Opportunity knocks if you want to spend seven months of the year on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon renting bicycles to tourists.
The National Park Service is soliciting proposals for a 10-year contract for a business to provide bike rentals, bike tours, and bike shuttle services from April 1 through Oct. 30.
All you need is an estimated $245,000 to get started.
Bright Angel Bicycle Rentals has provided bike rentals and bike shuttle services for the past two years at the park. That company will have to compete against everyone else for the 10-year concession contract. The deadline is Dec. 30, 2011.
Check out the National Park Service for bike rental concession contract information. The prospectus includes all the details about the business.
Costs
The $245,000 includes an estimated $148,000 to buy 100 bicycles, which must include a few tandems and trikes. The sum also includes food and beverage equipment costs.
The others costs are for food, beverage and retail inventory and various start-up costs.
The shuttle services will enable the bicycle riders to take a one-way trip along a pre-arranged route and access to the Hermit Road area.
Starting out, the bike rental outfit will charge $10 per hour, $45 for a full day, or $30 a day for multiple days. A bicycle tour will cost $45.
Visitor rates
The business also must provide bicycle repair for the public.
About 4 million people visit the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park every year. In its first partial year of operation (2010), the existing concessionaire rented bicycles to about 5,400 adults.
This sounds like a good business for someone who likes the outdoors, although the costs to get started will prohibit many from making a stake.
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