For single product businesses like mine this makes it difficult to join forces with companies who want to on-sell my product. The fact is - they take 25% commission, and for some small businesses like my Harley Rides where my local competition don't offer the same quality product as my company then you the end consumer lose out.
In their rush to lock in the cheapest product, Red Balloon Days, with whom I have supplied Harley Rides since they first started up, decided that my product was too expensive and elected to contract one of my local competitors. Why? Because they were smitten with supplying at the lowest price - not at the best quality.If you look at my company HD Chauffeur Ride Pty Ltd you will note some characteristics which I proudly and passionatley uphold:
- Harley Rides are the only thing I do. I run a Harley Rides business because I love riding and I love sharing the experince with people.
- I maintain a "current model Harley Davidson" and I update my own personal bike with a brand new H-D heritage Softail once every three years.
- My H-D is serviced rigorously, every 8000 kms by my local H-D Dealership. I don't service my own machine because I'm not qualified and my dealer can identify safety issues that would be overlooked if I were to do the work myself.
- Recently I was elected President of the Motorcycle Riders Association (Victoria). My passion for riding extends to Safe Riding and passing on that message to not only other riders but to the community as well. I am presently heavily involved in reducing the Motorcycle Road Toll here in Victoria Australia, and I take that passion with me into my business.
- All the riders who work for me are hand picked. I know their abilities and they know my standards. There are some who will never be called to work for me because I have assessed that they are not safe enough!
As someone who is in the Harley Rides business because they love to ride and love to meet new people, I am not prepared to drop my standards just because others want to undercut me. My regular customers are the mainstay of my business. If I were in this "just for the money" then I wouldn't be doing it - because it just doesn't work that way!
