It's OFFICIAL! I'm going to be an LBS owner!

[Running Mommy]

I don't know if I should pee myself from excitement or fear, but we put the deposit down on a space today.
The lease will be signed as soon as the City gives our landlord the final final on the building (main final already done, so this is the very last step before occupancy).... aka the secret handshake...

So now I get to call my Giant and Felt Reps and tell em "Time to get a move on boys... I need BIKES"!!!
And then QBP, and then the POS guy, and then the fixture dude, and the Insurance lady, and then, and then, and then..... OY! When am I going to have time to ride my OWN bike??
ahhh well, I guess that's what happens when you go into business for yourself huh??

So tell me, if you were starting your own shop, what would YOU carry??
It's going to be interesting because in a lot of ways I think my customer is going to be your average non (or not very often) cyclist who just wants a comfy bike to cruise around on. And also parents buying their kid a bike. BUT I don't want to ignore the higher end customer either. It's going to be a hard balance.
One thing I do know, is everyone I speak with around here wants me to carry some higher end stuff. They are tired of the same old same old that they see at performance.
I think it's going to be a tough balance at first, but hopefully we will find our way without falling on too many land mines...

[LBTC]

Hey, RM! Congratulations! Great news!!

To answer your question...
DH says:

Make sure you have a line that has everything from the kids bikes to the high end bikes - like Giant or Specialized or Trek or Jamis (great bang for the buck). That's your bread and butter.

Maybe consider a Canadian brand like Rocky Mountain or DeVinci or Norco. Something that isn't seen down there much.

There's lots of really high end bikes too: Scott, Litespeed, Felt, Cervelo. Your market will help you determine which, and this won't be the majority of your sales. Those Canadian bikes I mentioned have a full range, too, so they are the unusual (we are assuming they aren't seen much down there) bike that you can still get in high end.

Carry some jewelry. My friend makes some. http://www.recycledacc.com/home

So, really, what I want to know is, what can you get me in a small (smaller than a Giant small) carbon road bike?

Will TE sisters get a discount? Can you carry the AV jerseys and gear??

Well, I know, I'm far too jazzed and coming up with crazy ideas for you. But I'm really excited for you and can't wait to see how you put it all together!

You rock!!

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[KnottedYet]

Alllllll riiiiiiight!!!!!!!!!!

[annie]

OMG!!!!

Just want to congratulate you, RM! Such a dream come true. You will learn so much in the coming months, tho' it sounds like you've already got an idea of your customer base - good!! Wishing you the best!

Annie

[onimity]

Hi RM,

Congrats!!! Starting your own business *is* scary, but it pays off!

Keep in mind that if you cultivate a love for cycling in your 'cruiser' customers that you can eventually sell them high-end bikes.

Also, the bike commuter is the oft-overlooked customer, I think. I'd be tempted to carry commute bikes and gear too (or utility) and make it very clear to your customers that you can order whatever they want for them. Be responsive when parts come in...

Here, a big thing is hours. There are now only 2 bike shops open past the time (6:00) that I can get home from work. They get a lot of default business that I'd rather give to my favorite LBS, but... they are open.

My advice would be to keep it simple at first; ask your customers what *they* would like you to carry & take their suggestions seriously.

If I were running a store I'd carry Kona too. My LBS is Giant/Felt/Kona...I *love* my Kona. I loved my last one too.

IMO, freebies/discounts go a long way. You have to be careful that you aren't costing yourself too much, but I 'found' my LBS because my sis took them a her newly-purchased bike when she was in college & when she picked it up they charged her 1/3 or what she was expecting, said it didn't need a full tuneup. Between us we've since bought 4 bikes from them...and lots of other stuff...They're also really good about offering a discount on parts/accessories for the first month after you buy a bike from them...a good incentive to come back.

Anyhow, just some ideas...I am sure you'll do great! Congrats!!! Please post pictures as you set the shop up!

Anne

[Wahine]

RM - all I have time for right now is a big congratulations!! You'll be a great LBS owner.

[Zen]

I'm so happy for you! You must be about to burst with excitement!

[light_sabe_r]

HELMETS!!!!

*sorry - CONGRATULATIONS RUNNING MUMMY!!!!*

Now what was I saying??? What would I stock??

