Zamason does get upset if you refer to another store as Discgolfstore
The sites are nearly identical and they use the same images.
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Profitability: disc golf physical store / pay to play course?
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Zamason does get upset if you refer to another store as Discgolfstore
The sites are nearly identical and they use the same images.
It can be profitable as a mobile operation and online presence... my buisnes model was working and I shut down a profitable business when we moved because of our kids' school shutting down. I moved to a town with good public schools but 20 miles from the courses... A good used box truck and good courses and you can scratch out a living as a single guy. My day job makes it so I don't worry about money or providing for the 3 kids and the wife.
I guess it matters what you consider making it? 3 month run = 7.7k net after liquadating the remaining inventory, paying all the bills and selling the discvan. But I had zero employees and no overhead other than insurance and the van. 31k a year was obtainable but I had a list of folks who were used to buying from me online for over 5 years because of all the selling I was doing as the merch guy for the local club - had quite a following for custom teebirds, flat top rocs and other discs with art done by some really good artists.
Local sales weren't much and postage had and has gone up dramatically. The extra costs of no longer living on Hole #9 at Lincoln South was enough for me to say thanks but no thanks. My old discvan was great at storing discs but to actually rely on it as a true mobile shop - that was ticket that was going to get punched sooner or later... I dodged any major repair issues with the van - just replacing two batteries ($380.00 for the old diesel.)
It can be done but you will be making less than minimal wage if you add up all the hours. That little part-time gig was easily 30 hours a week on top of the full-time job that was actually paying the bills.
And it was amazing how little disc golf I was actually playing... granted I injured my shoulder about the same time too. Have to say, I am enjoying just playing casually now... forgot how much I actually like just playing the game.
I guess it matters what you consider making it? 3 month run = 7.7k net after liquadating the remaining inventory, paying all the bills and selling the discvan. But I had zero employees and no overhead other than insurance and the van. 31k a year was obtainable but I had a list of folks who were used to buying from me online for over 5 years because of all the selling I was doing as the merch guy for the local club - had quite a following for custom teebirds, flat top rocs and other discs with art done by some really good artists.
Local sales weren't much and postage had and has gone up dramatically. The extra costs of no longer living on Hole #9 at Lincoln South was enough for me to say thanks but no thanks. My old discvan was great at storing discs but to actually rely on it as a true mobile shop - that was ticket that was going to get punched sooner or later... I dodged any major repair issues with the van - just replacing two batteries ($380.00 for the old diesel.)
It can be done but you will be making less than minimal wage if you add up all the hours. That little part-time gig was easily 30 hours a week on top of the full-time job that was actually paying the bills.
And it was amazing how little disc golf I was actually playing... granted I injured my shoulder about the same time too. Have to say, I am enjoying just playing casually now... forgot how much I actually like just playing the game.
I should add - it is a must to run or merch tourneys to make it work - that's why it is important to be near good courses. The local onesy-twosey sales may not be that important, but you need the tourneys to turn over inventory so you can get the latest and greatest.
Also you need tourney dates so you can take advantage of the discounted pricing for inventory/custom stamps. I think people would actually freak if they saw what the wholesale price of "stock" discs are... That margin - is unsustainable for a business model.
- managed by Hall of Famer
- location in heart of one of the best U.S cities
- Foot traffic avg 180 playbands a day at $3 weekday, $4 weekend
- Food/drink/snack shop with markup of 30-50%, $600 avg. net in sales per day
- disc sales 20 avg per day
- run two events per year to clear out long shelf disc inventory
- run monthly events and offer store credit
- hold weekly doubles events to keep repeat customer base
- maintain course at high level with motivated crew
Results - a successful dics golf venture - i.e. my home course
- location in heart of one of the best U.S cities
- Foot traffic avg 180 playbands a day at $3 weekday, $4 weekend
- Food/drink/snack shop with markup of 30-50%, $600 avg. net in sales per day
- disc sales 20 avg per day
- run two events per year to clear out long shelf disc inventory
- run monthly events and offer store credit
- hold weekly doubles events to keep repeat customer base
- maintain course at high level with motivated crew
Results - a successful dics golf venture - i.e. my home course
Geof734
Bogey Member
I heard morley just gets stupid packed though
ZAMson
^Has PhD in Disc-Artistry
Look at any real-world online retail model and you'll see something very similar to Disc Nation. I know it's different than JoeForumsEmporium but it's nothing more than mainstream retail. Sub-brands with their own pricing model appeal to different types of buyers. And since our facility runs on a buttery bed of modern technology, we can do stuff like help small businesses and touring players as a fulfillment partner, or offer one-stop wholesale supply to clubs, government orgs, TDs, and disc-oriented or near-course shops.
