Airsoft Megastore
What it does: Sells recreational airsoft guns and gear online
Founder: Mike Zhang, 21
Website: airsoftmegastore.com
Based: Baldwin Park, Calif.
Revenue 2010: $10 million
Revenue 2011 (projected): over $10 million
When Mike Zhang started Airsoft Megastore in 2004, he wanted to cut the price of the lifelike toy guns and plastic BBs used in airsoft games—similar to paintball, though less messy—from about $400 a set to $150. An airsoft enthusiast, he found that the gear was being sold for a lot less in China during a family trip to visit relatives there. Zhang convinced his parents to buy a container of airsoft product and began selling it online. After he graduated high school in 2008, he attended University of California-Berkeley's business program for a few months, then dropped out to run the business full-time. He's kept prices down by shopping around among suppliers in China. "[Improving access is] how you take it from a hobby to a real sport," he says. In October, Zhang plans to move Airsoft's headquarters into a 47,000-square-foot space, nearly double its current location. —Sommer Saadi
Founder: Mike Zhang, 21
Website: airsoftmegastore.com
Based: Baldwin Park, Calif.
Revenue 2010: $10 million
Revenue 2011 (projected): over $10 million
When Mike Zhang started Airsoft Megastore in 2004, he wanted to cut the price of the lifelike toy guns and plastic BBs used in airsoft games—similar to paintball, though less messy—from about $400 a set to $150. An airsoft enthusiast, he found that the gear was being sold for a lot less in China during a family trip to visit relatives there. Zhang convinced his parents to buy a container of airsoft product and began selling it online. After he graduated high school in 2008, he attended University of California-Berkeley's business program for a few months, then dropped out to run the business full-time. He's kept prices down by shopping around among suppliers in China. "[Improving access is] how you take it from a hobby to a real sport," he says. In October, Zhang plans to move Airsoft's headquarters into a 47,000-square-foot space, nearly double its current location. —Sommer Saadi
