If you were to open your own LBS what would you do?
02-17-13, 08:49 AM
#176
OldBikeGuide.com
Vintage utility bicycles and ballooners. The focus would be on finding a vintage bicycle someone could ride comfortably as a commuter or for light recreation. I think I would pinpoint the vintage 26 inch wheel roadsters (26 x 1 3/8 sort) from Raleigh, Schwinn, Columbia, and others. It would be about cleaning up and getting these old utility machines back on the road.
I think I'd offer a line of "original" (as stock as can be) and a line of "upgraded" machines (newer IGH with more gears, better brakes, alloy rims, etc) to suit a variety of people. I'd throw the ballooners in just as a side for fun, and for the people who like the antique cruisers. I can see doing some middleweights too, as a sort of compromise between the other two, though I will admit they don't catch my interest the way a Raleigh roadster or an early ballooner would. I would also consider doing a line of "converted" 10 speeds that replaces the drop bars with flat or more upright bars and adds fenders/accessories to them to create a sort of hybrid touring-commuter machine for people who want such (sort of like the mix of a Raleigh 3 speed and a 10 speed road bike).
I think I'd offer a line of "original" (as stock as can be) and a line of "upgraded" machines (newer IGH with more gears, better brakes, alloy rims, etc) to suit a variety of people. I'd throw the ballooners in just as a side for fun, and for the people who like the antique cruisers. I can see doing some middleweights too, as a sort of compromise between the other two, though I will admit they don't catch my interest the way a Raleigh roadster or an early ballooner would. I would also consider doing a line of "converted" 10 speeds that replaces the drop bars with flat or more upright bars and adds fenders/accessories to them to create a sort of hybrid touring-commuter machine for people who want such (sort of like the mix of a Raleigh 3 speed and a 10 speed road bike).
That is damn close to my business model.
Here’s my story:
I’ve been working on bikes for 50+ years, but had a 30 year software career in there, too.
Every night during the software career I’d work on vintage bikes and sell bikes locally and on the web. This was therapy, turning wrenches and rescuing old 3-speeds.
Then 6 years ago I took the plunge and opened a brick-and-mortar shop.
It CAN be done. But you can’t be all things to everyone. Pick your niche.
- I sell used and vintage bikes, mostly commuters like 3-speeds or road bikes with bullhorns.
- 10% of inventory is a line of inexpensive new bikes.
- I DO NOT take on outside repairs, except for occasional vintage rehab work in the winter. It’s true the repair business is all profit, but you can waste a lot of time on a low end department store bike, and it’s hard to charge somebody for the time you put into it.
- I only do repair work on bikes I’ve sold, because I know they had good bones to begin with.
- Warranty all bikes and repairs.
- Location is key. I’m in a bike-friendly city with many colleges.
- Know your customer base. Mine is 65% female and most just want a safe, comfortable, reliable cycle for commuting. A bike with a retro look helps, too.
- Have accessories, but don’t try to have everything: a couple helmet styles, a couple basket styles, a couple rack styles, we only stock one lock style, a couple lighting options and that’s about it.
Pick a niche and then keep it simple.
02-17-13, 09:09 AM
#177
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I reconsidered the question posted above after riding home from the bar last night. Always the best time to consider things like that. As I was riding along the main drag from my house to the center of town I passed at least 15 bike shops. One high-end folder shop, one shop totally dedicated to revive vintage transport bikes. A co-op that teaches junkies to fix bikes so they can keep clean and stay of the streets. Immigrant shops where the guys greet you in Polish and fix flats on blue collar commuter bikes. Big chain outlets. A fixie shop grafted onto a coffee bar. A trek concept store. All in a 10 min. bike ride. I see absolutely no way to compete in the local market. Then again, most of them probably have a bad time competing against online outlets, especially the shops that cater to the racers and mountainbikers that do their own wrenching. In the transportation market there's work enough, but I don't like working on BSO's.
The only model that would work for me is make stuff for the internet market, like cool custom hubs, specialized lighting solutions, luggage or nice leather bike upholstery, and keep a workshop/storefront annex to the production room. Maybe sell only a very small range of unique bikes, like semi-custom mtb's or steel road bikes (Spooky - hi Frank! -, Fuso, Cielo, that sort of brands come to mind), but that would serve mostly to have some eye candy on the wall and to serve as a showcase frame for the products made in the back. Anyway, just a nice place with a fridge and a couch to talk bikes after hours and have a starting point for rides on evenings and in the weekends.
