The Business of supporting shooters?

[leam]

Okay, not sure how to begin so I'll jump right in. For the past couple weeks I've been thinking about how to change careers from geek to something supporting shooters. In the past few months I've become an NRA instructor and state certified Concealed Carry instructor, as well as being a low-level competitor in IDPA, CAS, Bullseye, and GSSF.

Personality type? INTJ. Great for visions, so-so for everyday hands on. By nature I'm a teacher; I can't help helping others. Being neither a top competitor nor an "operator" my niche seems to be the ordinary citizen and getting them from just buying a gun to being able to use it safely at the range and in the home if necessary. The other bit of personality I'm looking at is that I view things as systems. If you've read Robery Kiyosaki's "Before you quit your job", I do the System part well. Visioneering, Idea generation, that's me. I'm good at Communications in teaching and will be starting Toastmasters to improve Marketing and Sales skills.

A couple times a week I find something in the shooting sports that has room for improvement in the system. While there is money to be made in the improvements and I'd like to make enough money to pay the bills and shoot more, there's effectiveness to be gained in improving the system.

By day I'm a Geek for Hire (Unix Systems Engineer) looking for a place to help shooting fix systems. Any ideas on places to look or people to talk to?

Leam

[leam]

Addendum. The plan so far is to increase my competition shooting time and skills. This should stretch me as a shooter so I have more grounding in what I teach, and biuld my "system" of associates I can pass folks around to if a student needs more than I can teach.

Also, looking heavily at Glock. They have a great system and seem near ideal for both personal defence and introductory competition.

Leam

[Seth]

Be careful what you wish for. I spent nearly 10 years working in the off road industry. I had one of the jobs that you'd think, from the outside looking in, would be a dream come true.

In reality it was great for about 6 mos. Then the illusion wore off and it became work... then... it became worse than work. At least when I was at work, everyone else was too. When you work for the industry, there will be times when you have to work and everyone else gets to go play.

I can't begin to tell you how many times I wound up with my rockcrawler out in the middle of Moab, UT (think heaven to a rock crawler) having to work and not getting to go play. It sucks.

On the flip side, I did get to talk about what I enjoyed every day. I got to meet lots of folks that shared the passion and many are still friends. But it did soil the passion some.

Seth

[leam]

Understood. I currently work in an area that used to be my dream. It's still fun sometimes but you have to pick your environment as well as your job. Moving into supporting shooters makes me step back and really evaluate what I do best and what I don't do well at all. I will find more ways to contribute when I act as I've been created.

Leam

[leam]

From a business perspective, are there vendors that are better to work with? In this sense, "better" might be defined as:

Provide promotional material

Have armorer and instructor classes available and open to non-LE

Do not require lock-in to one product brand

Support competative shooting

Provide price breaks for distributors

Do not require large up-front purchase investment

Provide market research and business tools

Leam

[leam]

As I write this the topic has 252 views and 1 reply from someone who is not me. My feeling is that I am either asking a stupid question or have hit on something that others would be interesting in finding an answer for. Anyone willing to voice your thoughts on the topic?

Leam

[BigDave]

You haven't really asked a question, but I'll bite.

Short of any military/LE/championship background (and even then), I don't think going from the industry you're in into shooting instruction will be a 1-for-1 deal. My thought is you'll have to build your business slowly, at a grassroots like level. In a few words - don't quit your day job...yet.

I could easily exchange the description of yourself for my own. I, like you, have a lot of very strong opinions on how people are instructed on a variety of topics and I believe that my ideas are better than most. However, I also realize that without some street-credibility my opinions are just that. It isn't that you can get them out there and make them successful, it just will take some time.

[MikeFoley]

Certainly there are people who have been in the industry longer than I have, but I will give you my story, and my advice.

After many years in corporate America in the business intelligence area, I wanted to do something different. I considered opening a gun shop. I did the market research, the business plan, secured a location, started the licensing paper work, secured finanicial support, and partnered with someone in the industry. I realized I didn't have industry experience. Then, out of no where I was offered a relocation or a severence package. Since my wife at the time had a solid position, and we loved our home, I took the severance. It turned out to be a lot of money.

I was going to take a month to find myself, when a week into my mid-30's retirement, the phone rang. It was a local firearms dealer specializing in antiques and quality modern firearms. Over the next two years I started climbing the ladder, and after several promotions and raises, got close to real world money doing something I liked.

One day, the phone rang again, and on the other end was another opportunity, Director of Sales and Ops at Shooters Connection. Chuck had just relocated to a huge new facility, added a full time staffer, and was looking to expand. Being a Master class shooter, and having sales and firearms experience, we decided that it would be a perfect fit, and it has been every day for the past 9 months. Our company is growing beyond my wildest imagination.

