RWR REAL WORLD RETAIL
If everything goes according to plan, he hopes to see their new- and-improved location bring in $1.8 million to $2 million annually in gross revenue. Additionally, he and Hunt would like to open a sec- ond location in a few years, after they finish with the acquisition and remodel. “It will be in Gainesville, but closer to where the retail is on the other side of town,” he explained. “We kick ass considering where we are. People don’t come to this side of town for shopping, but we are still able to have people come to make purchases.” Though most of the businesses around them are automotive — from dealerships to repair shops — he clarified that it is not an industrial area. The traffic is light to medium, and so is the foot traf- fic, with about 12 to 15 passersby each day.
Besides word of mouth, Jawad noted that they rely on dealer services to promote their business
to new customers. Currently Sound Depot services about a dozen dif- ferent dealerships, most of which are located within a mile and a half of the store. All told, they make up about 15 percent of the store’s revenue. “It’s a pretty important part of our business. They’re not only sending me their customers through dealer services, but they also give me referrals quite often,” he said, adding that he is generous about hosting barbecues and other events at the local dealerships. And this is where his strong peo- ple skills really make a difference. “Say they have 40 people. That means I’m catering to all 40. I thank them for the business and I make sure I talk to everybody,” Jawad continued. “I try to get my name out there so we can find the person that will help us create business. Now these people are thinking about us when they need something or when their friends need something. We’re generating
a lot of new clients that way.” He pointed out that another
advantage of working with dealer- ships is that when one of his con- nections goes to work somewhere else, this often leads to Sound Depot picking up a new dealer. “They say I’ve always treated them well. Over the years we’ve been able to pick up a lot of busi- ness that way,” he said. “That’s one of the things I’ve been most proud of — that I’ve been able to grow my business without marketing — and we continue to grow.” Meanwhile, his marketing bud-
get has continued to shrink, and Jawad’s goal is to spend less and less each year. He said he used to spend about $1,200 on radio ads during the first three months of the year, but he didn’t do it this year and sales were unaffected. That’s right, his marketing ex- penditures for 2013 came in at zero. “Word of mouth is the direction I want to push our business in. I want to completely ease back on
Since its incep- tion in 1998, the shop has moved twice; once after the initial partnership between Jawad and Hunt, and once to make way for more install bays.
42 Mobile Electronics January 2014
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