But since I'm far from a machinist, leather worker or saddler I'll probably never open a shop like that
The only model that would work for me is make stuff for the internet market, like cool custom hubs, specialized lighting solutions, luggage or nice leather bike upholstery, and keep a workshop/storefront annex to the production room. Maybe sell only a very small range of unique bikes, like semi-custom mtb's or steel road bikes (Spooky - hi Frank! -, Fuso, Cielo, that sort of brands come to mind), but that would serve mostly to have some eye candy on the wall and to serve as a showcase frame for the products made in the back. Anyway, just a nice place with a fridge and a couch to talk bikes after hours and have a starting point for rides on evenings and in the weekends.
But since I'm far from a machinist, leather worker or saddler I'll probably never open a shop like that
02-17-13, 10:25 AM
#178
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Syke's Cyclery is my second attempt at a home-based business. Back in the late 80's/throughout the 90's I was doing historical reenactment, could sew, and had an interest in costuming. I started Syke's Sutlering off a blanket in front of my tent with a dozen home-made 17th century shirts. Over the next decade and a half, the sutlery grew to the point that 17th century reenactment turned from being a bartering society ("make me a shirt and I'll make you a bandolier") to the point where you could walk into my tent and buy everything needed for your kit, stockings thru matchlock musket, just like you can in American Civil War, and Rev War. Unfortunately, the ever growing business completely burned me out on the hobby, to the point that there's a collection of War of the Roses thru Rev War muskets hanging in the attic that I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that I'm going to sell. I sold the business in 1999, it still exists. Just Google "Syke's Sutlery".
The bike shop is serving a different purpose. It's on a shed on my property, running off the same electric meter as the house. That kills the rent and utilities expenses. It's been built bit by bit, starting with a bunch of used Weinmann centerpulls I picked up at a buck apiece and cleaned. At no time is there ever any borrowing of money. If I don't have it in pocket, or household can't loan it to the company, I do without. Period. I have no intention of carrying new bikes - unless I can sign up with some distributor who will let me order a few bikes when and if I have some customers interested. Floor planning and letting the supplier company dictate my premises, how I run my business, etc. is right out. Somewhere out there has got to be a small time distributor who'd be interested in moving a few extra bikes at virtually no cost to his business, even if I'm not interested in being a regular outlet.
But the biggest reason for the bike shop is personal therapy: For the past seven years I've been caring for a severely invalid wife. Even with two shifts of nursing aides per day assisting me, its still a very stressful way of life, and being able to disappear into the shop to wrench bikes for 5-6 hours at a stretch has a lot to do with why I've been able to deal with the situation. And I can't come up with enough bikes of my own (little matter of storage space) to keep me busy, so I might as well be making a buck or two on the side working on other bikes. Even if I were to burn out on riding, I'll probably continue to wrench, because I enjoy it.
The shop, as a formal affair, has actually been around since 2011 - that's when I started keeping books on my fix and flips to see if I'm actually paying my own way for all the bikes I have in the personal collection (I am - plus I'm a bookkeeper, I consider this fun). This year, its going legal only because I have to. I've reached the point that buying parts from Niagara Cycle and other places isn't working for the amount of work that I turn out. I finally need a business relationship with one of the major distributors that supplies the "real" bike shops - which means business license, sales tax license, liability insurance, etc. Believe me, they have no interest whatsoever in undercutting their (shop) customers by selling directly to a bunch of informal fix and flippers. The requirements are high, and I'm going to have to do a bit of begging to fit myself in under their smallest customers.
The bike shop is serving a different purpose. It's on a shed on my property, running off the same electric meter as the house. That kills the rent and utilities expenses. It's been built bit by bit, starting with a bunch of used Weinmann centerpulls I picked up at a buck apiece and cleaned. At no time is there ever any borrowing of money. If I don't have it in pocket, or household can't loan it to the company, I do without. Period. I have no intention of carrying new bikes - unless I can sign up with some distributor who will let me order a few bikes when and if I have some customers interested. Floor planning and letting the supplier company dictate my premises, how I run my business, etc. is right out. Somewhere out there has got to be a small time distributor who'd be interested in moving a few extra bikes at virtually no cost to his business, even if I'm not interested in being a regular outlet.
