How do model train stores stay in business anyway? I passed one just down the road from "Rick's Discount Groceries." I guess there are enough people who want to eat cheap groceries that these places can do well. Maybe I will open a chain of "Discount Fire Extinguisher and Smoke Detector" stores.

It would be really cool if this guy would finish writing this book. Handyman Home Page Although I've found it extremely helpful to my endeavors so far.

I've decided to go ahead and use the company logo (yawn) for the van. I need to show Jim that his logo really does suck and that he should have it professionally re-done. How many effective logos can you think of that use 5 colors and 5 different fonts? Also, a wood handled hammer is so blase.

Advertising is key in this business. I am going to call the Observer to see what kind of regional (ZIP targeted) media they have. I need something that targets south Charlotte in particular.

I did get a call from Dave Ham for some under-deck improvements. Thank you Shannon for the referral!

GRAND OPENING WEEK

This week is the official grand opening of Classic Handyman Charlotte. I am still working the kinks out of the advertising. It seems like nobody wants to put stickers on my van!

On the other hand, USPS is doing great in the Tour so far!

My own triathlon training could be better. My sleep hours are too irregular along with my eating.

[ Thu Apr 10, 10:45:35 AM | Eric Banks | edit ]
BIKE LESSON #2

Michael E crashed hard on Saturday morning. Now he needs the following: New helmet, new shoes, new fork, new shorts, new jersey, and new skin on his back. It's amazing how much momentum a 150 lb body has at 30 mph. I mean that from the standpoint of just how much friction is required to stop such a body in motion. I am sure the dog he hit won't be chasing any more bikes for awhile.
[ Fri Apr 04, 07:43:59 AM | Eric Banks | edit ]
BIKE LESSON #1 (From two days ago.)

I almost crashed my bike this afternoon. I was coming down a hill in Percy Warner Park (by the driving range) and was going faster than I realized. Today's lesson is "Always pay attention to the road when speeding at 35 mph down an unfamiliar hill." You never know when the road is going to turn suddenly and it is surprising how long it takes to stop a bike (probably due to the tiny brake pads and tire contact patches.) I remember thinking (as my front tire left the pavement) that "This is going to hurt." Luckily I rolled through some gravel and into some high grass without a lot of ruts. I was able to stay upright and finally stop. It was reminiscent of Jan Ullrich's off-road excursion while racing Lance Armstrong in the TdF of 2001, except he rode off the side of a mountain at 40+ mph.

[ Fri Apr 04, 07:31:48 AM | Eric Banks | edit ]
Ran 5 miles last night. My lower legs are really sore. I wonder if the my new Asics 2080's are to blame? I have also been running harder though. I am going to switch back to the Nike Air Max's and ease up a bit to see if the pain eases.

JT park triathlon is coming up on May 3. I still need to lose about 10 lbs so that I won't be humiliated by Andy. I have a brick bike/run on Saturday I am looking forward to. Except for biking alone. I feel much safer in a group but my plane doesn't get into Charlotte until about 10 am. Everyone has usually gone by then.
[ Thu Apr 03, 03:21:31 PM | Eric Banks | edit ]
Well this is my first post to my new Triathlon-only blog. Yippee!

CLASSIC HANDYMAN CHARLOTTE DEPLOYMENT

The office location saga continues. I need to find a space for the business. The dilemma is choosing between retail space in a great location and office space in a not-so-great location. I cannot find any precedent to justify placing a handyman business in a retail strip mall. There seem to be a lot of benefits such as:
1. Spillover traffic
2. Proximity to the home center
3. Visibility to potential customers and employees
4. Amenities for employees (neighboring restaurants, etc.)

But the handyman business is a business of taking care of a home's to-do lists. It is more than repair and maintenance of one singular small job. The opportunity is to provide comprehensive home management services, a services portfolio if you will. Also, the nature of the office functions are:
1. Job dispatch center
2. Planning/scheduling center
3. Small workshop
4. Minimal inventory
5. Disposal of removed/replaced items.
6. Personnel interviewing and training

So, the question remains "Is there a tangible benefit from location in a retail strip center?" Also, "What are the drawbacks to location in a strip mall?"

The drawbacks include:
1. Cost ($1500/month)
2. Having to configure space that was set up for a product delivery business.
3. No covered vehicle parking.
4. Problems disposing of waste
5. Possible noise to the neighbors
6. Distractions

CLASSIC HANDYMAN CHARLOTTE

I spent today with a commercial real estate broker checking out properties from uptown to Pineville. Couldn't really find the right combination of facility with good frontage. The best place I found was in a bad part of town where I will get no walk-ins. But it was cheapest ($750) and allowed a sign with frontage on I-77. Still, I think I need some kind of warehouse space in a better part of town. Today I will look down in Pineville near Hebron Road.

JOHN TANNER SPRINT TRIATHLON RESULTS

I did the JT sprint tri as a kind of warmup race before the big one (Blackwater Eagleman) on 6/8/03. My results were not very impressive. Basically, I blew it on all 3 segments, but especially on the run. My run pace was 9:01 although I know it was about 8:36 on the first, flat, mile. So the last two miles were even worse. I probably lost about a good minute getting into my bike shoes, which I had clipped onto my pedals. I actually had to stop after leaving the transition area, unclip, put the shoes on, then clip back in. The swim was crowded and I could never really get into a rhythm because I kept running into bodies. The bike course was hilly and I really felt the pounds I haven't lost yet. All in all it was a mediocre performance at best but I know what I need to work on for Blackwater.