So I had an epihany last night...

[Gord_oh]

...i think this is in the right place. if not, could a mod move it please.

Im 20 years old, I took this last year of college off because I wasnt sure what I wanted to do. Originally my degree title was Broadcasting Communications, but I couldnt see myself doing that. Since then I have been working, just got promoted to full time. Lately I have been tinkering with basses and learning more everyday, I would love to be a luithier. So I got to thinking that there really isnt a music store around where I live.

Long story short (since Im rambling), I want to go to school for business and open my own guitar shop. We would sell, repair, upgrade, basically the other half of stuff Guitar Center wont do. I want to take a couple years, save up, go to school, and learn about guitars to make this dream a reality. I already have a name picked out.

Its ambitious, but I am ok with it. Im willing to take the time to make sure this is done right.

I know what I want to sell, who I want to sell it to, and where I want to be. And for step 1 in this long process I think I am off to a good start. Once I get some schooling under my belt Ill be in good shape.


my concept design.
and please, no one take my name or design.

[crab]

Originally Posted by Gord_oh

...i think this is in the right place. if not, could a mod move it please.

Im 20 years old, I took this last year of college off because I wasnt sure what I wanted to do. Originally my degree title was Broadcasting Communications, but I couldnt see myself doing that. Since then I have been working, just got promoted to full time. Lately I have been tinkering with basses and learning more everyday, I would love to be a luithier. So I got to thinking that there really isnt a music store around where I live.

Long story short (since Im rambling), I want to go to school for business and open my own guitar shop. We would sell, repair, upgrade, basically the other half of stuff Guitar Center wont do. I want to take a couple years, save up, go to school, and learn about guitars to make this dream a reality. I already have a name picked out.

Its ambitious, but I am ok with it. Im willing to take the time to make sure this is done right.

I know what I want to sell, who I want to sell it to, and where I want to be. And for step 1 in this long process I think I am off to a good start. Once I get some schooling under my belt Ill be in good shape.


my concept design.
and please, no one take my name or design.

dude, nail down the web URL first. Then get a DBA license in your locality to secure the name, at least in your county.

[OHSPyro89]

You may want to consider demographics of your area too, that may be why there isn't a music store yet. I'm sure you'll eventually go through all of that.

Also, specialization would only mean specialized business. If you broadened your services to other instruments, I think you'd get more business. The difference between refinishing a guitar, and a piano isn't a huge difference.

I've always thought about this stuff, not for me though, for making a business. I always find a ton of issues. The main thing is why should someone choose your business over a larger chain store with good credentials? Guitar center is huge, and not a lot of people stray away from it, because there isn't a reason.

[Gord_oh]

Originally Posted by OHSPyro89

You may want to consider demographics of your area too, that may be why there isn't a music store yet. I'm sure you'll eventually go through all of that.

Also, specialization would only mean specialized business. If you broadened your services to other instruments, I think you'd get more business. The difference between refinishing a guitar, and a piano isn't a huge difference.

I've always thought about this stuff, not for me though, for making a business. I always find a ton of issues. The main thing is why should someone choose your business over a larger chain store with good credentials? Guitar center is huge, and not a lot of people stray away from it, because there isn't a reason.

right.
there are local mom and pop shops that have been around years and are well established. they are not too far away but it is a drive.

i was thinking of making is accessible to people who wont/cant drive to GC or another store. i want to carry brands that others around here dont (SX, Jay Turser, webstrings.com, Seymour Duncan).

i plan on being big in customer service as well, hopefully that would be a good enough tactic to bring people back and for them to tell a friend. GC is in it for a sale....i dont want to be like that.

[Gord_oh]

Originally Posted by OHSPyro89

Guitar center is huge, and not a lot of people stray away from it, because there isn't a reason.

i could be the reason. im not expecting this over night, but im willing to put in the hours to be successful.

[Headless Llama]

I personally avoid Guitar Center and other big music stores. There is a great music store that I am lucky enough to have near by. I go there because the people are great, and I know that they are going to be there when it comes time for anything that may come up. Unlike Guitar Center that just sees people as numbers. It is definitely a hard market to break, so you need to do alot of research, and bring a product to your location that other stores have overlooked. For instance the store I go to is a Parker and Gresch dealer. They also carry vintage guitars.

Another smaller retailer specializes in Zvex pedals...

There are alot of possibilities.

[Gord_oh]

Originally Posted by Headless Llama

I personally avoid Guitar Center and other big music stores. There is a great music store that I am lucky enough to have near by. I go there because the people are great, and I know that they are going to be there when it comes time for anything that may come up. Unlike Guitar Center that just sees people as numbers. It is definitely a hard market to break, so you need to do alot of research, and bring a product to your location that other stores have overlooked. For instance the store I go to is a Parker and Gresch dealer.

