My cry for help

[beaver]

Well not so much a cry, but anyways.

I am a senior at Roger Williams Univ, and one of the "capstone" business classes requires an in depth business plan and the works. Well what is a fisherman to do but make a fishing related business. I decided to try and mimic one of the tackle shops that has politely stolen most of my savings from me. I've already done buttloads of research, but I'd like to try and get some input from some more fishermen. I know many of you either work at a shop, hang your plugs on many a shop wall, or are responsible for keeping the lights on by buying a $25 plug (or 10) because its January and the first stripers will be coming north anytime now (or that's what we tell ourselves). I'm not asking for anything crazy, but whatever you guys feel like telling me will help. Can post here, PM, or email me at sbarone091@hawks.rwu.edu.

I'll be out around NPT tomorrow morning (hopefully I won't be sitting in my car and watching how nasty it is out) and hopefully I can get away from all this fun college stuff and get some fish before its too late. Thanks guys, I appreciate anyone just reading this post.

Good luck guys.
-Steve

[numbskull]

Years ago a local tackle store had a really earnest friendly employee who was absolutely full of shiit. NOTHING he said was anywhere near true. Yet he'd get talking to you about some poppycock story concerning another world record fish he caught using some plug and, even though you didn't believe a word of it, you'd always end up leaving with one of those plugs. Why? Because a small business succeeds when it improves the life of its customers and to improve someone's life you have to provide them with what they need. The truth is that most of us don't really "need" fishing tackle. What most of us need is diversion from, and reward for, the rat race we all end up stuck in. We get that by fishing, which requires tackle (and bait for hopeless simpletons like Back Beach and Sauerkraut), but we also get it by immersing ourselves in the hobby. We get it by talking, reading, listening, thinking about, shopping for, and ultimately buying gear. The small tackle shop competes with the internet, catalog, and discount box stores to fulfill these needs. The ones that succeed offer convenience, ambience, knowledge, selection (tailored to the local fisheries), and service, that exceeds what is available from the other options. Most importantly, however, they do it with a friendly non-judgmental attitude that makes the customer want to reward the business by purchasing an item from them (even if it can be had marginally cheaper elsewhere) and to keep coming back.

[PNG]

"We get that by fishing, which requires tackle (and bait for hopeless simpletons like Back Beach and Sauerkraut)"

[Tagger]

Originally Posted by numbskull

The truth is that most of us don't really "need" fishing tackle. What most of us need is diversion from, and reward for, the rat race we all end up stuck in.

you nailed it George .

[beaver]

Thanks numbskull. I'll make sure to add "tell ridiculous fish stories" to my marketing plan. Althought, that is true. Whenever some one at a tackle shop gets to talking to me I always end up buying something even if they didn't have what I originally went there for. As I like to tell myself, "you can never have too much fishing stuff."

[Clogston29]

you need to offer something that others don't. niche items that someone can't get someplace else cheaper. i think a good website is key, too. i don't see how any shop can survive and compete in today's world without one. look at SWE and Cape Cod Tackle as examples.

[Joe]

Considering that you have to rent space and incur the same overhead as other retail businesses, you'd be better off selling pretty much anything else over tackle as the margins are among the lowest in retail.
My sister owns a botique selling bath products and her margins are almost twice as big as mine.

[maddog2020]

Joe - it is a sad truth. There are way more women out there who spend money more readily that men do on fishing gear. Women give away brand new clothes and shoes with tags on them to good will because they are no longer chic OR they don't fit. I'm not going to say how many times I have heard the phase " I need some new spring clothes ". At the same time I am guilty of buying a dozen of some lures that work well for me.

I just picked up some hot dog/marshmellow forks ($12.50 for two) that extend around 3 feet and thought of a lot of uses for them. My wife felt it was wasted $. I told her paying to Weight Watchers was a waste. Heck, what fun is there in life can't splurge a little and enjoy your hard earned $! I'll take my risks with being a big over weight than suffering eating salads and 4 oz of meat. Dropping dead of a heart attack sounds more appealing that some slow killing cancer.

Beaver - send me a pm w/ a mailing address and I'll send out of lures to you to help you out. RI is a great state to be going to college. I would be fishing all the time in between studying and chasing those hotties on campus.

[The Dad Fisherman]

Originally Posted by maddog2020

My wife felt it was wasted $. I told her paying to Weight Watchers was a waste.

How long before you regained Consciousness......

[maddog2020]

LOL, Kevin, TDF. Nothing worse than yo-yo diet. I tried the Atkins thing and dropped 20-25 lb in 3 months (yeah, I'm a carb lover !), but then gained all of it back over time. Only thing that works for me is moderation and trying to do some kind of constant exercise.

FYI - my wife is a life member of WW and she been able to stable for the past few yrs. She fights her genetics from her mother's side of the family.

I'm brutally honest to a fault. Any one who knows me will tell you that.

Personally, my largest stripers come from drifting live eels out of a boat. Yeah, boat fish don't count. Beach fish have been from factory lures. Those cheap Long A Bombers have been very very good to me. The loaded Redfins are no slouch either. It comes down to CONFIDENCE. Fish what you believe in.

Nothing is better than just going out there and fishing. Worse day of fishing is STILL better than working or watching the boob tube and slowly dying from metabolic syndrone x (google that - scary stuff!). Type II Diabetes is no joke - keep doing take out/fast foods and your screwed.

Sorry for the thread hijack.

[Tagger]

With the enconomy going the way it is ,, I predict an upswing in loan sharking , leg breaking , drug dealing ,,pimping, armored car and atm robbing ..