Thinking about a career change

[birddog1]

There has been a turning point in my life that could allow me to do what I
Want to when I grow up. Open a gun shop. My question is it all it's cracked up to be. Is it too much trouble or should I just continue with my enjoyable gun hobby.
Thanks

 

[338 Mollett]

I just learned to chamber my own barrels and had the same thought about doing it for others and then reality kicked in on a thought with my professional trade and how people have made it very ugly.In that I choose to keep that wonderful hobby immune.You must make that choice for yourself good luck !

 

[Steve3]

I would get a job in one first. Learn the business on someone else's time. Mary Kay did that with Avon, the list goes on and on...

 

[thefitter]

Would also depend on the area.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Gun stores are toy stores for adults, I say go for it. Remember, most people think what they are doing is hard and stressful, even if its not. The grass is greener thing. I think you could do much worse.

 

[jonbearman]

Personally I would go to one of the reputable gunsmithing schools to learn how to do it right without cutting corners.Then get some business management course's and you are better set to work in a shop getting paid a man's wage's to begin with.There is no better investment than an education.Remember you will be investing in yourself.

 

[vtmarmot]

I used to eat, live, sleep and breathe motorcycles. Then I became a motorcycle journalist. Suddenly my hobby was a business and not so much fun. I didn't last long in that job, not because I wasn't good, because I was. However, there was no time for the kind of camaraderie that I enjoyed with my old buddies on a road trip or on the trail. Also, I made too much money in my old job and that beckoned.

 

[Groundhog Devastation GHD]

Do you like to shoot?
Do you like to hunt?
Do you like to reload?
Do you enjoy VISITING the local gunshop now and then?
THEN don't open a gunshop yourself!!!!!!
BTDT!!!
Had a POS partner to boot and NEVER want anything remotely close to shop ownership again!!
I LOVE Shooting! I LOVE reloading! I LOVE gunsmithing!! I could not do any of those things to my want to when I had the shop!! I still buy and sell and do it all above the table but NEVER have any desire to have an FFL again with a store!! Damn glad that other folks do but not for me!!!!!

 

[wapiti25]

Owning your own business is a lot of work/hours, think about it.

 

[coonhunter70]

Have you ever been in a gun shop and theres some guy loafing around in there that knows everything but really ain't got a clue, of course you have.
Now imagine being stuck behind the counter for hours everyday listening to this stuff! I sure couldn't do it

 

[22turborimfire]

I remember hearing my hunting partner tell me .Baseball was fun until he started getting paid for it . Maybe he wasn't getting paid enough I don't know . I've heard some great responses on this fourm .What ever choice you decide I wish you the best .

 

[brian427cobra]

If you love working Nights, Weekends, and every single Holiday, the exciting world of Aircraft Maintenance awaits you! Thats what I thought, good luck on whatever you decide.

 

[wyoming .260]

There has been a turning point in my life that could allow me to do what I
Want to when I grow up. Open a gun shop. My question is it all it's cracked up to be. Is it too much trouble or should I just continue with my enjoyable gun hobby.
Thanks

The two most important lessons in any business are to treat people fairly and be honest. These are traits that seem to be missed in most business schools and forgotten by most owners looking to just make money.
Think of a Church that only wants money, would you go back??????
That being said, it may be easier to earn a living working in a known shop while you can build a reputation, and then branch out on your own.
REPUTATION is a gunsmith's selling point....
Just my humble opinion.

 

[Raythemanroe]

You could get your FFL and do special orders and not carry a lot of overhead.. I would carry bullets and reloading supplies along with the basics...People will go out of the way to get good prices and deal with Honest people..


Ray

 

[shortgrass]

I guess it depends on the specific area, but in general, the market is over crowded with 'dealers', now. Think you can compete with Cheaper Than Dirt, Sportsmans Wearhouse, and Cabellas , not to mention the guy who'll order for "cost plus $25 ? Trying to support a "brick & morter" store on transfers won't fly. The supply of reloading components is just as short to the dealers as it is to buying customers. Yes, you can buy straight from the bullet makers,,,, IF you have a large enough ($$$$$$) order. Will it be bullets that will 'sell'? I know of one shop that seems to do well with both a "front door" and a large internet presents. His mark-up,,,, 5%-7%. He has to move a lot of volume to stay in business, besides working lots and lots of hours continously. The day of the "one man" gunshop are all but gone ( sales of merchandise). (There are many "one man" gunsmithing business. Most don't make a decent living, or it's a "side" business, basically a "licensed" hobby. )

 

[jwink]

Think very hard about making your decision. I have been running my own business for the last 27 years, we have always had hours of 8-5,m-f. This morning, (it is Memorial Day weekend) at 7:50 am, the phone rang, I should note that the business phone rings in the house also (never, ever set up your phone like this, pay the extra of a separate line) waking me up, I had looked forward to a bit of sleeping in, approx. 1/2 hr later a truck shows up in our driveway. The driver is a 20 something kid who wanted work done on his 4 wheeler so he could go to camp with his buddys and said he'd tried to get hold of me before showing up (he must have been the 7:50 wake up call). The issue is the dang 4 wheeler had been broken for the last 3 weeks and he really expected me to get dressed, give up my Saturday morning and fix his wheeler. I said no, my wife and I are going canoeing on the creek today, and he should have thought about it 3 weeks ago. I can always count on at least one moron to do something similar when ever a holiday comes around. If you decide to become a business person be prepared to have constant interruptions to your life, from people that will expect after hours service, to people coming up to you and your wife having dinner out and some idiot feels he has the right to talk to you about something they need fixed for the next 1/2 hr. Along with guys that are constantly looking for free advice on how fix this or that so they don't have to pay you to fix it (you are trying to run a business and make a living here) And the most important thing is do not have your business next to your home. If you're not in the shop, they'll just walk to your house and ring the doorbell until you answer it. Once again, think long and hard about this, turning a hobby into a business can take a lot of the enjoyment out of some thing you once loved doing. I thank my lucky stars that I've been successful in my business, but I also am looking forward to the 3 years and 22 days left until I will retire, sell our home and business, and start our new life cruising on our sailboat where it's warm all year and there are no phones and no unexpected visitors waking me from a nap.

 

[Raythemanroe]

Half hour nap vs commuting 45 minutes to a hour everyday. Instead of your customers calling you to have work done or the last minute purchase before a shoot or hunt or whatever it is will be your boss saying get your a$$ to work this holiday.. Guess what your boss doesn't take no for a answer to many times...JMO



Ray

 

[shortgrass]

Half hour nap vs commuting 45 minutes to a hour everyday. Instead of your customers calling you to have work done or the last minute purchase before a shoot or hunt or whatever it is will be your boss saying get your a$$ to work this holiday.. Guess what your boss doesn't take no for a answer to many times...JMO



Ray

Your customers are NOW your boss,,,,,, and they have no mercy.

 

[birddog1]

Thanks to everyone on their input, truly insightful. Respectfully my question was about the paperwork and hassle involved in legally selling and transferring firearms and dealing with product shortage. I am already a successful business owner, just thinking about changing businesses

 

[Lapua40X]

When I retired I started a business of my own. Wanted to operate out of my home and provide services on a "selective" basis. Within a year I had built a reputation for quality performance - bad news. Demands for service grew to the point where I either had to close up shop or open an office downtown with clerical support, specialized equipment, etc. It would mean becoming a slave to a good business. I closed up shop and directed by clients to the better qualified services among my competition. Owning your own business is like a marriage. Dating was lots of fun but tying the knot for a 24 hour per day relationship ain't like dating. Not that it's bad, it's just not the same.