Starting up a small shop

Thanks for all the negative input guys. I guess after working on bikes all
the way from BSA to Yamahas I probably don't know what I am doing. My 20
years of experience in the field and being a Journeyman Tool and Diemaker
making custom bike parts probably makes me less of a bike owner/enthusiast
than most of you. I just wanted to take my hobby/part time income to higher
level with actually starting an official bike shop.
I probably have most of the tools that I need but I was wanting to see if
there might be any helpful tools that I had forgotten.
Thanks again,
Iowa883

 

<<Snip>>

You bet, Iowa, the peanut gallery is always good for a downer. Now you're
telling us more about yourself and your experience, which is helpful.
Your original question was worded almost exactly like the ones we see once
or twice a year from people with no experience but big dreams. After a few
posts back and forth, they'll come back with something like, "I painted my
fender once between classes, and the week after that I changed my oil.
Isn't that enough?" You didn't finish this way, but you had the same type
of beginning.
Anyway, how much of your tool & die experience is with the business-end of
things, and how much is strictly building parts?


--

Later,

Charlie

fix the e-mail address and it will get to me

 

Well, posting that sort of info might have got a different response to
start with, mightn't it?

 

I have always been

<SNIP>
One thing that comes across in your post is that your forte is your
technical/design ability, your hobby is bikes. If you open a general bike
shop are you happy to do the general oil-changing service work, new and
used bike sales and customer service that goes with it? Or do you want to
spend as much time as possible designing and making custom artefacts? If
the latter, could you build a business that builds bike bits _and any_
other bespoke engineering solutions? If the bike work pushes the other
work to one side so be it but you're hedging against there not being
enough custom bike work to keep you going. Good luck whatever you decide.

 

The business part of it , is I guess from the beginning. People have come to
me or business over the internet and want me to make them a custom part. So,
I build one for them and then sell it to them. Once in awhile I will build 2
at a setup and throw the other on Ebay. Just to see how much it will bring.
So, I guess you would say that for the past 11 years I have been machining
parts and have dealt with the business end of it in small scale. During that
11 years I have also worked on bikes along with the 9 years before that.
I have always been that "Take it down the street and Webb will fix it, he
works on bikes,Atvs and go karts all the time " I am sure you know some of
those people maybe you even being one yourself.
I would just like to startup an official business and see how it goes, I am
not going to jump into it feet first like I might have come across at first.
The problem I will have is IF this will fly and I weed out my "official" job
, I will have to buy my own machines
Thanks,
Iowa883

 

I only need 2 tools
1: If it moves and it's not supposed to DUCT TAPE
2: If it doesn't move and it's supposed to WD-40 :>)

Thanks,Ripper
We Need DEATH SQUADS in the USA to Get Rid of Terrorists AND Street
Gangs!

 

I would be satisfied doing both , when one gets slow then the other will
support . When bikes come in for a service, I will/have spent time looking
the bikes over and getting dimensions for my own reference.
Then if someone wants a custom piece for that particular bike, I might
already have the dimensions needed to build it. Working on bikes and
customizing has been what you would say" Been in my blood" all of my life.
Iowa883

 

*Snort*

How true.