Blog
We recycle the majority of our waste at Cullercoats Bike & Kayak, we see this as an essential part of meeting our commitment to minimising the environmental impact of the business. Surprisingly the majority of business waste is not recycled, retail and hospitality businesses being some of the worst offenders. Many cite the cost of doing so as the main reason, or being too busy to effectively seperate waste. In our view, these aren't really valid reasons.
The seven bridges spanning the River Tyne between Newcastle & Gateshead are truly a sight to behold. In July & August we will be offering the chance to explore this stretch of water by kayak. We will be choosing our days so we can catch the outgoing tide. We will transport you from Cullercoats Bike & Kayak to Derwenthaugh Marina where you will transfer to your sit-on-top kayak.
Half-term events and activities at CBK
We have lots going on for the whole family this week, cycling, kayaking and a few other things too.
Cullercoats to Seaton Delaval Loop
Bike Tour (12 miles, 2 hours, Tues 27 May, 10am-12pm)
Thank you to everyone who joined the Great Coast Egg Hunt! We had one person who found all 30, so well done!
The winners of the prizes are as follows:
Today marks our twelfth day of trading. It has flown over! We have been totally overwhelmed by the response of the local community to our store opening. Lots of people have visited, many have returned and all have been complementary. We have of course been trying hard to provide a great experience for our customers, and the beauty of a small business is our proximity to them. When we do something right we can tell, when we do something wrong, we can correct it quickly or at least try to ensure they come back again so we can have another go.
Perhaps this could have been rolled into the bike fleet post, but I felt it warranted its own post. We can now confirm our main supplier of kayaks as SMG Group, suppliers of US manufactured Ocean Kayaks. We are really pleased to bag this account as Ocean Kayak make the best sit-on-tops in the world. These boats are really stable, have very few parts and should last for years.
Today has been a very exciting day of negotiation with suppliers. It has not been easy finding suppliers who are willing to deal with a new company, but thankfully the UK distributor for Cannondale Bikes is willing to play ball, as is homegrown UK manufacturer Pashley. Cannondale have a long history of producing excellent bikes so I will be proud to supply them to my customers. I am also confident that I can get the parts and service I will need to keep them on the road for a long time.
Picture: Reclining Buddha, Wat Pho, Bangkok, Thailand
As I had a free day today and was feeling a little creative, I decided to pull together a list of guided cycle tours that I will offer from CBK once we are up and running. It was quite time consuming to pull this together. For each tour I went through the following process:
Photo: Cullercoats Bay, 08.30, 25 December 2013 This photo is courtesy of my step dad, Ritchie Murray. He took it whilst my Mam and I took a Christmas day dip in the North Sea at about 8.30am. The beach was busy with dog walkers, the water flat calm and the sunrise spectacular, surely a perfect day for paddling too? It got me thinking, perhaps 2014 will see the inaugural Cullercoats Christmas Day Paddle, what better way to start the day and build the appetite than a bit of physical exercise and a few splashes of cool water!
Today has been a bit of a milestone for Cullercoats Bike & Kayak. I signed my lease today with Blue Box Developments, the owner of the building. I don't know how typical my experience of negotiating a commercial lease has been, but Helena & Michael from Blue Box have been really supportive and helpful during the whole process of agreeing terms. I have also had some help from Paul Murphy at the NTC Business Factory to ensure I asked all the right questions. Anyway, now the ink has dried I can announce the location of what will be Cullercoats Bike & Kayak.... drum roll please!
As I begin to research suppliers I have a lot of conflicting agendas. Do I look for social enterprises, co-ops and business models I admire? Or do I think local and buy from north east companies where possible? Or do I do what all the advice tells me and minimise costs by buying from the cheapest, even if that means buying my kit from Ghengis Kahn Cycles or Beelzebub Kayaks? Having weighed up the pros and cons I have decided to settle on local suppliers as my primary selection tool, where possible buying from co-ops and small enterprise.
Today I made my first appointment with North Tyneside Business Factory. This is run by the local authority and it aims to support enterprise in the local area. One thing I have noticed in the last few weeks is how much free support there is for people, especially under 30s, who are looking to start a new business. Off the top of my head, the places I know I can go for support and advice locally are:
Welcome to my new blog. I am trying to chronicle my experience of setting up a new business in Cullercoats, about 10 miles east of Newcastle. For a bit of background, Cullercoats was one a sleepy seaside village, then it became a tourist mecca. But like most of the UK seaside, it began to fall on hard times in the 1970s. I have lived in Cullercoats since 2011 and can see so much potential for new businesses in our village. The revival of the British seaside resort has started to bring more visitors in recent years, this summer you could barely move for the day trippers at the coast.