No legitimate distributor will or should sell to any garage shops...

No legitimate distributor will or should sell to any garage shops...

Why?

As long as you have a tax number and/or the proper permits for operating a business. What difference does it make if you operate out of a garage?

JustRico I normally agree with much you have to say but feel you are wrong about this. 


Do you live in a small town with only one small bowling alley and no pro shop?   Do you have to drive 300 miles to get any work done on a ball?   And when you do go to one of the highly recommended pro shops in the big city and they drill a conventional ball with the grip a half inch too long, do you want to drive back to get the work redone and have them charge you to fix their mistake?  (Actual event experienced by another bowler who did not learn of the mis-fit until many months later by another more experienced bowler - he thought it was normal to have to stretch his fingers into the ball).  That is the situation here in our small town.  Thankfully, we have a person who is willing to drill out of his garage to provide the missing services that are not available otherwise.  If it was not for drillers like them, some bowlers would just give up the sport because help was not readily available to them.

I couldn't agree more with you.

I am with justrico

     I was in a similar situation. I managed a pro shop for 8 years and finally got tired of being crapped on by the owners. I left and started my own business out of my "garage." I went and registered my business name, got a tax ID and used my supplier at the time. I started my own business for a couple of reasons: 1) I love the sport and 2) I am good at what I do and I feel bowlers need a respectable driller. I operated my business out of my "garage" for 6 years before the center owner and I had a meeting of our differences and I came went back to the center. I own my pro shop and just lease the space. During my time operating out of my "garage" the center where I was located at went through 6 ball drillers in 6 years. When I operated out of my "garage", my pricing mark-up was the same as it currently is at my location at the center. Why did people come to me as to the pro shop at the center? Because I had a reputation as being one of the best not in my city, but in my state. I had customers that came to my "garage" pro shop from over 200 miles annually. When stocking, I stocked about 12 balls of the current line-up of what I felt would sell. I did not stock shoes or bags and ordered upon payment. A decent distributor should work with you given the circumstance knowing you are a legitimate business and promoting the sport as to a garage hack that is just trying to save a buck from utilizing their local pro shop.

Thus lies the problem.

Most legitimate suppliers (distributors) want to sell wholesale to proshops with some volume and represent legitimate business.

Not to someone who wants to get cheap equipment for themselves and a few of their friends.

Perfect Approach I assume you had a relationship with your supplier before leaving the proshop at the bowling alley. So they were willing to continue to work with you due to your previous relationship with them.

+1

Bowlers are cheap

Generally if you get it done cheap...you get your monies worth...