Golf Accessories
Golf seems to keep growing in popularity and many golfers are obsessive about their sport. Providing the most basic of supplies is highly profitable, and doing so at a discount or with greater convenience than other providers will definitely give you an edge. If you can provide any kind of gadget or gizmo you should also be onto a sure fire winner. Basic items such as tees, gloves, grips, and balls should be sufficient to start a business however.
When I used to play regularly it was not unusual for me to go through 2-3 gloves in a season, I never had enough balls or tees and everyone I played with always had something new in their bag each week. This really is a sport which encourages spending, and therefore profits.
Start with the basics, and find ways to provide them cheaper or more conveniently than your competition. The golf pro at each course will always get sales because he (or she) is sited on the course and has the prime position of convenience but players all know the clubhouse is an expensive place to buy supplies. If you can get a location close to an office, or residential area and sell your stock where it is easy to buy then you have a chance of taking sales away from the pro.
In terms of distribution the following ideas should work: -
Networking
Direct Response
EBay
Website
Store
Golfers are by nature a social net-workers dream group. Many people play in competitions each week and end up playing with different people every week. By keeping business cards and following up you can soon fill a rolodex with emails and telephone numbers of people interested in your sport. Even if you are not selling golf equipment this is a great way to meet other business people in your area. You can either mention whilst you are playing that you have a sideline in golf supplies, or follow up with an email or phone call later. Many people will buy from you simply because you are someone they know as opposed to the guy advertising in the golf magazine.
Direct Response is the classic way to sell accessories such as golf balls and tees. These items are low cost and easy to ship. If you offer the right brands, and or the right prices and can get your adverts in-front of golfers you will find some sales. Possible alternative advertising media would include programmes for school plays or fund raisers, programmes for the local amateur dramatic association, local newspapers. You may also want to look at advertising in sports bars and other male dominated environments. Many guys spend money on golf accessories without discussing it with their wives. Your ads should always contain a phone number, physical address and email or website address.
Ebay will work for things like golf balls and tees, especially if you have a product that is slightly different. There are thousands of adverts listed under golf, or golf balls so you will need to work hard to stand out.
A better strategy might be to market your website. If you can manage to build a business online and through your connections then you will save the cost of running a shop, which should mean you can keep your prices lower. Building the site should be easy but you will need t be clever with the key words and may want to consider hiring help to work on your search engine optimisation strategies. For example Google has 3.2 million results for golf balls but only 693 for Teitlist balls (Teitlist make golf balls).
If you cannot afford to rent and fit out a shop then consider a small unit within a shopping centre, or supermarket or alternatively think about the possibility of building a mobile store. If you could drive to a different office location 5 days a week and sell from the back of a van or open sided truck you would soon build a reputation at each location. You may need to get permission for this but locations with large car parks are unlikely to object. You could even combine this and have a half sandwich/half golf accessory hybrid business.
Stock is easy to get, particularly if you are able to sell generic items. Of course if you are looking for branded goods then your margins will be thinner but the items will be easier to sell. Some items do not need to be branded such as tees, whilst balls and gloves will depend on the buyers. Most beginners do not care, but the longer they have been playing the more likely your customers will have favourite brands for balls, clubs, gloves etc. Make sure you offer bulk discounts on your lower cost items to tempt people away from the more expensive (lower margin) products.
www.alibaba.com has over 5000 adverts listed under golf including karts, pencils, score card holders, head covers etc etc etc.
You should make it easy for guys to buy, but remember that there are many female golfers and golfers wives; try not to exclude this group.
Whilst logically business will be seasonal you should find buyers all year round.
This is a competitive business, and typically your customers will know what things cost elsewhere. A couple of cents here or there will not make a big difference if it is easier to buy from you though.