Starting a Surf Co.

[Mudharp]

Me & a buddy are trying to get a small surf company off the ground. Keep an eye on www.GromSurfers.com , As you can tell by the name it will be targeting Groms (pretty much 16 and younger) and we plan to have a line of apparel and gear. I've been in Corporate America for a number of years and my buddy is a fighter pilot for the AF so this definitely something new for us! We have talked alot about doing something related to the sport we love though so we're giving this a shot! Any feedback, opinions, criticisms would be greatly appreciated!

tom

[Beachbumhippie]

Hay Tom, is this an internet shop or a high street shop. Whats the compe tion like, art work and gadgets may sell to tourists.

[Mudharp]

Hay Tom, is this an internet shop or a high street shop. Whats the compe tion like, art work and gadgets may sell to tourists.

Great questions. We will probably start as an on-line shop and then try and get shops to carry our stuff. We plan to take a trip down to Mexico very soon and get some local craft makers to make us a bunch of coral and shell necklaces w/ our logo (on home page) as the center piece as well as some leather and rope bracelets. We are definitely going to be taking baby steps and we want this to be fun, we're trying to get rich from it. There certainly is a fair bit of competition out there but that's ok! Appreciate your feedback.

[teaweed]

That logo reminds me of Gollum from LOTR. Use the "Anvil" brand for the printed shirts, they're comfortable as hell and the fit is great. I'll check the site out when its finished.

[pkbum]

I think its better to target a larger body of customer instead of 16 or younger. Don't know that's just my thought.

[RJD]

Could work but IMO surfing stuff (boards, clothes etc) is something you realy want to try on, touch, feel, look at etc before buying.

I know theres a lot of other internet surf shops (mainly from real stores) have a look at them see their prices, you have to be better than that! so check suppliers and profit margins etc. And costs, businesses take a lot of cash to start up and keep running, it'll struggle without a bit of cash.

The actual online store isnt too bad, use something like Zencart with a decent template & a bit of extra code etc, but actualy getting it listed in goodle and getting paying customers to part with their cash is hard work.

Go into it with your eyes open and a good idea of what you want and if it can be achieved before you sink much money into it. Good luck!

[billie_morini]

Here are a few ideas.

1. tie some of the promotion to the US federal government's and many state's program to increase physical exercise/activity among today's youth

2. perform grass roots marketing that establishes brand. Includes displaying and giving away merchandise with your logo on it at particular events, festivals, contests, or simply a very busy vacation beach with lots of tourists. The merchandise for give away can be inexpensive like stickers and key chains.

3. advertise to older people in their 50's and 60's so because they have grand children that they could buy your merchandise for and because so many of them are actively taking up atheletics for improved health like no previous generation has

[Mudharp]

Here are a few ideas.

1. tie some of the promotion to the US federal government's and many state's program to increase physical exercise/activity among today's youth

2. perform grass roots marketing that establishes brand. Includes displaying and giving away merchandise with your logo on it at particular events, festivals, contests, or simply a very busy vacation beach with lots of tourists. The merchandise for give away can be inexpensive like stickers and key chains.

3. advertise to older people in their 50's and 60's so because they have grand children that they could buy your merchandise for and because so many of them are actively taking up atheletics for improved health like no previous generation has

Brilliant ideas. Thank you! Everyone's feedback really helps.

[Beachbumhippie]

The lady's love ornaments, you could have a glass blower make small glass surfboards with a rubber plug in the tail end. Then fill with coloured sand

[Mudharp]

The lady's love ornaments, you could have a glass blower make small glass surfboards with a rubber plug in the tail end. Then fill with coloured sand

That is a killer idea! Know any good glass blowers...

[TReMoR]

thats great.. im 15.. but i think the problem of only targeting 16 and younger online.. means they need credit cards.... which.. isnt very common. Since they dont have credit cards they would need to ask their parents. I dont know.. but my parents would just tell me to go buy it at some other store, because ive seen leather cords at American Eagle.. for about 3 dollars. Unless your going to be selling them for about a dollar and shipping them in an envelope for low shipping..... i dont think you'll make much profit........


just something to take into consideration...

[SDCali]

The lady's love ornaments, you could have a glass blower make small glass surfboards with a rubber plug in the tail end. Then fill with coloured sand

That is a killer idea! Know any good glass blowers...

Nearest one to you I can think of is the one at Knott's Berry Farm. Give them a call, ask about a shopper's pass (deposit price of admission to allow 45mins to shop) if you don't want to pay the full price of admission and not get it back. They can probably give you the names of some people, I think they are independent vendors, not employees of the park, and thus could work with you to design something for your new company.

