I have done some stuff, but never started a business, is it time?
Something simple, enjoyable, not too risky.
I have met a guy doing bike tours inside the city, basically that's the idea. I like bikes, we've got some experiences, there is a fuck loads of tourists. We've got a frame that works already, just add new flavor.
Let's go through why:
- money would be nice
- curiosity, how hard can it be?
- bringing value to the market?
- networking, meeting new people?
- just having fun, doing something new
What we want is, to go ASAP from paper to operation — no theoretical endless loop. Start super basic, then adjust/upgrade.
We've got stuff to DO, and we've got stuff to DECIDE about. Let's brainstorm.
We'll definitely need bikes.
- normal
- ebikes
Normal are cheaper, but with e-bikes you can get even lazier people on board. We need a list of shops and send out emails for offers. Perfect bike shop: they are fast, they are close, they have good prices, offer maintenance and substitute in case of mechanic failure.
Bike storage.
- van
- at home
- someone handling with bikes already
- search & rent
Bike storage vs bike shop, so people can also come in, see the bikes and book a tour?
Guide knowledge.
- tour guide license, national or local
- attend existing tours and take notes
Contact and booking.
- website
- social media
- messaging apps aka WhatsApp
- in person?
- automatic booking system?
Marketing, how do people find you?
- social media
- website (search engine optimization)
- talk, offer your service to agencies, hotels, hostels, Airbnb apartments
- traveling platforms aka Airbnb Experiences, Tripadvisor
- flyers?
- mouth to mouth? (people will talk, if you are good/if not, word comes around even faster)
- cold street approach: talk to tourists, if they would like a guided bike tour?
- you finding people vs people finding you
Money, dinero.
- initial investment
- operating costs
- upgrade
Investment: it depends how many bikes, what type of bikes, we are guessing 6 to 10 bikes, maybe a van, few up to 20k Euro to start with. Operation: space/van, bike maintenance, tax & accounting — could go up to 1k Euro per month. Bike maintenance: fast, close, substitute option.
Payment method.
- free
- donation
- charge
If it's free or donation based, less bureaucracy, no invoices. Charge: cash, card, crypto? Hehe. Classic Ljubljana 2h bike tour, with a guide, normal bicycle, they charge around 35€/person. Up to 10 people per group, 2-3 slots per day.
Growth.
- new routes
- new cities
- new countries
- more people/collab (guides, support team)
- new languages
- rent without guidance (insurance, security?)
- add activities?
- turn into agency?
More options: bike + people transport (van, trailer) — bike anywhere, camera for photos/video, pickup—fix—drop bike service (collab with mechanics), sell books, shirts, national stuff, extra servicio aka snacks & beverage.
Until execution, this is all just worthless digital paper.
SL: Da bi štartal nekaj s kolesi?
Nabaviš kolesa, furaš turiste po centru, pokažeš Prešerna, zapoješ Zdravljico, pospraviš v žep.
Nekaj komplicirano tole ne more bit, se strinjamo?