Making Some Noise

Enthusiasm and solid business practices launch latest local sports franchise, by Debbie Gardner How do you create a business or a brand where none existed? You start with an idea, some contacts and a lot of enthusiasm. That seems to be the formula behind the pre-season success of the Holyoke Blue Sox, the newest franchise of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) and the latest team to call Holyoke's Mackenzie Field home. Even before the first pitch was thrown, this team had the backing of a city, some local big name sponsors and a publicity machine that let everyone know they were coming to town. Team owners Barry Wadsworth, Karen Wadsworth Rella and John Ferrara did start by purchasing the rights to the NECBL franchise formerly known at the Concord, New Hampshire, Quarry Dogs. This gave them immediate access to a system that hires team coaches and drafts college ballplayers for each summer season. But the NECBL connection didn't automatically provide a field for this new team, or sponsors, or a marketing plan that would create excitement and interest in this new venture. That took a lot of commitment on the part of these new owners, and each brought a different business strength to the task of creating the Holyoke Blue Sox. Wadsworth, a former restaurant and real estate entrepreneur, recently served as a contract manager for the Hawaii-based real estate marketing and management company Pemco Ltd. Organization and management are his forte. Rella's background is in sales and marketing; she most recently developed and spun off a successful event marketing group for the renowned independent media agency, Carat. Her experience with Carat includes promotional work for various sports teams. The Sox' third partner, John Ferrara, is a former semi-pro ballplayer and owns the investment firm Capstone Partners LLC. of Boston. He brought real-world baseball experience and solid financial planning to the table. And Wadsworth said he didn't just jump into team ownership blindly. He did his homework. He called a friend, Dan Duquette, the former general manager of the Boston Red Sox. "I knew he owned a [NECBL] team called the Pittsfield Dukes," Wadsworth said. "So, I asked if I could do an internship [with the team] for the summer [ of 2007]." "I went in, and I felt like I was home," Wadsworth said of his summer in the marketing department of the Dukes. This experience, the owner's business credentials, and the preparation the trio did before approaching potential sponsors and supporters they had a marketing plan for their team that included events such as a NASCAR night and exhibition games against the Chinese National and Dominican baseball teams seemed to pay off when it came to getting backing for their new venture. "We have 24 home games and we said, 'there's no reason not to have [each one] a rock-star event,'" said Rella of the Blue Sox' aggressive events schedule for their first season. The city welcomed this new sports franchise with open arms, glad to have a draw for their 74-year-old Mackenzie Field. They were willing to work with the Sox to make the venue the best it can be for this season. "We're from Western Mass," said Wadsworth, who grew up in Pittsfield. "We're excited to have the team in our backyard." But making a success of this new company meant more than just finding a place to play. It required making connections in the community. "We have brought on over 100 companies," Wadsworth said at the team's June 4 kickoff dinner. "I think when they saw our background and track record, that was a big part of getting them to come on board with us." He said the sponsor support has been at "all levels ... from big corporations to small mom and pop stores" with businesses offering the Sox everything from money to donations of product to volunteers to help run the team machine. "We tried to create a product companies would want to be involved in, that they're proud to put their name on," Wadsworth said, referring to the events and the extras, such as appearances by local bands and cheering by a local semi-pro dance and cheer team, that the Sox have planned for each game. "I think they have confidence in us, they trust us to represent [their business and name] in a way they want to be represented," he said. Tips for new entrepreneurs Wadsworth had this advice for others starting out in a new business: 1. Be passionate about what you do, whatever you choose to do. "I think people see the passion. If you're going to do something, do something you love," Wadsworth said. "If you're going into business, do it because you love it. Build it and take pride in it, that's the most important thing." 2. Follow through on what you say you'll do. "When I'm dealing with people, I really try to deliver on what people want," Wadsworth said. "I think that's one of our [company's] strengths." Debbie Gardner is the editor for Prime, published monthly by The Reminder. She can be contacted at DebbieG@reminderpublications.com.