I’m in Nashville a lot and would love to see another high-end store in that area. With that said, it’s obviously a big risk and you better have substantial financial reserves to get through the startup cost and the first year or two. I don’t think a store would make it selling low or mid stuff. Too much competition from the Internet, Best Buy, etc. As others have said, there is considerable competition at the high end in Nashville.
I wonder if there might be an opportunity to get some traction as a consultant for people looking to put together high-end systems. Nashville is exploding and full of very affluent people. I doubt if this could start as a full-time job but maybe a side hustle and maybe you could get access to sell a little equipment along the way without having the enormous expense of a brick and mortar store with a full set of inventory. Even if it didn’t take off as you would want, you would have very little investment. You are obviously knowledgeable, and maybe there are people willing to pay for that
Starting my showroom again
Hello, audiophiles. I would like to get your honest feedback. Back in 2022, I had to close my business in Nashville owing to a series of unexpected occurrences (several deaths in the family, a rapid move to assist my mother-in-law, and a brain operation); all of this necessitated that I close the store in a matter of weeks. It was now a two-hour trek to Nashville. I worked as a glorified gate operator at a chemical company because that is all was available in our small town. I received an opportunity to become national sales director for an audio company, which would provide some income—not much, but enough to go back into the hifi business at the bottom level.
So now you know the incredibly brief version of the story. Here's the question: there is a little town about 30 minutes away that is booming and gaining more expensive retailers like Ulta and StarBucks. So here's the question.
Do you believe a small town like that might support an up-and-coming hifi business that sells receivers, speakers like PS Audio, KEF, and other manufacturers at a lower price point until the store can handle more expensive items? The closest "electronics store," Electronics Express, is nearly an hour and a half away. I have had an audio shop since 2003, beginning in Florida. Thoughts?
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I have to agree with the previous folks who posted. It's a gamble and only you can decide if it's doable and worth the risk. FWIW, I was a dealer for a few years, between 2011 and 2017. Before that I restored vintage turntables and tube gear, until broken trash gear became worth $$$. I crunched the numbers and realized that I couldn't make the numbers work if I had to pay retail rent so I did only in-home demos. I was located in the greater L.A. area and looked for great gear to sell that wasn't carried of over represented in the area. I did reasonably well but I gave up every weekend and some evenings and at the end of the day I did better than break even but what I made didn't really compensate me for my time. I enjoyed what I was doing and loved (most) of my clients, but it's a hard way to make a living these days. I can't speak for the Nashville area but in L.A. most of the successful dealers have either (1) been in business a long time and sell gear that everyone wants (which means you shouldn't try to compete), or (2) have outside sources of income like a trust fund or rich wives. That wasn't me nor you either, I'm guessing. |
@immatthewj just when I was starting to plan my next 20 years, you remind me of reality |
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