Karen Wood left school to go on a gap year and travel. This turned into 10 years of travelling and working in over 100 countries, working as an overland expedition driver and tour manager. Getting fed up with living out of a backpack saw her return back to the UK, where she worked in a Business Development Role for medical companies before starting her own business. In 2009 she started a kitchen table business selling balance bikes before taking on the UK distribution for Strider Bikes. In 2019 she took the leap to manufacture a new range of kid’s bikes.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I was fortunate to have a good education, but I didn’t really fit the structured career path pre-mapped for me of attending university. All I knew is wanted to travel and explore. I set off to Bangkok with a one-way ticket and discovered I could work my way around the world. This led to 10 glorious years of driving overland expeditions across South America, Africa and Asia.

What inspired you to start your business?

My children. Juggling a high pressured job around the nursery pickup and mum duties left me exhausted and feeling like I was doing everything badly. I was used to making decisions solo so it seemed a sensible option. So I set up Learning Early Ltd, Kidvelo’s parent company and ran it solo for 5 years before my husband joined me.

Where is your business based?

We are based in Warwickshire in the UK. After all that travel, I landed back in my hometown and have stayed put. A decision I still find strange considering the places I have been, but being close to family was more of a draw.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

On a gut feeling! I was walking my toddler to school and spotted a child on a strange looking bike that had no pedals. It was a balance bike and a very new concept but one that I had a feeling I could do something with. I quit the sales job, spent my small savings pot to source some bikes to sell (the living room was stacked up with them) and taught myself how to build a website. I grew the business, got noticed by one of the leading brands of the time who offered me the British distribution and the company kept growing. Our new brand, Kidvelo was born in 2019, from an idea on how we could improve on the bikes we were selling, so I set out to do just that.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

Honestly it is word of mouth. I would love to say cost effective advertising and social media but it is really the customers that kindly spread the word. We have set out to go above and beyond for our customers with our award-winning customer service. I have had customers request my business card so they can hand them out.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

Obviously global lockdowns haven’t made it easy to launch a new brand, let alone design a new bike but virtual meetings I actually now prefer. We have been slowed by not being able to travel, so prototypes have had to be shipped rather than inspected at the factory. Over the last 12 years in business there have been challenges; our website got hacked, the car broke down on the way to secure a bank loan, containers delayed are just a few of the lowlights, but experience has taught me to just solve the problem rather than waste energy worrying.

How do you stay focused?

I love what I do. I am all in or all out with everything I do, so I need to feel passionate about what I do, to be able to focus on it.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

Premium quality bikes at accessible pricing. We decided to deliver straight from ourselves, directly to our customers rather than using distributors and retailers. My husband, who has worked with me since 2015 and I, run everything between us including our own marketing and PR, website SEO and logistics. It really does help us keep costs down and we keep margins reasonable. The customer then gets a great quality bike, designed by experts at a great price.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Well the new brand is only been launched a few months so I might need to come back and tell you in a years’ time. In the past it is that we viewed every advertising avenue as an opportunity but I am now far better at judging ROI. If it will return and add value then we give it a go.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Run your numbers, be reasonable with your expectations and get expert help when you need advice. When times get tough, which they will, believe in yourself and keep going. Everyone suffers at times from imposter syndrome, but if you believe that you can make something work and have researched your market well to prevent careless mistakes then have a go.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

Outside of things I read for work, such as business blogs and marketing guides etc. I still love travel and history books. Rick Steves’ Europe 101 is a book I often reread- it covers the history and art of Europe and I love the National Geographic App.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

Well I am heavily involved with the SEO of our website. Google organic visitors are the real marketing win, so tools such as Moz is a really helpful resource. I find following business blogs in marketing useful to formulate different strategies.

Who is your business role model? Why?

Deborah Meaden is a British Entrepreneur, and I will admit to being a little star struck when I met her upon winning a business award. She has had a successful career over 40 years, which as a female business leader back then can’t have been easy. She built a very successful family entertainment business before completing a management buy-out. Knowing when to let go and move on is very difficult to judge. I love her ethos. She once said “I’m very direct, I don’t believe in wasting time, wasting words” which is very similar to myself.

How do you balance work and life?

Initially I was terribly poor at it. Building a business with a toddler on the lap makes it hard to be productive at all times, something I am sure that people who had to switch to working from home recently, can relate too. At the beginning I was working within the house and distractions were too hard to avoid. Moving the office out of the house and building it within the grounds, surprisingly made a big difference. Although the commute is short, locking the door at the end of a working day makes a big difference. I also don’t take devices into the bedroom. I try to read a book each evening as it helps me unwind and sleep better.

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

Walking my dog is great for clearing the mind and giving time to ponder. Of course I love to ride bikes, although I don’t get as much chance as I would like. I have two teenagers and love spending time with them. I have always worked from home so being there when they get back from school is a really good time for them to unload and we have some great conversations. I think we are closer as a family with me being around the home.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

We are about to launch two new balance bikes that you can add pedals too. The child can learn balance without the pedals and then you can quick fit the pedal kit and transform the balance bike into a lightweight pedal bike. We will be able to cover ages 3 to 8 years and provide parents premium performance in either mode. I am excited as there are a lot of children that have never ridden a bike and some facing additional challenges we can now support. There is nothing better than seeing the smile on a child’s face when they start riding a bike confidently.

How can our readers connect with you?

Karen@kidvelobikes.co.uk or via my LinkedIn profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/woodkaren/

We can be found at

https://twitter.com/KidVeloBikesUK

https://www.instagram.com/kidvelobikesuk/

https://www.facebook.com/KidveloBikesUK

Our website https://kidvelobikes.co.uk