How to start a bike shop with $1,000 in 2020

[@ellabounty]

Awesome video and great info! You mentioned that mobile franchises are a bad idea, can you expand on that?

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

That could be a good topic for another video but the short answer is with a franchise you can expect to spend six figures on something you could easily build yourself for about $30k or less. Velofix also charges you an awful lot of fees for giving you relatively little in return which makes a business already running on small margins, even harder to keep going. They are great at selling franchises but not so great at helping you have a steady flow of customers from the beginning which is the main appeal of a franchise. You can tell the VF model is built around selling franchises and not building sustainable businesses which is why so many of them go out of business within the first year. Thanks for the kind words btw!

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

@ellabounty I just made a video based on this question if you are curious about more detail on why I feel that way. Thanks again! kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6G4qGaCpKaAd9k

[@ellabounty]

Chris Murray just watched it-you rock! I had an inkling so to speak, that it wouldn’t be a great idea, financially, but didn’t know the details and numbers behind it so. Super helpful. Thank you!! I’m registered for bike mechanic school in March out in Oregon and after that am hoping to offer some sort of service, ideally my own business. I know that working at a LBS would be ideal for experience but in my area I don’t know how viable that is. I’d love to apprentice/intern somewhere or with someone periodically rather than seek out a full time position at a shop. You hiring? ;)

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

@@ellabounty Congrats! I actually just hired a couple guys... Look into things like bike co-ops to try to get some hands on experience or you could even start a small side hustle buying broken bikes, fixing them and selling them until you get off on your own. Fixing old/cheap bikes really is where you hone your skills as they take a lot of thought to get right. High end stuff is simple relatively speaking in my opinion since everything (typically) functions as you would expect. More than anything, once you get out on your own, don't be afraid to take a few extra minutes to look up how to do something you are unsure of rather than fake your way though. Within a few months you will be pretty comfortable with the majority of what comes through your stand.

[@bob-ny6kn]

Great video. Painful to think of all the expenses, but I have no fear of fixing bikes for half of every day to meet those expenses - I did my own pop-up for a decade, with two decades of co-op fixing and teaching (zero dollars earned). For me, it is downright frightening to think of all the hours spent on business work just to keep (fed, state, local) from shutting you down - I wouldn't know if I was making a mistake or just oblivious of business obligations. That is why I will probably always work for someone else, forever.

[@BAYGAMEBMX]

I started my shop with $700 bucks. Had 2 separate jobs on top of the shop. I was sponsored and trading pay checks for product to sell. Also did whatever other services I could out of the shop. Printing tees, hats, making pins, vinyl stickers. whatever it takes!

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

It’s always good to be willing to get creative, nice work!

[@songsandverses]

This sounded so real life applicable. Thanks for the video.

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thanks!

[@danielayala7943]

Thank you, your recommendations helped me so much

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Glad it was helpful!

[@denverspin]

Chris, thanks for sharing your knowledge. I've been an auto mechanic for 25 years and 1 year in the Ebike world at a shop. Been riding, building and racing bikes forever. Starting to get ideas! Thanks bro.

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thats a similar background to me actually. I went to automotive trade school, was an auto mechanic for a while but hated the industry, eventually landed a bike shop job and really enjoyed it. You could definitely pull it off if you wanted it!

[@mitchellman4846]

I am 15 and looking make some money and I also want to get way more into cycling. I will definitely follow your advice as I plan on starting a bike repair shop/service.

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Best of luck! Feel free to reach out with any questions along the way.

[@dvoob]

Try to find a job at a bike shop or volunteer at a bike co-op, better to make all the mistakes that becoming an experienced mechanic requires with more advanced people around to teach you how to fix them. I trust that you already have a good base knowledge of working on bikes, but you'll learn so quickly when working alongside advanced mechanics.

[@chrismurray8319]

@@dvoob great advise!

