how can the little guy survive?

Industry Talk
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It has repeatedly been discussed here how hard it is for a small shaper, board-builder, or retailer, to make it.  Big corporations have so much more leverage against the smaller operations.  I'm not in the surf industry, but I am self-employed, a small one-craftsman operation, little fish in the big sea, bottom of the food chain, etc.  Although I'm no "success story", I have managed to survive thus far, when a lot of my competition, and others in related and non-related fields, have folded, so I have learned a few things I could share.

And I'm sure lots of you guys out there have tips and pointers that have helped you survive.  Could we pool some of that experience / knowledge?  I think it was Doc who started a good thread awhile back on running a surfshop.  Maybe we could have a thread for shapers or board builders, along those same lines.

Now maybe there might be some hesitation to share here - after all, its the world wide web, prying eyes, lurkers with murky motives, cut-throat competition, etc. etc.  And if you don't want to share your secrets, then by all means don't.  But my thinking is, its not really other small guys that are the competition.  Its the big guys who are putting the small guys out of business, its the wal-marts and costcos that cause the mom-and-pops to close shop.  The small guys could help each other, with little or no risk.  And the big guys have their own agendas, their own m.o.'s, their own huge machines to run, so I don't think there's much we could share here they don't already know, if its even useable to them.

Its like guerilla warfare - which wikipedia describes as "...a method of combat by which a smaller group of combatants attempts to use its mobility to defeat a larger, and consequently less mobile, army. "  The little guy has more flexibility to change course, adapt, evolve, progress, and so forth.   So his weakness can also be his strength.

What do you guys think?  Is the subject worthy of a thread of its own?

For starters, I would submit that one of the best and most cost-effective tools to advertise today is a website, and closely related, is a blog.  If I had a surf industry business, that is one of the first things I would take a serious look at.  I'm not computer savvy at all, but I did my own website, and I get a substantial amount of business from it.  I also have several blogs (although they are not business-related) I would be willing to discuss it, if anyone is interested.  And to hear from others about their websites and blogs, and what they think about them as an advertising / selling tool.

Video sites, like YouTube, offer a lot of possibilities too.  Surfers love surfing videos, and shaping / glassing videos are pretty popular too.  I think that they are less effective than websites, but could be used as one facet of internet promotion.

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…where…Bugs & Errors , or The Surfshop ?

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  Maybe we could have a thread for shapers or board builders, along those same lines.

 

[/quote] ....where......Bugs & Errors , or The Surfshop ?

www.currumbinwoodworks.com.au

[/quote]

Hey Kayu, that is a great website you linked to, and exactly what I'm talking about.  Once you have a website, you should include a link on every post, by putting the link in your signature (as you have done).  The more you can direct traffic to your website, the higher you will rank on the search engines.  Which means when someone is searching for your services, you will appear higher on the page.  Being on the back pages is way less effective than being at or near the top of page one.

Another thing that will help in search engine ratings is to make sure all the links are working.  i.e., if you click on "timber furniture" then scroll down and click "other things we make", you get the "page not found" message.  Best to delete that link (other things...), if the page has not been set up for it.  Bum links keep you down on the search engine ratings.  They actually have computers that scan the internet, and check links, to facilitate in ranking your website for search purposes.

A link could also be used to direct people to your blog.  Swaylocks gets a lot of internet traffic, and can be a useful tool for directing people to your website or blog.  Since the link can appear on every post, you can get advertising by commenting in ANY CATEGORY, be it errors and bugs, surfshop, industry talk, or general discussion.

This is a gorgeous piece of craftsmanship:

I found it on the "For Sale" page.  Because, as the description shows, it is for sale!  Therein lies the logic of organizing a website - keeping things (like thread topics, as another example) in their proper category.  Scattering listings helter skelter makes for a less satisfying experience for visitors to the site.

Since some website hosting sites offer free templates, the cost of setting up an initial website is minimal.  Here is an example of a free website I set up, using GoDaddy's free template.  http://www.extremeplastering.com/Home_Page.php  You won't get search engine ratings with a free website, but it can still be useful sales tool, because you can direct people to it with links, or by featuring the web address on business cards, you vehicle, or other advertising.  And it can be a stepping stone to a full-fledged website with more pages and more content, in time.

BTW, your content (the writing part of the website) is very good, as are most of the photos.  Did you do that yourself, or enlist the aid of others?  Both are good ways to go, when setting up a website.  Content, especially if it contains key words or key phrases (the kind of stuff people typically type into a search engine), is very important to website success!

