Sporting Goods Store Owners Need To Do These Things Today

As a sporting goods store owner, especially if you are also a small business entrepreneur, you have many balls in the air (pun intended). You need to stay on top of the latest sporting trends and offer your community interesting and engaging products while protecting your people, store, and assets daily. Read on to learn how you can do it all.

Find the Right Insurance Options

As any business owner knows, insurance is essential. It is probably a required line item in your loan paperwork from the bank. Beyond that, it is the ultimate protection in case something happens. And as you also know, things do happen.

You need to find an insurance agent or broker who can write insurance for sporting goods stores specifically. They will understand the potential for harm or injury that is involved in providing classes onsite and having potentially dangerous gear for sale at the store. While your staff and customers may do their best to be careful and respectful with their actions and the merchandise, it is better to be safe than sorry, as they say.

That is why it is always in your best interest to obtain comprehensive insurance from a licensed and trusted insurance agent to ensure your financial and material protection both now and in the future.

Offer Classes and Events for Customers and the Community

One thing that is certain is people want to learn how to do new things and usually need a little help from the experts. That is where you and your staff come into play. Look around your community and take the pulse of what people are doing. Look at your sales to determine interest in particular sporting categories. And, of course, ask your customers for input.
Once you have an idea of what classes have marketing potential and interest, find qualified instructors and begin advertising on your social media platforms, at local schools, and onsite at your store. Before each respective class, arrange an array of applicable products for sale near the event area. These might include bicycle supplies for the bicycle repair class or yoga mats for the yoga class.

Some classes that are viable and popular include:

• Basic bicycle repair skills session.

• Pickleball instruction and introduction class.

• Create a running club that starts and ends the runs at your store.

• Hold classes for Basic First Aid, CPR, and Wilderness First Aid with certified instructors.

• Offer a basic and backwoods navigating skills class.

• Create an introduction to Geocaching course.

• Offer yoga classes in the store if you have space.

If your store is located near a navigable waterway, an expanse of climbing rocks or mountains, hiking and biking trails, or anything else of interest, you can create events and programming to cater to those regional elements.

Sporting goods stores are fun and exciting business endeavours. There are always interesting people coming and going. The enthusiasm from young children just beginning on their athletic journeys is infectious. The university athlete looking for gear to up their game in the off-season is inspiring.

And the middle-aged woman looking to begin exercising once again is something to admire as she gets back on her journey to physical fitness. Encourage all of these varied groups of people by protecting your small business with the right insurance and supporting the community with informative and engaging classes.