HBay Cyclist Posted August 4, 2014 Posted August 4, 2014 Hi,I would like to know if anybody on the Hub has gone through the process of trying to get some sort of sponsorship? Or if anybody has any tips in this regard? I started racing again earlier this year but I have now reached the cross road where my training has to increase drastically to try and catch the guys at the front. This in turn means that all of my maintenance cost will also become increasingly costly, thus the need for some kind of support. Any help or advice with this matter would be awesome!
VicanZA Posted August 4, 2014 Posted August 4, 2014 yeah get a raise at work, riding them MTB is not cheap.. tell the boss.
typhoon Posted August 4, 2014 Posted August 4, 2014 Get a road bike to train with, maintenance is quite a lot less than a mtb.
HBay Cyclist Posted August 4, 2014 Author Posted August 4, 2014 yeah get a raise at work, riding them MTB is not cheap.. tell the boss.Haha, tried that, didn`t work.
Skinnyone Posted August 4, 2014 Posted August 4, 2014 double edged sword - to get sponsorship you need good consistent results, to get results you need to train more, to train more you need more time, to get more time you need sponsors so that you don't have to work...otherwise be happy where you are and make do with what you have... Also be prepared to promote the sponsors - i.e. sell their product, go to product launches drive sales thru their books that can be traced back to you. I see it all too often where people want sponsorship and are not prepared to lift a finger for it in return... 90 Inch, Pure Savage, Joffter and 1 other 4
HBay Cyclist Posted August 4, 2014 Author Posted August 4, 2014 double edged sword - to get sponsorship you need good consistent results, to get results you need to train more, to train more you need more time, to get more time you need sponsors so that you don't have to work...otherwise be happy where you are and make do with what you have... Also be prepared to promote the sponsors - i.e. sell their product, go to product launches drive sales thru their books that can be traced back to you. I see it all too often where people want sponsorship and are not prepared to lift a finger for it in return...Thanks for the reply, this is exactly the type of feedback I want/need. I can totally understand the principle of sponsors wanting return on their investment. I can also understand that there will probably be a pretty good understand of what is required from the rider. As for being happy with where you are.... I am always happy when I am on my bike, now I just want to mix it up with the big boys. And even if I am not able to get any assistance I will still be going all out to achieve my goal!
Skinnyone Posted August 4, 2014 Posted August 4, 2014 Go for it by all means! but trust me sponsors are hard to come by, most people/sponsors are happy to pay race entries etc but when it comes to bike maintenance it can become sticky. If you can find a sponsor for race entries and transport then that should free up a fair amount of cash for the maintenance side of things....
RocknRolla Posted August 4, 2014 Posted August 4, 2014 Good Luck. Have you worked out what you would require per month for the sponsorship? Are you looking to earn a salary as a full-time pro or semi-pro where you keep your dayjob. If the latter, do you have anough leave to participate in the national events? Depending on the level of sponsorhip you are looking at, you may be in for R200 000 just for travel and event entries to the national races. Add bike maintenance and you could be in for another R50 - 100k conservatively. In our current economy it really is not condusive to companies dishing our large amounts of cash to have their name on a riding shirt. Quatifying return on investment is really difficult, as broadcast of local events is not the level of international events. I'm not saying it's impossible, but you certainly have your work cut out for you - the riding the bike is the easy bit.
Shebeen Posted August 4, 2014 Posted August 4, 2014 Hi,I would like to know if anybody on the Hub has gone through the process of trying to get some sort of sponsorship? Or if anybody has any tips in this regard? I started racing again earlier this year but I have now reached the cross road where my training has to increase drastically to try and catch the guys at the front. This in turn means that all of my maintenance cost will also become increasingly costly, thus the need for some kind of support. Any help or advice with this matter would be awesome!if nothing else pans out, get a singlespeed bike for training. Not ideal scenario, but will pull costs down in the long run.
ChunkyMonkey Posted August 4, 2014 Posted August 4, 2014 Unfortunately.... Before anyone will put down good cash, for you as you said "just wanting to be happy on your bike" enjoying riding...They need to consider... If they give you R20K how will they get R100K-R200K return from that?If they give you a bike ... How will they sell 10-20 bikes because of you riding one? My suggestion, don't get a sponsor to get a reason to ride more..... that's just freeloading...Get results first... Get a good racing CV...... And If you're worth itThat's a good enough reason to get sponsored... THAT IS THE HARD WAY... BUT THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT! RocknRolla, bebop, pista and 1 other 4
HBay Cyclist Posted August 4, 2014 Author Posted August 4, 2014 Good Luck. Have you worked out what you would require per month for the sponsorship? Are you looking to earn a salary as a full-time pro or semi-pro where you keep your dayjob. If the latter, do you have anough leave to participate in the national events? Depending on the level of sponsorhip you are looking at, you may be in for R200 000 just for travel and event entries to the national races. Add bike maintenance and you could be in for another R50 - 100k conservatively. In our current economy it really is not condusive to companies dishing our large amounts of cash to have their name on a riding shirt. Quatifying return on investment is really difficult, as broadcast of local events is not the level of international events. I'm not saying it's impossible, but you certainly have your work cut out for you - the riding the bike is the easy bit.Thank you, I am super excited about this.I have worked out a budget per year for what I believe the maintenance on the bike should be, entries, and some clothing and it was about R40K per annum. In terms of travelling I think you are correct in saying that it will make it expensive. I am quite lucky with the company I work for, although they said they can`t assist with funds at this stage they are very flexible in terms of working hours, so I plan to do as many of the national events as I can.
HBay Cyclist Posted August 4, 2014 Author Posted August 4, 2014 Unfortunately.... Before anyone will put down good cash, for you as you said "just wanting to be happy on your bike" enjoying riding...They need to consider... If they give you R20K how will they get R100K-R200K return from that?If they give you a bike ... How will they sell 10-20 bikes because of you riding one? My suggestion,don't get a sponsor to get a reason to ride more..... that's just freeloading...Get results first... Get a good racing CV...... And If you're worth itThat's a good enough reason to get sponsored... THAT IS THE HARD WAY... BUT THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT!Very valid points. I think the question I have is, is good results top 10 in mayor events or is it podium positions? As an example the Nissan Trailseeker which is quite a good and large series, where should I aim, Top 25, Top 10? Thanks
HBay Cyclist Posted August 4, 2014 Author Posted August 4, 2014 how old are you by the way?how old are you by the way?Hehe, I hope I am not already over the age limit of starting to seriously race but I am 26.
RocknRolla Posted August 4, 2014 Posted August 4, 2014 Top 5 to be noticed.a privateer that takes a podium always gets noticed a lot better than one of the usual suspects taking the win. Podiums speak the loudest.
Robrider Posted August 4, 2014 Posted August 4, 2014 (edited) You have said it, but not spelt it out properly. You need to find what value you will have to the sponsor and sell that to them.That means on the bike and off the bike. On the bike = podiums at events with good coverage. Can you offer anything that would promote a brand off the bike? Think social media, workshops, offering training courses, writing articles... etc. Basically you have to turn yourself into a brand that will support their brand. And then sell it. Here's an article that might help (there's a part 2 somewhere as well): http://home.trainingpeaks.com/blog/article/how-to-get-sponsored-part-1 Edited August 4, 2014 by Robrider GLuvsMtb 1
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