I need input from THR readers before a New Business Venture

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Mjoilner1911

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Hi guys (and Gals)

I need your help.....I'm strongly considering investing some $$ in tools and equiptment to manufacture custom Kydex holsters, mag pouches and Knife sheathes. What I need to know is.....

A) Is this market too flooded allready, or are the products out there not filling users needs. I plan on primarily making pocket concealment rigs for small auto's
and J frame Wheelguns, as well as Hideout rigs for Small fixed blade Knives.

B) Is asking $35 to $45 for a pocket holster unreasonable?


C) Would Marketing primarily on the lists like THR, AR-15.com, and Sturmgewehr.com work well, or would i need to invest in a web page of my own.


D) How many peolpe here would have any kind of interest in Custom Kydex Pocket rigs.



Thanks in advance to those of you who help me out with this.


Mick Sharpe
Sharpe Weapontech (hopefully)
 
If you start small, you can enter that market. I would build a webpage. It's easy to do, and is not as expensive as you might think. Advertising on the sites mentioned could be a good way to hit the target market. I would also suggest the Concealed Carry magazine.

If you can sell your products for those prices, and make a profit, I would buy one.

Keep us posted, and good luck.
 
Mick,

I have a little experience in one area of the questions you asked and that is about the marketing. For me, and my side line product I make, web site based ads have done very poorly. Google ads respond much better, thou only marginal, and you can set a daily maximum for the expense. I have advertised on appropriate sites that had hundreds of thousands of monthly visitors with virtually zero immediate response. Google ads seem to work best. I would definitely not rely on a few websites to make ends meet and Google ads are only barely acceptable. Ask yourself and have a good answer for: Why will someone buy my (your) holsters over XYZs? What is your unique selling position (USP)? Hope this helps or at least keeps ya thinking.

Joe

PS Websites are cheap and easy to do. Getting people to wander in and spend some $$$$$$ is the big issue........
 
Nitch.......

Hope I spelled that right....
You need to find a nitch which someone has not filled.... Most of us firearms owners stand behind our products we use....We also recommend them to our other fellow shooters.
Telling me that another Kydex style holster is coming out doesn't do much for me...

IMO.............
 
Its a crowded market. Your best bet is going to be selling quality and value. Shotgun News would be a good place to run adds. THR I believe has rules against advertising on the site. Word of mouth will be your ultimate advertising however.
 
If you sell a quality product and you are meeting an unmet need in the market then you should do O.K. I would definatly put together a web site. A half a$$ web sight can ruin the hole thing so take care of this well.
 
Just a suggestion...

and there may be someone allready doing this, but the one thing I dont like about Kydex is the real or percived damage to the finish of the gun. Maybe offer a holster that is lined in leather or similar material? Nce to have the external toughness of kydex with something lining it to keep the gun in nicer shape.
 
How much money are you planning on investing in tooling and equipment?

My suggestion is that you start small. Design and build some holsters and get them in the hands of some local shooters. Get feedback to improve the design. Let word of mouth help you out.

Remember that there is a *alot* of competition in this area. They may be room for you as well, but what are you going to offer that they can't get somewhere else? There has to be *something* that sets you apart. Some ideas include: A better design. Lower prices. Personalized service. Holsters for guns that you can't find holsters for normally.

If your serious, you'll need to do more than advertise in the classifieds on gunboards. A website is a minimum requirement and you shouldn't stop there. You can build your advertising as you build your business though. No need to buy a glossy gun rag ad when your first starting out, for instance, but eventually you might want to do that.
 
Customer service

Remember customer service. There were 2 guys on the CZ board who both had decent products that people wanted to buy but they screwed the pooch by not filling orders on time and not returning messages promptly. If you can build and ship your holster quicker than somebody else maybe there is a place for you.
pete
 
Having a webpage isn't expensive, I would also reccomend posting on www.packing.org I think the biggest thing is, if you have a great product with great service it will sell. Possibly consider making a few freebies and giving them out for people to write reviews on. That will give you tips if you need to change design and definitely get your name out there. If your business is web based, I would suggest going with hosting that has a fast connection. Nothing worse than looking at things online or placing an order and waiting minutes for a page to load.

-Ryan
 
My advice:

1. I don't have a stat based in fact for you, but many start-ups with otherwise sound product or business ideas are killed by CASH FLOW problems.

2. Have a business plan and run the numbers. Sometime people who think they have a good idea find out that they will be making a Walmart salary when all is said and done.

3. Spelling counts . . . . . .

:)
 
The problem you're going to have is that you're already late to the marketplace. Several companies already offer excellent custom kydex holsters. Fist makes a superb custom fitted kydex pocket holster which only costs $34.95.
 
I know the e-commerce side of things, so I can give some advice there.

A Web site, even one that's e-commerce enabled, is pretty inexpensive. I run our own server for the company where I work, but the cheaper, easier way is to use a hosted service.

The last few times I've looked into it for friends who asked Yahoo Stores was the best package. Cost last time I checked was around $40 per month. That includes Web hosting and the e-commerce package. They have nice templates, so to get started you may not even need a Web designer. If you do hire a designer (or learn to do it yourself) the nice thing about Yahoo is that you can program it in PHP if you know how.

