Shop name: Signature Bmx
Location: Vantaa, Finland
Years in business: 15
Best year yet: 2010
Worst year yet: 2020
What were your first thoughts on Covid-19 when it hit?
Signature Bmx: A bit worried if we can keep the shop open.
Did you take any action from the start or were you thinking this would be over in a few weeks?
Signature Bmx: We stocked some sanitizers and disinfectants immediately. It was pretty obvious this will take some time. Finnish people keep distance naturally and don't socialize too much so it's been quite easy. We're definitely not a hugging nation.
Name shop: Signature BMX
Location: Vantaa, Finland
Years in business: 13 years on January
Employees: 2, Mikko Suni full-time, Antti Huotari part-time.
Did you ever go to school to learn how to run a (BMX) business or did you just 'send it'?
Signature BMX: We just sent it and still are sending it. We first thought of having a clothing brand and started selling some bmx bike parts to cover the cost of clothing side. Sales started to pick up before we even had much of a clothing available. Just some shirts under the name of Signature. That’s pretty much what ever happened on that side. We focused on selling bike stuff. It was just a mail order/webshop at first. We pretty much ran it from our home. Our real warehouse/shop/distro came to life after a couple of years. So I guess we’re still learning day by day something new.
Were your BMX industry contacts already made before you started your shop, or did you meet more people along the way?
Signature BMX: I knew Niels Thanild and Joe Rich and a few others before the business came along. I went to Interbike the next year as we started and made a lot of contacts there.
Haminan Allasjuhlat 18.8. Nauris BMX
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.