But the biggest reason for the bike shop is personal therapy: For the past seven years I've been caring for a severely invalid wife. Even with two shifts of nursing aides per day assisting me, its still a very stressful way of life, and being able to disappear into the shop to wrench bikes for 5-6 hours at a stretch has a lot to do with why I've been able to deal with the situation. And I can't come up with enough bikes of my own (little matter of storage space) to keep me busy, so I might as well be making a buck or two on the side working on other bikes. Even if I were to burn out on riding, I'll probably continue to wrench, because I enjoy it.
The shop, as a formal affair, has actually been around since 2011 - that's when I started keeping books on my fix and flips to see if I'm actually paying my own way for all the bikes I have in the personal collection (I am - plus I'm a bookkeeper, I consider this fun). This year, its going legal only because I have to. I've reached the point that buying parts from Niagara Cycle and other places isn't working for the amount of work that I turn out. I finally need a business relationship with one of the major distributors that supplies the "real" bike shops - which means business license, sales tax license, liability insurance, etc. Believe me, they have no interest whatsoever in undercutting their (shop) customers by selling directly to a bunch of informal fix and flippers. The requirements are high, and I'm going to have to do a bit of begging to fit myself in under their smallest customers.
Oh, and....not to interfere, as you know what you are doing- but if it were me, I'd forget about the new bike sales idea. Even if you found a distributor willing to sell to you, the prices would be so high, you'd likely be paying more for t5he bikes than what you could buy 'em for retail online. Or...maybe what I'd do, is buy some end-of-year clearance bikes from Competitive Cyclist when they're marked way down....and sell those- but I wonder if they wouldn't refuse to sell to you- or at the very least, void the lifetime warranty, if you ordered a bunch of bikes- figuring you were reselling them?
02-17-13, 10:45 AM
#179
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If you're not willing to work on BSO's, don't go into the bicycle business. Period. And by this I'm talking cheap bikes, WalMart bikes, whatever you want to call them. I hate the term "BSO" because they actually ARE bicycles despite the fact that they're not very good ones - and the term implies a very nose-up-in-the-air snobbishness. A cheap reverse version of Confente Masi worshipness. There are people out there who can't afford better, and don't know enough to start looking at yard sales, etc. Or, don't have the time or inclination to hit yard sales for weeks on end to find a decent, used bike (we often forget the time expended in finding our treasures).
Besides, the majority of your customers will be riding cheap bikes. They're the ones that need repair, the ones that are busted up by their children (who'd wreak holy havoc on a good kids bike, too, and the parent's know it).
Syke,
Although I agree with what you're stating, you are an independent entity working out of your own paid for property and can be flexible with your margins. Even offer a gratis repair to those who can't afford to pay.
BUT, if you are the owner of a shop with overheads, wages, etc... these bikes are a loss to your bottom line. Quality is so poor, the cost to repair and replace items stays the same, but the bikes are cheap, and so are the owners. They aren't willing to pay what's quoted as an estimate and often argue that you got to be kidding. Do you do these repairs on your expense for their sake? After a few, the answer is no.
Your business is at stake. Customer expectation is high, no matter how bad the quality of the bike is. And often they tell you in response that the bike didn't cost him/her that much in the first place! ie. Paid $20 for it, then argue that the repair should be no more than $10 cost-wise. I believe in customer service, and often evaluate the customer's situation initially. I've done a number of gratis fixes and adjustments and tossed in freebies for paying customers in the name of customer service. But one eventually gets pressure from the bosses if you do that too much. I get scolded for hosing down a bike before tuning it and didn't charge the extra $30 for the detailing service!
Ultimately, you can't save them all. I prefer to sell them a new bike than attempt to salvage something that would not satisfy the customer in the end. More cost effective. BTW, I don't make any commissions.
