My Business Life: George Allen, Feel Good Bicycles

George Allen, founder of Feel Good Bicycles, shares his life and business lessons.

In 2017, George Allen took over a small local bike shop in County Cavan with a love for cycling and zero retail experience.

Eight years on, Feel Good Bicycles has grown into a multi-location business with a team of ten, a loyal customer base. And plenty of hard-earned lessons!

In this candid interview, George shares how he navigated the highs of the pandemic boom, the lows of oversupply and why staying grateful (even during the tough days) is his definition of success.

Tell us about your background. What journey did you take to arrive at where you are today?

I’ve always been into the outdoors. Kayaking and mountain biking were my passions as a teenager. That led me to train and work as an outdoor sports instructor, including stints in Australia and New Zealand. When I returned to Ireland, I became the chief instructor at an adventure centre, and eventually ended up running the entire business. This included everything from a coffee shop to historic gardens to weddings and events!

I’d no real business training at the time. When the manager left suddenly, I said I’d look after it until they found someone else. I ended up doing it for five years before stepping away. That’s when the opportunity came up: the owner of the local bike shop, who I used to help out now and then, asked if I’d be interested in taking it over. That was 2017, and that’s how Feel Good Bicycles was born.

What need are you meeting, and what’s your unique selling point?

I love bikes; riding them, fixing them, talking about them. But what really drives me is helping other people experience the joy of cycling. When a customer collects a repaired bike or buys a new one and you see their face light up, well, it’s hard to beat that.

As for our USP, cycling has so many segments, and I’ve often wrestled with whether to niche down or stay broad. But we’ve always taken the approach of trying to help as many people as possible, whether it’s families, commuters or mountain bikers. We’re all about making cycling feel good.

How did you fund the business, and what are your growth plans?

To take over the shop, I needed €25,000 to buy the stock. I didn’t have the money, so I borrowed. Half came from family and half from a bank loan. Since then, we’ve grown through cash flow and short-term finance. At one point after Covid, we had €325,000 worth of stock.

It hasn’t been perfectly smooth. I’ve definitely paid more in interest than I would have liked.

But Bank of Ireland has been supportive, and I’ve a long-term loan and an overdraft with them. We’ve grown steadily and are in a good place now, though I’ll always be thinking about how to grow more sustainably.

Who has helped or inspired you most along the way?

I did a government-funded business coaching course years ago through Skillnet, and I was lucky enough to work with a brilliant coach, John O’Sullivan.from ActionCoach Ireland I learned the fundamentals of running a business from him. When I started Feel Good Bicycles, I went back and did the programme again. Johnny was a great mentor, and I worked with him for years.

These days, I’m more self-coached. I listen to a lot of business podcasts. Alex Hormozi and Mike Michalowicz are favourites. I don’t agree with everything they say, but they get me thinking and help me level up.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

I always remember the advice I didn’t take. The previous business owner told me, “Keep it small, do it yourself, stay lean.” But that’s not what I wanted. I now have three shops and a team of 10, including part-timers. I wanted to build something bigger.

What marks the difference between success and failure in life or business?

In life, I think it’s about being happy with what you’ve got. Gratitude is everything. In business, success is being able to grow sustainably without burning yourself out. To me, success is doing all that. And surviving to do it again tomorrow. We’ve been in business eight years now and that feels good.

What’s been the hardest part of growing your business?

Cashflow. Always cashflow. The margins in the cycling industry are small. Keeping the bills paid and suppliers happy has always been my biggest challenge.

How did the pandemic affect your business, and what did you learn?

At first, I panicked. I cancelled a big bike order because I thought we’d be shut down. But then cycling was deemed essential, and the boom hit. We couldn’t keep up; calls non-stop, Facebook messages day and night. I had to automate replies and kept a massive handwritten book of people looking for bikes.

On paper, we made a lot of money but it all went into stock. We grew five years ahead of schedule. But then the market flipped. Suddenly, everyone had a bike and demand dropped. I was left with stock I’d already paid for. That brought huge financial pressure. Only now is it starting to even out.

The lesson? Always look ahead. I knew the boom would end, but I didn’t know when. If I’d turned off the tap of new stock a few months earlier, it would have saved a lot of stress. Adaptability is crucial.

Has digital transformation helped your business grow? Are Irish SMEs using tech well?

I think digital tools are incredibly powerful. But setting them up takes time and skill and that’s a big barrier. Even as someone who’s fairly digital-savvy, I’ve struggled to find good people to help with implementation.

Some of our suppliers are still sending Word docs for invoices, which I then have to convert to PDFs to upload to my accounting system. It slows everything down. I know I’m not alone. Many Irish SMEs aren’t using digital tools to their full potential because they don’t know where to start or can’t find the right support.

If you were starting again, what would you do differently?

I’d think bigger when it comes to funding. There’s a fine line between caution and ambition, and I’ve probably leaned to the cautious side too much at times.

I’d also make more time to plan. I’ve gone through phases where I had a clear roadmap. Then I’ve had long stretches where I was just reacting to whatever was happening. More strategic thinking, less firefighting.

How do you nurture talent in your business?

I try to give my team autonomy and responsibility, even though I’m naturally a bit of a control freak! I’m learning to let go and trust them to do things their way, as long as it gets done and done well. I believe in my team, and I try to support and encourage them as much as possible.

Who inspires you in business?

Richard Branson is someone I admire. I read his book a few years ago and got a lot from it. But honestly, I get the most inspiration from the small business owners I meet every day. The ones who are out there doing their best, looking after their customers and staff, and making it work.

What business books would you recommend?

Profit First by Mike Michalowicz is a book I wish I’d read at the very beginning. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill is a classic. And Commit by Enda McNulty really resonated with me. It had a big impact both personally and professionally.

What tools or systems do you use to stay on track?

Old-fashioned pen and paper works best for daily tasks. Each morning, I jot down what I need to do. It helps keep me focused.

For cashflow, I use a Google Sheets document. I’d love to find a digital tool that fits better with my setup, but haven’t quite cracked it yet. I use Xero for accounting.

What social media platforms do you prefer and why?

Instagram is my favourite. It’s simple, I get how it works, and I used it personally before using it for business. I usually create content with Instagram in mind first, and then repurpose it for TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Our biggest following is on Facebook, but I usually post there via Instagram. Everyone says TikTok is the place to be, and I do post there, but I struggle with it. Instagram just makes the most sense for me.

If you could give one piece of advice to your 21-year-old self, what would it be?

Honestly, I wouldn’t give any. Sure, there are things I could have done better or faster, but I’ve grown through the journey. I’m happy with who I am and where I am.

That said, I do struggle. There are still days when I’m fed up or things aren’t going well. But that’s just business. The challenges don’t go away, they just change. One of my coaches once said, “It doesn’t get easier. You get better.” And I’ve found that to be true.

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