Anybody ever thought of retail?

[Kimber Landscapes]

Sell small shippable stuff or local delivery. Sell it on the internet. Buy stuff from a supplier when you get the order for it.

[Scott]

You know if you did Pool & Spa repairs, service, sales & really go after the service... Good Luck to Ya!

this is exactly what I was aiming for. My target would be the the service/repairs which is good money, especially spa repair. Kinda like irrigation repairs but then like you say, I have to have stock on hand and then storage.

I talked to a semi big dawg buddy of mine and he has pretty much told me exactly what you guys have been pounding into my head. He said if anything, provide brochures, kinda like how I sell my lights.

[jagmagic]

well, I've got to go against the grain on this one. If done correctly I think it can be a very profitable idea. You could combine your sales and your service. You could offer a discount off of a retail purchase if they sign up for 1 or 2 years worth of mowing services.

As far as the merchandise goes, keep in stock flowerbed materials that you would use on a routine basis and maybe 1 wooden swingset as a display in the middle of your store w/ a landscaped area around it. have a few booths or project idea areas set up, and then only sell out of a catalog therefore minimizing your costs involved in merchandise. If you sell the products, you can sell delivery and installation as well.

for example, lets say you sell a large wooden swingset. You can then try to upsell landscaping to go around it to make it more attractive in the yard. Then, you very possibly could increase the visibility of your lawn services and reach new customers. Honestly, be prepared for a min. of 3 years of loss from any type of store you open up. This would have to be a very well thought out, long term plan.

I like the idea a lot, I have a tendancy to think outside the box though...

take it for what it is, and that's just my opinion, no experience in this area.