[peski]

Hats off to him for trying, but it's kinda 25years too late huh


ahh what old school bmx bikes would of been around 25 years ago....??? that would make it new school yeah

[Roy Boy]

Needs a sign dude......ticket writing in the window or something.

One of the OZ brothers should be able to help....would do it if i was in VIC

[backwhen]

doesnt look like there is to much going on either side of your shop = heaps of room for expansion :good_mini:

i know i will deffinately be stoping by when i'm down that way...

good luck with the shop peski..

look foward to catchin up one day

[Brisben]

I'd love to visit the shop and talk BMX

But I'm kinda with Mr BMX on this one

What are you selling there?

Will you be stocking new brands? Are you offering a mechanic service, I mean how many flat tyres a week pay the rent, what range of specific tools have you got?

Will you be a dealership? Will you run a Pro shop at Race meets?

Have you done deals with the big suppliers to stock stuff at a reasonable retail price that includes a margin?

How are you going to compete with Rebel Sport, Anaconda or even KMart for that matter?


Will you sell new bikes on consignment or be a reseller?

How many t-shirts do you need to sell a week to pay the rent AND put food on the table?



Like Marty, I too have considered the option of turning a passion into a business, but have also been involved with a number of businesses that became a passion.


I really wish you all the best, and will check the shop out when I'm in Melburn next, but I hope you have more to sell than a cool shop and a place to hang out





PS From a totally different perspective: What is going to happen when a part fails and you have no manufacturers warranty to fall back upon?

[PaulFromOz]

Quote

Reality Check:
All i'm saying is unless he has an absolute bottomless warehouse of oldschool bits available, how long will the shop really last?
I guess Tshirts & stickers will be the main outlet after a while, but even then the punters will have all the shirts/stickers they need.

Unless some dead relative GAVE me the shop (i OWN it, no mortgage, no lease etc) i wouldnt expect this investment to go in a positive direction.

Hats off to him for trying, but it's kinda 25years too late huh?

In Melbourne we have a couple of niche stores that you don't find elsewhere, To do with graffiti/hip hop/vintage & such that are doing a ripping trade.


It doesn't have to be a generic bike store, There's plenty of them around in Melbourne and a niche bike/urban scene would be something different in the area.

You start stocking specific gear for certain styles of bike i.e Fixie & BMX & Vintage Girls bikes in general, that generic bike shops and stores dont stock, People will come calling. I rode too 8 different bike shops today in the general area that bike store is in, looking for plain straight bars (no bend) and none of them stocked any.

Peski looks like he's well involved into graff (With KSA painting his shop), and could expand into selling paint/markers & utensils and such if he so decides.


I see Old School BMX & the whole urban graff scene going hand in hand.


GL :P

[Jase]

Awesome good on you mate for having a crack!
He doesn't have to compete with Rebel or any other mainstream bike suppliers different market ::)
The shops on the way to my mates in Bentleigh East so I'll be stopping in regularly
Cheers
Jase

[Brisben]

PaulFromOz, on 13 December 2009 - 09:54 PM, said:

In Melbourne we have a couple of niche stores that you don't find elsewhere, To do with graffiti/hip hop/vintage & such that are doing a ripping trade.


It doesn't have to be a generic bike store, There's plenty of them around in Melbourne and a niche bike/urban scene would be something different in the area.

You start stocking specific gear for certain styles of bike i.e Fixie & BMX & Vintage Girls bikes in general, that generic bike shops and stores dont stock, People will come calling. I rode too 8 different bike shops today in the general area that bike store is in, looking for plain straight bars (no bend) and none of them stocked any.

Peski looks like he's well involved into graff (With KSA painting his shop), and could expand into selling paint/markers & utensils and such if he so decides.


I see Old School BMX & the whole urban graff scene going hand in hand.


GL :P

Paul - I wish him all the best of luck as well but all I asked was "What is he selling"

I don't care if you stuffed Banksy in a bag and he painted under the cover of darkness - it's not about the venue it's about the product.

If they are going to pay bills and stay viable they need turnover

Let's use your example, is there a specific reason why 8 bike shops don't have the bars you were looking for ? How many sets of those bars would Peski have to stock before he sold JUST one set to you?

Even if he had 10 sets he only has a return on investment on one?

I absolutely agree that I would love to walk into a bike shop and buy off the shelf

But the reason it's not on the shelf is because no one else wants to buy it!!


Sure it would be convenient to go to a shop and buy a 1" threaded headset or a 24tpi bottom bracket for one piece cranks - but I could have just bought 3 of each on the internet in the time it takes me to write this

I'm not trying to shoot the guy down; I want it to succeed, but it needs to be viable

[Torker Man]

Brisben, on 13 December 2009 - 09:27 PM, said:

I'd love to visit the shop and talk BMX

But I'm kinda with Mr BMX on this one

What are you selling there?

Will you be stocking new brands? Are you offering a mechanic service, I mean how many flat tyres a week pay the rent, what range of specific tools have you got?

Will you be a dealership? Will you run a Pro shop at Race meets?

Have you done deals with the big suppliers to stock stuff at a reasonable retail price that includes a margin?

How are you going to compete with Rebel Sport, Anaconda or even KMart for that matter?


Will you sell new bikes on consignment or be a reseller?

How many t-shirts do you need to sell a week to pay the rent AND put food on the table?



Like Marty, I too have considered the option of turning a passion into a business, but have also been involved with a number of businesses that became a passion.


