Assess the Competition

Long before you open a surf shop within your community, it's a good idea to find out how you will fit in the competitive landscape. Use the link below to find competitors nearby. Simply enter your city, state and zip code to get a list of surf shops in your town.

• Find Competing Surf Shops

Prior to opening your doors for business, be sure you fully understand the competitive landscape and where your new business will fit in.

Turning Competitors Into Collaborators

If you are seriously contemplating launching a surf shop, you really ought to talk to somebody who is already in the business. If you think your local competitors will give you advice, you're being overoptimistic. The last thing they want to do is help you to be a better competitor.

However, an entrepreneur who owns a surf shop on the other side of the country will be much more likely to talk with you, provided that you won't be directly competing with them. Many business owners are happy to give advice to new entrepreneurs If you are persistent, you can find a business mentor who is willing to help you out.

How do you find a surf shop entrepreneur in a different locale who can assist you?

Easy. Find them using our link below and start calling until you are successful.

• Research Surf Shop Owners In Other Cities

Consider Franchising

Your chances for doing well with your venture are much greater when you choose to franchise instead of doing it all on your own.

Before you get too far along in your plan to open a surf shop, it's worthwhile to assess whether there are good franchise opportunities available that might help you avoid common entrepreneurial mistakes.

The link below gives you access to our franchise directory so you can see if there's a franchise opportunity for you. You might even find something that points you in a completely different direction.

• Purchasing a Franchise