AMERICAN FORK — In the battle for Main Street, business leaders and city officials in American Fork are trying to help smaller businesses successfully compete with the big-box stores the area is attracting.

Debby Lauret, the American Fork Chamber of Commerce's director, said the key to the survival of small businesses is finding a niche where they can compete against the big boys. Price is usually an area where larger stores are untouchable, but by specializing in certain areas and providing better service, she said, small businesses can not only survive but thrive.

That business model is working for at least one Main Street business in American Fork — the Bike Peddler.

"We don't necessarily compete on price, we just offer a better product" said Brian Fruit, owner of the Bike Peddler. "The discerning customer who wants a higher-quality bike is going to get a bike through us."

Since buying the business in 1998, Fruit has weathered competition from bigger stores like Wal-Mart and Target by specializing on higher-end bikes and providing a level of customer service unmatched by larger stores. Store workers sell all bikes assembled and each bike comes with a year of service included.

Having a staff of legitimate biking enthusiasts who can provide an expert level of assistance that average store clerks at bigger stores can't match has helped as well.

Fruit has lost business on children's bikes and lower-end mountain bikes, but he said business is still growing overall because sales on more expensive bikes are four or five times larger than when he took over.

"Business is good because we've focused on the high-end product," he said. "We have a definitely structured business because we knew what we'd have to do."

Still other businesses, like the Yogurt Parlor, continue to succeed based on tradition — they are longtime businesses that have established a clientele. Such businesses are mainstays, Lauret said, and often the name and nostalgia are enough to keep them alive.

City Councilman Jimmie Cates said the city is doing what it can to help smaller businesses.

"We are encouraging merchants in that area to make improvements to their businesses," Cates said. "We have some funds that we've also made available to assist with that. But even as citizens, we need to support those merchants that are in our downtown so our Main Street doesn't die on us."

However, Cates said the council has to walk a fine line when helping small business — and that often limits what the city can do.

"I can't say that enough is being done," he said. "There's a very delicate balance there, because you have to let merchants progress at their own rate of speed. You can't force them to do something, but you can encourage them and assist them in any way you can."

Lauret said the Chamber of Commerce is also doing what it can to help smaller businesses. The Chamber is putting together a class to teach small business strategies. The class will be taught later this month or sometime in October.

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E-mail: jtwitchell@desnews.com