Cycling coaches riding high as two-wheel trips go further
Bike tour firm developed by friends wins strong demand from companies
FOLLOWING a successful few years for Scottish cycling we hear how two members of the national squad set up have developed a thriving business out of their love of the sport. Name: Brynley Davies and Mark McKay. Ages: 44 and 49 respectively. What is your business called? Service Course. Where is it based? Dalkeith, Midlothian. What services does it offer? Unique cycling experiences worldwide – from single day, coached track sessions at the velodrome in London or Los Angeles to multi-day road bike tours in the Pyrenees or Scottish Highlands. Each is organised and delivered by professional Olympic and Commonwealth Games coaches, and utilises our pro team of ride guides, mechanics and masseurs, says Mr Davies. To whom does it sell? Mainly to corporates such as international law firms, private equity companies, global banks, real estate brokers and fund managers.
We are also now branching into luxury cycling holidays for enthusiasts, with our first two Scottish tours organised for summer 2017. What is its turnover? £250,000. How many employees? Three full-time and eight part-time. When was it formed? 2013 Why did you take the plunge? We realised there was demand for our coaching expertise twinned with professional delivery of bespoke cycling events.
A friend from a law firm in London invited us to pitch to a group of lawyers and clients who had signed up for a Tour-deFrance-style challenge that was organised for June 2013. They were looking for advice and a structured training programme so they would be able to complete – and enjoy – the challenging event.
The firm loved our presentation and asked us to put together a series of events that included skills training sessions, one-to-one coaching advice, training camps in Mallorca and the Pyrenees.
The latter camp was run off in the worst weather conditions experienced in the Pyrenees for 40 years but the team of riders finished the tour and loved every minute of it.
That was the defining moment, when we realised how powerful the event had been in bonding riders together, forging closer relationships for our customer and their invited clients. What were you doing before you took the plunge? I decided to leave my corporate banking role with Bank of Scotland after 17 years to go fulltime cycle coaching in 2013. Mark was moving from Team GB across to Scottish Cycling at that time. We actually first met in 2008 at a national coaching session for youth riders in Edinburgh.
It was Mark’s first role with the Great Britain Cycling Team as a Talent Coach whose remit was to identify Scottish based talented kids and develop them. I was there as head coach of the Edinburgh Juniors. We worked well together and continued the coaching partnership on regular Scotland U16 and U19 training events and international races.
We now work together as performance cycling coaches for the National squad in Scotland, Mark as head endurance coach and myself as U19 endurance coach. After a successful Commonwealth Games in Glasgow 2014, we are building a young Scottish squad for future elite competition. How did you raise the start-up funding? We invested personal savings in the business at the outset rather than look to bank lending or external financing as we very much wanted to control the evolution of the business. By focusing on keeping costs down and invoicing customers in advance to cover upfront event costs, we achieved positive cashflow. What was your biggest break? Successfully applying for the inaugural Edinburgh Entrepreneurial Spark programme in 2013. Jim Duffy, Lucy-Rose Walker and their team supported us for several years.
This meant I could work from a permanent office space for free, within a highly driven and supportive environment with other start-ups. The focus was on relentlessly pushing the business on. What was your worst moment? Honestly, I’ve never had one. Many sleepless nights worrying about personal financial security but life is too short not to give it a go. What do you most enjoy about running the business? The challenge of building a successful business and brand from scratch is entirely down to decisions we make and the people we bring in to help us grow. What are your ambitions for the firm? To be the best bespoke cycling events business in the world. What are your five top priorities? Maintain exacting event delivery standards for our long-standing corporate customers.
Utilise newly recruited marketing expertise to promote 2017 consumer holidays.
Widen sales channels with tour operator partners in target geographies.
Direct corporate engagement through established warm leads.
Prepare for scaling the business, adding to our professional support team by recruiting the best staff we can find. What could the Westminster and/or Scottish governments do that would help? The tourist industry is driven by SMEs, and more initiatives to extend the country’s digital infrastructure and mobile coverage in rural areas would be beneficial to the sector as would additional support and training designed to help SMEs enhance their understanding of the ever-evolving digital world.
Programmes like Digital Boost, which is delivered by Business Gateway, are excellent.
Its workshops, guides, and health checks are something we have benefited immensely from.
Business Gateway has also helped us secure a Digital Scotland Voucher and a Make it to Market Grant from Scottish Enterprise, which meant we could afford an international rebrand and build a new e-commerce website.
Most recently our Business Gateway adviser in Midlothian helped us apply successfully on to Scottish Enterprise’s Growth Pipeline programme which has opened many doors for us. What was the most valuable lesson that you learned? Actions speak louder than words. How do you relax? Get lost in a book/ride my bike.