A Broader Lens

The more I pay attention to global business trends, the more I realize how narrow my perspective has been.  Good thing, right, 'cause isn't that the point?  Still, I continue to enjoy these "wow" moments.

One thing common to these experiences is that they have to do with things so common.  For instance, I sell bikes, right?  And although I in many ways see bikes as works of art, they are also pretty common.  Most of the 350 million people in my country know how to ride one and most have owned a few over the course of their lives.  But yesterday at the coffee shop I read an article in Fast Company about IBM's investment in something even more common - water.  Can't get much more common than that, right?  Not considering the average American consumes 575 liters per day!  And although we have oceans of the stuff, getting the right quality in the right places is no easy task, thus IBM's focus on the fast growing water-management market, projected to reach $20 billion by 2015.  $20 billion!

Another common thread continues to be the good 'ole PRC.  That's right, the People's Republic of China.  You know, the country where 1 out of every 5 people that exist live?  The same Fast Company article highlighted the growth of Alibaba.com and it's subsidiary Taobao.com.  Now I remember coming across Alibaba.com just a few years after it launched.  I registered an account there thinking I might come across some cool cycling products someday.  I never took time to really investigate the site although I still see the occasional Alibaba.com email come through my spam filter.  What I had never heard of though was Taobao, a online consumer marketplace similar to eBay, but in Chinese.  This company I'd never heard of boasts 145 million registered users.  Alibaba also has a service called Alipay which competes against eBay's PayPal.  Or should I say, there's this company called eBay that has a service called PayPal which competes against Alipay?  You see, Alipay has over 200 million registered users and it's global numbers are now larger than PayPal's.

Does anyone else have stories about seeing the world more clearly through business?

Finding Business

I love online locator services like Yelp, Angie's List, Urban Spoon, and Google Maps, but one thing I find challenging is the limited amount of detail available about many businesses.  This seems especially strange given how easy and affordable it is to get information out there.  Case in point is Google's Local Business Center.  For zero dinero a business owner can list the following:

name
address
phone number
email address
website
bio
hours of operation
type of business
photos
videos
coupons
payment options

Not only that but they can access free analytics data with information about who's searching for them.  Watch the video below for more details.



If you own a business or know someone who does (especially if the business caters to local customers) I encourage you to take advantage of things like this.  A name, address, and phone number is great, but if you show me a picture or post a copy of your menu I'll be more likely to check you out.  And if you tell me ahead of time that you're closed on Mondays or that you don't take plastic, I'll be able to make sure I have cash in my wallet come Tuesday!

10 Reasons Why I Love My Lazer Helmet

And the ten reasons why I love my Lazer Genesis Helmet are...

10.  BELGIUM - Lazer is a Belgian company that's been making helmets since 1919.  I've never been to Belgium but I like their beer.  I also like watching cyclocross which is a rich part of the culture there.  Other things I like from Belgium include chocolate, waffles, and fries.
9.  PARAGLIDING - A sport I've never experienced but I always think it's cool when I go to Lazer's website and I get to choose between motorcycling, cycling, and paragliding helmets.  Paragliding just sounds sweet and when I wear my Lazer helmet, I feel sweet by association.
8.  SAFETY - Okay, so this is the point of a helmet, right?  All Lazer helmets are built to CPSC requirements, giving me peace of mind whether I'm riding on the road or the trail.
7.  ACCESSORIES - There are a number of accessories available for the Genesis, including a visor and a helmet pod.  But my favorite is this soon to be released winter pad set.  Those are some sweet earflaps!
6.  DURABILITY - I wear my helmet a lot, almost every day in fact when it's not crazy cold. I also travel with it quite a bit and it holds up well in a suitcase, in the back of a pickup truck, and on the trail.  And if ever do damage the helmet by putting it to use, there's a crash replacement policy.
5.  EASY MAINTENANCE - Since I do use my helmet so much, I have done some maintenance.  I've put fresh pads in a couple of times (the helmet comes with an extra set), lubed the fit system's worm gear, and replaced a plastic cover.  Pads and parts were always easy to find and I've needed no special tools to install them, just a pen knife or a small screwdriver.
4.  GOOD LOOKS - This is a personal preference of course, but I like the looks of the Genesis.  There are lots of colors to choose from and it comes in two sizes.  The larger of the two fits me well and forms a slim profile on my head compared to the mushroom look that characterizes other popular brands.
3.  EASE OF USE - The Genesis' Rollsys fit system couldn't be easier to use.  You simply turn a dial on top of the helmet to tighten or loosen the fit.  I just wish I could get one to fit my kids!
2.  SECURITY - The fit system feels solid on my head like a helmet should.  A simple attribute but one I don't take for granted.
1.  COMFORT - If you've ever used a helmet with Rollsys, you'll agree that the best thing about it is the comfort.  The Rollsys uses a 360 degree fit system, which means it conforms to the shape of my head rather than pressing my head into a helmet shaped to fit an average noggin.  Also, since the helmet uses a 360 degree band, the pressure is uniform on my head and since the adjustment relies on friction rather than an indexed dial, I can fine tune the amount of tension to just where I want it.