-Jerseys that aren't PLAIN
-Decent Knicks
-HELMETS - Range everything from the under $20 ones up to the high end roadie.
- Sunnies. BBB do a great range that go from cheapies with interchangeable lenses all the way up to the $300 models.
ACCESSORIES!!!!

I tell you, GLOVES are one thing that Annoy me at Bike shops. i've only ever seen ONE shop with a range bigger than an A4 piece of paper. :P

May be a side note, But I LOVE browsing through Victor's "library" whilst shopping. They have subscriptions to all the major cycling magazines from Australia and Europe and it's a good place to start looking for things.\



Victors also have a "try before you buy." You have a shop floor bike model you can hire out for the day if people wanna take for a decent ride. They also have accessories like the eggbeater pedals etc for clients to practice on to see if they're worth the change before buying a brand new pair. (or things like saddles!!!

Just an idea...

[Eden]

Congrats!
the first thing that comes to mind is lots of different tube sizes - and stem lengths, sometimes it can be a right pain to find 650 tubes with extra long valve stems for my Deep V's... (Performance certainly doesn't carry them)

I'd say don't try to carry everything under the sun, but be willing to order it... (my LBS can get most anything you want in a few days even though his shop is only a bit bigger than a large closet)

*slightly random musings follow*

Try to stock the things that people generally don't want to or can't wait for - like helmets, when you break one you need to replace it right away, cleats of all types even if you don't specifically carry the pedals, cable and housing, simple sturdy tools and things that big box stores might not have - grocery panniers - the kind that fold down when you aren't using them, a selection of nicer fenders, cool bar tape......

[Kano]

Congratulations!

So, here's my suggestion: clothes for people bigger than matchsticks!

Karen in Boise

[teigyr]

Congrats!!! That is awesome.

Let's see...I'd say to use your knowledge in what you've done. As a woman doing sporting events, you know the frustrations of finding appropriate equipment and clothing that fits and doesn't ride up A variety of bike levels is good too, of course. It's unfortunate but the bulk of your business might come from low-end bikes. I think your most rewarding experiences (emotionally, at least) will be in your mid to upper price range.

DH says that good service is important. The bike shops we like going to are the ones who take care of us. We like to know they care and it's nice when we're recognized.

You must be sooooo excited!

[Running Mommy]

Thanks for all the well wishes.. AND thanks for the suggestions. They are great! Keep em coming!

I'm going to host two get togethers and solicit some ideas of what folks want in their LBS.
First we have our local tri club, which is also a cycling club by default. No real cycling club up here, so our Sunday morning ride is a mash up of cyclists and tri folks. We are a friendly bunch who loves an excuse to get together. I'm going to have a bbq to formally announce the shop, and ask for them to fill out a little form telling me what they would like to see in a shop.

Also, we have a BMX track up here, so I plan to do the same sort of thing. I want to host something for the club and see what the kids are looking for. After spending some time in the BMX zone at Interbike I realized I had NO CLUE what our kids would be looking for!

I know I can't be everthing to everyone, but I need to be diverse since we really are the only game in town... Unless of course you count "evergreen lawn equipment and bicycles"...
Yep- the Toro mowers are right next to the comfort bikes (all ten of them).... heh heh heh

[crazycanuck]

Hey RM

Great news for you on the bike shop front. I'll go to my lbs & see what they have and then I might offer some suggestions.

Does this mean my dealer will get cliff bloks at great prices heeee heee

C

[smilingcat]

Congratulation... My only gripe with most cycling shop has been the cloth!! just smattering and nothing interesting to catch ones eye. And a fitting room to try the jersey, pants...

I've heard Orbea is terrible about supplying bikes to the shops. I've heard it from several shops. Also you might need to sell it on the internet or even possibly on e-bay store. The two shops I like have a web site. Both are updated monthly.

They both offer training class from the total newbies to those who are serious about racing.

I'm sure you have lots of great ideas.

smilingcat

[alpinerabbit]

How about sponsoring a club?

My LBS sponsors a Tri club (mine actually) - we get some discounts.

He gripes that we don't shop with him often enough (he does only have Trek racing bikes and not everyone wants a Trek). At least the club gear is cool...