Wouldn't it be great to build motorcycles for a living?" I'm guessing the thought has crossed your mind while working on your own bike. It's kind of like saying, "Wouldn't it be great to climb Mount Everest?" Of course, it would, depending on your tolerance for discomfort-and even disaster. In the few years that Classified Moto has been my livelihood, I've experienced highs and lows. I've felt pride, joy, fear and camaraderie.
Plus, the occasional overwhelming urge to punch someone square in the face. Through it all, I've learned without a doubt that I'm an expert on nothing. Ironically this is probably the most valuable knowledge I've acquired. More on that later. But: full disclosure here. If you get the chance to appear on Bike EXIF, take it. If you want a shot at building a successful motorcycle business, I believe you need three traits: Creativity, flexibility and enthusiasm.
All three. And although we're talking about bike building, these traits probably apply to any form of self-employment. (And life in general.) Conventional wisdom says to run a successful custom bike company you need to be an amazing craftsman, a world-class welder, a master mechanic, and so on. I disagree. Like it or not, the skills you need to build a motorcycle are not the same ones you need to make a living from building motorcycles.
Today, you need a vision-and the social graces to get good people on board, people who can help you execute that vision. It should be your goal to spend your time doing what you do best, and delegate the rest to specialists who do it better than you do. If you are creative, flexible and enthusiastic, chances are you can round up a set of top-notch craftsmen to help get the builds done.
And then other talented folks to help you convey what you're doing to the public-by building your brand. There's a bit of a notion afoot that building a brand for your business somehow makes you a poser. If you are going to build your own business one day, be careful before you join the bashing. You'll be forced to eat crow. And you might also have to ask for advice from the successful 'posers' you mocked to begin with.
Yes, if you're going to attempt to make a living at this, you're going to have to market yourself in some way. And do it as well as (or better than) you can weld, sew, tune carbs or pull wheelies. Building a brand might seem easy, but it's not just a logo design. It requires a lot of knowledge, and an instinctive feel for stuff you might not want anything to do with. The most interesting thing? It forces you to see your work from the public's perspective.
You know how awesome you are, no doubt. But if you're having a hard time convincing the masses of that fact-or even a few well-heeled clients-your bottom line will suffer. Start by figuring out what you bring to the table. Are you an order taker, a dictator, a trendsetter, a copycat, an asshole, or an unbridled artist? Are your bikes easily recognizable? Are you filling a unique demand of some sort? People need a reason to get excited about what you're trying to sell.
So, Will you find something that you can be excited about as well, and make that the basis of your brand? Let get started....