Stores / Workshops that are purely doing Bike Mechanics?

[JackRabbitSlims]

Hi there,

Can anyone share their experiences with businesses / workshops / stores that are just doing bike maintenance and mechanics? Not doing the hard sell on pushing bikes?

The usual gig seems to be a big warehouse style shop selling / pushing 5-6 brands with a crappy workshop tucked away around back out of view.

Wondering if there are any operators out there doing just a workshop focusing on top shelf work, bike builds, repair, maintenance, servicing etc etc?
Obviously, still selling the stock they are using on a daily basis in their work, but removing the Bike selling from the equation....cables, tubes, tires etc.

I reckon folks need to get over the fact that many consumers are purchasing online...the price point is hard to beat!! If a newb rocks into your store with brand new Dura Ace bought online at the end of season sale for half price wanting it on their carbon whatever....I'm like, "rack that schitt up....I love working on the good stuff" instead on doing a 6 week service on a POS new bike sale.

I'm in NZ and I know of a couple guys who work from home or in a small garage doing the above. Seems to be there are good shops and then there are good / great mechanics......not working under the same roof though

My buddy and I have a fledgling idea to set up a workshop (3 stands max) and solely do Mechanics work. We'd like to offer pick up and delivery options for the work also and tie in a killa espresso bar!! Like "Hooters' but with coffee
I think if you can collect the work and return it to the customer in great time - folks will pick that service up....esp the busy, time crunched suits / exec's

Yeah we currently work in the industry and yeah, we do too much espresso

What say you??
I welcome your thoughts.

Just kidding about the Hooters part

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Hi there,

Can anyone share their experiences with businesses / workshops / stores that are just doing bike maintenance and mechanics? Not doing the hard sell on pushing bikes?

The usual gig seems to be a big warehouse style shop selling / pushing 5-6 brands with a crappy workshop tucked away around back out of view.

Wondering if there are any operators out there doing just a workshop focusing on top shelf work, bike builds, repair, maintenance, servicing etc etc?
Obviously, still selling the stock they are using on a daily basis in their work, but removing the Bike selling from the equation....cables, tubes, tires etc.

I reckon folks need to get over the fact that many consumers are purchasing online...the price point is hard to beat!! If a newb rocks into your store with brand new Dura Ace bought online at the end of season sale for half price wanting it on their carbon whatever....I'm like, "rack that schitt up....I love working on the good stuff" instead on doing a 6 week service on a POS new bike sale.

I'm in NZ and I know of a couple guys who work from home or in a small garage doing the above. Seems to be there are good shops and then there are good / great mechanics......not working under the same roof though

My buddy and I have a fledgling idea to set up a workshop (3 stands max) and solely do Mechanics work. We'd like to offer pick up and delivery options for the work also and tie in a killa espresso bar!! Like "Hooters' but with coffee
I think if you can collect the work and return it to the customer in great time - folks will pick that service up....esp the busy, time crunched suits / exec's

Yeah we currently work in the industry and yeah, we do too much espresso

What say you??
I welcome your thoughts.

Just kidding about the Hooters part

I owned and operated a store that did exactly what you are talking about. 3 people, 2 stands..stands out on the floor instead of 'in back'.

Not sure of NZ, but here, 6 car dealers, about 35 car repair places. That was my biz model. Most of the car repair places were staffed by former car dealer mechanics, many 'factory' trained, who saw the need for expert, pro repair. Expert service, repair, custom wheels. Knowledge. I always said I would rather work on it than sell it.

My 'rate' was $60 per hour. Cost wise, my cost to stay open way less than $60 per hour. Service is by far the best margin. Add margin for consumables, cogsets, chains, tubes, cables..it IS and can be very sustainable. Plus a hellofalot more fun than trying to push $300 bikes out the door. With internet scamming being what it is, selling groups at my wholesale, sure of a guy brings me a frame and box of parts, yes, I would be happy to do a 'pro build', for $300, and get a good margin. Did it take 5 hours? Of course not, with wheels built, maybe 3. Some bike shops here turn this business away..really dumb.

So, if you guys have your shite together, do it. It is fun, profitable, people will find you. I never advertised in 13 years, and my biz grew every year. Be lean, identify your market, pursue aggressively. A small market that comes to just you, is a big market for you. Let the knobs sell trekspecializedgiantcannondale..and when the shop can't fix it right, they will come to you.

