BUSINESS
Pedal power for new island venture
sle of Luing resident and business owner, Mike Barlow, has launched a new business, Luing Bike Hire, offering bicycles for hire for visitors and holi- day makers to the Island. Mike, who has been running Sunnybrae Caravan Park on Luing for several years, has had many requests from visitors keen to explore the island, which is situated just 15 miles south of Oban. Mike says: ‘Although the island is serviced by a car ferry which
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only takes a few minutes to make the short crossing across Cuan Sound, for many visitors, bikes provide a more cost effective and healthier way of exploring the island.’ To help him realise his plans for his new venture, Mike contacted Business Gateway. ‘The support from Business Gateway has been fantas- tic,’ he says. ‘I was provided with assistance to produce a forecast which was very help- ful. I was also encouraged to
think through all aspects of the business and assess its viability before committing.’ He found his one-to-one ses- sions with his advisor, Nicky Archibald, very helpful and in- formative and knows he can tap into that support in future. Mike says he was encouraged to think about the importance of forward planning, so started the process in good time for the new season this year. In spite of the tough economic climate, Mike is very optimistic for his new venture.
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