I'm Planning a Shop - Help Please

scenetoomuch

Morning all,

I've noticed many threads on here about starting up shops and various input everyone has given. I'm in the planning stages of starting my own shop and wanted to ask you all for some help. I have created a quick online survey. If you could find the time to fill it in I'd be very grateful.

http://dotsurvey.me/a51hm2ce-e38oy9b

I'm planning to start out a shop specialising in bespoke builds and stuff that's slightly less run of the mill. I'll keep you all posted on how it goes.
Cheers

The Rookie

Completed, best of luck.

Personally if you are aiming at Custom builds I'd try and NOT make it look like a shop, you want punters to come in, feel free to sit and chat, chew some bike fat and let you talk them into what you can offer, I wouldn't want to see racks of complete bikes, some builds in progress as discussion points (even if they are artificial!) would help.

Dirtrider

ys, this is the type of place where you want it to be very informal. Also, having the workshop within the shop so punters can see what's going on could be a good idea.

scenetoomuch

Thanks for the input everyone. I was aiming to have a relaxed atmosphere, the last few shops i've worked in have had open plan workshops and ok you have to cut down on the fing and blinding but it's a good way for customers to see what's going on. the emphasis on my custom building would be the chatting and the personal touch of having something built for you.

cat_with_no_tail

Agree with all the above, not sure how feasible this is, but I've seen some shops (mostly US based) that have online configurator things for your custom build. If you could get some software in that would allow you to do something like that it'd be good too. A bit like planning a kitchen or garden, but with bikes instead

jairaj

Good luck with the project you're gonna need it, there is some guy wanting to do the same as you in roadie section

leaflite

I think the key point is making sure that the advice you give is honest.

Pretty much all of the bike shops Ive been to would say that their hardrock/whatever else they have in stock is the best for the money when it clearly isnt. It would be much better to say that your product isnt quite as well specced as say something from halfords, but you get a much better setup and aftersales service. Some may choose to buy elsewhere, but either way you are likely to build a base of loyal customers.

nicklouse

counter with bar stools. behind it is the work shop.

have coffee machine on the bar.

have a touch screen PC on the bar.

let customers order from other places to be delivered to you for you to build.

you can chat and build at the same time.

cat_with_no_tail

nicklouse wrote:

counter with bar stools. behind it is the work shop.

have coffee machine on the bar.

have a touch screen PC on the bar.

let customers order from other places to be delivered to you for you to build.

you can chat and build at the same time.

Superb idea. And a great way to reduce overheads by cutting back on the amount of stock you need to hold.

benpinnick

nicklouse wrote:

counter with bar stools. behind it is the work shop.

have coffee machine on the bar.

have a touch screen PC on the bar.

let customers order from other places to be delivered to you for you to build.

you can chat and build at the same time.

^ This. I nearly opened a shop recently (the agent and I couldn't agree terms on the property - I'm picky). This was exactly my thought. Most shop revenue is driven by workshop now, so focus on that. I even considered holding no 'new' bikes in stock, instead going for the only demo bikes and we'll order it in approach. It means you need to be confident that your suppliers can manage their stock, but I think its the future.

nicklouse

further thoughts.
have an area with a couple of rollers connected to a PC and a screen. this can be used for "club" nights. and also for "test rides".

Provide a fitting service.

look at your opening hours. Lunch time to late. and Late being 9:00pm (not every day but a few) Open weekends maybe the Sunday being the once a month and being the one after pay day.

Also is there a sandwich shop close? sort out a deal for your customers have a chill area. maybe have a drinks and snack vending machines set up with energy bars, gels, drinks etc etc

talk to Schwalbe about a inner tube vending machine. they are mounted out side. 6 € a tube but 24hrs a day. may be have some secure air lines out side.

This will make it become a passing point for commuters where they know they can get air and a tube if needed.

will post pics of one over here that has that.

Service is where the money is so i would invest in those parts.

when you get know for your builds then look at buying up old stock and new components and build to order with limited options.

have a look through this viewtopic.php?f=10004&t=12650967 for a different view.

t0pc4t

benpinnick wrote:

nicklouse wrote:

counter with bar stools. behind it is the work shop.

have coffee machine on the bar.

have a touch screen PC on the bar.

let customers order from other places to be delivered to you for you to build.

you can chat and build at the same time.

^ This. I nearly opened a shop recently (the agent and I couldn't agree terms on the property - I'm picky). This was exactly my thought. Most shop revenue is driven by workshop now, so focus on that. I even considered holding no 'new' bikes in stock, instead going for the only demo bikes and we'll order it in approach. It means you need to be confident that your suppliers can manage their stock, but I think its the future.

are you still planning it? If so, where?

I normally use mountain trax as they are really good but Barkham is a bit of a mission.

