A luxury bike business is like a typical bike shop but with upscale, luxury bike models. These include BMW, Porsche, and Land Rover, just to name a few. In addition to selling these bikes, you will repair them and sell custom luxury parts for the bikes. These bikes are a clean travel alternative and appeal to a specific customer. Continue reading to learn how to start your own luxury bike business and find out if it is right for you.
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Start a luxury bike business by following these 10 steps:
- Plan your Luxury Bike Business
- Form your Luxury Bike Business into a Legal Entity
- Register your Luxury Bike Business for Taxes
- Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
- Set up Accounting for your Luxury Bike Business
- Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Luxury Bike Business
- Get Luxury Bike Business Insurance
- Define your Luxury Bike Business Brand
- Create your Luxury Bike Business Website
- Set up your Business Phone System
We have put together this simple guide to starting your luxury bike business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.
Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.
STEP 1: Plan your business
A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:
- What will you name your business?
- What are the startup and ongoing costs?
- Who is your target market?
- How much can you charge customers?
Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.
What will you name your business?
Choosing the right name is very important. Read our detailed guide on how to name your business. We recommend checking if the business name you choose is available as a web domain and securing it early so no one else can take it.
What are the costs involved in opening a luxury bike business?
The major costs involved with opening a luxury bike business are going to be the bike store itself and purchasing inventory — the bikes and accessories. Since you want to sell luxury bikes, you are going to need a classy and luxury shop in which to sell them. This shop could cost as much as $350,000, depending on the size and location of your shop. You are going to need a sizable location because bikes can take up a lot of room. It may be best to have a storefront and purchase storage space elsewhere to keep most of your inventory.
What are the ongoing expenses for a luxury bike business?
You are going to have to pay for your building and utilities. If you have a staff, payroll will be an ongoing expense, and you will have to pay for insurance and licenses.
Who is the target market?
Your target market is going to be someone with disposable income that is interested in biking, or maybe even new to biking, but is loyal to luxury brands.
How does a luxury bike business make money?
A luxury bike business makes money by purchasing and selling bikes. You will also make money on accessories and parts for bicycles. In addition, you can charge for repairing and customizing bikes.
How much can you charge customers?
The amount you can charge is going to depend on the bike. You can expect the luxury bikes to start for well over $5,000. If you can get the bike at a lower cost, then you can sell it for the retail price. Remember that customers are willing to pay lots of money for these luxuries, so ensure your business has an upscaled atmosphere. People expect quality service when purchasing quality products.
How much profit can a luxury bike business make?
The average retail margin for bikes is about 36%. The margin for luxury bikes may be slightly different. Between the bikes, accessories, repairs, and customization, you can expect a profit margin of around 40%.
How can you make your business more profitable?
You can expand your presence at community events to bring in more money. You can network with a different industry like yoga and fitness industries to create a partnership and promote your shop. Consider adding a coffee or smoothie bar in your shop as a way to make more sales. Furthermore, offering rental options may bring in profits and additional sales if customers enjoy using the bike during the rental period.
Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC’s free Small Business Startup Guide – a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!
STEP 2: Form a legal entity
One crucial aspect that cannot be overlooked when starting your luxury bike business is the importance of establishing a solid business foundation. While sole proprietorships and partnerships are the most common entity types for small businesses, they’re a far less stable and advantageous option than LLCs.
This is because unincorporated business structures (i.e., sole proprietorships and partnerships) expose you as an owner to personal liability for your business’s debts and legal actions, while LLCs protect you by keeping your personal assets separate from your business’s liabilities.
In practice, this means that if your luxury bike business were to face a lawsuit or incur any debts, your savings, home, and other personal assets could not be used to cover these costs. On top of this, forming your business as an LLC also helps it to appear more legitimate and trustworthy.
Ready to Turn Your Business Idea Into a Reality?
Tailor Brands is our top recommendation because it guides you through every step of the formation process with hands-on support — from paperwork and compliance to devising a detailed plan to help you achieve your business goals.
Note: If you’re interested in more information before getting started, we recommend having a look at our state-specific How to Start an LLC guide (DIY) or our in-depth Best LLC Services review (for those opting for a professional service).
STEP 3: Register for taxes
You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.
In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It’s really easy and free!
You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website. If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?
There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.
STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card
Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.
When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.
Open a business bank account
Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:
- Separates your personal assets from your company’s assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
- Makes accounting and tax filing easier.
Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.
Get a business credit card
Getting a business credit card helps you:
- Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business’ expenses all in one place.
- Build your company’s credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.
Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.
STEP 5: Set up business accounting
Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.
Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.
STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses
Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.
STEP 7: Get business insurance
Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.
There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.
Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers’ Compensation Coverage.
STEP 8: Define your brand
Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.
If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.
How to promote & market a luxury bike business
The best way to promote your luxury bike shop is to use social media, especially sites that appeal to high-end shoppers. Additionally, you want to create a website that is easy to use and well maintained. Make sure your contact information is prominent, and respond in a timely manner to emails and phone calls.
How to keep customers coming back
You want to build a solid reputation in the community and with your customers. Many people that indulge in luxury items have friends that will do the same, so ensure that you have satisfied customers in order to continue growing your business. Word of mouth is a strong advertising tool.
STEP 9: Create your business website
After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.
While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.
Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:
- All legitimate businesses have websites – full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
- Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
- Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.
Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.
Other popular website builders are: WordPress, WIX, Weebly, Squarespace, and Shopify.
STEP 10: Set up your business phone system
Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.
There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2024 to find the best phone service for your small business.
Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com
Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it’s fair pricing.
Is this Business Right For You?
This business is ideal for those who care about the environment, want to promote physical fitness, and love luxury cars and bikes. Not only is this ideal for bike enthusiasts but car enthusiasts as well.
Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?
Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!
What happens during a typical day at a luxury bike business?
You can expect your typical day to consist of running the day-to-day tasks at the bike shop. Monitoring your inventory and sales will be an important part of your job, and you will schedule appointments, make repairs, and perform customizations to bikes. Researching products and trends is important to ensure your business keeps up with market demands. You may need to educate customers and train staff.
What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful luxury bike business?
It is necessary for you to understand how to repair luxury bikes. You can hire staff to repair the bikes, but it is helpful if you have an understanding of the basics too. In addition, you need to be knowledgeable about the products you sell so that you can adequately promote them to interested customers. Given the extra cost of a luxury bike, customers want to feel that you are a dependable source of knowledge and can be of help if problems arise.
What is the growth potential for a luxury bike business?
The bike industry, in general, has seen a tremendous amount of growth. The luxury line of bikes is a newer twist on bike models; however, people that have a love for lavish cars and bikes are interested in purchasing these bikes.
Take the Next Step
Find a business mentor
One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.
Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.
Learn from other business owners
Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.
Resources to Help Women in Business
There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:
- Funding
- Events
- Guides
- Support
If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.
What are some insider tips for jump starting a luxury bike business?
You want to be smart about the purchases you make. You may not want to blow your budget and purchase the most expensive bikes until you are sure you can sell them. You can always order bikes for customers – they just may have to wait a little longer. Customers that purchase high-end cars are used to waiting for them to arrive.
How and when to build a team
You are going to want to build a small team from the start. You are going to need at least one staff member knowledgeable about your products and bicycle repair to work when you are not in the shop yourself.