how to get someone to sponsor your business​

Getting sponsorship can turn your struggling startup into a successful business. Finding the right sponsor gives you money, credibility, and access to new markets that you wouldn’t be able to reach on your own, whether you’re starting a new business or growing an existing one.

When businesses sponsor your project, they get something in return, like brand exposure access to new markets, or a connection to their corporate values. Sponsorship agreements are different from regular loans or investments because they usually focus on marketing benefits and brand association instead of equity stakes or repayment schedules.

Over the past ten years, the world of sponsorship has changed a lot. Companies now spend billions of dollars a year on sponsorship deals, and these partnerships help businesses of all sizes. There are successful sponsorship stories in every industry and business model, from community banks helping local startups to tech companies getting backing from big companies.

This complete guide will show you how to get business sponsorship step by step, from figuring out what value you can offer to keeping long-term partnerships that help your business grow.

Knowing what your business needs and wants

Before you contact potential sponsors, you need to be very clear about what you want to get out of sponsorship. Different companies need different kinds of help, and sponsors need to know exactly how their money will make money.

Set your goals for sponsorship.

The first step is to figure out what your main goals are. Do you need money to start a new line of products? Do you need help with marketing to get more customers? Maybe you want to build credibility in your field by working with well-known brands. Your goals will help you decide which sponsors to contact and how to write your proposals.

Financial goals could be to pay for the costs of starting a business, pay for marketing campaigns, or help the business grow into new markets. Non-financial goals might include getting into distribution networks, using brand recognition that already exists, or getting industry knowledge and guidance.

Check to see if your target audience fits.

A lot of the success of your sponsorship depends on how many people from your business and potential sponsors are in the same audience. Make a list of your customers’ demographics, interests, and buying habits. After that, find businesses whose target markets have things in common.

If your fitness startup is aimed at health-conscious millennials, possible sponsors could be organic food companies, athletic wear brands, or wellness apps, for example. Finding sponsors whose customers would naturally be interested in your goods or services is the most important thing.

Check the value of your current brand

A truthful look at where your business stands in the market will help you find the right sponsors and set realistic goals. Think about things like how many people follow you on social media, how many people visit your website, how big your customer base is, how much media coverage you get, and how well-known you are in your field.

New businesses shouldn’t be put off by having few metrics. A lot of sponsors look for new companies to partner with in the early stages because they offer growth potential and real brand stories.

Finding and looking into possible sponsors

To find the right sponsors, you need to do strategic research and use a methodical approach to find companies whose values, audience, and goals are similar to yours.

Look into companies whose values are similar to yours.

Find companies that have similar goals, values, or target markets. Look into their current marketing efforts, corporate social responsibility programs, and sponsorship activities. Companies that already sponsor things are more likely to think about new partnerships.

Begin with businesses in the same field or those that serve markets that are similar. Companies that make eco-friendly cleaning products, renewable energy, or environmentally conscious banks could all be potential sponsors for a sustainable fashion brand.

Think about chances at home and across the country.

When looking for sponsors, don’t forget about businesses in your area. Local banks, service providers, and stores often put helping businesses in the area first. It may be easier to get local sponsorships, and they may come with more personal connections and flexible terms.

Most national companies have official sponsorship programs with set rules and ways to apply. These chances may be harder to get, but they usually come with more money and more exposure.

Use online platforms to find sponsors

There are a number of platforms that help businesses find potential sponsors. These services help businesses find each other based on their industry, target audience, and goals for sponsorship. Sponsorship databases, industry reports, and corporate websites are all research tools that can help you learn more about a company’s past sponsorships and what they like.

You can also find potential sponsors on social media sites. Follow companies in your field, interact with their posts, and keep an eye on their partnership announcements to learn about how they get sponsors.

Making a Good Sponsorship Proposal

Your sponsorship proposal is the first step in getting someone to partner with you. This document needs to clearly show your business’s worth, show potential sponsors how much they could make, and offer professional, well-researched partnership opportunities.

Make a professional business summary

Start your proposal with a strong business summary that shows your unique value proposition, target market, and growth path. Include useful numbers like the rate at which you gain customers, the growth of your revenue, or the amount of market share you have.

Your business overview should tell a story that potential sponsors can relate to. Tell people not only what your business does, but also why it matters and how it helps customers and partners.

List the benefits and return on investment for sponsors

Sponsors need to know exactly what they’ll get in return for their money. When you can, use metrics like projected impressions, audience reach, brand mention frequency, or customer acquisition potential to measure benefits.

