Here it is Sunday morning normally a slow day when I get a call about a repair job, customer brings over the rod simple repair and in a few minutes the topic becomes having a custom rod made while no guarntees re the rod order were given it defintley gave me the oppurntinity of meeting a prospective new customer, looks like tackle works will be a winner.
John

Way to go John.

John,

I am very glad to hear that you got a job off the TackleWorks site. I believe this will become a very common occurence once the bulk of the advertising and marketing kicks in during the Spring.

If you do not get your listing fee back very quickly I would be quite surprised. Again, this thing has only just begun. It should mushroom in another 30 to 60 days.

By the way, I once did all the repair work for a shop in Winston Salem. We nearly always had a custom rod drying in a rotating rack on the back wall. Quite a few of the fishermen who came in to have simple repairs done would see the rotating rods, ask what the heck were we doing to them, and end up ordering a custom model right then and there.

Anybody who wishes to build a good custom rod business can help it progress along by getting involved in rod repair (plus the repair money is pretty darn good once you gain a volume business).

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I think tackleworks will bring in a lot of new customers for many that have rod shop setups.
John and Tom, your stories do not surprise me and I've had new customers wanting a tip repair and ordering MORE than one custom rod, because they now know they can. Showing and telling is still the best word of mouth, but referral by a network sure can add to the flavor. Maybe keeping a rod rotating in full view, and in the window perhaps may even bring more interest, ya figure? If you have the time or staff even demonstrate a few fancy thread placements on the buttwrap to impress, it's bound to strike up some conversation and interest that could lead to a sale, and possible new friendship.

Rich
Solyrich Custom Rods
www.rodreel.com

I had a question on this directory listing about the price. I was told that after February the price to be listed was going to increase. Could someone email me and tell how much for now and how much it would be later? I have not made up my mind fully yet.

I have gotten about 20 repair jobs off the site thus far. I live near the coast and no one else in my state is listed so I am having a bit of a windfall for the time being. It is possibly my first custom rod off the site will come this week. One of the repair customers I got is interested.

What really blew me away was that I got calls from people who live less than 5 miles from me. They never knew I did this even though I have put up cards at local tackle shops and given talks at local fishing clubs. They found me through an internet directory. Live and learn. I've already made my investment back.

I don't mean to step on any toes with this post and if it's out of line I understand. I just thought I would ask.

If a guy signs on and then doesn't get any new business from the site is there any kind of guarantee that would get him his money back?

You have to understand that others have tried things like this for all manner of businesses and not all have worked. I ask this just as a 'for instance' and not to be smart or insult the site. I realize it's not much money to begin with, but what the heck. Just thought I'd ask.

Kevin,
Your question is very polite and worth asking, but in due respect would you get your money back if placing an advertisement in your local newspaper if you did not get the business you intended?
I doubt Tackleworks can absolutely guarantee work for you, but the idea is that it generates interest to fishermen as the main directory to seek tackle repair guys in your area. Tom is marketing this site about as effectively as anyone could think of doing. You could hang around signs locally , if you are allowed and place ads on your own, but for the small price for the year with tackleworks it is targeted directly to the folks that will seek your service.

And Mark, Yes it is fascinating that people just a few blocks from your shop didn't know of you until tuning in on-line. I hear this almost daily in my area and are surprised to know your services are available.
The rest is up to convincing them now to become your customer.
Funny how business cards in a tackle shop for services elsewhere can be so ignored. Sounds like the directory is effective for you already, and probably you've got enough to already cover the fee. good luck, hope it continues.

Rich

It's a fair question and deserves an answer.

No, there is no guarantee that you'll make any sale. No, there is no guarantee that you'll even get any calls, or emails, or traffic to your website (if you have one). However, I would not be pushing this if I did not think I could make it work.

We all make mistakes, including me. I've made tons. But if you want to play the odds, take a look at the things I have done within this industry. Odds were against a full sized rod building magazine for a craft of this size. Not enough people, not enough material to write about, etc., etc. But now we have one and in the nearly 5 years it's been up and running it has grown and improved with each year, if not each issue. And that trend shows no sign of abating. (Wait till you see the improvements for this year alone!)

With 30 or 40 rod building message boards scattered around the internet, odds were against a new one making any inroads. (Particularly one where people actually had to post their real names and leave valid email addresses.) Nobody would use such a thing would they? Well, this message board is quite easily the most heavily used rod building message board in the world. I know some of the guys who either moderate or own some of the others and it is safe to say that we get almost 3 times the traffic that the next 5 put together get. This isn't a boast, just a reminder of what a good idea coupled with proper implementation can result in.

So what about TackleWorks? Well, it could be a bust. Odds are it will be. But I think it is much more likely to turn out in the same way that RodMaker and Rodbuilding.org have. No guarantee, but I will do my best. That's about all I can offer.

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Since I started this thread I feel I should make some additional comments, first as stated the original post was made because I was caught completley off guard, hadn't expected any work from the site till July or August at the earliest. I have been in the business for quite a while and have tried many types of advertising, some work better then others and most cost far more then Tackle Works any advertising is somewhat of a gamble, at least here I feel secure in that it is directed towards the proper market.Anyone clicking on the web site is looking for repairs or a new rod At the present cost 1 rod sale or a couple of good repairs and your advertising for a year is paid for, for myself I look at each repair job as additional advertising, for those in the business word of mouth has always been one of the best ways to advertise but it takes a long time to be effective,with sites such as tackle works you are expanding the possibilities, as has been mentioned in earlier post you would be surprised at how many potential customers in your own area do not know of your existance, if you remember the old phone ads reach out and touch someone well here's an inexpensive way to do so.
just my 2 cents.

Tom - thank you for putting it in that perspective. I didn't mean to insinuate that the site wouldn't be any good or that you needed a guarantee. Just wondered if there might be one.

After considering all that you've done amid all the people who said you couldn't do it I guess TackleWorks is a pretty safe bet. Let me get some plans in order and I will be in touch. Thanks again.

It sounds like a great idea. There are people out there looking for a person to build or repair a rod who don't live near a tackle or rod repair shop. And all they have to do is type in where they live and presto there is a builder regestered in their neighborhood that they could go to.

Look at as easy advertising. I'm just getting started in the custom rod business and when I get enough sources for materials and a couple of more rods under my belt I'll probably put my name on it also.

In addition, I have budgeted almost $15,000 for print advertising for this first year in order to introduce TackleWorks to the fishing public. This is the key element for its success.

Most of these are for classified ads in all the major fishing publications and will run continually. Have placements in 35 magazines thus far and most will begin running in April and May.

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even though it has not generated on sale for me I am still confident that it can't hurt. We never know untill we try.