What to do!

Wallace1492

Well, just heard that I will be made redunant at the end of the year.... voluntary and I do get a decent payout, but it wont last long! Been in the job 25 years and looking forward to a change.

Would love to do something bike related, but what? Give me your ideas....

I am a TCL and qualified cycle trainer so may well use these.

londonlivvy

I've seen various jobs for ctc and for local govt to get people into cycling. Sort of activist come ride leader come marketing type. Not particularly well paid as I recall but possibly fun and interesting.

I could also imagine you organising Scottish cycling holidays. Either for a company like skedaddle or setting up your own routes and accommodation links, providing transport, route advice, mechanical support etc.

You might want to have a look at bikebiz website. Various bike industry jobs and articles that might spark some ideas.

Jay dubbleU

From what I recall of your touring experience over the last couple of years you'd be in a good position to set up a cycle touring business - supported tours, guided tours etc
Most Local Councils in England (not sure about Scotland) have Cycling officers who arrange training in schools and local cycling events - best of luck

suzyb

Sorry to hear about the job

A guy in the lanarkshire mtb group lost his job earlier this year and thats what he did, set up a cycle tour company (west highland wheels iirc). Might be worth a go.

Wallace1492

suzyb wrote:

Sorry to hear about the job

A guy in the lanarkshire mtb group lost his job earlier this year and thats what he did, set up a cycle tour company (west highland wheels iirc). Might be worth a go.

Not a bummer at all!!

It is the start of the rest of my life..... FREEDOM!

Gussio

Wallace1492 wrote:

suzyb wrote:

Sorry to hear about the job

A guy in the lanarkshire mtb group lost his job earlier this year and thats what he did, set up a cycle tour company (west highland wheels iirc). Might be worth a go.

Not a bummer at all!!

It is the start of the rest of my life..... FREEDOM!

That's the (William)Wallace spirit

mudcow007

a mate of mine does cycle tours around Liverpool - showing the Beatles houses etc

could you not set up cycling tours around some of your Scottish hills?

what's a "TCL" by the way?

"The Centipedes Legs"?

Wallace1492

TCL - Trail Cycle Leader, a MTB qualification from British Cycling.
(Really means I know how to phone an ambulance!)

mudcow007

Wallace1492 wrote:

TCL - Trail Cycle Leader, a MTB qualification from British Cycling.
(Really means I know how to phone an ambulance!)

could you not try an get involved with a forestry commission somewhere an set up a trail?

that would be awesome!

god knows how you would go about it though.

suzyb

Wallace1492 wrote:

suzyb wrote:

Sorry to hear about the job

A guy in the lanarkshire mtb group lost his job earlier this year and thats what he did, set up a cycle tour company (west highland wheels iirc). Might be worth a go.

Not a bummer at all!!

It is the start of the rest of my life..... FREEDOM!

heh know how that feels. My first job, the day we were told the company went under I was walking around so cheery I was actually humming to myself.

gtvlusso

Sorry to hear that fella - but, as you suggest; one door closes, another 50 open!

try sustrans website or architrail. There are allot of bike mechanic courses about too - get yourself a van and do side of the road repairs.

jonny_trousers

Sounds like exciting times are ahead! I guess it all depends on what you would ideally like to do, how much money you have, and how much you are willing, to invest. A friend/colleague of mine who was recently made redundant has just combined his love of cycling with his villa in Portugal and is now offering cycling holidays. No idea if he's making any money out of it yet, but I hear he's loving it.

Good luck mate!

NGale

Have to admit I am looking into the cycle mechanic courses as a possible change of direction after being made redundant, it would fit in with the change of direction into engineering anyway. Cost is the only thing getting to me, so the cycle tour thing is a good idea and there is potential for that in Exeter as it could be pitched as a local thing for people who arn't necessarily cyclists but give them a chance to see things they wouldn't normally see in the city if they were driving.

