Giving up a 'proper' job to work in the lbs. Pursuit of happiness content

martinxyz : Where is this mythical glittering shite you mention?, is it 26″ compatible as i don’t buy into the “larger size is better debate”….what cycle trade catalogue can i find the golden glitter-shitterati in?.

All i can say is that a job in the LBS is a proper job and not to be confused with a hobby, its a tough industry and it needs people who have a professional approach.
i gave up my IT job about ten years ago to set up my shop and love it.
Its been tough and I made mistakes employing people who didnt work out and some who screwed me over, but now we have an awesome team and we are developing again and were all very positive for the future.
Now I do the odd IT contract as its easy money for me and I look at the IT industry as a joke full of useless **** who think they are so clever yet are dumb shits who know nothing. I think ive learned more in the shop than any job in an office could ever teach me.
good thing about the shop is it doesnt feel like work.

There is always someone who loves any job, even emptying bins. I had a part time job as a kitchen porter, many moons ago, really enjoyed it. Cleaning stuff appealed to my OCD tendancies. I still like washing up, find it theraputic…

Do it but don’t burn your bridges to your old company/industry. Keep up a few contacts. Life is not a one-way street 🙂

If its the hands on approach or the “mechanics” you love I’d suggest that retraining as some kind of Maintenance Fitter / Millwright / Engineer would be the smart choice. Potentially better earnings, less hours & more days off ( on the right shift pattern ) and most importantly, more variety.

If its all about the bikes then please totally disregard the above and go for it. Whatever floats your boat!

quality of life is King, if i was in your shoes I’d already have left the IT job

I’d work in Ann Summers.

I’d work in Ann Summers.

Retail, is retail, Hora. When the 46th Rampant Rabbit is being brought back by a lady of a certain age, I’m sure the allure will fade.

Retail, is retail, Hora. When the 46th Rampant Rabbit is being brought back by a lady of a certain age, I’m sure the allure will fade.

This is HORA you are talking about!

Naturally I’d have to question her on her technique. Where she is going wrong? What we can do to make the product better for her.

This is HORA you are talking about!

Yeah. Not sure how I forgot that.

I feel like an idiot…

Do it. You don’t have any ties and it might take you to amazing places. And you can always go back to your old job with new skills.

But make sure that you have enough money in reserve (ideally 6 months living costs) that you can walk away from it when ever you want and try something else.

Kenny, I’ll look it out later on for you ;O)

I’ve always thought a lbs job would be enjoyable right up until another neighbour asks me to adjust the brakes on their £100 MTB and then the attraction fades somewhat.

Don’t do it!

Don’t do it until you’ve updated your CV (do it right now!) and sent it out!

In the past I’ve been sucked into thinking that my job was as good as it was going to ever get, and it was my fault if it was rubbish. Turned out, on sending out my CV, that there are other employers out there who have more of a clue, pay better, care more about their staff and are generally better to work for. Go and find one and work for them doing what you’re currently doing.

Working at an LBS for a dreadful manager will be just as nasty as working in your current line of work for a dreadful manager, only less well paid!

I was in a similar situation to you OP about five years ago. Good job, career etc but with the opportunity to make my hobby my job. The best advice I was given was if you don’t try you will never know. Best decision I ever made. I earn almost nothing compared to before and work waaay more but love every day. I enjoy my hobby more because I’m fitter and better at it! I hope to never go back but if I do I have learnt loads of new things.

LOL at ‘proper’ job..

Society is so **** up

I’ve always thought a lbs job would be enjoyable right up until another neighbour asks me to adjust the brakes on their £100 MTB and then the attraction fades somewhat.

I’d laugh but I had the samething, fitted a chain and noticed the rear mech was way off. It promptly fell into a million pieces with a thousand springs everywhere.

I’ve had that ‘as good as it gets’ feeling. I think its time to move to a different place but never ever work in what is also your hobby unless you are the manager or venture owner.

