I9sports fran. bro 12/16/02 10:30 AM Page 1
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Franchise Opportunity
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i9 Sports 1463 Oakfield Drive, Suite 135 Brandon, FL 33511 P (813) 662-6773 F (813) 571-9773 www.abasports.com E frank@abasports.com
This advertisement is not an offering. An offering can only be made by a prospectus filed first with the Department of Law of the State of New York and/or respective filing states. Such filing does not constitute approval by the Department of Law.
A league of your own.
I9sports fran. bro 12/16/02 10:31 AM Page 3
If you love sports, you’ll love this business!
I
f you share my passion for amateur and youth sports, you’ll relate to my motivation for starting i9 SportsSM . * Prior to i9, I had a fulfilling career in medical
equipment marketing and sales. While I loved my job, my mind kept drifting to SM
the playing field, and to the sports teams I was on or was coaching or managing. Frustrated by the lack of organization and professionalism of the existing leagues, I started my own men’s softball league. It was an immediate hit. While I intended it just to be a sideline, it began to consume more and more of my time. In the first years of my growing league, I realized three important things. The first was that there’s a huge demand for quality sports programs for both adults and youth athletes in almost every sport. The second was
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The Nine “I”s of i9 Sports Every day we strive to be more:
that to run the highly efficient leagues I envisioned, I would need to apply professional business principles and develop a state-of-the-art computerized league management system. The third thing I realized was that running a
Imaginative Innovative Interactive Integrity-driven
league, with the proper systems in place, could potentially be very rewarding from both a personal as well as a business perspective. In the years that followed, I worked with some of the top professionals in the country to create the i9 Sports franchise program. It was designed from the start to enable qualified individuals who share our passion for sports and
Impassioned
our vision for the future to start and manage their own sports leagues. We
Inspirational
developed the i9 Sports franchise program to provide the game plan and the
Instructional
coaching they need to keep their business growing for years to come.
Insightful
I consider myself a very fortunate person. The i9 concept has enabled me to do what I love, while building equity for my future. Perhaps it can do the same for you.
Inclusive Than yesterday
Frank Fiume Frank Fiume, Founder and CEO i9 Sports Corporation *“i9 Sports ” is a trademark of i9 Sports Corporation. SM
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With i9 Sports , SM
you’ll bring professionalism to amateur sports.
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he popularity—and potential—of amateur sports in the U.S. is mindboggling. There are an estimated 17 million amateur baseball players
and over 30 million amateur basketball players throughout the U.S. Combined with other popular sports, and considering those who play multiple sports, there are well over 200 million potential participants involved with amateur sports. The amateur sports league industry is highly fragmented, with most operating solely on a local level. Despite a rising demand, parks and recreation departments have been forced to cut back on their organized sports, due to shrinking budgets. And while non-profit associations provide rules, regulations and officials, there is no strong national organization providing a professional league administration system. Until now. As an i9 Franchise owner, you’ll organize one or more leagues of 17 popular sports best suited to your interests and the needs of your community. Your i9 Sports league will provide its participants with a number of important advantages, including: • Internet registration of teams and players • Schedules, locations and standings, available online • League newsletter and news by email
A program designed to meet your goals. A business you can operate from home.
Multiple potential revenue centers.
The i9 Sports franchise is perfectly suited to be
i9 Sports locations are designed to generate
a home-based business. That helps keep your
potential revenue from a number of sources,
initial investment—and ongoing expenses—
including league fees paid by teams, tournament
relatively low.
fees, custom uniforms, sporting goods,equipment
Choose the age division that suits you best.
and officiating fees.
With i9 Sports, you can choose
Low overhead. No inventory.
between youth or adult age
There’s no inventory to purchase or
groups for your leagues,*
stock. Players can order sporting goods
depending on your preference
or uniforms directly from your ecommerce-
and availability.
enabled website, and goods are drop
Choose the sport(s)
shipped directly from the distributor.
that suit you best.
Streamlined administration. Through
Depending on which franchise option you choose
computerized systems and home office support,
and availability in your market, you’ll be able to
the i9 franchise is designed to free your time for
choose one or more of 17 sports* to feature in
building your league, not filling out paperwork.
• Trained umpires, referees and officials
your league, including: Baseball, Softball,
Fully computerized business. Nearly every
• Awards banquets and special events
Football, Basketball, Soccer, Volleyball, Golf,
aspect of your league can be managed online,
• High degree of customer service and professionalism
Hockey, Tennis, Lacrosse, Gymnastics, Rugby,
through our secure i9 extranet. That gives you the
Kickball/ Stickball/Wiffleball, Billiards and Bowling.
flexibility to track and manage your business from
• Optional team uniforms and team-branded merchandise • Rules & regulations for their sport
remote locations…or even while traveling. * Subject to availability in your territory.
