The bicycle is considered to be the smaller brother of the motorcycle, and the attitude towards this type of transport among the people is traditionally careful and reverent. But in our time of the market, many enterprising minds use the bicycle not only as a means of transportation, but also as an ideological and material basis for creating their own business.
1. Mobile espresso bar
What happens when you combine the love of a wonderful coffee drink and a four-wheeled bicycle friend? Designers Amos Rida and Lasse Oiva combined the above ingredients to create the Velopresso mobile espresso bar. These two entrepreneurs developed their own hang-glider from scratch and can boast that their brainchild, as a result of complex technical experiments, turned out to be environmentally friendly. This coffee bike does not even use electricity, it has no engine and no noise from internal mechanisms. Whatever you say, a miracle of technology and an example of design taste!
2. PoliRider: pole dancing
PoleRider is a new invention that, as you can see in the photo, combines two wonderful things - a bicycle and a dance. The mission of this American project, oddly enough, is not at all to promote pole dancing, but purely moral - to draw public attention to the issue of road safety, with an emphasis on good and high-quality bike parts. The mobile dance floor for professional dancers is designed to showcase the full potential of a bike with good parts and brakes.
3. Bicycle Pub - a holiday on wheels
Is this a cycling feast embodied in a pub on wheels or a so-called "beer bike"? - a means of transportation, which is especially popular now in the USA and Germany. This design is sometimes mistaken for a cycle rickshaw, but this is far from the same thing, since the bike pub rides thanks to the passengers pressing the pedals, and steering and the braking part remains under the control of the driver. Some of these trolleys contain up to 12 bicycles.
4. School bus on pedals
“De Cafe Racer” is a bicycle bus for children, made in the Netherlands, in essence and in the system of movement is similar to the previous cycling transport, since the force of movement is set by the little passengers themselves under the sensitive control of the senior driver. Of course, parents have the right to just put their child on a regular regular bus and send to school, but many of them like the idea of sending their child to pedal in a cheerful company of one-year-olds much more.
5. B-Line: bicycle express delivery company
In 2010, a new urban cargo delivery company B-Line appeared for the first time in Portland, and today it is successfully developing, which offers customers a wide fleet tricycles for all types of courier services. During the first year of its existence alone, B-Line employees made more than 3000 deliveries. The popularity of this service is also proved by the fact that the managers had to significantly increase the number of drivers in order to keep up with the requests of their customers.
6. Idea business
Bicycle meetings of the indie youth subculture near food fairs at the city booth of Chicago became the basis for the business of Daniel Evans, who saw this as an idea and a certain message for his business. A team of young cyclists now offer customers on-site delivery or sale of fresh fruit, with bonuses of hilarious mixtapes and indie magazines. This is a good example of how seemingly insignificant things can lead to the idea of a profitable business.
7. Bicycle shop for woven cane goods
Perhaps this bicycle store of wicker cane goods will not leave anyone indifferent. Yes, you can buy a wicker hat in a souvenir shop or in any section of the airport, but will these things harbor the authentic spirit of wild and hot India? The answer is obvious!
8. Butcher shop
Everyone is familiar with the situation when you need to buy meat, but you don't want to go to the store far away, you don't want to go to the market, and then a bicycle shop comes to the rescue, or rather comes a bicycle store with fresh pieces of beef or pork. This is how it happens in India. Well, if such a service has not yet appeared in your area, do not be discouraged, perhaps you were the one who had the honor of becoming the founder of this cycling business.
* Calculations use average data for Russia
Cycling has been and remains a popular and favorite sport and outdoor activity. Bicycles are actively used not only for going out into nature, but also for trips around the city, bypassing traffic jams and congestion.
As a rule, there are sections with cycling goods in large sports stores and hypermarkets, but in most cases there are inexpensive children's and teenage models of little-known manufacturers there. Meanwhile, quality bicycles leading manufacturers are of several types (road bikes, hardtails, two-suspension, etc.), have different purposes, and some of them can even be compared in cost to the prices of domestic cars. Despite this, such bicycles are in great demand among cycling enthusiasts who compare riding a branded and cheap bike with riding a racing car and a Zaporozhets.
The target audience, although rather narrow, is nevertheless ready and able to pay for a quality product with the possibility of warranty repair and maintenance. Therefore, if your city still does not have a separate "bicycle salon" with a bicycle workshop, you should think about opening them.
To do this, you need to choose a room for a store.
