-=> Quoting Bob Portnell to All <=-
 BP> I expect to open a retail outlet later this year, serving the R/C
 BP> community.
 BP> As R/C consumers, what do YOU want to see in a store?  What attracts
 BP> you to the store you favor now?  What features, services, etc. would
 BP> you like? 
 BP> What's the best "darnit, I wish they'd"... idea you've heard?
Hi Bob:
It's nice having someone ask for a change. Hmmmmm. Let's see now:
(1) Have "knowledgeable" sales people which usually means hiring
    modelers. One of the most irritating things I find is to try to
    discuss a technical problem with someone who has "no" idea what I'm
    talking about.
This is especially important to beginners because bad advice from your
sales people will come back to haunt you.
(2) Be ethical. Never sell someone something "just to make a buck."
I know making a profit is why you are going into business, but some
shops are not very ethical. I knew one where the owner sold aircraft
radios for surface operation, knowing they would be used for that
purpose. He was having hard times, like a lot of shops, and was trying
to stay afloat by selling anything and everything. I understand why he
did what he did but I don't like it and I don't think it was right. It
was potentially dangerous.
(3) If you are going to open a small shop, make it "homey" for the
    modelers, if you can.
I like a shop where I can go to socialize as well as buy my supplies. My
favorite was a small hole in the wall hobby shop in Hickory, North
Carolina that was in an old gas station. I always felt comfortable
there. The owner sometimes had soft drinks or coffee or donuts for the
club members who came by. We could "hang out" there and hangar fly on
the days when we couldn't get out to the field.
The owner had his building table out in the middle of the floor where
you could see what his current project was. Of course we always managed
to stick a few pieces of it together for him from time to time (with his
permission, of course).
The point is that the shop was a "community" effort and we felt welcome.
Make your customers feel welcome so they become a part of your business.
If you can, your customers will support you and help you take care of
the business because they too will have a vested interest in it.
The worst thing you can do is to develop an attitude of "if you ain't
buyin anything, get out!" A guaranteed formula for failure in a hobby
shop!
Those are my pet peeves and suggestions. I'm sure others have had many
other suggestions that are helpful. I wish you the best of luck, but
really your success will depend on your own hard work, determination,
and your ability to get the local modeling community behind you
supporting your efforts. It doesn't always mean having the cheapest
prices either. You can't be social with a magazine...
Well, hope this helps.
            Eddie Warren
         Carolina Beach, NC
Fort Fisher - The Confederate Goliath
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