Today we’d like to introduce you to Brett Scott.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I began my first business when I was 12 years old. I saved money raking leaves to be able to buy my first ATV. I turned around and sold it the next day for a profit and that began my first business buying and selling ATV’s, dirt bikes, and jetski’s. I continued that business until I was 18 and able to save enough money to purchase Smoke N Discount in Epsom, NH.
Shortly after that purchase, I also started Excel Realty Investments at the age of 19 and became a realtor in order to buy and sell residential properties. This was just after the recession when the market was still recovering and I saw an opportunity to buy, renovate and hold properties while concurrently running Smoke N Discount. What I did not realize at the time was the lesson flipping houses would teach me. I learned how to pick real estate locations and buildings, do complete renovations and most importantly, how crucial it is to make things systematic and transparent due to struggles we faced of every house being different.
Within Smoke N Discount, I grew by taking an extremely fragmented smoke shop business and streamlining it. Generally the word “smoke shop” brings with it a bad stigma which we have tried to break with our clean, brightly lit store and friendly, knowledgeable staff. We saw success with that model.
I rebranded Smoke N Discount to Smokers Haven in 2014 with the intention of creating a new brand of chain retail stores and opening more locations. The business strategy has been thriving and successful since then. We are currently at 5 retail locations, finishing up our sixth and looking for additional locations closer to the Greater Boston Area.
Using my experience in real estate, I have focused on my passion and long-term goal of tying commercial real estate in with my retail business. I own most of our buildings currently used for retail locations and am looking forward to expanding into the Greater Boston Area for both commercial real estate and future Smokers Haven locations.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
A mentor once told me, “Business is like boxing, you have to dodge and weave especially in an industry with regulations and changes.” Running a business in an extremely fast-moving industry that has constant changes provides for its challenges, but it has also helped me learn how to be a business owner and turn challenges into opportunities to further ourselves from the competitors. With all challenges come reward not necessarily monetarily, but with knowledge and that can be worth more than money by helping to run a business smarter, better, or leaner.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Smokers Haven – what should we know?
Smokers Haven is a smoke and vaporizer shop. There is a stigma with the name but we have used that challenge as an opportunity by differentiating ourselves from the competition. We have knowledgeable staff, clean, bright, and welcoming stores. We hold ourselves to high standards on inventory, low prices, and great service, unlike any other smoke or vaporizer shop in the area. What is normally seen as a distasteful business, we have transformed into a professional business, welcoming to anyone and everyone.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I have been thankful to have countless mentors throughout my career of over 13 years in business. Many people have welcomed me due to my young age. I have learned from an accountant, a large chain retail store owner, national developers, car dealership owners, real estate agents, lawyers, bankers, fellow business owners, family, and friends all out of the desire to help a young business owner grow and at no financial gain to themselves. These have been some of the greatest resources to me. In the complex world of business, you never know everything. If you remain with an open mind, there is always so much more to learn, and that can be one of the greatest assets when in business.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1092 Suncook Valley Hwy, Epsom, NH 03234
105 S. Willow St., Manchester, NH 03103
433 Amherst St, Nashua, NH 03063
245 Union Ave., Laconia, NH 03246
4 Main St., Manchester, NH 03102
Coming Soon: 438 NH Route 11, Farmington, NH 03835 - Website: https://smokershaveninc.com/
- Phone: 603-518-8872
- Email: customerservice@smokershaveninc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smokershavennh/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smokershaveninc/
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