Another smaller retailer specializes in Zvex pedals...

There are alot of possibilities.

my point exactly. thank you.

[Headless Llama]

Originally Posted by Gord_oh

my point exactly. thank you.

Well, your welcome.

[OHSPyro89]

It's definitely true. The thing that angers me about guitar center is that the last time I was in there I was treated like ****. They wouldn't drop a price on a used amp head that was partially broken. I was about to bust some faces... I really think the way they let their employees present themselves is a little... too fashionable. It's a business, not a gig.

I have reason to suspect that a lot of guys in GC are very uneducated too. Not only on guitars, but in general. I can't count how many have told me straight up that it's cheaper to buy a guitar than build one.

Now that I think about it, I think it'd be nice to have a guitar shop that carried certain lumber. Lumber is cheap, and there could be a reasonable markup without gouging the hell out of people. StewMac is about double the price I pay for my wood, and they are located 2 hours from me. I think that'd give a certain amount of unique factor that would be nice.

In the end, I think you just need to one up Guitar Center. Not so much as for selection, although that's important, but how everything else is handled. Hell, start your own guitar line, and make it something good!

[Gord_oh]

Originally Posted by OHSPyro89

Hell, start your own guitar line, and make it something good!

its in the works actually.
the shop is somewhat of a doorway...

good idea with carrying wood products.
no one around here really does that.
we have lumber yards but its not specialty wood.

[OHSPyro89]

Yeah, I was working with one of the last organ companies here in town producing a guitar. It made me realize that it's got to be perfect. We were using Joe Barden pickups, which are phenomenal, but the rest of the guitar just didn't live up. It'd be nice to start a guitar company, not bass, that had build qualities like custom basses do. I'm talking exotic tops, wood covered pickups, single cut bodies, laminate body wings, and so on. I'm not a bass player, I just frequent this forum just for inspiration on builds. The craftsmanship here is astounding. I'm building a 6 string with 19 mm spacing, I don't know why, but it's one of my favorite builds!

[Headless Llama]

I went into a store called interstate music. I was waiting in line to buy a pretty expensive bass. There were two teenagers working behind the counter making comments about bassists. When I got up to the counter I asked what the joke was. One of the young lads said that I must be playing bass because I was a bad guitar player. I went from being excited about my new bass to ready to beat him with it. I put the bass on the floor, and walked out. I have never been back to that store. Talk about customer service.

[Basschair]

Moved.

Best regards,
Paul

[Gord_oh]

its happening.

a friend knows ive been fixing and building basses. he mentioned me to two of his friends. one wants a budget bass to start on and one wants his SG repainted.

IM IN BUSINESS!

this is what ive been wanting, networking is going to be my strongest alli at this point.
im so excited to be working on someone elses gear other than my own.
its almost like building a resume.

[stflbn]

If you're in business... better start running it like a business, LLC, taxes, etc etc etc. It's inevitable that someone will find fault in something you repair, sell, setup, etc and try suing you for ruining their irriplaceable instrument. Or something tragic like a fire where you're currently doing the work that destroys any instruments you're working on. When you take possession of an instrument to work on, you're responsible for the well being and potential replacement of that instrument if something horrible happens.

Also, start saving a huge lump of money for inventory, rent, insurance, etc when you decide you need a location.


.

[Gord_oh]

Originally Posted by stflbn

If you're in business... better start running it like a business, LLC, taxes, etc etc etc. It's inevitable that someone will find fault in something you repair, sell, setup, etc and try suing you for ruining their irriplaceable instrument. Or something tragic like a fire where you're currently doing the work that destroys any instruments you're working on. When you take possession of an instrument to work on, you're responsible for the well being and potential replacement of that instrument if something horrible happens.

Also, start saving a huge lump of money for inventory, rent, insurance, etc when you decide you need a location.


.

thats good advice.
maybe ill even print reciepts, keep copys, the whole sha-bang.
i work in a corporate retail store now, so i understand precautions that need to be taken and how things are run. i just need to apply them to my situation.

once i get into school for business i have a better idea what i need to do for the business side of things.

im banking what i can to get a place of business.

PS- i really like the 5 string tele. regenerate does nice work.

[Phalex]

Epiphanies are pretty good, but I'd still get a Gibson if I could afford one.

[DanAleks]

Get in touch with SCORE.
It's free business mentoring. People with real world experience who are willing to help you online or in person.

When we started our business, it was invaluable.

Home page:
http://www.score.org/index.html

Find a SCORE location:
http://www.score.org/findscore/index.html

[MEKer]

Gotta say I love your logo design-VERY cool!

[Zachthebassplyr]

Sounds like a fantastic dream, I say go for it.