An Unorthodox Gun Store

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MagnumDweeb

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Stay with me here for a moment, I have a unique opportunity. A cousin of mine's girlfriend has come to be in a 'family way'. They live in Georgia but her parents live in Central Florida. My cousin works with another cousin(mind you these are close 2nd cousins of mine I see a dozen or so times a year) in his gun shop. The cousin wants to come down here to be with his girlfriend and prospective child, and his parents have a lot of money, he's also looking to get his masters here in Florida. They know all know about me finishing up law school this may, my little NRA Instructor bit, my slightly growing landscaping business and small carpet cleaning operation(me and two other guys). My cousin can do refinishing on most handguns so long as it's not blueing(he can do nickeling and the basic Gun-Kote and what have you). He's got at least twenty k he wants to put up and his parents want to put up some money(for him and their first grandchild). Another cousin who is a lawyer in Miami is getting burned out and she does a lot of family law, wills and trusts, and some minor criminal(a general practicioner more or less). I leave out the bigger details because they are long and boring.

Basically the two cousins want to move to Central Florida and pull their money with me and open what I'm guessing woul be a law office and gun shop:confused:. Now admittedly I've had many students who taken the NRA pistol courses with me, when they find out I'll be completing law school, ask that when I get admitted to bar if they could come see me for legal advice and work. I'd have the cousin who has been at it for six years. I know two criminal attorneys who like the idea of doing a 'class' that includes legal advice on self-defence and firearms in Florida, brings them some extra money for little effort and gets them exposed for more clients.

So if you were to walk into an office lets say(we'd likely rent out along empty warehouse rental) that has two attornies that work there and a guy whocan do minor gunsmithing work, would you be turned off. The gun shops around here are pretty pricey(I know FFL guys, and we might get one of them to transfer their FFL to store and run it there with us) compared to the wholesaler catalogues i've seen. We'd come in offering prices that some times were only $50 above cost or $20 and 20% above cost(doing the math we beat the competitors by up to 20% percent in some cases), let folks order ammo at 5% above cost from the wholesellers, etc. etc.. So folks could get their CWPs, get quality firearms at quality prices, get a Will or Trust done, a Power of Attorney, Divorce Mediation, Law Suit Mediation, etc. etc.

If we do it I want the folks that walk in the door to feel like clients not customers and offer 'client' incentives to boost repeat business. I'd also probably try to partition an office space off from the setup to run my carpet cleaning business on a larger scale to bring in money. I don't know, am I being too out there. Are all gunshops expected to be stuffy with arrogant onlookers from behind the cash register mocking you or you giving you bad(and sometimes downright stupid) advice. If you don't have fake deer heads mounted on the walls, it's not a gunshop.

What about a nice and sincere atmosphere where the folks who work there want you to feel welcome, you to be able to ask in confidence about their firearm needs, that when they don't carry a certain gun you can pop open one of their wholeseller catalogues(subsequently get ticked about the prices offered at other shops) and buy a gun at $20 and 20% above wholesale on order. There are other aspects about it that I've left out for now but I just wanted some honest opinions. A couple lawyers I mentioned the idea to remarked it would be unique but when I mentioned I'd possibly be sending them work(I've seen them in the courtroom, have sent them friends and strangers to only hear good reviews) they liked the idea. I send them criminal cases, they send me gun buyers(not necessarily clients you understand) and folks looking to get Wills and Trusts drawn up.
 
Honestly, I'd be turned off by the sheer randomness of it. The combination seems a bit "schizophrenic", and IMHO, might give the impression that the entire operation can't decide what they really want to be (law office or gun shop) and should be avoided.

Don't get me wrong - it's great that you're all trying to make a go of things. I just think that a little focus can go a long way to lending a business (especially a small business which needs all the help it can get) credibility.
 
Honestly, that sounds bizarre to me. I'm glad you have a close knit family that wants to work together. A law office / gunshop would get alot of attention, people wondering what the heck is actually going on in there. People have wild imaginations you know.

I would more than likely overlook a place like that when seeking legal counsel.
 
I think it would be fine to treat them like seperate businesses, you guys can open it together, but having a law consulting business/gunstore/carpet cleaning business (none of which correlate BTW) would be weird and confusing. I do like the idea of clients and having a professional place.
 
