Much more than just a bike shop

Rob Dekkers’ father taught him the importance of this at an early age. In 1991, Rob’s parents founded Dekkers Tweewielers. They ran the bike shop in Wanssum out of a garage, while Rob’s father held down two other jobs to support his family. Later, Rob also joined the business. “For repairs, our promise was: brought in today, ready tomorrow,” he says. “We often worked into the wee hours to get all the repairs done. Because if we promised something to a customer, we always delivered. That’s how we built our reputation.”

And they really grew. Dekkers Tweewielers outgrew its garage long ago. The retail space is now housed in a spacious, inviting building in the middle of a nature reserve, complete with its own mountain bike trail. But under Rob’s leadership, the company has become much more than just a bike shop. With Dekkers Business Bikes, they are also active in the corporate bicycle market. Their corporate division has its own facility in Wanssum, from which they can supply bicycles to the entire Dutch business market.

Conquer the market

Dekkers Tweewielers recently joined forces with Wealer Autogroep, a leading automotive company in Dutch Limburg and an official dealer for brands including Seat, Skoda, Audi, and Volkswagen. Rob and Wealer director Marc van der Linden saw opportunities to connect their industries and businesses. Marc subsequently acquired fifty percent of the shares in Dekkers Tweewielers, but their collaboration goes beyond shared ownership. By entering into a partnership, they aim to form a stronger entity.

“I saw that the market was changing significantly,” Rob begins. “Many automotive companies are now starting to sell bicycles as well. You could see that as a threat, but if you form the right partnerships, you can conquer the market together.” Marc adds: “We have a tremendously synergistic effect on each other. As a car company, we can learn a lot from the unique way Dekkers Tweewielers approaches retail. Especially from how they give customers a personalized experience. I’ve visited many bike shops, including ones abroad, but this is without a doubt the most extraordinary store I’ve ever seen.”

The entrepreneurs draw on each other’s expertise and networks to strengthen their businesses. But the most important aspect of their partnership is their shared vision, Marc explains: “When we first sat down together, we immediately clicked. We both saw opportunities and wanted to move in the same direction.” Rob adds: “The most important thing was the connection we had. We were completely on the same page regarding customer satisfaction, how we treat employees, and our vision for the future.” The shared goal? To provide mobility throughout Limburg.

Clear boundaries

Integrity is essential for this collaboration to succeed. Because both entrepreneurs are members of Straight-Line Leadership, they can shape their partnership effectively and with integrity from the very beginning. “We’ve made very clear agreements,” Marc explains. “For example, Rob remains the director of Dekkers Tweewielers. He decides what happens internally and is in charge of the employees. That’s also the company’s strength, if you ask me. It wouldn’t work if I were to get involved.”

Rob and Marc will remain at the helm of their own companies and will be responsible for their respective roles within the partnership. Marc explains: “We’ll continue to do what we’re good at. For example, Rob takes the lead when it comes to bicycle-related activities. All I do is build connections and observe.” A number of aspects of this division have also been legally formalized. Rob explains: “These days, companies like Wealer often acquire bicycle businesses. But we’ve stipulated that Wealer will only acquire bicycle companies in partnership with Dekkers Tweewielers—always with a fifty-fifty split in shares. That’s one of the agreements we made and subsequently formalized. It makes everything very clear right away and ensures that no frustrations can arise over this in the future.”

So clear boundaries have been established. But that doesn’t mean the partners don’t show interest in each other’s businesses. Marc: “If it helps us achieve our goals, we do give each other feedback. We’re open and honest in our communication and hold each other accountable for results. We do this, for example, during monthly shareholder meetings. But we do have very clear agreements about where to draw the line.” The ability to give and receive honest feedback is a skill they developed through their Mentorship membership. The fact that both entrepreneurs have mastered this skill and actively use it creates a special relationship focused on mutual growth—of each other and each other’s businesses.

Go off the rails

Marc and Rob’s businesses are growing rapidly. Their new partnership has the potential to drive this growth even further. That’s great, of course, but it also has a significant downside. “There are enormous opportunities,” says Rob. “If we want to, we could double Dekkers Tweewielers’ revenue next year. But then we wouldn’t be able to live up to our core values anymore. Right now, we’re constantly walking that fine line. We’re pushing ourselves as far as we can go without everything falling apart and losing our integrity in keeping our commitments.” So it’s crucial to critically evaluate opportunities and regulate growth until Dekkers Tweewielers is structured to handle that expansion—for example, in terms of staffing. “We need to keep slowing down and maintaining an overview so we don’t lose control,” says Marc. “I think that’s the biggest challenge in our partnership. Because we’re juggling so many things at once. If we take on too much, we lose momentum. And with it, results.”

Keep your word

Marc and Rob agree: customer satisfaction must always be the top priority. No matter what happens, the customer should have the same experience and leave with a smile. “When my father passed away in 2006 and I took over the business, I wanted to build the best bike shop in the Netherlands,” says Rob. “Later, that commitment translated into a practical goal: I make sure every customer and employee goes home with a smile on their face. Everyone in the company can tell you that this is what we stand for.”

Marc also considers customer satisfaction his top priority. “We’re not in it for short-term success, but for a lasting relationship,” he says. “And that’s only possible if you do what you said you would. If you lack integrity, you’ll never build a long-term relationship. What you really need to achieve is that your customer finds it increasingly difficult to part ways with you. Because you just get things done. And if something does go wrong, you keep your word and resolve it properly. Because the chance that the customer will be disappointed somewhere else is very high. And then they’ll always come back to you.”

Let go or sit back

To achieve sustainable growth, Marc and Rob realize they need to let go of certain operational aspects. But doing so with integrity remains a challenge. “Thanks to my management team, I no longer have to keep an eye on everything myself, but I still do it sometimes,” says Rob with a laugh. Marc: “That’s the challenge of growth. We’ll have to let go of certain things. Our standards are very high, and there’s nothing wrong with occasionally giving feedback to an employee because something needs improvement, but the danger is that you get swallowed up by it. Plus, you end up getting in your team’s way. What happens then is that people start to sit back, because they think: ‘I’ll never do it right anyway.’”

Over the years, Marc has become more principled in this regard, but he still has to remind himself of it. “When I see cars in the showroom that aren’t lined up straight or something isn’t priced correctly, I get the urge to step in. That can be difficult at times, but I choose instead to consult with the person responsible. Because if you jump in right away, your employees lose a sense of ownership.” Rob: “That’s that drive. That we still want to jump in, even though we’ve agreed to work on the business.” Marc: “Ultimately, if you want to grow yourself and help the organization grow, you have to give people space. That’s one of the most important things to be principled about.”