Prospective bike shop owner needs advice.

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nickballard2712
Posts: 93
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 3:06 pm
Location: Frome, UK

by nickballard2712

Guys, I'm thinking of starting my own bike shop and I was after some advice:

1) I do my own bike maintainence but was wondering if there are any formal courses I would have to/should do to be working on customers bikes.

2) What workshop equipment is essential and which brands are the best(quality, life span etc).

3) Do you have any general advice for someone stepping into this field.

Thanks for your help.
Nick

TheBigBlueGiant
Posts: 86
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2005 5:21 pm
Location: Top of the Beanstalk

by TheBigBlueGiant

nickballard2712 wrote:Guys, I'm thinking of starting my own bike shop and I was after some advice:

1) I do my own bike maintainence but was wondering if there are any formal courses I would have to/should do to be working on customers bikes.

2) What workshop equipment is essential and which brands are the best(quality, life span etc).

3) Do you have any general advice for someone stepping into this field.

Thanks for your help.
Nick



Nick,

Have a look here:

http://www.act-bicycles.com/2004/public ... tech.shtml

Good luck with the venture,


BBG

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



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HammerTime2
Posts: 5813
Joined: Thu May 04, 2006 4:43 pm
Location: Wherever there's a mountain beckoning to be climbed

by HammerTime2

Do you want to know how to build a bike shop to be worth 1 millions pounds? Start with 2 million pounds.

nickballard2712
Posts: 93
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 3:06 pm
Location: Frome, UK

by nickballard2712

Thanks for the link they have a whole section on setting up of your own shop.

If anyone has any further advice I'll gratefully accept it.

Nick

Tristan
Posts: 1076
Joined: Wed Feb 22, 2006 7:57 am
Location: New Zealand
Contact:

by Tristan

I seem to remember a similar thread when ejm was considering his own shop, but I cannot find it.

ejm announced the shop here:
http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum ... light=shop
Wheelworks.co.nz
New Zealand handbuilt wheels

mises
Posts: 1698
Joined: Tue Dec 23, 2003 9:28 pm
Location: Unknown parameter

by mises

Take your absolute most pessimistic estimate of how much cash you will need to get started and keep the doors open while sales ramp up and double it. Then you might have enough to last the first 6 months. Undercapitalization is what kills >90% of all startups. Failure to pay payroll taxes kills off 90% of the rest.

Get a job in a shop for a while. You may actually hate it in practice. Nothing takes the fun out of a hobby faster than turning it into a job (especially at 70 hrs a week for no pay).

RTW
in the industry
Posts: 3756
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2005 2:32 pm

by RTW

Also Nick, I see you are from Frome. Last time I was in Frome was a little while back, but I was brought up 12miles away.

Frome used to have a couple of bike shops, if I remember correctly. There was one up at the top of town (Raleigh signage) near the theatre, there was also City Cycles (Behind Cheap Street - the one with the stream down the middle if that is what it was called) who sold Emmelle and Scott (I remember this is now gone, but many moons ago I shopped there). Then there is Halfords in the centre, and just up the road a bit there was another shop. If you are looking to start one in Frome, look at the other shops that are there and that have come and gone. Like I said, I don't know which one survives still, but you need to look at if the demand is there.

Also, think of the locality. Nearby, in Warminster, there is Batchelors (at least three years ago it was still there) selling up market stuff as well as more mainstream. There is also the discount bike outlet (or was) on the trading estate. Are these too close for comfort? What about Trowbridge or indeed the 20mile drive to Bath (some good shops) or Bristol (some great bike shops).

If you are still feeling positive about it (and I don't want to put you off) then decide on who, and how you are going to target your market.

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legs 11
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Joined: Tue Jan 23, 2007 11:22 am
Location: Leg hurty

by legs 11

Whilst not being an expert about owning or running a shop I do feel that I know a thing or two about the service that the majority of bike shops in our region offer, I'd say go for it nick and don't let too many people try to deflate your dream by rubbishing the idea or telling you that its not commercially viable to enter the bike shop industry.
There is money to be made in this sector, but IMO it has to be approached in the right way, as misses has already stated most bikeshops seem to be woefully under financed in the early stages, leading to poor stock levels and a lack of skilled staff.
I am from your neck of the woods too (Trowbridge) although now I live in Hampshire, you've got a great opportunity to open a great specialist shop to cater for the region, there's not much competition in the high end road and MTB scene as you just can't get much advice and expertise in this area at the local halfords or its equivalent.
Do it properly, with the right skilled staff and i'm sure you'll do well.
Good luck, and keep us informed of your progress! :thumbup:
Pedalling Law Student.

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jekyll man
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Location: Pack filler

by jekyll man

Go for it by all means, but a word of advice from someone that has been close to the uk cycle industry, get your stock based on what sells (do your homework locally), and not fillthe shop with gucci gear, as this isn't what pays the bills.....
Good luck!
Official cafe stop tester

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



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