A possible compromise would be two or three distinct storefronts and the back entrance in common. The individual storefronts would have a "dedicated" employee or two and the others would be able to float between the businesses venues. Say a law office that shares a front desk and secretary that will field calls from the other businesses like schedule for carpet cleaning or get the firearms class schedule for the caller etc. You get the idea right? The separation of each core business will be a necessary component as explained in the post above. Basically the COOP approach. Good luck deciding how to proceed.
 
I think the seperate storefront idea would be the way to go.

I'd be a bit leery about such an uncommon (and not necessarily related) one stop shop. I wouldn't want to go to a doctor's office where I could also get my brakes done either.
 
Sounds like the jack-of-all-trades-but-master-of-none.

Not a good thing when it comes to lawyers and guns.

You would at least need different store fronts.
 
Well, what you will find is that it is hard to make money. You have to sell a lot of guns when you net $50 or less on guns.

A cheap building might be $1,000 every month.
Ultilities and such might be another $500 every month.
Advertising budget?
I just recently wrote a check for insurance which was thousands of dollars.

Did I mention you aren't making money yet? And you are already selling 40+ guns a month.

Not to mention that you have a lot of paperwork to keep up with and are constantly needing to be there in order to have a business that people will support.
 
I see an intriguing relationship between attorney, gun shop and rental range, if you pitch it the right way and make it all about helping people start CCW. I would go to a gun shop where I could take a class that consisted of the legal ramifications of self defense, time to rent a bunch of guns and decide which you like, and then dedicated personal coaching for use of the gun. The lawyer could also offer services of retainer to clients who wanted/needed a self defense expert lawyer.

But that's basing the entire business on that combination. The law office wouldn't do anything outside of anything gun related, and no cleaning services! :) So, you're really talking about a full service gun shop that has some unique services. That could work, but I'm not sure if you could keep a lawyer busy on just that.
 
Okay, I resisted (somewhat).

Think about it.

Lawyer for Wills & Trusts
Guns
Carpet cleaning.
 
You're either going to be a lawyer, or you're not. You can't be a lawyer, a carpet cleaner, a landscaper, and a gun seller at the same time. At least not successfully. At least as far as the law business goes, you're all in (and it will consume ALL of your time).

You just graduated law school. That means you don't know squat. Sorry, that's the truth. A guy with 5 years experience is gonna wipe the floor with you. And the guys with 25 years of experience.....
And you don't know anything about the business side of the law, either. So either hang your own shingle (and possibly starve), or find a position with a good firm, working with good people, work your arse off, and prep yourself to either become a partner within 5 years or start your own firm once you have some clients and a reputation built up.

The gun shop is going to take too much time, money, and energy. The overhead is gonna kill you. You won't be able to compete with the larger shops, and the profit margin is gonna be awfully slim. It will do nothing to benefit your legal practice. If you want to share a building, then fine, but the businesses need to have completely separate areas. And the overhead of an even moderately sized law office is going to kill you. If you open your own practice, you'd be better off office sharing so that you can pay a lot less, and you can contribute to a secretary's salary rather than having to pay the entire thing yourself. And you can pop into another lawyer's office to ask for occasional advice, forms, etc. And maybe even get some overflow business.

Like I said, if you intend to practice, then do it. You should probably start as an associate at an established firm. Get ready to work 60 hours a week. Otherwise, start your own office, and keep whichever other business (carpet cleaning/landscaping) that makes the most money to supplement your income until you have enough clients to sell and concentrate exclusively on the law.

JMHO.

Edited to add: and if you're going to practice any domestic law, you are insane to want any kind of a gun store anywhere near your office. Think about it.
 
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That law school must not be very time consuming or that challenging if you can clean carpets and do landscaping. Nobody in my Dental school class could work during that four years and hope to graduate on time, and there was only two weeks off in the summers. The post-doc residency was 37 straight months of 10 hr days. BTW while in the Navy, I was company commander in knife and fork school at Newport RI and 3 of the 4 JAGS in my company failed the military law classes. None of us Doc's (DMD,MD,Do,PhD's) failed. The one sharp JAG officer didn't think the others would pass the Bar, ever. When hiring an attorney, always interview them and get references. Like any profession, there are some who barely squeeked by in a low end school. A lawyer can be your best friend when you need one! There are so many now you can be selective.

now flame me... Sommerled
 
In a word NO-
I'm an attorney for more than a few years and I agree with the responding hive. Hanging a shingle in and of itself is no cakewalk. It takes years to build a good reputation and garner business. My son-in-law is in his 3rd year working his butt off and he going to be fine in 2 years. Daughter in a firm and supports his endeavors, helps keep him lined out evenings and weekends- If your alone its just harder. I did it but it took 4 years to have it really ginning on all 8 cylinders.

