The Entrepreneurial Spirit: Belltown Pull Apart

I was in downtown Seattle last week where I met the owner and proprietor of Belltown Pull Apart, a used bike shop on 4^th Ave.

Eric started out working on Pedal cabs, the once ubiquitous three wheeled transports that worked the waterfront. His alleyfront shop specialized in fixing and fabricating the rides. Today he has the front and back of the building. In open hours, 5 or 6 bikes line up for sale along the sidewalk and the shop dogs amble fatly in and out of the open doorway.

Inside, sexy refurbished bikes hang from the walls and form neat rows for easy access on the floor. The guys who hang out in the store also work there, and there’s a refreshing feeling of realness. Eric and his cronies love bikes, and belong to the growing ranks of the self-employed.

When I went in last Saturday to pick up the cheetah print handlebar grips I ordered, Chicheron, the rotund Chihuahua was helping himself to somebody’s half sesame bagel smothered in cream cheese. The last I saw him he was being chased into the back of the shop with half a bagel gripped in his jaws. That morning I got a chance to talk to Eric about why he took the entrepreneurial plunge. His answer was simple, “I can’t work for other people… I’m a terrible employee.”

I feel you dude! Most of the folks I know who are ready to take the plunge are Eric. I've heard it before. Here’s the checklist:

• Passion for the organization’s mission wanes.
• The persistent feeling of being underappreciated weighs on you.
• The commute—no matter how short—gets longer every day.
• The work is unfulfilling.
• At least 20 % of your work week is spent planning your escape route (i.e. looking for jobs, updating your resume, reading up on how to ship anthrax thru the mail, etc.)
• Stress builds from Sunday night to Monday morning, and continues until Friday at 1pm .

My hat’s off to you Eric.  If I were a Seattle native, I’d make Belltown Pull Apart my second home.