BowHunterJim

WE need more people like u with that acts on thier plans and follows thier dreams. A good archery shop is so important and they are hard to find in my area.

remeber that the customer is always right

SwampCollie

If there are lots of other archery shops in your area, then you might want to consider NOT opening one up. At least, not in direct competition.

I have been contimplating opening up my own shop for a long time. And I, like you, am going to take a chance on a dream to be my own boss.

However, where I live, there are LOTS of archery shops, within easy driving distance. To boot, Bass Pro, Gander Mountain and Cabelas are all building within the next two years. BPS and GM have already set opening dates and are building. The local giant retailer is also building a bigger store.

So how am I to survive? You have to ask yourself that question. What can you do that those other places can't or won't?

For me, thats opening up a HUGE range. Two thirty target courses, elevated practice range, broadhead range, indoor 5 stand and indoor spots. In my county, its illegal to shoot your bow in your yard. Anyplace zoned residential is off limits to bows. So all of these stores are going to be selling all these bows and no one will have a place to practice. Enter me. I'm going to have a small repair shop, and sell arrows and what not, and probably even a few bows somewhere down the line. I'm planing on having a "rent a shop" program where folks who want to work on their own stuff can come in and use the press and tools, and ask questions to learn more about their own equipment, which I think will be totally unique to the archery industry.

But, I'll be focused on service. If somebody needs something ordered... thats my place to step in. No middle men or anything like that... no purchasers or warehouses.

Thats what I have found a need for. And thats something you should focus on... don't try and compete with big boxes and/or established businesses, try and expound on them. Carry what they don't have. Be flexible and willing to work with people, or offer a service/facility that others don't.

Dryridge

Well, I have owned my own shop. I have a friend that opened his own HUGE shop complete with indoor video range and 30yd butt range. He has league shoots and handles all the large brands. I have helped another young man get his archery shop, again, both indoor video and butt ranges. ALL the big brands.

Here is what I can tell you from experience of 3 shops. ARCHERY ALONE CANNOT SUSTAIN MORE THAN ONE FAMILY. You can't have a partner and use this as your only source of income. I would have enough money in the bank to live off of for 3yrs. Yes, 3yrs because any business if the business plan was sound and stuck to, will know whether it will survive in 3yrs. You must have something of a range to bring people in. 3D ranges bring in $$$ Find a top shooter and have him and a couple other guys shoot regularly and beat others. Then, guys will spend $$$ getting more and better equip to beat them. This will work inyour 3yr plan but not long term.

You must have another sustaining source of traffic and financial flow. Guns for instance, or possibly trophys and shirts or uniforms for local youth sports teams/leagues and the school system. Treat 'em right on the prices. I used to build Custom Muzzleloaders. Another business I would run from....FAST!

You must be located far enough away from other dealers to get franchises for Mathews, Hoyt, Parker, and Bowtec, Ross would be nice also. Get the ones you CAN'T get from wholesalers. Crossbows are coming on strong.

Paintball Ranges and equipment can be a great summer source of income as well.

Archery alone won't do it though....I PROMISE.

As for class. PSE has as GREAT Dealer School in Tuscon, AZ. Although here in the East they are not a good brand to have much stock in, you can learn a great deal there. But you have to be a franchise to go, or at least you did. I went. I stocked the bows, I dropped them like wildfire. Too many issues and they change lines toofast. The ones 6 mos old are now old news and you better like to eat bows for breakfast......'cause you will eat them.

As for startup. I would say if it is a business, not a hobby, you will need at least 50K in credit or cash. Be careful with bows. You have to have them, and keep one of each set up and FORCE folks to shoot 'em. But, if they don't sell by the first week of season or at a christmas clearance sale, you will lose $$$ on them. Accessories can hang, but keep them dusted. You may have to sell them on sale, but you will move them. Arrows are where your bread is buttered.

Next CHARGE FOR YOUR TIME. If you work on a bow, after the first year it was purchased from you, charge for your time. People expect to pay. One yr. free on a bow you sell is fine, but not after that. Besides, it may encourage someone to buy a new one. If someone brings you a walmart rest they can't figure out. Charge them roughly what it cost them to tune it, then tell them if they had bought it from you, you would have put it on, tuned it for free and they would have saved $$$. Folks learn quick when they learn from their wallet.

You can't take bows on trade. No matter how bad folks want you to, you can't. Offer to put them on a used rack for them if they buy a new one from you, but don't trade or hang it up to sell before they buy a new one.

Next. FORGET IT. VERY FEW EVER MAKE IT AND YOU WILL LOSE 3YRS DOING IT AND YOU WON"T GET TO HUNT AT ALL THOSE 3YRS.

One thing I would consider for fun and $$$$$$$ is deer farming. Little land, and a fence and you can keep your job while you raise your herd and buck size. Then in 3 yrs you have a gold mine. Check both out and see which owners are happiest with the decision they made.

Sorry But I wouldn't do it over at all. <NEVER MAKE A HOBBY YOUR BUSINESS>

Dave (dbowguy) Dryridge. Former owner, Strait Shootin' Arms and Archery

Dryridge

Geez, what did I do, kill this thread??? SO, what are you thinking now??? Feel free to ask questions I will be honest and if I don't know I will try to find out.

davepjr71

This is something I've been thinking about since I was a teenager. The biggest thing you have to be willing to do is commit your time and money and not give up after a few months or ever a year or 2.