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Huck , there is a huge difference between a business website and a public forum…business websites are “optimised” at the discretion of the website owner by various means…public forums are generally the property of a person or entity , and rely on the input of members to keep the various topics of conversation going…Public forums can contain advertising , at the dicretion of the owner , to either cover running costs or make some profit…Regarding  SEO (search engine optimisation)…I have no need to set the world on fire , I’m quite happy just to live in it…as I have always done…

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Search engine optimization - could be a whole thread in itself, but I kinda just figured its one piece in the bigger puzzle, lotsa other things for the small business to consider also.  Not so much about setting the world on fire, more about survival in a brutal environment, hence the thread title.

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Most big guys started little. 

How did they get “big”?

The demand for what they made was recognized.

How did they go about addressing that demand?

The journey getting from “small” to “big” tells the story.

There are many skilled craftsmen that have fantastic knowlege about their tools and how to make a great product.

There are relatively few of those same craftsmen that have the tools to make the journey from small to big, a success.

It is rarely a case of luck of the draw.

More likely it involves having a sound business plan and surrounding oneself with competent individuals.

There are far more ways to fail than succeed.

It also helps to have a crazy amount of talent in as many facets of business as possible  versus being:

Surfer first

Shaper Second

Businessman last.

You would think the Yin & Yang would be equal, but that does not seem to be the case.

Perhaps that is merely perception more than reality?

 

.so what about the “small guy surviving”? 

The small guy surviving implies he accepts staying small. That means that the journey I alluded to previously from small to big is more of a choice versus a mandatory path to take. 

Staying small and survivng has to become a different formula and learning curve.

Things like practicing Lean Manufacturing while minimizing waste and maximizing reward aka profit from limited edition numbers produced.

Make more by producing less.

That goal can be manifested in whatever creates the demand one seeks?

Niche product?

Unique design?

Target market?

Cheapest? Most Exclusive? Or somewhere in the middle?

Quickest delivery?

 

Again…Yin and Yang.

Like surfing, its all about finding the right balance.

 

 

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…hello DS, BUT, you have the other types: look the “shapers” of the WCT riders…your scheme do not fit in several. All hype and marketing, then, after few years (of wasted money from some capitalist partner) all settle down and occurs couple of things: the brand broke down, or it s sold to a giant brand.

 

 

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Since the internet has become such a dominant marketing medium , the lines of reality have become blurred IMO…the internet = a bullshit-artist’s paradise  (lol)…OK ! put the gun down NOW ! , and stepaway from the keyboard slowly with your hands up…

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I agree with ALL of you to some degree(s).

Those You Tube shaping videos bore me to tears… I’d never make one unless I could make it engaging and creative enough to watch from micro, machro, many angled perspectives versus Joe Wannabe s-s-s-s-s-shaping a surfboard.

It wouldn’t last for more than 180 seconds, but it would tell the story hopefully leaving you with an appetite for more rather than bloated.

Yeah, the innnnnnnnnnernet.

Fantastic tool and fixation, all the while taking too much mystery away from our physical world.

One guy farts and blows up a small village halfway around the world and we all know about it inside of 5 minutes.

I think I’d rather wait for the full moon, go sit outside, and howl with the coyotes.

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Dead, The video idea of taking a shots from many angles and adding some production value is a solid idea. if you are talking about marketing a specific model board or shape. Such as a long board it would be good to do a voice over of the shapers personal philosophy of board design while showing some insight on how you discover the board inside the blank. 

For the small guy to succeed he needs to be true to his ideas on board design. Those ideas should also be well thought out and proven to work. making some far out board that isn't anything more then some weird concept isn't going to cut it in the long run. Don't compete with cheap. china has that covered. you have to earn the right to demand preimium prices. To earn that right you have to have the talant vision and skils that keep the customer coming back. 

 Build your customer base and keep them happy. Do your marketing to enhance the the best advertizing word of mouth.

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Now maybe there might be some query to discuss here - after all, its the globally web, the next accessibility others who stay close by perspective, lurkers with dirty specifications, cut-throat competitors, etc. etc.

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Dead,  

I was addressing the “legit” guy. Or at least the guy who wants to be more then just another back yard board builder.  

Of course the foundation of everything is raw talent.  Talent that is nurtured and has learned the proper skills to allow that talent to really flourish.

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I applaud the little guy slaving for his craft, its hard dirty dangerous work but no one wants to work like a dog for a pittance, and increasing prosperity is everyone’s goal.

But theres got to be a ‘hook’ for every product, most hand shaped boards are virtually identical, to the buying public.

We all know that boards with a Quiky logo are no better than any other board but their hook or ‘point of difference’ is the perception that goes with the logo. And so the same for boards with a Bong or Rip Logo.

Or the little guy could pioneer and dominate a style…

 Grain has hws

sunova has hi tech compsand

tuflite has business savvy…

it doesn’t need to be design or materials or price, but for all the local PUPE boards waiting on the racks, where’s the difference for the customers to see?

 What makes the little guys boards demand customer attention ?