02-17-13, 05:09 PM
#180
Senior Member
I often wash dept store bikes, because they often reek, and are filthy!! I don't want to touch them without protecting myself somehow. I am sorry if that offends anyone here, but it's the honest truth. I have worked on some bikes that just stink, and others so bad I was gagging trying to work on them . I don't know what happened to the bike to make it smell that way, and I honestly don't want to know. That, is one of my main reasons for refusing to to work on them, but only about two or three behind they're just plain junk that the owner will want patched up rather than actually repaired. If you avoid working on them, you avoid the issues entirely. Just a sincere apology, and tell them we do not work on bikes like these. Every Spring WITHOUT fail we always get the one person with a dept store bike, that wants to put a ton of money into replacing parts to try and make it something it will never be. Sometimes talking them out of it works, sometimes it doesn't.,,,,BD
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02-18-13, 02:14 AM
#181
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Syke,
Although I agree with what you're stating, you are an independent entity working out of your own paid for property and can be flexible with your margins. Even offer a gratis repair to those who can't afford to pay.
BUT, if you are the owner of a shop with overheads, wages, etc... these bikes are a loss to your bottom line. Quality is so poor, the cost to repair and replace items stays the same, but the bikes are cheap, and so are the owners. They aren't willing to pay what's quoted as an estimate and often argue that you got to be kidding. Do you do these repairs on your expense for their sake? After a few, the answer is no.
Your business is at stake. Customer expectation is high, no matter how bad the quality of the bike is. And often they tell you in response that the bike didn't cost him/her that much in the first place! ie. Paid $20 for it, then argue that the repair should be no more than $10 cost-wise. I believe in customer service, and often evaluate the customer's situation initially. I've done a number of gratis fixes and adjustments and tossed in freebies for paying customers in the name of customer service. But one eventually gets pressure from the bosses if you do that too much. I get scolded for hosing down a bike before tuning it and didn't charge the extra $30 for the detailing service!
Ultimately, you can't save them all. I prefer to sell them a new bike than attempt to salvage something that would not satisfy the customer in the end. More cost effective. BTW, I don't make any commissions.
Although I agree with what you're stating, you are an independent entity working out of your own paid for property and can be flexible with your margins. Even offer a gratis repair to those who can't afford to pay.
BUT, if you are the owner of a shop with overheads, wages, etc... these bikes are a loss to your bottom line. Quality is so poor, the cost to repair and replace items stays the same, but the bikes are cheap, and so are the owners. They aren't willing to pay what's quoted as an estimate and often argue that you got to be kidding. Do you do these repairs on your expense for their sake? After a few, the answer is no.
Your business is at stake. Customer expectation is high, no matter how bad the quality of the bike is. And often they tell you in response that the bike didn't cost him/her that much in the first place! ie. Paid $20 for it, then argue that the repair should be no more than $10 cost-wise. I believe in customer service, and often evaluate the customer's situation initially. I've done a number of gratis fixes and adjustments and tossed in freebies for paying customers in the name of customer service. But one eventually gets pressure from the bosses if you do that too much. I get scolded for hosing down a bike before tuning it and didn't charge the extra $30 for the detailing service!
Ultimately, you can't save them all. I prefer to sell them a new bike than attempt to salvage something that would not satisfy the customer in the end. More cost effective. BTW, I don't make any commissions.
I'll happily work on BSO's and have. But the customer gets an honest appraisal when he brings the bike in, AND leaves me a deposit of at least half my estimated repair cost, before I'll take on the bike. And I've recommended more than once that they just forget the whole idea and buy another bike. And not just WalMart bikes. More than a few badly rusted out Schwinn Varsity's have been sent down the road, too, even though a Varsity is very high on my list for a flipper.
Yes, I believe in customer service. I also believe in not wasting my time and making profit.
I run into this attitude at the motorcycle dealership where I work quite often (and where I honed my attitude from two years of running the service desk). You'd laugh at how many clapped out, semi-abandoned '70 Hondas a towed in with a customer expecting us to make it inspectable and put it back on the road for under, say $250.00.
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Syke
“No one in this world, so far as I know — and I have searched the records for years, and employed agents to help me — has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people. Nor has anyone ever lost public office thereby.”
H.L. Mencken, (1926)
Syke
“No one in this world, so far as I know — and I have searched the records for years, and employed agents to help me — has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people. Nor has anyone ever lost public office thereby.”
H.L. Mencken, (1926)
Last edited by sykerocker; 02-18-13 at 02:20 AM.
02-18-13, 08:49 AM
#182
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Let me tell you abut someone who makes good money (apparently) working with bikes:
First of all, he has no shop at all... He works down in the parking area of the very modest apartment complex where he lives. The surprising element here folks, is that he has been able to do that in heavily regulated Southern California. I had a townie bike that needed several adjustments which had exceeded my mechanical abilities and I gambled hard by taking the bike over to him. He did a great job with it. I am thoroughly satisfied as the bike runs like new.
