A Latino Small Business On A Fast Break
Focus On Service
Inside iRun. Credit: iRun
The décor may draw traffic, but Arana believes it is customer experience that drives the sale. I love meeting people, and Im passionate about running. Im not just going to sell you a shoe just to sell you a shoe.
Bibiana Reyes, a Colombian now living in Miami, brought her visiting parents to iRun when her father needed to shop for a new pair of walking shoes. Arana and Morales took turns greeting and assisting the family in Spanish.
With The Sports Authority or another big store, I walk in clueless, she says. This level of assistance is wonderful. They can tell you that youve been in the wrong size shoe for your entire life.
As Reyes and her parents exited with a large shopping bag, Araña turned to Morales. When we opened the doors to this business, there was absolutely no guarantee of success. You need to take the chance. You need to take the risk. If you dont, there is no chance for you to succeed.
Within moments, a young Hispanic woman with a stroller entered the store, seeking a new pair of running shoes.
iRun Too: A Trademark Issue
When Hector Arana and Cobi Morales dreamed up the named iRun, a play on Apples popular iPod device, the duo swiftly moved to design a store logo and secure a trademark.
Little did they know that at the same time, a Phoenix-based specialty running store was set to open its doors under the name iRun.
Luckily, Arana and the owners of the Arizona store reached an agreement that allowed the Miami store to service-mark the iRun name in Florida. With a storefront on the Rock n Roll Arizona Marathon route between the Arizona Biltmore resort and Old Town Scottsdale, iRun Phoenix sports a different logo but a similar approach to serving customers.
iRun also is the name of a bimonthly runners magazine published in Canada. As they operate in markets that dont overlap, theres little worry about trademark or copyright issues.
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