You will surely make more money working as a mechanic for someone elses shop at first. I have to disagree about it taking 100k to open a shop, I’m not by any means saying that my shop is the biggest, nor highest grossing shop in my town, but we started with much less money(than even the loan that guys dad has), and I like to think that customers come to us for something other than our good looks. However we didn’t get paychecks for about a year, and between the three owners we had a lot of experience with bikes, but working at a shop for CYCLISTS(there is a distinction here that if he doesn’t understand he won’t survive at the sub mega bikeshop level) makes us happy.
I dreamed of opening a shop, but instead my friends and I started a bike co-op. We’re working on our 501-3c papers now. Everything was donated, even the space. And we don’t have to make any profit at all.
[quote=Cap-Cap]
from what i’ve been reading, this shitty economy means great things for providers of small indulgences. perhaps your dad should look into opening a specialty cupcake or ice cream place (no joke, shits ferreal)[/quote]
one of those stores opened up next to candy/gift shop i work at last year. i think they did ok, i guess i’ll see if they open up this season or not.
[quote=that guy]I dreamed of opening a shop, but instead my friends and I started a bike co-op. We’re working on our 501-3c papers now. Everything was donated, even the space. And we don’t have to make any profit at all.
tampabikecoop.wordpress.com[/quote]
oh, that’s a good way, especially with the “recycles” type of idea. just about every bike co-op i’ve ever seen runs almost entirely on old, donated, “re-cycled” bikes.
[quote=tom][quote=Cap-Cap]
from what i’ve been reading, this shitty economy means great things for providers of small indulgences. perhaps your dad should look into opening a specialty cupcake or ice cream place (no joke, shits ferreal)[/quote]
one of those stores opened up next to candy/gift shop i work at last year. i think they did ok, i guess i’ll see if they open up this season or not.[/quote]
This is a pretty legit idea. Cupcake and ice cream joints around here seem to be doing well.
There’s a upscale lunch truck around here that attracts the Google/Adobe crowd. They have to be making bank with very low overhead.
I opened up my small business with less than 3k in november of 2007. 2008-2009 saw a profit.
boo-yah
[quote=everythingwolf]I opened up my small business with less than 3k in november of 2007. 2008-2009 saw a profit.
boo-yah[/quote]
Yeah. $3k isn’t cheap, but the outfit lets your employees and clients know you mean business.
bwahahahha
i say do the co-op thing.
think of it this way: even at wholesale prices, 14000 only gets you AT MAX like 30 bikes on the shelfs. This doesnt include parts, tools, shop space, accessories, racks etc.
A solid tool set/work area setup will run you a grand easy. If you’re dad is “learning as he goes” he wont be offering adequate service for at least a year, if not more. I would say have him invest some of that money into taking bicycle mechanics classes and seeing if another local-ish shop (in a nearby city) is looking to expand into a new location. Then he could work around said shop to gain experience, take classes and eventually establish a partnership business with people who know their shit.
I wanted to tell everyone that I’m going to be getting serious about my bag business after graduation this summer. The last thing I would want to think about right now would be opening up a physical retail location. I’ve been designing bags for over 2 years, making for over 1 year, but without really knowing the business end (been taking classes) down hard, a store is not sensible option. I’m going to sponsor races and just do stuff online, and work out of my bedroom. If I don’t get a lot of commissions, that’s more time for me to work a normal job or just keep developing stuff. It’s not like I’m paying rent for a sewing machine really.
Good luck, bb. The folks that run Acorn got a fairly good start on forums and ebay. Are you focusing on bags attached to people or bikes? Or both?
Both. I also want to do some custom apparel. I might pick up a stationary foot machine again for that, some translucent ripstop nylon and waffle weave polyester. I don’t know if people are down for $100 superhoodies though.
I hate to say it and I will catch flak but brick and mortar has been on its death bed for a couple years. I’d say anyone looking to get into any business bike or what not should avoid a static location like the plague.
Sadly, all three types of store I would ever like to own (record, book and bike) are basically dead.
I work at and co-own the Bike Co-op here in Santa Cruz on the UCSC campus (so does Daft Monk), and can tell you that, if you can’t wrench competently and efficiently, you’ll never, ever make back $14,000. We run our co-op as a non-profit shop that sells basic supplies (and can special order items for customers) and offers customers the choice of leaving bikes with us to repair for them or using our tools and assistance to repair their own bikes. We definitely make most of our money from repairs. We don’t have space or money to have a lot of shit in stock, so trying to rely heavily on sales is unrealistic. Your dad will probably be in a similar boat if he opens a shop with $14,000.
Your dad should be ready to drop $3000 on tools, all of which he needs to know how to use. If he can’t wrench, he should hire somebody to wrench for him and potentially co-own the shop. He absolutely should not try to learn as he goes. He’s going to fuck up the threads of somebody’s bottom bracket shell or something and completely ruin somebody’s bike, all in the name of learning. Fuck that.
I understand your dad’s interest in owning a bike shop, and I have a similar dream (which I am kind of living right now). I don’t think, however, that I will ever open my own shop with my own money unless I find myself at retirement age, bored, with lots of money kicking around, so I don’t have to take out more loans than I have to.
Get him to buy this stuff http://cosprings.craigslist.org/bik/1057925566.html. Then all he will need is a shop.
[quote=everythingwolf]I opened up my small business with less than 3k in november of 2007. 2008-2009 saw a profit.
boo-yah[/quote]
Back in my younger years I opened a small business with $600 and was making several thousand dollars a week within a month.
Really though 14k is, sadly, not enough in almost every situation. I worked at a shop when it first opened that had 25k and we had 7 bikes inthe store. It did terrible for quite awhile until the owner put a considerable amount of money into it.
colorado springs!!!
if your trying to get at that shit on craigslist and you need somebody to pick it up or some shit hit me up.
edit: thats 12k right there though. definitly putting that 14k in perspective.
[quote=anomaly][quote=everythingwolf]I opened up my small business with less than 3k in november of 2007. 2008-2009 saw a profit.
boo-yah[/quote]
Back in my younger years I opened a small business with $600 and was making several thousand dollars a week within a month.[/quote]
I sold drugs for a while, too.