Let's talk (skate) shop
Wednesday May 14, 2008
Running a skater shop can be a rewarding, tough, exciting, and lonely pursuit. A lot of skate shop owners have to fumble their way through the process, hoping that they're doing things right and always pushing aside a nagging fear that they are doing it all wrong!
Well, let me offer you, the skate shop owner, a little help. Well, more specifically it's Bud Stratford who's offering the advice and help! Bud is a writer with deep roots in the skateboarding industry. He's written a series of essays covering different aspects of running a skate shop, and he's letting me share them with you here in our new Skate Shop Business topic! Here's a list of the articles for today - enjoy!
Enjoy! And for all you skaters out there, remember to support your local skate shop!
Comments
The best advice I can give about starting a skateshop is to start as small as possible in a building with the lowest rent.(you can always expand later). Don’t get in a price war with other skate shops. Instead of lowering price, concentrate on giving the best service. Remember this… You are in the people business first and the product business second. It really helps to have some sales experience dealing with customers. Of course you need to know the product but mainly you need to be able to take care of the customer and his or her needs. Take interest in the customer instead of interest in selling him/her something. Also build a great customer base(you can do this on myspace). Almost all skateboarders are on myspace and they wil be glad to be your friend. Then you can post bulletins of sales, events , and new products. Carry of a variety of skateboards at different prices. Beginners don’t want to spend $150 for a new board. It’s good to have some lower price boards in stock for the beginner along with your pro decks. Make sure the shop is clean at all times, the dressing rooms and bathrooms are clean, and you need to have a place where the customers can set down and talk with other skaters. I also recommend having a tv playing the newest skateboard videos at all times. So take care of your customer, learn how to sell, and keep the shop clean, and you will have success in the skateboard business. For more tips on how to become a better salesperson, checkout Grant Cardones new book ” Selling “The Secrets to Success” . I bought me a copy and it has really really helped. www.grantcardone.com . (some info in this article was used courtesy of Grant Cardones new book)***
thanks for this, great posting.