Mike's Bike Blog

I came across a Profitable Bike Shop for sale on Austin's Craigslist and it got me wondering about having my own bike shop.

Pros to owning a bike shop:

• Morning shop rides
• Design my own team kits
• Get to wear said team kit on as for mentioned shop rides
• Shop sponsored race/club team
• Bikes and bike parts all mine
• Shop would have a kick ass Web site and technology
• Meeting people in the bike community
• Opportunity to build a family business, when my boys get old enough a place they could work.

Cons to owning a bike shop:

• Pay cut, it looks like at $200K yearly sales that inventory, salaries (not including owner salary/draws) and expenses would leave very little for owner.
• Since I'm not much of a bike mechanic I'd have to hire a top mechanic to handle all the wrenches.
• I'm not much of a sales guy either, so I'd have to hire a sales person as well.
• Long hours - shop hours are 6 days a week with 7-9 open hours. Plus time managing the books, inventory and the day to day operation details.
• Stress associated with owning a business. This wouldn't be my first business, so I know what I'd be getting into.

Well for now the notion of owning my own bike shop will have to live in my head on long rides. Maybe a touring company...