[mcdeeda]

Hey guys, so i've always loved the idea of starting my own retail shop, and for the past couple years, headphones have become one of my main hobbies, and i was thinking about the (somewhat unrealistic) possibility of starting an audio store up. not now, but perhaps it could be a plan for years to come. along the lines of Tweeter, if it was still around, but with a bit more focus on headphones and such.

Essentially, my ideas come from what i'd love to see in a retail headphone/speaker store, but i have never gotten to experience because of a lack of local audio places. What i was thinking is that the store would be segmented into different sections, one headphones area, one speaker area, one home theater area, one area for source components, amps and DACs and the like. Everything would be on display, and ready to try out in-store, so no one is pressured to buy without having tested the product out. Not only do i love the idea of the customer having the opportunity to try out the products that they're interested in, but i also think that the availability of higher-end audio products to test out would increase peoples' interest in them (i know that i was cautious to buy high-end headphones for the first time because i never had a chance to try them out in-person)

Another idea (for more niche audiophiles) would be to offer modifications on headphones, bought in-store or not, as well as custom cables (hurr), maybe even the possibility of an in-house headphone, made from heavy modifications on another (think thunderpants)

So yeah, it probably won't happen, but i'd love to see some suggestions about what you guys would like to see in a local headphone/speaker shop

 

[fatcat28037]

Did you hear the one about the Audio Store owner who won a million dollars in the lottery? A reported asked him what he was going to do with all that money, he replied "I guess I'll just keep selling audio gear till the money runs out".

 

[John In Cali]

Ya  the business isn't profitable, well at all.  To amass even a costumer a day you'd have to get a space in somewhere as population dense as New York, running you a leasing bill that'd make a small business owner  piss his pants.  
 

 

[dysthanasiac]

How do you make a small fortune in mom n' pop retail?  Start with a large one.

 

[Seamless Sounds]

Good to see an entrepreneur here. The hardships you'll face is paying the fixed costs to keep your store open. You'll have to find ways to create a positive cash flow for your business in the long run (this is what investors want to hear). If you're targeting only audio enthusiasts, be prepared to spend a lot on advertising to get them into your store in your local (preferably if it's in a city). You can raise awareness via online, but you'll have to compete online as well, and you know how competitive it is if you do it online. Your advantage over online-only stores is the auditioning aspect so that's a plus. Another problem is, your customers (audio enthusiasts) may not bring in enough revenue to pay off the costs or expand your store. In order to grow the brand, you'll have to expand. As you expand, you'll have to take on more management issues and what not.
 
Since I'm an entrepreneur (not yet) and a business major myself, let's discuss this via PM. I'll go over the details of my business plan since your plan is similar to mine. PM me if you're interested.

 

[alphaphoenix]

Good luck OP.  Have a solid and financial business plan and if don't have any, save up your pennies.  You'll need it all if you plan on getting a business loan.  You may need to expand your product offerings from just speakers/headphones as I wouldn't imagine the profit margins to be that high if you're a distributor.  If you forget monitoring the most important aspect of a sustainable business called Cash Flow, you'll sink very soon.  Also, I believe the sad truth is that price is king above all else.  The small mom/pop and brick and motar shops looses out to Amazon and anyone else selling the same thing at a lower price.

 

[Swoosh]

Interesting idea, but you'll appeal to a small group of people. The majority of people will want Beats, Air Jordan Sneakers, etc. That kind of thing. Even so, I wish you luck.

 

[John In Cali]

Well in that case you might net yourself a few sales.  Just carry the M50 and Beats Pro next to each other.  You could probably even overcharge $100 for the M50.