DN has been building for 10 years, and it started as one stay-at-home parent in the family garage. All we do is make our customers happy with quality service... they get exactly what they ordered, processed fast. They're happy so they come back. That above all else is the key to success in any type of retail.
DN has been building for 10 years, and it started as one stay-at-home parent in the family garage. All we do is make our customers happy with quality service... they get exactly what they ordered, processed fast. They're happy so they come back. That above all else is the key to success in any type of retail.
Amen.
Leased public land in great location with hardly any other courses available nearby. Combination store and pay-to-play course. It's a great business model, though hard to duplicate.
onemilemore
* Ace Member *
It does. That is what keeps it afloat, I think. It helps that it is one of the only courses in the area and is one of the oldest in the country. There is novelty appeal to it on numerous levels.
It's a good course, too, if you have ball golf time on your hands.
Sadjo
* Ace Member *
Part of the problem is everyone trying to be the low price leader. I think a large inventory, plenty of choices of color and weights, plenty of accessories, and some non-disc golf items is a good way to go.
The Wright Life in Fort Collins sells a lot of things other than discs but disc golf and frisbee is where their heart is. It's possible but you need to think larger than just disc golf.
I run a side disc golf business that does everything except sells disc and it generates several thousand a year.
The Wright Life in Fort Collins sells a lot of things other than discs but disc golf and frisbee is where their heart is. It's possible but you need to think larger than just disc golf.
I run a side disc golf business that does everything except sells disc and it generates several thousand a year.
ZAMson
^Has PhD in Disc-Artistry
This. You'll keep seeing bargain-bin dealers closing shop until disc golfers start to value the service (not just plastic) they're paying for. Seems like the majority of "great service" stories on DGCR begin with the store screwing up the order, but then being real cool and chit-chatty on the phone to fix it. Most people in the real world ditch a company after the first botched order, no matter how well it was resolved.
Zamason, Why do you guys own all of these other domain names, such as Marshallstreetdiscs.com and Discgolfoutfitters.com. Are you guys that worried about the competition?
I think this is key to a brick and mortar store. I think only sales of Golf Discs, competitively priced, would not be enough of a business to be profitable in the majority of cases. However if there is another line of business that can help sustain the business during off months, and what not, this could be feasible.
ZAMson
^Has PhD in Disc-Artistry
Did it ever occur to you that maybe we owned DiscGolfOutfitters.com before Disc Outfitters began?
Online business has a few basics. One of them is buying up your alternate/misspelled domains and redirecting them to your main site. If you wanna make it more difficult for customers to find your store, then you leave your misspelled domains/traffic floating in the ether for anyone to grab. Just try to find a misspelling of Walmart.com that isn't Walmart. Try it for any real business, for that matter. In the real world, businesses have this together. And who's getting fooled by the homepage of DN, thinking they're somewhere else?
Are we worried about the competition? Only if they start providing the level of service that we do. They don't, so no.
zj1002
* Ace Member *
:hfive:
NoThingness
Eagle Member
There is a pay to play course around me. Its $5 for an all day pass. Its located @ a ball golf course. They most definitely do not make money on the admission part of the Disc Golf course but their revenue comes from beer/food sales and also renting out golf carts for the lazy disc golfer. In their eyes they are paying taxes on the land anyway so any $ it generates is a bonus to them
Hey man, we live in the real world, too! And it definitely occurred to me... Anyway, all you had to say was owning those domains is good for your business since some of their potential customers will be redirected to you, which obviously is where they should end up anyway :hfive:
PS - NoThingness, the Essence of Health massage center isn't working...
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ZAMson
^Has PhD in Disc-Artistry
Yeah I'm saying everything outside of disc golf being "real-world", because the expectations change so much (and so strangely) inside the DG world. It's such a new industry that the standard is a decade behind the mainstream.
It's tough to make money doing anything in disc golf. No matter what it's gonna be a labor of love, so however you structure your business, make sure it's how you'd wanna spend your free time anyway.
tl;dr: The entire landscape is operating solely on addiction, against their best interests.
Maybe you did own discgolfoutfitters first, but did you own Marshallstreet before Marshall street?
I know it is standard business procedure, but to me it looks like you are validating the other business. They must be great if you are trying to capitalize off their website.
Don't get me wrong, DiscNation and it's affiliates are great. Disc Nation has been a pioneer for customer service and live inventory. I realize there are many imitators of Disc Nation as well, and people who flat out steal your ideas and images. They would not do that if you were not setting such a high standard.
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