Originally Posted by
SkinGriz
Why don’t you shoestring a bike service/repair biz out of a garage for a while.
Fail fast.
That way you gain the experience and see for yourself what kind of $/hr you can make before you have your future on the line with debt?
+1
Add bike flipping to have more flexibility during low customer demand like winter.
You really only need to invest in tools, usables and common parts. If it fails, the worst outcome is you have bike supplies for life.
Don't do retail unless you go big or add really good online sales. But other players with decades of experience already do that. People will buy more online, so local repair is the only business with a future.
Figure out where you buy parts at a cost below end customer price. You purchase amounts will be too small to get really great prices. And nowadays you probably can't demand huge discounts.
Keep your day job until business takes off.