New Shop Opening in Clifton, NJ - Need Your Input

[Onedwn5up]

OK, this is preliminary. I am in the final stages of negotiatiing the lease on the property but it is right on main ave in clifton, nj about a block or so before Speers Yamaha in Passaic.

I initially started off just looking for a new workshop for my own bikes and projects and came across this place. I am putting another service center for my business in there, www.northeastsmartstart.com , But that still leaves me with about 2200 sq ft of which about 1800 or so is open flooring. To give you an idea of the space, it currently has a boat and 5 or 6 cars in it.

So I have this space and it should be making me money. But the question is, which avenue do I take with it. I want to keep things simple and not get complicated since I don't have a ton of money to pour into the place, like stocking parts inventory. This is an off-shoot of my existing business so I can't get too carried away off the bat. Eventually I can ramp up into parts, but I can't afford that inventory right off the bat.

I have been looking into chrome and powedercoating plus doing assembly/dissasembly work. I have a line to the best chrome plant in the state of who I used to work for when I was 19. I have a friend who owns a powdercoating operation and she is going to give me the run-down on that.

I also own www.apexracetire.com and www.puckedup.com -I might get a tire changing station and do lower-cost tire changes and swaps since the dealerships are just brutal to people as well as get the mail-order thing going. And puckedup.com was a site that I started building to just sell knee sliders and pucks.
I like the idea of being a motorcycle service station where you can come in and get your oil changed, get your tires changed and have your bike looked over and be back on the road in a matter of minutes instead of hours. It limits the stuff you need to stock. You can carry batteries, sprockets, chains, tires and oil/filters and have a nice area to chill in while your bike is being worked on. And of course I can get pretty much anything special ordered.

I have been toying around with several ideas but I want to hear from you guys what you think will work as well as what you like to see or have provided to you. My big thing has always been customer service. Taking care of people and not letting them feel screwed over after they leave your place. And just having a place of business that people like and are happy to have available to them.

let me all know what you think! You comments really mean something so please respond!
-Eric

[Xracer264]

Hey Eric,

Not a bad idea about the oil change, tire service and maintainence. I live really close by in Nutley and drive 20 minutes to order parts and buy gear and so forth. I know many people on this site have also rode a good distance to have their suspensions dialed in. I can say I don't recall a shop in that area that cater towards sport bikes.

[Onedwn5up]

I can dial suspension in and have done it lots of times for people just riding on the street and they have told me their bike feels a 100% better. Most people have no clue what the knobs do. They just get on and ride and figure thats as good as its gonna get.

I have this same post up on a few boards and have been getting some really good feedback. Basic maintenance stuff at a good price and not screwing the customer seems to be the repetitive theme.

I just want to provide a solid service to people and have them feel good about where and how they are spending their money, while also knowing that they aren't being fed a bunch of bs from unexperienced people.

[Cakes206]

Originally Posted by Onedwn5up

I have this same post up on a few boards and have been getting some really good feedback. Basic maintenance stuff at a good price and not screwing the customer seems to be the repetitive theme.

One of the biggest rip offs(and one of my biggest gripes) is when dealers/shops charge an arm and a leg for tire changes. I say if the customer brings just the wheel, it doesn't take much to throw on a new set of rubber.

[HondaGalToo]

Originally Posted by Cakes982

One of the biggest rip offs(and one of my biggest gripes) is when dealers/shops charge an arm and a leg for tire changes. I say if the customer brings just the wheel, it doesn't take much to throw on a new set of rubber.

[Onedwn5up]

yeah, I hear ya all loud and clear on that one. I never understood the price gouging in that respect. I change my friends tires all the time just because, well, because its not that tough. And if you already have a couple stands and the tools, it should take about 5 minutes per wheel to change and balance them using a concentric balancer, not even computerized crap which I don't even trust most of the time. (plus race and aftermarket wheels wont fit on computerized balancers a lot of the time if they have captive spacers). And the amount that the charge someone who brings the bike to them is even more ridiculous. Taking wheels off a bike should only take another 10 minutes at the most.

Dealerships take advantage of people in the respect that they capitilize on someone not having mechanical know-how or the right tools for the job. And I just think thats the wrong to go about things. I don't need to gouge someone for tires or taking them off the bike to change them with the tires that I am selling them nonetheless.

I was a service manager at a large dealership and know what kind of pain they can inflict on people. Price gouging and taking advantage of your customers and people will not do you any good in this business or any for that matter.

[Onedwn5up]

ust got off the phone and it looks like all systems are a go. I'm going tomorrow to sign the lease and get the keys. By this time next week the power and heat should be up and going. And when I get back from holiday break with my pops, it will be all systems full-throttle ahead.

