Re: production rods
Posted by:
Anonymous User
(Moderator)
Date: July 01, 2005 07:27PM
Others have done it and therefore so can you. But if you want to sell lots of rods, you almost need to go into a manufacturer/dealer relationship with varioius fly shops across the country. Keep in mind that most specialty fly shops expect to double their money on most of the rods they sell, so you have to really watch your budget and expenses. A rod you expect to retail in a shop for say, $400 could mean you can only budget about $75 for the cost of components, blank, labor, and the appropriate share of rent, utilities, advertising, marketing, etc. And that means building and selling in large quantities if you expect to make any money - a living wage for you and your employees. You're not going to make very much per rod, so you'll need to sell plenty of them.
You also have to be aware that the market is flooded with well known rod manufacturers and the trend is to manufacture rods, including fly rods, overseas where labor costs are far less expensive. So you're upgainst the wall right off the bat - you'd need to spend considerable money to make a name and image for your rods that people will recognize and respect.
So that's the bad news. The good news is that others have done it, and with enough capital, a good business plan and plenty of effort, you might too.
..........
