While out riding the other morning, Bryan stopped to do a mini QuikrStuff update. What does it look like to run a small manufacturing business in America right now? Watch to hear (or read below) this important message from the heart.
Just a little bit of peace and quiet on my bike with the dogs.
I don’t do these updates often because–quite honestly– I feel like who cares about what I say. But I know people do because I pay attention to what other people say.
And I was just thinking about what it’s like right now running a small manufacturing product business with every single input skyrocketing. Diesel fuel, food we all need to buy, aluminum, especially with the tariffs. People don’t realize that there’s just not aluminum production and steel production in this country anymore. You should probably look at our blog post about the tariffs and where we get our aluminum.
And, of course, as all the inputs go up, we have to raise the prices. And to make sure that our staff is able to live, of course, we’re going to give them raises, like we did. ‘Cause they have to keep pace with inflation. And it’s an endless spiral and that’s the poison of inflation.
And that’s why America has been really good and so solid for so many years is that there’s consistency, there’s certainty. We can plan ahead, knowing there’s going to be 3%, 4% CPI (Consumer Price Index) every year. We can’t plan ahead right now.
So you do the best you can. And you figure on increased inflation, and therefore, what’s that going to do to the market? I’m not smart enough to know that.
So we’re just going to keep staying conservative and hold on to cash and we’re not going to stop putting out quality product. And we know it’s expensive. And we keep getting these reviews that tell us that we’re on the right path and we’re making a really quality product.
And the only thing that’s challenging and sad for us is that we wish it was less expensive, relatively speaking, so that we can get it in more people’s hands so they can have an easier time putting their bikes, especially their heavy eBikes, on a rack to go for a ride and get outside, just like I’m doing right now.
This is happening to a lot of companies, not just ours. And as long as we push our products and the manufacturing thereof outside of this country, we’re not creating jobs and we’re not giving people better standards of living so they can go out and spend their money in their communities.
So we have to think about that. All of us. And it’s not easy. I admit that. But we have to think about it. We have to think about if we are paying more for things and the jobs are here then that money will be recirculated into our economy and it will just circulate and circulate and circulate instead of going into a few hands. Let’s think about that. Buy local. Buy American. Protect your communities. Protect your neighborhood. Protect your family. Let’s protect us.
Cheers. Get outside. Don’t forget – get some of this Vitamin D, baby. Peace.
