Access More Areas

The song says there's three steps to heaven, but what if you're unable to take even those few steps to enjoy the heavenly coffee or food in that highly-recommended café? Or what if you've travelled half-way around the world on wheels only to find the bathroom in your luxury hotel-room wheelchair inaccessible? For many of us who enjoy access all areas on our travels, it's easy to forget that for many of those wishing to visit with us some places remain out of bounds thanks to short-sighted or thoughtless design.

Big Steps For Change

When software engineer Matt McCann was visiting London in 2012, he chose a hotel that claimed to be accessible for his rollator. On arrival however, he found the only access to his hotel was up three steps, and the doorway to his bedroom was too narrow to gain entry.

Matt, our featured guest on the last Kickstart Your Business in our series, decided to fix the problem of travel for himself and others like him, by setting up Access Earth to provide up to the minute information and ratings on accessible services across the world. Launched earlier this year in Dublin and Chicago, Access Earth has already seen hundreds of venues and places of interest tagged and rated in the two cities.

Have App, Will Travel

Mick Clifford, our stand-in host on The Right Hook, marvelled that no-one else had seen the need and opportunity to serve this significant and often ignored group of visitors.

I suggested that as both a user of Access Earth and the entrepreneur behind it, Matt is uniquely placed to reach out to representative and advocacy groups, and appeal to their members to get rating the various venues in their local areas.

I also noted that the soul of hospitality is our ability to welcome in strangers and make them feel at ease, and a venue that opens its doors to all visitors is likely to enjoy significant advantage over those that don't in terms of building customer loyalty.

Your Entry Here

How do you suggest that Matt make the business of travel access more areas for more and more of those travelling?

Listen back to Kickstart Your Business and tell us what you think? We'd love to hear from you.

Indicators On For Great Parking

Ever been tempted to knock on a stranger's door and ask if you can park in their vacant driveway for a couple of hours whilst you do your shopping? Or wondered who owns the reserved but always-empty space in the busy office park? For many of us, particularly those whose car journeys regularly take us into congested parts of the business and retail centres of our cities and towns, the vacant space seems to cry out for an occupant. But who to ask?

Space, The Final Frontier

Whilst home for Christmas in 2011, English language teacher Liam Farrell found the shopping centre car parks full up, and noticed lots of empty driveways where he could easily have parked for a few hours if he only knew who to ask. Having used AirBnB on his travels, he decided to set up a similar service for parking, that would enable owners to easily lease their space and drivers to just as easily rent it, whether for a few hours, a few days or on a more permanent basis.

Liam, our featured guest this week on Kickstart Your Business, launched ParkingMotel.com in Ireland in 2015, and plans to roll out his online booking engine in cities across the world later this year.

On Air Space

Our host this week, Bobby Kerr immediately warmed to the notion of a readymade parking solution for travelling fans heading to Dublin's Croke Park this Sunday to cheer on his beloved Kilkenny, and thinks that Liam is on to a winner.

Meanwhile, I suggested that Liam has very smartly parked his idea on a proven model, and is likely to motor past many of the mistakes that pioneers of the peer-to-peer commercial model, such as AirBnB, have made. At the same time, I stressed the importance of carving out that space for ParkingMotel on an international level as soon as possible, before one of the giants in peer-to-peer solutions reverses into Liam's great idea.

Park Your Views Here

How do you suggest Liam get car drivers everywhere parking quickly and without fuss using Parking Motel?

Listen back to Kickstart Your Business and tell us what you think? We'd love to hear from you.

Kickstart Your Business is broadcast at 6.25pm every Thursday on The Right Hook on Newstalk, and is available immediately afterwards on playback on Newstalk.com.

New Entry For Pre-Schoolers

With many small children spending a great part of their day in the care of others, particularly in the pre-school environment, out of sight shouldn't necessarily mean out of mind and unrecorded. For many pre-school teachers, the challenge though is in relating what's happened in the child's daily life to parents in a practical way. Hurried notes, and an even more hurried handover at the crowded end of the day, means that many of the milestone moments in the child's life pass unremarked.