I say do it! Im sorry to say this but you only live once, you only have one chance and you have to do it in whatever way makes you happy, you’ve already wasted however long being ridiculously unhappy! Having worked the last 10 years with old people I can tell you hand on heart that if you dont do it when you get to 90 you will have huge regrets… people dont talk to me and say ‘god wasnt it good that i wasted however many years being unhappy and doing sod all’ they say ‘god i made mistakes, i shouldnt of done this or that, i was a fool’ do you want to be one of those people?! You have nobody else to worry about in terms of your actions, you’re completely incharge of your own destiny so do something with it that makes you happy!

28? So 37 years left until you retire.

Carry on in IT for another 18 years putting half your cash in an old biscuit tin, then retire at 46. Then work in a bike shop for free. If you feel like it.

everyone hates work so work for the most money you can.

I think it all depends on your frame of mind.

I used to love cars, I am now a Driving Instructor and cars do my head in now, I can’t even be bothered to wash my car I take it to the car wash.

Few people I know are that happy in their jobs – even my mate who works in the City in a senior role on big money and who’s very competent, and my mate who works for a charity delivering outdoor education… we’re all fed up of poor management, short-term decision-making, politics, lack of anyone other than ourselves caring about career development and job satisfaction etc…

For me, working in Marketing, I found a job 12 years ago where I was genuinely enjoying being at work. The thing that made it enjoyable was it was a small, owner-managed agency of 25 people – too small a team for politics, really close relationships working together to keep the client happy and the money coming in. Owner was a nice guy who wanted his people to be happy.
Lots of other jobs I’ve not been happy in – the job is the same but the environment and the people are not… so to me that’s the difference a lot of the time – how good your boss is, how much the employer values its employees and how much you genuinely work in a team with your colleagues.
I’m contracting now in a large corporate because the money’s good and the work/life balance is good but ultimately IME if you want to enjoy your work, a big part of the solution is the employer…
Sounds like your company is the problem here, why not just get a similar role in a smaller organisation?

OP – I’d ask myself the question as to what is next? At 28 you are young so have at least 30-40 years of working ahead of you.

It is a cliche but what would you like to be doing when you hit 40? For me it was owning my own hotel but I got sidetracked by expensive things like mortgage and kids and then divorce (which cost more than everyother thing I’ve ever bought..) so planning is key.

Could you work for another 5 years and then buy your own shop? that would seem more worth it to me. 2p.

Good luck but make sure you do with a purpose not just cause it looks better than what you have now.

I think I’d find myself siding with scotroutes. At 28 could you not just find a better job and keep an enjoyable hobby as just that? I nearly gave up on IT, but I would have struggled to find another career that paid, anything really, and decided to keep the hobby and the means to fund it separate.

Many years down the line I think that’s probably still the way forward. I did get sucked into I job I came to loathe, but was kind of shackled to by then, but after a hiatus, still doing IT but in different context, and getting on fine.

Where do you work out of interest? I work in IT Distribution also.

I’mmmmm going to bet…. Enta? Or maybe KMS….?

Tom, life is short and you don’t get your time back. Follow your heart.

So, decision is made. I’m doing the only sensible option in this situation.

I’m sticking with IT. The products I’m focusing on will be Di2 and E:i, as well as providing demo’s, tech support and repairs.

Yay!

Good luck. Really hope it turns out well for you.

http://www.jobsite.co.uk/job/advertising-sales-executive-cycling-mountain-biking-media-947073894?src=search&tmpl=lin

http://www.jobsite.co.uk/job/cycle-mechanic-sales-assistant-947004977?src=search&tmpl=lin

Can only really ad my own experience as 15months ago I was in pretty much exactly the same situation.

