TWO young entrepreneurs are turning their passion into pounds with the opening of a new shop.
FWR BMX Bikes and Accessories has been opened in Fish Street, Worcester.
Owners Craig Bowers and Ian Harrison, who have both ridden BMX bikes since they were young, started the store after identifying a need for a high-quality, specialist BMX outlet in the area.
But it took both of them being made redundant before they took the plunge.
"I left school at 16 and I was doing an engineering apprenticeship at Batten Feld Gloucester, in Droitwich, when unfortunately, during my fourth year, the company transferred operations to Austria and I was made redundant," said Mr Bowers, aged 20, who lives in Droitwich.
"Then a few months later, Ian, who's my best friend, was made redundant from Kays after 10 years."
Mr Harrison, 29, of Dines Green, had always talked about starting a BMX shop, so, combining his redundancy money and some money borrowed from Mr Bowers' family, the pair started looking around.
They found the right premises in the former ladies clothes shop Changing Habits, and while they waited to move in they attended a free business course at County Hall.
"It was really good - it covered all the basics on bookkeeping, tax, VAT and business plans," said Mr Bowers.
Armed with their business plan, the friends then approached banks.
"We shopped around, like everyone does, but Ian had a current account with Barclays and from the start they were really helpful, especially our relationship manager, Maria Jones, who has been really great," said Mr Bowers.
"A few other banks seemed to think it was just a pipe dream but Maria didn't have that attitude."
So far, things are working out for the two partners, who opened in June this year, their first six months of trading putting them in the black. They also sell skateboards and roller blades
"Opening in the summer holidays was really good as the kids were all out," said Mr Bowers. "And the lead-up to Christmas has been good with some Saturdays being absolute chaos. But that's good because it means we're making money. We couldn't really ask for anything else!"
Plans include putting the business on the web and extending the shop into the first and second floors of the premises as well as buying more stock.
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