Name shop: Kings Rideshop
Location: Palm Desert, California
Years in business: Almost 15 years
Employees: No just people who care
Is running a BMX shop something you've always wanted to do?
Kings Rideshop: I wouldn’t say that. I worked at a shop pretty young and saw how hard it was on the owner of that shop and never wanted to be in that spot, but since I've had the shop I do enjoy the
Name shop: Signature BMX
Location: Vantaa, Finland
Years in business: 13 years on January
Employees: 2, Mikko Suni full-time, Antti Huotari part-time.
Did you ever go to school to learn how to run a (BMX) business or did you just 'send it'?
Signature BMX: We just sent it and still are sending it. We first thought of having a clothing brand and started selling some bmx bike parts to cover the cost of clothing side. Sales started to pick up before we even had much of a clothing available. Just some shirts under the name of Signature. That’s pretty much what ever happened on that side. We focused on selling bike stuff. It was just a mail order/webshop at first. We pretty much ran it from our home. Our real warehouse/shop/distro came to life after a couple of years. So I guess we’re still learning day by day something new.
Were your BMX industry contacts already made before you started your shop, or did you meet more people along the way?
Signature BMX: I knew Niels Thanild and Joe Rich and a few others before the business came along. I went to Interbike the next year as we started and made a lot of contacts there.
Name shop: kunstform BMX Shop
Location: Stuttgart (Germany)
Years in business: 15 years (since 2003)
Employees: 11
Is running a BMX shop something you've always wanted to do?
kunstform BMX Shop: Actually No! It just happend. I study computer science at the university and the founder Sebastion Pospischil always asked me if I can change some buttons or functions in the web shop. From time to time it got more and more, so I started there my full time job.
What (BMX) shops did you like before you started your own?
kunstform BMX Shop: FlairBMX Shop in Berlin, Busy P in Cologne
Did you do some serious research before you opened up your shop at your location or did you just go for it?
Name shop: The900shop
Location: Eksel, Belgium
Years in business: 10 years
Employees: 1 fulltime and 2 students
What was the reason for you to start a BMX shop?
The900shop: Because it is my biggest passion.
How did your first year turn out?
The900shop: We were selling all kinds of bikes and Bmx freestyle turned out very good.
How big was your local scene in the beginning, and how big is it now?
Name shop: The Boarding House
Location: Exeter, Devon, U.K.
Years in business: 34
Employees: Me and assorted part-timers
What was the reason for you to start a BMX shop?
The Boarding House: The shop had been here since 1984 (called BMX Superstore), in 1997 I had the opportunity to take over from the previous owner. Having mainly worked in the skate-surf industry before, it was an easy transition to run a shop, I had experience working in skateshops before, so, just right place, right time, to carry on working in something I loved.
Name of your shop: Trainbmx
Location: 38170 Klein Vahlberg/ Germany
Years in business: Since 2014
Employees: None
What was the reason for you to start a BMX shop?
Trainbmx: While on my old 30 years old profession as a mechanic / master, I had no more desire and then spontaneously on 22.05.14 I founded my shop. Since I have been arranging myself in the BMX for decades, it was not difficult for me.
Name shop: Groundedbmx
Location: Ninove
Years in business: 8
Employees: 2 sometimes 3
What was the reason for you to start a BMX shop?
Groundedbmx: I always knew I wanted to run my own company. Since my head is always full of ideas I talked to a friend of mine who has owned multiple businesses to figure out what Idea I should pursue. He told me to only go for the one I’m most passionate about. So, that was BMX :), a no brainer.
What was your first location like?
Groundedbmx: I started Grounded as an online store but soon had customers picking up parts in my bedroom which turned into a stockroom pretty quickly.
How did your first year turn out?