As one who owned a sporting goods store in Michigan, let me give you a very large warning.
I was a founder and owner of Baldwin Bait and Tackle, which is mainly a fishing/fly fishing store, but located near the very busy Pere Marquette river.
I sold my interest in the store a few years back and the store is doing well, but that's only because it's right next to a major year round fly fishing destination known around the world.
Your problem of having just a bow shop near the lake shore is several fold. There's population problems, traffic and cash flow concerns.
Unless you're going to add fishing stuff, which can do very well by the lake shore, you're not going to get enough people thru the doors, year round, to make it. You're not near a major expressway that has lots of "non-locals" and you're tucked away from the major population centers in southern Michigan and those who have the most money to spend.
There aren't enough traditional bowhunters, and probably not even enough compound bowhunters in the area to justify the investment.
Ask this, how much business do you have to do a day to keep your doors open and the lights on? $1000 a day? Do you think you can do a grand a day, average, to pay the bills and support yourself? Do you own the building? Will you close during the winter? Do you realize with a start up bow shop that you'll be working when everyone else is scouting, hanging stands and hunting?
I understand your excitement about the idea, but unless you're in an area near tons of people, with money and with tons of traffic, you won't make it against the big box stores, online powerhouses and places like Jays.
Blackdog is on M-57 about 1/2 mile off the 131 interstate which flows north and south, about 20 minutes north of the metro-Grand Rapids area with roughly 1,000,000 people and they also cater to waterfowl hunters, fishermen, compound and rifle hunters.
I'm in there all the time. In fact, I called Tom up this afternoon. Great shop!
I realize Holland is close to Grand Rapids and that 196 is an expressway, but far fewer people are driving in that direction compared to the sportsmen that use US 131. And Holland is more like a bedroom community vs the major expressway people from Metro Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois take when traveling to northern Michigan.
Unless you have people constantly walking thru the doors and dropping cash on big ticket items, you won't make it.
Sorry to throw the cold water, but I speak from experience.
I'm not saying it's impossible, but unless you're in a killer location near an expressway/highway crossing, with great frontage, and you make sure you have constant people walking thru the doors and cater to fishing too and and close to a fishing destination and you want to work tons and tons of hours for little money the first few years, you'll be hard pressed to make it.
Topic: West Michigan Traditional Archery Shop (Read 863 times)