How to choose a premise for a bicycle store
The main condition is that the retail space must be at least 50-60 sq. m. Bicycles are a dimensional product.In addition, you will need a place for display cases with related products, equipment, protective equipment, spare parts and accessories.
You cannot do without warehouse premises where goods, packaging, warranty documentation will be stored. It is rather expensive to rent such an area in the city center in a place with high traffic capacity, so it is better to rent a room in one of the "sleeping" areas.
If your assortment is wide enough and the prices are loyal, the long distance to the store will not scare off your potential customers. But it is advisable to equip a bike path and equip a bicycle parking lot in front of the store to facilitate the entrance, because your customers will need to leave theirs somewhere. vehicle while they shop.
Bicycle store staff
It is better to entrust the purchase of goods to a specialist (or even several). These should be people who are not just fond of bicycles, but are well versed in their types, manufacturers, inventory, accessories, equipment and spare parts. Errors due to ignorance of demand can result in high costs and the accumulation of warehouse illiquid assets. Please note that it is better to buy goods in the fall, since closer to the beginning of the season, running models are quickly sold out by retailers and there will be nothing to choose from. In addition, the lead time for your order may take a couple of months, which must also be borne in mind. At the same time, the cycling season lasts from February-March to October-November.In addition to the purchasing manager, your staff will include an accountant, a lawyer (preferably), a cashier and at least two salespeople.
Related sources of income for the bike shop
At the opening stage, consider whether you will open a bicycle workshop at your store now or in the future. Its rent and equipment will require additional costs: rent - from 15 thousand rubles / month, tools - from 50 thousand rubles, salary of bicycle mechanics (one per shift) - from 40 thousand rubles. But compared to the total budget for opening a store, these costs are not so large, and the payback period is much shorter. In addition, the bike service will attract additional customers to your store, and the free first service of the bike can be an additional bonus for your customers.
Use all available options to promote your store - outdoor advertising (especially in the area where the store is located), handouts (flyers, mini-catalogs, etc.), radio ads, and promotions.
Cycling enthusiasts and cycling professionals usually gather in clubs, often arrange joint trips and friendly competitions. If there is such a community in your city, take part in its life, act as a sponsor, providing prizes to the winners at sporting events and arrange them yourself. If there is no such community, organize and lead it.
As additional sources of income, you can offer services for renting a bike or airbrushing on bicycles.
Store opening costs
To purchase the first batch of goods, you will need from 500 tons. and higher. Prepare from 200 thousand rubles for rent, repair and arrangement of premises for a store. The salary of the staff will be from 60 tons per month.
The retail mark-up on bicycles, as a rule, is not less than 25-50%, from 50% - for equipment, accessories and consumables, it can be 200%.
The average retail price of a "budget" bike is 25-30 tons. The payback period for such a store is from 1-1.5 years.
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The bicycle business in Russia is not developed. There are bicycles, but there is no infrastructure for their repair.
Nevertheless, more and more bicycles are sold every day, but any problem like a figure eight on a wheel or changing a chain requires a trip to a service center at some major sports store, and the prices there are not humane.
So it turns out that by buying an "Auchan bike" for 3 thousand rubles a cyclist can get the cost of maintenance in 60% of the price of the bike. Although there is nothing at all, there is nothing - to stretch the spokes, oil the chain and pump up the wheels.
You can make good money on this in the summer, while in winter you cannot ride a bicycle in Russia.
To open a bicycle workshop, you will need a small rag tent and rent an area of 2x2 meters, a set of bicycle keys and a small adaptation - a wheel stand. This can be easily welded from metal corners or assembled with your own hands from aluminum tubes.
It's best to start a business like this in early spring when the snow has just melted, but the ground has not yet dried out, it is then that cyclists begin to get their steel horses from balconies or roll out of the garage.
It is better to rent a piece of asphalt in crowded place... Your work itself will be your advertisement.
Advertise in local forums and newspapers for free ads, print and post posters advertising your services - bicycle maintenance, price (on average, 500 rubles, but this may vary from city to city) and a map of how to find you.
On average, bike maintenance takes about 20 minutes. The main thing here is to choose such a price that it would be easier to give away than to mess with a two-wheeled horse on your own.
At first, you can negotiate a discount for participants with cycling clubs or bicycle forums. It will work like word of mouth.
Profit - calculate yourself. It all depends on how much you negotiate with the lease.
