Business programme sets Cycling Made Easy on the path to success

A business online programme offered by Derry City & Strabane District Council has helped a local cycling instructor connect with more clients online.
By The Newsroom
Published 11th Nov 2020, 09:56 BST
A group of cyclists under guidance from Cycling Made Easy's Monica Downey, making their way through Derry's Peace Bridge.A group of cyclists under guidance from Cycling Made Easy's Monica Downey, making their way through Derry's Peace Bridge.
A group of cyclists under guidance from Cycling Made Easy's Monica Downey, making their way through Derry's Peace Bridge.

Monica Downey enlisted the help of the Council’s Get Your Business Online Programme to improve online engagement. For the past decade, Monica, a cycling instructor and owner of Cycling Made Easy, has offered guidance, instruction and support to both beginner cyclists and those hoping to return to everyday cycling in the North West.

Monica enlisted the help of the programme, which is delivered by Full Circle and provides practical support to business owners who wish to develop the skills and confidence to grow their business, to help her develop a company logo and website.

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Monica said: “I am so delighted and appreciate the time, effort and patience that Full Circle have given me to get my web page up and running. I love the look of the page, it’s so clear, simplistic, informative and easy to access.”

A group of cyclists under guidance from Cycling Made Easy's Monica Downey, making their way through Derry's greenway network.A group of cyclists under guidance from Cycling Made Easy's Monica Downey, making their way through Derry's greenway network.
A group of cyclists under guidance from Cycling Made Easy's Monica Downey, making their way through Derry's greenway network.

The Council’s programme is particularly designed to help businesses who have had their traditional marketing routes stymied by the restrictions introduced to limit the spread of Covid 19.

With the help of a mentor, Monica was able to tailor her website in any way she saw fit.

Charlie Palnoch, Digital Consultant at Full Circle, guided Monica through the development of the site in a series of one-on-one online conferences on Zoom. “Monica was a bit of a clean slate,” he said. “She had no logo or website so the aims and deliverables were as simple as that. We opted for a Squarespace site and made a few tutorials for her on how to keep the site updated from her own computer.

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Delighted with the outcome, Monica said that she believes “this is what is needed to take the cycle project to the wider community”.

Tara Nicholas, Business Support officer with Derry City and Strabane District Council said the experience of Cycling Made Easy is just one of many success stories from the scheme.

“We are delighted Monica has been able to build a website which will help her reach out to new customers and keep existing customers updated,” she said. “The Covid 19 crisis has heightened the need for businesses to connect with clients and customers digitally so we were pleased to be able to offer this free programme to help local businesses adapt,” Tara added.

For more information contact [email protected] or visit – www.derrystrabane.com/businesssupport

Related topics:BusinessStrabane District CouncilCouncilDerry City