Events, Demos and Trips
The best way to assure repeat business is to show the skaters you care about them and care about promoting skateboarding.
Events--- Have at least two events each year. The most important day to have an event is Go Skateboarding Day which is June 21st every year. Get with the local businesses, churches, and restaurants and see if they will sponsor the event. I recommend, food, refreshments, and prizes for a great day of skateboarding.
Plan a trip--- Try planning a trip to a popular skatepark . Rent a couple of 15 passenger vans and drive the skaters to a well know park to skate. On the east coast, Louisville Extreme Park in Kentucky, and the DC Skate Plaza in Kettering, Ohio are two examples of great skateparks to visit.
Start a skateboard team--- Start a skateboard team and try to find the best local riders and sponsor them. Give them free products, make sure they all have team shirts and schedule some demos. Take care of your team riders ( Example: take them to lunch after the demos for a job well done and pay them if possible)
School and Church demos--- School and Church Demos are the best way to get your name out there and it makes a huge impact on kids. Take your team to the demos (wear the team shirts) and impress the kids. We just did a school demo in front of 200 kids and the school called us back and asked us to do another demo for summer camp.
Master List
You will need a master list of customers. I would log all your customers names, phone numbers, email addresses, and mailing addresses in a computer and send them all a Newsletter at least 4 times a year on specials, events, and new products.
Keep it Clean!
- Shop needs to be spotless at all times
- Dressing rooms need to be clean and be checked hourly for clothes and papers left in the floor
- Bathrooms need to be clean and checked hourly
- Keep clutter and boxes out of the floor in the shop.
- You need to have a lounge area with a couch, some chairs for the skaters to have a place to sit and talk to other skaters. A television playing skateboard videos is also a great idea.
- I also recommend a snack or a drink machine for refreshments.
More things you need to know
- Your busiest day is Saturday-- (you will need help, there is no way you can build all the boards ,sell products, and take care of all the customers)
- The busiest time of year is Christmas. You will need help during Christmas. I get so busy at Christmas that the first customer usually shows up on Saturday morning around 9am and I have a line out the door and I will building boards non stop all day till 5pm.
- Hire an employee that is passionate about skateboarding. ( you will need and employee who can build boards and answer questions)
- Be sold on your product. Make sure you know your product - know the sport of skateboarding and make sure you are able to answer questions without hesitation.
- Don't overbuy on decks. The companies change graphics often and the boards get outdated quickly
- Overbuy on Grip tape, Bearings, and Hardware. You don't want to ever run out of these products
Continued Success
Now that your open and business is good you will need to have continued success. Here are a few things you need to do.
- Ethics--- you need good business ethics --- Your word needs to be gold-- when you say you're going to do something ,or order products for a customer, do it!!
- Treat all customers like millionaires, like they have an endless amount of money to spend in your store, even if they are just looking.
- Keep up the great attitude and always smile.
- Act like everyday is your opening day and stay excited about life and excited about the skateboard business.
Marc Fuentes
Marc's Board Shop
www.marcsboardshop.com