Taking the plunge - working for yourself!
Richie1964
Posts: 2,601
Well after years of making a lot of money for other people,I have decided to do something just for me. I probably won't even make a lot of money for the first couple of years, but I'll be doing something that I want to do, for me and I will only answer to me. And it's cycling related!
So, the company has been formed. Research has been done, business plan & budget sorted, website is being created, and trading should begin December 1st. How exciting!
I've already sent out an initial HTML mailshot to my main target market and reception has been very encouraging.
Wish me luck guys!
So, the company has been formed. Research has been done, business plan & budget sorted, website is being created, and trading should begin December 1st. How exciting!
I've already sent out an initial HTML mailshot to my main target market and reception has been very encouraging.
Wish me luck guys!
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Comments
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so, what's the business - you setting up in competition with wiggle/crc? entering the repair/servicing market?0
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what is the twist... ?
don't worry about other people trying to do the same thing.
If it's possible to, and you haven't got patents/copyrights on your idea, then staff at your hosting provider are probably already working on it so you're probably wasting your time worrying about us.0 -
Sounds brilliant - good for you!
I've been self employed for ten years and wouldn't look back!
edited for typo's!__________________
......heading for the box, but not too soon I hope!0 -
Way to go - I'm in the process of doing the same thing but I'm in the enviable position of being able to continue working my usual day job while continuing to persue the career that I want to take. Hope it all goes well for you.0
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Good for you. Welcome to the "other side"!
I just had lunch with former colleagues still working for my former employer. The first thing they always say is how healthy I look (compared to before) and how awful their professional lives still are.
It is, of course, not all plain sailing and you get different things to worry about (like feeding yourself and your family) and there is no doubt that you can feel fragile from time to time. However, the best piece of advice I got was as follows:
You wake up one morning, you contemplate your lot (bank account, order book and your lifestyle) and you feel great about your decision to go self-employed. You wake up another day, you contemplate your lot and you feel gloom and panic and wonder why you ever left the salaried job. The point to remember is that the data is the same; it is only your attitude towards it that changes.0 -
Good luck to you. I did the same 8 years ago and have never looked back.
At first I did have worrying periods without sufficient work, but the worry was never worse than the constant threat of redundancy when working in manufacturing industry.
It helps if you have very low overheads so keep an eye on the pennies.0 -
Hi Richie,
What's the URL? let us have a look0 -
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The twist is that it's aimed at cycling "swingers" who don't mind sharing more than the odd inner tube :shock:
What do I ride? Now that's an Enigma!0 -
Well the website is currently under construction guys. So, all that's there is a holding page. I'll let you all have the details as soon as it goes live!
Oh, and no it's not a cycling/sex concept!0 -
Hmmmm, cycling / swinging holidays... Not a bad idea that. May be worth er, looking into. Wonder if the company name "Easy Riders" has been trademarked...
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Richie1964 wrote:Oh, and no it's not a cycling/sex concept!
What, like a "bring your own tandem – we'll supply the rest" concept. Oh well.... 0 -
Well the website went live today - and I've already had a lot of interest. Wish me luck everyone!
www.rideletour.com0 -
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It looks a good site / great idea ! No obvious prices though.
One comment on website design - there should be a hint of nipple on col2foot.jpg - honestly !0 -
nickcuk wrote:It looks a good site / great idea ! No obvious prices though.
One comment on website design - there should be a hint of nipple on col2foot.jpg - honestly !
Prices and detailed schedules will be up within 2 weeks.0 -
Going into any form of business on your own backing is a brave step. I wish you well.Two wheels good,four wheels bad0
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cycologist wrote:Going into any form of business on your own backing is a brave step. I wish you well.
Thank you kind sir!0 -
nickcuk wrote:It looks a good site / great idea ! No obvious prices though.
One comment on website design - there should be a hint of nipple on col2foot.jpg - honestly !
Agree - I can't see the price. I'm sure it's there but it's not obvious where it is.
Wishing you every success with your business - maybe one day I will be going on one of your tours (if I ever get a baby sitter). You don't have a creche do you?0 -
popette wrote:nickcuk wrote:It looks a good site / great idea ! No obvious prices though.
