Can you please give me feedback on my business idea....

**CharlieB** · 06-11-2008 01:14 PM

Hi

I'm seriously thinking of starting a English football shirt business selling shirts from the top clubs in the Barclays Premier League. This would be in response to the clubs charging about £40 for a shirt while i'd be charging £25 (a more realistic price). I've found a supplier selling them at £17 including shipping. I'm slighlty worried if it's leagal to undercut the official club merchandise. I plan to sell on ebay at first and would plan to expand to open a website and maybe sell outside stadiums on matchdays.

Does this sound like a good idea?

Thanks

**Mega B** · 06-11-2008 01:37 PM

The trouble is the Football Kit market is saturated already these are one of the Big Suppliers to the UK Market Kitbag i have not looked on Ebay so cannot Comment on that option but hope it works for you

**CharlieB** · 06-11-2008 02:11 PM

o.k but if I plan to undercut kitbag and advertise in the right places, won't I be able to draw a lot of demand? (taking sales away from kitbag and the clubs - but i'm not sure if it's completley leagal - anyone know?)

Also should I try to negotiate the price of the shipping with the supplier despite never buying from them before and say that I could potentially buy lots of shirts?

Thanks

**Ahern & Brucker** · 06-11-2008 03:55 PM

Originally Posted by CharlieB

o.k but if I plan to undercut kitbag and advertise in the right places, won't I be able to draw a lot of demand? (taking sales away from kitbag and the clubs - but i'm not sure if it's completley leagal - anyone know?)

Also should I try to negotiate the price of the shipping with the supplier despite never buying from them before and say that I could potentially buy lots of shirts?

Thanks

the question isn't "is it completely legal" rather "can i generate enough profit in time to mount a successful defense".

you may operate for 10 years and make millions before it ever gets to someones attention... or, you may get slammed with a suite right out of the gate?

the penalty is probably going to be the same...

I think as long as you don't sell your product stating it is "official" (part of the team or franchise) you will probably be ok.

as for negotiating with the manufacturer for cheaper rates... I'd ask "are you crazy??" pay the man his asking price and be big about it... you want to be a good customer for your supplier or do you want to be a cheap skate?

**TheCEOandPresident** · 06-11-2008 10:41 PM

As an admirer of the EPL I say do . If you need any help I would be more than willing to help. Football is life haha Mate, I say go for it with the right amount of advertising and marketing you can become a success. Especially with it officially being the off season people want to get the new stuff before the season. And even selling outside the stadiums will have a big turn out. If you'd like to talk about it more just PM me b/c like I said it's a brilliant idea. Good luck.

**BusinessAdviser** · 06-11-2008 11:56 PM

Originally Posted by Ahern & Brucker

for negotiating with the manufacturer for cheaper rates... I'd ask "are you crazy??" pay the man his asking price and be big about it... you want to be a good customer for your supplier or do you want to be a cheap skate?

NEVER straight up pay the asking price. It's just that, an asking price, what they're asking you to pay. You're an idiot to NOT negotiate.

**CharlieB** · 06-12-2008 03:25 AM

O.k thanks!

I've realised my competition is a website that sells football shirts at £25 with free delivery. This is exactly what i'd plan to do in the future so i'm thinking I could undercut them and charge £19.99 however this will only ensure a tiny profit (like £2). Should I email them to ask what profit they make per shirt, I could also ask big companies like kitbag or would I not get a reply? Also would this be worth doing with only a small profit? I've also thought of starting a designer clothes store which could bring in higher profits but at the moment I am deeply passionate about the potential football shirt business.

Also at my school there are people who are buying euro 2008 shirts at £40. I've thought on testing on them first however i've thought that they may get impatient and just ask me for the name of the website where I could buy the shirts from so they can just buy them themselves. How bad is it if they find out my supplier? How can I keep it hidden from them? (would appreciate a quick answer for this as i'd like to try to ge some deals done today!)

Many Thanks

**Mega B** · 06-12-2008 04:06 AM

Supplying Football Kit is not easy as it is driven by supply and demand because Team England have been ditched out of Euro 08 most of the Big Boys had a hell of a lot of kit that they had to ditch and at a great loss to the Company.
Regarding emailing a potential competitor and asking what and asking what profit they make i think you are having a laugh on that one and that is a big no no.

It sounds that you would like to do this type of thing but dont really have the experiance to do it,i will give you one tip start a small site up and then sign up to affiliate futures and join the Kitbag affiliation these guys are the Biggest in the game so then all you have to do then is promote your website and if people buy the Kits you then get payed commision.You then dont have to carry stock,worry about delivery or anything else.

Here is http://www.affiliatefuture.co.uk/

**CharlieB** · 06-12-2008 09:16 AM

I've found another serious competitor but my research shows that people are not convinced that they are authentic. Would it be worth me emailing them to find out if they are authentic to see if they really are competition?

**JLeezer** · 06-12-2008 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by CharlieB

Would it be worth me emailing them to find out if they are authentic to see if they really are competition?

Are they going to respond? Are the going to respond with anything besides, "Of course we're authentic!"?

Originally Posted by CharlieB

Also should I try to negotiate the price of the shipping with the supplier despite never buying from them before and say that I could potentially buy lots of shirts?

Yes. Always.

Originally Posted by CharlieB

Should I email them to ask what profit they make per shirt, I could also ask big companies like kitbag or would I not get a reply? Also would this be worth doing with only a small profit?

We don't know if they'll reply at all. The person responding most likely won't have ever had access to the information you're requesting nor the knowledge of whom to forward your request to, but it is worth a shot if you're interested in knowing. You could also try calling them.

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You have asked a lot of questions that would better answered if you just did what you asked instead of asking for opinions on what can only be known by doing.