With that said there is going to be a LOT of idle time for you so resisting having a sideline will be tough but that idle time might be better spent at the courthouse watching and listening.
 
MagnumDweeb PersonallyI think if you can get those other two lawyer friends involved and have the money for a facility with say a 8 or so lane indoor handgun range and you all become certified instructors that can and will run CCW classes I think your idea might just work out rather well .

You would be surprised at how many ignorant Cops and gun shop commandos who give out completely illegal advice to people , just as an example the old "If you shoot someone and they managed to make it out the door drag them back in" is still given out far to often .

Running a shop with classes like that with the advertisement that tells customers it is actually taught by Attornys that specialize in staying up to date with you states laws would seem to be a great bonus .

You will also be able to help your self if you advertise that you will do transfers for people who have bought of the net for a reasonable fee say $25 , but to help to entice them to buy from you and your stock offer say 2 free hours of rang time with every gun they purchase there .

You could also offer minor yet important things with every gun sold such as how to correctly field strip and lubricate the weapon they buy correctly , something that will take almost no time yet will help make people feel as though you care about them and not just making a sale .

You can also help you pofit margin by doing other small things such as giving away a cheap yet needed holster like an Unckle Mikes brand with each purchase an perhaps a speed loader for any revolver and 1 magazine for and auto .

If you have the room you might even considera once a month weekend or week night reloading classes for a small fee .
 
I'd re-echo the idea of a full service gun shop with legal services relating to guns (ccw training, legal counsel on self defense, retainers for such, legal counsel for business on defense of employees, etc) would work, but it has to be a gun shop first, and the lawyers would have to be dedicated to that.

I think it would make more sense (and probably save your family from a major feud) if you opened the gun shop / shooting range, the lawyers opened their own practices somewhere close by and you just helped each other out on a loose basis (ie, they teach CCW classes, you send them clients that inquire about legal advice). You could work together for sure, but not be tied up in such a strange way...
 
FROGO207 said:
A possible compromise would be two or three distinct storefronts and the back entrance in common.
Click to expand...

I think you're taking on too much too soon. Go the separate store front route, but in a calculated and logical manner of progression.

In the meantime, your cousins can do a reality show.:uhoh:
 
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The thing I see you have going for you is the opportunity for all your family members to pool your money. You could buy/lease a building large enough to house all these businesses, but you really should keep them distinct and separate. Consider also: the space needed for the carpet cleaning and landscaping says "warehouse" -- and how are people going to feel about hiring an attorney whose office is in a warehouse, as opposed to a nice downtown office space?
 
Wow guys, thanks, a lot of food for thought. I think I'm going to play it safe and just try to find a job with a small firm(I've had a couple offers not the best money but better than none). I was kind of leaning that way but I needed a hard dose of reality. Had my cousins, friends, and so on cheering on about it which is easy when it's not their money. Think I'll just keep the Instrutor bit up and keep the carpet cleaning and landscapping to the minimum they are at now. It was a grand idea with little reality behind it, I sensed that but didn't want to admit it. Maybe ten years from now I can open my firm in an office next to a separate building where I own a gunshop with range that I can do the NRA courses at. Thanks guys, food for thought.
 
MagnumDweeb, I feel as though I've just watched sausage being made, but the neatest part of your entire post is when you wrote, "A cousin of mine's girlfriend has come to be in a 'family way'." I'll bet that was a surprise to them both, being from Georgia and all.

Another kool bit is Heron's proposition in #19: "The thing I see you have going for you is the opportunity for all your family members to pool your money." Then you can all sit around trusting each other until Uncle Jimmy drives out of town in his new Mercedes and blond sweetie.
 
You must know my FFL Licensee. He is an attorney who specializes in family law. He is also a licensed PI and former police commander.

Lawyers and accountants are necessary evils, everybody will need one at one time or another. I think it would work, but the two should probably be separate, at least in, marketing, legal, marketing, & financial standpoints. Let the businesses grow individually with a centralized location.


MagnumDweeb
An Unorthodox Gun Store
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