Military Gives Unique Opportunities

I recognize that everyone starting a tool company — or any other company — is going to be at a different point in their life.

A few will begin this journey while still in a corporate job. Others will start as an eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or Craigslist reseller — basically as a flipper. Some are moving from one career to another, or even coming from no career at all. Some are starting young, others older. Some will have a family relying on their income, and some won’t. This journey is going to look very different for every single person, but this is my story and how I got started.

Tip: Don’t leave your current job until the income from your business can replace it. Risk is the single thing that holds most people back from pursuing the life they want.

I started Yorktown Tools toward the end of my Army career. Once I received my retirement orders — with about two years left until 20 years of total service — I knew it was game time. I used this time to dive deep into what I really wanted to do when I got out.

Spending your entire adulthood from age 20 to 40 in a single job indoctrinates you, and the transition is scary for most service members. I’ve had steady income and medical coverage for me and my family, and all of our needs have always been taken care of. When I retire, my pension will cover our necessities, and that was by design (I stayed within my means). This makes me feel comfortable pursuing this dream. I understand this is a unique opportunity the Army has provided for my family. A lot of people don’t have the same setup. Some feel trapped in their current position, like they can’t get out. You just have to figure out a way to break free from that rat race — as if your life depends on it, because it actually does.

Another benefit is that, because the military has a retirement pension and systems in place to help Soldiers transition toward the end of their service contracts, I’ve been able to take my time and meticulously think through my business plan. I don’t know of any other company that gives their employees this type of head start. However, once the plan was set, I started on all the backend work. I began branding, legal paperwork, finding mentors, and networking in my community because I’m not rushing toward failure. For me, selling right away has never been the priority because my situation has given me the freedom to focus on refining my processes rather than worrying about where my next meal is coming from.

Taking a couple of orders here and there has let me see what’s working and what isn’t — from the entire buying process all the way through to the sale. Using a variety of platforms, both physical locations and online, can make even a simple sale more complex than it needs to be. So having trial runs with small orders helps a lot and gives you low-stress reps.

Yorktown Tools’ goal is to build a system that is as easy as possible for customers: less thinking, less struggle, fewer forms — just the least number of clicks to get their supplies directly to the job site.

I’ve leveraged my steady income to sell to new customers without worrying about making a profit right away. I have been using this time to get my foot in the door, build real relationships, and refine my systems. My customers win because they get supplies at cost or very close to it, and Yorktown Tools wins because we get the opportunity to serve those who are building our nation’s infrastructure and to hone our craft. I want our customers to have a professional experience at great prices. For working basically for free, my only request is to get their honest feedback, and if the service was good, please leave a Google review.

I know in my heart that we are building something great. Over the past several months, my strategy has been to build Yorktown Tools’ social media platforms, the website, Google My Business, and backlinks — all the things needed for a premium brand. These steps are helping us draw in organic search traffic and rank well in the local market. Let’s next talk about strategies.

If there is anything I can do to help you or your company, please reach out.