© 2012 vantage sport international

For further information contact paul@vantagetennis.com or call +44 (0)1223 837852

www.vantagetennis .comVantage CustomPartnership Program

The Business:

As a partner of vantage sport you will own outright the following items enabling you start building racquets immediately.

• Hairpin racquet frames• A quantity of Handles, weights, grips bumpers and Strings.• Assembly hardware / jig• Also available at separate cost is racquet stringing / analysis hardware.

You will receive a legal contract securing sole operating rights for vantage custom fit in a defined territory. The contact is renewable at the end of two years for further 2 years and more. Longer periods are avail be if required.We will fully train you in every aspect of custom racket building. From evaluating a customer’s needs to assembling the racquets at you premises.

We will also dedicate a section of the main vantage tennis website to your business and automatically direct any inquiry's from your territory to you.

In addition to the initial training, our head office is available to assist you in all aspects of oper-ating the business from logistical support to marketing ideas and new product develop-ment.

The potential of the business:

Tennis is a growing sport with a large number

of dedicated players in every country.

Depending on your level of commitment, sales

of Vantage custom racquets can be limitless

within your territory.

Extensive market research shows that increas-

ing numbers of players are looking for more

personalised equipment. They understand

fully that pro endorsements are too generic

and racquet specifications that suit one player

will not automatically suit them. There has

been an increase in the amount of post sale

racquet customization business and in other

industries, tailor made products and customiz-

able items are becoming the norm.

Overview:

Vantage custom racquets were first launched in 2005 to provide tennis players of all ability the chance to have a racquet exactly tailored to their requirements and style of play.

This level of choice was previously only available to tour players and the Vantage custom racquets quickly became revered for their high quality construction and feel.

Unlike our competitors, our products are not suitable for distribution into standard retail outlets. To correctly sell a Vantage custom frame, it is important to understand players and have a good understanding of equipment.

To increase the reach of our excellent product range, we are looking to appoint a limited number of partners worldwide to run their own Vantage custom business.

Vantage Custom and You:

Are you interested in running your own racquet brand?

If you can answer yes to any or all of the following questions then you need to take a closer look at Vantage custom.

Are you a tennis retailer or coaching professional currently selling standard racquets.

Are you a keen tennis player and looking for a change from your current line of work and would be excited to enter the tennis industry?

Are you able to work hard on your own initiative and also as part of a growing worldwide team?

Can you interact well with members of the public and once trained, be informative and helpful with superior product knowledge?

Would you like to offer products that are unique and do not suffer from price wars and discounting?

Are you suitable for Vantage Custom?

An interest in tennis is required, but your ability on court is less important than your desire to succeed and an ability to manage a growing business.

If you are already running a tennis retail store, or coaching tennis, you are in an ideal position to make Vantage a success in your territory. Applications are also very welcome from individuals with no previous industry experience but are business minded with a strong desire to succeed.

You should be happy to work on your own, but also as part of a growing team who will share their expertise, successful ideas and experience with one another.

Two Levels of Partnership:

To give flexibility in costs and commitment levels, we are offering partnerships in 2 levels:

Regional Partners will be allocated a large territory within a specific country allowing them the chance to build a profitable business within a specific country with no direct competition.

National Partners will be granted full rights to run Vantage Custom within their designated country. This includes direct selling of the products and the ability to sign up regional partners throughout their territory.

Regional Partners will be eligible to upgrade to national partner status at anytime providing the national territory is available.

We will fully train you in every aspect of custom racquet building. From evaluating a customer’s needs to assembling the racquets. Our head office is also available to assist you in all aspects of operating the business on an ongoing basis. From logistical support to marketing ideas and new product development.

As a partner of Vantage sport you will be issued with the following items to enable you to start building custom racquets immediately.

• Racquet frames

• A quantity of handles, weights, grips , bumpers and strings.

• Assembly hardware / jig

• Also available at separate cost is racquet stringing / analysis hardware.

You will also receive a legal contract securing sole operating rights for Vantage Custom in a defined territory. This will be a two year renewable contract.

Every regional partner will be featured on our global website as an official partner of Vantage. All traffic for that region will be automatically directed back to the regional partner.

National partners will be provided with a dedicated website for their specific territory. This will allow for localized news, events and promotion of Vantage in their specific territory, along with the facility to accept online orders.

Overview:

Vantage custom racquets were first launched in 2005 to provide tennis players of all ability the chance to have a racquet exactly tailored to their requirements and style of play. This level of choice was previously only available to tour players and the vantage custom racquets quickly became revered for their high quality construction and feel.

Unlike our competitors, our products are not suitable for distribution into standard retail outlets. To correctly sell a Vantage custom frame, it is important to understand players and have a good understanding of equip-ment.

