Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jeff Gaites. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jeff, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

In the early 2000’s, I was commuting around New York City on a skateboard and started getting into downhill skateboarding through snowboarding. The skate shops that sold downhill skateboard gear did not have any experience, let alone expertise, with speed and hills. As a result, I started recommending set-ups for friends that were getting into the sport. By 2006, I was selling skateboards out of my apartment while working a full-time job. When I met my partner, Kristen Howard, she got us onto the search engines and organized us as a formal business around 2008. Things progressed and we moved into a proper retail space in 2011 and haven’t looked back since.

Jeff, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Uncle Funkys is an independent skateboard shop located in the West Village of New York City. We’ve been in business since 2006 and we offer all types of skateboards including street/trick, cruisers, old-school, and longboards. We support skaters at all levels and we are very welcoming to beginners. The shop also offers full protection gear including pads and helmets. And most importantly, we have a very loveable shop dog named Gus.

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

When we moved into a retail space in 2011, we came up with a budget for what we needed to renovate the space, stock up with inventory, and cover the necessary permits and insurance. We turned to our friends and family for investment. We had to cast a wide net with a simple business plan. And, we had five years experience selling skateboards out of our apartment with an existing customer base to build on. Ultimately, a few committed investors backed out at the last minute, and we had to take a big risk moving forward on a smaller budget.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

We took an old-school analog approach of photographing customers and putting their pictures “up on the wall”, and starting putting pictures of our happy customers up on our social media platforms. The customers and their friends tend to like and share their photos, so we build our base through happy customers. It is a very organic approach and we have always relied on a strong word-of-mouth business. If you’re interested in building a brand, focus on consistency.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.unclefunkysboards.com
• Instagram: @unclefunkysboards
• Facebook: Uncle Funkys Boards
• Youtube: @unclefunkys