Most of the problems I have seen in other cities are due to poor
communication and misunderstandings. This is my pitch, it works in salt
lake city -- feel free to use, modify, and/or ignore it.
Community Bike Shops don't compete with Local Bike Shops (LBS), instead they
form a tight symbiotic relationship. Why?
First, we serve different demographics. We serve the people that can't
afford or are scared of the LBS. Someone can buy a bike from a thrift store
for $25, a bike from Walmart for $100 or a low end bike from a LBS for
$350. We sell bikes anywhere from $50 to $150, so if anything we compete
with Walmart, but they don't seem to care. If someone can't afford a bike
at your LBS, send them to us! If someone is looking for a nicer bike and
has money to spend we will send them to you!
Second, we create business for the LBS! While we have our own distributor
accounts, they are reserved for our most dedicated volunteers, everyone else
we redirect to the LBS. Our shop is open from 5-9pm so we tell them if they
can make it make it to the LBS before it closes (7PM), they could make it
back in time to install the part.
Third, we are a tax writeoff! Get rid of used, new, old stock and make room
for things that can sell! Give it to us, and not only can you go to sleep
knowing it went into good hands -- you can get a much needed tax writeoff.
We will also publicize the fact you help your community by doing so.
Fourth, we are your source for future mechanics. Not sure who to hire?
While our volunteers don't always deal with the high-end bikes, we can
recommend potential employees based on the more important things like their
ability to learn, reliability, ability to take direction, and their level of
customer service and passion for cycling. We train them to the point where
they could be molded into the perfect employee.
--
Sincerely,
Jonathan Morrison
Executive Director
Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective
2312 S. West Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84115
w: 801-328-2453
c: 801-688-0183
f: 801-466-3856
www.slcbikecollective.org
Get Addicted to Crank!
http://www.slcbikecollective.org/crank/
On Wed, Feb 27, 2008 at 4:05 PM, Cris Shirley
cgshirley@gmail.com wrote:
> Hey!
> So we are starting a bike collective in New Haven, and had the support
> of our local bike shop Devil's Gear Bikes where the owner said that he
> would provide parts at cost and help us out on stuff. Well, now he is
> feeling treaten because he thinks we might start moving in a direction
> that may in competition with him (right now we need some start up
> money so we are going to fix up and sell some of the bikes we have.)
> Note that we have not given one bike away yet. So, I was wondering if
> anyone had any experiences of this sort and how they were managed?
> How do y'all get parts for bikes like cables and tubes and tires, and
> chains?
> Thanks
> cris
>
> On 2/25/08, Edward France
edfrance@bicicentro.org wrote:
> > Bike Peeps - Thought about taking a weekend out in Santa Barbara?
> > This is the perfect time, and we'll do our best to find hosting for
> > cooks, clerks, wrenches, and other forms of shop creatures that travel
> > out to celebrate with us.
> >
> > Save the Date-
> > Dia de Bici Cultura- the Grand Opening of Bici
> > Centro's new retail/educational/shop space in Santa Barbara. April 5th
> > will mark the event with Bike Art, Bike People and Bike Fun, BBQ,
> > evening reception with dinner, and a night ride.
> >
> > After a year of once monthly repair days, months of once weekly shop,
> > and infinite hours of shuffling around our stuff to serve in a modular
> > manner, Bici Centro finds its own 1,200 sq ft. space. We've got our
> > youth Earn-a-bike churning out bikes and biking kids, community
> > support, and a solid core of 15 volunteers working to get SB cycling
> > in style.
> >
> > A more detailed invite to be sent out this week.
> >
> > <a href='http://www.flickr.com/photos/xrudolfx/2285845544/'
> > title='Bicicentroopening by xRUDOLFx, on Flickr'><img
> > src='http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2366/2285845544_744700953e_b.jpg'
> > width='1024' height='775' alt='Bicicentroopening' /></a>
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Thethinktank mailing list
> > Thethinktank@bikecollectives.org
> >
>
http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
> >
> >
> >
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