Sponsors... How did you do it??

Locally, it's pretty easy to go business to business just talking to people. If you're looking for something bigger.....

Be thorough and make them know what bang they are getting for their buck. It helps if the company has a track record sponsoring motorsports. Also try and find something practical, for example, I approached red bull about sponsoring us and they were intrigued. But as our driver is just a shade over five, it was a no go. Even though my proposal was Crew Powered By Red Bull is still wasn't something they were interested in doing. They told us that once the driver got a little older they would be happy to work something out. So it wasn't a complete wash, but if you think practically you can avoid putting effort into something that is doomed from the start.

Another suggestion would be to start a not for profit corporation for your racing and development. Companies eat up donating to not for profits and with QM racing not yielding payouts and costing much more than any sponsor is going to give it's pretty easy to swing. But I would only recommend this for someone who has some experience in business or has something to help out that knows what they're doing.

As for the proposal, when I solicit sponsorship I usually send a nice sized portfolio broken up into sections. Start with a cover letter telling why your team would be a good match for their brand. Then a Driver Profile highlighting your driver and their hobbies, interests, and accomplishments off the track. Then you want to throw in a list of racing accomplishments. Usually, if the team has a track record it's best to also include a semi-detailed bio of the team and driver (how the team got started, some interesting track stories, quotes from other teams, etc etc.) In these sections you want to sprinkle pictures throughout. Try to get some action shots, trophy shots, family shots, just a little bit of everything and try to include some renderings of what the scheme could look like with their logo on it.

Lastly and most importantly, you have to break it down for them with facts and figures. Try to get statistics for the number of people attending the races you run. When it comes down to it, the thing a company is most worried about is the number of eyeballs on their brand. So make sure you are meticulous when you put this info together and only estimate when a definite number isn't available. The most important part of this is to be thorough. For example, I've been putting together a proposal for a drag racer. I've had to track down car count and admission stats for every race he attended last year. Population numbers for special school presentations he did. Everything down to the fact that the team traveled 20,000 miles by highway last season for racing. This is a goldmine for a company if their brand is splayed out on the side of the trailer while it travels next season.

Also try to put together a schedule of races you plan to attend and itemize all of the expenses you will incur during the season. Don't send this list of expenses, but keep it readily available in case the company is interested and wants to see some fiscal figures. You most likely will not get the full amount you need, but this will help you maximize the amount you do get.

If you're looking more local, you can create this package minus the cover letter and take it business to business asking them to take a look and have a chat with them.