Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Apex Predator on May 30, 2008, 11:26:06 am
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I was hesitant about posting this over here, where I know there are many of you that are living my dream, but I think it will be received well due to the caliber of people in this community.
I have a dream of building bows and selling them out of my home. The freedom of working my own schedule is very appealing to me. I still have a ways to go before my bows satisfy me, and would be something I would be proud of selling. I am making good progress in my learning curve though. I am blessed in that I have a steady pension check from Uncle Sam in payback for all my years in the Navy. I would have to build a shop and buy new tools. My overhead would be small, and I don't figure I would have to build many to pay my bills. I can build one a week in a corner of my garge. A new shop and real tools would really help things along. I really enjoy working with the bamboo backed bows, and would probably stay away from the glass market. I think the bamboo backed market is smaller, but could keep me busy. What kind of insurance would I need for something like this. Help me to realize a dream folks. I figure you folks will give me the most valuable advice. All suggestions welcome. Thanks for listening, Marty
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Hey, Marty
I have a similar dream, as I'm sure others can attest. I've been in a medical profession for the past 22 years, and it losing some of it's luster. Doing my own thing seems very appealing. I already have a 600 sq ft shop out the back (which we currently rent to an electrician), so space isn't a problem. If I was you, I'd get some solid legal advice... especially regarding liability. Set up your business in a LLC fashion. My advice? Go for it. However, don't let your hobby become a drag! If you're as passionate about archery as most folks on this forum, you should be OK!
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Are you planning on just building and selling Bows...or are you going to give Shooting lessons andhave an Indoor Range for Shooting?? The Reason I ask....If you are offering things that can cause Bodily Harm...chances are that your State will require the You carry a Million Dollar Insurance Policy...it does here in Texas
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Just building and selling.
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you and me both, buddy
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Marty I was in a similar situation ten years ago. I was a scientist and I am now a writer and photographer working for myself. I can tell you with absolute certainty that my career switch was the right thing for me. Everything seems to fall in place when you are true to yourself. If you love making bows, go for it with all you got man!
Dave
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More Power to you, Dreams are what keep this dude going, Being on the poor list Makes it harder for most folks but, good luck to you, PK
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I have a similar goal. But mine is to have a coffee shop where people build their own bows. Calling it the
" The Bowyers Bar" . Lockers for the guys to keep a stave and some tools, shooting range, books, tools, videos for sale besides coffee and snacks. Online video camera out on the bow building area for anyone online to view at any time. No power tools vailable to the public. I would rough out staves in a seperate isolated part of the shop. Steve
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As adb3112 said, just check some legal advice on what you'll have to do to get started all legit-like. After that it's all fun and games. As for insuring, just have a little pragraph that says upon purchasing the bow, you acknowledge the fact that this bow has a given draw legnth and can't be abused, and that they can't hold you responsible for snapping it. Maybe a repair policy to ease them.
Then you can sell some to a couple die-hard hunters and have pictures to prive they work. We all like pictures ;D.
My father went into business with a friend of his, or they're starting. Wasn't that hard. (Oh, but look into advertising. It seems to help :D).
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MAn I'd love to do that myself. I've had people ask me about makin them bows but have been afraid too because of liabilities. If you get any info on that would you plz post so we all know the facts about it.
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Marty, first off you need to applly for a federal tax ID number, then a state tax number. It is a law that you cannot sell new bows without the Fed ID. New bows and arrows fall under the Pittman-Robertson Act...http://ipl.unm.edu/cwl/fedbook/pract.html
check link posted above. I'm not trying to discourage you but making a living selling all wood bows is not easy, I know alot of bowyers that started out building self and bamboo bows but because of the nature of natural materails failing over a time most went to the dark side and started building GLASSBOWS :) I've been building and sellng bows since 1990 and believe me its a challenge, the best thing or advise that i can give you is to go to some big shoots and pay extra attention to the all wood bow guys, also don't be afraid to experiment with new designs and things that are different and eye catching, attention to detail is a must. Good luck my friend.