I really wish you all the best, and will check the shop out when I'm in Melburn next, but I hope you have more to sell than a cool shop and a place to hang out





PS From a totally different perspective: What is going to happen when a part fails and you have no manufacturers warranty to fall back upon?

Do you honestly expesct these to be answered Ben?? (Q's in RED)


Do you ask these same questions of your local bike store, chinese resturant, coffe shop???


"Yes i'll have a flat white, and buy the way how many coffees do you have to sell to pay the rent?"

"Do you make a big margin on you're beans?"


I understand you are wishing him/them all the best, but why the third degree?


Pete (Peski) is just letting the members of OzBMX that he is open for business!! Plain and simple. :)

Bikes/parts/repairs/lifestyle apparel...all these things have been mentioned many times in this thread, and others, so I guess thats what he will be doing..

But you can contact them directly as below.

Shop phone 90789709 (Pete or Kiki)
79 warrigal road oakleigh vic 3166
google map; http://maps.google.c...4,0.013722&z=17

[PaulFromOz]

Brisben, on 13 December 2009 - 10:22 PM, said:

Let's use your example, is there a specific reason why 8 bike shops don't have the bars you were looking for ? How many sets of those bars would Peski have to stock before he sold JUST one set to you?

Yes, Because all of the 8 bike shops were your generic bike shops for mum & dad. They stock ready to ride Giants & They cater for an entirely different market. There's a huge vintage scene in Melbourne that may not be apparent up in Brisbane.

[Brisben]

Torks

I totally understand where you are coming from

To answer your questions I suppose I'll say this

Yes, but indirectly

As a consumer we all ask those sort of questions

We rely on quality, service, range of products, knowledge, turnaround time, accessibility, value and unfortunately; price.

And yes - from a viability perspective I HOPE the questions you have high lighted in red HAVE been answered.



Ask yourself this Torks

"what would you go through to start a Vintage Chainsaw shop and how would you ensure it was viable? Would you become a husqvana dealer, would you aim for the Higher selling brands to supplement the vintage ones ..

[AussieRuss]

Pete.

I know I asked you this some months ago & you were not sure at the time so I will ask again.

Are you selling any common newschool racing stuff.

EG Consumables like tyres & Brake pads (Intense etc)
Profile bits like stems,cranks etc.

You may have decided to stay away from modern BMX racing stuff but I wanted to ask as I need some parts & would be happy to purchase a bit of gear from you.

All the best & I will see you at the track soon.

Russ...

[Torker Man]

I'm glad you understand where I am coming from,

And in regard to a Chainsaw Shop my point would be that these are questions are for me and my business partner or advisor, and I most certainly would NOT answer such things on a vintage chainsaw website, because as far as I am concerned that is none of anyones business.

A store owner doesn't report to its customers, or potential customers on the viability of various business models, or for that matter, gross margin, gross profit, forecasting, or the many and varied supplier arrangements. I feel that they are unnessescary questions and not within the topic of the thread.

cheers.

[Brisben]

PaulFromOz, on 13 December 2009 - 10:43 PM, said:

Yes, Because all of the 8 bike shops were your generic bike shops for mum & dad. They stock ready to ride Giants & They cater for an entirely different market. There's a huge vintage scene in Melbourne that may not be apparent up in Brisbane.

So

The shop just sold one set of bars


The huge Melbourne scene just got bigger


(Paul - I'm not talking about "scenes" I'm talking about business)

[Brisben]

Just before I go to bed


Torks

A store owner DOES report to their customers

Without a customer they have nothing

They decide if you succeed or fail

Quality, price and turnaround of service are three of the most important aspects of a good business.

A consumer will pick the two most important to them at the time...

[Torker Man]

Brisben, on 13 December 2009 - 11:12 PM, said:

Just before I go to bed


Torks

A store owner DOES report to their customers

Without a customer they have nothing

They decide if you succeed or fail

Quality, price and turnaround of service are three of the most important aspects of a good business.

A consumer will pick the two most important to them at the time...

The above may be true, but I was refering to your original questions.

If I had a shop and a customer asked what my margin was, or how much I make I would say a big Get Fooked!

This is mearly an FYI thread, not business planning 101.

Night mate...

Type at ya tomorrow.

Torks.

[AussieRuss]

AussieRuss, on 13 December 2009 - 10:58 PM, said:

Pete.

I know I asked you this some months ago & you were not sure at the time so I will ask again.

Are you selling any common newschool racing stuff.

EG Consumables like tyres & Brake pads (Intense etc)
Profile bits like stems,cranks etc.

You may have decided to stay away from modern BMX racing stuff but I wanted to ask as I need some parts & would be happy to purchase a bit of gear from you.

All the best & I will see you at the track soon.

Russ...

Actually Pete.

How about a bit of self promotion and show us what you are selling already. It may well answer my question. I need a few bits and would like to give you a go.

Cheers.

Russ...

[PaulFromOz]

Brisben, on 13 December 2009 - 11:00 PM, said:

So

The shop just sold one set of bars


The huge Melbourne scene just got bigger


(Paul - I'm not talking about "scenes" I'm talking about business)

Well, Seeing as your unaware of the "markets" of Melbourne, Your hardly one informed enough to be commentating on what kind of "business" he should be running or focusing on.

[john]

Lock this up?

[Torker Man]

john, on 13 December 2009 - 11:37 PM, said:

Lock this up?

I'm sure he does John, after all it's in Oakleigh.

[john]

:D