Wend Magazine, an outdoor and lifestyle magazine with positive sustainability outlook has an article called “Pedaling to Profit: The Upswing of Bike Powered Business.”

Included are businesses which operate utility bikes for their deliveries, workforces, and daily errands.

Of course the base for these businesses is the bike utopia of Portland, but also included are Harvest Cycle of Sarasota, and Pedal Co-Op in Philly. Just proving that with community support, initiatives, and resources, it can be an option.

Cutting costs might appear to be the biggest reason for transitioning to a bike operated structure, but just like individuals, the price of driving isn’t the sole force behind choosing pedal power over cars. “When we worked on our business plan, gas prices were low. We did a full price analysis that looked at cars, zip cars, scooters, electrical cars, etc. and for the price and brandability of those, bikes came out way ahead. There’s a low up front, low maintenance costs and you don’t have to worry about gas prices fluctuating,” says Lazar.

Full article here.  p.s. Wend Magazine is at every REI store I’ve ever been to.  It’s a very well done publication – check them out.