Think about giving people different types of benefits, such as brand visibility, access to new markets, insights into customer data, chances to create content, and connections to innovative or socially responsible projects.

Create Sponsorship Packages with Different Levels

Make several levels of sponsorship available so that people with different budgets and levels of involvement can choose the one that works best for them. A basic package might include putting your logo on things and mentioning you on social media. A premium package might include being an exclusive partner, making content with your brand, or getting access to customer data and insights.

Tiered packages let sponsors pick the level of involvement that fits their budget and goals, and they also give you more ways to make money from different types of partnerships.

Add Supporting Materials

Add pictures, charts, mock-ups of where the sponsor’s logo will go, or examples of how to work together on content to your written proposal. Professional presentation materials show that you are serious about the partnership and help sponsors see how the two groups will work together.

Making Real Connections with Possible Sponsors

Sponsorship that works goes way beyond just making deals. Getting to know potential sponsors on a personal level will help you get partnerships and set the stage for long-term work together.

Strategically network at industry events

Go to conferences, trade shows, and networking events where people who might want to sponsor you are. Instead of pitching sponsorship opportunities right away, focus on making real connections. Listen to what company representatives have to say about their problems and goals, and then think about how working with your business could help them.

Make elevator pitches that briefly explain your business and what makes it special, but focus on getting to know potential partners instead of trying to sell them your sponsorship opportunities.

Make your outreach more personal

Requests for generic sponsorships almost never work. Do a lot of research on each potential sponsor to learn about their recent projects, problems, and strategic goals. Mention specific things that the company has done or is doing in your messages to show that you are really interested and paying attention.

Personalized outreach shows that you value the other person’s time and makes it more likely that they will engage with you in a meaningful way. Talk about recent news about your company, relate your business to their goals, or mention people you both know when it’s appropriate.

Use social media to build relationships

Share, comment thoughtfully, and add useful information to discussions on the social media pages of potential sponsors to get their attention. This method helps you get to know people and shows that you know a lot about the industry before you ask for sponsorships.

Follow the marketing teams and leaders of your company on professional sites. Share content that is relevant to them and that they might find interesting, and join in on conversations in your field where they are active.

How to Make Good Sponsorship Deals

Once a potential sponsor shows interest, a successful negotiation makes sure that both sides get something out of the partnership and that there are clear expectations and deliverables.

Know the legal and contractual issues at hand

Sponsorship agreements should spell out what each party is responsible for, what they need to do, when they need to do it, and how to end the agreement. If you have a big partnership or a complicated deal, you might want to talk to a lawyer about it.

The most important parts of a contract are the length of the sponsorship, the payment terms, the performance metrics, the rights to use intellectual property, the exclusivity clauses, and the steps to take in case of a dispute or a change to the contract.

Get ready for negotiations that are flexible.

Successful negotiations require willingness to adapt your initial proposal based on sponsor feedback and requirements. Be ready to change sponsorship packages, change deliverables, or meet specific sponsor requests as long as they don’t get in the way of your business goals.

Being flexible shows that you are professional and dedicated to building partnerships that work for both sides. But keep clear lines around things that are important to the success of your business or the integrity of your brand.

Make sure both sides get something of value.

When negotiating, focus on getting the most value for both organizations instead of just getting the most money for the sponsorship. Think about non-monetary benefits that might be more valuable than more money, like industry knowledge, chances to network, or access to distribution channels.

Partners who care about their own success as well as that of their sponsors are valued by sponsors. This method builds trust and makes it more likely that contracts will be renewed and partnerships will grow.

Keeping good relationships with sponsors

Getting a sponsor is just the first step in what could be a long-term business relationship. To keep sponsors happy, you need to keep talking to them, keep your promises, and keep adding value.

Send regular updates and reports on how things are going.

Regular updates that show progress, share relevant metrics, and thank sponsors for their help in making your partnership a success will keep them in the loop. Make standard reporting formats that make it clear how much money you made back.

Include both numbers, like brand impressions or audience reach, and words, like customer reviews or media coverage that talks about the partnership.

Do More Than What Is Expected When You Can

Look for ways to give more value than what you agreed to in the contract. This might include featuring sponsors in unexpected content, offering exclusive access to new products or services, or connecting them with other valuable business contacts. 

Going above and beyond what is expected strengthens relationships and makes it more likely that contracts will be renewed and partnerships will grow. Small acts of kindness can have a big effect on how happy sponsors are.