On the job front I have had an interview, only something at Tesco, but it pays the bills if I get it.

suzyb

One of the LMTBC guys did a cytech bike mechanic course. Thought i'd mention it in case it would be useful.

rolf_f

Get a job where someone pays you to do something. Setting up your own business will probably eat your redundancy and only make a (small) profit if you work 46 hours a day, 9 days a week.

This is the opinion of an accountant friend of mine based on his experience of doing the books of small businesses. He reckons that even the ones that do well almost never make anything like the wages a reasonably skilled person can make as an employee.

davis

Possible thread derailment: Does anyone actually need e.g. a Cytech maintenance course to do the work? It really isn't that hard! I'm not saying I'm a master fettler, but I can understand and fix the things I've seen so far. Caveat: yet to build a wheel (no need so far, next set will be self-built), and haven't serviced cup and cone bearings (simply haven't needed to).


Oh, and I'd disagree with Rolf F (for once): you can make money from your own business. I've always held the theory that you won't get rich working for someone else, but obviously, everything depends!

daviesee

Bummer about the news but I have been made redundant 8, maybe 9 times (roughly, I forget), and I am grateful for each and every one. None paid out much but the changes in my life always seemed to turn out better.
Seems like everyone is pointing you to organised cycle tours etc and that seems ideal. It may not pay too much but think of the quality of life :P .
If money is more important then target Aberdeen. Possibly the most prosperous area outside London. Especially these days.

PS - The advice from Rolf probably depends on the "business men" and their "ideas". I am doing very nicely as self employed, thank you very much.

rolf_f

daviesee wrote:

PS - The advice from Rolf probably depends on the "business men" and their "ideas".

Not really - the comment was based on the accounting experience of my friend and covers a pretty wide range of businesses over many years. Obviously some small businesses will succeed (otherwise we'd all still be in caves) but most do not irrespective of the quality of the idea or the people setting up the business. If you do well, don't think it is necessarily down to your business acumen and don't think if you do badly it is down to a lack of acumen. Much of the time it is luck. And ultimately, very, very few have the luck. Even if you make a profit and do it without working ridiculous hours and have time for holidays, are you going to save the half million you'll need by the time you retire as a minimum pension fund to reasonably match your salary? Hopefully you can but not many people do. Unless you do very well, very quickly, you'd need to be saving at least 20k a year.

rolf_f

davis wrote:

Oh, and I'd disagree with Rolf F (for once): you can make money from your own business. I've always held the theory that you won't get rich working for someone else, but obviously, everything depends!

You can make serious money working for others - eg the much loved bankers. But yes, for the most part if you want to be rich, a genius idea and a lot of luck might do the trick but what do you really want? A long shot at wealth (with a likelihood of not much) or a simple guarantee of a comfortable existence with a sane work/life balance?

It does help if you have nothing to lose though.

Incidentally, my account friend did tell me once that there was one exception to the low profitability rule - landscape gardeners seem to make a mint.

davis

Rolf F wrote:

davis wrote:

Oh, and I'd disagree with Rolf F (for once): you can make money from your own business. I've always held the theory that you won't get rich working for someone else, but obviously, everything depends!

You can make serious money working for others - eg the much loved bankers. But yes, for the most part if you want to be rich, a genius idea and a lot of luck might do the trick but what do you really want? A long shot at wealth (with a likelihood of not much) or a simple guarantee of a comfortable existence with a sane work/life balance?

Fair points, all of 'em. I think I might be confusing my anecdotal evidence with counter-evidence, and I think I probably still *want* to believe in the possibility of success being solely down to hard work, well-made decisions, etc.

suzyb

I think many people are starting businesses (or working self-employed) because they simply can't find a job. So instead of living off benefits, trawling through the papers every week hoping someone is hiring they try and make their own work.

Rolf F wrote:

or a simple guarantee of a comfortable existence with a sane work/life balance?

In my experience neither of those things are guaranteed no matter who you work for or where you work.

davis wrote:

Possible thread derailment: Does anyone actually need e.g. a Cytech maintenance course to do the work?

Probably not but people generally prefer to employ someone who is "professionally" trained rather than someone who taught themselves. And I think you can become accredited as well so get a shiny badge to wow punters.