BUSINESS PLAN

1. Executive Summary:

First Ball To Last is a pioneering Emotional Health and Wellness Program for competitive tennis players. Recognizing the vital role emotional well-being plays in athletic performance and personal development, my program integrates emotional intelligence, positive psychology, cognitive psychology, spirituality, character, and emotional support to empower competitors to thrive both on and off the court.

2. Business Description:

The Problem in Need of Solving: Competitive tennis is demanding; the journey is long, the environment uniquely stressful, with one’s ROI, return on investment, often dependent on one’s ability to manage their emotions throughout their playing career, with high rates of burnout and dropout permeating among those who struggle. Yet, we leave so much of this determining space to chance. First Ball To Last aims to be proactive and preventative, giving players the tools to best navigate the tennis journey's demands.

3. Products or Services:

We are developing a program for emotional health and wellness that will be accessed through the First Ball To Last app, available through a smartphone-purchased subscription. It will also be available through the web, but with Smartphone users spending 90% of their phone time on Apps, developing a high-functioning stylistic App is the play. I aspire to scale the FBTL model for other sports besides tennis.

4. Market Analysis:

Target market analysis: The Tennis Industry Association (TIA)  reported in 2018, there were 2.40 million junior players ages 6 to 12, 2.24 million players ages 13 to 17, and 17.84 million total tennis players in the U.S. According to the latest data from the  ITF,  (International Tennis Federation) there's a market of close to 20 million tennis players worldwide as potential customers for our program. With a To The Parent Component to be built into my program, our potential customer base would instantly double.

Additionally, with tennis' steady popularity, a constant infusion of new players enters the competitive tennis space annually. One of my goals has been to develop enough content for competitive players to use the app throughout their competitive years, with the junior/college/adult career span often reaching 10 years, if not longer.

Why an app over a web-based program? Never has it been easier to reach so many so quickly. The concept of having an all-encompassing tennis health and wellness app at one's immediate disposal will be invaluable. What I would have given to have had a program like this during my tumultuous playing days.

Currently, smartphone users spend 90% of their phone time on Apps rather than the web. Our goal is to make signing up easy via a monthly subscription model, making instant cash flow a mere double-click away.

Few business sectors have seen stronger growth recently than the emotional health and wellness space, with ubiquitous self-help websites and an endless array of Apps ranging in content from Mindfulness to Meditation to Therapy and Recovery. An Emotional Health and Wellness program for youth sports is a natural extension of the industry's recent upward trends.

5. Organization and Management:

As of now, officially, you're looking at him. I've had preliminary discussions with various tennis and business luminaries about becoming involved in my program as it goes forward. I have little doubt I can leverage my extensive contacts throughout the tennis industry to assemble a high-profile organization of advisors and content creators. Depending on the scale of the project, I will build an Advisory Board, Content Creation Staff, Content Editor, Social Media, Sales, and Marketing. All are easily attainable and not expensive (loaded spaces to hire from)

6. Marketing and Sales Strategy:

Different strategies depend on the scope of the project. If the initial product appears sharp and successful, there is no reason not to pour fuel on the concept, major promotion/advertising blitz, get the big names of the sport to promote, curate sharp ads for Tennis Channel, flood the market with an aggressive rollout plan to dominate the market space right from the start. Go big, be big, and discourage competitors from entering the space. I have no doubt I'll be able to assemble the pieces of the puzzle for maximum impact.

Tag Line: First Ball To Last: Performance-enhancing and Life-enhancing, all for the cost of a private lesson.

Utilize All Social Media. It's the easiest, quickest, and cheapest way to reach a broad, diverse market almost instantly. I plan to utilize the sport's marquee players as well as tennis' sharpest digital content creators. I'm looking for that viral campaign to supercharge interest and sales. The talent is out there. Bring them into our project.

More Organic Sales Strategy: Hit all the Conventions, USPTA, USPTR, and Tennis Congress. Get Coaches, Academies, and High school teams on board. Advertise on UTR, USTA, Zoo Tennis, and Tennis Recruiting sites.  

7. Funding Needs 

All to be discussed. 

8. Financial Projections:

The potential here is enormous. If we execute. We will be the dominant program in this space for some time

Monthly/Annual Subscription Model: I like the concept of a year's membership, all for the cost of a private lesson. Double click, Easy to sign up for, Instant Cash flow.

Additional Revenue Concepts: An annual book with the year's content within. Not going to get rich, but an excellent marketing tool.

Mentorship Programs: If subscribers want more intensive one-on-one work, we provide mentorship for-fee program. 

In-App Merchandise: We should be able to develop unique program-related merchandise that we can advertise/sell within the APP.

In APP advertising: If our numbers get up, either through the free promotional shots we provide, getting corporate sponsorship for our presentations should be attainable

9. SWOT Analysis:

  1. Strengths: First, to market. There is nothing like it out there. And Myself: I have lived this life. I have shared my experience, strength, and hope in print. I have instant credibility in this space.

    Weaknesses: The subject matter can be a bit dry and professorial. My talents lie in taking the mundane and making it entertaining, educational, and inspirational.

    Opportunities: I've been in the tennis world for over 50 years. I've seen all the significant movements in tennis: Popularity, Professionalism, Equipment, Coaching, and Training. I am certain that the emotional health and wellness of those who compete in our sport is the next big wave. The form in which this wave occurs is not quite clear. My APP program will fill a growing need in our game.

    Threats: Being a visionary has challenges. The primary one is communicating your vision so that others can see it, too. People are busy. My cause may not be their cause, but I push forward undeterred, committed to making my program an accessible reality for future tennis generations.