[Mudharp]

This is all really good feedback and is extremely helpful as we try to shape this thing into something. We were tossing around the idea of having shirts/hats/etc. that were localized in nature (specific to breaks...), i.e, "Church's, Swami's, 17th St., etc."

This is all at the fetal stage and we're working on it in our "spare" time!

[greg@hoodatsurfco]

Here are a few ideas.

1. tie some of the promotion to the US federal government's and many state's program to increase physical exercise/activity among today's youth

2. perform grass roots marketing that establishes brand. Includes displaying and giving away merchandise with your logo on it at particular events, festivals, contests, or simply a very busy vacation beach with lots of tourists. The merchandise for give away can be inexpensive like stickers and key chains.

3. advertise to older people in their 50's and 60's so because they have grand children that they could buy your merchandise for and because so many of them are actively taking up atheletics for improved health like no previous generation has

Brilliant ideas. Thank you! Everyone's feedback really helps.

I was starting a company called Hoodat Surf Co for a while (now forming into red star surf)
and one of my ideas was to buy a crap load of beer cozies with my logo name and website on it (those foam insulators) and a ton of canned tecate beer and pass them out at surf competitions in socal on the beach.

Tell me that wouldn't get people to look into your company.
And with every cozy stuff a couple stickers between the beer and the cozy.

Beer is the ultimate marketing campaign.

my company is going into primarily custom long boards (whole business is more for fun than anything else) and tons of apparel.

Remember to establish a name, and a vibe that says SoCal, (not literally the word SoCal, just the region) start there, because most surfers in california from what I have seen love supporting their local area and local brands. Which is why I have such a good niche where I am up here North of San Francisco.. there are no true surf brands up here at all.. so by appealing and selling out to regular locals (those random guys n gals who wear surf apparel but have never stepped foot on a board).. They will be your biggest market... more than surfers even.. so think about how you market your company.. if you want it to take off you have to provide to the folk who don't even surf but care about fashion and what not.

Most of the surfers I know don't wear big company clothing like rusty, quicksilver, billabong because its become nothing more than a fashion trend.. its not to say you should completely sell out.. but you have to a little if you want to make money, because surfers are cheap. At least in california they are. So you need to tap into a market of consumers that have nothing to do with what your company represents. To sum up, you do something you don't like to fund what you do like.. sorta like Ferrari, they started making production cars so they could fund their racing.

[Mudharp]

Here are a few ideas.

1. tie some of the promotion to the US federal government's and many state's program to increase physical exercise/activity among today's youth

2. perform grass roots marketing that establishes brand. Includes displaying and giving away merchandise with your logo on it at particular events, festivals, contests, or simply a very busy vacation beach with lots of tourists. The merchandise for give away can be inexpensive like stickers and key chains.

3. advertise to older people in their 50's and 60's so because they have grand children that they could buy your merchandise for and because so many of them are actively taking up atheletics for improved health like no previous generation has

Brilliant ideas. Thank you! Everyone's feedback really helps.

I was starting a company called Hoodat Surf Co for a while (now forming into red star surf)
and one of my ideas was to buy a crap load of beer cozies with my logo name and website on it (those foam insulators) and a ton of canned tecate beer and pass them out at surf competitions in socal on the beach.

Tell me that wouldn't get people to look into your company.
And with every cozy stuff a couple stickers between the beer and the cozy.

Beer is the ultimate marketing campaign.

my company is going into primarily custom long boards (whole business is more for fun than anything else) and tons of apparel.

Remember to establish a name, and a vibe that says SoCal, (not literally the word SoCal, just the region) start there, because most surfers in california from what I have seen love supporting their local area and local brands. Which is why I have such a good niche where I am up here North of San Francisco.. there are no true surf brands up here at all.. so by appealing and selling out to regular locals (those random guys n gals who wear surf apparel but have never stepped foot on a board).. They will be your biggest market... more than surfers even.. so think about how you market your company.. if you want it to take off you have to provide to the folk who don't even surf but care about fashion and what not.

Most of the surfers I know don't wear big company clothing like rusty, quicksilver, billabong because its become nothing more than a fashion trend.. its not to say you should completely sell out.. but you have to a little if you want to make money, because surfers are cheap. At least in california they are. So you need to tap into a market of consumers that have nothing to do with what your company represents. To sum up, you do something you don't like to fund what you do like.. sorta like Ferrari, they started making production cars so they could fund their racing.

Great insight, appreciate it. Good luck with your efforts as well!

[greg@hoodatsurfco]

thanks, mine is more for fun than anything else.. but i would love to be successful at it and have it be my "thang"