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New Train shop, what would you want there ?

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Allied Model Trains is the bomb. Here's my business plan for an Train Shop. (going to ramble some, but it's how I think. Sorry!!!) Pick a scale, any scale. For fun, lets pick G Scale. Now go find a defunct nursery. One with plenty of room. Close to a freeway, and at least a couple of good size population bases. Say somewhere between San Diego and LA (or Riverside/San Bernardino) Now, make sure you have some secure warehouse area. Stock as much g scale stuff as you possibly can. Engines to grab rails. Freight cars to freight loads. If it's for g Scale, have it. Go find someone that understands how to grow miniature trees and stock them. Be a full scale nursery. Make your nursery cover the cost of the business. Go to your local construction rock supplier. Get a good supply of crusher fines. Screen them so it's consistent material. Go get good pond supplies. Everything needed from start to maintenance. Build a reputation as the be all end all to G Scale. I'm a newbie, so I don't have a clue what all needs to be stocked, but stock it all. You need two layouts on site. One that is truly Garden Railroad. The other is an Outdoor Model Railroad. (see comment about local society) Get a heck of a web site. Push internet sales, push mail order. Make it run fast, and make it easy to navigate. Stand behind your products. Get as many how to articles on it as you can. Get good forums up, with good people behind them. Hold classes on Saturdays. Workshops. "Demo Days". Get manufacturers to support a flyer to annouce demo days. Get the barbeque going for these. Coupon for free hotdog and soda with $10 purchase. Make sure there's room for local societies to hold their meetings there. Heck, give them some space on the property to build a club layout. They do the work, you supply the materials. Then they come and run thier equipment on the layout. Make it a lot of room. Enough that people would actually come visit, specifically to see the layout. People should want to come to your Nursery. While there, they should think "hey cool. look at those trains. That would be cool to do in our garden". People should want to come to your train shop, and think, "hey cool, they actually have [insert appropriate G scale related item here], I'll tell [insert G Scale buddies name here], to come and visit.
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