Tallahassee, Florida is a typical college town full of character and diversity. Similar too many other college towns there are a fairly large group of small local businesses. Joe’s Bike Shop is one of these small locally owned businesses. The shop is located along the banks of picturesque Lake Ella in a small stone clad building. The first thing you will notice upon arrival to the shop is all the bicycles out front, from old beach cruisers to modern day road bikes. It is like a haven for bicycle enthusiasts. Once inside the small store you will notice that it is stuffed full of bikes and bike parts. On this particular day when I visited Joe’s Bike Shop I was welcomed by three friendly men who all seemed more than willing to help. When I explained I was interviewing local business owners in Tallahassee one of the men exclaimed that I came to the right spot. That man was John, a customer and friend of Joe who apparently spends quite a bit of time at the shop while his bikes are repaired. However Joe was much more humble and said “Why would anyone want to interview me?” I also can’t forget Pete who is Joe’s head bicycle mechanic and was more than willing to chime in with a witty comment. As soon as I pulled out my notebook full of questions Joe began to groan about answering a lot of questions. Thankfully once the interview got going he had no problem opening up to me and providing me with some great answers.
I started off the interview by asking how long Joe’s Bike Shop had been in business. Joe replied jokingly by saying 75 years and then with a serious answer of 26 years. His answer seemed to remind him how long he had been in business and brought back some nostalgia. I then asked him if he had always owned his own business or if he had worked for someone else before. He told me about his short career of flipping burgers at Burger King. More importantly he also explained how he worked as a bicycle mechanic at Janice Bikes, where he got his start in repairing bikes. When I asked him how he came up with the idea of starting his own business he had a simple reply. Basically Janice Bikes closed down and he enjoyed bicycles so why not take a chance at opening his own bike store. This answer led me to my next question which asked if it was difficult to get Joe’s Bike Shop started. Joe told me it was fairly easy because he just bought a lot of the supplies and tools from Janice Bikes since it was closing down. He also told me that before he had a permanent store he had a stand at the flea market and often could be found at FSU’s market Wednesday.
At this point I was surprised at how well the interview was going and decided to gain more information from Joe. So I asked him who his average clientele was. This question got a lot of laughter out of Joe and he pointed to John. He told me that John was always in his shop for something. He did elaborate a little more and said that he gets a lot of state workers and college students. I was going to ask him what kind of relationship he has with his customers but it was obvious to me by his relationship with John. Also a woman came in with a flat bike tire and he knew her by name and was extremely helpful. I think this shows why he has been open for 26 years. Next I asked him what it is like being in charge of your own schedule. He replied with a mixed answer of yes he enjoys being in control of his own destiny but it has its drawbacks. For instance Joe explained to me that he works all the time and John and Pete agreed with that statement. I forgot to mention that the whole time I was conducting the interview Joe was tinkering away on a bike, proof that he really does work all the time. So I had one more question for Joe with the hopes of getting a really in-depth answer. I asked him if he had any tips for someone interested in starting their own business. Joe replied with a simple “Don’t”. He laughed after saying it but I could tell that owning your own business is not an easy task and not to be taken lightly. After all Joe has owned his own business for 26 years and knows all the challenges. With that final question I felt pretty good about the interview so I thanked Joe and snapped a couple photos of him at work.
At this point I was surprised at how well the interview was going and decided to gain more information from Joe. So I asked him who his average clientele was. This question got a lot of laughter out of Joe and he pointed to John. He told me that John was always in his shop for something. He did elaborate a little more and said that he gets a lot of state workers and college students. I was going to ask him what kind of relationship he has with his customers but it was obvious to me by his relationship with John. Also a woman came in with a flat bike tire and he knew her by name and was extremely helpful. I think this shows why he has been open for 26 years. Next I asked him what it is like being in charge of your own schedule. He replied with a mixed answer of yes he enjoys being in control of his own destiny but it has its drawbacks. For instance Joe explained to me that he works all the time and John and Pete agreed with that statement. I forgot to mention that the whole time I was conducting the interview Joe was tinkering away on a bike, proof that he really does work all the time. So I had one more question for Joe with the hopes of getting a really in-depth answer. I asked him if he had any tips for someone interested in starting their own business. Joe replied with a simple “Don’t”. He laughed after saying it but I could tell that owning your own business is not an easy task and not to be taken lightly. After all Joe has owned his own business for 26 years and knows all the challenges. With that final question I felt pretty good about the interview so I thanked Joe and snapped a couple photos of him at work.
After my interview with Joe, I feel like I have a much better understanding of small business owners in Tallahassee. I now see the benefits as well as the challenges of owning your own business. My impression before the interview was that small business owners had it easy. I thought since they were in charge of their own schedule that they could just do whatever they wanted. However Joe informed me that it is actually the opposite. Since they are in charge they cannot rely on others so often times a small business owner will work way more hours than the average worker. He even told me that he has worked on holidays just to keep up with business. Although there are challenges Joe obviously loves what he does and prefers owning his own business then working for someone. It was clear to me that he enjoys his profession just by his interactions with his customers. I do not think there are any big businesses where the owner is friends with one of his customers like the way Joe is friends with John. The best part about small businesses is their tie to the community. I personally like being able to go into a store and know the owner by name. I also like the personal attention and atmosphere of a small local business. I felt very comfortable at Joe’s Bike Shop and feel it is an excellent example of a small local business in Tallahassee, Florida.
Official Interview
Me: How long have you been in business?
Joe: 26 years this August
Me: Have you always owned your own business or have you worked for someone else?
Joe: Before I became interested in bikes I flipped burgers down at Burger King and then I was a bicycle mechanic at Janice Bikes.
Me: How did you come up with the idea to start your own business?
Joe: Well Janice Bikes closed down and I still loved repairing bikes so I bought up a bunch of tools and parts from Janice Bikes and began my own make-shift shop.
Me: Was it difficult to get your business started?
Joe: Not too difficult since I lucked out and got all the supplies I really needed from the closed shop. I also started out with a booth at the flea market so I didn’t just move into a permanent storefront right away.
Me: Who is your average clientele?
Joe: John of course. Also I get a lot of state workers and students in here.
Me: Do you like being in charge of your own schedule?
Joe: Yes because I don’t like having others tell me what to do. I am in charge of my own destiny.
Me: Do you enjoy the responsibility of owning your own business?
Joe: I do, however I work more than most people. In fact I have even worked on weekends and holidays just to keep up with business.
Me: What are some tips for someone interested in starting a small business?
Joe: Don’t!
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