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i9 Sports provides the
Promoting your league sing the i9 strategies and
Securing your fields n important component
Recruiting your teams
Providing great service he i9 Sports franchise
Running special events pecial events during and
Growing your business ne of the great things
T
S
as few as 6–10 teams, your
ness. Once your league
season can provide an addi-
franchise is that it’s designed
negotiating fees for high
goal will be to sign up as
season is launched, you will
tional potential revenue center
for ongoing, incremental
about the launch of your new
quality fields for your games.
many teams as possible for
act in a support role to help
and marketing opportunities.
growth. Your goal will be to
i9 league. Strategies include
Using your i9 training, you’ll
your new i9 Sports league.
maximize the enjoyment and
Additionally, league banquets,
use the i9 methodology to
public relations, radio and
meet with the parks and
Teams are encouraged to
efficiency of league play. You
team parties and awards cer-
build your team and player
print advertising, community
recreations departments,
sign up online with credit card
can keep players posted with
emonies can help distinguish
participation from one year to
marketing, direct mail, online
municipality and other local
payments on your secure,
news, awards, team and indi-
your i9 league, enhancing
the next. With the option of
promotions and cross-
contacts to arrange for
ecommerce-ready website.
vidual achievement through a
both league enjoyment and
adding other sports, you can
promotion with sports-related
convenient playing areas at
Your i9 website is designed
templated i9 email newsletter
future participation.
encourage year-round partici-
businesses.
reasonable rates for your
to boost enrollment, enabling
and web postings.
league games.
partial teams and available
U
A
materials, you’ll generate
securing, scheduling and
awareness and excitement
customized marketing
of starting a league is
W
hile you can generally
game plan for growth.
start your league with
individual players to connect online.
is clearly a service busi-
after your regular league
O
about the i9 Sports
pation in a variety of sports activities.
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League management is a slam-dunk With i9 Sports ’ web-based software. SM
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he foundation of the i9 Sports SM franchise program is the powerful Internet-based extranet tool that
enables you to manage many aspects of your league right from your desktop. I9 Franchise compliance program This program
Expert coaching every step of the way.
provides you with a customized, step-by-step guide to setting up and launching your new sports league. Online league registration program League participants are directed to register online for all leagues, events, clinics and tournaments. Teams are automatically placed in a division with like teams, and games are scheduled automatically. Payments are made via credit card and provided to franchisees via electronic funds transfer. Franchisee Administration area The passwordprotected administrative web page enables franchise owners to see and manage league revenue and team registrations, league news, updated league standings and retail sales. They can build and implement email marketing campaigns, manage their contacts and customize their own personalized league website. Custom website & online store As an i9 franchise owner, you’ll also receive a personalized web page for your league, which provides players and teams with up-to-date standings and information, and represents e-commerce team uniforms
potential retail and advertising banner sales. You will be able to upload pictures and text to create timely and fun communications with league teams and players.
As an i9 Sports SM franchise owner, you’ll receive the guidance, the training and the support you need to get your business up and running quickly and efficiently. And once your new business is established, advice and guidance is always just a phone call away. i9 franchise support includes: Startup support • Guidance in all phases of establishing your business • Startup materials package • Grand Opening promotional guidance • On-site training at time of opening Comprehensive training • Complete headquarters training • Refresher training • Hands-on field training • Sales and marketing training • Administration and reporting training Sales & marketing support • Use of i9 name and logo • Promotional strategies for generating leads • Website customized for your franchise • Library of promotional materials, including ads, direct mailer, flyers, radio commercials and more • Marketing, advertising and public relations guidance • Promotion through corporate website
Exclusive programs • Use of proprietary management & marketing software • Exclusive territory for your age group/sports categories • Participation in systemwide events, when available • Negotiated rates and terms for products & services • Use of Confidential Operations Manual Ongoing support • Scheduled visits from field support • Phone support from home office • Administrative & billing services • Revenue collection & commission payment services • Monthly newsletter and updates • Systemwide meetings and conferences
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The i9 Sports SM franchise:
It’s no spectator sport.
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hey say there are three types of people in business: those who watch things happen, those
who make things happen and those who wonder what just happened. The i9 Sports franchise is for those who are ready to make things happen. It’s for those who are ready to leave their daydreams of business ownership on the sidelines and get into the game. It’s designed for those with the ambition and the energy to apply the i9 tools, training and systems to create a sports league that provides lasting value for its players, its coaches, its community and ultimately, for themselves. If you share the i9 passion for sports, commitment to excellence and vision of the future, fill out and submit the enclosed “Request for Information” form. Or give us a call today. Because while the potential of the i9 concept may be unlimited, exclusive territories aren’t. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
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