| My consulting firm specializes in marketing and | | | | chat with a range of small business owners who |
| developing consumer products. Currently we are | | | | love hunting with bow and arrow and relish the |
| preparing a hunting product for launch at a major | | | | opportunity to earn their living in the archery/bow |
| outdoor products tradeshow. This week I took | | | | hunting industry. They have created products that |
| the opportunity to attend the largest expo | | | | fill needs they have identified from their field |
| targeting the archery/bow hunting product | | | | experiences. These people were virtually all |
| industry to scout trends and network for my | | | | passionate, positive and proud of the many items |
| hunting product client. It was revealing and a | | | | and specialty products they were showing. |
| valuable lesson was strongly reinforced. | | | | Consider the simple hunting arrow. We all, even if |
| In every industry, and especially on display at | | | | we have never hunted in the wild, have shot or |
| tradeshows, there are mammoth players that | | | | held an arrow, certainly as kids playing cowboys |
| dominate their category. These leading brands are | | | | and Indians. We know there is a tip, a bow shaft |
| the stars of the trade and are immediately | | | | and feathers built into an arrows assemblage of |
| recognized as such by competitors and | | | | parts. At the trade show there were numerous |
| consumers. Their products typically are well | | | | purveyors of all types of arrows. Interestingly, |
| established, their distribution channels fulsome, the | | | | there were also numerous vendors offering only |
| marketing strategies are dominant and awareness | | | | tips, or shafts, or feathers, in a stunning range |
| of their products nearly universal to their targeted | | | | colors and styles. The specialization of these |
| consumers. | | | | products, their artisan nature and the small, even |
| The bow hunting industry show I spent a day | | | | seemingly tiny, niches they occupy were |
| visiting this week was like most of the hundreds | | | | testament to the idea that building a better |
| of other trade shows I have attended over many | | | | mousetrap will be profitable. |
| years. The largest, loudest, most active booths | | | | I left the show re-energized. The lesson I |
| were populated by the biggest archery product | | | | relearned for the thousandth time is this: If you |
| marketers. The vast majority of the stands in | | | | have passion for something, and can identify a |
| the show, however, were small, independently | | | | way to improve the experience, you can profit |
| owned businesses, featuring more targeted | | | | and enjoy earning a living doing what you love |
| product offerings. The opportunity to participate | | | | most. Many people do exactly this. They earn a |
| commercially in an industry, in this case for avid | | | | good living from commercializing their hobby, craft |
| bow and arrow hunters, where the entrepreneur | | | | or favorite pastime. It takes a bit of vision and a |
| shares a passion for the sport with the pursuit of | | | | bunch of courage to successfully take the leap |
| profit is a strong lure for the driven creator. | | | | from employee to entrepreneur, but it is being |
| As I walked the show, I was able to meet and | | | | done every day. |