What would do good?

[steer]

True, but there aren't enough dog/pet people in this area to sustain a store like that. Especially when you look at the fact that you would have to put it in the WM shopping center to give the best chance at success and the rent for that size building there is outrageous. I say it would have to be there because people will drive from Pound, Jenkins, Whitesburg, PV, SP, Castlewood wherever to go to WalMart but they won't drive on downtown to go to the Pet Partners, "it's too far out of their way."


There also isn't the population or demand to open a bookstore either. WM and KM selection sucks because the demand isn't there to merit putting a lot into them.

I can see the desire to have a true sports bar but the problem is the amount of overhead means it has to bbe packed at least 6 nights a week and not just the weekends. This was discussed before a couple years ago when Poor Farm was built and I think it was tried, or halfass tried in that location. The big argument is you have all these kids at the college that would keep it busy, the thing is all those kids at the college don't have any money to spend. Yeah they will come and hang out and drink a few beers and watch the sporting events free but just because the place is full and all the customers love it selling appetizers and 50 cases of beer a week won't even pay the cable/satellite bill.


What a lot of people don't realize when they try/want to open a business is that it's not just about making enough to keep the business open and make a profit but you have to do it while also making enough to pay your own bills at home. Like mortgage/rent, power, water, phone, car payments/insurance etc. That is why you see a lot of places not last long the people that open them are used to a weekly paycheck and being able to pay all this stuff and open the business and all of a sudden all these bills are at least double. You need to know that just because it is a business the phone bill is nearly twice the cost for the same service you have at home, and it's the same with most everything else as well.







You do know that a YMCA is a christian association that is meant to teach christian principles and not just a "free" gym??? Yes they are open to anyone but the guiding force behind them makes it a place that I would expect you to be pushing to have them all shut down.

It's the problem that dad and I discuss at every single option we've came up with. It almost has to be a corporately owned business brought in. People want this and that.
GNC has been brought up numerous times, but you couldn't make enough with it, to pay the rent at the new Wal-Mart and anywhere else, it's not going to do good.

[TheBeast]

What do you know? You're just a successful small business owner

You're right, please disregard previous post.

It's the problem that dad and I discuss at every single option we've came up with. It almost has to be a corporately owned business brought in. People want this and that.
GNC has been brought up numerous times, but you couldn't make enough with it, to pay the rent at the new Wal-Mart and anywhere else, it's not going to do good.

I have never seen that many people in a GNC in a metro area, I really don't think that would work at all in Wise County. Other than some sort of fast food or other big name franchise, (which if you have been checking you have to have a net worth of a million plus just to get consideration). Your best bet is to have some type of specialty to offer that you can't get just anywhere and not rely on the general public for the majority of your sales, something where you have other business' or institutions buying on a regular basis.

[Biggin]

itll be very tough to start a new business if you dont have enough savings to not cut yourself a check for a while. beast said it best, people seem to forget that when you open a business it has to pay the bills at home too.

i dont see a bookstore doing very well (libraries are everywhere + the internet), pet stores would take a lot of overhead to put in a decent location and then im not sure enough people would be willing to spend a lot of money to keep it open (chew toys and dog collars do not leave any profit margin)
a sports bar would have to be in the perfect location and honestly be the best bar in the world to make money in wise co.

a business with the least amount of overhead has the best chance to succeed IMO.
my dad and I have looked into several different options, from everything from striping parking lots and cleaning coal trucks, but its very hard to make money around here. you are more likely to make money offering a service than relying on retail sales.

how many sporting good stores are in Wise/Norton?
Big Stone has one that does pretty well, but I think a nice sporting goods/hunting/fishing store would do well in that area. a place that sells all sorts of outdoors stuff, works on rifles and such, etc...

[TheBeast]

a place that sells all sorts of outdoors stuff, works on rifles and such, etc...

This is one thing I had thought about myself, it would have to be something like a mini BassPro or Cabellas store. And even at that you are going to need a good size store because of the amount of inventory you will have to have. I know myself I don't buy a gun without looking at it would be the same with any other hunting/fishing equipment. Then you have to consider there are two gun shops in Coeburn and you have Colgard in Norton that are well established. One of the largest growing markets over the last decade has been in the fishing industry. The only problem here is proximity to the lakes where people fish and your customer's will be going to Cherokee, Douglas, Boone, South Holston etc. and would just as oon stop at any number of small shops near the lakes or if going toward Cherokee/Douglas will just drive another 20 minutes to BassPro.

