This is the 7th and last post in a series by Bradley Saul, called “The Business Life Cycle.”
Over my past few posts, I gave a glimpse into the rise and fall of the bike store I co-owned for five years.
There are loads of business books full of tips and advice on how to succeed in business. I created my own list to share with you. I tossed it in the trash.
Throughout these posts, I haven’t told you one thing: I never wanted to run a bike shop. That is, I did not want to deal with customers or managing employees.
I enjoy the research and analysis part of business; I did not want to execute the day-to-day sales and service. When I found myself having to take that role, I became frustrated. I had hoped to help build the business into a sellable asset or have my business partner manage the operation. For reasons I laid out in previous posts, neither opportunity came to fruition.
I have no regrets about starting the business. I feel we had a good market. As owners, we failed to turn a loyal customer base into financial success. It’s tough! I know that sounds trite, but business success doesn’t always come easy. You have to be willing to do the hard work, never stop learning and improving, and often do things that you don’t want to do.
Over the course of my past few posts, I hope I haven’t scared anyone off from starting a new business or deflated anyone who’s just getting started. I hope you’ve been able to sift out a nugget or two that will make your business a success!
Before I sign off, I want to thank MerchantOS. We were one of their early customers, and we used their point of sale system from day one. They rock. I watched their system continue to improve over the years, and they always offered great support.
Good luck in your business! - Bradley Saul