 

[ray j willings]

I made good friends "Pete" , he and his buddy run a mobile van. They are cleaning up . They don't have the huge overheads of a shop and they really are very cheap compared to shop.
You cannot get through on the answer phone. They are always busy.

Just a thought....

 

[Benotti69]

I owned and operated a store that did exactly what you are talking about. 3 people, 2 stands..stands out on the floor instead of 'in back'.

My LBS in Italy worked on the bikes out front with a showroom off to the side. The other bike shops didn't. I like to see people working on bikes.

 

[JackRabbitSlims]

Hey, thanks for the great replies - I appreciate it

@bustedknuckle - pleasing to hear that you ran a successful business off a similar model.
Did you work from home or set up a dedicated workshop away from home? - The guys I know here in NZ work from home which I can imagine(for me) would not work too well.
Yes, I'm definitely NOT a salesman, & I know what I like when it comes to my bikes. I love working on and with the good stuff. It keeps me enthusiastic and motivated, plus, for some reason, I'm more driven to make sure the work is absolute top-shelf.
Unrealistic to think this will always be the case as I'd never turn away business, but hard to be motivated when you're dealing with cheap, crappy product(s) and then convincing the owner that they need to start up grading this stuff to get better performance or longevity?
We are getting our Schitt together (great amps BTW) but it's hard to get all our ducks in a row (quietly) and then pull out and start our own set up....also trying not to burn any bridges along the way....word of mouth is powerful tool and can work both way

@ Ray - your friends got a website or more details??...I'd love to see what they're doing (PM is fine). We want a fixed location, but because we are in a small town / area the idea of picking up the work and dropping it back when done, seems like a good option for us...ie - go get the work rather than waiting for it to come to us. Still just an idea.
Another is to pick up a 2nd hand coffee cart and have it stationed at the start of the local Road / MTB group rides. We love our pre and post ride espresso hits....if we can get that to the rides as well...perhaps another option?
Link it to the workshop and use it as advertising are current thoughts....but also$$ and a logistics ball-ache right now and how it would work....still just working the process.

Cycling has really taken off in my region in the last 10 years.....hundreds of kilometers of new bike paths and cycle ways. We have the largest Bike Club in NZ right here, the largest MTB club and a couple of incredible MTB bike parks in the area....in the summer, many tourists ride the bike pathways and take in the local wineries as well...they love it as you can enjoy the local wine & food, not worry about drink / driving and if you've had enough, a Van will come and pick you up

@Benotti69 - Yeah, we love that idea / look as well. I compare it to restaurants / cafes etc who operate with an open, fully viewed kitchen where you get to see the people working their craft. You can feel the energy and see the enthusiasm which I think amplifies the experience!
Perhaps a little different from a Bike Workshop, but when you get to see who is working on your gear, engage in the conversation, make them part of the experience...it all adds up.
The flip side is that ALL staff need to be well presented, knowledgeable, working smart - the environment needs to be professional, clean, tidy (yeah, I know, within reason for a bike workshop ) Using top notch tools and gear for top notch results.
I hate the idea of workshops being these dark dingy spaces at the back of shops with some weird,grumpy guy peering over the top of the wall looking at the customers......see it all the time.

Anyways, thanks once again for your feedback.
Still just an idea for us, but we are super enthusiastic about it and can't stop thinking / talking about it...which is positive. We just need to keep working the ideas.

Cheers - have a great weekend.

 

[winkybiker]

In Vancouver we have these guys...

http://www.velofix.com/

 

[JackRabbitSlims]

Thanks winky.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Re:

Hey, thanks for the great replies - I appreciate it

@bustedknuckle - pleasing to hear that you ran a successful business off a similar model.
Did you work from home or set up a dedicated workshop away from home? - The guys I know here in NZ work from home which I can imagine(for me) would not work too well.
Yes, I'm definitely NOT a salesman, & I know what I like when it comes to my bikes. I love working on and with the good stuff. It keeps me enthusiastic and motivated, plus, for some reason, I'm more driven to make sure the work is absolute top-shelf.
Unrealistic to think this will always be the case as I'd never turn away business, but hard to be motivated when you're dealing with cheap, crappy product(s) and then convincing the owner that they need to start up grading this stuff to get better performance or longevity?
We are getting our Schitt together (great amps BTW) but it's hard to get all our ducks in a row (quietly) and then pull out and start our own set up....also trying not to burn any bridges along the way....word of mouth is powerful tool and can work both way

Anyways, thanks once again for your feedback.
Still just an idea for us, but we are super enthusiastic about it and can't stop thinking / talking about it...which is positive. We just need to keep working the ideas.