Was 25, had a good, secure job in production control at a factory, good wage, chance to progress and very good people, but I hated the job, was stressful and always felt like I was on the verge of tripping up. I sat there wishing I had a simple job, get me by and allow me to ride (and race) my bike as much as possible, I didn’t need/want the money, I wanted to be happy. As luck would have it an opportunity presented itself, part time in a bike shop, enough to get me by, I went for it and got it. It was bliss, to begin with. I wasn’t a fan of my boss but tolerated it as it was my perfect job, right? Well, year down the line, I’m not too sure, slightly fallen out of love of fixing crap bikes and putting right other peoples mistakes, boss is still poor and to compound the situation I’ve also completely done my knees in so can’t ride, I’m slightly on a downer about bikes in general to be honest, which is what former factory colleagues and others warned me would happen but I knew right and they were wrong obviously! hmm.

Currently, I’m weighing everything up, at an age were I have friends settling down, starting families, enjoying their weekends to the full, I’m not doing any of that, I try and kid myself I don’t want it but I’m not too sure. I’ve never wanted to follow the rat race but maybe I’m just kidding myself and there is a reason why so many people do.

But! I wouldn’t have got to this situation without actually trying it out, if I stayed at the factory I would have hated it, always believing a simple job and riding my bikes would be a dream but now if I do join the rat race again at least I’ve been there and done it!

Live and learn, not regrets and other cliches.

🙂

Naff

I have made the jump, and gotta say its the best thing I ever did 😛

After a 25 year career as a professional Electrical / Electronics engineer I ended up on the wrong side of the recession in 2009.

Anyway long and short ended up 3 years later in the N.E. after a disasterous end to a marriage (which had been on the cards for 10yrs anyway) got an offer to work in a LBS, it meant a bit of commuting (30mins each way), the money is crap, barely covering travel & very basic living expenses but the potential is there. I’m topping up my money by doing the odd IT / engineering consultancy job from home in the evenings.

BUT as I said it’s the best thing I ever did I could NEVER EVER go back to being a suit and flogging myself to death for the almighty dollar. I have never been happier spiritualy, physicaly, emotionaly and mentally call me a burn out if you want but I have definitely seen the light.

If you are the materialistic type who is bothered about how people view you and your position on the ladder of life and having a nice car, latest gadgets, etc then I’d say it’s not the job for you.

If you have an inner hippy living inside you and you have made peace with the universe etc etc etc and all that tosh and you are happy with yourself as a person then it probably is the job for you.

If your not sure then just give it a try.

Oh and incase you were wondering I’m 46….

😀

I think some-one off this parish as done exactly that; possibly Peter Poddy but I’m not 100% sure. I think he’s slightly older though but again could be wrong.

It was Pedro Poddy, but he tops up his finances by being a part time Internet nipple model….
How do you think he afforded his US trip…??

DrP

If you are the materialistic type who is bothered about how people view you and your position on the ladder of life and having a nice car, latest gadgets, etc then I’d say it’s not the job for you.

I’m not sure it’s quite that binary.

For example, plenty of people are driven to do well paid but dull jobs with a view to retiring early. Or just retiring comfortably rather than being on the breadline once they retire.

As for PP…. 😉

Was chatting with a new mate in the pub last night.

He told me the story of how he managed to find his way down south from up north.

After a particularly bad day at work (he didn’t much like his job), his mate who had just finished uni persuaded him to go out for a night out (he had work the next day).

They got home at about 4am pretty drunk and decided they were going to apply for jobs for each other.

The deal was they were meant to apply for one joke job, one realistic job and another dream job.

So for my mate, his mate applied (for him) for a job at KFC (the joke), management at Boots (the realistic) and as a Quantity Surveyor (the dream).

They went to bed and thought nothing more of it, then a couple of days later my mate gets a telephone call – they’re very interested in his CV – could he come for an interview – it’s the dream job!

So he went to the interview and got the job, that was 2 and a half years ago – he’s very happy with the way things worked out.

P.S. KFC rejected him as he ‘didn’t have the right credentials for the job’.