Gas prices, ‘green’ thinking boosts business at Kiddles – Lake Forester (June 2008)

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Gas prices, ‘green’ thinking boosts business at Kiddles

June 26, 2008

By LINDA BLASER

lblaser@pioneerlocal.com

The price of gas and an environmental consciousness has increased bike repair orders, bike sales and accessory sales at Kiddles Bike & Sport in Lake Forest to a 40-year high.

“I would say in the 40 years we’ve been here, we’ve never seen it like this,” said owner Jay Shlifka. “I’d say we’ve got a 10 to 15 percent increase in repairs alone.”

“We have hundreds of bikes down there,” sales manager and Jay’s son Lee Shlifka said last week of the repair shop in the store’s basement.

People are bringing in pretty much anything, he said, sometimes six to eight bikes at a time. “We’ve got old bikes that are 20- to 30-years-old that people are bringing in,” Lee Shlifka said.

The most common reason for seeking bike repairs or bike-related purchases is that people want to leave their car at home for in-town errands, Jay Shlifka said.

“That’s the big change this year over other years,” he said. “It’s the reason everyone is giving. They’re all saying the same thing.”

People “want to do the right thing,” he said. “They want to leave their car at home. It’s better for the environment. It saves on gasoline.”

Always high in the spring, new bikes sales also have increased more than expected, Jay Shlifka said. Hybrid bikes

“We always sell kids bikes. That’s always going to be a strong market. But this year we’re selling a lot more adult bikes — hybrids, a cross between a road bike and a mountain bike. They have a more upright position,” Lee Shlifkasaid.

In the years Shlifka has worked in and around his family’s bike and sport shop on Market Square, he has never seen anything like it.

“This time of year, we’re always busy. But this year, for sure, it’s surprising all the repairs and set-ups of new bikes we’ve had,” he said.

“People want to get on their bikes. They’re not driving as much. They’re taking their bike to the market, the library, the beach, on a picnic,” Lee Shlifka said.

That has prompted an increase in sales of front baskets, rear grocery bags and racks.

“You can’t get as much on a bike as you can in a car, but you can get a fair amount on your bike if you need to pick up a handful of things,” Lee Shlifka said. “People are doing what they can to get around without driving. It’s just snowballing.

To meet the growing need, a fifth bike repair person joined the staff in the last two weeks. That brings the repair team to two full-time and three part-time employees.

That should help with the workload, which ranges from basic tune-up to more extensive work on bikes that have been sitting for a while.

But customers don’t seem to mind the repair bill, when they compare that to the price of a gallon of gas and the effect short trips has on the environment.

“We’re getting a lot of work with the gas situation,” said Lee Shlifka.

http://www.pioneerlocal.com/lakeforest/news/1025203,lf-bikes-062608-s1.articleprint

 

10 Secrets of Successful Family-Owned Businesses – American Express Forum (November 2012)

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10 Secrets of Successful Family-Owned Businesses

Learn the key characteristics that can improve the chances of future generations successfully taking over your family business.

Barry Moltz

Getting Small Businesses Unstuck, Shafran Moltz Group

NOVEMBER 21, 2012 

Over 80 percent of all businesses in the U.S. are family owned.  Only 30 percent of them get successfuly passed to a second generation and it gets more difficult over time. Statistics show only 13 percent are transferred onto the third generation. 

Here are the key characteristics that can improve the success rates of future generations of any family business.

  1. Start in the business at a young age. Brad Factor has been working at his family’s Chicago Messenger Serviceever since he was five years old. He wanted to spend every day off of school at the office with his dad working instead of playing with friends. 
  2. Learn the business from the bottom up.Over the years, Brad has grown up learning the business from all angles. As soon as he got his license, he would drive to the warehouse to unload trucks, build skids and do deliveries. During college, Brad would come into work taking orders, dispatching and attending industry trade shows.  
  3. Share the same goals and values.Brad said “I was always taught since I was young, to be blessed for every delivery that comes in. We cherish a customer who calls in one order a year the same as a customer that gives us thousands of deliveries a day.”
  4. Learn from past generations.Brad and his sister, Amanda, are always listening to Bill, their boss and father. They learn how he conducts business  and deals with employee situations. Hy Factor, Bill’s father and the company founder, still comes into the office every day. He is their mentor and the face of the organization. He is highly respected and everyone loves to get his advice.
  5. Work harder than the other employees. Many third-generation owners feel entitled based on the past success of their family’s business. Brad says “They don’t want to go out there and work and get their hands dirty. They take the easy way out and this leads to failure. Nepotism is considered a negative in the business world, and family members need to work above and beyond the regular employee to earn their respect.”

    6. Be nimble in switching roles from parent and child to boss and employee. Domonic Biggi, the third-generation owner of Beaverton Foodsin Hillsboro, OR points out that operating in a family business can be confusing. “In one setting you’re father and son and in another setting you’re talking about specific business issues like label design, product development …” It is very difficult for family members to keep it all straight, but successful family businesses know where to draw the boundaries.

