Around the Workstand
Around the Workstand is our podcast where we discuss the work done here at Workstand. Workstand is the only all-in-one commerce solution built exclusively for local bike shops. Our technology powered the ecommerce revolution for the IBD channel and is trusted by one out of four shops. Every subscription includes an optional point of sale at no extra cost. Workstand helps local bicycle retailers leverage the power of our bicycle industry-leading data network to run a more efficient business and expand sales opportunities. We offer the most complete catalog of product data, including images and descriptions, expanded sales potential, and improved efficiency for both retailers and suppliers. Included drop shipping and brand marketing partnerships to build powerful relationships. To complement our software services, Workstand is also a complete digital marketing partner. We work with over 400 bike shops, including many of the nation’s largest, offering website maintenance, Google Ads, SEO, graphic design, custom websites, and more. Contact us anytime for more information: podcast@workstand.com
Episodes
Two of the more common questions, especially from stores that are new to the Workstand platform, are ‘what are the keys to selling more?’ and ‘what are the really successful stores doing to grow?’. Generally speaking, a shop needs to have four elements to generate revenue. These four elements work together, and missing just one can kill growth.
- Products that are in demand - Shops need to have products that customers are searchi...
Taking a moment to reframe some thinking that evolved negatively from brick and mortar processes, and that should be thought of as growth opportunities these days. Shipping costs aren't just a dead expense. They can be a tool for strategic growth and customer satisfaction.
Read more in this blog post
- Shipping Best Practices
- Your shipping out expense should be considered a marketing expense, and not just a margin killer
- Your shipping out expense should be considered a marketing expense, and not just a margin killer
Holiday 2025 Marketing Playbook - sales success in busy times for you and your bike shop's customers
Julie Walsh, Account Manager and Marketing Strategist from the Workstand Marketing Agency Team, joins the podcast to talk about successful strategies for sales success during the 2025 holiday season. Julie has also published a new blog post with even more details and additional resources to help you grow sales in a challenging and competitive market.
The high-level tips are:
1. Look through the eyes of your customers<...
Key Accounts Advisor, David Martinez, works with Workstand merchants to improve many aspects of in-store and online sales execution to grow sales while increasing margin. Inventory management is an important part of David's work with bike shops.
As we’ve brought on more dealers to the Digital Advisor Services program, some trends have emerged, offering useful tips for other stores. Obvious, you say? If they are obviou...
It's time again to review the data and metrics from the Workstand platform and talk about what we can learn from sales across our platform.
- August Workstand platform metrics
- Ecommerce sales saw another month of double-digit growth on Workstand.
- Online order volume was the strongest it’s been all year, with a YOY increase of 8%, with 20,459 orders being the highest volume of any month this year.
- Sessions saw another mont...
Matt Lolli came to Workstand after a long career working in successful bike shops. Matt works with brands and suppliers who want to use Workstand technology and services to support local bike shops in growing sales and better serve their customers.
Here’s a high-level overview of Brand & Supplier services that we’ll be discussing in detail later in the episode.
- Why do brands and suppliers choose to engage with us?
- What is in...
Ryan has again been on the move. Visiting Workstand team members and merchants in Oregon recently. He'll be here in Colorado soon!
- July Platform metrics
- Total online sales last month showed a recovery from the slowing trend of May and June, which was a likely hangover from the pre-tariff burst in March and April.
- Total order volume and units sold were relatively flat, but higher average order value drove results.
- Higher ...
Mark is joined this week by Matt Viara, leader of the Workstand paid Google ads team. What are paid ads? How do we help bike shops participate in paid Google programs? What are the costs and benefits? We talk about all of that!
We give a high-level overview of our paid ads programs and touch on the 4 offerings that we’ll discuss in detail during the episode.
- Why Local and Full Service?
- What is product vs awareness?
- Why do we differ...
Boulder visit
- Doggy happy hour
- Coffee
- Bike ride
- PFB let me work from their office
Upcoming BRAIN article about scheduling software
- Service Appointment Scheduling feature (drop off)
- WorkstandIQ staff scheduling
NBDA State of the Industry webinar reinforces our value
- The recent National Bicycle Dealers Association hosted a webinar with expert guests, with a lot of time spent talking about what successful retail looks lik...