Dear (But Not Costly) Diary

With a background as a pre-school carer, Vanessa Bileu understands the importance for both child and parent of regular updates on progress from the classroom. When she and her partner Joao moved to Ireland from their native Portugal, they pooled their respective talents to develop the ChildDiary software that enables carers to quickly and easily update parents in real time throughout the day.

Vanessa joined our host Tara Duggan and me on Kickstart Your Business this week to tell us about how her new enterprise was helping carers and parents to keep updated on the essential goings-on in the classroom.

Early Language Skills

Our host Tara and me, both parents with memories of the rushed handover at the end of the busy day, immediately warmed to the idea of a dynamic journal where essential details could be recorded throughout the child's time in pre-school.

I suggested that Vanessa and Joao might reflect the key triangle of child, carer and parent better throughout their promotional resources, in particular their website. They appeal separately to carers and parents, but need to begin the conversation squarely in the space shared by the three from the homepage onwards. This picture from elsewhere in their websites is a great example of how this triangular relationship can be illustrated effectively.

Time To Make Your Mark On ChildDiary

How do you suggest Vanessa and Joao get the whole pre-school world recording the essential details of the child's classroom life in ChildDiary?

Listen back to Kickstart Your Business and tell us what you think? We'd love to hear from you.

Kickstart Your Business is broadcast at 6.25pm every Thursday on The Right Hook on Newstalk, and is available immediately afterwards on playback on Newstalk.com.

Making A Dent In The Market

You know it shouldn't hurt but somehow it does. That crushing disappointment as you notice the dent in your pride and joy in the carpark is nothing like the dent in your wallet you fear it will take to fix it. Not to mention the time your beloved transport will be off-road for repair. And so you resolve to take the hit to your pride, and hope that in time you won't notice it anymore. Or pretend you don't, but of course you do.

A Shiny New Business

With a background in IT, this week's guest on Kickstart Your Business, Wayne O'Sullivan of DentPro, spotted a gap in the market for a service that would fix dents easily, without the traditional fuss and cost associated with the service.

He set up DentPro, which is available at a growing number of sites around Dublin (with plans to extend the network across Ireland, and then the world), or at your home or office thanks to their new mobile service. DentPro provides a ready quotation via their mobile app, and Wayne estimates that in addition to saving motorists time, his service offers savings of up to 90% on the usual costs.

Making A Dent In A Shiny Market

Mick Clifford, this week's host of Kickstart Your Business, applauded the simplicity and directness of Wayne's new offering. DentPro brings something new to the market without hitting new customers in the pocket.

Meanwhile, I admired Wayne's comprehensive offering. His range of packages means that any motorist or company with a car or fleet of cars is likely to find an offer that appeals, whether that's a once-off fix or an annual protection package.

Make Your Point

How do you suggest that Wayne make a real dent in the worldwide market?

Listen back to Wayne on Kickstart Your Business, and let us know what you think? We'd love to hear from you.

Kickstart Your Business features on Newstalk each Thursday at 6.25pm and is available immediately afterwards on Playback at Newstalk.com.

I Spy With My Butterfly

As any parent of young children will tell you, the great challenge is in prompting good behaviour without resorting to the threat of punishment. Left unchecked, minor transgressions such as a refusal to go to bed at the appointed time, flat rejection of any vegetable that's even faintly green, or drop-to-the-floor tantrums at the supermarket, can become real threats to family harmony, leaving parents and children alike frazzled and resentful. So what's a parent to do, to stop behavioural molehills turning into mountains?

Something Beginning With Good

Enter Butterfly Spy, the brainchild of Jane Wherity, our featured guest on Kickstart Your Business. As a mother of three young boys, Jane struggled to manage their behaviour without resorting to the threat of the wooden spoon. Over time, through the trial and error that parents everywhere will recognise, she devised a butterfly figure to perch on the shelf, watching over her potential miscreants, and rewarding them for good behaviour in the form of stars on their very own personal Butterfly Spy Card (and the prospect of a treat on achieving bronze, silver or gold status).

Someone's Been A Very Good Entrepreneur!

