September 12, 2014

A Fairytale Business Come True

"Every fairy child may keep
Two strong ponies and ten sheep;
All have houses, each his own
Built of brick or granite stone,
They live on cherries, they run wild -
I'd love to be a fairy's child"

The magic and allure of fairies and fairytales never grows old. Young children everywhere continue to be enthralled with stories about the 'Little People' and the appetite for all things fairylike remains a constant. Part of the magic is knowing that fairies are close-by but we never get to see them. All we can hope to find are the clues they leave behind.

Opening Magical Doors

Our featured business this week The Irish Fairy Door Company brings children and fairies one step closer to meeting one another. Dreamt up at her kitchen table just over a year ago, Niamh Sherwin Barry and her childhood friend Aoife Lawler had a brilliant idea but no start-up cash. Along came a fairy godmother (in the shape of Niamh's mum) who offered them a magic jar full of gold coins she'd been saving since giving up the cigarettes. Girls, you shall go to the ball! 

And go to the ball they have. Now employing nineteen people at their base in Clondalkin, they've found new homes all around the world for thousands of Irish fairies. It's a magical start-up story.


With A Fairy Hand in Hand

Niamh and Aoife have done a brilliant job marketing their product through the power of great storytelling. Their brand understands intuitively that customers are not buying a piece of wood or even a prettily painted door; they are buying the magic behind it. As the name suggests, these fairies are Irish and Gerard pointed out on the show last night that the story and magic will be even more potent if the girls bring to the fore the uniquely Irish element of the story in their messaging. 

Over To You

What other ways might Niamh and Aoife harness the provenance of the Irish Fairy on their website? Listen back to the show on Kickstart Your Business and let us know what you think. 

We'd love to hear from you.

(Kickstart Your Business is broadcast live on The Right Hook on Newstalk106 in Ireland every Thursday at 6.40pm and is available on Playback)

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Thanks Gerard, we really enjoyed being featured with yourself on The Right Hook! Although we are delighted to be doing well, we will take all the advice we can get! Thanks so much again. Niamh