[Jon Stratis]

The best thing you can do it set realistic targets and let them know what their money is going towards. We've found very good reception from local businesses when we've approached them for money for a team trailer, or for specific pieces of new equipment the team needed, or for the costs associated with building the robot (sometimes it can help - usually if you make it to a round 2 in the process - if you can show them a nice, clean team budget and a bill of materials from a previous year's robot. It shows that you're not only serious about what you're doing, but that their money won't be wasted).