So, how many custom builders out there have their own retail shops/storefronts?

I ask because I'm contemplating opening a retail store combined with a work/production space but am curious whether other folks have found it to be a profitable endeavour. I'd be paying between $500 and $800/month for the space and I'd be able to be in the shop 4 days a week.

For what it's worth, I have a display arrangement with a couple of fly shops already. I also have a workspace which, while small, suits my needs at this point.

Scott Kinney
The Longest Cast Fly Rods
[www.thelongestcast.com]

The location (while somewhat TBD) would be within a block of an established fly shop (and within 3 blocks of another) in a town of 150,000 in Oregon.

Scott Kinney
The Longest Cast Fly Rods
[www.thelongestcast.com]

Scott,
Where in Oregon are you located?

I'm in Eugene now.

Scott Kinney
The Longest Cast Fly Rods
[www.thelongestcast.com]

Scott,
You should plan to come up to our get together in Woodland on the 7th, 8th and 9th.

I'd love to, but I will be in China that week. Vacation trumps business :)

Scott Kinney
The Longest Cast Fly Rods
[www.thelongestcast.com]

Scott,

I'll qualify this opinion by saying I've never run a brick and mortar rodbuilding retail business but I would discourage you from commiting to a lease and a large inventory. You will get little walk-in business and the number of rods you will sell will likely not pay enough for you to break even, let alone a living.

Do some quick math. Total up up your annual rent, phone, utilities, advertising, store fixtures, accounting and legal fees, etc. Next, multiply the number of rods you're likely to sell (in person, by mail order and internet) minus the cost of the materials and shipping and arrive at a total. Compare the totals. I think you'll see that even working 15 hours a day, you won't make any money. You'll probably lose a bunch, especially considering the salary lost by not doing another job.

Sorry, but hobbies don't often work out as a job.

Jeff

Scott,

Jeff makes some good points. If you are a good businessman as well as a custom rod builder and in the right location you can make a living. You will need to be good at sales and marketing and developing your business profile. It can be done by some but not everyone has the drive and the ability to do it. You may find that you have to get a little more commercial about certain aspects of your building. Can you live with that. Are you prepared to write off your start up investment capital or will you expect a return on it. It's not all about making loads of money for some but just enough to live reasonably and do something that they really love.

A retail shop front selling just custom rods may not provide enough revenue on it's own. You may need to sell other related items. Maybe become like a local rod building business supplying blanks and components to. You may even have to sell fishing tackle. Then the rub is how do you balance your time behind the counter with building customer rod orders. Can you run to staff. OOPs.

With competition so close you are making life doubbly difficult. I don't know if the Tackle Mafia exists in the USA but over here well established shops will ( iilegally) put pressure on suppliers to not supply new shops.

Heck do your research, do your business plan, don't ask friends and family members for opinions. Do ask your bank manager if he/she will lend you money ( even if you don't need it) then it may be a goer.

There are other ways to test the water before committing to a lease. last thought 4 days a week. That's not giving a good meassage to your potential customers. Most peole rightly or wrongly expect a retail business to be open for at least 6 days a week.

Hoping for the best will usually equal despair but I have a gut feeling that you are nobodies fool.

All the very best.

Mike Oliver