Fifteen years ago today I opened my retail storefront rod shop, according to my competition [ they all workrd out of their homes] I was not going to last six months. It was unreal how the business poured in once I had a store front location as I was strictly a rod shop, no tackle etc. just rods! I had been running a business out of my home and had a lot of rods in different tackle shops on consignment so was pretty well known in the area but never dreamed it would take off like it did. That first eight months produced 50k in sales and it has never gone under a 100k per year since. This is a super area for fishing and has over a million in population within a 50 mile radius which means there are a lot of fishermen here. As they say Location, Location, Location. I have low prices as far as Custom Rods go but I make up for that by doing volume and have a no questions asked breakage policy for the first time they break their rod. Standing behind my product has produced word of mouth advertising that could not be bought at any price.Fifteen Years, how time flies when you are having fun. Jesse

Just curiosity: what kind of location do you have? And, if you know, how much of your business is due to people "noticing" you, as opposed to advertising, word-of-mouth or repeat business? And BTW, congrats!

Tom, I have a 14 x19' shop right on the dock at the nicest marina in the area. The marina was a year old when I rented my shop and now I am the senior business in the marina. Not a whole lot of walk in business, most of the time they are making it a point to come and see me. I have cut back this year on some of my radio advertisement and dropped my web site completly. Overall I have found that radio is best for me after word of mouth. Thank you for the congrats, I am right proud of what I have done with this business.Jesse

Congratulations Jesse. I remember buying several dozen of your rods for my store right about 14 years ago when I was just starting out in rodbuilding. We spoke on the phone a good many times and I tried picking your brain about your rods without making it look too obvious. I never thought I'd ever meet you in person but it was a pleasure meeting you in Charlotte a couple of years ago. Here's to another fifteen years.

Jesse:
One of these days I want to come to the shop. I keep having hopes of visiting some OLD friends in your area and if I do, I will be sure to drop in. Do you still keep a pot of coffee on? John

John, I have this retired Navy Capt. working for me and he say's "Capt.'s don't make coffee" and I say" Senior Chiefs don't make coffee either" so there ain't no coffee. Jesse

Congratulations, Jesse. Here's to the next 15!!!!

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

How can you do all this talk without giving Pricilla due credit! If any of you are intrigued by Jesse's post and decide to visit a real rod shop I have a little advice for you. Only bring cash - flash it - hold on to it until you get ready to leave - ask a lot of questions - remember what you hear - load up on the specials when he feels you are leaving with any cash left - make a true friend for life. Ask him to see a picture of his special lady angler!

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Congratulation Jesse!! I had the same response when I opened my reel and rod repair shop. Over 25 years in business. I Am now retired. My shop was in a small gas station strip mall. Where they sold bait and tackle. All I did at first was repair reels and fix rods. When it came to advertizing it was in the phone book. My kicker was on Sundays there was a call in radio fishing hunting show. So every Sunday I would call in a fishing report. ( I only used my first name and the town I lived in, my shop was not in that town). I got to be friends with the moderator of the program, so every couple of weeks he gave me a plug. Then a state fishing news paper gave me a fishing byline for my area and I was paid for that. Like you said location is what counts. I was 45 minutes from the ocean and there were 3 local rivers noted for Steelhead, Salmon and Sturgeon. It took me 3 years to get out of the reel business and dedicate all my time to rods
Good Wraps Bob

Mike Barkley Wrote:
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> Congratulations, Jesse. Here's to the next 15!!!!
>
> Mike
>

DITTO!!


Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

Congratulation Jesse......
You just can't keep a good man down !!


MaryLou

MaryLou Van de Riet
Weatherford,Texas USA

Jesse,

Congratulations for your first 15 and to many more. Looking forward to seeing you this week.

Ron

congratulations jesse,
most of us can only dream of having that great success. well done, and i hope you will be blessed with many more years of great success.
dave daniels.

Well, it sounds like it is time for you to write a book !~

Everybody else does !!

Congrads.