Second, the man has no customer service skills. At all. It could safely be said that he is a grouch. He looked back at me with that "you are kinda weird" look when I said "good morning" to him on a that chilly December morning. Not a first one though, but you get my drift. After that encouraging starter, he told me to just come back in one hour because he couldn't have people just hanging around. Weird for someone who said that he could do the work while you wait. While you wait yes, just not there.
Mr. Grouchy did what he said he would do though. He fine tuned the bike the best way possible considering the bike. I did pay the $25 flat fee he asks for one hour of work and went on my way.
Some time later I called the man again for another old bike. I was greeted with the same SoCal charm as before. But this I was already expecting. I had a hard time getting my bike in because he was totally booked and was exhausted after working on bikes "ten hours a day everyday." Are you guys good in simple math? Ten hours a day at $25/hour is a totally cool $250 a day. No shop, no overhead and yes, no (hush hush) returning tithe to uncle S.A.M. Lets say he works only four days a week.... $4000/month not bad under those circumstances, don't you think?
Now, I am not passing judgement on that guy. All I'm saying is that there is money in there to be made for those who can do the same or even better. Don't take my word for it check craigslist around and you'll see what I just said.
Do you still want a shop? Read again from the beginning.
First of all, he has no shop at all... He works down in the parking area of the very modest apartment complex where he lives. The surprising element here folks, is that he has been able to do that in heavily regulated Southern California. I had a townie bike that needed several adjustments which had exceeded my mechanical abilities and I gambled hard by taking the bike over to him. He did a great job with it. I am thoroughly satisfied as the bike runs like new.
Second, the man has no customer service skills. At all. It could safely be said that he is a grouch. He looked back at me with that "you are kinda weird" look when I said "good morning" to him on a that chilly December morning. Not a first one though, but you get my drift. After that encouraging starter, he told me to just come back in one hour because he couldn't have people just hanging around. Weird for someone who said that he could do the work while you wait. While you wait yes, just not there.
Mr. Grouchy did what he said he would do though. He fine tuned the bike the best way possible considering the bike. I did pay the $25 flat fee he asks for one hour of work and went on my way.
Some time later I called the man again for another old bike. I was greeted with the same SoCal charm as before. But this I was already expecting. I had a hard time getting my bike in because he was totally booked and was exhausted after working on bikes "ten hours a day everyday." Are you guys good in simple math? Ten hours a day at $25/hour is a totally cool $250 a day. No shop, no overhead and yes, no (hush hush) returning tithe to uncle S.A.M. Lets say he works only four days a week.... $4000/month not bad under those circumstances, don't you think?
Now, I am not passing judgement on that guy. All I'm saying is that there is money in there to be made for those who can do the same or even better. Don't take my word for it check craigslist around and you'll see what I just said.
Do you still want a shop? Read again from the beginning.
02-18-13, 09:59 AM
#183
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Let me tell you abut someone who makes good money (apparently) working with bikes:
First of all, he has no shop at all... He works down in the parking area of the very modest apartment complex where he lives. The surprising element here folks, is that he has been able to do that in heavily regulated Southern California. I had a townie bike that needed several adjustments which had exceeded my mechanical abilities and I gambled hard by taking the bike over to him. He did a great job with it. I am thoroughly satisfied as the bike runs like new.
Second, the man has no customer service skills. At all. It could safely be said that he is a grouch. He looked back at me with that "you are kinda weird" look when I said "good morning" to him on a that chilly December morning. Not a first one though, but you get my drift. After that encouraging starter, he told me to just come back in one hour because he couldn't have people just hanging around. Weird for someone who said that he could do the work while you wait. While you wait yes, just not there.
Mr. Grouchy did what he said he would do though. He fine tuned the bike the best way possible considering the bike. I did pay the $25 flat fee he asks for one hour of work and went on my way.
Some time later I called the man again for another old bike. I was greeted with the same SoCal charm as before. But this I was already expecting. I had a hard time getting my bike in because he was totally booked and was exhausted after working on bikes "ten hours a day everyday." Are you guys good in simple math? Ten hours a day at $25/hour is a totally cool $250 a day. No shop, no overhead and yes, no (hush hush) returning tithe to uncle S.A.M. Lets say he works only four days a week.... $4000/month not bad under those circumstances, don't you think?
