Mike Debolt

PRO-FORMance Archery LLC

Newark, Ohio

For me, it’s keeping the right inventory and receiving more inventory within a reasonable timeframe. When the demand is there, I want to be able to get the merchandise fast or already have it. If customers are asking for a product I don’t have or can’t quickly get, that’s stressful. One thing that affects this is direct-to-consumer sales are becoming increasingly common among archery manufacturers. In several cases, I’ve had reason to believe that manufacturers are fulfilling their consumer orders before they fulfill dealer orders. And then I’m stressed because I can’t get products fast enough.

Competing with online retailers is another big one. The toughest thing is when someone finds a product they want for a lower price online. They want dealers like me to match the price, but they also expect to get top-tier support. Take a bowsight, for example. Amazon won’t install it, but a customer wants me to sell it at Amazon pricing and then still install it for them at that price. Or, they might buy it online and then expect me to install it for free. These are stressful things to juggle. Of course, I want their business, but I also can’t give away products or my services.

And then there is the busy season. October and November — right during the peak of deer hunting season — are typically the busiest months. My hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., but during those busy months, I’m usually in the shop at 9 a.m. working on stuff and trying to stay ahead. Probably the most stressful aspects of the busy season are receiving and checking in product deliveries while selling equipment, working on everybody’s bows, and keeping the bathrooms and floors clean. There is a lot to keep up with at that time.

Doug Baumer

Archery Depot

Gill, Colorado

All of the different taxes make running your own business stressful. My wife, Jan, prepares all of the paperwork, and then we take it to an accountant to complete our taxes. For me, the stressful part is hearing Jan talk about all of the different taxes, from personal property tax to workers’ comp to employee tax to federal excise tax. Everybody’s holding their hand out. The smallest businesses seem to be hit the hardest. It’s both stressful and frustrating.

This one’s maybe more of a gripe and a hassle than a stressful thing: Online retailers and big box stores offer better prices but little to no customer service. Customers often misconceive that the best deal is the lowest price. Then, they go to a large sporting goods store not too far from my shop, but they have problems with their bow. The timing and/or centershot are off, or the store sells the wrong arrow spine, as a few examples. The customer recognizes something isn’t quite right, and then they look for a pro shop to fix it. The best price isn’t always the best deal. Customers must recognize the value of the ongoing service and expertise they will get when buying products at a pro shop.

Matt Rowloff

Bay Archery Sales

Essexville, Michigan

Managing employees can be stressful. Selling archery equipment isn’t the most lucrative business, so wages are lower than they should be. But the margins aren’t there, and it is hard to pay employees enough money to keep them happy. Some people would like to be paid as if they had a five-year college degree for this, but it just isn’t possible, and they don’t understand the back-end requirements for an archery retail store to survive.

Lower margins are another one. Twenty years ago, a retailer could double their money on most accessories. Now, many manufacturers seem to think you have to make only 30 percent. Some manufacturers are selling direct-to-consumer, so rather than them being our ally, they’re a competitor in some instances. And most manufacturers don’t enforce MAP pricing anymore, so there are competitors who are doing volume sales at less than a 30 percent profit, which makes it hard on us.

Years ago, before the Internet, we used to sell high-end backpacking gear. MAP was highly regulated in that category. We carried a tent that sold for $2,000, and our cost was $1,000. I cut a guy a deal on one and sold it for $1,800. We still made an $800 profit, but the tent manufacturer found out about it and cut us off for six months. It was the first violation, and I never did it again. Archery manufacturers should enforce MAP pricing so dealers aren’t always trying to undercut each other.

The last one is that some customers are expecting us to work for free. That is partially the result of what I call the basement-band of shops — the small guys that are afraid to charge people. That doesn’t help anybody. If you're giving away your service or merchandise, the customer has no sense of value in your service or what you sell. You have to protect the value of the merchandise and services you offer. If you don’t, people will constantly ask for discounts.