Dropshots Pickleball LLC | Application Preview
Dropshots Pickleball LLC is seeking a $100,000 government grant to establish a community-centered pickleball club. The funding will be utilized to promote the club and manage expenses while attracting members, particularly from marginalized groups such as those served by the Victims Intervention Program, local volunteer fire departments, and individuals with autism and special needs. The goal is to make pickleball accessible to everyone, highlighting its benefits as a low-impact sport that can be enjoyed by all ages while fostering fitness and community connections.
The business plans to reach potential members through community advertising, including social media, posters, and direct outreach. They have already begun grassroots efforts such as distributing flyers and educating the community about pickleball. The club boasts high-quality courts and a remarkable membership conversion rate after introductory classes, indicating strong potential for growth.
Approval of the funding is encouraged by the rapid rise in pickleball's popularity, projected to reach 40 million players by 2030. The club aims to be a pioneer in the area, as there are currently no direct competitors. The founders bring diverse skills and experiences that they believe will set them apart from typical startups, showcasing their determination and resourcefulness in driving success.
Overall, Dropshots Pickleball LLC is enthusiastic about contributing positively to the community through pickleball while ensuring inclusivity for all members, and they believe that with financial support, they can rapidly grow into a key recreational hub.
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General Information
Business Registration Number: 88-3162367
Location: HONESDALE, PA, United States
Length of Operation: 1-5
Number of Employees: 1-10 Employees
Annual Gross Income: Less than $100k
Annual Gross Expense: Less than $100k
Open to Loans: YES
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Funding Usage
We are requesting $100,000 in order to build a community base for our club. We have an incredible opportunity to grow but we do not have the funding to advertise or maintain our expenses while we build memberships. We'd love to offer low entrance fees to marginalized groups such as the Victims Intervention Program, fitness for the volunteer fire department, and the local groups that serve community members with autism and special needs. The socioeconomic status of our area is a bit lower and we'd love to make this club accessible for everyone. Pickleball is low impact and any age can play it. Plus, it fosters friendships, self confidence and fitness. We just need some support to get off the ground!
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Business Plan
With funding, we plan on advertising in the community through social media, signage, and word of mouth. We've been on foot door-to-door putting flyers in local businesses and educating the community and we're not afraid to wear out our shoes. Our biggest obstacle at the moment is getting community members to learn what the sport of pickleball is all about, and come out to give it a try. Once they're through the doors, converting them to members is easy. Our club's courts are state-of-the-art, and we've had beginners to gold medal winning players on them, and the feedback is overwhelmingly the same: WOW. Our growth, we believe, will be exponential as we've seen in other pickleball clubs around the country. As long as we can cover expenses while building growth and advertise in a way to get new people through the door. Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America, we expect 40 million players by 2030. Professional football players, movie stars, and investors are all getting in on the ground floor to purchase teams and clubs. If you've never heard of pickleball, that's fantastic - it means you're still in on the ground floor before the rest of the world realizes what a great opportunity this is. When a new player comes to one of our 'cucumber classes' (aka beginner classes) the conversion rate to membership is 90%, which is unheard of in other activities. That's because pickleball is easy to get good at quickly. It's addictive, fun, and accessible for any person with any level of mobility. We are the first club in our area and we would love to grow to also be the best. We really are looking forward to serving our community in a way that helps marginalized groups as well, such as the victims intervention program, community members with special needs, and volunteer groups such as the fire department and library members.
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Self Identified Competition
Our area does not have any competitors (yet), which is why we want to grow now to become a solid structure in the community before competitors try to come in. There are other pickleball clubs around the country, and they're all thriving. We've just opened our doors and have yet to explode. Investing in us means getting in at the ground floor and even though we are a Mom and Pop business, we are not your average Mom and Pop. My husband, and co-Member of Dropshots Pickleball LLC along with myself have a breadth of experience to breathe life into this business in a way that has never been seen. We've won movie festival awards for home-made comedy films, started the area's most successful airbnb (and sold it at a profit) - my husband worked as a writer for George Lucas's educational foundation and I've been rescuing racehorses, retraining and rehoming them for decades. We know how to make opportunities work for us, we know how to be scrappy and resourceful, and when we start an endeavor, we never fail because we never give up.
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Contact Applicant
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