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Business Plan Business Plan HVA RoHAWKtics FRC 3824 ​ 2019 Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary 4 1.1. Mission Statement 1.2. Team Basics 1.3. Successes 2. FIRST Description 5 ​ 2.1. FIRST Basics ​ 2.2. Core Values 3. Team Description 6 3.1. FIRST Robotics Competitions ​ 3.2. Awards and Rankings 3.3. Differences From Other Teams 3.4. Market Served 4. Market Analysis 10 4.1. Market Research 4.2. Team Research 4.3. FIRST Research ​ 4.4. SWOT Analysis ​ 5. Organization and Management 12 5.1. Organizational Structure 5.2. Lead Mentors 6. Service and Product 13 6.1. Service 6.2. Product 7. Marketing Strategies 14 7.1. Member Recruitment and Retention 7.2. Mentor Recruitment and Retention 7.3. Sponsor Recruitment and Retention 7.4. Team Marketing 7.5. Branding Branding 8. Funding Request 17 Page 2 8.1. Sponsor the Team 9. Financial Projections 18 9.1. Historical Financial data 10. Contact Us! 19 10.1. Main Contacts 10.2. Social Media Page 3 1. Executive Summary Mission Statement FRC 3824, the HVA RoHAWKtics, engages and inspires students and its community, through the arts of science and engineering. Team members are introduced to innovative technologies in a safe, sustainable environment in which they may foster skills in engineering, programming, and business. Their experience prepares them for future endeavors in the workforce and within the STEAM community. This business plan functions to provide insights into the infrastructure of the HVA RoHAWKtics and how it contributes to the team’s successes while upholding FIRST principles. Team Basics The HVA RoHAWKtics was established by a computer science teacher, Mrs. Mary Lin, in late 2010. The lead mentor roles were later filled by two other HVA teachers, Mrs. Beth Love and Mr. Tilson. In FRC 3824’s inaugural year there were 13 members; the team has since grown to 39 members. The team moved from an HVA school closest to Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s (ORNL) National Transportation Research Center (NTRC) and Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) in 2012. After losing access to the MDF in 2017, the HVA RoHAWKtics moved into Farragut High School. Successes The HVA RoHAWKtics are reliant on incorporating cutting-edge technologies, such as additive manufacturing, 3D printing, and pultrusions. In past years, the team had the privilege of working in a unique national lab facility, allowing members an opportunity to using state-of-the-art machinery. Members have the opportunity to work side-by-side with professionals in technical fields, granting them real-world experiences and insights. To educate the community, the team volunteers at numerous local outreach events, including parades, visiting local schools, and using their team made t-shirt cannon, the NightHAWK, at sporting events. For the last three years, the HVA RoHAWKtics has been invited to Barnes & Noble® to demonstrate technology to parents and children alike. The team has built up an extensive amount of alumni, including those who have attended the prestigious universities such as Yale, MIT, Stanford, and various others. Alumni continue Page 4 to utilize the skills they learned while on the team to enlighten other communities on STEAM and the principles of FIRST. RoHAWKtics also hopes to further its global outreach through its biennial ERSTE (Encouraging Robotics and STEAM Through Exchange) Initiative. This is a German-American student-exchange program with multiple teams, FRC 3824, FTC 5466, FTC 14142, and FTC 11515. In this German-American exchange program, students from Germany come to Knoxville, Tennessee and Davenport, Iowa. The HVA RoHAWKtics continues to mentor them, resulting in FTC ranking 5th at their competition in Eindhoven, Netherlands. The team strives to expand its influence on a global scale through the creation of new competitive robotics team and increased marketing of STEAM education. 2. FIRST Description ​ ​ FIRST Basics ​ FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is an international, ​ nonprofit organization founded by Dean Kamen in 1989. It oversees the FIRST Robotics ​ ​ Competition (FRC), FIRST LEGO League (FLL), FIRST LEGO League Jr. (FLL Jr.) FIRST Tech ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Challenge (FTC) competitions. FIRST strives to inspire prospective leaders in the STEAM ​ ​ community and engage students in a program that promotes the development of life and STEAM-based skills. Core Values One of FIRST’s chief values is Gracious Professionalism®, a phrase coined by Woodie ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Flowers who began working with Kamen in 1990. This holds that a team not only works in a competitive environment but also behaves in a respectful and helpful manner towards others. It encourages teams, as well as individuals, to act with integrity and empathy within and out of