Ryan and Mark discuss results from May, with a quick note on the strong March and April numbers that we didn't get to talk about due to Ryan's many travels when we'd normally record an Around the Workstand episode.
We mention this recent episode with our Key Accounts Advisor, David Martinez, and the Digital Advisor Service he's offering Workstand clients
NBDA Summit recap
- A good number of supplier att...
The idea of leveraging catalog-enabled websites and ecommerce to grow sales beyond a retailer's home market is one of the main reasons Workstand has so many bike shops using our platform. In addition to the website platform, Workstand's marketing agency team helps more than 400 stores manage their digital presence and promote their store locally and nationally. As our Key Accounts Advisor, David Martinez wraps all of that...
Ryan Atkinson has continued his travels and brings us the latest in how brands, suppliers, and merchants in bicycle retail are feeling during some uncertain times. There are bright spots and some optimism, particularly among retailers.
Themes from industry events
- Bicycle Leadership Conference (suppliers)
- NBDA Retailer Summit (both) - join the Midwest event in Bentonville in May
- CABDA West (both)
- Uncertainty among suppliers...
In this episode, we delve into the intricacies of conducting successful promotions, a pivotal segment in our ongoing year-long marketing program aimed at empowering businesses. We focus on strategies that not only help retailers remain competitive but also enhance customer engagement, particularly as we approach the prime spring sale season. Our discussion emphasizes that promotions extend beyond discounts; they can also include in...
Ryan is back with us after some travel, but he's not done yet! There are a few more trade shows and industry gatherings on the horizon, and he'll be presenting at most of them. We talk about those shows and the state of the bicycle industry, and the vibe and attitude of the dealers Ryan is meeting at shows like CABDA.
- CABDA Midwest
- Split, dealers looking to diversity with ecommerce growth
- Dealers looking for foot tra...
We continue our series on marketing your business for sales growth in-store and online in 2025 with tips on website and marketing setups that make shopping your online store easier and reduce purchase friction,
For more details, check out our latest blog post - https://blog.workstand.com/make-shopping-easy
- Design - minimal clutter, accessibility
- Make it easy for shoppers to find what they are looking for
- Search function
- Navigat...
Around the Workstand Daily - we are often asked about training and our How To videos are the most viewed videos we produce so Around the Workstand Daily hopes to address frequent, short, videos to help our clients learn important features and do so more efficiently than the production work that goes into a more planned video. So, they won’t be perfect sometimes but they’ll help those who would rather watch a video than read a help ...
Today is the first episode of a series for 2025 focused on helping bicycle shops effectively market and grow their businesses. We’ve always talked about marketing on the show however, we saw in 2024 that merchants who proactively promoted their businesses, the ones who engaged with the tools available to make their stores more visible to shoppers, those stores had impressive wins while business owners who took a passive or underres...
Wow, 2024 went by in the blink of an eye, faster than a Di2 shift, how was your year? Ryan, Suzie, and Mark take a look back at our bicycle industry sales results for the year, broader economic conditions that contributed, and where the winners made a difference. Then, a look at the trends heading into 2025 and what we can all expect for bicycle and aftermarket sales. Marketing and, specifically, Google ads, will play a big role fo...
We’ll be taking some time away from the podcast during December so this will be our final 2024 episode. We thought we’d recap some of the accomplishments of 2024 and look forward to 2025. Around the Workstand will resume in January 2025 and we’re looking forward to another year of sharing tips and actionable information with you all.
Around the Workstand grew a lot in 2024 so thank you to everyone who watched and listened. It means ...
Tips for how AI can help in retail - what other ways are you using AI?
- Great brainstorming partner
- Start with clear goals
- Ask for specific results
- Use to break a big project or some event planning into easy action items
- AI tools within other applications are an easy way to begin to experiment - Apple Intelligence, email apps, text apps, etc, Grammarly
Warnings and pitfalls merchants should be aware of
- Images of peo...
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.