Executive
Summary
Vision /
In 2005, Drum Corps Network
was formed to create a more efficient drum corps organization to deliver more
effective tools and opportunities to drum corps of all types.
Overall, our organization
can be characterized as a center point for information, communication and drum
corps correspondence.
The purpose of the
organization is to promote drum corps, music, and the musicians of drum
corps. This organization is established
to provide musicians of drum corps with the opportunity to play, communicate,
and collaborate. It will strive to
instill teamwork, responsibility, dedication, and perseverance for
self-improvement in the people and organizations involved. It will provide a link of communication
between drum corps, organizations supporting drum corps, and organizations that
can utilize drum corps and their abilities.
The organization will reach people of all ages through the interest of
music.
The primary role of Drum Corps Network is to provide a means of communication
between organizations to accomplish their directives. DCN will communicate with Host organizations
to establish competitions or venues of performance and communicate with
members, associate members, and the public to bring them together for the
shows. These public performances
include, but are not limited to DCN officiated competitions, DCN officiated
performances (non competition), parades, and concerts.
With the
use of information technology we will reference a consortium of information and
resources: books, authors, subjects, web links, advice columns, and more.
We will
provide opportunities to a greater range of corps that are now excluded from
other drum corps associations by size, ability, and finances.
We will
use new technology to reduce our operations and increase our productivity in
enlisting, promoting, and assisting drum
corps.
Background
For many years people have
played or competed in drum corps. Drum
Corps can be beneficial in promoting activity, community, dedication, and
responsibility. Throughout the years,
the presence of drum corps has been greatly receding. Just recently, the two most prominent
associations have proven to be ineffective in addressing this situation by
either increasing their requirements and excluding the smaller more prevalent
corps, or by over extending their means and folding. Neither of these organizations tried to use
modern technology such as the web or other information services to extend their
abilities, reduce overhead, or to advertise and encourage the activity.
Drum Corps Network will
start with technology and build ourselves as a modern organization from the
ground up. Using this technology and
platform we will provide a more effective and efficient means of promoting drum
corps. DCN will include, encourage, and
assist corps of all sizes. We will
rebuild and encourage the activity of drum corps, from mini-corps and ensembles
on up, to restore the sense of community, dedication, and responsibility these
corps used to instill in the youths of the community.
We have completed the
website and our information services design and have begun promoting ourselves
to recruit drum corps and hosts to participate with our organization. Next we will implement our designs and program
an online sign up to begin recruiting for the 2006 marching season.
The legal form of Drum
Corps Network is a non-for-profit organization, located in Hudsonville
By October of 2005 our
operation had raised $750 with funds available of up to $4,000 on demand, and
has continued to gain momentum. DCN
plans to operate debt free throughout its course of operations. We have three businesses, and numerous
individuals that have promised to support our needs and expenses. Annual growth is projected to be 75% per year
through 2010.
Now, Drum Corps Network is
at a point where we will be recruiting members and organizations for
participation in 2006 and the following years.
We will replace the out of date, ineffective associations of the past
and restore the activity of drum corps that they have demoralized and
abandoned.
Objectives
Drum Corps Networks’
objective is to have 25 applicants for membership by the end of the year 2005.
The next objective is to
establish relationships and grant membership for the year 2006.
Capital Requirements
According to the
opportunities and requirements for DCN described in this business plan, and
based on what we feel are sound business assumptions, our first year capital
requirements are for $8,000 by, 2006.
Capital will come in through the following means:
Funding generated by these means will be used for the following
activities.
Maintain and
program the website to meet our needs and the needs of the members.
Obtain business
phone lines for our phone and fax machines for communication.
Print letters,
flyers and other means of distribution for advertising and communication.
Purchase equipment
used in competition to help hosts. Such
as radio communication sets, sale booths, area/section tape, directional signs,
and other reusable goods that most hosts sites may not have at hand.
Continue
advertising and promoting Drum Corps Network to enlist more members and
organizations to be involved.
Pay employees to
dedicate full time service to the organization and its needs as it grows.
Management Team
Our management team
consists of 3 men whose backgrounds consist of 3-10 years of business and
activity experience with West Michigan Drum Corps Boosters, House Call Computer
Doctor, P.A. Entertainment, and Dan Arntz Accounting, and 4-7 years of
education in Music Education, Information Technology, and Accounting at
universities such as Grand Valley State University, Davenport University, and
Grand Rapids Community College.
In-House
Management
Matt Clouse,
President and director
Dan Arntz, Vice
President of Finance
Peter Postma, Vice
President of Operations and I.T.
