I have seen a few on the forum, although do not remember their nicks. There is always the good old google, just Google "Copywriters + your location"

Ash

[Pebble Communications]

Hi,

I copywrite as well as do PR and I'd be happy to work on this for you. The Media Trust (great organisation) only works with registered charities so I'm afraid you won't be able to use them for this.

Funnily enough, back in one of my previous incarnations I worked at a charity which had a five a side team and belonged to a local league: it was quite a large concern running it on a commercial basis (and why not?) so if there is nothing like that where you are, it could be good. Don't forget that you have to pay for venue (pitch or hall), ref fees and so on, and teams usually played once every month or fortnight, so I would think profit margins are fairly tight. They also had a league website with news of the matches, future fixtures and league table.

I also organised a charity five a sider while I was there, with 6 teams taking part and a charity auction element, so I've had some experience writing this sort of thing before.

Cost wouldn't be massive just for a letter.

Fiona Bailey
www.pebblecommunications.co.uk