Jim Rowe has all the time been an entrepreneur. From 2002 onward, he and his spouse constructed a large chain of eating places throughout Washington with 9 areas in complete. Then COVID hit, and like so many others, the whole lot stopped. Fortunately, Jim’s not one to take a seat round.
A number of facet hustles later, he’s operating what some dub “a mini Costco,” providing one of the best offers in Ellensburg, a city of 20,000 folks. So if Jim’s sitting, it’s really on the starter yacht he bought along with his resale wins. In reality, after we met with Jim over Zoom to study extra about his resale journey, he was on stated yacht with Seattle’s Area Needle in view.
Key milestones
- 2002: Begins restaurant profession; ultimately opens 9 areas along with his spouse
COVID (2020): Eating places shut down; pivots to facet hustles to fund daughter’s school - 2020-2021: Junk elimination enterprise supplies resalable stock; converts warehouse into Residence Once more Used Furnishings
- 2021: Discovers B-Inventory through Shannon Jean; wins first Costco public sale; makes $3,500 in a single-day Fb Dwell sale
- 2024: Strikes into an outdated tow truck storefront with zero advertising; does $60K in gross sales first month
- 2025: Relocates The Cut price Store right into a 6,000 sq ft former Sears location
- Current: ~$700K spent by means of B-Inventory and increasing nationally through eBay, Whatnot, and TikTok
Turning junk elimination into school tuition
Along with his daughter about to begin her first yr at Boise State, Jim dedicated to funding her school by beginning a brand new facet hustle annually—and proving alongside the best way that constructing and promoting a enterprise doesn’t need to be as onerous as folks make it out to be.
“ The primary facet hustle that I began was a junk elimination enterprise. I quickly came upon, [by] buyer quantity three, that individuals have been giving me objects that have been nonetheless good and resalable. And so my revenue margin on the junk elimination jobs would go approach up.”
A small used furnishings retailer adopted, then storage unit auctions, then used restaurant tools from his personal warehouse. He was shopping for quicker than he was promoting, and his spouse observed.
“I used to be doing very well promoting used restaurant tools, so I began shopping for extra tools. Although my spouse was like, ‘I assumed we have been making an attempt to promote the whole lot,’ I ended up shopping for and promoting extra stuff.”
The highway to return pallets
Ultimately, Jim got here throughout Shannon Jean, a seasoned resale professional and founding father of the Reseller Mastermind neighborhood, on X. When he reached out, mentioning his area of interest in used restaurant tools, Shannon pointed him to B-Inventory. That very same evening, he logged on.
That first B-Inventory win…of many
One of many first listings he noticed was a Costco public sale for a backyard shed—the precise shed he wanted for the espresso store he’d been constructing for his daughter (one more one of many facet hustles). It was retailing for round $1,600.
“I used to be like, ‘Okay, worst case situation, I’ll bid $1,600, and if I win it, I purchased a shed.’”
Nicely, he bid, received it for much less, and found the public sale included two extra sheds. He offered these, and similar to that, he was already forward.
Armed with a couple of extra public sale wins—furnishings, train tools, extra returned objects—and a penchant for social media, Jim held an out of doors sale proper outdoors his storage unit doorways. He went reside on Fb. His spouse demoed a sofa. They made $3,500 in a single day.
“I checked out her that day, and I stated, ‘It is a lot higher than the restaurant enterprise, isn’t it?’ And he or she goes, ‘Yeah.’ And I’m going, ‘I’m gonna proceed to do that.’”
By the following day, Jim was already transferring to lease an outdated tow truck store. Quick ahead to now, and he’s solely persevering with to develop, with virtually 90% of the whole lot he does at the moment nonetheless on B-Inventory.
A frenzy was born in Ellensburg
Curiosity acquired the higher of parents. With only a purple ‘For Sale’ signal, Jim already had clients pulling off the facet of the highway to see what his cut price retailer was all about.
“ I didn’t put a lot thought into it. I used to be like, ‘I’m simply gonna promote what I’ve out of this warehouse, and I’m gonna be open once I wanna be open and promote some product.’ Nicely, the shoppers determined they needed greater than that.”
Jim discovered himself open Wednesday by means of Saturday for the following six months. In that first month alone, he did $60K in gross sales.
Testing the market
Just by rolling stuff out by the sidewalk and seeing pallets unloaded from the vans, a complete different type of frenzy was born—all in pursuit of “a loopy whole lot,” as Jim put it.
“Proper out of the gate I offered some loopy stuff. I offered a greenhouse, hen coop, sauna, and tons of furnishings. I used to be shopping for my approach by means of B-Inventory.”
Creating an area folks need to go to
“ We’re fairly restricted on procuring alternatives, so it simply took off. It’s a procuring desert in Ellensburg, Washington, and right here’s this new alternative to have some enjoyable, you realize?”