the STEAM community. Coopertition® is another chief value of FIRST based on the belief that teams should assist ​ ​ ​ each other even while in the heat of competitions. It promotes the display of altruistic and respectful behavior towards other teams in and out of competition and encourages members, mentors, and other teams to continuously learn. Page 5 3. Team Description FIRST Robotics Competition ​ The HVA RoHAWKtics is a member of FIRST’s FRC program, which has been dubbed by ​ ​ FIRST as the “Ultimate Sport for the Mind”. Teams must build a robot that meets certain ​ rules and guidelines for a game released in the first week of January. Teams have six weeks to build their industrial-sized robot, then use it to compete against other teams. In proper tournament fashion, the winners of these regional competitions go to worldwide championships. The team also works to spread STEAM education and FIRST principles throughout the ​ ​ community and the world by creating and attending outreach events and helping to start and maintain other FIRST teams. ​ ​ Awards and Rankings 2011: Logomotion ​ Smoky Mountains Regional Rank #14 Rookie All-Star Highest Rookie Seed FIRST Championship Galileo Division, rank #59 2012: Rebound Rumble ​ Smoky Mountains Regional Rank #33 Engineering Excellence sponsored by Delphi Peachtree Regional Rank #9 Industrial Design sponsored by General Motors 2013: Ultimate Ascent ​ Palmetto Regional Regional Finalist, rank #27 Excellence in Engineering sponsored by Delphi Smoky Mountains Regional Page 6 Regional Winners, rank #1 Excellence in Engineering sponsored by Delphi FIRST Championship Curie Division, rank #10 2014: Aerial Assault ​ Palmetto Regional Regional Winners, rank #1 Industrial Design sponsored by General Motors Smoky Mountains Regional Rank #12 Woodie Flowers Finalist (Dr. Lonnie Love) Industrial Design sponsored by General Motors Industrial Safety sponsored by Underwriters Laboratories FIRST Championship Newton Division, rank #45 2015: Recycle Rush ​ Palmetto Regional Regional Winners, rank #1 Industrial Design sponsored by General Motors Smoky Mountains Regional Regional Winner, rank #1 Excellence in Engineering sponsored by Delphi Industrial Safety Award sponsored by Underwriter Laboratories FIRST Championship Tesla Division, rank #11 Subdivision Finalists 2016: FIRST Stronghold ​ Palmetto Regional Semifinalist, rank #7 Innovation in Control sponsored by Rockwell Automation Smoky Mountains Regional Regional Winners, rank #3 Excellence in Engineering sponsored by Delphi FIRST Championship Carson Division, rank # 47 Quarterfinals Page 7 2017: FIRST Steamworks ​ Palmetto Regional Finalist, rank #2 Judge’s Award Smoky Mountain Regional Semifinalist, rank #2 Regional Chairman’s Award FIRST Dean’s List Finalist Award (Kaitlin Smith) Roebling Division Semifinalist, rank #27 2018: FIRST Power Up ​ Palmetto Regional Semifinalist, rank #3 Smoky Mountains Regional Semifinalist, rank #12 Differences from Other Teams The HVA RoHAWKtics share core similarities with other FIRST and FRC teams, but the ​ ​ ​ ​ team does differ from others. The HVA RoHAWKtics host an FLL Qualifying Tournament ​ ​ at HVA, which welcomes teams from across the region. The tournament has grown significantly over the last five years. The HVA RoHAWKtics were the first team in the area to create a promotional t-shirt cannon used at athletic games and pep rallies, and members participate in outreach events other teams do not. These include East Tennessee Children’s Hospital Fantasy of Trees. Team members 3D print and laser-cut ornaments to decorate a Christmas tree, which is auctioned off to benefit East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. The HVA RoHAWKtics believe in the importance of emphasizing the business aspect of FRC. In recent years, the team has conducted business presentations to ​ ​ better inform members of the methods and duties of the business sub-team (A list of sub-teams and responsibilities can be found under section V). Members are also required to know the team’s history and read over the business plan. Over the course of the build season, members are encouraged to partake in the business team’s activities, including promotional videos, social media posts, and presentations. In 2015, the team began its biennial German-American student exchange program, the ERSTE Initiative (erste is German for first), laying a foundation for other teams to follow. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Members host students from Germany for three weeks in the spring, taking them to Page 8 Smoky Mountains Regional, school, and on family activities. In the summer, team members go to Germany and help spread FIRST throughout the country and the rest of ​ ​ Europe. Market Served The market served by the HVA RoHAWKtics is the STEAM community, the individuals ​ ​ involved in the five components
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