24/7 Golf Update: How We Grew 10x During The Pandemic
This is a follow up story for 24/7 Golf. If you're interested in reading how they got started, published over 6 years ago, check it out here.
Hello again! Remind us who you are and what business you started.
I started an online golf simulator company after starting up and then either selling or shutting down several indoor golf centers. I guess you could say I got into this business almost by default. With one of the indoor golf centers I shut down I had to sell the equipment I’d bought for it and because it sold quickly I decided to order some more and try to sell that too, and I did!
That was an interesting little micro-business lesson for me right there. Previously, when thinking about a new start-up, I’d always thought I had to start from scratch. What I realized from this experience is that sometimes a new business can emerge from the ashes of an old one. And you might even find you have some initial stock on hand that gets you started, as I did, in the form of equipment the old business used.
I now manufacture many of my products and still act as a distributor for SkyTrak, Flightscope, Garmin, and other launch monitors.
I now also have a warehouse in Ohio and have launched successfully in the USA, and all this was achieved throughout the Covid crisis! So there was another business lesson learned for me. You can tell yourself that situations such as a pandemic will stop you from doing what you want, but often that’s just a rationalization for failure. Instead, while many business colleagues around me were complaining about Covid, I chose to do two things: Ignore the negatives around it and look for the opportunities it presented that others, who were only seeing it as a negative, were missing.
Since the last interview we have grown over ten times and we’re looking to double again this year.
Tell us about what you’ve been up to! Has the business been growing?
I’d love to say all our growth can be attributed to me personally, but that’s far from the truth. Several key factors went into this success. Firstly I brought on a great team, who have been instrumental in growing the business and setting up our sales and operations functions that are now humming like a well-oiled machine. In the past, maybe like many entrepreneurs reading this, I’ve been guilty of trying to do too much myself. Often in a misguided attempt to save costs or my ego telling me, “I’m the only one who knows how to do this right.”
Changing that mindset and bringing other people on board, often before I could justify their cost, enabled me to step back from the moment to moment running of the business and focus on the big picture-- growth.
But the secret sauce was Covid. We are one of the lucky businesses out there where Covid played to our strengths. Suddenly around the world, many of our target markets were stuck at home and looking to purchase home golf simulators. But that was only part of the successful equation. The clincher for us was reacting to that opportunity and recognizing that we had to act fast to secure the opportunity presented. We still had to work super hard and do all the right things to grow. We took on massive inventory risk - we borrowed, begged, and almost stole money to buy inventory! So we would have it going into lockdowns. This strategy paid off massively, as we had stock when often our competitors didn’t.
So another lesson learned, (gee their stacking up fast aren’t they?) All business opportunities come with a specific timeframe for success attached. Just recognizing the opportunity isn’t enough. You have to make decisions and often take risks, and that means visualizing what you think is going to happen. For us, it was understanding the ongoing nature of the pandemic, multiple extended lockdowns, and the changing nature of our customers' home and work life.
What have been your biggest lessons learned in the last year?
I learned perspective and patience last year. Perspective came when I visited India for the first time to source materials and manufacturing sites. Luckily I left the day before they went into lockdown. But the short time I was there showed me a society that puts life into perspective. People, often without a lot of material wealth, are willing to work hard for the chance at a better life for themselves and their families. In a word, it was very humbling and has made me hyper-conscious going forward about where my products come from and the conditions under which they are manufactured. Ethical business practices are in front of my mind and always will be for me after that experience.
Patience, not one of my strongest points in the past, was learned by letting go of things emotionally I cannot control, like lockdowns, mass hysteria, political machinations, and focusing on the things that I CAN have some control over, like my business decisions, my inventory, my sales, my great team and making time and being there for my amazing family.
What’s in the plans for the upcoming year, and the next 5 years?
We are now into our really big growth stage! It’s time for us to become a global player in the golf simulator industry and then move from a player to a dominator. We are going to do this by building a team of the best of the best, at every level of the business. Every successful business biography book talks about having the best people that you can get your hands on! And then as Richard Branson says,
“Train them so everyone wants them and treat them so well they will never want to leave.”
If at all possible try to be working in an industry that you love and feel passionate about. Because when things get impossible and trust me they will, your love of what you’re doing will keep going.
As mentioned we have recently commenced operations in North America and are now looking to expand to the UK and mainland Europe. Additionally, there are also some apps we are launching into the market which we hope will revolutionize the way people practice golf, and other sports, at home. I think Covid has shown us that we are all seeking to fulfill our sporting and pastime needs in more convenient and accessible ways. For many of our customers, bringing golf into their homes has meant putting fun at their fingertips!
Have you read any good books in the last year?
The two best books I’ve ever read both came to me last year - Shoedog and Elon Musk. Shoedog especially, as it is so honest about the emotions and challenges involved in helping a start-up. I find so many business biographies just give you a rose-colored version of what happened in the misguided attempt to be “positive” or “inspiring”. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think any individual has ever started up a company thinking it will be anything other than, mentally and emotionally draining, long hours, and incredibly challenging. So for me, any biography or business help guide that has prophesied differently is, to be honest, probably a waste of time.
Both these books painted it like it is, and for me, “realistic” is more practical and valuable than “warm and fuzzy” any day.
Advice for other entrepreneurs who might be struggling to grow their business?
Ok here’s my biggie on this right out of the box. If at all possible try to be working in an industry that you love and feel passionate about. Because when things get impossible and trust me they will, your love of what you’re doing will keep going. For me, I got involved in golf-related businesses at a time when I was getting passionately involved with the game itself. So I was immersed in an environment I loved, with like-minded people, every working day.
When I think about any pursuit or relationship I’ve ever been stuck in, whether it is the golf industry, education, my relationship with my beautiful wife, or guiding my children, it’s always been because I loved every minute of what I was doing. For me, perseverance is born out of my inherent passion for the subject matter involved!
Here’s the other critical piece of advice I’d give you. Don’t go into business with people that have an employee mentality - if you hear anyone talking about wanting a stable income, and low risk in the initial stages of growth, in my opinion, it’s the wrong person to be in business with. This goes for business partners and employees alike. Instead, find people that want to prove that they can rock your world and then get rewarded for those results.
Are you looking to hire for certain positions right now?
I am looking at opening a distribution center in Dallas, TX early next year so looking for someone there to run the operation - get a warehouse, do racking, management, fulfillment, etc.
I am also looking for geniuses in computer vision programming!
Where can we go to learn more?
If you have any questions or comments, drop a comment below!
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
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