# A Question



## Dwall (Jul 1, 2012)

This is Dustin with wild fowl boys. This is not a advertisement by any means this is just me asking Utah hunters a question. I know we opened up early and that was our own faults, but I'm wondering if people are even interested in having a all waterfowl store around here? I know things got stirred up with comments that got misunderstood on ksl and on here and I wish that would have never happened. I just want to know if the store is Something people even want around?

Like I said I don't want anyone to think this is an advertisement we could just use some help with opinions of Utah hunters.


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## Jeff Bringhurst (May 20, 2009)

I think a waterfowl only store would be great. I just don't know how logical it is. I don't buy waterfowl equipment all year long, I only buy during a few months of the year. From a business stand point, I don't know if it would be sustainable for an entire 12 months.


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## SR-1 (Jan 9, 2011)

I think It would be great! But like Jeff said I only buy waterfowl gear a few months out of the year. good luck with what ever you decide!


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Jeff nailed it on the head. I get really annoyed with Sportsmans and Cabelas for waterfowl stuff so a dedicated store would be cool, but I think you would be twiddling your thumbs the rest of the year. Maybe an online store instead of an actual store-front would be better?


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

I must agree with Jeff also!


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## Swaner (Sep 10, 2007)

I agree with the online thing. I think online serves as less of a liability by reducing your fixed cost. Another advantage of online is that a lot of vendors will ship direct from the manufacturer. That will allow you to hold less inventory. And with the price of gas, I'm more willing to pay for shipping than to drive all the way down to Utah County.

A well designed, easily navigable website would do great I'd bet. And you can always offer the option of local pickup if people don't want to pay shipping.


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

If the prices are competitive, sure, I think it would be awesome. Especially if you could carry a better selection of products than other retailers, or at least have them shipped in quickly. Perhaps you should find a second seasonal sport as well, and use it to offset the waterfowl side so you don't sit idle for too long. You could carry products for both sports year round, but when summer starts to wind down, bring in the waterfowl gear, and vice versa in the spring.


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## Justducky (Jun 29, 2012)

Brick and mortar is tough. You better be prepared for razor thin margins, high overhead, and really tough competition with Cabela's, Sportsman's and now Scheels. Now one here wants anyone to fail, but we'd love to come to a store closing blow-out sale.


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## Greenhead_Slayer (Oct 16, 2007)

Have you done any advertising? Other than the thread where everyone got riled up I haven't heard a thing about this. Where are you at? Website? Catalog? Hours? Product line? Facebook page? Maybe I'm just up in the night but I haven't heard or seen about your store with the exception of a couple negative threads.


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## Swaner (Sep 10, 2007)

I've got a couple more things, sorry if it sounds like I'm picking your operation apart but you asked for opinions. I noticed in your KSL post that you were open a few hours one night and a couple hours the next morning. It doesn't portray a very professional appearance. Set hours of when you will be open would probably help.

To get your name out there you could try sponsoring the youth fair & donating prizes to be given away. Start a facebook page and give crap away, everyone likes free stuff and you could get a lot of people viewing your company. Most important would be word of mouth from having a fair and honest operation.

You may have to work really hard and long hours at first and go the extra mile until your name gets out there. You'll find things that work and things that don't work so well. You may not make any money at all your first year in business. I think you've got a good start and I think it's cool you are willing to chase a dream, it just requires some proper planning before jumping in. Again I don't mean any offense, just my .02


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## WildFowl2479 (Jun 30, 2012)

Well for one we are addict waterfowl hunters so if it does not work out, everything has come out of my pocket and will be keeping for myself and our crew, no blowout sales. For two, we all still work regular day jobs so stick with us, our prices will BEAT ANYONES AROUND. For example Zink calls, 30 to 50 dollars less than cabelas, decoys about ten dollars less, and also our gunner blinds are cheap. Cabelas reg is 339.99 on sale is 329.99 OUR PRICE IS 270 to 300!!! As for a second season we have not figured it out yet, thats why we ask your opinion, which season would be good to carry? We have a huge facebook page, and in the proccess of getting a webpage going. Were ALWAYS GIVING FREE STUFF AWAY, and we will be at the Waterfowl Warmup shoot on aug 18 with a booth if anyone is interested!!! Thanks for the advice. My dad and I were best friends always hunting ducks and geese when i was growing up. He told me to do what I love before he died, and thought I had a great Idea with this company. He passed when I was 19, and granite im still young at 23, im tryn **** hard to what my dad told me. Trying to make the old man proud!!!