[@theejoeylee]

Do it. I'm almost 40 and never thought you could make money wrenching on bikes cause big box bikes were all I knew at your age. Been packing bmx bb bearings and brakes since I was 12. Never built a wheel tho or had bike specific tools.

[@obduliolopez1360]

I’m trying to open a service in my basement. But I always have those questions. Thank you keep doing this! The video makes me feel like I can

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Glad it is helping! Just keep trying to learn from as many sources as you can and be willing to adjust as needed and you will do great!

[@Michael-ri2eh]

I wish you Luck and I wish you blessings to you and your family. . Keep up the KZbin thing and keep your hart in the game most of all stay positive I'm going to tag and subscribe 👍

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thank you!

[@nathansharp3193]

I first watched this video three years ago. I've started two successful bike shops since then. I'm about to start the third! (there are some sad parts to the story too) Thanks for sharing this info! The winners win and the losers lose.

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thank you and congrats on the shops! Running a business/businesses will always have highs and lows for sure. Ours is no different, especially with how volatile the industry is these days but I still love the bike community. Not sure if you saw it, but I posted a 5 year update video to this one a little while back. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pqKkn2BtlthmoZY

[@sjf1981]

I just started about 2 months ago. With no money. I had tools and started repairs and used all the money for tools and a decent streamlined setup. 2 months in and I'm absolutely slammed in philly. Cheers

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Great work Scott! This was definitely a good year to start a service focused shop!

[@sjf1981]

@@ChrisMurrayEWC thanks man 2 months later and it has only grown! Check it out! facebook.com/Spinsmobilebicyclerepair/

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

@@sjf1981 congrats man, that is awesome! Looks like you have some fun stuff going on over there!

[@AKandPetunia]

Looking to do some out of my truck service to make some ends meet, thanks for the tips! a lot of basic appointment type stuff started with internet bike assembly and internet part installation.

[@TheRealGOTdurrrred]

As a new small business owner I find what you have done very impressive.

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thank you! We are still very much in start up mode where cashflow is always tight but the growth over the years has been huge for sure!

[@TheRealGOTdurrrred]

@@ChrisMurrayEWC makes sense. It's not easy to start a business with only $1000

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

@@TheRealGOTdurrrred for sure, I don't think this would have worked 10-15 years ago but the power of the internet has made it far easier to do stuff that used to cost way more.

[@baryakbikepacking]

Thank you Chris.. I can't wait to see what you do with your channel

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thanks! We may need to do a phone interview about Trans South Dakota and BarYak one day!

[@baryakbikepacking]

@@ChrisMurrayEWC I'm in

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

@@baryakbikepacking Awesome! I'll reach out about it in probably a month or so. Thanks for everything!

[@baryakbikepacking]

@@ChrisMurrayEWC Monday's or Friday's work best for me

[@dansotelo228]

PART TWO HOW TO START A HOME BIKE SHOP: There are some important things you need to open a successful home bike shop. 1. You have to be a very good bicycle mechanic with at least 5 or 10 years' of experience working at a shop. Keep in mind people are paying good money and if your skills are not what they expect, word quickly gets out and business dries up. 2. You need to acquire a business relationship with a bicycle parts distributor because if you depend on Amazon or a discount bike chain like Performance to get your parts, you will struggle, especially if your business grows. 3. Get a local business license, cause if you don't you will end up in a lot of financial tax trouble with the city. 4. You need to be welcoming, friendly and very humble, and make sure you keep your second job just in case things to not work out. 5. You need a website so people can find you, and plenty of business cards. 6. Encourage your customers to get their bikes and discounted parts thru the internet since your focus is to make money on your labor, and not so much in parts. 7. Always have a small number of consumables like tubes, chains, cables, H-bar tape Basic colors like black and start keeping track of what sells the most every week and increase your inventory on those fast-moving consumable items. Also slowly build up your tool arsenal, when you have the extra money spend it on a tool you find that you need often, and just keep building it up. 8. Be quick with the repair or tune-up turn around, this is the main reason most riders avoid the big shops. 9. State your prices on a big board so your customers can clearly see what you charge in labor. 10. Avoid taking tips, this is a key secret to making your humble shop Super Successful as word of mouth gets out telling others your work is so fantastic, yet this magical mechanic refused to take a tip..! Sure you lose a few tip bucks, but you gain trust and thousands of dollars because of it. In my shop I have a cute sign saying "PLEASE NO TIPPING". So when a customer starts to argue trying to tip you, you show them the sign and let me tell you, nothing makes a loyal customer for life, by simply refusing their tip. Often I open my shop door only to find beer, tequila, rum, or some kind of gift as they want to show their gratitude to a good mechanic. So there you have it. My small garage shop is very successful because of the rules I've followed above.

