When Independent Bike Dealers Need an Edge, They Join the Pack
As a business owner, you have fires to put out, service orders to fill, and customers that need to be made happy. Long story short: you wear a lot of hats. But the unfortunate reality for the majority of small business owners (and independent bike retailers) is that they spend so much time running their business that they never take the time to focus on growing it.
Combine this with the fact that the business landscape only seems to grow more complicated, consolidated, and digital – and it can often seem harder for local bike shops to stay competitive and ready to tackle the next challenge. It doesn’t have to be.
The thing is, these challenges are nothing new. As the 2018 United States Small Business Profile reminds us, over 99% of businesses in the U.S. are small, independent businesses.
Thriving vs. Getting By: It doesn’t have to be hard
One challenge facing small businesses in every industry remains marketing. But there’s no shortage of marketing articles, books, and videos packed to the brim with fancy jargon and marketingese.
So it’s no surprise that growth-oriented projects – like improving your website or getting a better logo – often find themselves pushed to the back burner.
This happens with every small business. But it’s the business owners who MAKE the time that reap the long-term rewards. Time – after all – is ultimately what every small business owner needs more of, right?
That’s why The Bike Cooperative exists
To empower independent bike retailers with the time they need to stop “getting by” and start thriving. Whether that means putting the scale of over 300+ member shops to work to cut your costs, or connecting you with the marketing, consumer financing, and training resources that can seriously make a difference.
Could your business use improvement? Why not start with how you talk about it? Get started by checking out our quick guide to differentiating your business with a proper mission statement – because you’re much more than “just a store”.
No time to read? We’re here to talk about your shop, its challenges and how the co-op can help you overcome them.
