Our business came out of the need for high performance agencies who do not charge overwhelmingly and believe 1-1 consulting as a quality KPI rather than a sales pitch!

Have you always wanted to run your own business?

Yes

What planning did you do before you started up?

I had over 10 years experience working in various domains such as Finance, High growth startups, Luxury retails and sales.

Which entrepreneurs do you admire?

I admire Gary V,Kevin OlEary & Gavin Duffy

What challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them?

We faced many challenges as a new comer in the saturated market space, we really had to showcase our quality as the main KPI rather than quantity. We have grown from 12-18 clients a year to 45+ in 2020!

How have you promoted your business?

We promote our business through Linkedin, Google and international events.

Where do you see the business in 3 years’ time?

We see our business overseas in key markets such as UAE and Singapore. We are just setting up our MENA presence in Dubai.

What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?

Never ever give up on your main Goal. It may take time but the grit and determination should never deplete based on market sentiment.

ProvEye Ltd, incorporated in March 2019, is a University College Dublin spinout operating from NovaUCD. ProvEye was built on IP developed by Jerome O Connell and Nick Holden since 2009. The IP was optimised and commercialised for use with UAV optical data supported by the Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund between 2017 and 2019.

Have you always wanted to run your own business?

No, I was passionate researcher until I saw I could make a much greater impact in the commercial sector.

What planning did you do before you started up?

We used an Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund to commercialise the IP. It was a big help in us developing out the technology.

Which entrepreneurs do you admire?

Elon Musk

What challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them?

Recruitment is a big challenge for start-ups, especially in the tech sector. To be successful a start-up must have some talented people on board. It’s difficult to entice people away from high paid jobs in Google and Intel. How we have overcome this in ProvEye is by getting employees involved in the long term vision of the business. If you can bring your employees along for the journey then you are far more likely to be successful.

How have you promoted your business?

We have attended trade shows throughout the world (pre-Covid) and have done online webinars as well as conference talks. We are currently developing some white papers on our technology which we will disseminate through our social media outlets.

Where do you see the business in 3 years’ time?

We hope to have over 30 people employed in 3 years’ time, with customers in Ireland, the UK, Europe, and the US. We will have an additional 3 products launched and will being to move the company into the data analytics space.

What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?

Believe in your technology but know your customer and if your technology doesn’t address a core problem for your customer then you won’t be successful.

I have this disease and have always struggled with wound care. I initially wanted to develop the product to help myself manage my day to day wound care, but when I spoke to others with HS, I realised I was not alone in my frustration and so I began to develop it further with a goal to making it available to others.

Have you always wanted to run your own business?

Yes, this is my second business

What planning did you do before you started up?

Very little to be completely honest. I was very inexperienced in medical device development and I made a lot of mistakes in the early days. Once I met the right people however, I was able to get some great work done and develop a solid business plan.

Which entrepreneurs do you admire?

Anita Roddick

What challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them?

So many challenges along the way. In particular my inexperience, and the huge amount I had to learn in order to develop this product. It was not easy, but I overcame this by studying, and interacting with people in the industry who were more than happy to to help. Also working with consultants, and hiring experts was a huge benefit at the early stages of development.

How have you promoted your business?

We sell our products direct to the end user, so we mainly promote online and through social media. We have participated in several exhibitions ad dermatology conference also, and will do more of this as the product becomes available through health services.

Where do you see the business in 3 years’ time?

HidraWear will be available through insurance and through health services in the USA, Canada, Europe, and we will be developing more advanced wound dressings for HS, and also product solutions for other types of wounds.

What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?

Keep going, there are going to be lots of days when you want to give up, and I would suggest to take a good break on days like that. Come back to the problem form another angle, and see how you can overcome it, or if you have other options. Don’t give up. Stay focused on your vision and be creative in your problem solving

It is really hard for those with horses to keep up with changing regulations. Even before Brexit, our family yard in Kildare had trouble keeping track of medications, vaccinations and a manner of regulatory paperwork. A huge part of the problem was everything was still done on paper. Pierce, realising that if a small yard was having trouble keeping up with everything the big yards must have a harder time, decided to go to the regulator and see if we could create a digital solution that would be approved officially as a regulatory document to solve this problem.

Have you always wanted to run your own business?

I have always wanted to start my own business as I relished the challenge and knew I would have a lot to learn. (Pierce)

What planning did you do before you started up?

We had a huge amount of work to do before we launched our first product. We had to go to the Irish regulator to change the rules, because at the time the law stated that all these documents had to be kept on paper. We then spent over a year going through more than 40 iterations of our software. We had to ensure the final product was easy to use and intuitive and we did this by creating a version and then watching our test users interact with it. Because our customers tended to have larger hands for example, the buttons on our mobile app are larger than the average app.

Which entrepreneurs do you admire?

