In Odesa, on Greek Square, there’s a spot where the bike crowd hangs out all day: cheerful guys who love riding around and jumping on their bikes. And it’s not just any part of Greek Square (the square is paved with idiotic uneven tiles); it’s specifically a small plaza in front of a row of little shops and cafés.
So, I’ve noticed that shops there don’t last long: apparently the rent is high (Greek Square, the city center after all) and passers-by don’t buy much. Now one of the premises is being turned into a café. Something oriental, by the looks of it. The saddest part is that this café will be smack in the middle of where these young people hang out, and all day long cyclists will literally be flying past its door.
What were the owners of the future café thinking?
Probably that the hungry kids would come in after riding. If it’s cheap shawarma, fine. But if they’re planning some kind of coffee house for conversation and dates, I’m afraid nobody will enjoy going there.
Conclusion: when you rent premises for your business (especially the first time), watch them (the place, that is) from the outside. Who walks by? What kind of people will see your sign? Is it easy to get in? What’s the atmosphere like?
I think this is the place to recall a classic example of the usability crowd:
Svyatoslav Fyodorov, the eye surgeon, personally oversaw the construction of his hospital. Instead of planning the walkways in advance and paving them, he waited until people had trodden paths where it suited them to walk. Then all that was left was to pave the paths.
P.S. Now for a bike shop, the spot is ideal, I think.