The Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce is supporting older people on the Island by providing help and advice on starting a business or being self-employed. The Chamber is hosting monthly workshops and providing ongoing mentoring as part of the Age Friendly Island campaign, an exciting partnership funded by the National Lottery through the BIG Lottery Fund, making the Island a great place to grow old, while tackling social isolation.
Since the project started a year ago, the Chamber’s Over 50s business mentors have engaged with more than 50 people aged over 50 who are looking to go into business and be their own boss. Business advisors Fiona Grist and Lynda Draper are often helping older people who have been made redundant or who are at the early stages of retirement.
Nick Blake is the owner of Island Bikeworks. He’s a mobile cycle mechanic, visiting homes and businesses to carry out servicing and repairs. His slogan is “keeping the Island cycling”, and for Nick it’s definitely a new start. He had been running the Aquarium at Fort Victoria for 31 years until its closure in November last year.
“It was a bit of a shock to the system at first,” Nick says. “It was time for us to move on and do something else. I’d worked in partnership with my brother in the past and I was concerned about taking everything on by myself when it came to running another business.”
Nick signed up for a one day start-up course, hosted by the Chamber. He’s 54 and he qualifies for Over 50’s start-up support as part of the Age Friendly Island campaign.
“I came away from the start up-course feeling reassured. It was a great refresher for me because I did already know most of the things. I realised that starting a new business wasn’t such a leap and I felt more confident.”
He’s had help from family and friends, as well as regular 1 to 1 mentoring sessions as part of the Over 50s start-up programme. The monthly meetings are a valuable sounding board and a chance to share ideas.
“Having a mentor in Fiona has been brilliant. We swap ideas and sometimes she will suggest things that we’re already doing, which is actually very reassuring. It tells me that we’re on the right track. Fiona has been a great help with our business plan. Thirty years ago when we went in to business there was no such thing! I’d never had to do a plan before.”
Nick’s enjoying being his own boss and his new way of working. He’s got the freedom to balance his time and he likes working at different locations and meeting new people.
“I didn’t really want to be tied down. I was looking for a change of life and I think I’ve found a niche for my business. I’ve always ridden bikes and enjoyed working on them and messing about with them. It also fits in with my own ethos, about sustainability and the environment. I don’t feel old. I’m 55 this year, and hopefully I’ll be able to do this for the next 10 years at least. Everybody I’ve met has been really nice and it’s been a genuinely pleasant experience. I’m able to spend a bit of time with my customers when I’m fixing their bikes. I’d never considered running a bike shop because working at the Aquarium for more than thirty years, it became a real tie. I can rearrange my appointments now.”
Nick’s customers are varied, from families with children’s bikes, to keen amateurs or retired people. He’s keen to work with more businesses too, helping to provide solutions to problems like parking.
“I’ve found lots of customers by attending events or helping people in some of the more rural villages. A lot of people have issues with taking a bike into a repair shop. Transport might be a problem or they might find it a bit daunting. It’s easier for me to come to them, particularly if their bike has been in a garage or shed for several years. I’m helping people get back into cycling.”
Find out more about our Over 50s startup support at iwchamber.co.uk
