Inc.’s mythical columnist Norm Brodsky spent a while talking enterprise with Joe Nocella, founder of the Brooklyn-based 718 Cyclery. 718 Cyclery has installed itself as a a hit store catering to the critical bicycle owner–but its growth has plateaued. Joe’s been trying to find a very good concept to help him jump-begin sales. That’s while Norm got here in, to pay attention Joe out and assist him think thru finding a brand new manner forward.
Norm: How a lot commercial enterprise do you do? What’s your gross sales?
Joe: We’re tracking for approximately similar to remaining yr, approximately $1.1 million. Two years ago, it turned into $1.Three million. So income were stagnating–there is no denying it.
OK. So what percentage is new sales and add-ons, and how many is provider?
We destroy it up into 3 parts. We have bike income, components and accessories, and then what we call labor. So, last yr, motorbike sales have been approximately forty six percentage of our common revenue, and exertions was approximately 14 percent. The stability is elements and accessories.
How many bikes do you sell a yr?
About 300.
The majority of your customers are critical bike fanatics, right?
Right. Our bikes normally sell for between $1,200 and $1,500. We do not need to push different human beings away, however there are higher alternatives for someone who is looking for a bike below $500, for example. That’s just no longer us.
Do you hold music of your clients?
Yes. Six months once they purchase a motorcycle, we ship them an email asking how the entirety is going with it. It’s like a dentist’s postcard.
You have ideal customers, that are hard to discover, however the only aspect you do with them is follow up approximately the motorcycle? How many people are at the mailing listing?
About 6,000.
That’s tremendous. I can likely think about half a dozen folks that might die to have get right of entry to to that list. Now, I’m no longer positive I’d provide them get admission to to it, because you’re protecting of your clients, however you may characteristic products. You can bring them stuff that they maybe do not know about. Maybe you may get a reduction for them, too. So you are going to do properly for them.
If I had been you, I’d do lots of research on other approaches you could monetize that patron listing. For example, folks who arrange bike journeys are usually seeking out human beings to go on them. You can funnel your list to them and get commissions.
We genuinely do in a single day journeys ourselves once a month.
Do you’re making money doing it? I’m now not so sure that you do.
We do not. They just allow us to create social media content material, and function ourselves as leaders inside the discipline. We price handiest $25, to cowl coverage and my expenses.
The first thing I could inform you is to double that fee. You’ll have lots greater greenbacks in your pocket, and the humans will nevertheless be getting a bargain. But, searching at your financials, the principle problem is that bike income are down.
Exactly.
It looks as if you’re in opposition to doing this, however I think you need to sell starter bikes–ones that price $200 or $300. That manner, whilst any individual like me walks into the store, the person may not see motorcycles for simply $1,two hundred, or $2,two hundred, and stroll out.
Yeah. The mission I actually have with cheaper bikes is what happens to them after a yr of being ridden in New York City. Things disintegrate, and those have a horrific revel in.
Then you inform them, “You’re by no means going to buy a $two hundred motorcycle this is built like a $seven-hundred bike, but that is about the exceptional-excellent $200 version you are going to shop for.” Attracting humans with decrease-end motorcycles will help you construct the next technology of better-motorbike clients.
We do promote some of them. We’re running on it.
Yeah? That’s tremendous. But you’ve got to trade the way you’re doing matters. You’ve got to monetize, so you can preserve that mojo going.
