Coming Of Age

What's the one caveat you must-absolutely must-heed in the New Age industry? Simple: Don't try to pull the wool-or, in this case, the beaded curtain-over the eyes of your customers. This is too smart a market, say entrepreneurs, to be swayed by crass commercialism or false prophets.

"If you [try to fool people], they will know because this customer is definitely intelligent," warns Sherman, who speaks from 20 years of industry experience. "So having proper product knowledge is key. Second, integrity [is essential]. The consumer who buys this mer-chandise understands products with integrity and looks down on those products that are [overly] commercialized."

"Treat the consumer with respect," echoes Rowland, whose company began emphasizing New Age merchandise in its product line nearly seven years ago. "New Age consumers aren't stupid. They're very conscious; they're very aware. And I think they're only going to become more aware as time goes on."

Fortunately, you won't need to consult a crystal ball to fathom the minds of this sophisticated audience. "Do some research," urges Rowland. "Do what we do: Go to stores. Talk to people. Observe the consumer. Go to trade shows. Look at the publications; read the articles. There's a myriad of information out there."

There's a myriad of opportunities, too. To wit, Rowland's company-which touts itself as selling "products for the free spirited"-is expected to continue enjoying double-digit percentage growth. Bonk raves about 300 percent growth in the last several years and predicts sales of $750,000 this year. Biales says his company experienced growth of nearly 80 percent last year. And, for fiscal year 1995, Eric Sherman's Central Casting reports sales in excess of $5 million.

"The New Age market," muses Rowland, "has really been a wonderful thing for us."

This article was originally published in the July 1996 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Coming Of Age.