Match Night and SENTA make a Winning Team
A company, which operates five-a-side football leagues in Sheffield, have scored some great business advice from the Sheffield Enterprise Agency (SENTA)
Match Night Sports Leagues run a number of competitive and professionally organised weekly five-a-side leagues based at the Concord Sports Centre, Sheffield. These include a business league, an NHS workers league and a ladies league.
When the company was established over twelve months ago like many new businesses they were on a tight budget. SENTA was Match Night’s first port of call and provided much needed business guidance as well as marketing advice.
David McEwan, a Partner at Match Night, believes that SENTA has helped his company overcome the problems new businesses can encounter. He said: “SENTA have been really supportive and incredibly helpful. We went to the agency with our business plan before we became operational and they have helped us out every step of the way.
“SENTA have been particularly helpful in advising us on trademark and business name issues. This was important to us because not long after our launch, a competitor started up using a very similar name to ours - and as a result, we were required to undergo the costly exercise of changing our business name. SENTA have now given us a great deal of advice and information on protecting business names so we now feel confident that our business name and brand are protected.
“They have also helped us out on the legal side of things and made sure we are adequately insured against the possibility of players getting injured whilst playing in one of our leagues.”
David added: “Business has been going really well and we are hoping to expand the leagues into Doncaster, Chesterfield and Wakefield in 2006 and we are also planning to launch a netball league and possibly a squash league.
“We pride ourselves on providing a high quality, hassle free service to all our teams and so we have to be on top of our game at all times as we have many competitors in the city.
“It is very reassuring to know that SENTA are always on hand to offer business advice and guidance. They have supported us from the beginning and continue to support us as we develop as a business.
SENTA Enterprise Director Sandra Edwards said:” I am pleased that Match Night has continued to value the advice and support they have received from SENTA.
“With help from SENTA, Match Night overcame barriers that many new businesses encounter. They are now very much a successful and inspirational business and one which is continuing to develop and grow.”
Sheffield Enterprise Agency (SENTA) is part of Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and provides fully integrated support to new business start-ups and businesses up to two years old.
Its start-up programme is funded by Yorkshire Forward under contract with Business Link South Yorkshire.