The eye's of this week's host, Jonathan Healy, himself a father of three young and, by his own account, unruly children, lit up when he saw Jane's Butterfly Spy kit and heard how her ingenious system might help curb his youngster's enthusiasm for mischief.

Meanwhile, I suggested that Jane needs to make much more of her Butterfly Spy figure on her website and the Sibling Packs, which are available for brothers and sisters who already have a Butterfly Spy in the family. Whilst the monarch butterfly, selected by Jane because they are local to countries all over the world, does feature in her logo, the brightly coloured figure really comes into its own in the form of the figurine.

A simple image showing the butterfly on its perch, keeping a watchful eye on the playing children, would be very appealing whilst immediately showing how it works.

Cast Your Own Eye Over Butterfly Spy

How do you suggest Jane get her Butterfly Spy flying high over households across the world?

Listen back to Jane on Kickstart Your Business, and let us know what you think? We'd love to hear from you.

Kickstart Your Business features on Newstalk each Thursday at 6.25pm and is available immediately afterwards on Playback at Newstalk.com.

He Shoots, ClubApp Scores

In a world where sports fans can follow professional big match action from anywhere across the globe, followers of local, amateur games are left short-changed. And yet the goal-mouth action or leap-frogging leaderboard on the local field of play may be even more important to them than those games being played out under a global gaze. The dedicated follower of the unfashionable who's unable to follow the action live is typically consigned to phoning in to a friend on the sideline to keep them updated.

Dedicated Follower Of Local Sport

When local sports fan Barry Nestor, our guest on Kickstart Your Business, grew frustrated at not being able to find up to the minute results for his favourite local sports competitions, he resolved to design and develop a service to deliver just that.

ClubApp offers sports clubs and competition organisers the facility to update followers on key events and action from the field of play via their mobile devices, and promises to bring the up-to-the-minute coverage that's typical of professional sports to the local playing pitch.

Local Heroes

As perhaps Ireland's greatest local sports fan, George was understandably excited about what ClubApp might offer him in terms of following his beloved 'Pres College' in Cork, whilst also enabling him to follow the leaderboard at golfing competitions at his own club, Milltown.

Meanwhile, I suggested that although they may see themselves in a different league, amateur sports do compete with professional outfits for the eyes and ears of sports fans. ClubApp is a real game-changer, and the benefits are likely to be obvious to local sports clubs and organisers across the world.

However, like many emerging entrepreneurs, Barry is a little reluctant to ask for the sale early in his sales pitch. On their website, ClubApp.ie for example, a lot of energy is expended introducing the various features and benefits, rather than offering the readily-won over visitor the option to 'Buy Now'.

Standing By For Your Report

What advice would you offer Barry and his colleagues at ClubApp to get sports fans all over the world following their favourite, local club in real time?

Listen back to Barry on Kickstart Your Business (July 28) and tell us what you think? We'd love to hear from you.

Kickstart Your Business broadcasts every Thursday at 6.25pm GMT on Newstalk, and is available for playback immediately afterwards on Newstalk.com.

A World Of Play

Primary school education packs in a lot of essential learning about how the world works, much of it textbook rather than hands-on. And yet we know from experience that we learn best when we can step into the real world and try it for ourselves, rather than try to work it out in our own heads or on paper. 

Teachers meanwhile are under-resourced when it comes to making classes practical rather than theoretical. As a result, many of us emerge from primary school with only the vaguest idea of how the world works, and typically unable to relate our textbook learning to the practical challenges we face everyday.

Do It Yourself

Primary school teacher, Colm Ó hAnluain, our featured guest on Kickstart Your Business, always liked to make his classrooms lively and stimulating. However, he struggled to find the teaching aids he needed to bring maths, physics and technical literacy to life. And so he decided to design and build his own.

Through his new enterprise, Cog & Axle, Colm offers Henry's Piano, a construction model (or Lévó) and storybook, featuring Henry and the practical challenges he faces when trying to move a piano (a big cumbersome object that children can readily relate to). Henry's Piano can be used by teachers right through primary school (whilst teachers in other parts of Europe are using it for some of their secondary school classes).

