Many people see combining a career with your passion is a recipe for disaster. For the following women however, this couldn’t be further from the truth as they build their businesses around the humble bicycle.

It’s clear as you learn about their stories that when we embrace and incorporate our gifts and passions into our everyday work life we can experience a new level of satisfaction in work.

Florence Hill, Petalon

Petalon is such a wonderfully simple concept: just Florence, flowers and a bicycle.

Florence Hill is the founder of Petalon, a flower delivery company in London, who deliver bouquets personally by bicycle. Each bouquet costs just £20 and even though they’re a small start-up, Petalon donates £1 from every bunch to Capital Bee, an initiative that supports urban beehives across London.

Although cycling has always been a big part of her life, it was only when fiancé James started a bicycle brand that Florence came up with the idea. That and living next door to one of London’s biggest flower wholesalers.

Florence admits to not having any formal floristry training, but this hasn’t stopped her. Through trial and error, a lot of passion and a number of YouTube videos, Petalon was formed in the summer of 2013.

The reaction has been incredible, much better than Hill ever imagined. With over 50 bouquets successfully delivered on Valentine’s Day, it’s clear that Florence is on to a winning combination.

For more information and to send a bouquet by bicycle visit petalon.co.uk.

Nancy Gibson, Cycling Hairdresser

Are you in need of a haircut? Fed up of travelling to city salons? Enter Nancy Gibson, the only cycle-riding hairdresser in London.

It seems nowhere is out of bounds for Gibson, as she cycles between homes, offices and even gardens and parks to give people a new ‘do! Vidal Sassoon trained, Nancy has over ten years’ cutting and colouring experience.

Quite the adventurer, Florence had an epiphany while on night watch crewing a small sailing boat in the middle of the Atlantic. The dream was realised in 2012 when she finally took the leap and went mobile on her bicycle and the rest as they say is history!

If you’d like to get your haircut by Florence, you can find more information on her website nancyhair.net.

Laura Pringle, Mobile Cycle Service

Laura Pringle, founder of Wheely Good Bicycles, a mobile cycle service based in Chorley, Lancashire, could be described as an enthusiastic cyclist. As someone who likes nothing better than to pack a rucksack and pedal her mountain-bike off into the wilds of Scotland, it’s no surprise that she’s combined work with her lifelong passion.

Back in the real World, Laura is a City & Guilds qualified bicycle mechanic, and a member of the Cyclists Touring Club (CTC) and Audax UK, the long-distance cyclist’s organisation.

Wheely Good Bicycles, founded back in 2004 recognises that it’s not always easy or even possible to get to a bike shop to get your bike fixed – so Laura comes to you!

Laura will either fix a customer’s bike on the spot if is is a simple job or she will collect the bike and deliver it back when it’s repaired. Now that is service!

If you’re keen on having a bike MOT and live in the Lancashire area, check out Laura’s website wheelygoodbicycles.co.uk.

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