Now, I am not passing judgement on that guy. All I'm saying is that there is money in there to be made for those who can do the same or even better. Don't take my word for it check craigslist around and you'll see what I just said.
Do you still want a shop? Read again from the beginning.
First of all, he has no shop at all... He works down in the parking area of the very modest apartment complex where he lives. The surprising element here folks, is that he has been able to do that in heavily regulated Southern California. I had a townie bike that needed several adjustments which had exceeded my mechanical abilities and I gambled hard by taking the bike over to him. He did a great job with it. I am thoroughly satisfied as the bike runs like new.
Second, the man has no customer service skills. At all. It could safely be said that he is a grouch. He looked back at me with that "you are kinda weird" look when I said "good morning" to him on a that chilly December morning. Not a first one though, but you get my drift. After that encouraging starter, he told me to just come back in one hour because he couldn't have people just hanging around. Weird for someone who said that he could do the work while you wait. While you wait yes, just not there.
Mr. Grouchy did what he said he would do though. He fine tuned the bike the best way possible considering the bike. I did pay the $25 flat fee he asks for one hour of work and went on my way.
Some time later I called the man again for another old bike. I was greeted with the same SoCal charm as before. But this I was already expecting. I had a hard time getting my bike in because he was totally booked and was exhausted after working on bikes "ten hours a day everyday." Are you guys good in simple math? Ten hours a day at $25/hour is a totally cool $250 a day. No shop, no overhead and yes, no (hush hush) returning tithe to uncle S.A.M. Lets say he works only four days a week.... $4000/month not bad under those circumstances, don't you think?
Now, I am not passing judgement on that guy. All I'm saying is that there is money in there to be made for those who can do the same or even better. Don't take my word for it check craigslist around and you'll see what I just said.
Do you still want a shop? Read again from the beginning.
I'm lucky- I grew up in a downtown area of a suburban town, where all of my friends were the children of the local store owners. Observing their parents was like a course in how not to make money/how to go broke!
Oh, and regarding the BSO discussion, above: I'd gladly work on any bike, as long as I was getting my $XX per hour..... In fact, I'd probably prefer to jury-rig the Walmart special than work on the $12K Venge- where if I so much as knicked a part or got a spec of dirt on the tire, I'd be in trouble. Funny thing is [and I've seen this kind of behavior with cars, and other things], a lot of times, you will encounter dysfunctional people who are willing to spend crazy money on junk....even if they could buy something new and better for what they are putting into their POS. These people aren't like us. They don't think rationally. Rationality often doesn't make sense to them- even when you explain two opposite scenarios to them. Like this guy I did business with once: He lived in an abandoned house. His girlfriend [who was another man's wife] buys him a prsent: A $1000 foosball table- ....for a guy living in an abandoned house [who later moved...to his van]. Tell 'em what you would do; tell 'em it's not really worth it.....if they don't listen, do the work and take their money...and they'll be back for more.
They'll pay you to clean up the kid's rusted Huffy...then next fall, they'll leave it laying out in the gutter for 3 months...and be back in the spring, wanting it spruced-up again [Likely paid for with your money, which has been redistributed to them as an entitlement].
It's a crazy world and getting crazier.....but there's good profit in serving the nut-jobs...their money is just as green as anyone's. Tell 'em the truth....let them make their own decision. Once in a rare while, you'll get one who'll actually take your advice.
02-18-13, 10:30 AM
#184
Pedaled too far.
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Around the corner from one place I lived was a head shop that sold pipes in the front and weed out the back door.
They lasted about 3 days.
They lasted about 3 days.
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02-18-13, 10:42 AM
#185
Pedaled too far.
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A jeweler in this state has an interesting angle that seems to do them very well. In addition to their stores, they also supply other stores, ones that are going out of business. That allows the store going out of business to have a "well stocked" store right up to the last day, and allows the jeweler to have someone else doing all the work selling inventory. Perhaps something could be done in a similar fashion with bicycles.
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02-18-13, 05:34 PM
#186
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In this era of entitlement, I am more and more convinced that working as a hobby for free has much less risk. If someone doesn't like what I did, they can get their no money back, and I can tell them where to put their bikes.