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## WildFowl2479 (Jun 30, 2012)

And we may have come off kinda bad at first but were getting our act together now. We quit posting things on here just so we did not ruin our name before we even started! But were here, and taking the risk. I know I said some things and I apolagize but im here to tie the knots back together, and if nothing else if we do not gain customers maybe we can gain some great hunting partners. Ive been hunting pretty much alone for the past 5 years, and would at least love the good company!


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## SR-1 (Jan 9, 2011)

Someone mentioned a second season to get you through the summer, have you thought about bow fishing I think you could get a lot of support for that! but that's just my two cents.


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## Greenhead_Slayer (Oct 16, 2007)

WildFowl2479 said:


> Well for one we are addict waterfowl hunters so if it does not work out, everything has come out of my pocket and will be keeping for myself and our crew, no blowout sales. For two, we all still work regular day jobs so stick with us, our prices will BEAT ANYONES AROUND. For example Zink calls, 30 to 50 dollars less than cabelas, decoys about ten dollars less, and also our gunner blinds are cheap. Cabelas reg is 339.99 on sale is 329.99 OUR PRICE IS 270 to 300!!! As for a second season we have not figured it out yet, thats why we ask your opinion, which season would be good to carry? We have a huge facebook page, and in the proccess of getting a webpage going. Were ALWAYS GIVING FREE STUFF AWAY, and we will be at the Waterfowl Warmup shoot on aug 18 with a booth if anyone is interested!!! Thanks for the advice. My dad and I were best friends always hunting ducks and geese when i was growing up. He told me to do what I love before he died, and thought I had a great Idea with this company. He passed when I was 19, and granite im still young at 23, im tryn **** hard to what my dad told me. Trying to make the old man proud!!!


What is your Facebook page URL? What is your website address?


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## Dwall (Jul 1, 2012)

We really appreciate everyone's help and advice. We are also in the works, and I don't know how well this will work out, but we are going to mid season have a contest. We are going to pick a day and for one full day you can hunt only public grounds but anywhere in the state. I'm not exactly sure how we will judge everything but give prizes for the most bands in one day ( legal limit ) and the best limit of green heads, even the hardest birds to kill in the state. Like I said I'm going to have a lot to find out before we can pull this off including talking with DWR to make sure we are legal to even do this.

Would people be interested in doing a contest like this?
We want people to realized that it has to be on the honor system and they have to hunt legally if we can pull this off. Please let me know of your interested.


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## Dwall (Jul 1, 2012)

Our Facebook is:

https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1 ... 1428777191

Our website is:

http://wildfowlboys.99k.org/


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## Dwall (Jul 1, 2012)

Our website is still under construction so I know it's unfinished and there may be spelling errors still. I'm building it myself so it's taking me a while. If you have any suggestions on that to let me know.


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## toasty (May 15, 2008)

My only experience with you guys so far is Cody promised to sell me a rifled barrel shotgun. When it came time to meet up as we agreed, he didn't answer his phone or return my message. I still am waiting for a call back to at least tell me you sold it to someone else. Based on my experience your lack of customer service will kill your business pretty fast.