Added to maintenance can be the sale of things like brake pads, cables, bike first aid kits, spokes and wheel tubes, and so on. The main approach is demand for repairs and small dimensions (which would be easier to store). You can sell it at prices slightly higher than in stores. It's easier for a bicycle biker to overpay than to go specifically for brake pads.
After the wave of those wishing to do maintenance subsides, you can proceed to repairs, repairs in 90% are just replacing a broken unit. So nothing complicated.
You can also buy old bicycles for a small amount, bring them to mind and rent them out.
Bike rental, how private business is a gold mine. You buy out 21 high-speed "ashanbikes" for half or a third of the cost - 1000-1500 rubles, do maintenance work for it and rent it out at 50-100 rubles per hour.
In less than a week, the bike pays off and starts making a profit.
Here, of course, there are some nuances. The place for renting bicycles should be in a crowded place, and in such a place where they come to rest.
For example, a city park or next to it.
If there are lakes near the city, then you can locate your rental point next to the bus stop. Vacationers came, went out, to stomp on foot for 15-20 minutes to the lake. And here you can rent bicycles on which you can get there in 5.
In my city, a bicycle taxi was also made on this route.
As you can see in the photo, a pair of bicycles was taken as a basis and a bicycle taxi was welded. No special frills, but three cycle rickshaws do not sit out of work on weekends. Travel to the lake 100 rubles, back 150 rubles (the road to the lake is a little downhill, 1500 meters according to the ordometer).
Summing up.
Even though the cycling business is a seasonal business, it remains very profitable. And it does not require a lot of money to start.
Moreover, this niche in Russia is not occupied by anyone. Having started such a business, you will not have to experience problems with competitors.
The pros of this business:
- Very low initial investment.
- Minimum monthly expenses.
- The demand for bicycle repairs is increasing every year.
- Possibility of making money on the resale of spare parts.
- Easy opportunity to open a bike rental or sale of used and refurbished bicycles.
- Ability to choose a flexible work schedule.
- The repair skills necessary for running a commercial activity are acquired after several assemblies and disassembly of your bike.
- Lack of competitors.
- The ability to open several such repair points in different parts cities with cheap student staff.
Happy business!
More articles for cyclists.
Well, next in line is another business idea with a seasonal product that sells very well, but many are frightened by the fact that the product is relevant only five months a year. It's about the bike business. In connection with the rise in fuel prices and the actualization of the ideas of environmentally friendly transport, the bicycle is becoming one of the leaders in this niche. In addition, cycling is very beneficial for health and many people buy them to keep their body in good shape. Let's take a look at how you can start selling bicycles and where to go to grow your business.
Business format and selection of premises
Retailing bicycles really means various options activities. Everything will depend on the initial capital and the willingness of the entrepreneur himself to work with seasonal goods.
There are two main business formats for selling bicycles:
- trade in the market. It represents the rental of a certain retail space in the market during the seasonal time.
- opening a full-fledged store, for example, somewhere in a shopping center or a separate building.
- Minimum investment for renting premises. Since the premises itself will need to be looked for large enough from 50 sq.m., then the rent will not be small. That is why market trading is more profitable for a beginner.
- You don't need to invest huge amounts of money in promoting your store. Clients will come due to the popularity of the market in which you operate.
- Flexibility in seasonal work. We worked out the season and returned sales for the next season. In the case of a store, you will need to look for another way out, or invest in winter goods - skis, sledges, etc., and at the same time spend on advertising all this, or also cover up trade, but only with payment of rent during downtime.
It is all these factors that restrain entrepreneurs from opening a bicycle store, and stimulate them to work in more different conditions. But at the same time, in big cities, on the bicycle market there are large players who have already adapted to this seasonality and they manage to conduct business more thoughtfully, and most importantly, profitably. Perhaps it is worth learning from them and adopting some of the techniques for "survival" in the off-season.
It does not matter which trading format you choose for your bike selling business, you will need to purchase some of the equipment:
- trading tables for the sale of spare parts and components.
- racks and fixtures for displaying bicycles in a shop window or market place. In case of market trading, it will also be necessary to rent a warehouse for storing bicycles during the season, or buy transport for transporting them. Since the product is oversized, this is also a rather big expense item.
Assortment and suppliers
In fact, the business idea of selling bicycles is not limited only to this product and you need to include various additional product groups in order to minimize the risks of the invested money.