Leveraging The Power Of Gaming

Our host, Simon Delaney, and I were both delighted with Colm's invention. Simon, the father of four young boys, immediately saw the benefits for his budding engineers. 

Meanwhile, I was prompted to describe what Colm has devised as a game rather than a resource (which can have rather dry and worthy connotations). Henry's Piano is so beautifully crafted that it immediately invites the child in us to pick it up and start playing with it, so Colm might usefully explore some of this more immediate language that conveys the appeal of his invention.

Your Turn!

How do you suggest that Colm get more and more of tomorrow's engineers playing Henry's Piano?

Listen back to Colm on Kickstart Your Business and let us know what you think.

Kickstart Your Business is broadcast on The Right Hook on Newstalk every Thursday around 6.25pm and is available for playback immediately afterwards on Newstalk.com.

Standing Out From The Crowd

"I was there'. That's a phrase we hear time and time again from fans of music and sport all around the world. It's one of the many pleasures of attending an exciting event or festival, knowing we were in that crowd on that day, part of the unmissable experience.

So how can fans capture that feeling and share it with friends and family on social media? And for the sponsors of the event, how can they bring their customers closer in a way that reflects the tribal nature of their brand?

A Huge Hug For All Of You

How powerful it would be if someone could take a picture of the crowd that it would enable someone who was in the crowd to zoom into the photo, tag themselves and send their image to family and friends via social media. Everyone likes to stand out from the crowd in some way and be, even briefly, the centre of attention.

And that's exactly what our featured guest on Kickstart Your Business Mike Sikorski is doing through his business Huggity . Big brands commission Huggity to deliver a service using amazing technology that enables fans to zoom in on their own image whilst enabling the brand to 'tag' the content with their own branded messages.

Close Up And Personal

Mike enables brands to customise the individual fan experience, allowing them to engage with fans and potential customers in a personal and unforgettable way. 'I was there' becomes 'We were there together'.

As Gerard said during the show, with the modern user and fan's endless appetite for reliving the moment and sharing those images on social media, Huggity is addressing this need in a very effective way.

The Next Big Hug

What events do you suggest Mike might target over the coming year?

Listen back to Mike on Kickstart Your Business and let us know what you think.

Kickstart Your Business is broadcast on The Right Hook on Newstalk every Thursday around 6.25pm and is available for playback immediately afterwards on Newstalk.com.

Nothing But The Same Old Story (And That's Why We Love It!)

This week's post comes courtesy of my colleague Anne Tannam, guest contributor and Brand Manager at Islandbridge.

Recently I was chatting with my colleague (and sometimes brother) about Guinness' 'Made of More' and Smirnoff's 'We're Open' ad campaigns, and his reactions to both.

These ad campaigns celebrate inclusivity and integrity, focussing on individuals who see beyond the restrictive norms of society to our common humanity. In one of their ads, Smirnoff uses the example of Chris Fonseca, an amazing dance teacher, who happens to be deaf, and John Hammond, a music scout, who heard no colour in music.

What's The Story?

With such similar content and messaging (seeing beyond our differences to the bonds of real community), he was surprised how different his response was to both. In the case of 'Made Of More', he felt a strong emotional response to the story. However his reaction to 'We're Open' was more a critical evaluation of the ad and how well it worked.

Simply put, he watched the Guinness ad heart first and the Smirnoff ad head first.

There are many possible factors at play here that may predispose his preferences, one being personal taste, another being tribal (we are Irish and the black stuff flows through our collective veins), but I got to thinking about how we connect with brands through story and though we like some variation to add a bit of spice to the relationship, ultimately, we are looking to hear the same story over and over again, to reassure us that the rules of engagement have not changed and that our shared values remain the same.

A Brand New Old Story

So I had a look online at older Guinness ad campaigns and discovered that Guinness has been telling this story for years and years. The characters and backdrops may change but the values stay the same.  It's a magical story of an individual who dares to think differently, live differently, love differently, and how community is built when we celebrate those ordinary, heroic traits in all of us. It's a universal story and if Guinness were a Pixar film, theirs would be A Bug's Life and Flik the hero.