[@cbjrbretulo4579]

Thx Dan Great advise

[@Stavros1]

Number 1,2,9 and 10 I strongly disagree with. 1: If you take 5-10 years to learn something as easy as fixing a bicycle then you shouldn't be starting your own shop. 2: I don't see it as a struggle, you're constantly looking for the best price and finding new site's/people to buy from + expanding your contact list. If you're working with a distributor you might pay too much over time without you knowing because you've stopped looking at the prices, this is just the easy way to do business (road to success isn't easy) 9: People don't like to see how much money they're going to lose, Also don't put a sign saying you're cheap because that may make you look like an amateur. I would rather say that the work you've done will last a really long time. Definitely don't put a huge sign saying 'come in here and give me you're money, it's only $....' 10: You can turn a tip into something even better, If a person really wants to give a tip then take it! If you don't want it than donate it to an animal shelter, You're going to look like an even better person + you're helping animals in need. Some people even feel better about themselves giving a tip, some even feel offended if you don't take it. No offense and I have no idea how long you're in the business, maybe this is really what you want and you're perfectly fine with it... but maybe you have just a small garage shop because of the things you've listed. I've been doing this (no lie) for 4 months in my garage starting with 0 knowledge and learned it all by watching videos, to this day I've sold 95 bicycles (second hand) and I'm looking to move out of my house because my garage is too small. Also, by not using a distributor I've met some nice people like a retired bicycle repair man I've bought all his stuff from for a very cheap price + he gave me some good advice and his old customers might come to me now. The only thing I'm willing to take classes for is how to fix an E-bike because you can't be safe enough with electricity.

[@Sch2155]

Avoid taking tips? We don't make that much and anything helps

[@ElevatedAgenda]

5 to 10 years? Maybe to learn how to cad and machine complete bikes from raw metal stock...

[@TylerBoothGolf]

Thanks for diving into everything Chris! I've been in the MTB race scene since 2012 & know it well. I don't race much anymore, but I want to still contribute to the scene (and possibly expand into others), so I'm looking at creating a mobile bike shop to travel around the US circuits to help service where I can. Totally agree on becoming an expert in 1 topic as your main focus; I want to focus on suspension service, but still have parts on the side for simpler fixes that are quick & occur often. Time to do the research now!

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

I think that sounds like a great idea! Suspension service is a huge market and one of the areas that isn't oversaturated yet with people offering truly great service there. Traveling to events is a great way to get your name out as well. People almost always remember someone who bailed them out before a key event. The guy now doing mobile service for me is actually heading out to a month long track race and plans to take tools and do some work out there between when he is racing.

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thanks to everyone for watching! If you found this helpful, please subscribe to the channel and I will be sure to keep more content coming your way!

[@Bikepacking]

can you do a video on what gear to buy when setting up a shop tools kits etc for some one thats got no tools starting out

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

@@Bikepacking great idea! I will try to work on that one when I get the time.

[@Bikepacking]

@@ChrisMurrayEWC ALSO ONE FOR SOMEONE LOOKING TO JUST DO WHEEL BUILD . / TUNING AS WHERE I LIVE IN VIETNAM NO PRO GUYS OFFTERING IT ..

