Cheap Thrill$ Can Grow Big Buck$

May 2008

Trying to keep an edge on the competition and build your business in this economy requires thinking outside the box. So what can you do that’s an affordable endeavor to set you apart from the others, or at the very least, keep your shop on the front of your customer’s minds when it’s time to spend?

Fake it Till You Make It
Encourage all employees to ride their bikes to work and load those MX bad boys in the back of their truck and bring ‘em to work. Don’t crowd the entrance, but all those bikes around your storefront gives the illusion of a passionate and alluring brisk business.

Coffee, Tea, or Red Bull?
Take that coffee pot out of the warehouse and park it on a small picnic table with chairs outside the front of your store. Give your customers a place to sit, talk, enjoy the fresh air, and soak up the atmosphere. Have a few business cards and magazines laying out there.

What’s In a Name?
What does the logo for K-Mart look like? What about Target or McDonald’s? Of course, you know. Make sure you have clean, iconic logo for your company. Make sure it’s on the store windows, hanging on a banner in your service department, and at the cash register. Space is always a premium for any storefront, but a large sign with your logo behind the cash register will always be talking to your customers. Repetition of your logo will create memory and branding.

Identify Who Works There
Sometimes it’s hard to know if that kid behind the counter works there or if he’s a customer being shown something or perhaps he’s a friend of the owner with some special privilege to float around. Get all your employees to wear the same T-shirt or Dickies style work shirt. Build your image with uniformity. It avoids that awkward feeling as a customer of asking “do you work here?”

Email Campaign
Start collecting email addresses from your customers. Begin to send bi-weekly newsletters, specials, or weekend events. There are dozens of online services that will format a cool looking email and send it to your customers.

Host Cool Events - Be Different!
If you have a power washer, set up a wash day. Maybe do an “Oil Change Sunday.” Everyone HAS to do maintenance some time, so why not grab some business from it? Try a special “after hours” bike night with a barbeque. Wanna be really bizarre and memorable? Swap out your standard fluorescent bulbs in the store with red ones and change the whole mood for your night event. Are you next to a diner or coffee shop? Ask the owner if they want to extend their hours and collaborate with your event. Promote your event with flyers on the counter, in every bag purchase and a sign in your shop window.

 

Working in the industry, it’s easy for us to sometimes forget the fun and passion our sport generates. Don’t be afraid to be big and bold. Try something new. If it doesn’t work, mix it up and refine it. It takes time to build this customer base, but it’s like a freight train — once you get it going, it’s hard to stop that momentum and the success that follows.