QuadSponsor.com

by Jason Zittel

Tell us a little about your moto career.
I grew up racing local tracks all around the Tri-State area. I stopped racing competitively a few years ago. The highest I got was the A class, I never received my Pro license or anything like that, but I still had a blast every weekend. I now have a four year old daughter, she’s one of the reasons why I stopped banging bars every weekend.

How about your business career?
I have been running MXSponsor.com, an online sponsorship platform for the motocross industry, since about 2004. We currently have almost all of the industry’s top brands. They sponsor around 30,000 riders using our system. It has been a big success, so we’ve decided to dedicate a website just for ATV racers with QuadSponsor.com.

The Internet sure has made the sponsorship process easier than ever. MXSponsor.com is now one of the premier websites in the industry. What made you decide to start the site, and how is it different from the rest?
I have been around motorcycles my entire life. I have a lot of great connections with people in the industry. At the time that got started with this there was only one company doing it, which was called Sponsorhouse.com. I got sick of doing the 9-5 grind everyday with the sales job I had, so in 2002-2003 I teamed up with my partner Eric Knopf and went for it. We have been at it ever since.

How is Mxsponsor.com different than Sponsorhouse.com?
Sponsorhouse went in a little different direction then we did. Scott and the guys behind do a great job but they went more towards the social network part of it. I think we did a great job with staying core to the industry and to the riders, keeping the site simple and easy to use for both the rider and the company alike. Riders come to our website to create a resume, get their deals, grow their connections and that’s it! I think that’s how we are a little different from HookIt. There have been tons of other websites that have come and gone the past few years, but we just stay on track and continue with our own business model.

Not too long ago you decided to launch QuadSponsor.com. What brought your interest to the ATV side of the industry?
We have had such great success and growth with MXS, it just felt like a natural fit. We had tons of ATV guys on the website already and always had companies asking us for a quad specific site, so it worked out perfectly. To be honest, it seems like ATV guys are always getting the short end of the stick to put it nicely, so we figured we would create a completely new site so they could have their own platform.

Have you made your way to any of the ATV nationals?
Not yet, but I am pretty excited to in 2011, in the meantime I’ve been checking out the local level quad scene. This is the fun part of starting a new business like this for me, getting out to those local races, talking to those amateur guys and really getting the word out.

 

Tell us a little about your Rep Rewards program and how it works? Why did you decide to establish a program like this, and has it been successful with drawing more riders/companies?
This rewards deal is a great way to get our riders involved in the program, and get some swag and maybe some cash in their pockets. Who else can promote the website better then people who use it every day? This really allows the riders to get those sponsorships they need and save money by using our program. It works out great for everyone.

A lot of riders overlook their own potential and some do not think they have what it takes to get sponsored. What advice do you have for guys and girls who are new to trying to get sponsorships, and what sort of resume tips do you have for them?
We get this question from a lot of new members or people that we meet at different events. First, I would create a resume as complete as possible with photos, videos, results and be sure to tell the potential sponsor about yourself on and off the track. A brand wants to sponsor a rider for not just their riding abilities, but how they conduct themselves off the track, in school, in their communities, etc. You do not have to be a professional rider to get a sponsorship deal, companies have many different levels of sponsorship for different levels of riders.

The economy has put a lot of pressure on manufacturers and aftermarket companies to cut budgets for teams and sponsorships. What kind of changes have you seen?
I think the poor economy has really brought people back down to reality. There were riders coming up in the past few years before the downturn that really hadn’t paid their dues and earned their rides. They signed some pretty big deals before they even stepped foot into the elite Supercross and outdoor series. I think companies are now a lot more selective and prudent with their sponsorship programs. If you want to turn this into a positive, I don’t think riders will take certain things for granted anymore.

Have the aftermarket companies cut back on their grassroots programs because of the economy or have you noticed the opposite?
I think they have actually stepped up the amateur support a bit during the past few years, which is awesome to see. I think they realize the struggles that families are going through trying to get to the track. They use sponsorship as a marketing and sales tool which benefits everyone.

Best wishes from everyone at ATV Scene and thank you so much for your time and support of the ATV Racing community. Do you have any final words?
Come and check out www.QuadSponsor.com. I think you’ll like how simple and affective it is. Don’t be afraid to send an email in if you need any help or have any questions at all. We also have a toll free line to call in if our members need any help. I think we have a pretty strong team at MXSponsorQuadsponsor.com, we are all moto guys and have been together in this since 2004. We all love what we do and have a great time doing it. Eric Knopf handles all of our website and media stuff, from design to production of the site or promotional materials, he is one of the most talented persons I have met. You can check out some of his stuff at www,Visionlaunchers.com. John Russell is a huge moto guy from Southern California, and is such a great marketing and sales guru. We definitely wouldn’t be growing at the rate we are the past few years if it wasn’t for John. Sam Melvin is a strong businessman, and runs the day to day management of our billing systems and our business structure. I’d also like to thank Mike Worobij, a close friend of mine who really helped out the past few years with many different parts of our business. And finally thanks to all the great quad guys and girls out their for their support!

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