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

@@Bikepacking you can get away with nothing more than a spoke wrench if you really wanted but ideally you would also have a dishing gauge, tension meter and proper stand. If doing it as a business, a spoke cutter is absolutely worth it too. If there is no one in your area doing it, it could be worth pursuing for sure!

[@Bikepacking]

@@ChrisMurrayEWC thanks yeah no one in the whole country doing it which is crazy as over 400 race cyclist pass my house twice a day thanks for the advice

[@brazosducati]

Excellent! Looking forward to seeing more videos.

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

J Scotillo thanks! Looking forward to working on more videos in the future!

[@bendench5662]

Dense, rich video filled with huge amounts of very useful info on the topic. Many thanks for your insights.

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thank you Ben! I am happy you found it useful!

[@hatbpto5180]

True! The bike industry is pretty small. It really like a big, mostly happy family.

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Absolutely! One big mostly happy but definitely dysfunctional family!

[@TheRealGOTdurrrred]

It's a small industry but it grew quickly last year. 2020 bike boom is real!

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

@@TheRealGOTdurrrred very true! It will be interesting to see how 2021 plays out as there are still serious issues with parts availability right now. I'm guessing 2021 will be the time to shine for mechanics who can fix stuff that is usually thrown away but time will tell.

[@Biden-fv4sw]

Im doing it with 0 dollars

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Best of luck! Its a fun journey!

[@chadrat39]

Im doing it with -0 dollars

[@roncooke2188]

Great video interesting i done quite similar by specialist in electric bikes for for the past 20 years

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Nice! I think that is a great specialty to have, especially these days! It's surprising how few shops are willing to work on e-bikes still.

[@jamescc2010]

ebike / bike service is low cost (with your skills mostly), tools, insurance, rents with high potential as more people ride bikes and ebikes. Good business to be in. Also for free marketing, we can leverage internet and people can easily find you.

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

You can definitely turn it into a solid business if you play things well. The industry has a bunch of challenges but most of them can be overcome with a bit of creativity.

[@SidroSagradoMTB]

Glad to have stumbled on this very wise and inspirational video.

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Happy it was helpful!

[@alexfunes1466]

Nice Video. Wish you the best with your business endeavor. You have the right mindset/attitude and that should translate into a very successful venture. Stay safe & healthy. Take care for now.

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thanks Alex!!

[@nealnewhof]

@15:40 ‘Just don’t look at the franchises. They’re a horrible idea.’ Can you explain on this?

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Of course, I actually made a video going into detail a while back but the short version is you pay an awful lot of money for very little value in return. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6G4qGaCpKaAd9k

[@cbjrbretulo4579]

Thx a Million Chris really helpful Tips , starting mine here in laval QC Canada with 5k only problem im scared of is finding an experienced tech , since i don t have lots of experience but lots in retail sports bussiness .

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Happy it helped! Honestly, if you have to start by hiring a mechanic from day one it is probably workable if played right but it will probably take a long time until you can actually pay yourself from the business. Good luck!

[@mikemattice1]

Awesome job Chris!!!

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thanks Mike! You were always an inspiration with this stuff!

[@joeottsoulbikes415]

Most mechanics have a secondary interest also like they may play guitar, keyboards, build model trains or whatever. Do not dilute your main message of bike repair buy selling that stuff in the shop but start a secondary online store dealing in that second interest. Even if it is a simple Ebay store it can keep revenue from tanking completely in Dec, Jan, feb,.

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Some combos can work like bikes / ski tuning in the right areas but as a whole I definitely agree. If you start doing too much under the same name, it starts to confuse your customer. Admittedly I am bad about that myself as I get pretty excited about anything new so mixing custom wheels, service and then our tool line can definitely confuse people.

[@kaywoodparsons1874]

Owning retail space these days are nasty. Brick and mortor is hard now. Maybe if your prices are lower than the local bike dealers/shops i guess. I am leaning more on reselling mtb ebikes and motors thats it. Great vid.

