Brainstorming Session (Ideas)

[Bill Kent]

If I was a budding entrepreneur (which I'm not) looking to invsst in GNFC as a business proposition, and looking for a return on my investment, say 10% PA. You as a member of the GNFC commercial team have to convince me that my investment is in safe hands.

 

Ideas, no matter how small or silly they may seem, may be potentionally sound.

 

ie, Where can a quality video (edited in a video suite) of our winning home matches be purchased, and where would be the best place to advertise to maximise sales.

 

"Crossbar Challenge" (Where's the return?) to me as an investor is a NO, No, I'm not giving money away. I need to make money.

 

Maybe that I'm taking an elephantine gambol into the realms of the impossible, and now await the brickbat posters in trepidation. But here goes anyway.

[ColtheJock]

I don't think you are being unfair when stating that if you invested in the club you would want to see some return. I think the people over the last few years who have behind the scenes have worked wonders to get the team where it is today. Commercially I think there is always more that can be done but ideas need to be tried to see if they work in a certain area. Let me say that I lived in Gravesend for 12 years and supported 'the Fleet' throughout. I now live near Abbey Wood Station and so far this season have got back to 2 games. I have become a season ticket holder at Charlton and this might be one of the problems for the Fleet. I admit to be not to impressed with Charlton's Valley Express scheme, but in the end they are trying to maximise thier home crowds, which all team have to try and do. Maybe a smaller schme would help Gravesend, i.e getting people to the ground from villages around the borough. Mind you I also feel that if people want to invest in a team like Gravesend to expect a return of 10% on your money is dream land stuff!!!! I expect brick bats too :-)

[Bill Kent]

Thanks for your response. I totally agree to first part of of your reply. This is the kind of feedback that is called for. but as a hypothetical! investor, we need to be hard faced commercially minded, and professional, we would be in it for the money, not love

10% is the figure because of the risk factor involved, less than that would not be viable.

 

Another example. Are the facilities at "Fleet Leisure" being used to capacity? Could I get a return from this enterprise?

[Hempstead Gaz]

Margate are looking for a training facility in the Gravesend area as they are fed up with the Strood artificial pitch.If that is common knowledge to us, so it must be to the fleet management.

Why don't they make the phone call and

a) help Fleet get more income.

help the ex Fleet team.

c) which in turn increases the publicity of the facility.

[ColtheJock]

How about this one, we go onto Dragon's Den and try and get them to invest £250k in an up and coming football club!!!!!!

 

:-)

[Slartibartfast]

I think if anyone was looking to get a return on their capital then football would be the last place they would be looking.

People who put money into football clubs tend to do it for love, in most cases love of their club and in some cases love of seeing their name in print, either way they are unlikely to see their money again.

Corporate sponsors expects publicity in return for their money and of course our new sponsors must have been absolutely delighted that we appeared live on Sky so soon after they agreed to sponsor us.

Incidently I was watching the currie cup final on Sky this morning and the airline that sponsored the Cheetahs gave a fly past at kick-off time......I hope someone from Austrian Airlines was watching as I could see a fly past at San Stonebridge for the KSC final going down well next May. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/roflmao.gif" alt="" />

[David Holden]

Quote:

Chatham Gary said:
Margate are looking for a training facility in the Gravesend area as they are fed up with the Strood artificial pitch.If that is common knowledge to us, so it must be to the fleet management.
Why don't they make the phone call and
a) help Fleet get more income.
help the ex Fleet team.
c) which in turn increases the publicity of the facility.

Possibly because there are no floodlights and Margate train at night.

[Hempstead Gaz]

Portable floodlighting systems are now available at prices accesible to small clubs, I'm sure given Margate's budget they can afford some.

They are advertised in the Non League Paper.

[Harry J Allstars]

Margate already train in Gravesend

[FleetFanatic]

Quote:

ColtheJock said:
I have become a season ticket holder at Charlton and this might be one of the problems for the Fleet. I admit to be not to impressed with Charlton's Valley Express scheme, but in the end they are trying to maximise thier home crowds, which all team have to try and do.

Indeed. Gravesend may be small compared to Charlton, but in terms of the Premiership, Charlton are a small club.

The general population have a 'big club' mentality and to a certain extent I can understand that. After all, it's rammed down everybody's throats - Sky TV, the sports pages of any daily newspaper.....

.....yesterday I went to Villa Park to watch Villa vs Spurs. Cracking stadium, great seats in the Trinity Road Stand, cracking atmosphere & a decent match. Now I admit that I wouldn't have gone all the way up there if I hadn't received the tickets free of charge from somebody involved with Villa's sponsors, but looking at Villa's admission prices, it got me thinking.

Tickets for the lowest grade matches - the Fulhams of this world, prices in the Family enclosure start from £15 for adults and a fiver for kids. Now look at Charlton and you'll see they do similar things. So do a lot of other London clubs. This is the kind of problem Gravesend are up against. People will think 'why watch conference football?' when for just a few quid extra they can take the kids to watch players that they have seen on the TV?