To increase the reach of our excellent product range, we are looking to appoint a limited number of partners worldwide to run their own Vantage custom business.

Vantage Custom and You:

Are you interested in running your own racquet brand?

If you can answer yes to any or all of the following questions then you need to take a closer look at vantage custom.

Are you a tennis retailer or coaching profes-sional currently selling standard racquets.

Are you a keen tennis player and looking For a change from your current Line of work and would be excited to enter the tennis industry?

Are you able to work hard on your own initia-tive and also as part of a growing worldwide team?

Can you interact well with members of the public and be informative and helpful with superior product knowledge?

Would you like to offer products that are unique and do not suffer from price wars and discounting ?

Are you suitable for Vantage Custom?

First of all, you must be interested in tennis and know one end of a racket from the other. Playing tennis can help but it isn't as impor-tant as your ability to interact with people and manage stock.

If you are already running a tennis retail store, or coaching tennis, you are in an ideal position to make Vantage a success in your territory. Applications are also very welcome from individuals with no previous industry experi-ence but are business minded with a strong desire to succeed.

You should be happy to work on your own, but also as part of a worldwide growing team and share insights and information with others.

Two Levels of Partnership:

To give flexibility in costs and commitment levels, we are offering partnerships in 2 levels :

Regional Partners will be allocated a large terri-tory within a specific country allowing them the chance to build a profitable business within a specific country with no direct competition.

National Partners will be granted full rights to run Vantage Custom within their designated country. This includes direct selling of the prod-ucts and the ability to sign up regional partners throughout their territory.

Regional Partners will be eligible to upgrade to national partner status at anytime providing the national territory is available.

We will fully train you in every aspect of custom racquet building. From evaluating a customer’s needs to assembling the racquets. Our head office is also available to assist you in all aspects of operating the business on an ongoing basis. From logistical support to marketing ideas and new product development.As a partner of vantage sport you will be issued with the following items to enable you to start building custom racquets immediately.

• Hairpin racquet frames

• A quantity of Handles, weights, grips , bumpers and Strings.

• Assembly hardware / jig

• Also available at separate cost is racquet stringing / analysis hardware.

You will also receive a legal contract securing sole operating rights for Vantage Custom in a defined territory. The contact is renewable at the end of two years for further 2 years and more. Longer periods are available if required.

Every regional partner will be featured on our global website as an official partner of Van-tage. All traffic for that region will be automati-cally directed back to the regional partner.

National partners will be provided with a dedi-cated website for their specific territory. This will allow for localized news, events and promotion of Vantage in their specific territory, along with the facility to accept online orders.

The Business Potential

Tennis is a growing sport with a large number of dedicated players in every country. Depending on your level of commitment, sales of Vantage custom racquets can be limitless within your territory.

With the Vantage custom range, you will have a unique proposition for players, far superior and more personal than anything else in the market.

Extensive market research shows that increasing numbers of players are looking for more personalised equipment. They understand fully that pro endorsements are too generic and racquet specifications that suit one player will not automatically suit them.

There has been an increase in the amount of post-sale racquet customization business and in other industries, tailor made products and customizable items are becoming the norm.

This type of product choice is already common within sports such as golf clubs.

Partnership or Franchise?

We have deliberately used the word partnership instead of franchise as we believe your interaction with the brand is fundamental to its increased success.

Your feedback and ideas will help to steer the company’s product development and sponsorship programmes.

If you are looking at vantage custom as a standalone business, we can help you formulate a business plan and a cost effective launch in your territory. This includes the ability for you to sign up other partners within your territory and expand your sales potential.

If vantage custom is going to be part of an existing retail business, we can work with you to develop striking point of sale materials.

As a partnership, we fully support the concept of sharing best practice amongst partners. Rather than competing, each territory owner will be encouraged to feedback on ideas that have worked well for them so we can update and make suggestions to the whole partnership

Frequently Asked Questions

How do Vantage racquets compare to other brands?

Our founder was responsible for designing and developing racquets for many pro players including Henman, Haas and Robredo. Taking this skill and knowledge, the Vantage Custom range was designed to bridge the gap between production equipment and high performance pro player frames. Being small and less production based, we are able to concentrate more on the finish quality of all items, and combined with the custom build system, Vantage racquets are some of the highest quality racquets available in the world.

Do I need experience in the tennis industry?

An interest in tennis is certainly preferable, but there is no requirement for previous industry experience to run a Vantage partnership. Many aspects of running a Vantage partnership will be the same as any privately owned business which opens the opportunity to anyone that has the ambition to succeed.

Is this a full or part time business?

It depends on you, if you want to start a new business and work full time then you can, however you can also run Vantage custom at weekends or in conjunction with your current business.

