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started up my own bussiness by accident.........

0311marine0311marine Member Posts: 3,233
edited August 2003 in General Discussion
i just started up my own bussiness by accident.i sold 2 of my ghillie suits from when i was on active duty.i sold 1 on ebay and 1 on snipercountry,today i got 27 people asking me to make 1 for them.thats alot of orders to fill i'm gonna have to hire my buddy who is down on his luck right now being unemployed.and teach him the art of ghillie suit construction.it takes me 3 days to build myself alone.[:)]27 orders at $350 a pop =$9450 that is a pretty good profit it only costs me $40 to build 1 but it is the labor which makes the price more.[:D]

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SEMPER FI
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  • redcedarsredcedars Member Posts: 919 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Good deal marine!

    And if there is anything this economy needs it is labor intensive industry that can afford to pay decent wages. Good Luck!

    redcedars
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  • DancesWithSheepDancesWithSheep Member Posts: 12,938 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Get a government contract. You could charge $9450 for one suit.
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  • FrancFFrancF Member Posts: 35,279 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    ONE WORD "CABELAS" Send them a freebe to there marketing people. they are very easy to work with! Good work!

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  • 0311marine0311marine Member Posts: 3,233
    edited November -1
    for govt. contracts it probally wont work,as a 8541(scou sniper) on my mos we had to build our own out of material gathered we werent allowed to buy one ,but most of my orders are from bow hunters,army,and photograghers.but these suits are the real deal the real thing made by me,how could i send 1 to cabelas?

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  • FrancFFrancF Member Posts: 35,279 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    1-800-237-4444 and ask for marketing/sales, Now they just came out with the new catalog. Which might be good, that will give you time to think about it for a submission for the next catalog run.

    I had one thing that I was doing that I was going to market. If you have one of their catalogs, they are selling hardwood tables with etched glass (with outdoor scenes). I was doing something similar except the scenes are done in slate or marble. The tables were made out of square steel tubing that was powder coated. But my downfall was, I was doing this with another shop that did the etching and the demand on my end was so high, I was not going to compromise on quality and the price. We did sell on a local level and it was hot! Think leadtime, Price, and quality. An art cannot be rushed! Cabelas is very open IMHOP, I never got one off to them but new products are welcom with open arms

    Ask 5db. He got his stabilizer in there. He can tell you better than I. GOOD LUCK! [:D][:D][:D]


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  • RugerNinerRugerNiner Member Posts: 12,636 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I want to Hunt Florida Flamingos. [:p] [;)] [}:)]
    Can you make me one in Hot Pink. [:D] [:D] [8D]

    sniper1.gif Remember...Terrorist are attacking Civilians; Not the Government. Protect Yourself!
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  • marinerahmarinerah Member Posts: 99 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    LMAO dances!!!!quote:Originally posted by DancesWithSheep
    Get a government contract. You could charge $9450 for one suit.
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  • marinerahmarinerah Member Posts: 99 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Sounds good 0311. I know how long it takes to make a suit(i made my own, so time consuming)! Good luck.
    Semper Fi!
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  • RembrandtRembrandt Member Posts: 4,486 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    ....don't forget that being a small business owner you now fall under a number of gov regulations....

    - is the suit fire resistant and safe around children?
    - don't forget to pay your employees FICA and health benefits
    - State needs to take part of your profits for taxes
    - Feds need some for taxes too
    - may need to pay local & state sales tax
    - file quarterly estimated tax returns
    - workmans comp insurance
    - business liabilty insurance, so customers can sue you.
    - childcare services for employees
    - disabilities act requires you to have handicap access and bathrooms

    Of the $350 you get for each suit, you may end up with $75 profit.... after you meet all theses requirements, could be cheaper to outsource these to Mexico or China [:D]
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  • bolthandlebolthandle Member Posts: 1,213 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    0311marine: I just bought one of the ghillie suits that Cabaleas sells in the Mossy oak Break up pattern, paid $182 for it. I could have made my own but the labor intensive task to do it made this one cheap.
    Its not as good as I would like, but will work for what I do.

    If you could get a contract with Cabelas, I would charge more than $350 for each, as if its of excellent quality, I dont think you could make enough to keep up with the demand.

    The only way one or two could make it, would be if it was in one of there specialty catalogs and by special order only.

    Then you could charge around $600 or more for it.

    There is a company in Arizonia that makes custom ghillie suit and they charge I think over $1200 each and made out of jute fabric and only the best backup materials. They also demand a 50% down payment before they even start to build one for you.

    This might be the way you could do it and keep your cost down instead of mass production. Which makes them all look the same and soon you are trying to find cheap suppliers of material for your suits and then the quality will drop then so will your sales.

    So keep the suit quality as the first one and dont scimp on the materials and you will find a market that will keep you going for a long time.

    Thats if you dont get carpel tunnel in your hands.[:D][:D] tying all those knots.

    Give it a try, sounds good to me.[^]

    Bolt

    Bolt

    PEACE THROUGH SUPERIOR FIREPOWER
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  • longhunterlonghunter Member Posts: 3,242
    edited November -1
    Just some words of encouragement bud...my auto retoration business started much the same way and REALLY took off.NEVER compromise your quality ,it is what your brand of customers rely on.Do not take on more than you can handle,better to make less $ than more enemies,no matter how good they are americans don't wanna wait,especially longer than they thought they were going to.My hat is off to you,you stand for all that has made this country great before you .....small business has been the backbone of this country.Anyhow ,sure you've heard it all before,luck to you bud,do I get a discount as a GB member? L.H.
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  • 5db5db Member Posts: 1,621 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    0311marine, Best of luck to you! If you decide to come to Wichita for the Gun Show after the Wedding in October, give me a holler and we can talk about your project.

    If you have one shot...Accu-Shot Website
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  • offerorofferor Member Posts: 8,625 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by longhunter
    Just some words of encouragement bud...NEVER compromise your quality ,it is what your brand of customers rely on. Do not take on more than you can handle, better to make less $ than more enemies, no matter how good they are americans don't wanna wait, especially longer than they thought they were going to.

    Brother, there are a WHOLE BUNCH of online auction sellers that really need to hear your advice too. Thanks for underscoring the importance of it. I think I hear a lot of "Amen"s in the distance...

    T. Jefferson: "[When doing Constitutional interpretation], let us [go] back to the time when [it] was adopted. [Rather than] invent a meaning [let us] conform to the probable one in which it was passed."

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