The End for Allmoto??

So, it's been a year of mixed emotions business wise.

I'm approaching 10 years in business with Allmoto and it's been a roller-coaster.

Over this time we've built and released 4 different web platforms, 2 different ERP systems, processed over 10000 orders, attended 100s of different bikes races and events, ridden plenty of bikes, crashed a few more and enjoyed literally every moment (ok...... maybe not the paperwork but you get the idea!).

I was also lucky to have 2 essential people to help manage operations during this time, Amy and Erik!

Oh, and of course, my understanding other half Aislinn!!

The last few years have been difficult, the recession was difficult - to say the least!

We have been in a very intentional 'survival mode' for the last 2 years. We had a plan - to have Allmoto running at a minimum level to cover it's costs and reduced a lot or marketing/investment. This worked well; we spent less, we sold less, and struggled by with part time staff where needed.

But since the beginning of 2015 the Irish motorcycle scene has recovered really well - guys are back buying new bikes, event entries are up and the time demands to keep Allmoto running were up considerably also.

Isn't that a good thing?

Yes and No.

Yes, I was selling more.

But Allmoto wasn't running as smooth as I like it to. Sales were up but customer orders were getting delayed and other problems.

Most people don't know but I actually help out a lot with another (software) business and keeping the shop going was getting increasingly difficult.

I was starting to not enjoy the shop - and that was the whole point of the shop in the first place!

Why not just hire full time staff again?

Yes, that would seem logical but small teams can be troublesome. They can run perfectly but it's high risk.

If one person drops off (sickness, other opportunities, travel, whatever) the workload on the other members (and me) increases exponentially.

It would leave me too exposed.

What, wait......what's happening? Is Allmoto closing?

Wow - wow - WOW.

No, not exactly.

Actually quite the opposite. We're planning to expand on a much larger scale - I'm merging the business with Megabikes and we've got big plans.

So, who owns the business?

It's a merger - not an acquisition. So both Ciaran (who launched Megabikes in 2000) and myself will be partners in the new venture.

Who's the boss?

In a day-to-day capacity Ciaran will very much be the "boss" doing all of the general manager activities of the business.

So, will you still be involved?

Yes, I'll still be involved, mostly in the back end looking after things like:

marketing
events
system management (web, ERP, accounts, etc)
planning
'webbying' Megabikes
staff enablement (fancy for helping them develop new skillsets:)
media relations

What will the new business(s) be called?

The names will be the same: Megabikes for road and Allmoto for offroad.

Internally we know the project as 'AllMega' though!

What's the grand plan?

Simples:

To stamp authority on Megabikes being the best road/race motorcycle operation in Ireland.
To establish Allmoto as the premium off-road center in Ireland.

Yep.....easy.....I know.

We'll, actually, I've loads of plans so I decided to break it into 2 phases - phase 1 and 2 (obviously!!).

What happens in All-Mega Phase 1?

Over the next 18 months you'll see

Allmoto move into Wexford Street (under the same roof as Megabikes). This should be completed by Jan 2016.
an expansion/rejuvenation of the Megabikes showroom
setup of a new All-Mega office (also in city center but not on Wexford St)
merging of the business systems into one 'AllMega' system!
launching of a new Megabikes website

And, Phase 2?

Now that would be telling.

We're keeping this phase close to our chest as there's big plans once phase 1 is finished as we'll be perfectly positioned for what comes next.

All I can say is watch this space.

How did this all come about?

The back story is that I actually worked in Megabikes when I was in college.

While walking through the city center (collecting parts for my KDX200 from Bikeworld) I noticed a new R1 and Bandit 1200 outside the old 'Kawasaki Center'. The old dusty premises was getting renovated and I curiously peered in the dirty windows.

After some asking around I found out who was opening a new shop. And a call to Ciaran later, I received the "sure come in tomorrow, we need the windows cleaned and some bikes polished". And with that an innocent 18 year old was, in one foul swoop, exposed to ..........possible the most diverse group of people in society!!

I can honestly say that in those years there I learned more about dealing with all types of individuals and situations. There's no more diverse customer base - in any industry as far as I'm concerned!

After I setup Allmoto in 2006 I remained in regular contact with the lads in Megabikes. We were selling their Alpinestars road clothing on Allmoto.ie.

In 2015, the pressure of keeping Allmot running was getting to me. I was abroad on other projects a lot and, like I mentioned earlier, I simply wasn't enjoying it any more.

I tried selling Allmoto to Ciaran.

I knew he needed a modern stock system, web presence and Allmoto runs like a clock. He knew that he wanted the improvements but recognised that they couldn't take on the new processes and systems. And from that we began to see an opportunity.

So, are you hiring?

Yes, but please don't send in CVs until you read the full job descriptions.

I'll post the details soon online. It you want to be notified join the Facebook page or subscribe to the email list on the website.

Anyway, with that it's time for me to sign off for now. My coffee is getting cold and my pancakes are coming out (I'm in the cafe at Megabikes writing this). I'll keep you posted as the next few months unfold.

Derek.

Here's a few pics of the new place!!

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