‘We didn’t know if we would make it to the summer’

Sudden stop for a bike business

The onset of the pandemic has been a turning point for many small businesses, and Priority Bicycles is no different in that respect. Dave Weiner, Founder and CEO of Priority Bicycles, says that after marking six years in business, “The pandemic hit and suddenly our business fell off a cliff.” The New York City-based company went from shipping more than 100 bicycles a day down to zero. Priority Bicycles also had to close its showroom, which resulted in losing the company’s collaborative space. According to Connor Swegle, Chief Marketing Officer and Cofounder of Priority Bicycles, “We didn’t know if we would make it to the summer.”

Championing an innovative solution

To turn business around quickly, Priority Bicycles got creative. The company looked to Microsoft Teams as an innovative way to create a virtual showroom and began to translate its collaborative space into a digital space. Weiner says moving to Teams helped the business create connections with customers they wouldn’t have reached in the past, as well as provide great customer service to existing customers. He adds that “Teams has been a huge success for us and helped us turn a challenge into an opportunity.”

Cultivating meaningful customer connections

Building upon its virtual showroom and other innovations, Priority Bicycles saw an opportunity to foster more meaningful customer relationships amid a shift in demand. More customers were looking for high-quality bicycles to help them get fresh air and exercise outdoors. To address this, Priority Bicycles gave customers the ability to schedule one-on-one virtual visits through Teams. This new endeavor served as another example of how Priority Bicycles employees exercised their creativity to adapt to new challenges. Greg Waters, Director of Communication at Priority Bicycles, maintains that the virtual visits have been a huge success because Teams visits give people that human connection and make them comfortable they are buying the right product.

How to use Teams like Priority Bicycles

Small business owners can check out the resources below to learn how to make the most out of Teams, even if you have no IT background.

To thrive rather than just survive amid these unprecedented times, we encourage small business owners to get creative with technology like Priority Bicycles. Hear more about Priority Bicycles’ journey with Teams, or learn more about what Teams can do for you and your small business.

Other creative ways for small businesses like Priority Bicycles

Here are a few more Teams features I think a small business such as Priority Bicycles can use:

1. Leveraging Teams meetings on multiple devices (like desktop and mobile) serves as a great starting point for businesses interested in running more traditional meetings with clients or customers.
2. Adopting a mobile first Teams meeting approach offers the flexibility to guide a camera through the nooks and crannies of a product during virtual visit calls with customers.