Business: Village Pedaler
Address: 1954 Gyorr Ave., South Elgin
Contact info: 847-741-5938; villagepedaler.Com
Owner: Jeff Crittenden
Years in the enterprise: 43
What does this enterprise do? Bicycle sales and provider.
How many full-time and element-time workers do you rent? Two full-time, three component-time.
What turned into the impetus for starting this commercial enterprise? “From 1973 to 1975, in excessive faculty, I worked for Jewel. Spring of 1976 on college summer time wreck … Jewel might not rent me returned. Minimum wage changed into $2, and I become making $4. They ought to rent new children or me. My mom got here home from the bridge a couple of nights later and stated that one of the ladies’ husband simply bought a motorbike keep in Crystal Lake. I drove up the subsequent morning and become hired instant. I worked during college. The spring of my senior year, the proprietor decided he didn’t just like the motorcycle commercial enterprise and sold the shop to me. Over the next 15 years, we went from one shop to 4. We had been the 12th biggest Schwinn supplier in the u. S. For numerous years. Since then, we’ve again to one place right here in South Elgin.”
What’s the maximum interesting or surprising fashion taking place inside the motorbike industry proper now? “Electric-powered bicycles. They’ve been around for years as upload-on kits … now not the quality high-quality and performance. Now the motorcycle businesses themselves have jumped at the fashion and are generating great bikes with built-in vehicles and batteries. Awesome bikes.”
What’s the age range of your consumers? “We sell motorcycles for a while 2 thru a hundred.”
What is the first-rate issue approximately being positioned in South Elgin? “It’s an awesome important area for the communities we serve — South Elgin, Elgin, Huntley, Hampshire, Bartlett, Algonquin, West Dundee, St. Charles, etc.”
What is the most important challenge approximately being positioned in South Elgin? “I certainly don’t suppose that South Elgin poses any demanding situations that every other community might or would not.”
When is your busiest time of yr? “Spring and summer time.”
What is the maximum popular carrier you provide? “New motorbike income and our restore keep.”
What is the issue you maximum love to do as part of your business? “Educating customers about the motorbike industry and the variations among bikes at extraordinary fee stages.”
What is your least favourite issue to do? “Don’t have an least preferred factor, only a bunch of factors which might be essential and no longer a good deal amusing.”
What is the great factor approximately proudly owning your very own enterprise? “When a person is shaking due to the fact they may be so enthusiastic about getting a new motorbike … young or old.”
What is the largest misconception approximately your commercial enterprise? “That we’re getting rich because of the prices we fee and the entire lack of knowledge that maximum customers have approximately how it works. They see a bike accent they need online for $50, and we’ve got the identical object for $75. They anticipate that the net individual buys it for $25 and sells it for $50 and we buy it for $25 and promote it for $75, for this reason getting wealthy. What they don’t apprehend is that the net man or woman buys it for $forty at an extent cut-price and sells it for $50 … inclined to make $10. We purchase the item for $45 and promote it for $ seventy-five… taxes, overhead, rent, etc. The net business enterprise has a warehouse within the desert.”
If you weren’t doing this, what line of labour could you be in? “Never idea approximately it an awful lot. My dad changed into an airline pilot. I continually desired to do this. But 40 years ago, I didn’t have the right eyesight for that process.”
How has your business changed through the years? “Much extra competitive … more shops and extra organizations promoting bike-related products. And the net.”
Do you have any destiny plans to expand? “Nope. If a person walked in and said they clearly desired to very own their own enterprise, they could become with a motorcycle keep.”
What do you wish someone had told you earlier than you started out? “The retail motorbike commercial enterprise is a seven-day-a-week, eight- to 10-hour-a-day gig. Along with a million different things.”