Be open about problems when you talk about them.

If you are having trouble meeting your sponsorship obligations, let them know as soon as possible and suggest ways to fix the problem. Sponsors like it better when you are honest and try to solve problems before they get worse than when you wait to explain things.

Being open and honest builds trust and shows that you are dedicated to the success of the partnership, even when things get tough.

Sponsorship Success Stories from the Real World

Learning from partnerships that work well can teach you a lot about how to manage relationships and how to sponsor things.

How to Make Your Local Business Partnership Work

A craft brewery in Portland got a sponsorship from a local credit union by showing that they had similar values and customers. The partnership included sponsoring brewery events, making co-branded marketing materials, and giving members special benefits. Both companies said that their customers were more engaged and that the community had good things to say about them.

Finding common goals for community involvement and great customer service was the key to their success. They then planned activities that reinforced these values.

Partnership between a tech startup and a big company

A startup that makes environmentally friendly technology worked with a big company that wanted to improve its environmental impact credentials. The partnership gave money for product development and gave the sponsor access to new environmental solutions.

The startup was successful because they were able to clearly show how their technology fit with the sponsor’s sustainability goals and give them measurable environmental impact metrics throughout the partnership.

Digital Sponsorship for Online Businesses

An e-commerce site that sells handmade goods got a shipping company to sponsor it by talking about how both businesses could benefit from supporting small businesses and doing business in a way that is good for the environment. As part of the partnership, platform users got lower shipping rates and co-branded content about how to help small businesses.

This partnership worked because both companies could genuinely help small businesses grow while also reaching their own marketing and customer acquisition goals.

Important Tools and Resources for Getting Sponsors

There are a number of platforms and tools that can make it easier to find and contact sponsors.

Digital Platforms for Finding Sponsors

You can find possible sponsors online by looking at their industry, location, sponsorship history, and budget ranges. These sites usually have information about how to get in touch with them, how to work with them, and how to apply.

Professional networking sites let you talk directly to decision-makers at companies that might want to sponsor you. Use these tools to learn about the leaders of a company, how it works, and who to talk to about sponsorship.

Templates and resources for proposals

Professional proposal templates make sure that your sponsorship requests have all the information they need and that your branding and presentation are always the same. A lot of business groups have template libraries that are made for different types of sponsorships and business categories.

Sponsorship Opportunities in Specific Industries

Trade associations and industry groups often keep lists of sponsors or help members meet people who might be good business partners. Joining industry groups makes you more visible and gives you access to sponsorship opportunities that may not be widely known.

Common Questions About Business Sponsorship

What is the cost of becoming a sponsor?

The cost of sponsorship can be very different depending on the size of the business, the industry, and the scope of the partnership. Small local partnerships might only cost a few hundred dollars, but big corporate sponsorships can cost millions. At first, focus on showing value instead of setting specific price points.

Can you ask companies for sponsorship even if you don’t already know them?

Yes, cold outreach can work if you do your research and make it personal. When you show that you really understand the company’s goals and explain how the partnership will help them meet their specific needs, your chances of success go up a lot.

How long does it usually take to get a sponsorship?

Depending on the size of the company, the complexity of the partnership, and how decisions are made, sponsorship talks can last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. Larger companies usually take longer to make decisions, while smaller businesses may do so more quickly.

Which industries are most likely to work with sponsors?

Companies that make technology, consumer goods, financial services, and lifestyle brands often sponsor events. But there are chances in every field. Instead of limiting yourself to certain industries, look for companies whose values and target markets are similar to yours.

Do Something About Your Sponsorship Journey

To get business sponsorship, you need to plan ahead, present yourself professionally, and keep building relationships. Real connections between businesses that have similar goals and values are what make the best partnerships.

Clearly state your sponsorship goals and what makes you different from everyone else. Do a lot of research on potential sponsors, focusing on businesses whose customers and values are similar to yours. Write professional proposals that make it clear how both sides will benefit and include specific metrics whenever possible.

Keep in mind that the main goal of sponsorship is to make connections. Spend time networking, making your outreach more personal, and showing that you really care about the success of potential partners as much as your own.

Are you ready to change your business through smart partnerships? Business Kiwi helps entrepreneurs and small businesses come up with good sponsorship plans and make real connections with other businesses. Our skilled staff can help you with every step of the sponsorship process, from finding the right partners to making deals that work. Set up a meeting with Business Kiwi today to start making the connections that will help your business grow faster.