Recent posts
#91
Let Us Get To Know You / Re: New Member Intro: Parker T...
Last post by SteveTX - April 30, 2025, 06:36:45 PM
#92
Catch of the Day / Re: 90 years old and still hoo...
Last post by SteveTX - April 30, 2025, 06:26:56 PMVery cool!
#93
Catch of the Day / Re: TN toobin'
Last post by SteveTX - April 30, 2025, 06:25:45 PMGood looking fishes there CF. 
#94
Let Us Get To Know You / Re: New Member Intro: Parker T...
Last post by Mike Cork - April 30, 2025, 04:00:38 PMWelcome aboard!!!
#95
Catch of the Day / Re: Finally a double digit fis...
Last post by Mike Cork - April 30, 2025, 03:53:17 PMThat's a big'n!!!
#96
LA Chat / Re: Another surgery in the boo...
Last post by Mike Cork - April 30, 2025, 03:52:32 PMGreat to hear... Offer still stands brother, anything I can do to help let me know... I'm a heck of a tic tac toe player, we can kill some time 
#97
Tackle Box / Re: Turning Builds into Busine...
Last post by EasyKasting - April 30, 2025, 03:41:35 PMQuote from: Mike Cork on April 30, 2025, 03:29:30 PMI like to say in the 1900's because it seems so long ago... But in the 1990's my wife and I made hand poured plastic worms on the west coast. I was stationed at Beale AFB just outside Sacramento California. A 6" worm was considered a large bait and making all the smaller stuff was extremely cheap and could be flipped for a profit. At first we sold to the bass club members to cover the costs of materials and keep us in free baits if you will. It didn't take long and my wife was out soliciting sales at the local tackle stores. With in a year we were making very good money.Mike Cork - That's a valuable perspective comparing the hand-pour business then versus now. The shift from local relationships to fighting for online visibility changes the game entirely. Agree that finding that niche, like true custom builds, is critical to cut through the noise today. Plus, the accessibility of quality molds and pouring tools means almost anyone can produce baits at home now, further intensifying that market saturation.
All that said there were two factors that led to us making a good profit. First was sales to tackle stores, now a days online sales are the tackle store for the most part. The other that led to success was lack of competition. There just weren't / wasn't anyone making true hand poured hand salted extremely soft plastic baits. I got stationed to Louisiana and we sold the business as baits in Louisiana had to be 10 inches before anyone wanted them and that cut the profits in half before we even started.
Switch to 2025 and so many things are different. The World Wide Web can put your product into everyone's living room, however that is very expensive to do. Google, Facebook, and the other available platforms charge quite a bit per view when you start looking and the numbers you'll need. Let's say you get 1 purchase per 1000 views (which would be extremely good) you'll need 100,000 views to get 100 purchases. How much does each purchase have to be to cover the cost of buying 100,000 view? again I'm being very generous on the numbers there...
How much local business can you generate? Depends on your area. I live in NW Louisiana, I can throw a rock and hit water. If you get known as a quality product that catches fish, your local market can sustain a small business and then internet sales can help you make a living at it.
The biggest problem is market saturation and the internet isn't helping. Only those that can get investors to spend big money on ad space are the ones that make it.
I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, new start ups make it every year!!! I say run with it, try to offer something different as well as the same; keep the quality up; be quick with builds and shipping.... If it's your dream don't take no for an answer and get some folks to help with advertising
Custom builds is where it's at now, you have to be able to build the little secret weapon everyone has in their head.
#98
Catch of the Day / Re: Stud of a Peacock
Last post by Mike Cork - April 30, 2025, 03:37:07 PMThey are such pretty fish... I hope one day I can come visit...
#99
Tackle Box / Re: Turning Builds into Busine...
Last post by Mike Cork - April 30, 2025, 03:29:30 PMI like to say in the 1900's because it seems so long ago... But in the 1990's my wife and I made hand poured plastic worms on the west coast. I was stationed at Beale AFB just outside Sacramento California. A 6" worm was considered a large bait and making all the smaller stuff was extremely cheap and could be flipped for a profit. At first we sold to the bass club members to cover the costs of materials and keep us in free baits if you will. It didn't take long and my wife was out soliciting sales at the local tackle stores. With in a year we were making very good money.
All that said there were two factors that led to us making a good profit. First was sales to tackle stores, now a days online sales are the tackle store for the most part. The other that led to success was lack of competition. There just weren't / wasn't anyone making true hand poured hand salted extremely soft plastic baits. I got stationed to Louisiana and we sold the business as baits in Louisiana had to be 10 inches before anyone wanted them and that cut the profits in half before we even started.
Switch to 2025 and so many things are different. The World Wide Web can put your product into everyone's living room, however that is very expensive to do. Google, Facebook, and the other available platforms charge quite a bit per view when you start looking and the numbers you'll need. Let's say you get 1 purchase per 1000 views (which would be extremely good) you'll need 100,000 views to get 100 purchases. How much does each purchase have to be to cover the cost of buying 100,000 view? again I'm being very generous on the numbers there...
How much local business can you generate? Depends on your area. I live in NW Louisiana, I can throw a rock and hit water. If you get known as a quality product that catches fish, your local market can sustain a small business and then internet sales can help you make a living at it.
The biggest problem is market saturation and the internet isn't helping. Only those that can get investors to spend big money on ad space are the ones that make it.
I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, new start ups make it every year!!! I say run with it, try to offer something different as well as the same; keep the quality up; be quick with builds and shipping.... If it's your dream don't take no for an answer and get some folks to help with advertising
Custom builds is where it's at now, you have to be able to build the little secret weapon everyone has in their head.
All that said there were two factors that led to us making a good profit. First was sales to tackle stores, now a days online sales are the tackle store for the most part. The other that led to success was lack of competition. There just weren't / wasn't anyone making true hand poured hand salted extremely soft plastic baits. I got stationed to Louisiana and we sold the business as baits in Louisiana had to be 10 inches before anyone wanted them and that cut the profits in half before we even started.
Switch to 2025 and so many things are different. The World Wide Web can put your product into everyone's living room, however that is very expensive to do. Google, Facebook, and the other available platforms charge quite a bit per view when you start looking and the numbers you'll need. Let's say you get 1 purchase per 1000 views (which would be extremely good) you'll need 100,000 views to get 100 purchases. How much does each purchase have to be to cover the cost of buying 100,000 view? again I'm being very generous on the numbers there...
How much local business can you generate? Depends on your area. I live in NW Louisiana, I can throw a rock and hit water. If you get known as a quality product that catches fish, your local market can sustain a small business and then internet sales can help you make a living at it.
The biggest problem is market saturation and the internet isn't helping. Only those that can get investors to spend big money on ad space are the ones that make it.
I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, new start ups make it every year!!! I say run with it, try to offer something different as well as the same; keep the quality up; be quick with builds and shipping.... If it's your dream don't take no for an answer and get some folks to help with advertising
Custom builds is where it's at now, you have to be able to build the little secret weapon everyone has in their head.
#100
FL CHAT / Re: Mayan Cichlid Record
Last post by Mike Cork - April 30, 2025, 02:28:15 PMI've seen some video of them on beds and I'd guess they were well over the current record!