You're not the same Ben that worked in Cyclezone in Crowthorne are you?

benpinnick

I was looking at the shop that used to be Past & Present at the end of the Devils Highway where it exits into Crowthorne. Excellent location for a large demo fleet, having 50km of single track starting literally from the car park. That combined with the new parking charges at Swinley which will drive people into Crowthorne for sure. Unfortunately the landlord wanted too much money (over a 100% yield on the rent) given that the place needed a complete refit which would be 20-30k to bring it up to the standard I was looking for.Even more annoying was the fact that I tracked the landlord down through the property register, and I know they only purchased it not that long ago. If only I'd known about it then I'd have just bought the place!

Its a shame as I spent a lot of time and energy in putting together the business plan etc. knowing it was coming up for rent. Theres a few good shops round our way already like Mountain Trax (not Cyclezone though - and I'm not that Ben) so I didn't want just any old location, it had to be the right location, and that was it!

t0pc4t

ah good I had to be a bit tactful there, also not a Cyclezone fan. Love Mountain Trax though. Shame about your shop, you're right it would have been a corking location and also right about people moving outwards from the lookout now.

Of course I'm not bothered by parking charges as one of the few benefits of living in Bracknell is having Swinley a short ride away

cooldad

t0pc4t wrote:

Of course I'm not bothered by parking charges as the only benefit of living in Bracknell is having Swinley a short ride away

FTFY

Plyphon

Just make sure you get a heafty deposit or money up front.

Having a few people order in complete builds only to back out after you've ordered the stock is a quick road to cashflow problems.

t0pc4t

cooldad wrote:

t0pc4t wrote:

Of course I'm not bothered by parking charges as the only benefit of living in Bracknell is having Swinley a short ride away

FTFY

thanks, I was pretty sure the words I used were the ones I wanted to use.

VWsurfbum

nicklouse wrote:

look at your opening hours. Lunch time to late. and Late being 9:00pm (not every day but a few) Open weekends maybe the Sunday being the once a month and being the one after pay day.

Great idea.

nicklouse wrote:

talk to Schwalbe about a inner tube vending machine. they are mounted out side. 6 € a tube but 24hrs a day. may be have some secure air lines out side.

also a great idea.

jairaj

Nick, I think your are painting a picture of bike heaven. Sounds like cool place to hang around and acidently spend loads of money on bikes at the same time.

benpinnick

VWsurfbum wrote:

nicklouse wrote:

look at your opening hours. Lunch time to late. and Late being 9:00pm (not every day but a few) Open weekends maybe the Sunday being the once a month and being the one after pay day.

Great idea.

nicklouse wrote:

talk to Schwalbe about a inner tube vending machine. they are mounted out side. 6 € a tube but 24hrs a day. may be have some secure air lines out side.

also a great idea.

I'd looked at it slightly differently, and changed the rota system from a 'normal' shop so that the staff would work longer days (therefore allowing the late evening opening) on a 4 days on 4 days off basis. I'd shortened the sundays but was still looking to be essentially fully open Sunday too. By doing this rota pattern, it meant with 2 mechanics we would be fully open in the workshop 360+ days a year.

bluechair84

I'd try to make it a place where people can hang out for a short while too, so bar stools as nick said with snacks and drinks vended. You could have a big screen linked to a youtube account with a shed load of favourited mtb videos on loop for people to watch. The longer they stay, the more obliged they'll be to spend money.

dmorton

I've always thought if you do stuff try to do it well. So if you serve coffee then make sure its good, people might come in just for that...

Where is this to be located? Don't have to give exact location but is it in a city, a small town near trails, out in the sticks next to trail head, etc?

scenetoomuch

thanks for all the feedback everyone! i'm posting this survey on various forums and it's great to hear all this response. i'm planning to open up within the brighton area. unsure as to where (if you're from brighton you'll be aware of how many shops there are and how many toes you'll be treading on). it really seems like everyone is coming at me with the same ideas. beat the online retailers by doing the things they cant. mainly being nice and offering a brew.
i've worked in various shops and by far my favourite was the one i've left recently. we had a great community around the shop of all abilities and disciplines and it was great that people would come in to just have a chat. my cycling has always been centred around the faff, banter and general chatter as much as it has been the riding. it's something that is seemingly easy to achieve but so many shops don't seem to get. a shop down the road from us was well known for fancy products and brands but people didnt rate them just because they were so pretenscious. to be a bit gary fisher about it, we're all riding bikes, why do we need to judge everyone because they're not running a reverb or a clutch rear mech...

nicklouse

as said.

out side the shop i lived opposite for a while

scenetoomuch

I've seen the Conti vending machines before but not schwalbe, the air line is inspired. There's a place round the corner from me that has a track pump and tyre levers zip tied to their a-board but that puts it to th next level!

milfredo

You must sell nice beer. People will spend a lot of money.

RevellRider

I don't think you could sell beer, unless of course you had a licence. Of course, giving it away when they buy a bike is a different matter

pilch

That picture reminds me of the time we let the mrs's mate stay in our house dog sitting, I asked her if she'd had a good time whilst we'd been away, she said she'd enjoyed her stay.... I found out how much she'd enjoyed herself when we put the cases in the spare room and saw 2 palm prints on the wall directly above the bed