Alright it's been my dream(and probably most people's here) to own my own head shop. I just remembered there is not a SINGLE headshop for miles from my town(minimum hour drive). Got me to thinking about my own headshop again, and how much I'd like one. Turns out I'm still in college(yay) and they are sending me a fair sum of money again, as are a couple of my friends. It's not huge money by any means(its like 40k combined I think), and I doubt I could open a business for that little(I remember a few years back I think I calculated like a minimum 100k before you should even try). However I'm in a pondering mood and it got me to thinkin again, what does it take to start a headshop. So I figured I would need to find a glass blower(unless you can find these online) or maybe there are places online I can buy large quantities of glass from? And a question I pose unto you guys, what should a good head shop have. What should I carry in this mofo if I ever start it, obviously I'm gonna have bongs, pipes, hookahs and stuff but I mean like, should I carry juicy Js? Should I carry brand name bongs(Naples is a pretty rich town)? Let me know what you think By the way, let me know if you think my town is even large enough to sustain a business like this. Naples population is about 22,000 people(census 2006). I'll count Golden Gate with Naples as it's not even a 5 min drive at 35mph between the two. Golden Gate's population is 21,000 but that's using a census from 2000(it has definetly grown). If I count Bonita Springs(which is like 10 miles away and is way closer to us than any other city) the population from there is about 32,000(census 2006). So I'd figure between the three(all within 10 mins of each other), there is a population of probably about 80,000 people here. You think a head shop can operate with this kind of population?
this deff sounds like something you should seriously look into and possibl invest in. im not too familiar with all the tips, facts, figure, ect., but i wish u the best of luck man
Find someone willing to go into the business with you and yes, that should be enough people to keep the business going as long as you have a strong stoner community. The place where I live, we have a headshop and we only have 30-50 thousand people. It is actually shutting down now because business is too slow but thats because they don't get enough pieces. If I were you, I would consider starting an online headshop or something of that sort... Even though there are a shit ton of them, it might be easier and from there then you might be able to own your own building and sell your shit.
You need to find someone to co-own as it is much easier to get started that way bro. The main thing you need to remember is, you will be the only headshop in the area. You need to take advantage of this by keeping up the quality, and keeping the prices fair because this will make them only go to you and not the e-stores. I'm a Biz student
my local headshop Planet K carries bongs, vaporizers, grinders, screens, hookahs, rolling machines... you know, all the smoking accessories which is to be expected but they carry loads more than just that. Planet K's little slogan is Grownup Gifts for Kids of all Ages. so they also carry a bunch of nostalgic and trippy toys (think metal lunch boxes, bobble-head jesus, slinkys, jack-in-the-boxes, old action figures, goo hour glass) and candles of all sorts and sizes, posters, stickers, clothing made from hemp material, wallets w/ chains(think hot topic style), signs, naughty/novelty gift cards. They got a book section full of marijuana mags, grow advice books, other books and stuff of that nature. they have a "grow section" with a decent amount of growing material. Lights, fertilizer, soil, a bunch of stuff. They also have some fridges in which they carry drinkables, some unfamiliar stuff like foreign teas and then coke products, rock star drinks. they also got a munchie stand that hosts various chips candy and gum. They even have some glass dildos on display. the glass dildos are really pretty. they also have this five foot hookah which i'm not sure is for sale or what but it's pretty awesome. anyway i'm sorry if this isn't what you were asking about i don't know much about brand names of bongs and such, but this is the kind of stuff they carry and it's pretty cool. people don't just go in there for pot paraphernalia, it's kind of like Spencer's Gifts except more... well less industrial, more laid back and happy. the thing is if i go there, say with a friend who's bong shopping... i don't intend to buy a bong or pipe or screens, but i'll see something else. a cute sticker, neat poster, awesome toy, a new place to put my weed. or i'll get thirsty, buy myself a Rock Star Latter. variety, man. sry this is so long, btw. i'll shush now.
It sounds like you might want to investigate another area. There isn't a head shop in your town for a reason... How often does your average stoner buy glass, and how many stoners are there per 1000 people. I don't see you being remotely successful with that kind of population. Just my thoughts.. I live in downtown san jose (~1,000,000 people). 3 head shops came up on google. I know of 4 more. There is probably 3-4 more that I don't know about. 1,000,000/10 = 1 head shop, per 100,000 (In a fairly dense area). Also, you should consider how nice your town is... that will probably decrease the number of stoners in your area... and be careful, if it's too "nice", you might have the town against you. Best of luck, man.
I was thinking about this, the only reason I can think of for why there isn't a head shop here is your town is too nice argument. However if I open in the gate, I could get away with it. Also I wouldn't sell just glass, I'd sell blunts, J papers, cigarettes, small glass, posters, hanging beads, and I would take the advice of someone who posted earlier and have a bunch of trippy shit. And ashtrays.... gotta have ashtrays.... On a side note, gas stations in my town sell pipes. I can actually think of 5 different gas stations that sell pipes/bongs and like you I know there are more that I don't know about/go to and thats just in Naples/Golden Gate, gotta be more in Bonita. My plan would be to take that market from them, take the market of people that like things like bad ass posters, weird toys and shit, and delve into the untapped market of people who just don't know where to find pieces in town(the gas stations obviously don't advertise they sell them). P.S. Yes I'm alive, I know I've been gone for forever. Couldn't help it, I've been fixing my college shit, and smoking ALOT of the crip da chrona marijuana and thats what my time has been filled with. Since I don't normally smoke at my house, I haven't had access to a computer. Even when I have I don't know why but I've been less compelled to post lately...
You should also sell posters, and perhaps salvia (if its legal where you live). Heres a thought: Try and get some buddies of yours to form a "street team" which has fliers and t-shirts. Try going to concerts in your area where stoners will show up and just get your team to stand outside and pass out fliers to people who exit. That way you can get the word out. Also another thing you can do is you can have a website and simply take pictures of your best merchandise for people to view online. These are the kind of things you can do to seperate yourself from the other headshops and make yours unique.
I'd also at least get a nice variety of tobacco products. the headshop around me is Papa Smokes and they have a huge selection of cigs, cigars, and tons of shit. then more in the back are the "FOR TOBACCO USE ONLY" pipes and all that. Oh and tye-dye shirts and shit. Oh and far as getting started you'd obviously have to find a building, probably get some permits and shit, and either somehow come across a shit ton of money or take out a hefty loan.
http://www.cannabisculture.com/magazine/cc03/hempstore/hempstore.html theres a good artical worth reading if your serious, good luck
sell the usual shit, along with papers, lighters, salvia, posters (maybe), cigars, and whatever else you can think of.
While you are in college take advantage of it and take some business courses if not major in it. I majored in Biology, but soon went back for my MBA. You will learn all the answers to your questions and that will allow you to interject your creativity to make it a successful business. I live not to far from you and yes I think that would be a good area. Make sure to combine any store front with an internet site. This will serve as advertising as well as a sales tool. The fewer partners the better. Your odds will increase for success with each partner eliminated. Concentrate on premade pieces first. The insurance will kill you if the glass blower is attached to the business. Don't limit your products to only apply to one demographic. You might consider yourself a head shop but have something for every adult. Remember that your mark up on product is going to be about 30%. This is a business where marketing is extremely important. Before you even open you store have a marketing strategy and make sure it evolves with you. Way too much to ever write down but if you ever need help PM me. Good luck and keep your fire for opening your own business.
My dad has a house near Marco Island, I do not think Naples would be a good area for a head shop. However, my dad and I would definitely frequent if you opened