Iseult Ward, co-founder of Food Cloud, sisters Ailbhe and Izzy Keane, founders of Izzy Wheels, Devan Huges, co-founder of Buymie, or Sharon Cunnigham, co-founder of Shorla Pharma

What challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them?

The initial challenge was getting the Irish regulator to agree that if we provided a software solution that they would allow trainers to use it. At the time we were some young guys with an idea, we’re glad we’ve managed to validate their trust. Obviously the biggest challenge to the business has been Covid. It has been stressful for us as well as the industry as a whole. We had planned to launch across the US in 2020 and had to change our entire roll-out plan. Suddenly we were pitching our service online instead of in person. We’re happy with where we are and with what we have accomplished in 2020 considering the circumstances, but 2020 has proved to be more challenging than we had ever imagined.

How have you promoted your business?

We started with word of mouth, social media and hitting the pavement. We’ve visited hundreds of horse yards across multiple countries. Once we had the first few customers, we started doing videos presenting our customers and how they were finding the system. Our video with back-to-back Grand National winning trainer, Gordon Elliott, (https://twitter.com/EquineMediRec/status/1148592884779814915?s=20) was a strong moment for us. In 2020 we also decided to spend some funds sponsoring races in Ireland. Sponsors had been pulling back so it was great to be able to support the industry during this time (video here: https://twitter.com/EquineMediRec/status/1277190829879242755?s=20). We have found the racing industry is primarily focused on Twitter, so this is where we focus the core of our social media effort. (Our Gordon Elliot video has 6.9k views on Twitter vs 2.6k on youtube)

Where do you see the business in 3 years’ time?

We hope that in 3 years time we’ll be present around the world. Right now there are plenty of regulatory barriers to horses racing in their own country, and that only becomes more complex as horses move to race internationally. The rules in France differ to those in the UK and in the US it is state by state currently, so different from Kentucky to Florida, but this may soon change with the new bill passed in Congress. We hope our system will be able to help trainers ensure they follow their own regulations and also help those who wish to race across regulatory barriers. This is a service we already provide, but the more countries we operate in, the more helpful we can be.

What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?

Don’t be shy about asking for advice. We’ve consistently received support from multiple successful business people along the way. Also, if you are in university, look for what support they have for entrepreneurs. Trinity College was a huge part of our success, particularly the support of Tangent’s Trinity Launchbox. Also the Media Cube at IADT and TU with the Enterprise Ireland New Frontiers development program was very important to helping us shape our business program. The first place I would go to if you are very early stage would be your Local Enterprise Office (LEO). We have had such great support from our LEO in Kildare from mentoring, grants or representing them at national competitions, such as at Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur where we were a national finalist in 2019. So there are so many great supports for entrepreneurs in Ireland so make sure you avail of that support as everyone who has started a business before knows the more help you are able to get the better as it is extremely hard to launch a business.

Our business was born from the shocking realisation that single-use plastic was having a devastating effect on our wildlife, particularly marine life. Research had led us to the fact that in Ireland alone, 1 million plastic straws were being discarded every day. Single-use plastic straws are made from the cheapest plastic available & by their nature are not recyclable. They inevitably end up in landfill, in drains & subsequently in our rivers & oceans. In an effort to reduce this scourge on our environment we set out to find the best reusable & biodegradable solutions. And so EcoStraws.ie was born.

Have you always wanted to run your own business?

Absolutely!

What planning did you do before you started up?

In advance of launching EcoStraws.ie we undertook extensive research in other countries such as Australia, Singapore and California in the US. These were the first areas globally to introduce plastic straw bans. We also researched sustainable materials such as bamboo and compostable PLA as well as reusable alternatives such as steel, glass and silicone straws.

Which entrepreneurs do you admire?

Colm O’ Brien and sisters Lisa & Vanessa Creaven

What challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them?

Time management is a huge issue for any fledgling business, and because it is essentially your ‘new baby’ you can be inclined to be switched on 24/7 in the beginning. Now into our third year in business, we have learned that there are always issues that can wait until Monday morning and that the to-do list will always be there. Family time & down-time are just as important as emails & deadlines!

How have you promoted your business?

We are always active across the social media platforms of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Linked In. We attended networking events locally and nationally when we could and now connect with other business owners through Zoom networking events. We have put ourselves forward for business awards and competitions and have accepted every invitation to speak about our business in schools, colleges and universities across the country. We have also been picked up by local & National Press and have featured in The Sunday Business Post, Cork Examiner, Belfast Telegraph, Limerick Leader & Limerick Post.

Where do you see the business in 3 years’ time?

We continue to research into plastic-free living and more sustainable products. We see the business growing to supply high quality, Guaranteed Irish products to households and businesses across the country. We also aim to grow the sustainable corporate gifts market.

What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?