I'll probably start things off with a small party in a couple weeks once I can at least get the projector up and get some sound in there. And you will probably here me asking for help to start cleaning things up and outfitting the place. So for all you that volunteered to help...be forewarned that I will be taking you up on those offers.

In the mean time, if you come across any fixtures, furtniture, building materials or anything that can be of use, please let me know.

I'm psyched and hope you guys are too.

[soda7o]

Originally Posted by Onedwn5up

ust got off the phone and it looks like all systems are a go. I'm going tomorrow to sign the lease and get the keys. By this time next week the power and heat should be up and going. And when I get back from holiday break with my pops, it will be all systems full-throttle ahead.

I'll probably start things off with a small party in a couple weeks once I can at least get the projector up and get some sound in there. And you will probably here me asking for help to start cleaning things up and outfitting the place. So for all you that volunteered to help...be forewarned that I will be taking you up on those offers.

In the mean time, if you come across any fixtures, furtniture, building materials or anything that can be of use, please let me know.

I'm psyched and hope you guys are too.

sounds good ... good luck with it...
if you need furniture and crap let me knwo what i have a garage full of shit i need to unload..
and if you need help with anything le tme know.. (ie networking, runing network and shit.. will be willing ot donate my time...even PC.. i get good deals on them)

[shadoxkila]

i'll tell you what i would definitely give you some business, because there simply arent enough reliable places in the area who can do various or even simple things for you....put out an address and info as you get set and i can guarantee you'll see my RC unless someone buys it, or whatever else i'm riding

[Retom7]

Sounds like a good idea. Customer service is truly what puts one company above another. Word of mouth is the strongest (and cheapest) form of advertising that exists. Start with a few customers, make sure they go home with a smile, and they tell their friends. With specific groups, especially bikers, they always have friends who ride, so there will be no shortage of new people coming in once the ball starts to roll.

In my area, the only shops around are dealers, which I don't want to deal with. After that it's mostly v-twin or harley shops. I just hate going to the dealers because they all suck in my opinion... most won't give up chatting with their friends about going 150mph and doing wheelies to answer questions.

Goodluck!

[nj01f4i]

im offering to help with anything. just let me know

[Onedwn5up]

Originally Posted by shadoxkila

i can guarantee you'll see my RC unless someone buys it, or whatever else i'm riding

What year is your RC? I have an '03 and it is the bike that really got me started doing track days. I learned how to ride the heck out of it and got real good at throwing that thing around. 2 seasons later when I decided to race I got a 600rr and went out and ripped since I was used to throwing around the rc. I went to Daytona in October and I was having issues with my 600 so I decided to take the RC out for the heck of it. I figured why not? So I slapped some numbers and a fresh set of tires and went out there on it. I tell you, it was pretty cool doing over 170 on the bike I got started on. I was running real well in the top 5 but knew I didn'thave anything on the built modern 1000's up on the banking. It was my 125 hp vs their 160+. I ran strong but I dnf'd on the last lap of the unlimited GP with a sprocket failure but somehow I still took home 9th place out of 20 something. That bike is great. It is one of the few bikes I will never sell.

[Onedwn5up]

Thanks retom7 and nj01f4i. I'm sure I will be calling people soon enough. Probably just after the new year after the holiday week.

I'm looking forward to outfitting and designing the place and putting it together. I think I am going to do a lot of industrial steel and scrap stuff. You can buy it by the pound and cut and fit it as you please. A little welding, a little grinding and a little cutting and you have shelves, walls and counters.

Too bad this weekend is the holiday weekend or I would probably have people over to check it out. I'll have to have a "shop warming" get together after the new year. I also need to wait for the owner to get his boat out of there. There's currently a 25 ft sea ray in there.

[Onedwn5up]

I just came back from finalizing the lease agreement on the place. They have to move some equipment out of there but I will be picking up the keys tomorrow in order to start moving some equipment over there. I have to get out of my other work shop so for starters I'll be moving my own personal equipment over there, which probably looks like a service shops worth of stuff. The alarm guy will be there to turn that on and we'll be getting pseg to get the electric and gas service up and going. I've about 10 years of options on this place so fingers crossed, I can make this happen.

I'll get some pictures up here in a bit so you all can get an idea of where it is and what it looks like.

Depending on if I can get acces to electric and if its not freezing balls in there, I might have some people over Friday or Saturday. Heck, I might be even asking people to help me load the box truck and trailer to move stuff over there tomorrow.

I really appreciate everyones willingness to help out and lend a hand and I will certainly reciprocate in the future.

[Onedwn5up]

Here it is in all its glory. 220 Main Ave, Clifton, NJ

It is directly after Costco, CP's Market and the Century buffet