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

A brick and mortar store is definitely no easy thing to make work these days! Especially with limited product availability right now where you really need those retail sales to cover your overhead as commercial square footage is expensive in most areas. Thanks!

[@retroshrekgaming2055]

Thank you so much for this I am in Miami and the Bike scene is huge and I am excited to start mobile as there aren’t that many mobile shops

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Happy to do it! Sounds like you are in a great spot to make this work! Best of luck to you!

[@alen-commentnazi8774]

hows it going so far

[@armyfreak1367]

Spread joy

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

That is ALWAYS ROI +

[@haroon420]

As a recommendation, you should change the name of the KZbin channel to your business name? 🤷🏽‍♂️🤷🏽‍♂️ Great video. I’m starting off just looking how to fix my brake pads. Hopefully one day, I have enough confidence and skills to put a bike back together again once it’s taken apart

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thanks for the recommendation and subscribing! I thought about making the channel my business name but decided I ultimately want this channel to be more than just my business even though that is a long ways out. Let me know if you have any questions on how to fix your brakes and I am happy to help!

[@9amStudio]

I wish this guy was in middle Georgia

[@HW-75]

Hey Chris. love your channel. Could you do a video on the pros and cons on being a Mobile Bike Mechanic. Also being in Mobile or shop mechanic, what is best way to charge for servicing/fixing, flat rate or hourly? If a person was to schedule for a Mobile repair on their bike, would it cost them more money compare taking the bike to a shop? also why is alot shops wont work on Xmart bikes ( bikes from Walmart, Kmart, Target) sorry for so many questions lol. Thanks for any answers/suggestions

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Great idea! I will add that to the list of videos to work on. I typically charge flat fees for most repairs unless it is something really odd or unpredictable. Its just much easier to quote that way. I charge the exact same prices for my mobile shop as I do in my brick and mortar with the exception of having a minimum $35 labor charge for mobile to cover the time required to drive to the customers location. You can't do as many bikes in a day with mobile but your overhead is also a lot lower so it balances out. With cheap bikes I have never had a problem fixing them but it is very easy to have a repair quickly cost more than the bike did new so I just try to be up front with the customer about that and if they don't mind I will always do the repair. To be honest, some shops turn those down just because unfortunately some shops tend to be a bit pretentious. Thanks for the support!

[@theejoeylee]

You can make cone wrenches by grinding down cheap wrenches from a thrift store or pawn shop.

[@jaspervath7840]

Really enjoyed your video ! Really nice guy ! Keep on going, greetings from Maastricht, Netherlands.

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thanks Jasper!

[@DH-lq3cx]

Really good video. Did you use any sort of service to set up your LLC? Thanks

[@denverspin]

An accountant

[@bluedyokohama]

Exciting and honorable service business!!!

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thank you

[@herringtoncolin]

Super helpful video! I really appreciate the thought you've put into it

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thanks Colin!

[@tomfrahm2674]

Great stuff..more please!

[@nataliepaula2920]

Thank you for the great info and advice!

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thanks for watching!

[@mylesmackey2430]

Wow, loved this video! Ive been day dreaming about doing this for years Im currently a Refrigeration Mechanic, so I have a mechanical background and aptitude, just wondering how I can get some more bike specific experience before I full on start my business!

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thanks Myles! You definitely have a great base of knowledge to get started in this. A couple easy ways to get experience is to volunteer at co-ops, bike programs for kids, or even just buying broken bikes, fixing and reselling them. Other than that, you may be able to talk a local shop into bringing you on to start building and working on bikes until you are comfortable to go off on your own. Your area may or may not have a lot of options there but don't be afraid to get creative! Hope you can make it work! It is definitely a rewarding experience!

[@logangunkel]

Awesome insight. Thank you.

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thanks for watching!

