How to Start a Bicycle Repair Shop Business

Business Overview:

Learning how to start a bicycle repair shop business could be the ticket to financial freedom for the cycling enthusiast entrepreneur. If you are a cyclist, you know how seriously people take their bicycles and how important it is that their bikes are working properly. You also know that few cyclists know how to fix their bikes if something breaks. Opening a bicycle repair business is something you can do in your spare time and you can do it from home. You will need to have a small storage space to keep bicycles while you work on them but the startup investment is minimal. If you already work on bicycles, you likely have all the tools you need for this business. And you can always hire someone with repair skills to do the work for you. In this case, you would be able to concentrate on marketing your new business. You can leave fliers in bicycle shops and larger athletic stores. Hand out business cards to your cycling buddies and spread the word at area bike trails. Take out ads in local outdoor magazines and in newspapers. You should set up a website with information about the types of repairs you offer along with a price list. With the popularity of “green” activities, helping the cycling community is one of the best business ideas out there today. And unlike operating a bicycle shop, you don’t have to worry about housing an inventory. You will need to stock a few commonly used parts so you can make quick repairs, then you can order parts from the manufacturer for the more rare fixes. If you offer speedy repairs with excellent customer service, it will only be a matter of time before yours is the go-to repair business in town. You may have to hire additional repair professionals to help you grow your business.

A Day in the Life of a Bicycle Repair Shop Business Owner:

Your day will begin by working on any ongoing repairs. You will also take walk-in repair requests and field phone calls to make repair appointments. You will spend a portion of your day distributing marketing materials to various locations around town where cyclists shop and gather (bike shops, bike trails, etc.). If you manage a staff of repair workers, you will communicate with them throughout the day to ensure their repairs are on schedule.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be cyclists of all skill levels from beginning to expert, who are in need of high quality, timely bicycle repair services.

What You Need to Start:

• Bicycle repair skills (or you can hire a repair staff)
• Area to store bicycles while being repaired
• Tools
• Repair manuals
• Marketing plan and materials
• Website
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• If you have repair skills, this is a great way to start a business.
• You don’t have to have an office; you can work from home.
• You can run this business in your spare time.
• If you offer excellent repair work and customer service, you will get repeat business.
• Start up costs are low.
• You can charge top dollar for first-rate repair work.
• It is rewarding to be able to fix a problem and help a fellow cyclist.

The Bad:

• It can take some time to get your first few clients.
• Some repairs will be more difficult and time consuming than others; you need to communicate this effectively with the bicycle owners so their expectations are properly set.

Resources:

• National Bicycle Dealers Association
• Association of Cycle Traders (UK)
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Bicycle Repairers
• Wikipedia on Bicycle Mechanics

About The Author

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