So I've been investigating and learning about the business of kendama, I want to start my own company at some point of this year, and I want to be able to do everything, make the Damas, provide my own string somehow, spinners, the whole 9 yards. I guess my goal att the end of the day is create a business making a premium hand made wood dama (thankfully I already have wood lathe experience) and making a more cheap CNC made Damas (thankfully I have CNC lathe experience ) but I also want to venture into the world of alluminum and metal Damas , ofcourse they aren't practical all that much when it comes to play and price, but that is my goal, I've been studying metallurgy for years now and I think maybe, just maybe I can figure out a way to make them work. But anyway the point of this post was to ask tips from people who have created Damas before and own companies
I don't really have any experience with this, but I wanted to mention a few things that as a consumer/buyer I'd be concerned about or would matter to me. And I guess these suggestions are more about the business side and less about the specifics of kendama. So take that into consideration. 1. I would start slow. Sounds like you have big plans! That's awesome but if your goal is to "do everything," you don't want to get too far ahead of yourself. Plus, if you're wanting to make precision handmade kendamas, why not just start turning some and selling them one (two, three) at a time to get good feedback and (hopefully) some good responses. If you build a (good) reputation and let your stuff speak for itself in an organic way, that might be a good way to start if you're brand new to the scene. Starting slowly and testing a lot will probably be your best friend if you want to build something bigger. 2. Stay flexible. Having goals and plans is great, but don't be afraid to change course if need be. You might even miss something great if you don't keep an open and flexible mind. Consider what @htimSxelA did with the pill. I don't believe he was planning to make a new and iconic toy when he turned the first one, but look where it is now! Okay that's all I have to say. Anyone else feel free to chime in, agree/disagree and whatnot. I AM curious about the kendama specific side of things too from those makers and entrepreneurs out there!
Thanks man! Yeah I totally I get what you mean, I dfinetly think the great thing about Kendama now, is that it isn't too big, what I mean is you got owners and players communicating with eachother all the time and it really feels like companies have players best interest in mind. I guess if there was one major goal I would have before anything is making sure people can count on my company no matter what
First you should probably ask yourself if the market dictates that such a company should exist. I could be wrong, but I feel like the influx of smaller kendama companies and the fragmenting of production actually hurts the sport as a whole. Big manufacturers have the ability and cashflow to give back into the community through things like events, royalty payments to players, video productions, or ad buys on downspike (). It's a lot harder for smaller companies to do that. If you still think you have something to offer that nobody else is offering, then your next step is to create a business plan. This should include financials, projections, timeline, and goals, as well as any principals or strategic partnerships. Then once you have that dialed you can go create a company (LLC, S-corp, or other, depending on what tax benefits you're looking for) and then go out and pitch investors . Don't lie to yourself about how much capital you will need. Starting any company is a ton of work, and if you're going to do that, there is no such thing as a part time job. Only multiple full-time jobs. In my opinion if you just want to start producing kendamas, and maybe metal kendamas (that's cool), you should look into selling through services like Etsy or Kickstarter or some other version. Ask yourself if you really want to start a company, or if you really want to make kendamas.
Yeah all of those are important. I believe I have somethings that no one else offers that are possible but well see where it goes. Thanks!
Yes I totally agree,like Cobra Kendamas For instance they tested there shape for a year and let players try it out and give feed back I think the owner (Jacob Trebil) is a young man who knows what he is doing. So I would definitely go check out his Instagram @CobraKendamas and just stalk threw his stuff he is someone to look up to in my opinion
This. Very much this. Whatever you do, do not just re-brand something from a factory in China. I honestly think this is one of the biggest obstacles kendama has to overcome..
I think the others have left some good advice. I'd be interested to see some crazy metal kendamas haha. I'm sure there are some very interesting things you could do with metal as a medium to work with. I have one of the old Kendalex massive alu kens (as well as one of the minis), and they're awesome conversation pieces, but pretty tough to play. You really gotta be committed to playing a metal dama haha!
Hey just make sure to use lighter metals... hahah also id personally like to try out a prototype... but i guess there would be lines to try out one
I think a very important thing is to get your name out there. Ur company reputation would be better when you, the founder, are well known by the community. Vlogging and posting sick tricks on ig are some great options.
Do it! If you think this is your calling, there is a long wide road ahead of you. Start out strong and keep your head up. Everyone will have something to say, but in the end you just need to take that step forward. Go for it! I support the idea. Keep us all updated with constant announcements so you are not forgotten. @AJPreciseKendama
There are three basic types of businesses. Think about which you want to be and how you can get there. 1. Pier One 2. Walmart 3. Costco Pier One - Fancy. High priced. Sells low amounts of "premium" goods at a high profit margin. (think, grain theory) Walmart - Not Fancy. Low Prices. Sells Bulk. aka, Lots and lots at a low profit margin. (think, kendama syndicate) (Walmart is top of the Fortune 500 the last few years...but like mentioned above for the Kendama niche, there's enough "walmarts' out there over saturating the market) Costco - Bulk. Easy. Medium priced. Special member status. Low selection, but high quality from that low selection. Personally I see myself in the Costco realm right now, because we sell a variety of products at multiple price points, some affordable, some premium (more premium stuff coming too). I make most of my profit in bulk international orders, but I'm not hocking my product for cheap on eBay and Amazon either. I think from what you described above, if you move forward with this, you should go after the "Pier One" style. If you're making something hand turned, and putting a lot of work into it, making it unique, you should be charging well for them to cover your time and skill. The issue now becomes branding. You kendamas may be amazing, but can you make a brand that communicates this "premium" price point? If you're a "pro" kendama player, that seems to speed up this process and legitimize your company...but for people like you and me who are relatively unknown in the kendama world, having solid branding is key. Luckily, in the kendama world, people are so chill that standards are relatively low. This makes the barrier of entry is fairly easy. So if you make a decent looking site, have solid visuals (photo, video, graphic design), and good branding consistency throughout your posts, you will stick out. Also, I run a few businesses and never once made a "business plan". I honestly think people stress way too much about these and it slows them down. Just jump in the deep end and learn as you go. Make short term goals for yourself and some vague longterm goals. Mold and adapt as you go. But if it makes you feel better to have a solid plan, go for it! I liked what @Cheech_Sander said, "ask yourself if you really want to start a company, or if you really want to make kendamas." Because there's definitely other ways to start a company within the kendama industry (or other industries) without making kendamas. Downspike is a great example of this. Cheech thought outside of the box of "I should make kendamas" and asked himself, what else do Kendama players need? I bet if you start with that question, "what does [insert any industry or niche here] need"? You could think of so many business ideas. Good luck and if you have any further questions I'm happy to help out!
I'm trying to start my own company. Rn it's called Street Kendamas. Let me know what you think and DM me on instagram if you support this. @huntersonge_ @street.kendamas Thanks for you time.
Hey, that's really cool! Let me know when you get it going! I'd be willing to try them, I'm trying a lot of companies right now to see what I like!
Hey guys, I have decided to start my own company with a friend. Does anyone know of good manufacturers and good website makers?
Hand turn your own I can hand turn kendamas with more practice because I have a lathe. To hand turn your own kendamas I suggest you buy a cheap lathe, and move up to a better one after practice. USA Manufacturers Glacial Wood is a good manufacturer that makes Homegrowns https://www.glacialwood.com/ RWB MFG makes the the crafts, grain theory, and their own damas https://www.rwbmfg.com/ China Other than that, you could find some cheap Chinese company to do he work, but they will have a way lower quality control.