“I absolutely love what I do and I can’t wait to get to my shop every day,” admits Ron Jones, owner of Pro Bike Design, LLC in Watertown, CT. Here’s how he’s translating his passion into a growing bicycle-design business with help from an SBA Microloan and Business Advisory Services from Pursuit.
A career, then a business, evolve from a childhood passion
“Growing up, I was surrounded by creative people, beginning with my parents,” Ron says. “My mother was an art teacher and my father’s a custom-furniture maker and they really instilled a love of exploring all sorts of artistic styles and media.”
As a teen, his creative interests crossed with his first exposure to low-rider bicycles – an event that would steer his life’s work.
“When I first saw those, I knew I wanted to make one of my own, so I found an old junker bike and customized it,” Ron says.
That led to a career as a designer for several of the world’s leading bicycle brands, including Cannondale® and Specialized®. In 2013, Ron also started doing individual projects on the side to further fuel his passion and hone his design skills. In 2021, after nearly two decades working for large-scale manufacturers, he was ready to put all of his creative energy into his own shop – and some of his first clients were the same manufacturers that he’d worked with before, as well as individuals who knew and loved his unique designs.
Pro Bike Design’s reputation attracts a global clientele
Ron explains, “The core of what we do includes production graphic design for manufacturers and customization work for clients who are passionate about cycling and want something really special in a bike. Depending on what a particular client wants, we may even customize most of the components, including sourcing rare parts from around the world.”
A niche business like this is built largely by word-of-mouth and Pro Bike Design has gained fans around the world.
“We have a design client in Ireland, have sent custom frames as far as Hong Kong and Japan, and a great relationship with a leading retailer in Switzerland,” Ron says, acknowledging that technology and shipping advancements have played a huge part in enabling Pro Bike Design to grow internationally. “And our largest customer, The Feed, has really helped my business grow and I’m so grateful for their support. I paint all the high-performance-athletes’ helmets and we’ve shipped them throughout the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Europe, and Australia.”
In addition to Ron, and through a partnership he has with local technical and high schools, Pro Bike Design has two young designers learning the business. Together, they average about 1-2 custom bikes per week, although specific jobs can take anywhere from a few days for small-part and helmet customization to a month or so for very detailed and complex orders.
Securing financing and more through Pursuit
Early on, Ron had secured financing through the Community Investment Corporation (CIC) of Connecticut to purchase equipment and he received business insight from local SCORE consultants. He still needed working capital, though, to get the business off to a strong start.
Through subsequent conversations with his CIC representatives, Ron learned about the Connecticut Small Business Boost Fund.
“The program matched me with three potential lenders and after some additional research online, I chose Pursuit,” Ron says.
Like a lot of entrepreneurs who leverage their passion and skills into a business, Ron admits, “I’m a designer, not a financial person, so it took a bit of time to get my paperwork together. Once I did, though, the loan process was seamless and easy, and my Pursuit team was great. They were responsive when I had questions or just needed some guidance. And within a couple of weeks, I had funds in the bank.”
As a Connecticut Boost Fund and an SBA Microloan recipient, Ron was also eligible for Pursuit’s Business Advisory Services (BAS). These consulting services are provided at no cost to eligible borrowers and focus on key areas for long-term success including financial management, human resources, and marketing.
“Within two weeks of getting the loan, Pursuit put me in touch with Alek Marfisi from Upwind Strategies,” Ron says. “His help has been great, especially when it comes to getting my QuickBooks accounting straightened out. It has made a huge difference.”
Today, in addition to his growing business, Ron happily shares his bike-design passion with his wife and three daughters, who all love bikes and design as much as he does – and recently, his eldest daughter designed her dream bike, which she and the Pro Bike team brought to fruition.
Pursuit helps small business secure financing and realize dreams
“It’s the greatest thing in the world to do what you love every day – and there are people out there who want to support you, too. But if you don’t ask, the answer’s always ‘no,’ so talk to everyone about your business and what you need. You never know where a connection will lead – and I’m so glad that one of mine led to Pursuit.”
With loan options from $10,000 to $5.5 million, Pursuit can help you secure financing for working capital, equipment, the purchase or construction of commercial real estate, to refinance business debt and more for businesses in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Nevada, Illinois, and Washington. Reach out to us today to see how we can work together to take your business to the next level.