Cheers - have a great weekend.

I had a dedicated store frnt. Most distributors won't sell to you if you don't(as in garage or basement operations).

But it was small..about 900 square feet..high ceilings, brick, big windows out front. Also sold soft goods, tshirts, bottles, cycling and podium hats..with your logo..cheap to have made, good margin as well(cycling hat, custom for $7, sell for $15..easy). Be small, efficient, getting bigger is not always the answer. Getting better, is. More efficient, better terms from suppliers equals better margin at set prices. Stay out of debt if you can, price fairly, sometimes if you are too cheap, people think your service isn't first class. Make others compete with you, not the other way around.

 

[JackRabbitSlims]

Thanks again Bustedknuckle......so, did you create / market your own brand in term of the "soft goods" ?
We hadn't thought of that, but its sounds like a great idea......if you're a mobile advertisement each time you're out riding = even more exposure!!

In terms of logo's and branding - did you just come up with something yourself, or get external help?

We really like the idea of a very open and accessible site for the workshop / espresso bar - we have an ideal location, but as you would expect, it is used / rented.
Our mind set is that if we are doing great work and competitive prices, people will come to us....but that initial exposure and being "out there" is important!.
I don't engage in any real social media and at all. Everyone I've talked to about this (less than 5 people) have said that we need to have a HUGE social media presence along with an online sales option and web page. The website I can understand....but I wouldn't know where to start with the rest.
Any comments or suggestions on that side of it??

 

[Benotti69]

I dont agree that you need a HUGE social media presence. Facebook and Twitter should be lots. Updates regularly, a couple of times a week is more than enough. They dont have to be long wordy pieces either. A pic can tell people lots.

If you are good, people will put it out on the social media and people will find you.

Own branding is always good. Pick a biking event to announce your business (with organisers permission), hand out caps, bidons and tees etc at start or finish. A grandfondo would be my choice, you could even have a small set up and do some free servicing at same time as promoting your new business.

Online sales is a future option. Get the business up and running. Unless you are going to compete with the big online stores, you'll be wasting time. You can advertise your own brand jersey and shorts on facebook. Get the business up and running, small steps after the 1st big step...

keep us updated how it goes. Goodluck.

Edit. TexPat, a member on here, emigrated from Texas to New Zealand and opened a LBS, might be worth PMing him if you want more than what is in the thread.

 

[JackRabbitSlims]

Thanks Benotti69 - I don't use or have accounts with either Facebook or Twitter

Instagram seems like quite a good one for Pics only?

Once we have our Name / Logo and Identity finalised we can go ahead and set up these accounts. I like your idea about announcing ourselves at an event with some give away schwag.

Branding is an interesting topic and knowing almost zero about it worries me. I know we are only a small operation but logo and branding is quite important. Companies pay $$$ for this sort of work to be done.
I have found some crowd sourcing companies that do logo's and design work - any thoughts on http://www.designcrowd.com/ or http://99designs.com/ ???

Online sales seems like a ball ache for us right now....we wont be competing on price there, but initially thought it could work with some of our branded gear etc. That will just have to be point of sale to begin with.

Yes, we just need to stick to our core business and ideas and make that work first baby steps rather than come out with a hiss and a roar!

Thanks for the well wishes - I'll try to update as and when we can.

You know that hardest part is pulling away from our current jobs and finding the time to make this really happen. Our current employers will be a little pissed as we will be competing with them for work etc. We're trying to do as much as we can in our down time (we still need to ride remember.....which has actually turned out to be a great time to discuss ideas and come up with new ones). Current plan is to give notice and then have a 10 day / 2 week down time to get everything up and running and then start trading!!

Yes, I know of TexPat as a forum member, but did not know he was running a LBS down our way. If we hit some snags, I'll get in touch if he's a willing helper etc.

Cheers.

 

[King Boonen]

Bike Love in Glasgow do something very similar.

http://bike-love.tumblr.com

It obviously helps that the mechanic is a current (possibly ex now) Downhill World Cup mechanic, so it's pretty much impossible to find anyone who is better.

 

[JackRabbitSlims]

Thanks for the link King Boonen.