[@nathansharp3193]

What affordable spoke threader would you recommend? I don't expect to be able to stock all sizes of basic spokes; I want to buy long spokes, cut them to length and thread them. That should get most people rolling and I can order butted spokes at the correct length to install at no additional cost (other than markup on the spokes). I'm SERIOUSLY thinking about outfitting a little trailer I already own and starting a repair shop. Thanks for all the great info you provide! 👍

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

If you only plan to use it for fixing broken spokes the Hozan threader works well. Its great for a few spokes but I would never want to use it for cutting entire wheels worth of spokes. www.amazon.com/ho-zan-Hozan-Spokes-Threaded-14-%C2%B0C/dp/B07DDGDFM3/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=hozan+spoke+threader&qid=1622996171&sr=8-2 If you already have a physical location a trailer is a great option! You will not have any of the supply issues a mobile operation out of only a trailer would, its relatively cheap and will give you tons of working area! Dense city areas may be tough with a trailer though but that is not a concern for all areas. Thanks for the support!

[@nathansharp3193]

@@ChrisMurrayEWC I'm familiar with the Hozan. I was kind of hoping there might be a more affordable option. It IS a lifetime tool that will pay for itself after just a few jobs, so the Hozan is probably the way to go and a good recommendation. I don't have a physical location, but I'm friendly with the LBS, so I might be able to work out a supply chain for parts as I establish my own clientele. Business space is relatively cheap where I'm at, so I might work up to a brick and mortar setup so I can more easily get an account going with a parts vendor. I know they prefer storefront operations. I'm also considering setting up a KZbin channel outlying absolutely every aspect of my endeavor. It would cover the initial setup and be an online bike repair guide (similar to what you mentioned in the video, show them how to do the work they don't want to do so they appreciate the value of the labor). I'll definitely be watching a bunch of your videos! 👍

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

@@nathansharp3193 Sounds like you have a solid plan! Let me know if you start your KZbin and I will be sure to follow! In regards to spoke cutters, there really isn't much in the middle between the Hozan and the higher end options. If you can swing the cost, I absolutely think the Phil is a much nicer to use tool if you always cut the same gauge spoke and are comfortable with nuance. The Morizumi works great and is much more user friendly but it is a bit slower since cutting and threading are two separate operations.

[@rdop691]

As a mobile mechanic, how did you handle jobs that would require parts other than common wear items (promise a timeframe, markup, etc) before you had wholesale connections?

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

There would be a section I ask customers if there is any specific problems and what type of bike they had on the scheduling app and that would help me plan ahead. Sometimes I would reach out before our appointment to ask more questions if it sounded like I would need less common parts. Every now and then you just have to make a second trip out unfortunately after getting parts. To figure out timeline on service, with the Square app you set hours you can work and the customer can pick any available date. If you need parts for the job that have to be ordered you can call the customer and just tell them you need to push their service back a few days or check local shops and pick parts up from them if they have it but that may eat away your margins. Thankfully with super low overhead you can still make good money just on labor if needed. Before I had wholesale accounts I would either buy online from typical mail order sites and make less margin or I would have a friends shop order me parts at cost plus 10%. In exchange I would help them occasionally with service or wheel builds to make it worth it to them. As far as marking up prices, I would usually just look up suggested retail prices or see what it is selling for online and try to get close to that if margins would allow and go off that.

[@rdop691]

@@ChrisMurrayEWC Thanks for the reply. I am contemplating creating such a service and this info is very helpful.

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Great to hear it! I think mobile service will be blowing up in the next few years. A great example for how valuable saving customers time can be is to look at Amazon. They are in the business of saving customers time by having everything available next day typically.

[@zaahierstanley955]

I would not mind getting into wheel building only as a side and hobby I just saw your vid on spoke length- those machines must be expensive

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

It's definitely a fun side business or hobby if you are into this sort of work. Spoke machines like the Phil Wood are very expensive, I think retail price on it is up to $6000 US. Thankfully I found mine used at a great deal and I build enough wheels that is has already paid for itself many times over.