Dryidge makes a good point that you must be willing to invest 3 yrs(time and money) to hope for the shop to work. The 3 yrs applies to any business and people must be willing to put that kind of time in to make it. Don't just quit your regular jobs when you open the shop. The first 3 yrs you may only have the shop open at night and weekends.

Swampcollie makes great points on the range you have. A broadhead range just doesn't exist in my area and I don't own a yard to shoot in. Having a place for people to shoot broadheads and from elevated locations would be a good draw. Technohunts are great. however, the cost of a unit is very high.

Here's another idea that is probably a must and came from a magazine that is made for shop owners. You have to start a youth archery class. You are trying to generate future sales as well as sales today. By starting children into archery you hope that one day they will remember you and return to the shop. This may mean donating timeor equipment.

PM MDBUCKHUNTER and ask him what magazines I just game him. They are from a friend of mine who owned a shop that are for archery store owners and have a lot of useful information on how to set-up and run a shop.

Location is a huge thing. My friend had his shop in the boonies of PA and have very little traffic flow. The area he was in wasn't exactly the best place to try and make money. A bad location will kill the business fast.

How you lay out your shop will also impact sales.How you treat your customers will have a big impact too. As stated by Dryridge it's ok for a while to do some things for free for a customer. However, eventually, you have to make money and the good customers are willing to pay for good service.

Buck_Slayer

I have been thinking it over a lot lately. It would still be a couple years off I am sure. So much planning, and all that good stuff.

Some things I have thought are having an elevated 3d range with full body decoys set up in particular situations. Like having telephone poles or something similar up to simulate trees that would simulate hunting situations. Stuff like that.

Another thing would obviously be an indoor range. For the bow shops that we have around here all they have is like 10-15 yards at most.

I also gave thought to the classes for kids. The thing that sparked my interst in that was the NASP (National Archery in the Schools Program) I am pretty sure that is what it is called. I also thought about the fact that if you get the kids into archery, and they stick with it. They will remember you, and it would be easier for them to come to you and ask questions. That is if I'm not a huge ass to them during the classes

Also having events on weekends and stuff like that, with contests at the 3D ranges and stuff like that. Have the winners be able to pick prizes from a certain price range. I don't expect to become a millionaire or anything like that. Just be able to support a family of my own. The other guy has already stopped talking about it. Kind of thought that he would, he is the type to get hyped up about something for about 2 days and move on to something else. The other shops around here really haven't impressed me much. I doubt that I am the only one in the area that has been disapointed by them.

YooperMike

Was all good advice until this part!

Dryridge

Buck Slayer, Look at what you typed buddy. You talk about going to schools, TIME. Weekend events. TIME. That is time away from family. Including your kids in the business is a sure way to burn them out on it and you.

Next the elevated stand range...great idea if it is indoors so it can be used when it isn't too hot or too cold or too wet or too dry, but that costs big $$$ to build, then the insurance.

I don't want to tell you only bad stuff, but man, I know for a fact, that it is mostly bad unless you like being in a shop 7days a week. Another thing. FORGET BUILDING A SHOP AND WORKING> YOU CAN'T DO IT. You gonna work a job 8hrs, then be in the shop 5 or 6 everyday. Soon you will realize you no longer have that family you are trying to support. Get off these boards and talk to business men. You can't start small and build into a big shop either. You have to go big or stay home. If you truly want to make money, you have to look like you are a millionaire already when you start it. Look at the successful sporting goods stores. Are the little and dingy? Or Huge expanses with the nice displays and nothing cluttered. To they have a coffee pot and a half worn out couch, or a cooler that sells sodas and ifyou find place to sit it is on a treestand display. Hangouts aren't moneymakers. Those guys that spend half a day there are there because they aren't working and making money to spend.

I just don't want you to loose a bunch of money and possibly the family you tried to support. It happens all the time. And when do you hunt, while at work or the shop or with your family at home?

Did you think about the deer farm. Seriously...there's a money maker and you aren't tied to it or anyone elses demands.

Buck_Slayer

That would be something different, but I guess I don't even know what the hell a deer farm really consists of. making my own estrous scents and stuff like that? What is the big money maker there? I am going to google deer farms and read up on them a little bit.

Dryridge

You make money selling deer semen for Artificially Inseminating does, by selling deer for other farms; both does and bucks are needed. You can sell bucks to shooting preserves once they grow good antlers. There is also a market for antler velvet for arthitis medication, smaller antlers for crafts, and you can throw in some red stags for meat, or fallow for meat. There is no end to it. Butfarms are growing and the market is growing as well. The avg deer can bring you up to 5 times that of a cow on less than 1/3 the feed and requires less property. Just need a higher fence. You can also charge for tours of the facility.If I weren't disabled I would be in the deer business.
My friend is doing it and makes over 75k/yr on 9 acres.

Check with others in both businesses and see who is happier. Those deer will eat, grow and raise little ones with only a minimum of time invested. Initial investment will be about the same for both businesses (DONE RIGHT)

All My Best. I am glad you want to be your own boss and grow a business in the US. It is truly the American dream. However, I know it can also be a nightmare. It all depends on how you start, and the connections you have. It takes connections with financial people/institutions, Vendors, consumers and others in the business that will help you.
Despite what you feel about the high fence operations, they exist and will pay up to 4,000 for a two year old buck with 140-160 antlers. This is where food and genetics come in. I saw a buck this week that was 15mos old and has antlers that will go 180 right now, with a month of growing time to go. Look Up HIGH ROLLER. He is 6 I believe and scores over 400". There is semen on the market at $10,000/ 5cc straw for bucks like Samson, and Highroller that produce this type of 18month old deer.