Yes a great reputation and solid work history is a huge advantage, but there are many many cases of highly skilled folks setting up their own business and struggling / failing

We're conscious that we need to use people who are very good at their specialist skill set.....for example - we want to be on the tools doing the best work possible, in the fastest time frame using the best products available suited to the customer and their individual riding style and needs -phew!
Not impossible, but being the skills guy doing the work and also trying to be the Business Man, Manager, Accountant, HR work, Social Media Presence etc, etc will just become over whelming.....we need to "Stick to our knitting" so to speak.

My buddy is not much of a people / social person, but is brilliant on the tools - I don't want him interacting too much with the customer and neither does he....so much of that will fall on me....taking me away from the workshop, being honest, interested and polite with customers can be a real dent in potential work time / chargeable hours etc. Ideally, once we get up ad running, another staff person would be perfect to meet / greet, write up job sheets, charge out work, order merchandise and parts, interact with social media presence and communications, answering emails etc etc!

I know in the initial stages we wont be flat out working on bikes the whole time, so we can (Hopefully) cover this off during our down time?

This project is consuming me right now....but in a good way

We have some ideas for a shop / espresso bar name - I'll start another thread on this soon and look for some critical response or favorable replies.

Cheers!

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Re:

Thanks again Bustedknuckle......so, did you create / market your own brand in term of the "soft goods" ?
We hadn't thought of that, but its sounds like a great idea......if you're a mobile advertisement each time you're out riding = even more exposure!!

In terms of logo's and branding - did you just come up with something yourself, or get external help?

We really like the idea of a very open and accessible site for the workshop / espresso bar - we have an ideal location, but as you would expect, it is used / rented.
Our mind set is that if we are doing great work and competitive prices, people will come to us....but that initial exposure and being "out there" is important!.
I don't engage in any real social media and at all. Everyone I've talked to about this (less than 5 people) have said that we need to have a HUGE social media presence along with an online sales option and web page. The website I can understand....but I wouldn't know where to start with the rest.
Any comments or suggestions on that side of it??

We tried to sell non labeled soft goods but so did everybody else so we had a designer come up with a logo, and then branded all the stuff to sell. Same ChiliPepper did in Moab.

Have the espresso bar contracted out..have somebody else own it, operate it, clean it..and pay you. You are doing it for 'value added', not to make $. To get people into the store.

Yes, social media, for good or ill, is essentially free advertising. I had a guy who did as I can't even spell facebook. Website, yes, online sales, no..except for maybe your labeled soft goods. It's like having a whole other biz, the plumbing to take $, shipping, inventory, returns(about 20% of everything sold online is returned) but your 'meat and potatoes' is service, 'local' of LBS. Remember, really tough to compete with those 'retailers' who are actually a distributor..that sell to individuals as well as bike shops.All the UK places, plus a few in the US.

 

[JackRabbitSlims]

Thanks for continuing the conversation Bustedknuckle!

Yes to Social Media. Not my thing also, but I have some propeller head friends who live, eat, breath their cyber existence, so I will call on them for advice in due time.

Once we settle on a name / theme / color etc - I think we will use one of those design crowd sourcing sites to refine the process. Naming thread and suggestions to come......

The idea for the espresso bar is exactly as you say. We want it to be part of the shop. We want all types (not just cyclists) to come in for their Fix and see a big open workshop full of bikes being worked on. Ideally, we will just employ a Barista (who is also a cycling enthusiast.....hopefully, but not absolutely necessary) and an assistant and rent them the space / opportunity and they can work it as hard as they can. Obviously, we need to open to meet the needs of the early morning customer, for both bikes and espresso, but as above, we also want to be collecting work and dropping it back - any thoughts on that idea? do you think we're making it too hard on ourselves with the "pick-up / drop off" options??
I mean, we need to be open by 7am, 7.30am at the latest for the early morning crowd and for those who ride / train in the AM.....plus, the after work crowd as well - we thought that If we offer pick up and delivery, one of us can open the shop and get going while the other has the van and is collecting work from say 7-8am - thoughts?

OK - some specifics if you wouldn't mind sharing?
What days / hours did you keep?
We're looking at flooring options - we've seen these rubber, non-fatiguing interlocking floor tiles that would be sweet. What did you use in your workshop? Where I am now is concrete, and in the cold winter, is no good!
We want a good / great chemical bath / drive train cleaning system. I have seen some great ones in the past that use a tap controlled release from a pump operated reservoir drum. The end has brush options that are detachable to suit the job. You just swap out the drum once it's done......can't remember the name - what do you use in your workshop?

