Entrepreneur Brings Love Of Game Online
Six years ago 37-year-old Chris Hungerford looked at the blank Web site of his newly acquired domain name with curiosity and a vague hope of combining his interest in business, a love for basketball and the opportunity-laden landscape of the World Wide Web.
Now Hungerford collects online orders in a not quite finished home office and strolls across to a warehouse filled with shelves of products he has bought, consigned or even produced himself.
Guided by a background in teaching computers and business and an entrepreneurial willingness to delve into new technology, Hungerford set his course on becoming the king of hoops training.
“This is pretty much my passion, my soul of what I like to do,â€? he said. “… I’d really like to build the biggest instructional basketball site in the world.â€?
In the summer of 2001, Hungerford asked himself how he would make money if he had a basketball Web site.
“I’d always been a business type guy and the Internet was kind of exploding,� he said. “I thought, ‘What if I make one, give away free stuff on it as an attraction and sell people’s products?’�
His answer was HoopsKing.com, and his underlying strategy is the same now as it was then, though the free tips and basketball drill ideas are now in streaming video.
To make a profit, Hungerford went in search of instructional videos and training products, which he collected orders for and had the respective companies drop-ship their product directly to the customer.
His 50-hour work week hardly feels like a chore, two part-timers offer extra help, FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service picks up at his door, an answering service picks up calls after 5 p.m. and except for the limited social opportunities, working from home is treating him well. In fact, he and his family are just now ready to take their first real vacation in five years.
“As an entrepreneur, you find something you love and say ‘Hey, I’m going to do a business of this,’� he said.
Photo by Ryan Brinks.
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