When the climate hits single digits, and also you’re nonetheless getting clients by means of the door, you should be on to one thing.
“ Girls would simply are available in and decide by means of the bin…it was essentially the most attention-grabbing factor, as a result of they’d stand round these bins speaking and exhibiting the garments to one another, after which getting an incredible deal on ’em.”
Classes realized alongside the best way
Jim shares one of many earliest classes from his encounters with Shannon: begin by shopping for one thing that you just want. For Jim, that was the Costco backyard sheds, and fortuitously, his enterprise was worthwhile from day one. Nevertheless, that doesn’t imply it’s all the time been easy crusing. (Pun meant.)
“ For those who’ve ever purchased a pallet, supply day might be tough since you don’t know what to anticipate.”
The extra enterprise Jim does, the extra he needs to know concerning the product that he’s getting. At this level in his journey, he is aware of which distributors are much less of a bet–particularly concerning how dependable the sorting of merchandise is.
“Once you spend as a lot cash and have as many orders as I’ve had, you’re gonna run into some challenges. You’ll be able to fall again and have B-Inventory assist you, or you’ll be able to grow to be an issue solver and simply overcome them, and that’s usually what I’ve finished.”
The income are within the problem-solving
Throughout X and Fb, you could find Jim mentoring enthusiastic newcomers to the enterprise. He’s even joined up with Shannon’s Reseller Mastermind group.
“ Don’t get overwhelmed by the public sale recreation,” he emphasizes. Purchase with math, work out the way you’re going to promote the product, after which brace your self for some critical problem-solving as a result of issues aren’t all the time shiny and new.
“ The income are within the problem-solving. Within the restaurant enterprise, that’s one other ability set that you just study; you’re overcoming issues shortly. Even on the desk you’re overcoming issues, serving to a visitor.”
The worth of a lifetime buyer
One other lesson from the restaurant enterprise that caught was hospitality. “We’re seeking to make a buddy quick,” is what he likes to say. It begins with a giant greeting, an expertise they will keep in mind, and typically, nice service that goes past his doorstep.
Jim spoke about an aged couple who got here in and bought a chest freezer with no approach to get it house. Not solely did Jim and his son provide house supply, they even eliminated the door from its body to maneuver the brand new freezer inside and haul the outdated freezer out.
”When you perceive the lifetime worth of a buyer, it’s not an $80 freezer that I’m keen on. I wanna assist them, I need them to return again, and I need them to suggest family and friends to us.”
Location, location, location
The Cut price Store discovered its new house in a 6,000 sq ft former Sears constructing. An enormous improve from his former retail storefront. “Some say that we appear like a small Costco as a result of in all probability 85% of my merchandise come from Costco,” he jokes.
His clients can do their cut price searching whereas buying on a regular basis necessities like paper merchandise, water, groceries, and even pet provides. Some objects Jim doesn’t even earn money on, however considers all of it a grassroots approach to carry folks into the shop.
“Now, the [former] Sears location doesn’t have the site visitors going by it, which has harm us a bit of bit. However when you’re inside the shop, it’s undoubtedly a greater procuring atmosphere.”
That being stated, Jim has discovered that location could be a development issue—and lots of of his bigger Fb Market gross sales occur within the Seattle market.
“A few times per week, I drive over and do deliveries to folks’s houses, as a result of my market’s simply not massive sufficient for what I’m making an attempt to perform. I simply have greater objectives. I’m making an attempt to purchase a $700,000 yacht, and to make that occur, I’ve needed to unfold my wings.”
Wanting forward for Jim
We requested Jim what he envisions for the way forward for his enterprise. That is what he needed to say:
“ I’m not making an attempt to create a passion. If I’m gonna do that, I wanna go after it and scale one thing.”
Social media as a development catalyst
“My plan is to make use of these different websites like eBay, Poshmark, TikTok, and develop throughout the nation. The extra social media I do, the extra merchandise I promote or the extra those who sign up and watch me promote reside as properly.”
In reality, his Whatnot exhibits took off virtually too shortly. He cautions that for those who’re promoting 200 pairs of footwear per present, your stock stream higher be capable of sustain!
Reimagining the standard brick-and-mortar
Already, Jim’s occupied with brick-and-mortar otherwise. Their present area is constructed particularly to accommodate reside promoting and order success. There’s even discuss of a possible podcast and YouTube channel.
“What we’re doing with our retailer now could be we’re turning it into a big on-line retailer. So the whole lot that we have now in our retailer, for essentially the most half, will likely be listed on-line, both on eBay, our personal web site, and websites like TikTok or Whatnot.”
Excited by extra of what Jim has to say? Comply with @resellerrowe, and chances are you’ll simply get impressed to begin your personal resale enterprise.
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