I asked myself the same question about Smirnoff and what story they were telling and in the end concluded that the ad is less about telling a great story, and more about asserting an attitude, an attitude that is of great value and substance but struggles to reach the heart the way a great story does.

When a brand consistently stays true to its story, it frees up its audience to enter the story and respond, not just as consumers, but as fellow travellers on life's adventures. And of course, in that state of emotional openness, we are much more likely to be persuaded to buy whatever product is on offer. We're got to live in the real world after all!

Over To You

What has been your response to the Guinness and Smirnoff ad campaigns or what other brand stories have you responded to recently? We'd love to hear from you.

Anne works alongside Gerard and the team at Islandbridge Brand Development to help our clients develop a brand framework within which they can build new relationships and strengthen existing ones to gain competitive edge and grow their business. 

Waited On Hand And Foot

Although modern life doesn't make quite the same demands on the body in terms of physical labour as before, hands and feet remain busy body parts, getting through a great deal of work and play each day. And yet these vital parts are largely neglected in terms of regular upkeep and maintenance, particularly by the male of the species, who's often harder on them than his female counterpart and slower to give them the care and attention they deserve.

At least that's the case in this part of the world, where metrosexual man has been slow to put in more than a fleeting appearance.

Just The Mani And Pedi Cure

Elsewhere however, men and women alike have been a little quicker on the uptake than our neglected and neglectful Irish male.

This week on Kickstart Your Business, we feature Gosha Marek, a Polish native, who is determined to take the footsore and careworn in hand courtesy of her Noir Hand & Foot Spa offering in Dublin's South Anne Street.

Walking On Air

Gosha treated both George and I to a pedicure before our feature, and we both reported walking on air afterwards as a result.

George waxed lyrical about the luxurious surroundings of Noir, and noted that Gosha's treatment went far beyond the much more superficial pedicures he's received elsewhere.

Meanwhile, I reminded listeners that Gosha's start-up is a hark back to many more traditional businesses in its strong service offering. Her challenge is to help neglectful men like George and I form the good habit of having a manicure and pedicure on a regular basis. Creating a base of returning clients means that Gosha can concentrate more on delivering a top class service and less on drumming up new customers.

Now You Help Us Nail It

What do you suggest Gosha might do to win over more and more hands and feet to care for at Noir Nails?

Listen back to Gosha on Kickstart Your Business (with thanks to Energia), and tell us what you think? We'd love to hear from you.

Kickstart Your Business is broadcast on The Right Hook on Newstalk every Thursday around 6.25pm, and is available for playback immediately afterwards at Newstalk. com.

Growing The Missing Pieces

Although the human body demonstrates remarkable powers of regeneration, it still falls short of the extraordinary feats of self-repair which many other creatures possess. A snake sheds its skin only to rapidly reproduce another, the deer discards then regrows its antlers for the new season, whilst the starfish miraculously replaces as many as four of its five limbs so long as its central nerve ring survives intact.

And whilst mechanical and electrical engineers have managed to produce quite extraordinary prosthetic limbs and other body parts, the fact remains that for many people the loss of a critical piece of the body results in greatly-diminished ability.

Another Piece Of The Puzzle

Jemma Redmond's curiosity about her own medical condition prompted her to study nanobioscience and the possibilities of regeneration at UCD, where she attempted to grow pieces of human fingers for her thesis. This in turn prompted her to develop a hybrid bioprinter capable of creating sample human tissue suitable for drug testing (which may in turn see an end to using animals for this purpose).

Jemma, our featured guest on this week's Kickstart Your Business, set up Ouro-Botics in order to develop partnerships that will put one of her hybrid bioprinters into every university and hospital in the world.

Talking 'Bout Regeneration

Whilst George initially professed ignorance of the Our-Botics subject matter, he quickly warmed to the topic when Jemma eloquently explained 'the science bit' and how to put it to work to make a difference and make some money too (this is a business after all).