Interested in getting one for yourself?  Click here for a list of dealers!  Like what you see but want to save some dough?  Check out the Lazer Oxygen.  It has many of the features of the Genesis but at a lower price.

Disclosure - I work for Quality Bicycle Products, a distributor of Lazer Helmets. If you buy a Lazer helmet or any cycling product it will likely be a good thing for me. This is my personal blog and I'm not paid to write reviews or make endorsements here. However, I was given a Lazer Genesis helmet to use.

Party In The Neighborhood

Saturday, Feb 20th

Good Brew

Check out this interesting customer disloyalty card I read about in the Feb/March issue of Barista Magazine.  The card is produced by World Barista Champion Gwilym Davies of London.

From the article:

Eight cafes located primarily in East London are listed on the card.  The idea is to get cardholders (and the cards are free, natch), to visit cafes they might never have tried.  After they've hit all eight locales, they are invited back to Gwilym's cart for a coffe on the house, um, er, cart.

This is a great example of a business strengthening its larger community, in this case London's coffee scene, and growing its own opportunities.

In Minneapolis I've seen several bike shop owners wearing t-shirts from other shops.  They too recognize that not only is there room for others to play, but that in a real way the fact that these other businesses exist creates more room than if they didn't.  That and I really believe they like each other, which in an even more powerful and perhaps pure way attracts me to them and to their business.

For Sale: Salsa El Mariachi 29er Bike

It’s with a heavy heart that I offer up for sale my Salsa El Mariachi. I built this bike piece by piece as my ultimate Minnesota Single Speed. It actually sports two speeds, a 35 x 16 to get you to the trails and a 32 x 19 to get you through the trails. I accomplished this with a set of stainless steel chainrings up front and one of White Industries very unique Dos Eno freewheels out back.

This is one great ride. It’s seen singletrack in Minnesota, Arizona, Florida, and Texas to name a few. It’s also seen its share of commuting miles, a dozen or so trips along rails to trails, and numerous weekends pulling the kid trailer around the neighborhood. Oh yeah, and don’t cry for me too much. I’ll be putting the cash from this sale towards a new Salsa!

Here are the specs:

• Large 20” Salsa El Mariachi Frameset (Tomatillo Green)
• Bushnell Eccentric Bottom Bracket
• Chris King NoThreadSet Headset (Black)
• Winwood Carbon Headset Spacers
• Race Face Deus Crankset 175mm (Black)
• 32/35t Surly Stainless Chainrings
• White Industries DosEno Freewheel 16/19t
• Connex Nickel-Plated 9spd Chain
• Avid BB7 Disc Brakeset
• Avid FR-5 Brake Levers
• Jagwire Cable & Housing Set (Braided Silver)
• Salsa Lip Lock Seat Clamp (Black)
• Thomson Elite Zero Offset Seatpost 27.2 x 330mm (Black)
• Selle Italia SLR Saddle
• Thomson Elite Stem (Black)
• Race Face Next SL Low Rise Carbon Bar
• ESI Grips (Green)
• Wheelset (Handbuilt)
• Surly New Disc Hubs 32h (Silver)
• Salsa Delgado Race Disc Rims 32h (Chrome)
• DT Competition Spokes 14/15g (Silver)
• Salsa Flip-Off Skewers (Green)
• Maxxis Ignitor 29” x 2.1” Tires

Some more pics:

SOLD!