Do I need to have premises?

There is a requirement to house some hardware in order to assemble the racquets, but this can be anywhere you are happy working. There is no specific requirement for you to acquire a dedicated business premises to work from. If you currently run a retail store, the hardware we offer could easily be housed in a storage area.

What is our target market?

The vantage custom range covers the complete spectrum of ages and ability. From Junior racquets at 24” up to adult frames in 105” head size, there is a Vantage Custom racquet for everyone.

How difficult is it to build racquets?

We have worked hard to make the Vantage racquet system accurate and easy to use. Care, patience and attention to detail are all that’s needed from you to start building perfect racquets every time.

Do I need to order a certain amount of components each month?

There are no minimum order requirements on any items. We will always work with you to ensure you have the right components in stock to fulfil orders from your territory.

Am I allowed to develop my own range of Vantage products?

No, all items using the Vantage logo need to be developed from head office, however all partners are encouraged to work closely with us at all stages of product development, and we welcome any ideas for products or promotional items from partners.

Are there any ongoing charges / percent-ages?

We do not take any percentage of your turnover. However we do have a low monthly management fee to contribute to global product development, advertising and sponsorship.

The Business Potential

Tennis is a growing sport with a large number of dedicated players in every country. Depending on your level of commitment, sales of Vantage custom racquets can be limitless within your territory.

With the Vantage custom range, you will have a unique proposition for players, far superior and more personal than anything else in the market.

Extensive market research shows that increas-ing numbers of players are looking for more personalised equipment. They understand fully that pro endorsements are too generic and racquet specifications that suit one player will not automatically suit them.

There has been an increase in the amount of post-sale racquet customization business and in other industries, tailor made products and customizable items are becoming the norm

Partnership or Franchise?

We have deliberately used the word partner-ship instead of franchise as we believe your interaction with the brand is fundamental to its increased success.

Your feedback and ideas will help to steer the company’s product development and spon-sorship programmes.

If you are looking at vantage custom as a standalone business, we can help you formu-late a business plan and a cost effective launch in your territory. This includes the ability for you to sign up other partners within your territory and expand your sales potential.

If vantage custom is going to be part of an existing retail business, we can work with you to develop striking pop materials and in store experience.

As a partnership, we fully support the concept of sharing best practice amongst partners. Rather than competing, each territory owner will be encouraged to feedback on ideas that have worked well for them so we can update and make suggestions to the whole partner-ship

Frequently Asked Questions

How do Vantage racquets compare to other brands?

Our founder was responsible for designing and developing racquets for many pro players including Henman, Haas and Robredo. Taking this skill and knowledge, the Vantage Custom range was designed to bridge the gap between production equipment and high performance pro player frames. Being small and less production based, we are able to concentrate more on the finish quality of all items, and combined with the custom build system, Vantage racquets are some of the highest quality racquets available in the world.

Do I need experience in the tennis industry?

An interest in tennis is certainly preferable, but there is no requirement for previous industry experience to run a Vantage partnership. Many aspects of running a Vantage partnership will be the same as any privately owned business which opens the opportunity to anyone that has the ambition to succeed.

Is this a full or part time business?

It depends on you, if you want to start a new business and work full time then fine, however you can also run Vantage custom at weekends or in conjunction with your current business.

Do I need to have premises?

There is a requirement to house some hardware in order to assemble the racquets, but this can be anywhere you are happy working. There is no specific requirement for you to acquire a dedicated business premises to work from. If you currently run a retail store, the hardware we offer could easily be housed in a storage area.

What is our target market?

The vantage custom range covers the com-plete spectrum of ages and ability. From Junior racquets at 24” up to adult frames in 105” head size, there is a Vantage Custom racquet for everyone.

How difficult is it to build racquets?

We have worked hard to make the Vantage racquet system accurate and easy to use. Care, patience and attention to detail are all that’s needed from you to start building perfect racquets every time.

Do I need to order a certain amount of com-ponents each month?

There are no minimum order requirements on any items. We will always work with you to ensure you have the right components in stock to fulfil orders from your territory.

Am I allowed to develop my own range of Vantage products?

No, all items using the Vantage logo need to be developed from head office, however all partners are encouraged to work closely with us at all stages of product development, and we welcome any ideas for products or promo-tional items from partners.

Are there any ongoing charges / percent-ages?

We do not take any percentage of your turn-over. However we do have a low monthly man-agement fee to contribute to global product development, advertising and sponsorship.

Why Choose Vantage:

• A unique opportunity to get fully involved in the tennis industry at the product manufacturing level

• A large protected territory where you will have sole right to sell a unique product range.

• Build the business at your own pace. Full or Part time, Vantage custom can be run in conjunction with other busi ness.