  6. Evolve the business.The current generation running the company needs to stay open to new technologies and realize the business is always evolving. Noelle Nese Mercer  at Galco’s Soda Pop Stop!in Los Angeles  says “younger generations need to stick to their guns since new technology will not always be embraced” by the current leaders.  Lee and Aric Shlifka of Kiddles Sports thinks that “What was once a solid selling technique doesn’t necessarily hold true through 45 years of business. Our grandfather’s belief was stock them high and watch them fly! Now, you not only cannot afford to stock so heavily, the perception is less is more when displaying your product (a la Apple).”

    8. Value family rituals. Brad says that his family goes to a local Chicago restaurant, Manny’s almost daily. This adds familiarity, fun and an appreciation of history to their day.

  7. Preserve the family reputation.Thayer Wiederhorn of Fatburger, wants to remind every family owner that “you have to be very conscious of how you carry yourself socially as your actions inside and outside of work reflect not only on yourself, but also on your family’s and brand’s reputation.

    10. Leave business at the office. Martin Killgallon at Ohio Art(the makers of Etch-A-Sketch) describes the key to maintaining balance between family and business is to “treat each other with respect and leave the business at the office.” Brad remembers that his mother always sets the tone. He remembers that eventually at family gatherings she states “that’s enough business, let’s talk about something else.”

https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/openforum/articles/secrets-of-successful-family-owned-businesses/

 

 

Lend a brand: How lesser-known brands help win customers’ trust – Entrepreneur Magazine (June 2005)

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Lend a brand

How lesser-known brands help win customers’ trust

JUNE 1, 2005

This story first appeared in the June 2005 issue of Entrepreneur. 

Brands like Nike and Adidas might get customers in the door of Kiddles Inc., a sporting goods store in Lake Forest, Illinois, but it’s the brands no one has heard of that keep customers coming back.

“After a while, you don’t fall in love with the razzle-dazzle of the big names,” explains owner Jay Shlifka, 52. Instead, he’s impressed by the better quality and service some smaller manu-facturers offer, such as a sock company that once “sent a representative to drive overnight to fix a mistake on an order.”

Plus, the lesser-known brands are often more flexible on pricing, says Anne M. Obarski, executive director of Merchandise Concepts, a retail consulting firm in St. Louis. That can mean better prices for customers–and more profit for you.

“If you have a big-name brand, you’re in competition with everyone else,” Obarski explains. “Educate the customer about a brand that’s better, and you’re creating value.”

Obarski says retailers can do this by merchandising lesser-known brands near better-known counter-parts or offering samples. Supplementing an inventory of well-known brands with unique items from small manufacturers can also set your store apart.

“Use signage that says, ‘If you like this, then you’ll love that,'” Obarski suggests. “By offering a better product at a better price, you build trust.”

Gwen Moran is a writer and consultant specializing in marketing.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/77862

Daytripper: Lovely Lake Forest – Make It Better (August 2011)

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Daytripper: Lovely Lake Forest

AUGUST 23, 2011 

BY KRISTINA TOBER

Lake Forest marked its 150th anniversary in 2011, celebrating a rich history of gentleman farms and classic estates.

Now home to 20,000 people, Lake Forest retains its small town charms.

Lunch

Sit beneath the towering Elm trees on the patio overlooking Market Square, and enjoy the Van Doren Club. If the kids are hungry, send them across the street to The Left Bank (659 N. Bank Lane, 847-234-4770) for the best pizza, hot dogs and sloppy joes in town.

Shop Market Square

For sophisticated shopping, stroll Market Square. You’ll find everything you need, from sporting goods and bikes for the family (Kiddles) to a hip, one-of-a-kind outfit for you (Three Sisters) and shoes (Forest Bootery) to that gorgeous gown for the benefit (The Lake Forest Shop).

There’s also the quintessential small town bookstore, Lake Forest Book Store (680 N. Western Ave., 847-234-4420), with a staff that actually reads their books, and The Initial Choice (226 E. Westminster, 847-234-5884), the local’s go-to spot for anything monogrammed.

If you’re looking for a meaningful shopping experience, visit The Mustard Seed, (202 E. Westminster, 847-735-0211), a fair trade store.

Get Outside

One of the best beaches along the North Shore, Forest Park Beach offers all the amenities of lakefront living. With more than 29 acres, the lakeside park features sheltered, sandy coves, open air pavilions, a fishing pier and boat launch, and grassy picnic areas.

Refresh

At the end of the day, stop by The Lantern (768 N. Western Ave., 847-234-9844) or Chief’s Pub (502 N. Western Ave., 847-234-3444) for some small-town gossip and plenty of good beer.

https://makeitbetter.net/entertainment/town-profile-lovely-lake-forest/

Kiddles Sports – Then & Now (Book)

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THEN: Kiddles Inc. – Circa 1970s

 

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258 Market Square, Lake Forest, IL 60045

“Kiddles Sports is a family-run sporting goods store carrying a full-line of bicycles and sporting goods in a wide array of brands. We consistently deliver top notch customer service, all while servicing the needs of our clientele from our Lake Forest, Illinois storefront since 1968.”

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