Lifelong, avid cyclist Tyler Branine jumped on an opportunity in early 2021, to transition from a career in logistics defense contracting to become a small business owner. Though he made the move in the middle of a pandemic, he was absolutely confident it was the right decision for him. Why? He was purchasing Bicycle Pedaler located on Rock Road in Wichita, KS.
For the first time, Branine would get the opportunity to merge his lifelong passion – for all types of cycling and for the cycling community – with his career and that seemed like the perfect route to take.
“I saw it as an opportunity to do what I love and help take care of that community, so I jumped on it. I’ve really gotten to know the whole community and now I’m involved in all aspects of riding. I’m also really motivated to expand riding opportunities to all levels of cyclists,” said Branine.
This is easy to tell when you visit the shop. Branine is a hands-on small business owner. He greets customers by name, remembers their bikes and the type of riding they do, and encourages them to join the regular rides organized by Bicycle Pedaler. He is also busy all the time trying to secure the best parts, gear, and accessories for his customers and with the pandemic, that poses challenges.
“We tried to be strategic in how we responded to those influences in the market, but it’s a challenge. Industry production wasn’t scalable, so when demand skyrocketed, the industry couldn’t keep up. Almost every order from last year had a component that we couldn’t get, so we had to be really creative,” said Branine.
Upon purchasing the shop, Branine wanted to remain consistent with as much as possible, including the commercial lease agreement and the shop’s small business insurance policy. However, as he got his feet under him, he started to make more changes, including the items they stock, the organization of the store, and how they order.
With big dreams and plans for the shop in the future, Branine needs to stay focused to achieve those business goals. To do that he needs trustworthy, reliable partners. Without knowing anything about ECG Insurance, Branine had met ECG team member Greg Tyler and they developed a relationship based on their shared interest in biking; however, Greg never asked him about business insurance. During this same time, Branine’s current insurance provider wasn’t providing the level of service he needed.
“I asked for a few simple things from my previous provider and either didn’t get them in a timely manner or just didn’t get them. It was getting frustrating,” said Branine.
When Branine checked in with Greg on a separate personal insurance claim, Greg mentioned ECG and the full range of insurance options ECG could offer. With their already established relationship and Branine’s deep appreciation of Greg’s professionalism, Branine asked Greg to take a look at the Bicycle Pedaler insurance policy just to ensure the rates were fair and there weren’t any vulnerabilities in the shop’s coverage.
The ECG team made an in-person visit to Bicycle Pedaler and learned more about how the whole business operates. They asked insurance-specific questions about inventory, service, and parts, as well as the shop’s team members. These questions helped better understand what type of policy would best suit Branine.
“The ECG team came into the shop and learned about the business. The team found some big vulnerabilities, but now I’m confident that for a fair price my coverage is good, and further, I’m confident that I have 3 people – that I can name – that I can call, text, or email and they’ll be right on it,” said Brainine.
Branine discovered that he shares many of the same professional values with the ECG team, including dedication, trustworthiness, and building relationships. This has left Branine feeling certain that he can focus on growing his business and the Wichita cycling community.
“These guys are going to take care of me and that makes me feel confident so that I can not worry about it and go do the thing I want to be good at,” said Brainine.