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## hotspot (Jan 12, 2009)

WildFowl2479 said:


> Well for one we are addict waterfowl hunters so if it does not work out, everything has come out of my pocket and will be keeping for myself and our crew, no blowout sales. For two, we all still work regular day jobs so stick with us, our prices will BEAT ANYONES AROUND. For example Zink calls, 30 to 50 dollars less than cabelas, decoys about ten dollars less, and also our gunner blinds are cheap. Cabelas reg is 339.99 on sale is 329.99 OUR PRICE IS 270 to 300!!! As for a second season we have not figured it out yet, thats why we ask your opinion, which season would be good to carry? We have a huge facebook page, and in the proccess of getting a webpage going. Were ALWAYS GIVING FREE STUFF AWAY, and we will be at the Waterfowl Warmup shoot on aug 18 with a booth if anyone is interested!!! Thanks for the advice. My dad and I were best friends always hunting ducks and geese when i was growing up. He told me to do what I love before he died, and thought I had a great Idea with this company. He passed when I was 19, and granite im still young at 23, im tryn **** hard to what my dad told me. Trying to make the old man proud!!!


i applaud you on trying to beat the bigger box stores! so if your able to sell much of the items at lower prices what will you retain as a profit margin? it takes money to keep the doors open, pay yourself, and pay the governor(Lord knows that sucks!). something to think about as far as your cost and profits go. as much as i love the sport of hunting you can dang well bet i wouldnt work for 8 bucks an hour just because i love it.


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## WildFowl2479 (Jun 30, 2012)

As for the shotgun, I recieved about a thousand calls on it. Finally one guy just showed up at our shop to buy it. I tried to call everyone back but must have forgotten a few. Its all first come first serve on our used items, and i appologize. 

As for profits, I honestly can not say much. As long as I try and make enough to buy a tank of gas, some shotshells and coffee during duck season im happy!!! Hope it kicks off one day, but as for now its pretty slow. Were not ordering anything else untill we start selling stuff and if we dont kick off well i guess it will be a failed attempt!


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## huntingbuddy (Sep 10, 2007)

I know your working on your website part time but it really needs some work. I would say to make that a priority, I think that will be your bread and butter. Remember Cabela's was a mail order business until they were able to build a customer base big enough to support a brick and mortar store.


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## WildFowl2479 (Jun 30, 2012)

Thanks for all your ideas to help us! you guys are awsome! Ole dustin will be getting the website done soon 
(or ill have to let him go!! Just joking dustin) And we will see what happens from there!!!


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## colbyatepaste (Oct 9, 2010)

I think you could do well carrying a layout/marsh boat. Pick up a Pintail so I can sit in one before I buy one.


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## Hoopermat (Dec 17, 2010)

I hope this helps,

You are in a very unique market what are called a nitch market. This market is very limited to the amount of water fowl hunters and also the seasonal time period. You store is going to struggle for sales in the off peak times and should flourish during peak periods. To counter this you could re think you sales strategy and diversify you products to keep sales up for the entire year. By looking into other seasonal or other products that complement your store you could keep customers coming into your store year round. 

I would look at other hunting sales or firearms. The big box stores really have this figured out but most people if asked would purchase a product from a local vendor if the price is comparable. I can tell waterfowl is your passion so you could focus on this but also cater to other hunting. Having large seasonal sales does work. If you want to have a block buster waterfowl sale in September you can just invest in inventory during that quarter to get the better pricing you need to save your customers money. Try carrying only products that you can stand behind. Even if you don’t make the product if it is inferior you will get the blame. Carry products that the box store doesn’t most big retailers purchase the same products and brands. There are a lot of off brands that could be better quality and the big store will not carry them because the margin for profit is too small. 

As other have stated getting involved in the local community will help. Be mindful of how you communicate with others publicly so not to tarnish your reputation. 

At 23 years of age you have the right idea you have seen a void in the local market and you are trying to fill that. This will be hard work anyone trying to start a new business will have struggles.

Some advise I got the when I opened my first business.
“Work a half day every day and what you do with the other twelve hours is up to you”

Good luck


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## Hoopermat (Dec 17, 2010)

I forgot.
Weber state university offers a buisness plan review. This is free to give some collage students some real world projects. It is all reviewed by some great buisness professors. Look into this they should be able to lead you in the right direction and give some good advise,


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