We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Travis Ford. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Travis below.

Travis, appreciate you joining us today. One thing we always find fascinating is how differently entrepreneurs think about revenue growth and cost reductions – both can be powerful ways to improve profitability. What do you spend more of your time and energy on?

I spend most of my focus on growing revenue and have found that engaging in conversation with each customer helps me figure out what they are really looking for. If I don’t have the offering that they are looking for, I do my best to find a way to offer it. Bikes are a non-stop maintenance-oriented business, so cutting costs on necessary repairs or a cheaper product that won’t last are not an option for me. Growing revenue has been challenging from a marketing aspect because most of what I have put in leads to a less than 5% ROI. It’s a constant battle to want to cut cost and then be afraid of missing out on potential customers by not spending on advertising; so I usually will spend 5% of my revenue on marketing digital and print ads to gain new clients. My business is run as lean as I drew it up, I wear all the hats, oversee the daily business operations, make all the repairs necessary to keep the bikes in top working order, research new products and select what to bring in to sell. Once the shop is cleaned and closed I go home to do some accounting, bookkeeping, updating of the website, SEO, google updates, Instagram posts, and respond to after-hours questions that come in from customers. Most of the fixed costs such as rent, insurance, bikes & e-bikes, internet, security, and merchant processing has only been increasing as time goes on, with little to no options for cost cutting, so I must keep increasing existing revenue streams or find a new stream to keep the business going.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I studied business management in college and had always wanted to own my own business that could be a proud extension of myself. A bike business had never truly crossed my mind until, during the pandemic when my hospitality sales manager position became non-existent from no travel demand and I was forced to find a new path to make an income. Electric bikes were starting to gain more traction as everyone wanted something to do outdoors with enough space away from others. I was able to get ahead of the demand and created electric bike tour experiences in the South Bay. My passion of being on two wheels for over 30 years from bmx riding, road biking , mountain biking, and especially dirt biking led me to dive deep into the bike world and start my business. I started small and reinvested everything over time to continue growing the business while also working a part time job to stay afloat. Now I am able to offer large scale electric bike tours up to 45 riders, oversee a bike & electric bike shop for sales, rentals, and repairs, and look to increase to an additional location next year. What sets me apart from others is every customer being treated with a welcoming hospitality attitude when entering the shop or on a group ride. I strive to make any time spent with a customer memorable; the goal is to have the full experience be one that they can look back on years down the road and be able to bring a smile to their faces. If I do my job correctly this will happen naturally. The brand is focused on creating an adventure and being outdoors, your next bike adventure in Hermosa Beach and beyond awaits! If you are in the market for a new bike or electric bike, looking to enjoy a day renting a bike to ride along the strand, or have a bike that needs a tune-up, come on down and check us out less than one block from the strand in Hermosa Beach.

Do you have multiple revenue streams – if so, can you talk to us about those streams and how your developed them?

My business also does luggage storage through the Bounce App for guests who are staying at local short term vacation rentals or just don’t want to lug their big bags around the beach. If they arrive early before check-in time or have time to fill after checkout and before their flight, we are here to help keep their belongings safe and hassle free. The main goal of this revenue stream is having a guest drop their bag off, see all of the bike types available for rent, and then decide to rent a bike to ride along the coast. It’s a win-win-win situation for all three parties involved and works well with the limited free space that I have available in the bike shop.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

My reputation is comprised of two parts, the local cliental that get repairs and purchase bikes and the other being travelers from all over the globe that are here to rent bikes and e-bikes for a few hours to a few weeks at a time. The most important part of my business is my return customers. They are the domino effect for better or worse and I do everything that I can to keep them happy. My reputation has grown in a positive way locally from simply doing what is right and not taking the easy way to get things done. Everyone likes to have repairs completed in the shortest timeframe possible. I always give an honest answer and if I know I won’t be able to get it completed in the timeframe that they are looking for, then I am upfront about it and have no hard feelings if they go to another shop that may have less of a workload at the time. For local clients it’s about being transparent, letting them know what repairs were made, what they can do to help prevent further issues, and help keep their bike running in top shape for longer. Selling a product that will last and that you believe in is another important aspect of the business. I am a licensed dealer with the outdoor company Retrospec and bring in anything that they sell, if it’s not in my shop already I can usually get the item in a few days. When the clients are happy with the bike that they purchased, then they will tell their friends about it and business will trickle in as more people continue to be thrilled about their experience at Next Adventure Bikes & E-Bikes. Word of mouth referrals bring in the customers who are excited to see what’s in the store and are very interested in making a purchase. For bike rental customers from all over the world they will usually check out online reviews, price, and close proximity to where they are staying before selecting their rental shop. The online reputation is just as important as the word-of-mouth reputation and you never truly know who will be viewing your online presence. It is critical to keep up all platforms up to date with accurate information and have a user-friendly website. Customers who rent our bikes give their honest feedback online and this helps get other people to have the same enjoyable experience by letting them know that we exist and are worth giving a chance. Without their reviews I do not believe that my reputation of five stars would be as great as it is today, I truly thank each person who took the time to write about their experience at Next Adventure Bikes & E-Bikes. 1332 Hermosa Ave Ste 5 Hermosa Beach, CA 90254

Contact Info:

• Website: https://nextadventurebikesande-bikes.godaddysites.com
• Instagram: nextadventure_ebikes
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Next-Adventure-Bikes-E-Bikes/61555035255310
• Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/next-adventure-bikes-and-e-bikes-hermosa-beach
• Other: Email: [email protected]