Hidden Gems: Meet Josh Jones of Murf Electric Bikes

Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Jones.

Josh, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin? 
In 2016, I started the business out of necessity. I’m a big surfer, and my wife knows how important surfing was for me. So, she got me an ebike for my birthday to be able to get to and from my usual surf spot. 

I had the ebike for six months before it broke. I went back to the company I bought it from, and it was under warranty, but they weren’t honoring the warranty. Since I had my own ecommerce businesses already, I knew I could do better. If these guys are selling a ton of bikes with terrible customer service, what could I do if I had great customer service? 

So that was the origin of Murf. And then, from growing up in San Clemente, I naturally knew a variety of pro surfers and athletes. I shared what I was doing, and they loved what I had created, so we were able to grow organically. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The biggest struggle has been quality control. It’s not only about ensuring all components are the best but making sure we are continuing to push ourselves to produce the best ebikes in the industry as well as also offering top-notch customer service. Another struggle that is not just unique to our industry is the financial aspect. The business as a whole is a very cash intensive business, so your money will be tied up at all the wrong times. For example, when taxes are due, you need to have the most amount of money in inventory getting ready for summer. It requires quite a bit of planning. 

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about Murf Electric Bikes?
We are known for our quality products and above-and-beyond customer service. Of course, it starts with the bikes. We work really hard to make the product superior to our competition. We are seeing copycats of Murf, and we don’t really view them as competition because we own the cruiser e-bike space with differentiating factors like fifty-two-volt batteries and threaded controllers and wire harnesses. This ensures you won’t have any loose connections or shorts. 

Once we have someone interested in a bike, the customer service is what seals the deal. We sell a lot of bikes online. And when we notice a region picking up with traction, we will then start cold calling in that region and getting service centers set up. 

So, if there is a customer that needs assistance or service, we already have a location for them in those areas. In the rare situation where something negative happens with the bike, we’re there to support the customer. By doing that, we are then finding those customer service centers end up turning into dealers because of the working relationship that’s developed. 

Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I think you have to take risks in business, but they have to be calculated. Meaning you try as many things as you can as cheap as possible. So, if it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t negatively impact the business. And that’s something that I try to keep instilling in our management. We can’t be afraid to try something new and take risks, but we need to do it in a way where it doesn’t negatively impact the business on a financial front. 

As far as the biggest risk we’ve taken, it would be when we start pouring money into inventory. 

Because if the demand suddenly stops, then they’re stuck with it. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://murfelectricbikes.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/murfelectricbike
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/murfelectricbikes