Local Corps Startup Costs?

[JimF-LowBari]

Just now, LabMaster said:

Not off the rails.  This has been discussed many times.  But as you said, some people think it would be easy.  They haven’t thought it through. Some of your most basic needs are instruments and uniforms/costumes, equipment for guard.  Where you perform dictates logistics of transportation, busses and your own vehicles (owned or leased/rented) housing, food,   You also have salaries of paid instructors, admin and operations staff.  Insurances.

Things that don’t cost? Volunteers, donated office space.  
There are a few corps that started not so long ago that can tell you what they have spent the last few years.  The Battalion is one.  It isn’t inexpensive but a problem is maybe a corps starts with no finances at all in place. They are playing finance catch up from day one.

By “off the rails” sounded like people thought I was planning to start a corps. The “path to a short term endeavor “ was 🤷🏻 to me.

[SNModdison]

I've had this same question for years! As someone who lived in Seattle for many years, I know how hard it was to recruit local members into the Cascades organization because there were so few marching programs. I moved to the DFW area over 7 years ago and the number of big, quality marching band programs here is insane. This area could totally support a drum corps. There are marching members, staff members and money in a lot of these programs. Let's do this!

[KVG_DC]

I dunno but maybe talk to the folks at The Battalion?  They've got something growing from what started in 2014

 

[C.Holland]

22 hours ago, JimF-LowBari said:

With SCV problems see some people think that’s an opening for local corps scene to restart. I doubt it as IMO just costs too #### much and old type sponsors either can’t afford it or no longer exist.

Throwing this out to the peanut gallery. Any thoughts or real info what is needed and what would it cost to create a new local corps?

Serious question.  If Legends and Shadow didn't entice anyone to try a local startup, as those were successful groups with very minimal safety nets, why is it that SCV becomes the catalyst for this discussion?   They had more access to donors and grants than the other two.  

[JimF-LowBari]

3 hours ago, C.Holland said:

Serious question.  If Legends and Shadow didn't entice anyone to try a local startup, as those were successful groups with very minimal safety nets, why is it that SCV becomes the catalyst for this discussion?   They had more access to donors and grants than the other two.  

We are really going off track with this. 

What I saw was comments on other SM basically saying “DC is getting too big and expensive (with SCV problems as an example). So maybe it’s time to go back to local corps world.”

The ONLY reason I started this thread was to ask about costs associated with starting up a “local corps”. IOW just looking for info as I think it is more expensive than lot of people realize (still living in BITD price tags). How this dissolved into I want to start a corps, I should contact other corps, etc beats me. 

I’m #### close to asking this to be closed as tired of explaining again and again.

Edited December 14, 2022 by JimF-LowBari

[C.Holland]

9 minutes ago, JimF-LowBari said:

We are really going off track with this. 

What I saw was comments on other SM basically saying “DC is getting too big and expensive (with SCV problems as an example). So maybe it’s time to go back to local corps world.”

The ONLY reason I started this thread was to ask about costs associated with starting up a “local corps”. IOW just looking for info as I think it is more expensive than lot of people realize (still living in BITD price tags). How this dissolved into I want to start a corps, I should contact other corps, etc beats me. 

I’m #### close to asking this to be closed as tired of explaining again and again.

Off track?  you asked what would it cost.   This isn't You wanna know, do what we do when we need to rent a facility for a tv shoot or concert.  Make a list, make some calls, and create a spreadsheet of what you find out.   You need to know costs of Space, Gear, and People.  

the prices change by area. 

space cost per day?  Call a school, a vfw, a rec center, and ask what they cost to rent on a saturday from 8am until 7pm.

food cost per person? or send everyone out for lunch on their own?  

instruments you can't borrow need to be rented or bought.  (trumpets, mellos, baris, tubas, snares, quads, basses, front ensemble, guard rifles, flags)

staff cost for their time?

 

 

[JimF-LowBari]

4 hours ago, C.Holland said:

Serious question.  If Legends and Shadow didn't entice anyone to try a local startup, as those were successful groups with very minimal safety nets, why is it that SCV becomes the catalyst for this discussion?   They had more access to donors and grants than the other two.  

This is what I referred to when I said about going off the rails. Nothing about my costs question. Just sounds like my motives for asking are being questioned. And SCV became the catalyst because it happened to one of the top 3 DCI corps which shocked the crap out of people.

Your next longer post was more what I was looking for. But doubt if some of the FB people would accept that those costs have gone up since 19xx…. Some of them are in a freaking time warp and there are plenty of AL/VFW/churches/whatever with $$$ to sponsor (if they even think about where the money will come from). 🤦‍♂️

Edited December 14, 2022 by JimF-LowBari

[fsthnds]

33 minutes ago, JimF-LowBari said:

This is what I referred to when I said about going off the rails. Nothing about my costs question. Just sounds like my motives for asking are being questioned.

Your next longer post was more what I was looking for. But doubt if some of the FB people would accept that those costs have gone up since 19xx…. Some of them are in a freaking time warp and there are plenty of AL/VFW/churches/whatever with $$$ to sponsor (if they even think about where the money will come from). 🤦‍♂️

Nowadays, you would need someone with a very large 6 or 7 figure bankbook just to get a Soundsport or Open Class corps organized! Then try to market yourself as an Unknown Entity to HS and College age members? The days of Bill Cook's coming along buying their way into this activity are gone. Just look at how long groups like Genesis, MC, and Battilion  needed to get to their present levels.

 

[JimF-LowBari]

2 minutes ago, fsthnds said:

Nowadays, you would need someone with a very large 6 or 7 figure bankbook just to get a Soundsport or Open Class corps organized! Then try to market yourself as an Unknown Entity to HS and College age members? The days of Bill Cook's coming along buying their way into this activity are gone. Just look at how long groups like Genesis, MC, and Battilion  needed to get to their present levels.

 

I agree with you. Not an expert and was just looking for more info. So weird on the FB group when I mentioned what I learned on $$$ when my alumni Corps upgraded horns I got “you should buy your own” 🤦‍♂️. Probably if I had all the info in the world it wouldn’t matter.

[C.Holland]

56 minutes ago, JimF-LowBari said:

This is what I referred to when I said about going off the rails. Sounds like my motives for asking are being questioned.

Your next longer post was more what I was looking for. But doubt if some of the FB people would accept that those costs have gone up since 19xx…. Some of them are in a freaking time warp and there are plenty of AL/VFW/churches/whatever with $$$ to sponsor (if they even think about where the money will come from). 🤦‍♂️

I can tell you, the last gym we used for a tv shoot was $75/hour. only available after 4pm. all surfaces to be protected, all power to be provided by client, all water to be provided by client.  (meaning no facilities were available with the gym rental) 

NO adjacent spaces were available for use with this rental.  So if we wanted more space, or even the lobby, that was extra.  Even access to restrooms. Plus we had to pay for Insurance for the building, grounds, etc and provide a COI listing the venue/operator on it. 
 

Edited December 14, 2022 by C.Holland