[steer]

It's really a shame that Starbucks can't be franchised. That is the one place, I would franchise and open up. It would do well without any question. Yes, coffee shops have come and gone, but people of Wise County see that national chain name, and it's sold.

[TheBeast]

It's really a shame that Starbucks can't be franchised. That is the one place, I would franchise and open up. It would do well without any question. Yes, coffee shops have come and gone, but people of Wise County see that national chain name, and it's sold.

That is till they taste that slop, of course they would pay $8 a cup for it and just love it so they could strut around holding their Starbucks cup making sure everyone see's it.

[SunTzu]

Starbucks franchises to Target .

[Biggin]

This is one thing I had thought about myself, it would have to be something like a mini BassPro or Cabellas store. And even at that you are going to need a good size store because of the amount of inventory you will have to have. I know myself I don't buy a gun without looking at it would be the same with any other hunting/fishing equipment. Then you have to consider there are two gun shops in Coeburn and you have Colgard in Norton that are well established. One of the largest growing markets over the last decade has been in the fishing industry. The only problem here is proximity to the lakes where people fish and your customer's will be going to Cherokee, Douglas, Boone, South Holston etc. and would just as oon stop at any number of small shops near the lakes or if going toward Cherokee/Douglas will just drive another 20 minutes to BassPro.

thats a good point, the biggest spots for fishing are miles away. I didnt realize there two gun shops in Coeburn, I thought it was just the one in town and the Colgard in Norton.
but a big shop that repairs rifles and fishing equipment (including outboard motors and such), sells both fishing and hunting equipment (and other outdoors stuff, paintball stuff, camping equipment, etc...) may do well. If I was going to pursue it, it would include taxidermy and mounting stuff, where people can bring their kills to have them stuffed. maybe even a very small rifle range in the back, where people can test out rifles and handguns before purchasing.

i know lures and tents dont have much profit margin, but rifles (especially if you are willing to buy rifles from customers and resell them) and other guns can leave a pretty fat margin.

EDIT-and I think Starbucks is nasty as well, no way would I drink that disgusting stuff. But Beast is right, it would do well here because people would buy the coffee to show off the cup.

[TheBeast]

thats a good point, the biggest spots for fishing are miles away. I didnt realize there two gun shops in Coeburn, I thought it was just the one in town and the Colgard in Norton.
but a big shop that repairs rifles and fishing equipment (including outboard motors and such), sells both fishing and hunting equipment (and other outdoors stuff, paintball stuff, camping equipment, etc...) may do well. If I was going to pursue it, it would include taxidermy and mounting stuff, where people can bring their kills to have them stuffed. maybe even a very small rifle range in the back, where people can test out rifles and handguns before purchasing.

i know lures and tents dont have much profit margin, but rifles (especially if you are willing to buy rifles from customers and resell them) and other guns can leave a pretty fat margin.

It's not that they don't have a good margin (you can nearly double your money on them) it's just that your only doubling $4. I agree with everything except the outboard motors, that's an item to sell and service you need to be close enough to get them on the water to test correctly. You are also looking at a extremely big ticket item at $15-25,000 per.

[Biggin]

I didnt think about that, itd be tough to test the outboard motor in a bathtub lol

but yeah that was my point I just worded it wrong, the margin is good but you arent making any money if you are only netting 1-2 dollars an item.

but a place that buys and sells used/new firearms and repairs them, same with fishing supplies and outdoors equipment, might do well in the right location with the right services offered and business model.

i really think taxidermy would be a big addition to a store like that, many people love to have things stuffed and from what ive researched its not a very expensive service to offer. It takes time and skill, but you can make good money on it.

whats the profit margin on something like a tree stand or a blind? those items like that could also really add to the bottom line, especially in this area. A lot of people use tree stands, blinds not as much but since hunting is so popular here, a place that could take care of all your hunting/fishing needs may succeed.

It wont make anybody a millionaire IMO, but a good solid living