Man’s dream job after virus cycle craze
A TORFAEN man is finally doing his dream job after setting up his very own business in his garden shed during the coronavirus lockdown.
Nathan Shephard, a bicycle enthusiast, realised the surge in interest in cycling during the coronavirus pandemic offered the perfect business opportunity for him to exploit. So, using a £1,500 grant from the Welsh Government’s Working Wales and Communities for Work Plus programmes, he set about opening a bike service and repair workshop in the shed at the bottom of his garden.
The entrepreneurial 28-year-old said: “I have always been into bikes and have a very mechanical mind. As a child, I was always taking toys apart and putting them back together again and I used to build things with my Gramp in his garage. I think this spurred me on to start this business and I was driven by a firm belief that if you enjoy your job you’ll never work a day in your life.”
However, setting up your own business can be “overwhelming”, said Mr Shephard, and the Torfaen Council’s Communities for Work Plus programme was key to getting him on his feet.
“Some of the information you get when you start a business is overwhelming.
“Thankfully, the Work Plus programme helped make it so much easier. I really can’t thank them enough.
“They supported me in writing a business plan and helped me secure funding for insurance, tools, business cards and flyers, which was vital in getting started.”
Mr Shephard is careful to follow social-distancing guidelines and hygiene precautions when customers drop off and collect their bikes. He is able to offer a thorough service of all bikes, including repairs to wheel bearings, gears, and wbrakes among other repairs and bike maintenance.
He added: “It’s very therapeutic to see a problem with a bicycle and get it working again. I had one customer who had been to a large cycle shop and was told repairs would cost £200. I checked it over and was able to do the work for a fraction of that.”
Shephard’s Bike Maintenance can be contacted on 07367 180 775.