Robbie's ReBikes will never happen. Sigh, The Bike and Brothel won't either.
Robbie's ReBikes will never happen. Sigh, The Bike and Brothel won't either.
02-18-13, 09:07 PM
#187
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Let me tell you abut someone who makes good money (apparently) working with bikes:
First of all, he has no shop at all... He works down in the parking area of the very modest apartment complex where he lives. The surprising element here folks, is that he has been able to do that in heavily regulated Southern California. I had a townie bike that needed several adjustments which had exceeded my mechanical abilities and I gambled hard by taking the bike over to him. He did a great job with it. I am thoroughly satisfied as the bike runs like new.
Second, the man has no customer service skills. At all. It could safely be said that he is a grouch. He looked back at me with that "you are kinda weird" look when I said "good morning" to him on a that chilly December morning. Not a first one though, but you get my drift. After that encouraging starter, he told me to just come back in one hour because he couldn't have people just hanging around. Weird for someone who said that he could do the work while you wait. While you wait yes, just not there.
Mr. Grouchy did what he said he would do though. He fine tuned the bike the best way possible considering the bike. I did pay the $25 flat fee he asks for one hour of work and went on my way.
Some time later I called the man again for another old bike. I was greeted with the same SoCal charm as before. But this I was already expecting. I had a hard time getting my bike in because he was totally booked and was exhausted after working on bikes "ten hours a day everyday." Are you guys good in simple math? Ten hours a day at $25/hour is a totally cool $250 a day. No shop, no overhead and yes, no (hush hush) returning tithe to uncle S.A.M. Lets say he works only four days a week.... $4000/month not bad under those circumstances, don't you think?
Now, I am not passing judgement on that guy. All I'm saying is that there is money in there to be made for those who can do the same or even better. Don't take my word for it check craigslist around and you'll see what I just said.
Do you still want a shop? Read again from the beginning.
First of all, he has no shop at all... He works down in the parking area of the very modest apartment complex where he lives. The surprising element here folks, is that he has been able to do that in heavily regulated Southern California. I had a townie bike that needed several adjustments which had exceeded my mechanical abilities and I gambled hard by taking the bike over to him. He did a great job with it. I am thoroughly satisfied as the bike runs like new.
Second, the man has no customer service skills. At all. It could safely be said that he is a grouch. He looked back at me with that "you are kinda weird" look when I said "good morning" to him on a that chilly December morning. Not a first one though, but you get my drift. After that encouraging starter, he told me to just come back in one hour because he couldn't have people just hanging around. Weird for someone who said that he could do the work while you wait. While you wait yes, just not there.
Mr. Grouchy did what he said he would do though. He fine tuned the bike the best way possible considering the bike. I did pay the $25 flat fee he asks for one hour of work and went on my way.
Some time later I called the man again for another old bike. I was greeted with the same SoCal charm as before. But this I was already expecting. I had a hard time getting my bike in because he was totally booked and was exhausted after working on bikes "ten hours a day everyday." Are you guys good in simple math? Ten hours a day at $25/hour is a totally cool $250 a day. No shop, no overhead and yes, no (hush hush) returning tithe to uncle S.A.M. Lets say he works only four days a week.... $4000/month not bad under those circumstances, don't you think?
Now, I am not passing judgement on that guy. All I'm saying is that there is money in there to be made for those who can do the same or even better. Don't take my word for it check craigslist around and you'll see what I just said.
Do you still want a shop? Read again from the beginning.
In thinking a bit more there is a guy who once lived in LA who is now in Vancouver Wa, has a bike repair biz out of his house, he acknowledges that "home businesses" are well tolerated where he lives. One step above as he has a resale license. But I am sure QBP still will not sell to him.
02-18-13, 09:21 PM
#188
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My property is zoned for business. In theory, I could open a shop in my (unheated) garage and just get a business license to make it legit. But, man, it can get cold during the winter here (Chicago area), so it would be, at best, a fair weather business. I'd have to find someplace like Florida, Arizona, or Southern California to spend the winter months. And, oh yeah, I'd have to get better at the wrenching part of it.
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02-19-13, 07:10 AM
#189
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Here is your chance to own your own. It is up and running and profitable. You do need to move to Rutland Vt. though.
https://burlington.craigslist.org/bik/3593252668.html
https://burlington.craigslist.org/bik/3593252668.html
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“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
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