Joe Don
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I say go for it. People have followed their dreams and suceeded and failed. If it doesn't work then learn from your mistakes and try something different. I've always wanted a laundromat/bar, where you leave your clothes to be washed. You sit at the bar while your clothes are washed. You get to watch the girls, Hooter type, topless do your clothes while you drink. ;D
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Joe Don would be the man I would ask for advice on getting started, check out his site.
http :// myweb.cableone.net/selfbows/phoenix_curve.htm
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i too have a dream... but it is a bowyers bar/herb shop/natural food store and microbrewery where i make up my own brews.. like mead, wine, beer, ale and even my secret recipe white lightnin.... but something like that is a long way off.... im only 21..lol ;D :( ::)
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well, congratulate me, boys! The local hunting shop has agreed to buy 2 of my bows and carry 6 more on consignment...it's a beautiful beginning!
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I'd be real careful about bows on consignment, most archery shops know very little about traditional bows much less selfbows, the bows you leave in the shop may not be worth much when a few well meaning customers get done. Just from my experience.
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When something goes on consignment, at least in new york, the person possesing them is in charge of their well being and liable for them, just like a coat check. I have sold bows and firearms on consignment and never had a problem. i started farming on my own with my dad and a buddy, and as long as you find a niche and a market you are good to go and can charge what you like within reason. if your product is good, people will come. how do you think bear, hill, and all the opthers started. gotta follow your dreams bro----
mullet, i would soooo attend your establishment :}
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thank you for both the caution and the encouragement...a guy needs both!
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A Topless Laundry Bar.....when are you opening..cause this Boy is Moving ta Florida!!!
Beats the Crap outa Quick Quack Carwashes!!!!
;D
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I say go for it. People have followed their dreams and suceeded and failed. If it doesn't work then learn from your mistakes and try something different. I've always wanted a laundromat/bar, where you leave your clothes to be washed. You sit at the bar while your clothes are washed. You get to watch the girls, Hooter type, topless do your clothes while you drink. ;D
Eddie I could be talked into going in as partners on a venture of this sort ;D
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Marty, be very careful, get your business Ps and Qs together, make a business plan, get lots of advice from small business owners of all sorts, read tons of materials on starting and running a business, and then go for it. We only get one life, and we aint getting out alive, so why not follow your dreams? Especially since you have some money coming in from Uncle Sugar :) Oh, thanks for many years service in the US Navy. My dad was a Navy officer, and I ended up in the Army. (Hard to drown or get eaten by sharks when you are humping an M60).
I have toyed with the idea, not bows, but Roman artillary, as an extra side business. Just gigantic arrow throwers, after all. :)
Radius, congrats! Best of luck with those bows.
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I didn't mean to come off too cautious or negative, must be old age ::) If a guy can make a living, or pay for his toys with the skill that he was blessed with and is happy doing it, he is truely blessed.
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Dang .....You Are OLD ....Dano!!!!!!
O:) :o
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Still a young squirt to some ::)
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Still a young squirt to some ::)
Yep....and You are only as Old as You feel....and today I feel 70!!!
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Sorry to hear that bud, ;D I wish our bones could feel as young as our brain.
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Sorry to hear that bud, ;D I wish our bones could feel as young as our brain.
Being wrapped around Highway Signs at 60 miles per hour on a Bike....tends to age one pretty quickly!!....so when the weather get bad...or it gets too Hot.......all the Metal in Me starts to aching!!!
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Sounds like somebody is whining ::) Old age ain't for wimps, so I hear ;D
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Yep, don't need any whiners in my Laundromat. I was paralyzed from the waist down for a about a year from a crash. :'(
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Who's Whining.......Not Me.........Just got my Metals ( not a Misspell!!) of Valor and Bravery on the Inside....not on my Lapel !!!!!!!!
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Marty, Don't quit your day job, unless you have the means to retire. The first aspect of this is to make a decent income you have to be making a lot of bows per month, they all have to work flawlessly, and you have to find that many customers each month to survive.
Also the current economy is in a hard downward spiral, and people don't buy toys when they have scrimp to feed their famiily,and bows are toys since you can hunt with just one, the rest is gravy.
In the early 90's there was a handful of wood bowyers, and the demand for wood bows was good, now there is a ton of bowyers, and guys who will sell their bows cheap just to buy gas or eat. Nowadays the market is flooded with bows, and because many make their own bows so the demand is low as well...
