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| SkullandBonesSkateboards.com Forum Index » BUSINESS, SHOPS & RETAILERS » Why do you do it? |
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| TCBSK8 |
 Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2003 8:57 pm |
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Joined: 23 May 2003
Posts: 1211
Location: Tupelo, Mississippi
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This is a serious question (relax, guys...) for all the shop owners in here -
Why the hell do you do it?
The usual answers like "For the Chicks" and "I love it" aside, be for real with me. Why do you do it?
I've been in the skateshop "game" since 1996. I've struggled month-to-month the whole time, I've sacrificed more money, more time with my wife and son, more time off, and more straight up blood sweat and tears than I can even measure in those 7 years, man.
Yall know what it takes...totaldedication.
And why?
Some of yall may say the money's nice, but you must be living somewhere where the scene is HUGE and you're selling softgoods out the ass, because we all know the profit margin is shit on boards. OUTLOOK and you "bigger" shops/companies, sure - you probably are making some corn, and hell yeah for yall. Feed those families, guys, and buy an old skateboard from time to time too, if the fancy strikes you.
I guess I'm preaching to the little guys in Nowhere, USA that have a small crew of friends and the usual assorted groms and kooks that buy just enough to keep you in business... Guys like me.
I'm in the 700th financial bind of the last 7 years right now, (due to the guy we sublet from moving out unexpectedly) and it's gonna take every dollar from mine and my wife's tax return to keep the doors open.
Why?
I could have gotten a PHD in anything I wanted in the time I've spent slangin' stuntwoods. Why not just get a JOB like the rest of the world and have some financial security for Christ's sake?
Why?
From what I can gather mentally, the reason I pump every dollar I have into this joint, even if it's LOSING money, is somewhere along thes lines:
It holds the scene together in Tupelo, Mississippi - Population 34,211.
People are going to skate with or without me, I know that, but every time I close for a few months to re-structure and re-open, the scene just sorta dissapates. There's nowhere to meet up and watch the new video or shoot the shit or buy a deck even for a hundred mile radius. The local skateshop is the glue of the scene...
I have met more killer people that I will call bros til death through this shop than I can count.
I've organized contests, demos, and kick-ass sessions that people will lie on their deathbeds and remember and think, "Man, I had a good time that day. Damn. Life was good.", then shit themselves and die. That's kinda cool.
And dammit, it's what I know how to do. It's the one thing I'm good at. You could argue that if I'm so friggin' good at it then why am I so piss poor, and hey, you could have a point. Still, I see people working at TacoBell and Banks and Exec-jobs every day with just enough "life-force" in them to get home and not kill themselves before they have to do it all over again. I would not have that strength. (Plus, I have two armsleeves of tattoos, and that kinda bars you from certain jobs. In my case, on purpose...)
I'm writing this mini-book mainly to remind myself why I'm gonna give that check away to the landlord, the power company, the phone company and the homeless dude that washes my windows tomorrow. If nobody reads it all, much less replies, whatever. Still, I'm curious...
why do yall do it?
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| realcheapskates |
| Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2003 5:30 pm |
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Joined: 16 Apr 2003
Posts: 246
Location: San Diego
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good writing man
although Im technically not a shop owner, I know a reason you didnt give that means alot to me is being able to work for myself and not for someone else
Being your own boss, even if its for a side business that doesnt even pay any of my bills is pretty nice
Im not close to making a living off this but I can always hope with this venture or any others I try/tried in the past
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| TCBSK8 |
| Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2003 4:02 pm |
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Joined: 23 May 2003
Posts: 1211
Location: Tupelo, Mississippi
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| mr black |
| Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2003 2:46 pm |
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Joined: 10 Aug 2003
Posts: 13
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| Sounds like you got it rough. Well you have to look at what the hell are you doing wrong . you should be making money, are you selling primarily hard goods. how big is the scenes there, sounds like you have set up a few things like contests . Is there any stores like your's in the area?. If you are ceateing "the scene" you should be makeing cash. What is the demographics there. Who is buying your stuff. |
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