Outside
Management Support
Dave Clark,
Consultant
Dave Zuidema, Accountant
James C. Devries,
Legal Counselor
Additionally, our outside
management advisors provide tremendous support for management decisions and
creativity. We will also gain the
support of Michigan Small Business and
Product Strategy
Current Product
DCN currently offers
services in communication, cooperation, and assistance between drum corps,
hosts and other affiliates. Web services,
our principal product, will consist of online forums, web hosting for members
and hosts, auctions of equipment, knowledge databases, and ease of
accessibility. Overall our existing
product line is being implemented for the 2006 marching season.
Research and Development
In response to demonstrated
needs of our market, new services are being developed to include means of
communication between corps, assistance with fund raising, and online
entertainment. These new services are
especially useful to drum corps struggling to survive, host organizations that
no longer have communication with competitors, and affiliates who cannot
interact with these two groups. The
initial launch took place in September 2005 and a full launch is planned for
April, 2006. By then we plan to have the
following services active.
Production and Delivery
The key factors in our service
delivery include web technology, security, and stability. Our future facilities will need business
zoning and business lines for communication.
Market Analysis
Market Definition
The drum corps market in
general is neglected. The market for division II & III, senior corps, and
alumni are presently untapped. There is
a great amount of people involved in these classes in the
It is common knowledge
among drum corps that communication and cooperation between the drum corps and
its associations have diminished to unproductive levels.
The largest amount of
people involved in drum corps are in the scholastic,
junior, or alumni corps in the smaller divisions. However, the only drum corps organization
left in the
It has been proven that
with proper support, drum corps activities will continue to increase in size
and number. Due to lack of support the
current trend is declining. In the last
year alone there were more than 15 corps that were
forced to go inactive. This trend can be
quickly turned around into a growth with the vacancies left by the
deactivations and attention from the media.
Prospective Member
Profile
Drum Corps Networks target
market includes all sizes of drum corps, hosts and fans in the
We will reach these
members by using the internet, word of mouth, drum corps events, mailings and
presentations. Using these means of
communication we will reach and notify inactive corps of our presence and they
will join our organization in order to continue.
Competition
DCN is a nonprofit
organization so ‘competition’ is not a factor.
Organizations that operate in this market are DCI, DCA and DCM. Not all
organizations charge competitive prices or permit corps of all sizes, talents,
or ages to participate. The ability of
DCN is the capability to allow all active drum corps to participate and grow
with our services. We also provide
services that are far beyond what other organizations provide for members with a less costly membership dues.
Our strategy for success is
to be more cost effective, provide a wider range of services, better
communication, and use of modern technology for promoting and marketing.
Risk
The top business risks that
DCN faces as it begins to enter the Drum Corps arena is that we will not gain
interest and members, or that we will be under funded.
Marketing Plan
Responses from
organizations indicate that they are very interested in our services. Even existing drum corps organizations from
other areas would like to collaborate and implement our business plans and
services for their use. With a small
investment in a targeted mailing to high schools and existing drum corps to
notify them of the opportunity we would expect strong response.
DCN's marketing strategy is
to in expensively notify perspective members and hosts that the opportunity to
continue participating in drum corps is available through us. Since the key to our business is ease of use
and a supporting image we do not require expensive or aggressive advertising or
sales techniques
Advertising and
Promotion Strategy
Because of DCN's special
market characteristics, the only advertising we expect to do is to communicate
at regular drum corps association meetings that we exist and a direct mailing
to all high schools of large enough capacity to support drum corps as well as
existing drum corps. These simple acts
notify all people involved in and all potential drum corps members of our
services and that they can join or participate.
Since there are a limited number of companies that produce products for
drum corps and are capable of sponsorship we will use direct communication to
these companies marketing divisions.
Once we are established word of mouth and internet activities with
people close to our members will continue to spread our name to others who may
be interested in participating.
Public Relations
During 2006, DCN will focus
on the following publicity strategy. The
fact is that drum corps instills discipline, respect, and responsibility in the
members participating with them. Pulling
family members, schools, organizations and other groups together for
competitions generates local sales, support, and fundraising as well as
interactivity that is beneficial to the community. By providing a positive image, strong ties to
the community, and great public relations we expect strong public support that
is the foundation of non profit organizations for both our activities and
funding.
Financial Plan
Drum Corps Network plans on
securing grants provided to non profit, educational, youth activities,
community orientated, and/or musical arts.
We have projected our first years need for grants to be $5000 but most
organizations with this level of functions are granted up to $10,000 and as a
non profit organization we can take tax deductible donations. With our projected operating expense we plan
to purchase phone lines and other equipment that will be beneficial to our
organization. The funding that we obtain
over our operating expense will be used to purchase equipment that will
optimize our procedures and reduce operating expenses over the long term. The necessary purchases for internet presence
and direct mailing have already been funded and even expended.
Conclusion
Drum Corps Network is now
poised over the drum corps market of the