Starting a business is usually a bittersweet experience – full of many ups and downs. The process may get frustrating, especially if you had previously tried to start a business but then it got failed. The success of a business heavily depends on its unique factor, market presence, and management skills. Starting a bike accessory business ticks all these boxes. The bike accessories market always seems to thrive and is estimated to grow even further soon. If you are in between the ropes on whether to start a bike accessories business, here are a few reasons you should go for it.
Be your own boss
Like any other business, being a business owner gives you the freedom to decide how to run it, time to allocate, and estimate the amount of income you want to earn. It applies to both having a physical store and an online store. There is no one to challenge your decisions or to take orders from, which proves a significant relief. You must, however, be willing to bear the burden of your choices and be proactive and able to brainstorm ideas to make your business successful.
Little starting capital
Unlike many other startups, the bike accessories business requires very little capital to have it up and running. It is estimated that a mere twelve thousand dollars can make significant capital. The small startup cost is associated with the type of accessories you would like to start with, the materials they are made, and the competing prices offered by manufacturing companies that make high-quality bike accessories at a low price. The startup cost becomes even cheaper if you are looking to start an online store. You can enlist your store on e-commerce platforms, such as amazon and eBay. These platforms are excellent for promoting your online presence.
Excellent income potential
Bike accessories never go out of fashion. They are always in demand, which means a high-income potential for you and the supplier. They, of course, have some advancements every so often, but this does not lower their demand rate. In fact, with the more significant population getting off their vehicles and making bike riding the next alternative, the bike accessory market will only go up even higher.
Such income will require you to put much effort into your marketing strategy and your customer satisfaction, opening doors when customers recommend your store to other bike riders. It would also help if you were an active bike community member and participated in riding a gravel bike competitions. This gives you a better understanding of the type of accessories in most demand, such as bike locks, and which brands are most preferred.
Excellent retention of customers
Being one of the businesses with high levels of loyal customers, the bike accessory business is excellent. It is usually associated with the investment in time your business takes to ensure that you advise your customers on the best accessories for them and have guarantee periods of different products, which will cause them to keep in touch with you. Your customers are your most prominent marketers, referring your business to friends and family.
A simple business model
The bike accessories business is typically one of the easiest to start and run. The ease of startup is associated with its business model, which is easy to understand and maneuver. You, the business owner, are a middleman between the manufacturing company and the consumer.
It means you are not bothered with manufacturing the bike accessories yourself. Manufacturing companies also do a lot in marketing their products to consumers, making it even easier for you. You, however, must cover shipping costs and put a lot of effort into marketing your business, even with such help from the manufacturer.
Ability to niche-down
Have you seen bike accessory shops dealing only with helmets or clothing gear? Or in accessories shops for specific bike types, such as gravel bikes? The narrowing down guarantees a unique existence of your business and gives confidence to your customers of potential to find all brands of particular products in your store. This plan helps build your brand in a niche full of bike accessory sellers.
It attracts a lot of curious potential clients into your store, which means your sales are likely to go higher. Standing out is the key, remember. It must be kept in mind that the one-stop-shop bike accessory idea is also viable as some clients are not fans of moving from one shop to another. However, it means that a startup business will likely offer a small variety of bike accessories as it costs little.
Exquisite perks and discounts
As a middleman between manufacturing companies and consumers, you, the business owner, are an asset to each group. The manufacturers, for example, value you as a marketer of their products, giving you access to excellent perks, such as invites to workshops to learn about new advancements in the biking industry, which you will transfer to your consumers. You are also eligible for massive discounts, especially if you buy goods in bulk. For instance, bike accessory business owners are eligible for discounts on shipment fees. It is an excellent boost to your startup business.
The bike business is an all-season trade
Whether in summer, spring, or winter, you can always ride your bike if you have the correct gear to help you pull through. The bike accessories business always remains relevant throughout the year, providing riders with much-needed accessory gear. It means the reliability of your income on your business is even better than when doing other businesses, which leads to closure in certain seasons.
High predictability
You do not need a year to project how your bike accessories startup will be fairing; a few weeks or, at most, months will tell if your business has a future. This will prevent you from making significant losses after investing your time and money in the business.
Final thoughts
You can never go wrong with starting a bike accessories business. The possibilities that come with the business are endless, allowing you to make a good income and interact with like-minded individuals. The business has more pros than cons, and the cons are common problems many business owners face. To thrive in the bike accessories business, you should join biking groups and conduct in-depth research on the needs of potential clients and reliable source manufacturers.
Photo credit: The feature image has been done by Dusan Petkovic.