Thanks if you can help me out.
Cheers.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Re:

Thanks for continuing the conversation Bustedknuckle!

Yes to Social Media. Not my thing also, but I have some propeller head friends who live, eat, breath their cyber existence, so I will call on them for advice in due time.

Once we settle on a name / theme / color etc - I think we will use one of those design crowd sourcing sites to refine the process. Naming thread and suggestions to come......

The idea for the espresso bar is exactly as you say. We want it to be part of the shop. We want all types (not just cyclists) to come in for their Fix and see a big open workshop full of bikes being worked on. Ideally, we will just employ a Barista (who is also a cycling enthusiast.....hopefully, but not absolutely necessary) and an assistant and rent them the space / opportunity and they can work it as hard as they can. Obviously, we need to open to meet the needs of the early morning customer, for both bikes and espresso, but as above, we also want to be collecting work and dropping it back - any thoughts on that idea? do you think we're making it too hard on ourselves with the "pick-up / drop off" options??
I mean, we need to be open by 7am, 7.30am at the latest for the early morning crowd and for those who ride / train in the AM.....plus, the after work crowd as well - we thought that If we offer pick up and delivery, one of us can open the shop and get going while the other has the van and is collecting work from say 7-8am - thoughts?

OK - some specifics if you wouldn't mind sharing?
What days / hours did you keep?
We're looking at flooring options - we've seen these rubber, non-fatiguing interlocking floor tiles that would be sweet. What did you use in your workshop? Where I am now is concrete, and in the cold winter, is no good!
We want a good / great chemical bath / drive train cleaning system. I have seen some great ones in the past that use a tap controlled release from a pump operated reservoir drum. The end has brush options that are detachable to suit the job. You just swap out the drum once it's done......can't remember the name - what do you use in your workshop?

Thanks if you can help me out.
Cheers.

Early morning to late-ish evening, for owners, makes for some long, long hours. It'll be long hours anyway. Again, you want people to come in, see the shop, impulse buy or just wander around. I'd say no to P/U and delivery.

Monday-Sat-10am-6pm..8 hours. For employees, more than 8.5-9, in the US anyway, you run into problems with breaks and mandatory time for lunch. If say 7am-7pm-you will need more employees(more $). As an owner, you really can't be there 12 hours a day..since you will often need to come in early, payroll, taxes, bills, inventory, ordering...takes the fun right out of it. MUST be closed at least one day a week for your sanity..or at least a short day-

YES, must have mats to work on. I also had concrete florrs. BUT the interlocking ones, make sure no gaps/holes..or you will lose a small part and never find it.

I had SafetyKleen..a tank, pump, brush. They came in once a month and swapped the tank for a clean one. MUST have along with a big bench grinder, big burley vise, good point of sale system, great lighting both for you and your customers, alarm system(reduces insurance $).

You want it to be a place people want to come, congregate, ride from(no sponsor($)..maybe free water and bottles, at least at the beginning). A place that's welcoming, but professional, knowledgable. Not snooty but if you know your stuff, 'some' will not like it and come in with a chip on their shoulder..oh well...Stick to your market, your philosophy. MUST be able to design and build wheels, MUST know it all, from 1975 Campagnolo AND shimano to EPS and Di2.

It's a labor of 'like' for sure. Very rewarding, as an owner, the best and worse job I ever had.

 

[JackRabbitSlims]

Thanks again.

Yes, maybe we are trying to do too much here with the PU and delivery side of things.

Yes, agree that you need at least 1 full day free from the workshop. We are trying to work through scenarios and days / hours whereby we can at least try to have some work / life balance, train, ride for fun, be present / work at events etc.
We're not naive enough to not appreciate that the first 18months - 2 years will probably be a Head Down / @rse Up blur and a massive learning curve. But right now we are trying to make allowances for that to happen and think about effective ways to manage that....rather than think "oh well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it"

The SafetyKleen is exactly what I was thinking about, and yes, we are hoping that the space we actually end up with will be a "Blank Canvas" in terms of designing and building the workshop as we want it. Flooring, lighting, and very functional / flowing space. I'm hand picking certain aspects of workshops that I've worked in before that had some great systems and layouts....and on the flip side, have seen some that were a shambles and didn't work.

