Author:
Cassie Scott
Do you want your archery business to be a community hotspot? Do you want to attract new customers and generate more revenue? If so, you must channel the power of strategic partners.
Strategic Partnerships
Strategic partnerships are two or more parties working together to achieve the same goals or objectives. These entities often pool their skills, money, resources and knowledge to advance mutual interests.
Partnering with other companies or organizations lets you work together to offer resources and programming. Partnerships also boost your business’s profile and share responsibilities.
Potential partners include nongovernmental groups and national organizations like the 4-H Club, Salvation Army Outdoors, Boy Scouts of America, and Izaak Walton League of America. Photo Credit: St. Cloud Times.
Partnership Opportunities
Many clubs, teams, schools, agencies, park-and-recreation departments, and sportsmen chapters like Quail Forever, Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited and the National Wild Turkey Federation are potential partners. Other potential partners include nongovernmental groups and national organizations like the 4-H Club, Salvation Army Outdoors, Boy Scouts of America, and Izaak Walton League of America.
These groups strive to increase archery participation, and recruit, retain and reactivate hunters and outdoor enthusiasts. Partnering with them on classes, events and programs can bolster your efforts and create stronger, more unified archery and bowhunting communities.
Partnership Ideas
No matter what your skills or your shop’s size and goals, you’ll find many ways to bring archery and bowhunting into your community. Let’s review some possibilities.
1. Support an established program.
If you can’t offer classes or programs, tap into someone else’s. As a retailer, you have equipment and knowledge other groups need. You can provide equipment for shooting exercises, and speak at events to discuss your services like lessons, bow-tuning and equipment repairs. Partnerships help you support existing programs while publicizing your business.
2. Help run a program.
When you team with another group to run a program, you get involved and share responsibilities. By providing a classroom or range space to hunter education instructors, your partners can teach classes that bring fresh faces to your store while showcasing your services and inventory. And if you like teaching, you can tag-team on the curriculum by presenting programs featuring your expertise. Sound strategies distribute workloads and maximize success.
3. Exhibit at community events.
If you want customers to come to you, you often must go to them first. Set up a “try archery” booth at events or festivals. Talk to event coordinators beforehand to ensure the site can handle a small shooting range so beginners can try your introductory equipment. Read the ATA’s Archery Park Guide for tips on setting up safe archery ranges.
Get certified as an archery instructor. Certification helps you teach shooting safely and effectively. These events also generate interest in archery and attract potential customers. Find ways to promote your classes, too.
4. Invite guest speakers to your store.
Partner with a club or organization to host guest speakers at your shop. Invite a biologist from the National Wild Turkey Federation to discuss turkeys and turkey hunting to promote the spring season’s opener. Such partnerships help your customers learn from experts while visiting your shop. They might even buy gear if your sales and merchandising practices are effective.
Ask potential partners if they want to collaborate on classes, resources or projects to grow archery in your community. Photo Credit: co.washington.mn.us.
Make Connections, Let Us Help!
By partnering with like-minded groups or individuals, you’ll boost your business and its reputation. Partnerships can help you grow your customer base and excite people about archery or bowhunting.
Contact potential partners by phone or with well-written emails. Ask if they want to collaborate on classes, resources or projects to grow archery in your community. Keep an open mind, outline your goals and objectives, and explain the benefits archery can have on businesses and your community.
ATA staff can help arrange introductions and connections with its current partners.
For more information on partnerships and tips on collaborating with potential partners, email Josh Gold, ATA’s education programs manager, at joshgold@archerytrade.org.