There is no such thing as can’t! Try everything you are asked to do and put yourself forward for all events. You will learn something new from every experience, from every interaction and from every mistake. Most of all, believe in yourself & enjoy the ride!

I worked in the Med Tech Industry for a number of years specialising in Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing). I then took a career break and started looking further afield at the whole industry and realised there was an opportunity to produce products in so many other industries that could simplify the whole manufacturing supply chain. At the heart of it I love to create and build, so the ability to do that with 3D Printing at an Industrial level is the perfect combination for me.

Have you always wanted to run your own business?

Yes, since I was in school

What planning did you do before you started up?

I spent about a year conducting research on the global market for Additive Manufacturing and increasing my knowledge of different Additive Manufacturing Technologies that could fit into our current business model. I also took part in the Ignite programme in UCC. This programme was crucial in developing the skills needed to build a business, outside of the technical aspect.

Which entrepreneurs do you admire?

Gary Vaynerchuck

What challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them?

The first challenge was around learning the business side of things. Being a Manufacturing Engineer it was easy to focus on the technical aspect and get consumed with the capabilities of the technology. With the support of Ignite mentors I was given the tools and skill set to be able to find a commercially viable solution. The biggest challenge to date has been how we adopted to change with the first lockdown in March 2020. At first this seemed like a showstopper but we were able to transition to a fully online service. We did this by consulting with our customers digitally and the fact that we can product parts locally meant we did not have to rely on a global supply chain. This has really shown the value of our service to our customers. We were able to produce products at a time when supply was heavily disrupted for so many.

How have you promoted your business?

We are active on all of our social media platforms as well as our website. We have also benefited from the promotional support from Ignite through their channels.

Where do you see the business in 3 years’ time?

We are focused on being the leading provider of Additive Manufacturing here in Ireland and enabling industries like: Med Tech, Pharma, Automotive, Consumer Products etc. to reap the benefits of this technology without the need for them to invest time, money or resources climbing the steep learning curve. There is a huge knowledge gap with so many companies and engineers when it comes to Additive Manufacturing. We are aiming to bridge that gap through our services.

What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?

First step it so act on an idea if you really are passionate about it, thinking or talking about doing it is one thing, but actually starting is the most satisfying step you’ll ever make. Be sure of what you want to do so that your motivation is right to take on a new venture. It is not easy but one thing I was blown away with was the amount of support that’s available out there. The willingness of people to help when you talk to them is incredible, so use the old analogy ‘You have two ears and one mouth’. Take in as much advice as you can get but don’t forget you are the one who ultimately knows your business the best.

I’ve always wanted to own a business in the health sector and overtime I started coming up with new ideas which utilised technology to solve health related issues in a way the current industry had not been implementing.

Have you always wanted to run your own business?

Yes

What planning did you do before you started up?

Our initial planning was mainly focused on conducting a lot of market research to identify the gap in the market for our first product concept.

Which entrepreneurs do you admire?

Bill Gates and Elon Musk

What challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them?

The main challenges that we have faced was lack of experience with regards to forming and running a business. Our team consists of three new graduates from the life science, computer science and international business backgrounds and it is this diverse skill set, passion and strong communication that has enabled us to overcome these challenges.

How have you promoted your business?

To date our promotion has been focused on familiarising people with our business and it’s ambitions. We approach this through various marketing channels and in the near future our promotion will be targeted on spreading awareness of our products.

Where do you see the business in 3 years’ time?

In 3 years time, we see ourselves with a strong European customer base as well an expanded team of like-minded individuals.

What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?

Never doubt your ambitions and surround yourself with people who are as passionate about your business as you are.

The inspiration behind PacSana came after getting to know the older people I swim with at the Forty Foot in Sandycove. I could see the positive impact daily exercise and being autonomous had on their lives. It was clear that the best outcome for them was to remain in their own homes for as long as possible. It got me thinking about what was preventing the active elderly from doing so and what technology solutions could be developed to help. I believe passionately that technology should be used to enhance vulnerable people’s lives.

Have you always wanted to run your own business?

Yes, it was always something in the back of my mind.

What planning did you do before you started up?

We carried out extensive market research on the products that were already available on the market. I spent a lot of time with focus groups before beginning to design the idea and what we learned from the market before beginning our agile product development process.

Which entrepreneurs do you admire?

Gustaf Dalén who invented the AGA cooker. The AGA cooker wasn’t conceived in a research facility. It was dreamed up in a kitchen. Its inventor, Dr Gustaf Dalén, was a Swedish physicist blinded in a terrible accident.

What challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them?

