If you have a passion for the outdoors and want to own your own company, why not think about starting a sports gear and apparel business? You could carry everything from firearms and concealed carry apparel to fishing and camping gear. Why not combine your love of the outdoors with a passion for entrepreneurship?
Follow the tips below, and you’ll be on your way!
Get The Excuses Out Of The Way
Most people say at one time or another, “I want to start my own company.” But most never get past the planning stage. Why?
For many, life gets in the way; starting a small business takes courage, capital, discipline, a willingness to take risks, and a lot of work. Unless you have a wealthy aunt that gives you a blank check, you can come up with a million reasons to not take the plunge.
Let’s be real – running your own company can be scary at first. But almost everyone who started their own business dealt with these challenges and got past them, and so can you.
Choose Your Specialties
First, you should decide what the focus of your sports gear and apparel company will be. For example, if you enjoy shooting firearms, hunting, and fishing, it makes sense to sell these types of goods.
Or, if you love traditional organized sports, you might decide to sell gear and apparel for football, baseball, and basketball teams. When you make this critical decision, you should review what is offered in your area and try to stand out from the competition.
It’s essential when you begin your business to focus on a niche. Then, once you have achieved profitability in that sector, think about expanding.
Remember that small businesses don’t need to offer everything like Amazon or Walmart. Instead, you can provide a selective product line that makes you money first and go from there.
Assess Strengths And Weaknesses
We all have abilities, skills, and experience to help us grow our business.
For example, if you come from a sales and marketing background, you should have a leg up on selling your products and services at a fair price to a list of clients. But you might not be able to write a marketing flyer to save your life.
No small business professional can do everything well. You’ll need to determine what you are good and not so good at and hire a limited staff of skilled professionals to help in your weaker areas. For example, you can bring on a part-time copywriter and CPA to handle your advertising copy and accounting needs.
Understand Who Your Potential Customers Are
There are many examples of fantastic business ideas launched in the wrong city, community, or at the wrong time. For instance, if your passion is shooting sports and fishing, you need to be careful that you establish your business in a part of your community where people have access to target ranges, state or federal land set aside for hunting, or lakes and streams for fishing.
Don’t Do It All Yourself
You must have support when you begin your sports gear and apparel company. Try a friend or loved one who has worked in a similar field. When you’re starting a new company in a new field, you will want guidance from a mentor. So, search for a mentor in the field who has started their own company and succeeded.
You can avoid many common mistakes starting a company if you learn from others and keep our tips above at the top of your mind.