Case study: "I've learned to see where the opportunities are."
A recent Chequered Flag Motorsport event at Redbull Racing HQ
What do you do when your motorsport social initiative suddenly takes off, but your planning and finances are in danger of lagging behind that upward curve?
In June 2021, Chequered Flag Motorsport founder Gary Booth engaged us to review his business plan and see where we could help him make improvements and accelerate the growth of the organisation.
Based in Yorkshire, Chequered Flag Motorsport is a community initiative that promotes social inclusion and rehabilitation through motorsport activities and events. We spoke to Gary recently about the experience of building his brand with the Racing Mentor team.
The Problem
Gary started the social enterprise in June 2020 and from the very beginning, was inundated with participation requests from people across the UK wanting to attend the events. Seeing the interest, Gary quickly realised he would need to find partners who could offer the financial support to get more events off the ground.
Gary says: “I think initially, it was looking for sources of funding to help keep a social enterprise going. It's not just a question of looking for money though. It’s also about wanting to give something back for that.
“And that's what I needed help with because I haven't got that experience. That's where Racing Mentor came in with experience and knowledge, to be able to guide a relative novice like me through that minefield of sponsorship.”
He adds: “When I started out looking I wouldn't necessarily have specifically classed it as sponsorship, though I knew that I wanted to approach corporates. It wasn't until later on when we got further down the line and started discussing that, that I realised sponsored was the better word.”
The Solution
During the initial discovery call, we focused solely on listening to Gary, only chipping in with pertinent questions when needed. The goals for the enterprise were huge, yes, but not unachievable:
Finding the right partners to financially support the community interest company (CIC), while being able to offer them value in return.
Having a voice in the motorsport industry that would also attract the support of manufacturers, tracks, and race teams.
Reaching the right people requires a multi-dimensional approach. And with Gary working on it alone (albeit diligently), a commercially-minded narrative and a clear plan of action was the structure that was missing.
Gary recalls: “I thought it would be useful to have an initial discussion, just to find out a little bit more [about Racing Mentor], and obviously then decided it was what I needed to help me move things on.
“It was after that initial chat and finding out exactly what a mentor could offer, that I probably then knew how Jess and her team would be able to specifically help me with what I was hoping to do going forward.”
We agreed on a working period of four weeks, that would include:
1:1 coaching sessions
An actionable strategy plan
Website audit and content review
Creating a new marketing brochure
A branding refresh, including PR messaging and content creation
Gary worked directly with our project manager, Rose, on the strategy we set out for him, communicating via email, calls, and Zoom, to talk through the changes as they happened.
Practical work aside, much of what we do is about mindset and perspective. Forging a strong business relationship with our clients is something we believe is central to the success of any consultancy project.
Gary agrees: “I think one of the big things for me is self-confidence. For all intents and purposes, I do this by myself. Therefore, there isn't that sounding board. To literally then have that day-to-day contact where you're saying, ‘so what do you think of this idea?’ Or somebody who's gonna say to you, ‘what the hell are you doing that for?’ It's been good to have that.”
The Results
Gary’s 1:1 coaching sessions brought new clarity and understanding of the many layers of interaction that can influence a sponsorship deal for a CIC.
Acknowledging the benefits of the coaching sessions with Jess, Gary says: “It helped me understand and appreciate my wider community, and with those basic things like brand identification, and building your brand. Having confidence with that too, because they’re the foundations upon which you build a sponsorship or partnership programme.”
When asked about the results, Gary says: “Jess and her team have been a great support when I've needed it, and so understanding. That alone, I think, speaks volumes. It's very much the feeling of community. I think that's a really, really big thing.
“I’m also a lot further on than I was before. I've put an awful lot of sponsorship contracts in place already, and I’m currently closing bigger deals. I think a big thing I've learned from it is realising and noticing where those opportunities lie within my wider network.
“One of the things that's also really amazed me and I'm absolutely gobsmacked by it, is how widespread and well-known what I'm doing has now become. Within the social enterprise community, and to a degree within the motorsport community, they've heard of Chequered Flag Motorsport. And from that, we are having more and more conversations. Every time, it just blows me away.”
In our experience, fundamental changes in messaging and mindset tend to happen after actionable tasks like new branding or strategy are already in motion. We believe that trust and respect are at the heart of business mentoring and the results they can bring.
We understand motorsport. Our unique position enables us to see every side of a situation. Whether you want support in growing your business or an objective eye to help improve processes, we can help. Get in touch to book a free discovery call.