How to Setup a Pool Cue Shop

A pool cue shop can be a fun local business

Pool, technically known as pocket billiards, is a popular recreational activity in the U.S. As a result, retail shops selling pool cues and accessories offer good opportunities as local businesses. The keys to success are knowing your market and delivering excellent service that keeps customers coming back.

Things You'll Need

• Business Plan
• Retail Location
• Suppliers
• Inventory

Instructions

1. Analyze your market. What makes you so sure your city or neighborhood needs another pool cue shop? If there isn't at least one already in existence, why not? What precisely gives you the confidence that such a business is genuinely needed and that it will succeed? What exactly must you do to capitalize on that need?

2. Decide what kind of customer you will serve. If you target an upscale demographic, your goal will be to sell $540 Jacoby D3 cues or even more expensive collector's items to affluent hobbyists. If you target a blue-collar community, you'll need to focus on products that sell for a fraction of that. In between those extremes are several additional price points that each serve a specific market niche. Popular brands include McDermott, Viking, Predator, Poison and Outlaw.

3. Develop a list of proposed suppliers and develop formal business relationships with each one. In some instances, you will buy from a regional or local distributor. In other instances, you will buy directly from the manufacturer. In each case, make sure that your terms and conditions as a retailer -- including financial terms -- are put in writing.

4. Find a good location. Look for retail space near a bowling alley or a pool hall or a factory -- nearby places where your customers are likely to congregate. Target those local businesses or locations with your promotional literature. Visit the human resources department at large local employers and set up a private billiards league. Look for other creative ways to engage the community and your customer. Make the entire experience as social as possible.

5. Write a business plan. It can be as short as a few pages long, but it should include monthly financial projections for the first two years and a simple, clear explanation of the reasons you will succeed. Even a relatively simple business plan will increase your chances of success. A truly professional, thorough business plan, vetted by an independent authority such as an accountant or business attorney, will dramatically increase the likelihood of your longevity.

6. In addition to pool cues, sell supplies, accessories and services. For example, after you've sold the cue, upgrade the customer to a deluxe carrying case. Remind your customers to regularly have you replace the tips on their cues for best performance. Sell books and DVDs. Have a local artist create a cool T-shirt for your shop and sell those, too. Constantly look for ways to increase total revenues from the same available space.

7. Market yourself to the community. Be a champion of the game of pool. Get involved with local recreational organizations and promote yourself. Look for creative ways to engage customers and grow your market. Start a Facebook page and sponsor local tournaments. Better yet, do it for charity, Approach your local high school or college or trade school about starting a billiards club.

References

• Billiard Warehouse: Recommendations