One comment on website design - there should be a hint of nipple on col2foot.jpg - honestly !
Agree - I can't see the price. I'm sure it's there but it's not obvious where it is.
Wishing you every success with your business - maybe one day I will be going on one of your tours (if I ever get a baby sitter). You don't have a creche do you?
Hiya, in answer to your point, the top sentence on the Holidays page reads:
"The route of the Tour de France is traditionally announced at the end of October. Shortly after Ride le Tour.com will be able to confirm the 2008 routes, prices and hotels."
Any other queries, just let me know!
Cheers
Rich0 -
Excellent.
Potentially a much better experience than an Etape. Less hassle, more riding, more achievable and therefore more fun.
Looks like you have done your research and I wish you every success. I think you can count on some support from this forum of the kind that comes from the wallet and not just the pat-on-back variety.
Some feedback: When the tour dates and places ar know you should probably include train information and transfers. As far away as Grenoble, the train is a viable option for those living in the South-East of the UK, plus don't forget the expats who are keen cyclists and living in Belgium and the Netherlands."There are holes in the sky,
Where the rain gets in.
But they're ever so small
That's why rain is thin. " Spike Milligan0 -
Special K wrote:Excellent.
Potentially a much better experience than an Etape. Less hassle, more riding, more achievable and therefore more fun.
Looks like you have done your research and I wish you every success. I think you can count on some support from this forum of the kind that comes from the wallet and not just the pat-on-back variety.
Some feedback: When the tour dates and places ar know you should probably include train information and transfers. As far away as Grenoble, the train is a viable option for those living in the South-East of the UK, plus don't forget the expats who are keen cyclists and living in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Thanks eversomuch for the feedback, and the suggestions about the train transfers is an excellent one. Once again thanks.
Richard0 -
looks fantastic mate!!0
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Have you had any cease & desist letters from ASO's lawyers yet?
If not it is only a matter of time.
Seriously, they will at some point pounce if your business looks to be having a healthy turnover of customers, and invite you to become one of their corporate partners (i.e. they will demand a cut of your income in return for using their trademarked brand - even if it is just using the phrase 'Tour de France' to help sell your holidays).
A couple of friends of mine run a touring holiday business and the trips that enable customers to be in the vicinity of Le Tour each year are by far their best sellers, but ASO caught on and now they have to be careful with the wording of their sales blurb and their picture content (no Le Tour logos visible, for instance).0 -
I wrote to the ASO months ago, both in email and in letter form explaining my plans. I didn't hear a peep.0
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Great business idea - good luck and most of all have fun. I went self employed 10 years ago and have never had a single regret - as with many things in life the risk is in not doing something.
A wee pedantic point - there's a typo in the section on what type of bike to take - IIRC you say " recommend either a triple or." and miss out presumably "compact".0 -
Excellent to hear about more people going self-employed! We seem to have more friends now who are alternatively employed than mates in "real" jobs. We do get to ride our bikes more as well, especially in the middle of the day, but land up doing more evening work, 'cause that suits our customers.
I swapped my suit for a spanner and have been much happier!
Good luck in your venture,
Scherrit.
www.thebikewhisperer.co.ukIf you're as fat as me, all bikes are bendy.0 -
richie - site looks good and I like the concept. I may be calling on your services in the not too distant future hopefully!
I've a few comments on the general look and feel of the site for you (i work in web design/development so this is meant to be constructive criticism, so please take it that way... )
I'd say is maybe tone done the yellow on the site... there's tons of it and I kinda know where you're going with it, but a little less would make a better contrast for whats there, particularly the yellow boxes round things.
also the black tones on the right hand site of the logo isn't quite right it looks a bit grainy.
the booking calendar is just an image no? are you just planning on doing a new image and uploading as people make bookings? or driving it off some back end infrastructure? (if the latter and you need a web developer... )
anyhoo.. sorry for that.. in general it looks pretty damn good and I wish you all the best!
marty========================================
http://itgoesfasterwhenitmatches.blogspot.com/0