[@asceticscorpio972]

This was full of concise and sound advice. Thank you very much for sharing your experience, what worked what didn't, and providing creative routes to work around budget limitations. I'm not surprised that FB and Insta yielded the best results on the social media front, but I'm surprised there was no mention of Pink Bike. I'm currently advertising DT Swiss (Champion and Revolution silver and black) and Sapim (CX-Ray, CX-Sprint, Race, D-Light and Laser silver and black) spokes cut to any length needed with DT Swiss brass nips (12mm silver or black) or Sapim alloy polyax double square pro secure nips (18mm in every color Sapim offers) and Sapim polyax washers on Pink Bike and it's getting decent attention. I'm trying to get a job at a shop that offers unlimited employee discounts (not wholesale necessarily but some form of discount) so I can utilize that to expand to complete custom wheel builds. Just curious when you did wheel builds I imagine you did both builds where the customer already has the materials or some like hubs and hoops and you supply the spokes and nips, as well as custom builds where the customer had no parts and told you what they wanted or what their budget was and you sourced materials yourself. In the latter type of build did you typically supply rotors, tires and (possibly) inserts as well? Or just build the wheel/s and let them sort out that bit for themselves?

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thanks! Facebook and IG definitely have been great and recently I have started seeing more sales from my KZbin stuff as well. I also just recently jumped on tiktok and it seems to have crazy organic reach so I am excited to explore that more. Most shops offer employees discounts but some can definitely get weird if it looks like you are using your employee discount to build a competing business. If your goal is to ultimately go off and do your own thing I would just talk with the shop owner/manager and see if you can work out some type of agreement but definitely remember they are a business too and want to grow/turn a profit so don't be surprised if they want some type of a cut but there is no reason you can't reach something mutually beneficial. I'll happily build with customer supplied parts although I always try to supply my own spokes where possible as I don't trust customers to measure spoke length correctly. Typically when I sell wheels, it is just the wheels but if the customer is interested I am always happy to supply everything else like cassette, rotors, tires.

[@ulyssestheentrepreneur654]

Great video man!!

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thanks!

[@ZashaBoonen]

Great video, and great content on your channel👍

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thanks Zasha!

[@JeffPepe22]

Great video,.

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thanks Jeff!

[@hatbpto5180]

This was great! Thanks!

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thank you!

[@vanassamelendrez2858]

Thank you

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thanks for watching!

[@35jays]

Nice video and thanks for the info. Do you have a list of item/parts that you should stock in a mobile business as a minimum?

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thanks! It will vary a lot based on your expected customer base and budget but common wear items like chains, brake pads, tubes, cables, housing, grips/bar tape, bearings are always a good call. If you have a larger budget, definitely throw in tires, cassettes too. I always like to remind myself I can easily add more as needed once I get a better feel for demand so no reason to throw a huge amount of money by guessing what the demand will be.

[@35jays]

Chris, thanks for the reply. I am looking for just a general start-up list of items that are general.

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

@@35jays It will vary a lot depending on local markets but hitting a few common parts from those categories should be a good starting point.

[@Monsieur.Nobody.]

Any tips on creating a bicycle brand rather than a shop? I've got business, strategy, marketing, and brand building experience... So, that side is covered. I'm more worried about the technical side, I'm extremely good with my hands and learn really fast so learning about building bikes will be a fast process as well. Any tips?

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

There are a ton of variables there around things like target market, bike type, budget you are starting with etc. If your budget is big enough, hiring someone with technical experience would be ideal. It is easier than ever to start a new bike brand though but it is a very expensive thing to get started.

[@Monsieur.Nobody.]

@@ChrisMurrayEWC yeah, I was thinking the same, I probably would need to find someone, I'll ask around in the local cycling communities. Also, I'm planning to bootstrap it, so we'll see how that goes. P.S. Thanks for the tip and your reply! Grateful!

