Armory Sponsor
Posted: 3/11/2011 9:54:23 AM EDT
| For those of you who have recently (in the last 2 years or so) received your FFL and opened a retail store how has business been for you? Better or worse than expected, etc. |
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Got everything started last July, got the FFL in Sept., SOT in Oct. So I'm still pretty new. But it has taken FAR more work and money than I ever anticipated. I'm lucky because I get to sit in my gun store and do my "real" job at the same time.
Don't get into it if you think you are going to be making big bucks. If you have a passion for it and don't mind the BS that comes along with it, go for it. |
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got my FFL just over a year ago and the SOT shortly after.... i'm open 5 days a week and work 6 day a week, 12+ hour days! the last two months i've been getting my ass kicked. we have two part time guys and my wife a few hours a week just to try and stay caught up. i would say business has been fairly good. in a year i have more inventory on the wall than the total amount of money i used to start the shop. i owe exactly 0 and my credit cards are clean! when i started there were three other gun shops in town... a year later and there are only two. i went hardcore AR15 and haven't regretted it at all. the other two shops don't really deal in AR / AK / tactical stuff and the one that closed only sold the cheap junk stuff (caa, nc star, hi point, taurus, etc,..). if you can get an SOT i think it's a good idea. most are too worried about dealing with the extra paperwork but it's honestly not all that bad. if there are no other SOT's near you it should be an easy decision. bring in a cheap line of .22lr cans and get to it. they almost sell themselves! it's been said and you should know it well by now... you're not going to get rich but it'll pay the bills. ADVERTISE!!!! watch your money and go into it cautiously but advertise. don't do the yellow pages or any of the on-line "local" stuff, it's money down the drain. find the conservative radio station and go all out. where ever Rush, Beck and others are at is where you want to be. i also hit the local rock stations.... it's working out well. my radio budget is about $700 / month and i do about $100 in print every other month. i hope you guys don't mind a shameless plug but check out my radio adds. i've been running them for a while and they work wonders! there are two on my web site and a third is in the works. ENJOY |
Armory Sponsor