Glad to see you're back onboard, Len! Hope everything is coming along well!

You nailed most of it IMHO, but especially the part about EXPERIENCE. IMO, you can have all of the money, stock, and equipment in the world, shine it and yourself up to look like a bright new penny, etc, but if you REALLY don't know how to use the tools, or set-up the equipment, it really means squat.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, beats experience in a shop, and a genuine love of the sport. If anyone is into this business for simply the money, might as well quit now, LOL! Yeah you can make a few bucks, but you spend LOTS of hours making it, if I didn't love the sport, I can definately think of many other business to be into that are much more lucrative.

And, you have to be able to communicate with the customers, realize they all do not have the same desires, love of the sport, or money to spend that others do, and set them up according to the depth of interest, and what they want out of it. I always try and take time to give my full attention to each individual customer unless they are content letting my son or other knowledgeable staff wait on them. That is why we do not answer the phone half of the time and let the machine pick it up. If we have customers waiting, THEY are going to ge waited on first. I've been on the other side of that counter, having to wait while the salesman answers the phone, then gets immersed in THAT call, and when he comes back around to you sometime later, his whole train of thought is broken. We do not do that. Our internet customers are a completely different bunch of customers, handled by our staff over there. I answer any "tough" questions myself when I can find time.

And I try to hunt or shoot in between! <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle> (vacation next week! YAY!)

Takes alot to be a reputable shop owner, but I love the sport and wouldn't have it any other way.

Good shooting, Pinwheel 12



Edited by - Pinwheel 12 on 09/30/2002 09:02:42