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Posted

I am deeply grateful for the few that took me seriously enough to give me some helpful answers.

 

I am the owner of the store with my own day job. Of curse I will hire experienced people. I have personal experience in many outdoor sport areas but limited in rock climbing so I hope to hire a manger who is strong in that area. But, step by step, I can't hire staff until I have a store. I can't have a store until I develope a business plan. I can't develop a busines plan until I have a relationship with manufacturers so that is the stage I'm not now . . . developing a business plan and establishing which products that I want to carry.

 

Thanks again.

Posted

hey, you're welcome.

 

seriously, good luck. I think you'd be better off starting off specializing in those areas that you've got personal experience in, and set plans for carrying a bunch of climbing gear aside until you've got someone who could really properly advise you...

Posted (edited)

You might try visiting Marmot Mountain Work in Bellevue, ProMountain Sports in the U-district, Second Ascent in Ballard, and Feathered Friends downtown, and do some looking and questioning.

 

Also, just because a manf. makes good equipment, doesn't mean they are good to their retailers. Many are notoriously late with their shipments to retailers, or notorious for running out of stock on hot items.

Edited by ericb
Posted (edited)
hey, you're welcome.

 

seriously, good luck. I think you'd be better off starting off specializing in those areas that you've got personal experience in, and set plans for carrying a bunch of climbing gear aside until you've got someone who could really properly advise you...

 

I have several good friends that are serious climbers to draw from as well including my next door neighbor and good friend who's from S. Africa who was a professional mountaineer guide and rock climbing instructor for years. I came to this forum to get a broader opinion from other climbers.

 

I live near the bottom of Mount Erie in Anacortes. This whole idea started when I was taking my teenage kids climbing on Erie (we go quite often) and I just wanted another locking biner. I was new to the island. I was surprised that you could not find one biner on the whole island. You would probably have to drive to Bellingham to buy one, let alone quick draws, caulk, webbing or other supplies.

 

I didn't mean to sound like I've never climbed before. I started 25 years ago, but I am nowhere as experienced as many on this forum.

 

Certainly there is not the need here that would support a climbing only store. My speciality is more light weight backpacking (I spent three weeks in NW Frontier of Pakistan in March backpacking and working in earthquake relief). I do a lot of sea kayaking as well, but we have a decent sea kayaking outfitters on the island.

Edited by jmj11
Posted
You might try visiting Marmot Mountain Work in Bellevue, ProMountain Sports in the U-district, Second Ascent in Ballard, and Feathered Friends downtown, and do some looking and questioning.

 

That's a very good idea and I have already started to visit many other stores to see what they've done right. To suceed I must create a niche that no one else is serving in our area (San Juans).

You might want to talk to the guy who started Barrel Mountaineering in Bozeman (I think he also owns Second Ascent--can someone who knows for sure verify that?). He lives here in the Seattle area, and he was successful at starting Barrel back when Bozeman was really small. He also survived after a huge gear shop when up in Bozeman, mostly b/c he fulfilled a niche.

Might be helpful...

Posted
Brent Bishop owns Barrel Mountaineering in Bozeman. He doesn't hold any claim in Second Ascent to my knowlege.

You can probably find him in Index on a sunny sat morning.

Thanks

 

Doesn't he own a shoppe here too? Or did I make that up? I get my facts all mixed up sometimes...

Posted

I wish I had a good enough memory to say "maybe so, yeah" to that; but I'd be lying.

Thanks though for setting me straight, I don't like giving out wrong information.

I still like Barrel Mtning though!

Posted
hey, you're welcome.

 

I just wanted another locking biner. I was new to the island. I was surprised that you could not find one biner on the whole island. You would probably have to drive to Bellingham to buy one, let alone quick draws, caulk, webbing or other supplies.

 

How much caulk do you normally use while climbing? hahaha.gif

Posted
hey, you're welcome.

 

I just wanted another locking biner. I was new to the island. I was surprised that you could not find one biner on the whole island. You would probably have to drive to Bellingham to buy one, let alone quick draws, caulk, webbing or other supplies.

 

How much caulk do you normally use while climbing? hahaha.gif

 

I imagine your climbing partners use quite a bit. the_finger.gif

Posted
(I spent three weeks in NW Frontier of Pakistan in March backpacking and working in earthquake relief).

 

That's pretty cool. thumbs_up.gif

 

Who do you think your market would be? - What type of climbers would you expect to be shopping at your store?

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