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

@@Monsieur.Nobody. happy to help! I definitely wish you the best of luck. Keep us in the loop as you start to bring out products!

[@Monsieur.Nobody.]

@@ChrisMurrayEWC hey Chris, thanks for being friendly and polite. 🙏 I absolutely will keep you in the loop.

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

@@Monsieur.Nobody. my pleasure!

[@QbalaMusic]

Amazing

[@RamblingRick]

Thanks for the info.

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thanks for watching!

[@nofood1]

Not only does he have a bike business, he also has a gym back there 💪😆

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

I can't take credit for that one! I share shop space with Performance United, they are a coaching company so they have plenty of gym equipment around!

[@MrJohn5ton]

Great video.

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thanks Simon!

[@spiritofstreet6581]

Great video. Thank you.

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thanks for watching!

[@tbcfernando]

Hi Chris, Congratulations great job and thanks so much for sharing the information. I have a question regarding liability insurance, can you please share the name and contact information of the company where you got your insurance and allowed you to make monthly payments. Thanks

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thanks Fernando! The company I use is Hiscox Insurance, I dont have a contact person as I did everything online but their website is www.hiscox.com/

[@tbcfernando]

Chris Murray thanks so much for providing the information, much appreciated. What kind of insurance coverage did you choose? And what profession?

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

@@tbcfernando Just a basic general liability policy and I think "bike shop" was one of the options when I set it up.

[@tbcfernando]

Chris Murray thanks so much, I really appreciate taking the time to reply to my messages and answering my questions.

[@onedan3369]

hi am looking to start a bike shop just selling bicycle parts and doing small repairs only do you know any websites where i can order parts for cheap in bulk??

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

I would check out the usual wholesale suppliers like BTI, QBP, JBI, etc. Other than that, you can sometimes find parts really cheap on bigger consumer sites too. Good luck with the shop!

[@dansotelo228]

PART ONE HOW MY SON & I STARTED A BIKE SHOP: After 30 yrs I retired from the bicycle industry and went into music instrument rentals & repair business. Though the music business was successful, in 2008 my son clearly saw that bicycles was in my blood and suggested together we start a small back yard bicycle repair business to service basically high-end bikes. At the time he was working a large bike shop chain and was disgusted how they were letting go of all their top mechanics and letting new untrained hires to work on bikes including high-end bikes and were literally screwing them up before they even got to the sales floor. I figured this would be a great Father-Son project, so we put up a small sign in the Music shop with a bit of our background history in bicycles, and before we knew it we had plenty of business. (SEE PART TWO)........

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

I am a big believer in if you do good work, people will see you out! That definitely sounds like a great father/son adventure!

[@dansotelo228]

@@ChrisMurrayEWC www.bicycleretailer.com/opinion-analysis/2017/12/04/opinion-its-end-road-ibd-say-hello-ibs#.X4KK_sJKjIU

[@ozi5959]

How do you figuer prices for your service bro

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

It varies a lot by region so usually looking up what is normal in your area and adjusting up or down depending on comfort level/skillset.

[@Bushcraft242]

Which course did you take

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Which course in regards to what? The only formal training for mechanic work I have taken is a few SRAM courses on brakes/suspension and then the Bosch certification course.

[@basirpanahi3391]

mooi

[@AdventureTrailsMTB]

Very useful info dude ,I'm looking into retail /online .subbed ya , be awesome if you did the same

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

Thanks for the support. More than happy to follow other channels from the bike world!

[@AdventureTrailsMTB]

@@ChrisMurrayEWC cherrd buddy appreciate it . We're just looking at starting a business so all advice is useful

[@ChrisMurrayEWC]

@@AdventureTrailsMTB any time. Best of luck with your business too! Feel free to hit me up with any questions. It is a tough but rewarding industry.

[@AdventureTrailsMTB]

@@ChrisMurrayEWC awesome, feel free to give me any feed back from my vids 👍🤘