I've got an ambition to start a rock business of some sort.

Sorry, I really can't help with your question, but I want to say GO FOR IT!!! I was pretty much retired and then started my own site and shops on etsy (after a few other brief stints on selling platforms including eBay). They really kept me busy. Almost too busy. I quit them all and now I'm bored to death. Thinking of starting again. So, if you are willing to work hard, because you will especially in the beginning, then yeah, do it.

Just gonna throw this out there. Here is a site that I routinely peruse. www.barlowsgems.net/ It pops up on google a lot because of so much content. Of ALL the sites I have visited, this is one of my favorites and has a lot going for it. I especially love this:  www.barlowsgems.net/stone-cabochon-information/

Talk to Catmandewe

Rob. I can't speak to the experience that you are looking for. But I'm in a similar boat. I've been self-employed for over two decades. Competition rather than from AI came years ago when globalization became the trend. Last year I took a part-time job with a friends restaurant really just to get a breather away from my work, and to get up and moving away from the computer. Just prior to that I had rekindled my rockhound interest to de-stress from both work and elder caretaking duties. I haven't had time to post about it but about a month ago I decided to start taking this interest from just a hobby into a business. Like you, I've run a service business in WA for a long time, but nothing with inventory, and all the other tax criteria that this state has (jewelry is actually a "manufactured" item). I'm encountering a lot of weeds like that to wade through and try to begin understanding. I've looked for "how to's", step-by-steps, hoping for a "just do this, this, and then this" list. I've found a lot of partial bits of info. A lot of confusion. I guess it makes sense. I think a lot of this stuff we just have to go through it and learn as we go. Normally I'm a person who likes to have all my ducks in a row, everything tidy and planned. But, then I figured if I waited until I was "ready" and knew it all, it'd be another year or several before I finally made a move. So, I just jumped in. Your thread here is interesting and pertinent timing and I think it's smart of you to ask the question. Maybe we will run into each other in the near future at some local shows. :-)

Rob, A few comments based on my own limited experience and observations, it's free so take it for what it's worth.

Currently I sell rocks about 4 times a year. Only one of those is at a Gem and Mineral Show with the rest being local Craft Shows. Started this activity about a year after I retired as a way to stay busy and to help reduce some of the material that I have managed to acquire in 40 plus years of collecting, tumbling, cutting and polishing. That and as I have said several times out here, earn some "beer and gas" money. On the money side I have managed earn money every year, how much of that is profit is questionable when one considers all of the expenses involved. Definitely been a failure on the reduction of material side as I have a good bit more than when I started selling.

As far as starting a business to support oneself and or one's family a few factors to consider that are important at least in my situation;

1) I do not need the money having worked for almost 49 years saving and investing and contributing to a 401K and building up my Social Security. Been very lucky as I worked for a good company for just over 43 years with a lot of smart people who always had good advice. That's is extremely important point as there is no pressure to generate sales. No matter how tall the stack of deceased president pictures I bring home, it's all good. If one is doing this as a business, 401K, Social Security credit, and the elephant in the room, Health Care coverage, all need to be addressed.

2) Over the 40 plus years of hounding and limited hobby time I have managed to build up a good supply of sellable material. More importantly I have also managed to make friends and acquaintances with folks who share the common interest in all things rocks. They have joined me on my collecting trips, they have helped fix equipment and offered advice etc, etc. Having that network in place is very important.

3) You mentioned Gem and Mineral shows. There are only two in the Houston area and I am currently only in one of those. Getting into the 2nd has proven very difficult and have been on a waiting list for 5 or 6 years. There are other shows in Texas, but they are all 3 4 or 5 hours away. Doing those out of town shows would increase my expensives, room and board, and they would reduce my flexibility for 2nd or 3rd day sales. Almost every show I have done there is a list from the first day of extra material to bring or specific requested items. If I am out of town that does not happen.

Another note about shows, it's a great place to make contacts and in some cases new friends. One good character trait I have is that I enjoy talking with folks. Have the added advantage of having collected or made everything I sell so engaging with anyone is very easy. I see and sell to some of the same folks every show and we are on first name basis. The opportunity with the Texas Wood( he's bringing bigger pieces tomorrow) that came up was a result of talking with and selling to one of other vendors at the Gem and Mineral show I do. 

4) Online sales - I have avoided those. They can be a good source of sales however they bring a new set of problems and issues as you have mentioned. I am not comfortable as I need to be in that area so I avoid for the time being. It does sound like your experience puts you several steps ahead of me in that area.

5) This Forum is a great resource and you have already have that going for you.

6) Pricing - In my case I have either collected or been given or purchased at an excellent price all the rocks I have. Always make it a point to let sellers set prices, I do not haggle over the cost. If it's too much I don't buy or don't buy much. I think fellow collectors respect that and they prefer to be treated in that manner. This does provide me with one other advantage, the ability to set and adjust my prices. Someone picks out 4 or 5 pieces and the total comes to $56 dollars, I tell them give me $50 and we are good.

7) Luck!!, you can't beat bad luck but you can sure use good luck. All the business schools don't really put much stock in this and that planning and researching etc will make you successful and eliminate luck as a factor. That's nice but if you want to be successful you really need luck on your side. Case in point, the 24 inch HP 60's model saw I bought for $1200 plus about 500 pounds of rock thrown in free that included Choyas, Brazilian, Montana and some South Texas river nodules. He was moving out of country and had to sell. I happened to open Craigslist one morning and there was his ad. As it turned out someone else came in 10 or 15 minutes after my e-mail. No research or planning involved, opportunity appeared and I took it.

Anyway I have rambled enough and hope a bit of this can be helpful to you. Need to go, have a bigger piece of wood on the 24 inch saw and want to get two cuts in before it get's too hot in the garage.

Good luck

Henry

Thank you all for the precious time and information you've given me. I do believe there might be business plans up on the SBA website that will also provide some insight in how to run something like this. I've got some planning to do and website-ing to make

I'm in a similar predicament. The closest place that sells this in person is Tacoma and there are very little sources West of me. I'm in a bit of a rockhounding island on a peninsula. I figure this is the best time to investigate options like this as I am still busy with regular work and it would take the desperation aspect out of this. Whereabouts are you if you don't mind me asking? I used to live in Gresham/Portland for about 24 years and only got back into rockhounding when I moved back up to Kitsap County before the pandemic. (I grew up here but spent about half my life in Oregon. Hehe I've paid enough income tax in OR to consider myself a prepaid citizen.

There are lots of things we have to do.
There are also plenty of things we want to do.
Both are important.
Go for it! Sounds fun. Best wishes. 👍🏻

land ain’t much cheaper over here, but I’m on 4 acres and all the rock is already here. So figured right off the property is the smartest call. I would like to make the shop focused around the lapidary aspect and a rock museum which I’ve slowly been converting the basement off the back of the house into. One of those come by, enjoy the eye candy, learn about stuff, buy a lil on the side type shops. Essentially part time business by appointment only. I’m full time as an engineer, so I couldn’t run it 24/7. If it ever got to a point where I did have lots of demand and could make decent money, id have my gf quit her job and run it. I know she’d be down.