I'm a clean / organised freak - so, the shop will be very tidy, functional, organised and well stocked with "The good Stuff" where we need it. We've decided to invest in quality where it's needed rather than cheaper alternatives.

Our whole gig is about being an open, very exposed space where folks can see the whole workshop and those working in it...if it's a shambles, and we look like schitt etc....it reflects on our image poorly which in turn can reflect on the standard of our work.

Care to expand on your comment - Very rewarding, as an owner, the best and worse job I ever had.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Re:

Thanks again.

Yes, maybe we are trying to do too much here with the PU and delivery side of things.

Yes, agree that you need at least 1 full day free from the workshop. We are trying to work through scenarios and days / hours whereby we can at least try to have some work / life balance, train, ride for fun, be present / work at events etc.
We're not naive enough to not appreciate that the first 18months - 2 years will probably be a Head Down / @rse Up blur and a massive learning curve. But right now we are trying to make allowances for that to happen and think about effective ways to manage that....rather than think "oh well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it"

The SafetyKleen is exactly what I was thinking about, and yes, we are hoping that the space we actually end up with will be a "Blank Canvas" in terms of designing and building the workshop as we want it. Flooring, lighting, and very functional / flowing space. I'm hand picking certain aspects of workshops that I've worked in before that had some great systems and layouts....and on the flip side, have seen some that were a shambles and didn't work.

I'm a clean / organised freak - so, the shop will be very tidy, functional, organised and well stocked with "The good Stuff" where we need it. We've decided to invest in quality where it's needed rather than cheaper alternatives.

Our whole gig is about being an open, very exposed space where folks can see the whole workshop and those working in it...if it's a shambles, and we look like schitt etc....it reflects on our image poorly which in turn can reflect on the standard of our work.

Care to expand on your comment - Very rewarding, as an owner, the best and worse job I ever had.

Well, after working in 4 bike shops as service manager, owning your own, sitting in the big chair is very satisfying BUT you are it, for good or ill. Try not to have a partner if you can do it. I got screwed by who I thought was my friend of 18 years, then biz partner(equal) for 10 and he fooking lied, and stole over $100,000 from me. I hate only one person in life and it's him. NOT saying you will have the issue with a partner, but beware. Trust but verify.

BUT personnel management, inventory control, CASH FLOW..wears on you after a while. Cash Flow-new business' often fail because they don't have the cash reserves for lean times, particularly when new. You MUST have a safety net. It took 2 weeks for anybody to even walk into the place when new..he bought handlebar tape.

Even when healthy, I had 3 times fixed costs, as a reserve. That is, non variable costs, rent, payroll(pay yourself!!), insurance, phone, etc. BUT if times are lean, the first pay to be reduced is the owner's. Try hard to have no long term debt. Credit card, type you pay off quickly is one thing but a big loan, with large monthly payments..that's when new biz's get into trouble..can't pay debt+GOOB sale(Going Out Of Biz).

BUT as owner you are wrench, expert, financial expert, cashflow expert, inventory expert, etc....lots to do and worry about..why it's great and also tough, very tough. Keep your sense of humor..it's about toys, after all.

 

[JackRabbitSlims]

Thanks for sharing....I bet you've got some great stories, good and bad that would fill in a few hours

I can relate: - I've run my own business twice before. One was with my very good friend and his wife - we no longer speak to each other....and I think about that and them almost every day. That was over $$.
My Dad was a very successful Business man and the only 2 times I've seen him cry was when his best friend took his own life and the day he found out one of his most loyal and valued employees had been stealing from him for over 10 years!

Building and maintaining real trust is a tough ask.

Yes, I have the ability to fund the Business venture on my own and enough $$ to keep it going until we "get going" so to speak.
Winter here in NZ right now and these next 3 months are very quiet on the Bike Scene - come spring though, it really cranks and the Bike shop I work in now will be open 7 days and 12 hours to accommodate and make as much $$ leading up to Xmas.....after that, January is a super quiet Holiday period.
We need to get our timing right around this trend.

My buddy can't contribute too much with the $$ side of things, but is willing to. I want / need him on-board because of his skill set and the fact that you mention that the owner (Me) has to wear many caps and I can't be / wont be on the tools each and every day.
However, like a head chef in a Restaurant viewing each meal as it goes out to the diners, I want to be over seeing each and every job that is going on in the workshop.....even something as simple as a puncture repair.

Keep your sense of humor..it's about toys, after all. too true...we're NOT trying to launch the Space Shuttle or cure cancer