Business aspects of a team

[JaneYoung]

Hello all:
I did a quick search but didn't find what I'm looking for.
Recent threads regarding different aspects of travel/competition have made me wonder how teams look at the business end of being a team and how we each handle it.
What do you consider the business part of the team?
examples could be
- ordering parts
- making travel arrangements
- how we feed the team
- paying registration fees

How do you identify what the business aspect is and how do you take care of that? Also do you incorporate that as part of your presentation for the CA?

[Joe Matt]

I've always treated the WHOLE team as a business, each part can function on their own because they are given the tools to do so. If Crebb needs a new part, he can order it. If chairmans needs poaster board, same.

On our team we have one *specific* business team that we let handle our business plan, purchasing shirts and hats, give-a-ways, and other such things. Our chairmans, web design, animation, and spirit are independent of our business team.

Or this is how it was when I left 384.

[crazykid234]

This is just my opinion, but by business, you seem to mean financing. What about the other parts of business? At least for me doing design reviews, meeting with potential sponsors, getting the word out, making professional presentations, community involvement, professional interviews; all of that makes up the "business" part of our team. Sure, there are a few people that handle the finances, but there is much more to acting like a business than that. We also include this in our CA, on many levels.

[Cody Carey]

We consider the business parts of the team to be (pretty much) anything involving money, mostly everything that you posted. I'll start explaining how we(CRT) deal with these aspects in order of your list:

-Ordering parts is done by one of the student leaders, The design team sees exactly what is needed, and the student that is most involved in the design at that point of build writes up a list of what to order and either gives that to our main mentor, or calls up the company them self. The money for the parts comes out of the team fund, and is hopefully reimbursed by the high-school administration before too long.

-Travel arrangements on our team used to be made by a few of the students, but do to them graduating, we are at a loss for students who are interested in This aspect of the team. Because of this, our main mentor, Ken Morrison takes care of it for us. (Thanks Mr. Morrison) The money situation is almost the same as for ordering parts, but I am not sure of the details yet... I will be in a couple of months

-At the competitions, we either eat as a group (each student is expected to keep the cost of their meal reasonably low), or each student is given an amount to go eat on their own. As far as I know, We are reimbursed for every penny spent on food.

-Registration is solely taken care of by Mr. Morrison, and I am not sure if we are reimbursed on it.


Despite how much money we receive from the school district, we have year round fund-raisers, Mr. Morrison has a candy store setup in his classroom and all of the profit goes into the robotics fund, he also lathes his own (Very nice) pens and mechanical pencils out of wood and other assorted materials such as dear antlers,which sell for about 15 dollars each with cases. We also have a two week fundraiser done by the students each year.


Sorry there are so many blank spots in my knowledge, but I'm trying to fill them in as best as I can... And I hope this response was along the lines of what you were looking for

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by Cody C

And I hope this res pose was along the lines of what you were looking for

All of these responses are what I am looking for. Thanks to all who respond.
I'm kind of thinking maybe it's one of those 'hidden' aspects of the team that is in every part of it as each of you has stated in your own way. Some of it like the financial aspect, jumps right out at you whereas organizing an off season event or a fundraising event or arranging different aspects of travel might not be so evident. And does it fall in the direction of mentors, boosters, students, teachers, that's what I'm wondering. It can go in any different direction - to me a big part of being involved in FIRST is business management which goes hand in hand with the time management aspect of things.

[Cody Carey]

Originally Posted by Cody C

And I hope this res pose was along the lines of what you were looking for

Darn my lack of proof-reading after spellcheck Sorry.

[Donut]

Business to me is anything involving the financial or organisational part of the team (I would consider organising a fundraiser part of business for my team).

We have no sub-group to handle this; instead business is the job of the club officers (this is why we have 5 of them), the teacher sponsors, and any mentors willing to help.

Our parts are bought mainly by one of our mentors after the club decides on what is needed (we actually buy robot materials through one of our corporate sponsors, the mentor is the one that works with them to order everything). Other things the club pays for (spirit items, entry fees, etc.) are paid through school accounts so the officers and teachers meet to fill out the forms and then someone from the meeting turns it in to the administration. Fundraising and talking with sponsors is expected of everyone in the club, but the officers and teachers are usually the ones to organise fundraisers or to actually handle the donations from sponsors.

If anyone ever wants to help with this in our club they can, however their aren't too many members jumping up to help fill out paperwork and most of these other "behind the scenes" jobs.

[Eugenia Gabrielov]

Regardless of how your team handles financial and organizational aspects, I believe that it is absolutely crucial that every single member of the team, including students, mentors, parents, teachers...understand what exactly is happening. Practicing a system in which members of the team are informed, as well as where sponsors are informed of where their money is going, will ensure that the team is open to the community and that things flow from year to year.