Now combine this with the fact that there are a lot of people who either don't like football, have other obligations at weekends or already go and watch another club and it's pretty obvious that, apart from a big cup match, that 1500 is currently about as good as it gets, rightly or wrongly.

[DA11]

If I were the fleet marketing manager I would think of ideas of making the club more accessible. I would like to see a club shop concession, say, in the town centre. Maybe in a corner of JJB, or maybe even have a market stall. There has to be access to purchase shirts, scarves, keyrings etc...other than the club shop. As much as A-Z sports in Perry St is a great outlet, you can't get that much passing trade as you would in the centre of town. There are exciting times ahead for this great club. Would love to see more red and white being worn in town and I don't mean arsenal or Man U. Up the Fleet!!!!!!!

[Ian_D]

Quote:

Karma67 said:
I would like to see a club shop concession, say, in the town centre.

So would I, but how much expense is this to the club? I doubt we could shift enough stock to cover the costs of what we sell so, although publicising the club, would probably turn out as a loss.

Quote:

Karma67 said:
Maybe in a corner of JJB, or maybe even have a market stall.

I like the idea of JJB actually, but not the market stall. I feel this would make the club look very unprofessional. JJB though may be a good target, and encourage other businesses in the town to support their local team

Quote:

Karma67 said:
There has to be access to purchase shirts, scarves, keyrings etc...other than the club shop.

Aggreed. Once the fleet Trusts' E-commerce is up and running hopefully that will get the ball rolling.

[BustaGut]

Quote:

Karma67 said:
If I were the fleet marketing manager I would think of ideas of making the club more accessible. I would like to see a club shop concession, say, in the town centre. Maybe in a corner of JJB, or maybe even have a market stall. There has to be access to purchase shirts, scarves, keyrings etc...other than the club shop. As much as A-Z sports in Perry St is a great outlet, you can't get that much passing trade as you would in the centre of town. There are exciting times ahead for this great club. Would love to see more red and white being worn in town and I don't mean arsenal or Man U. Up the Fleet!!!!!!!

Not putting any of your ideas down, but unless you can get a shop to sponsor us by letting have the shop floor space for free, the club would make a loss I would suggest, what with rent, rates, taxes, and employing someone to be there full time selling the merchandice.
I like to think I am Not being a doom and gloom merchant but realistic. market stall ? why not outside the ground on home matches ?

[mikefleet]

why not outside the ground on home matches ?

 

what when they can go inside to the actual shop thats just stupid

[BustaGut]

Quote:

mikefleet said:

why not outside the ground on home matches ?

what when they can go inside to the actual shop thats just stupid

ahhh sorry all the prem clubs have it all wrong then, as thats what they do, have offical stalls selling offical gear, drop um a note and tell them there stupid please <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[Stu M]

Quote:

BustaGut said:why not outside the ground on home matches ?

And they can keep an eye on the chavs smashing the cars up while they're at it! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[Harry J Allstars]

Quote:

Karma67 said:
If I were the fleet marketing manager I would think of ideas of making the club more accessible. I would like to see a club shop concession, say, in the town centre. Maybe in a corner of JJB, or maybe even have a market stall. There has to be access to purchase shirts, scarves, keyrings etc...other than the club shop. As much as A-Z sports in Perry St is a great outlet, you can't get that much passing trade as you would in the centre of town. There are exciting times ahead for this great club. Would love to see more red and white being worn in town and I don't mean arsenal or Man U. Up the Fleet!!!!!!!

Watch this space...

[The Cameraman]

Quote:

Bill Kent said:
ie, Where can a quality video (edited in a video suite) of our winning home matches be purchased, and where would be the best place to advertise to maximise sales.

Click here for a list of matches available from this season, then here and scroll down to where it says 'Bulk Orders From Club Shops'.

When I last mentioned this (about a year ago !), there seemed to be some uncertainty as to whether the Club Shop (i.e. Trust ?) would order and pay for the goods or whether it should be the club marketing department doing that.

I don't know what the situation is now, but I can certainly produce fully edited DVD's of Home matches if there is a demand for them.

[DA11]

Ian D.

 

In hindsight I agree with you about market stall. I would have thought a local business would jump at the chance of selling our merchandise. They would not get a commission as they would benefit from program and KM advertising. I'm also hoping that one day the web site will have a shop link on there. Maidstone have a small retail space within the chequers centre. It looks refreshing seeing a non prem or serie a shirt on sale. God I remember my parents making their own souvenirs in the early 70's and then giving them out at Stonebridge roads to the other kids. Happy days... If it helps I would love to help with the merchandising and for the love of the club I wouldn't want a penny in return....Up the Fleet.

[Ian_D]

Here here