Not to hijack the thread further, but I believe you were the one who started the "hating" by saying that "non-shop owners and local divers" opinions were useless.
As a local to DC diver, and a new one who may or may not be looking to buy gear in the near future, I definitely think a new store owner would and should value the opinion of people like me. Just because I haven't owned a dive shop doesn't mean I don't understand retail, or the dive industry. More importantly, people who are in this area and plan to dive in this area are the demographic this shop is likely to cater to, so it behooves them to listen to us if they want to stay in business. You gave some good advice. It isn't, however, the only advice that is good. Get over yourself.
To "leavonlybubbles" your site so far looks like every other dive shop in the area. Atomic and Aqualung make good gear, I'm sure, but it's covered by at least 4 other shops within an easy drive of DC. In the city, you might be good but you won't be getting any of the burbs' money unless you offer some other options.
The suggestion of offering tech gear is a good one. While I think there is a tech-like shop in Manassas (I haven't been in the shop yet) I think it's far enough out that the B'more folks won't be running over there for gear unless it's last minute necessity. If you offer a range of tech gear, especially some of the lower priced gear, you will do yourself a service, I believe.
I would suggest you get some more advanced instructors as well. 2 DMs and a single instructor on your roster is going to make it very difficult for you to offer any real training. OW training and a few advance specialties can be had in no less than 10 shops in the area and you will need to provide something different to set yourself apart. Your class sizes are a good start but there are at least a handful of shops that have small class sizes as well.
Your website looks decent so that's a good start. Like I said, offer some other equipment options, and consider putting some actual equipment links on your site, not just links to the manufacturer's websites. The customer suggestion for trip locations is good. Thailand in August is the heart of their rainy season, just for reference. (November through February/March is the best season for visiting Thailand.)
