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@splat
Bike shop for women: YES!! It would be great to go somewhere with a good range of stock for women (I find proper bike shops usually give good advice and help, and it is only the chain stores that give you the "shrink it and pink it" approach)
I think it's a good suggestion to test the waters with a concession/specialist section within an existing shop, or to run Ladies Nites. I think Evans used to do such things, but can't say I was ever tempted to go to one (but I won't digress as I am sure bikeradar has many long threads about the quality of service for men or women at Evans.)
For small business start-up advice, you could talk to the women at Lock 7 and at Bike Yard East in Hackney. Bike Yard East is a really small business, at it is a shed! They are both more like bike workshops than bike-selling shops - but great to be able to ask a women mechanic for advice.
You could also talk to Gill Ord at Mosquito, as she is one of the owners of the business and it has carved out its own niche market and been around for a fair few years.
Or, the people who run Bobbin Bikes in Islington. It is always full of women spending money on pretty things for their pretty bikes ... It is genius from a business perspective, as they have completely tapped into a lucrative market.