Telling a 15 year old that the shapers been doing it for 35 years is the ultimate turnoff, ask my teenage sons, they want fresh, new, cutting edge, and they want it all to fall within the strict confinement of what’s currently acceptable.

 Zero to 5 fins… OK

fish/Simms/ egg / Gemini …OK

Wood / carbon / epoxy…Ok

Something totally new might be magic but without credibility it will have a limited market, if at all, until it gains market visibility and acceptance and mostly thru online prescence. We’ve seen people with a product come on Sways trying to use Sways to get traffic to their site, its cheaper than advertising but horribly lame. Or they do a slightly different shape and then try to cultivate the “alternate” image with an attitude… Yawn. The kids  see thru that crap.

But…If youre looking for a big slice of the market, theres no substitute for a big dollar marketing campaign and that’s the unavoidable truth.

The little guy, pushing out fantastic handcrafted craft has no chance of getting sales any further than his postcode without a ‘hook’ that sets his product apart from the rest AND having a big marketing campaign.

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The Topic of this Tread is:

How can a little guy survive?

 

  1. Be Honest (In what you say & do)

  2. Quality Driven (One bad unit will take a Hundred units made well to recover, Maybe?)

  3. Do not over diversify (Find your specialty)

  4. Don’t be a HATER!

 

I have made plenty of mistakes in the past however in order to survive I have found these 4 principles the foundation to a little guy’s survival!

 

Kind regards,

surfding

 

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Actually , I take offence to the title of this thread . The “little guy” is actually the true giant of surfboard  building. …its where every bit of significant advancement in design , methodology , technology and performance has ALWAYS come from …the claims by some of these global parasites has become a desparate plea for help…but I think they’re  already  “too far gone” …(lol)…long live the underground giants !

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Maybe the term is an americanism?  Over here the term is not an insult, but it means small privately-owned business, as opposed to a large corporation.

http://www.11alive.com/news/article/265278/166/The-Little-Guy-vs-The-Big-Box-Stores-Small-Business-Saturday

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There’s a certain amount of truth in what everyone is saying here. 

For me, I don’t agree with the notion that you have to capture market share with large paid ads and pro surfers riding your boards that are within 1/8" of everyone else’s glass slippers out there.   

Pardon the expression, but it’s what I call the whore’s market.

To poo poo the niche market is not insightful… at least in the states, where there is a rich investment being made every day by small time shapers putting out some really diverse and exciting new directions… not just ‘retro’ have you.

Contrary to popular belief, and market surveys, not EVERYONE surfing is between the ages of 13 and 25 years of age. Not everyone rides a ‘pro board’, not everyone wants to surf competitvely or to become famous. I see a lot of young surfers loving experiemnting with all kinds of different designs at Rincon…

If the ‘little’ guys weren’t willing to think outside the box, we never would have had twinnies, quads, Bonzers, V Bottoms, and a host of other ideas come to the forefront.

I don’t think those designs came to the forefront soleyl due to big advertisements… designs prevail BECAUSE THEY WORK.

If you design a “utility” board, meaning something that is a solid design and works for a lot of surfers, you stand a better chance of enjoying more sales. Sales isn’t just about making money… one can look at it as a resource allowing you to experiment a bit more.

The aforementioned is a moot point unless you are willing & disciplined enough to turn it into something that creates momentum.

“Momentum” is a beautiful thing to achieve with a design, but it takes initiative and dedication to maintain.

If a little guy wants to survive and STAY little, and he has something really attractive to the consumenr, than he devlops a formula based similar to what artists have done with ‘limited editions’. This works to some degree, but in the surfing world, at least from my experience, not all that well… the concept is generally used more by bigger, successful manufacturers trying to drive up pricepoint and bottom line profit by creating what’s called “urgency” for the consumer to be motivated to purchase. 

Going back to the original thread subject, “how can the little guy survive?”… the little guy survives by making a little money and loving what he makes a lot. For him, it can’t really be about money that is going to pay for all his needs and then some… otherwise, he has to look at what he is doing differently. 

It’s really as simple as that. 

You can’t expect to make the same as a guy that is in the trenches pumping out 25 a week every week if you make 3 per month. And, just for the record, the guy that is pumping 25 per week quite likely has just as much “soul” if not more.

 

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Nice writing as usual DEADSHAPER.

I mostly make files these day’s however it’s momments like this when the little guy feels good!

Kind regards,

surfding

 

Misha having his board signed by Ziggy Marley.

Misha is a sander/polisher that plays in a Reggie Band as a Drummer at night.

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…I guess that there s different types of what you can call “little guys”…

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Hi Reverb:

Misha is a very humble sander/surfer/drummer from Central Mexico.

He did the art work on this board and brought it to Ziggy to sign.

I love it when a little guy has a moment like this.

Pretty cool I believe.

Have a good week!

Kind regards,

surfding