Keep making bows, sell them to your friends cheap, and see how the bows do in their hands, and you will keep getting the experience needed to help you find your niche...
Rich-gonna go work at Eddies Laundromat ;D
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some level headed advice by Rich...
Trick for me personally will be to blend bowmaking into my life as just one of several income streams...
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Frankly I don't see how someone could make a decent living by just making wood bows. The market is very small - pretty much the folks who subscribe to this and a handful of other similar sites - and a lot of those folks would just as soon make their own bow. Also wood bows don't lend themselves to mass production so you can't produce a lot of them and you won't be able to make a decent margin on what you do make because, as Rich pointed out, there are too many guys selling their bows cheap.
There are a few wood bowyers who have made a go of it. John Strunk come to mind. But John has been doing this a long time, has built a stellar reputation and a base of loyal repeat customers - many of them overseas and makes much of his money teaching classes. Also John has a decent retirement from working 30+ years for the school district.
Face it, this craft is a labor of love. Use it to pay for gas and groceries if you can, but most of all do it to feed your soul. And, if along the way, you can brighten the day of a few folks by gifting them one of your creations - all the better...
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Gordon, I htink you hit the nail on the head. Once you start doing it for a living it looses some of the fun. I sell an occassional bow. I just hate building a bow for someone. I give them away all the time. The market for wood bows is somewhat bigger than it was but I still doubt if it is big enough to make a decent living off of.
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Dang- Rich beat me to it, but I was gonna ask for a job at Eddies laundrymat. ;D
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Apex are you married? If so where does the wife stand on this idear?
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My advice would be that once you are good enough and sure of your work. Start to advertise and see how much business you can drum up. Once you are so busy making bows that you cant keep up then think about going part time with your day job. I could see it working as an additional income source until you have a big name nationally and internationally. Then maybe full time. My fear would be that you will get some people to buy bows right away but local customers will get used up fast because there are only so many interested and even those wont buy a new one every year. The internet is great but as others have said its flooded with nice bows and making a name for yourself could be difficult. All that being said Dont let anyone stop you if you believe in it.
Jesse
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Wow Rich (Socrates) Saffold, you are a fountain of wonderfull advice.
Steve, I kind of think like you on this. I have several offers to make bows and sell them to local guys. I cant bring myself to sell because I'm afraid it may lead to a distortion of my love for making wood bows. I cant imagine much worse than making this a job instead of a passion. Justin
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I'm not rushing into anything folks. I really appreciate all the advice, and most of it is spot on. I just needed to hear some others say it. I ain't quitin my day job any time soon. I have dreams though! I have much to learn, and think I will enjoy it a while longer before possibly ruining it.
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When there's no dreams, It's not any fun.
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Eddie nailed it..It's all about having fun, and making bows is fun, and selling a few because folks want your bows goes beyond the money you make..It's a great feeling when someone skilled shoots one of your bows and just raves about it. This more than any income is why I sell them..The phone rings and the new owner has just been shooting his new bow and he is ready to order another one..That is a big stroke trust me ;D..
Because in this business you aren't going to make any more money if you have one order or a hundred..They still have to be made one at a time, even though you may have several blanks going, it pays no better than a decent job.. So its all about the fun, and since each bow basically has to be unique and beautiful, the fun factor has to be high to enjoy it bow after bow...
I just came in from working on a basic Hill style bow, with two different types of Koa in the grip, and the customer sent Mammoth Ivory for the overlays :o :D. How cool is that? 8) I'm having a blast!
So a few good customers can make for a lot of fun, as long as you are making bows which are interesting for you to make, and it doesn't get repetitive...
Now its time to tackle a sink full of dishes...Thanks Justin ;)
Rich-gonna dream about that laundromat!
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Agree with Rich and Gordon - but if you provided value-added services, things can happen. Doing something the other guys don't, sets you apart. But, listen to your devil's advocates, but make your own decisions --- as they said, people are building bows because they like building bows, they like hunting with their own bows. There are a few who will pay big dollars for a nice hand crafted bow, but it takes a lot more than a few to make a living. Believe me, I run my own business, its not easy. worth it, but not easy.
One of my favorite quotes:
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
---Mark Twain
Now, go for that dream.