When I gave my 30 day notice of resignation to the other job, I was offered 25% of the company, and the opportunity to buy another 25% over time. Wow, a 35 year old established and profitable business, and I can own a big part of it with no investment! So I did the 5 year calculation, the 10 year calculation, and it came down to this: Did I want to work days until after 6, every Saturday, and gun shows for the next 20 years?

Now with the background behind us, I will hopefully give you some qualified advice from inside the industry in a progressive company who is the best known and biggest of its kind. This is a niche industry catering to a niche market. The better you are, the more credibility you have. No matter how good your ideas are, you have to look at the size of the target market. There has to be diversity if this is going to be your primary income, and know that there is a lot of competition. Even if your ideas are better, others have earned trust with the market.

I suppose not many have chimed in because the didn't want to burst your bubble, or they simply cannot identify. Keep you day job, and develop your ideas and market them in your spare time. Take a job in the industry within your current field, but only the largest firearms companies need dedicated IT guys.

I hope I have not been negative here, certainly I was in the right place at the right time with the right talents. I guess it took me 6-8 years to be able to turn my dream into reality. Chuck has been in this industry for 15 years, but he had a successful business when he started doing this, and grew it gradually with a lot of hard work and midnight oil.

My .02, and certainly not the gospel.

[leam]

Too negative? Oh no...encouraging. And honest, which is also a great thing! I'd rather have a dose of reality before the mortgage is due.

The suggestion that a several year "get ready" period is required makes a lot of sense. Not what I want to hear, but still it makes sense. I've spent some time figuring out what I can really do well and am lookng forward to "making my name" even though it will be as a side vocation for a long while.

I've been working with a business counselor for a bit and he challenged me to do a financial sheet based on some of my ideas. Still in process but it's not looking like I'll be reaching 7 figures anytime soon. But I still think it's the right direction to go and I'm looking forward to hearing from folk's business or industry expertise.

Leam

[leam]

A question about the system of things. My current focus is to be an instructor. One of the things that seems useful would be getting an armorer certification in at least a couple of the more common pistol designs my students may bring in. Any thoughts on whether that's a required, good, bad, or stupid idea?

Leam

[dsb45acp]

I think that armorer certification/qualification would be a good idea. Guns are mechanical devices and no matter how reliable they are, eventually they will puke. I would suggest Glock and Sig-Sauer if you are going to focus on John and Jane Homemaker for teaching. I think most LE agencies use these brands and usually the average citizen wants what the police have. If you are going to focus on competition type instruction, 1911/2011 type armorer is the obvious choice. I completely agree with what Fomeister said about the better you are, the more credibility you have. I'm kind of in the same boat and would like a change but am "trapped" in my current carrer/occupation; I'll watch this thread to see how it works out for you. Good Luck

[konkapot]

PM for you sir.

FY42385

[Bill Nesbitt]

Leam, I'm one of those who have read and not answered.

From your postings so far I'm not sure exactly what it is you want to do.

I've been shooting for several years and make a dollar or 2 here and there from teaching etc. but not enough to make this my day job.

First: location. Do you have a good market or will you have to relocate?

Money: can you live if you quit your day job?

Skills: Do you already have a skill to sell? Some people have the skill but can't teach it. Some people can teach anything.

I decided to keep working for the phone company to finance my shooting desires.

Good luck in whatever you do. Sometimes you just have to follow your dreams.

[leam]

I'm kind of in the same boat and would like a change but am "trapped" in my current carrer/occupation; I'll watch this thread to see how it works out for you. Good Luck

The advice to start now and build up over time is good. Not only are mistakes less threatening but you get to live your life more fully.

Leam

[leam]

Last night my son had to get a couple stiches; being an adventrous 12 year old is rough some times! He held up well but we didn't get home until mid-night. In addition to the forum I have some great inputs via phone, e-mail, and PM to process and the coffee probably won't kick in until I'm halfway to work. So no brillient responses yet...

However, I want to point out that conversations bringing out the reality of a situation are HIGHLY WELCOME! I'll try to explain more later about what I'm specifically good at doing but your responses are really helping me clarify some things.

For those of you looking to also gather information from the conversation, I'll happily share with you. There is power in dreams, i if yours is enabled by this then my life is more worthwhile.

Leam

[leam]

What I do best is help a person grow by translating external concepts into ways they can utilize. Generally that falls under the title of "instructor" but includes "consultant". The more I study business practicals the more I'm challenged to test the theories in the books and see if I can make them profit shooting businesses.

Since my reputation is positive but minimal there's no expectation that a large firearms company will hire me to lead them. So I get to test the test the theories on my own fledgling business. If it survives then good; if it thrives then maybe the theories have some higher value and I can help other businesses integrate them.

That's the theory, anyway...

Leam

Edited June 18, 2008 by leam

[leam]

There was an opportunity for a part-time sales slot at the gun store I frequent. However, they needed more day time hours than I have available. I'm still happy to send business their way and one of the students in Saturday's class is supposed to meet me there Monday evening so I can talk to him about different handguns.