• Low overheads and investment in inventory.

• Established product line-up and highly experienced management team at head office.

Case Study:

Kim Grant Tennis Academy

We formed a partnership in late 2010 with Kim

and her business partners in San Francisco.

After initially supplying all the custom racquets

from our Florida office, we spent time at the

academy training the staff on how to evaluate

players on court and assemble custom

racquets onsite.

Initially focussed on the adult frames, the

academy now sells almost as many of our

carbon junior models to its younger students,

along with the full range of our accessories.

In just over 12 months, the academy has

assembled and sold over 300 racquets on site.

Kim says –

We were so fortunate to be able to work

closely with Vantage to bring to the academy

a truly unique service to our players. We allow

players to use any racquets they choose at the

academy, but an increasing number have

switched to the Vantage frames for the simple

reason they are superior quality and can be

tailored to whatever the player needs.

Being able to assemble the racquets onsite

gives us the opportunity to service our

students quickly and makes our academy

much more than a standard training centre.

The sales of the racquets are also highly

profitable on a unit sale basis, with minimal

stock holding for us.

I would recommend everyone to get involved

with Vantage Custom and start offering this

high level of service direct to their own

customers. For anyone looking to get more

fully involved in the tennis industry, running a

Vantage partnership is a fantastic opportunity

not to be missed.

What do Vantage Customers think ?

Testimonials

As a former college and professional player, and current college coach I had been using the Wilson Tour 90 for several years before I switched to Vantage. It isn't just that the racquets are custom-made to my specifications, or that they came perfectly matched for both weight and swing-weight. Above all of that the quality and craftsmanship were obvious to me from the first time I hit a ball with one.

The stability and control I get from the frame surpasses anything I've used from any other racquet manufacturer. I've used my Vantage racquets to win the T2 Men's Open Doubles title in Atlanta among other competitions. I can't recommend them enough to anyone who is serious about their game.

Glen HillAtlanta USA

I haven’t been this comfortable using a tennis racquet in my life before. After just a couple of minutes I knew I had chosen the perfect set of specs for myself, and finally had a racquet that suited my style of play. I previously used a HEAD prestige, but could never get used to the shape of handle that HEAD use.

Using Vantage custom, I was able to select all the specs I wanted, and top it off with a decent WILSON shaped handle. Perfect!

Phil GravesUnited Kingdom

The Costs:

Costs to owning and running a partnership are split into three parts.

There is an initial payment to cover licence costs and initial stock purchase.

There are small monthly management fees to contribute to sponsorship programs and product development, and finally there are ongoing costs to replenish stock.

We have worked hard to keep the initial investment as low as possible to allow each partnership to be profitable from day one. Obviously costs are higher when looking to run Vantage on a national level but this increased investment can be quickly be offset by attracting regional partners in your territory.

What Next?

If you are interested in learning more about becoming a partner, and want to discuss the costs involved, please contact us directly via email or telephone.

Why Choose Vantage:

• A unique opportunity to get fully i nvolved in the tennis industry at the product manufacturing level

• A large protected territory where you will have sole right to sell a unique product range.

• Build the business at your own pace. Full or Part time, Vantage custom can be run in conjunction with other busi ness.

• Low overheads and investment in in ventory.

• Established product line-up and highly experienced management team at head office.

Case Study:

Kim grant Tennis Academy

We formed a partnership in late 2010 with Kim

and her business partners in San Francisco.

After initially supplying all the custom racquets

from our Florida office, we spent time at the

academy training the staff on how to evaluate

players on court and assemble custom

racquets onsite.

Initially focussed on the adult frames, the

academy now sells almost as many of our

carbon junior models to it’s younger students,

along with the full range of our accessories.

In just over 12 months, the academy has

assembled and sold over 300 racquets on site.

Kim says –

We were so fortunate to be able to work

closely with Vantage to bring to the academy

a truly unique service to our players. We allow

players to use any racquets they choose at the

academy, but an increasing number have

switched to the Vantage frames for the simple

reason they are superior quality and can be

tailored to whatever the player needs.

Being able to assemble the racquets onsite

gives us the opportunity to service our

students quickly and makes our academy

much more than a standard training centre.

The sales of the racquets are also highly prof-

itable on a unit sale basis, with minimal stock

holding for us.

I would recommend everyone to get involved

with Vantage Custom and start offering this

high level of service direct to their own

customers. For anyone looking to get more

fully involved in the tennis industry, running a

Vantage partnership is a fantastic opportunity

not to be missed.

© 2012 vantage sport international

For further information contact paul@vantagetennis.com or call +44 (0)1223 837852

www.vantagetennis .comVantage CustomPartnership Program