The will to carry on.. An LBS Owners tale.

[alimey]

Hi there

I live in the UK - but have also lived in the US. One thing that surprises me is that the culture of the LBS is still alive & well in the US - but much less so in the UK. My husband & I started a bike business from home about 3 years ago (The Bike Whisperer - fitting, repairing, advising, wheel building etc), and have found people really appreciate a trusting relationship with an LBS. I think the education thing is really true - whilst there are some people who will never believe that an $800 bike is really worth it vs a $200 bike, we have found that by honestly chatting to them we can often persuade them to buy a better quality bike.

I think a recession is actually a really good time to build up loyalty - we have seen plenty of people who have bought cheap on the internet & found it a false economy. I am sure the slow build business you have with plenty of word of mouth recommendation and satisfied customers will not only be much more rewarding for you, but will make really good long term business sense too. Best of luck!

[Mr. Bloom]

(((((RM)))))

I wish I had words of advice or a solution...I'm pulling for you and your family!

It takes 4 to 5 yrs for most small businesses to hit critical mass...and it's tough until you cross that threshold.

[crazycanuck]

RM..you're one cool woman & am always amazed at your perseverance.

((((RM, RH &RS)))))

[OakLeaf]

(((((((RM))))))))

Good luck and hang in there. Thanks to your brother for helping out.

[arielmoon]

(((RM)))

I am so glad you are able to stay open. Yay for your cool brother too!

[eclectic]

Running mommy You truly are a stellar example of what a true Ironwoman is.

With the economy the way it is and so many business and individuals struggling you certainly were sent your angel in the guise of your brother. Bless him for wanting to be part of it and help you through these times.

I didn't realize you were in the Phoenix area. I try to get down there at least once every year or two. I will have to stop in and look you up!

PM me the name of your shop and I will pass the info on to my good friend who lives there year round.

[AnnieBikes]

My husband will be cycling through Phoenix on the Southern Tier in March. I would love to tell him the name and phone number of your shop. Will you PM me so we can look up the location. There are 8 in his group and I am sure that they will be needing something when they get to the city! Thanks. I wish you were my LBS!!

[sundial]

Hang in there! Sometimes I waffle about getting a better price elsewhere but I always end up buying at the LBS. I'm glad it's there. Amazon and Nashbar don't fix my bike after a crash in time for me to ride home that same day. They don't let me test out a saddle, or lights. They don't let me bring home a bike I'm considering buying to test out for a longer ride, and to show my husband. They don't give advice, help me to learn basic fixes, put money, time and expertise into building up local cycling venues. We all need to be careful in this economy. Sometimes we lose sight of the biggest bang for our buck, which is keeping local businesses afloat, which keeps the jobs in our communities, gives us choices the "big boxes" don't care to offer, give us excellent service after the sale, get to know us and suggest what would be best for us, not necessarily most profitable for them. We are a nation in jeopardy of losing independent booksellers, cafés, coffee shops, bike shops, yarn shops... and all the wonderful richness they bring to our daily lives.

Deb

Amen, Deb, amen!

[Zen]

RM, you are the George Bailey of the LBS business. Just remember that

[Running Mommy]

Thanks all. It really means a ton to me! I took a break from tax prep to check in, and you gave me warm fuzzies!
Here's another example of the good..
On Sunday a guy called, said he was training a gentleman who was in the 360 lb range. He asked if we had a good mtn bike that could handle the weight on the street now, and then be ready to go off road once he got some weight off.
Running hubby didn't hesitate, of course we did. The gentleman came in yesterday and purchased a very nice bike and all the accessories to go along with it. He called running hubby back that night to thank him and the staff for being so kind to him, and not treating him like a second class citizen. He appreciated that they looked at the man, not his weight and treated him with dignity. I guess other shops were trying to put him on basic comfort or hybrid bikes, or low end hard tails.
It's customers like him that keep us going. And truthfully 99% of our customers are great, but that 1% can really get to you.
Thanks again to all of my TE friends, and yes I am a blessed girl to have a brother like I do! He is a special guy!! (and ladies, he's single... hint hint... ha ha)

[Zen]

He's how old?

[kermit]

Photos...we need photos! Of your brother that is!

[PamNY]

I hope all goes well for you. There really is nothing like a small, locally owned store, whether it's a bike store or not. I was so glad to find a bike shop where things "clicked" for me; I'm sure your customers feel the same way about you.

Pam

[Running Mommy]

regarding my bro...
If you go on facebook and search for me "Denise Schuldt Amos" you will see my profile pic. I am standing with my brother. He's 37 and one cool dude! A girl would be very lucky to have him in their life.

Ha! My brother would prolly KILL me if he knew I was trying to find him a girlfriend!! ha ha ha

But he deserves all that is good in life.
The last person he dated died soon after they started dating. It was a sad story. She was in a horrible single car accident, and as a result of it they found she had a brain tumor. She died within a few days of the accident. Very sad time for him as they really hit it off, and he was so happy.
I think he kind of lost his dating mojo after that.

[tprevost]

regarding my bro...
If you go on facebook and search for me "Denise Schuldt Amos" you will see my profile pic. I am standing with my brother. He's 37 and one cool dude! A girl would be very lucky to have him in their life.

Ha! My brother would prolly KILL me if he knew I was trying to find him a girlfriend!! ha ha ha

But he deserves all that is good in life.
The last person he dated died soon after they started dating. It was a sad story. She was in a horrible single car accident, and as a result of it they found she had a brain tumor. She died within a few days of the accident. Very sad time for him as they really hit it off, and he was so happy.
I think he kind of lost his dating mojo after that.

that's too bad... he's really cute though!