The next opportunity may be in helping organize a local USPSA club. I have a lot to learn from the experienced clubs but I'm thinking my desire to enable other shooters will carry me through some of the "learning experineces". Does anyone have thoughts on "If you're trying to start a USPSA club, you really need to think about ..." sorts of feedback? I'm going over the rules now and looking to have a first rough draft of a plan by the end of July. Any feedback you have is welcome!

Leam

[leam]

I've been working with a business counselor for a bit and he challenged me to do a financial sheet based on some of my ideas. Still in process but it's not looking like I'll be reaching 7 figures anytime soon. But I still think it's the right direction to go and I'm looking forward to hearing from folk's business or industry expertise.

The first rough draft is at http://reuel.net/agw/agw_financial_proforma.html Feel free to make rude comments about my assumptions, or ask insightful questions about my plans.

Leam

[Matt P.]

ok, I am nervous to post here but here it goes anyway.

I am confused to what exactly is your business.

I am also at a loss of your prjected revenues.

Typically a good business plan will account for a proforma P&L and Balance sheet along witha cash flow projection.

I can't really understand from your link there what it is yu are trying to do. Sorry......maybe it's jus me.

[leam]

I can't really understand from your link there what it is yu are trying to do. Sorry......maybe it's jus me.

Matt, it's not you, trust me.

I'm trying to get an initial understanding of the business of supporting shooters. My first product will be as an instructor, and to support growth in that I will continue to compete in local and area matches. To a degree this isn't a business plan, more a reality check. You probably noticed there wasn't a section for marketing costs, I'm still working on that and have no numbers at all. As you did notice there's no explination of intended income; pretty critical to business longevity...

If I take the "luxury path" provided in the link, I need $11k to get started, in addition to the certifications I already have. Not having $11,000 on hand I need to either find ways to cut costs or gather enough industry experience to convince a bank to loan me the funds. Or I can spread the startup costs over a period of time while I learn more about the industry. If I'm spending $40 per Monday Night League match I need to ensure I get at least $41 or return for it in marketing, instructor development, or some form of improvment to the product or ability to produce.

So the page is a reality check for me and I'm looking for input from others on costs I missed, ways to reduce costs, or just plain good business feedback. I have a nice certificate that says I'm qualified to teach and I have a fresh financials web page that says I better really spend a lot of time on this before I assume it's time to run a business.

Hope that helps clarify, and thanks for helping me understand the business stuff better.

Leam

[Matt P.]

Now I undrstand a bit more about what you want to do.

I think a smarter approach to start with would be understanding the market opportunity (if any). What I mean by this is you are selling instruction, Let's call each "class" you would give a "Unit". Now, have you asked anyone in your geographic region if they would purchase a unit from you and how much they would pay, and how many units a year? If you queried say 30 people, you should get some good assumptions on your amount of units sold in a month's time. From there it shouldn't be hard to find out market saturation to realize your growth potential (if any).

I think if you focus more on sales, you then can begin to understand your expenses. As an instructor, your equipment needs are quite heavy. Also, if this will not be your full time job, you need to be profitable (don't quote me) 3 out of your first 5 years in order to have deductable expenses from the IRS.

I could go on and on but I would point you into the direction of determining your sales or market opportunity before you built your expense list.

one out of 1.5 million business's started actually make it to five years in business. Maybe ask yourself if this opportunity is for profit or passion.

[leam]

To follow up on the seriously good advice I've received from the crew here, things are moving forward! The USPSA has so far impressed me with their customer service and I'm looking forward to seeing more of the business side of things. I've joined and will be participating in my first USPSA match this weekend, with a pistol that I've rebuilt.

Well, in the process of rebuilding. It's going through functional testing this week, she ain't purty, but I'm pretty proud of my first 1911 rebuild.

I am assisting another local Concealed Carry instructor in his classes to build my skills and exposure. I live near a city of 600,000+ in a state that's still mostly gun friendly, so lots of potential customers. My target market is the new shooter who wants to feel safe and confident, and is not yet interested in "collecting" to find the "right" gun. Most will either not have a gun, or have one they are not familier with.

My "day job" will provide the majority of my income for the next 5-7 years. To that end I'm keeping myself current in the technology. I am also growing my "business systems" skills through Toastmasters, entrepreneurial study, and consulting with business advisors and SCORE.

In that Glocks are common in local LE and, I feel, mechanically simple enough to help someone learn easily, I have purchased a Glock and will be competing with it in local GSSF matches this year, and expanding competition next year. My shooting skills are more "Bullseye" based than "Run and Gun", so I need to add movement, fitness, and endurance to my training regimen.

There are several local outdoor ranges and I need to join one that will support starting a USPSA club in the near (12-18 months) future. I have already contacted the State coordinator and introduced myself.

Again, I want to let you know how much I appreciate your critique! It's been *very* helpful and I'm processing it on a regular basis.

Thanks!

Leam