Marketing-wise, Google Adwords are very effective. Some print classifieds are probably a good idea, too. If you use Yahoo you're automatically included in their store search, which doesn't hurt.

BTW, when I bought a Mika holster a couple years ago Robert Mika was using PayPal's shopping cart, and it worked fine.
 
As a small Biz owner, I have this suggestion_ Niche Market. Were I to start in the gun related biz, I would start a FEMALE ONLY/ or at least advertise female friendly gunstore /gunproducts biz and find the sharpest lady shooter I could find to run it. Do you have any idea how many ladie's out there are interested in guns and shooting and self protection but can't find an easy way to break into it? I think it is huge, judging from reactions from my VERY LIBERAL FRIENDS! You should have seen my lesbian shop helpers eyes light up over my 1895 Chilean Mauser.
How hard is it for a woman to find a good concealment rig? I bet is is very difficult. I seem to recall one of the ladies on this board bemoaning the lack of appropriate holsters. [/I]
 
I like my chest/bellyband wrap for concealment, but wish it had a thin kydex insert to hold my pistol more securely...
 
I don't want to come across as an a-hole, but it is not "nitch", it's "niche". Sorry man, it's the teacher in me coming out.

Back on topic, I think you need to consider how you are going to fill orders, as someone else pointed out. It doesn't matter how good your product is or how good the pricing is if you can't get the product to the consumer. Buying stuff on the internet is attractive because it's convienient, and if you can't get an order shipped in about 5 days tops, all your going to do is have a lot of angry customers, and moreover, they will likely be angry customers that will post on sites like the high road telling everyone how bad your service sucks.
 
I would start small building holsters for the most popular autos. Do it part time and deliver product on time. Provide local gun shops with product as well to display. It would help to have a few friends who will recommend and sell your stuff. Get a web site set up. Not too tough, but it will still run you a bit of money unless you can do it yourself.

IF you do it full time, you need to have a business location, office equipment, etc., and sufficient capital to last your first year without any income. Buy insurance also. Part time is more flexible. Some of the kydex sheath makers that advertise or post on the knife forums may be able to help you out on the basics and what to expect. Good luck.

I would sell on ebay for sure with a store.
 
I would agree that it is definitely a flooded market right now.

A good web site is paramount! If you're going to have a 12-year old do it, do not have a web site at all, because a lousy one will hurt you as much as a good site will help you.

How about some help and focus for us lefties. There are not a lot of people out there that seem to remember that not every human uses their right hand.

Other than that...great service and communication with customers will allow you to steadily build a business.

.02
 
"Remember customer service. There were 2 guys on the CZ board who both had decent products that people wanted to buy but they screwed the pooch by not filling orders on time and not returning messages promptly. If you can build and ship your holster quicker than somebody else maybe there is a place for you.
pete"

Pete has it right
 
Business Guy Advice.

Rather than lookin' for where the BIGGEST market exists (popular pocket autos & revolvers), look for where the "big boys" haven't looked. And let your small size be your ADVANTAGE.

Because of the flexibility inherent to a one-man operation you can react much faster than a larger manufacturer with a back-logged production schedule. Let that nimbleness be your competitive attribute. Watch for trends in the handgun industry and new handgun model releases, pay particular attention to the ones getting a lot of positive reviews and mentions in the gun press. Contact the DISTRIBUTORS (not manufacturers) and announce your ability & willingness to IMMEDIATELY mold holsters for that new release. For instance...the new Taurus .45/.410 revolver (Model 44 Ten).

Gunshop scuttlebutt is that they're flying off the shelves and everyone wants a look at one for "whatever reason", (distributors can/will tell you if that's true or not). Now distributors are in the business of making money, so you've got to "cut them in" in some manner. But I'll bet NOBODY is building a holster for that pistol yet...THAT'S your easiest, fastest market. When people buy a gun they want their new toy to have a HOLSTER, they don't want to shop around or wait. Here's an idea, get ahead of the curve and find-out what "NEW WHIZ-BANG" handgun the Distributor is expecting soon. They usually have a sample you can use. Build holsters for that gun in advance of its general release. That give you a nice, steady customer & lets the Distributor ship holsters to the Gun Shop to sell WITH these "cool new releases". If a gun is popular enough, eventually Galco, Uncle Mikes and Bianchi will ALL have a model to fit...but by then, you're already on the NEXT new release.

Also, pick five custom tactical knife makers that DON'T make their own sheaths. Ask them what features they want and quote them prices and turn-around time. If your stuff is what they've asked for, you've got CUSTOMERS! That's just another spot where you can "out flank" the BIG BOYS.

Good Luck & Best Regards,
Ghost Tracker
 
Yeah, I have a niche for you

LEFT HANDED HOLSTERS! Seriously folks I have had to jump through the damnedest hoops to find good southpaw holsters for newer guns. A lot of places have them or manufacture them but when I go to buy one... out of stock or whatever. ARRRGGGHHH!

And when they do have them they are usually about 10% more expensive. (Not always, sometimes they are on serious sale because the shop wants to get rid of them, but mostly they are more expensive).
 
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