Winning a customer’s trust is one of the most important challenges that businesses in general – and startups in particular – face today. We managed to overcome this by running successful pilots with potential customers in the home care industry. We have also worked hard to implement a customer-centric working philosophy, one which puts the end user at the heart of our solution. In more recent times, Covid-19 posed a new dimension of challenges. Our team had to adapt to the world of remote working. We use instant messaging and have virtual team meetings to check in on everyone. It has also been difficult to meet with potential customers, zoom is a great tool however, we are looking forward to face to face meetings in the near future.

How have you promoted your business?

In the beginning, we would attend talks and trade shows. They are a great way to meet people involved in the industry and to get feedback on your product. More recently we have started using social media. We primarily use LinkedIn, we try to post at least twice a week.

Where do you see the business in 3 years’ time?

PacSana is passionate about allowing older people to stay in their homes for longer. Working with health and social care partners, we aim to be the leading service provider to care providers in the US, UK, and Ireland. To achieve that, we are laser focussed on comfort, usability, and privacy for our service users. Their enthusiastic use of our solutions is essential if we are to provide consistent peace of mind for the thousands of families we aim to serve.

What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?

Find something you are passionate about and go for it. Don’t look at your mistakes as failures, look at them as learning opportunities. It’s important to build complementary teams and do the spadework on understanding the market and the problem you are solving.

When searching for gifts to send to our own family and friends, we found there was a gap in the market for fun, vibrant gifts that were modern but also beautifully presented with that thoughtful touch. We come from creative backgrounds and wanted to incorporate our skills to start our own unique take on gifting. The branding and tone of our business is very important to us, and the gifts allow us the freedom to have fun and express ourselves creatively while also providing that feel-good factor for others.

Have you always wanted to run your own business?

Yes, as we come from a family with entrepreneurial backgrounds

What planning did you do before you started up?

Before we launched, we did a lot of market research so that we could provide a fresh take on the Irish gifting scene. We put a big focus on sourcing unique products and invested a lot of time to ensure we had our offering just right. We knew from the start it had to have a unique twist and show our personalities.

Which entrepreneurs do you admire?

Sara Blakely’s content always inspires us. We love to see females making waves in their industries.

What challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them?

Originally we had planned to focus on the wedding market, but we launched just as the pandemic hit which meant we had to rethink our strategy from the get go. We then pivoted into the corporate world which shifted the focus of our gifts to self-care and wellness themes for virtual events, employee and client gifting.

How have you promoted your business?

Social media is a huge focus of ours because we want our gifts to be contemporary and appeal to the modern Instagram generation. We like our gifts to be vibrant, fun and make both the sender and recipient feel good. During 2020 we also appeared in many publications which was a great push to get our name out there further.

Where do you see the business in 3 years’ time?

In 3 years time we hope to see corporate gifting as the main focus of our business, and to be in a position to take on new staff and grow our premises. We want to continue networking to grow both our B2B and B2C customers.

What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?

Our advice would be to just go for it! Be prepared that you will have days where you feel a little lost and wonder what you are doing, but this makes the wins much more of a celebration. Somebody out there would really benefit from the idea that you have, so don’t let the fear of what others think or your own doubts hold you back. Remember why you started.

The idea sprang from the difficulty I had in in finding a suitable service to meet the basic billing and admin needs of a small club at a price point that would be feasible to consider. The membership management software services existing at the time, in my view, were geared more to the needs of larger business organizations, such as professional health clubs, fitness gyms or larger sporting organizations, are feature heavy, expensive, require significant hand-holding to setup and implement.

Have you always wanted to run your own business?

Yes

What planning did you do before you started up?

Once I was satisfied that there was a potentially significant niche to be exploited, I embarked on defining the requirement specification (goals & scope) for the MVP. From this exercise, I was able to define the other aspects needed to deliver the project including an estimate of time and cost. I then put in place some preliminary finance to bootstrap early development to get the project underway at the same time investigating potential supports.

Which entrepreneurs do you admire?

there are a few. but one stands out above all other for me and he is Jason Fried (CEO Basecamp)

What challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them?

As SUBSNINJA.COM is an early start-up, we don’t have long and interesting story to tell yet, however, like many start-ups, we face a major challenge to raise seed-capital, but we have started the journey and are working hard to build traction in a very difficult environment which has impacted our customer base severely. (the majority of small clubs the world over are in shutdown and activity is at an un-precedented low). However this situation will improve over time and in this lull we are managing still to garner interest and customers which is very promising.

How have you promoted your business?

Until we secure the necessary seed-funding to engage a comprehensive advertising and marketing programmed, we are using all the skills we have to promote the product using SEO, SEP, social media and talking to influencers within each sector of our target market, with some success.

Where do you see the business in 3 years’ time?

Within three years we see the business growing to a level that we can present SUBSNINJA.COM as a credible candidate for significant first round investment.

What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?

My advice is simple. “Go for it”. Don’t be put off by negative sentiment or the fear of failure. Failure is how you learn to succeed.