When Big Shot Bikes was created back in 2009, owner Matt Peterson was the only employee. Four years later, there are still less than 10 people working for the company, but it has grown into something bigger than he initially planned.

The owner of the Fort Collins, Colorado-based business said it was his background in software engineering, marketing, branding, product development, and sourcing that contributed to Big Shot being successful.

“I was able to combine those skills and do one thing,” he said. “I was working on various smaller projects, so I had the support from them for things like warehouse space.”

Peterson’s family and friends recognized his entrepreneurial nature, so no one was too surprised when he announced that he planned to start his own custom bike business.

However, that decision wasn’t without some hesitation.

“I had some concerns because it was at the time we were coming out of the 2008 crash,” he explained. “I launched in the winter of 2009, which was probably the worst time to launch a bicycle company. But, I had a lot of confidence in what I was doing.”

Plans came together quickly as Peterson developed the website and designed the logo, which were followed by a rapid launch.

He started with one container of bikes, and it only took a few months to sell out. He said the biggest problem has been to maintain inventory because of high demand. Peterson said with a start-up company that’s in its beginning stages, it’s difficult to predict sales volume, so knowing what amount of inventory to carry is near impossible. He also noted financing is an issue, and purchasing a huge number of parts is not always doable.

Since its inception, the business has grown into a 7,000-square-foot warehouse that will see an additional 5,000 square feet added to it in a few months. As for the number of employees, Peterson said it fluctuates depending on the season, with about six in the winter and 10 in the summer.

Also contributing to Big Shot Bikes’ growth was the support of the Fort Collins community. As a place where there’s more than 280 miles of bike paths and more than 30 miles of trails, this bike-friendly culture proved to be the perfect location for Peterson to begin his business.

As for Peterson’s role in the business now, he said he’s still involved in most aspects.

“Now, I do the strategy of the business going forward, but I have my hands in almost every part of the business,” he said. “I don’t build the bicycles, but I’m in the warehouse, do marketing and all of the forecasting and ordering. We have other people who do customer support, and we also have a PR firm, but really my role is to sort of pull it all together.”

He did admit that when beginning a start-up, the unforeseen costs are what cause problems.

“I learned that everything costs twice as much as you think it’s going to,” he said. “I’ve learned an incredible amount of stuff, just across the board—how hard it is to run a small business. You really need to know a little about every facet of the business, and it’s hard to learn and do all of those things.”

But the end goal was finally reached, and Big Shot is now able to offer customized bikes to riders all over the country. According to the website, international distribution is also being sought.

The website offers customization tools that let the user build their bike right on the website. You simply need to scroll down on the homepage, click on the part of the bike you want to modify, then get a preview of what your creation will look like. The bikes range in price from $299 for a set model, to the full MSRP of $429.

Although it all depends on how busy the company is, bikes are generally shipped within three days of placing an order, with a one-year warranty on each one.

After your bike is delivered, you’ll only need to finish the last 20 percent of assembly. This includes attaching the front wheel, the seat, pedals, and handlebars, and adjusting the brakes. All of the detailed work will be done in advance. Check out this YouTube video that shows how to assemble the bikes. When the entire bike is put together, it will weigh 25 pounds or less, so there’s so need to worry about hauling around a heavy bike.

“I think a lot of our competitors have under-priced the product or they’re selling low quality at a low price,” Peterson explained. “We’ve always stood behind our product at a fair price and the customization really sets us apart. People really love that they’re able to get what they want. And then managing the business properly is really how we survive.”

While Big Shot Bikes began by offering single-speed and fixed-gear bikes, it’s now expanding even further.

“We just launched our cruisers in October, and people love the customization and the kind of crazy colors. We were looking to expand into another product line, so cruisers were a natural fit—for the casual rider at an affordable price,” Peterson said. “We also thought it would broaden our market. The buyers might not like the single speed or fixie bike, but cruisers are more comfortable [for them].”

What else is in the works at Big Shot Bikes?

“The cruisers are a big part of it, but we’re now gearing up for next year, introducing a few new colors, and sort of growing our business. Another thing that sets us apart is the use of technology and leveraging it,” Peterson said. “We’ve created an affiliate program that will allow third party sites to embed our customization tool onto their websites. You can go to another site and order one of our bikes on there. Right now, in order to sell a custom bike, people have to come to our website. If we can put our tool on larger e-commerce sites, we can distribute to a wider audience.”

For more information about Big Shot Custom Single Speed Bikes, check out the website.

Images courtesy of Matt Peterson/Big Shot Bikes