Here is a list of the main assortment:
Bicycles
- mountain
- urban
- comfortable
- highway
- female
- baby
- balance bikes
- scooters
Components
- wheel parts
- transmission
- steering
- forks, shock absorbers
- saddles
- braking systems and more
Instruments
- lubricants
- sinks, cleaners
- repair kits
- fastening racks
- pullers
- the keys
- tool kits
Accessories
- bicycle seats
- lighting
- bike computers
- pumps
- trunks
- locks
- bags and stuff
Cycling
This list can be much broader, in fact, each category has its own subcategories of goods.
The assortment is very impressive, but at the same time, a lot of parts, consumables and components, allows everyone to make good money on this, since the level of margin for all this is quite high.
Service-center
A separate area is the bicycle repair business. If you have the opportunity to do this or hire people and organize a business in this area, then you will be able to provide your customers with the maximum level of service, offering them to buy not only bicycles, parts and components, but also to service their "iron horses" ... This will increase your credibility as a seller and at the same time can be an additional source of income.
The main thing here is to find smart workers who are ready to work and motivate them with monetary rewards in the form of bonuses.
Advertising
Marketing moves in a bike business is a whole bunch of promotional activities. For example, to promote a sales outlet, you can:
- distribute flyers with discounts and pleasant bonuses in the form of gifts.
- hang up some banners in the area in which you work.
- advertise in the media, on the Internet, in social networks... That will allow you to cover the maximum level of the target audience.
- order a bright sign, business cards.
There is also an option to open an online bike store and connect contextual advertising or order search engine optimization, but the competition in this segment is very high.
How much money do you need to start?
To put together a good bike shop business plan you will need to make all the cost estimates for starting a retail outlet. Of course, everything will depend on the format of trade and the pricing policy of the store, but the investments will be rather big.
- Rent of premises, or a point of sale on the market
- Taxes - $ 150
- Seller's salary - $ 200
- Bicycle repairman salary - $ 250
- Initial purchase of goods - $ 20,000 - $ 30,000
- Purchase of equipment - $ 2000 - $ 2500
- Advertising - $ 500 (+ online advertising).
How much can you earn?
Earnings in the bicycle trade business will directly depend on the level of competition, pricing policy, customer service, availability of goods in stock, and so on. It is also difficult to estimate due to the fact that the business is very seasonal and the earnings received during the season need to be broken down into a whole year in order to get the average value per month.
The average markup on bicycles is 10% - 30%.
Extra charge for spare parts and components - 50% - 70%.
On accessories - up to 120%.
Also, if you decide to start repairing, you need to take into account the income from the work of the service center. For its operation, you can not rent a huge room, but even work in your own garage.
Conclusions. The bike business is a very challenging niche that requires a lot of investment and is very seasonal. It will be difficult for beginners to start from this very direction, but with a great desire and interest in this topic, you can try.
Do you want to supplement the information provided? We are waiting for comments.
Bicycle shop business plan
Ride On Bike is a bicycle retail store located near the largest university.
The owner of the company has extensive experience in the field of sales sporting goods and is the exclusive dealer of renowned brand cycling products within 50 miles of the store location.
The Ride On Bike range includes all types of bikes - from cruiser (beach bikes) to MTB ( Mountain bikes). In addition, the store offers all the necessary accessories, equipment and spare parts, as well as installation services in its own service department with certified mechanics.
The store is located in the heart of the campus, home to 20,000 students. They constitute the primary consumer group. In addition, since the company is the exclusive dealer of four major bicycle manufacturers, its potential buyers are the entire local population (including students from three other colleges) in the amount of 100 thousand people.
This region has three competing bike shop, but none of them represent the brands that Ride On Bike offers.
The owners of the company pin their greatest hopes on students living on the campus where the store is located. The university promotes active image life. The students and the store will jointly develop various cycling programs and activities. The business owner has already entered into several partnerships with suppliers and experts in the field. All this will contribute to the rapid achievement of success.
Ride On Bike's first year sales are expected to reach $ 500,000. By the beginning of the second year, the company will be profitable, overhead costs will be low and debt levels are minimal. During the first five years, its owners expect to pay off all previously taken out loans and credits.
At the moment, to start a business, it is planned to obtain a loan from the Small Business Administration in the amount of $ 175 thousand. This money will be used for repairs, the purchase of equipment, goods and marketing campaigns. The owner invests in the project $ 25 thousand in cash and $ 20 thousand in the form of equipment and tools.
download western business plan how to open a bike shop
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