Gerard meanwhile admired Jemma's achievements, notwithstanding her naturally self-deprecating approach, and suggested that whilst her website did a good job of introducing the bioprinters as an item for sale, she is missing an opportunity to tell the story of the impact which her work is likely to have on the world. In addition to the hope that she and other medical pioneers offer to those of us suffering from the variety of medical conditions that can be addressed only when the body can be helped to regenerate, putting an end to animal testing is no mean feat.

Say Your Piece

What do you suggest that Jemma might do to realise her aim of having a hybrid bioprinter in every hospital and university in the world?

Listen back to Jemma on Kickstart Your Business (with thanks to Energia), and tell us what you think? We'd love to hear from you.

Kickstart Your Business is broadcast on The Right Hook on Newstalk every Thursday around 6.25pm, and is available for playback immediately afterwards at Newstalk. com.

Airing Clean Laundr.ie In Public

The hard-pressed but neatly dressed professional appreciates more than most the value of a laundry service. Having freshly-pressed clothing hanging neatly in the wardrobe at the ready,  means they need never appear in public looking anything less than their best.

But that same busy lifestyle that demands they be smartly turned-out can make it difficult to find the time to drop off and collect the laundry, leaving the dirty clothes pile up at home and the freshly-cleaned clothes hang around the cleaners. Meanwhile, the wardrobe grows bare.

First Up, Best Dressed

This week's Kickstart Your Business featured Evan Gray of Laundr.ie a new service that seems to be the answer to the hard-pressed professional's plea. Whilst Evan's background is in finance, he spotted an on-demand dry-cleaning service when he was travelling, and thought it would work very well in Ireland, with people always looking to save time and hassle.

His well thought out and smartly presented service can be easily accessed on website and app, and is delivered by appointment to home or office anytime between 9am and 10pm in the greater Dublin area. And for Evan, it's Dublin first, and then the world.

Suits You, Sir!

As a busy professional who spends much of his time in the public eye, George instantly appreciated the convenience of Evan's neatly-designed and delivered at-your-service service.

Meanwhile, I admired both the clever name and use of the .ie suffix (although this might limit Evan's travel plans) and the ease of access on both the Laundr.ie website and app.

However, I wonder if Evan is doing all he can to use the product to advertise the service? When I'm out and about in Dublin, I see little evidence of Evan's busy fleet of drivers picking up and dropping off the laundry. Remember the best advert for a product is often the product itself.

Now Keep It Clean!

What do you suggest that Evan might do to clean up in his new laundry business, first here in Ireland, and then across the world?

Listen back to Evan on Kickstart Your Business (with thanks to Energia), and tell us what you think? We'd love to hear from you.

Kickstart Your Business is broadcast on The Right Hook on Newstalk every Thursday around 6.25pm, and is available for playback immediately afterwards at Newstalk. com.

Someone To WatchOver Me

For the anxious parent of a wandering child, out of sight and earshot can quickly mean out of mind with worry. And whilst the world just might be a safer place these days, it often doesn't feel that way, with all the apparent dangers, real and imagined that might befall the vulnerable child.

So what's a parent to do? Deny their child the freedom of the neighbourhood or park, or worry sick each time they set off solo on an adventure?

No Worries, Help Is On Hand

Fiona O'Connor, our featured guest on Kickstart Your Business, is part of a family with both young children and a vulnerable grandparent, any of whom are prone to wander. She and her siblings tried a number of locator-devices without success, and then decided to develop WatchOvers,  a simple device - two-way phone and support app in a watch - that lets children and the elderly enjoy their independence, whilst always being within easy reach of the family.

The Wandering Star

So what did George and I make of Fiona's WatchOvers business?

George wistfully recalled his own days as an errant father and wished his own children had enjoyed the protection of this ingenious device. His memories of arriving late to the school gate to pick up his own son will have struck a chord with many listeners, including myself.

For my part, I admired the very effective image that Fiona has selected to illustrate how WatchOvers works (picture above left), but suggested that she, like many salespeople, is too reluctant to ask for the sale. The eager buyer is obliged to scroll down past a lot of background detail before being able to click to buy; this can be easily addressed by including a Buy Now button at both top and foot of any description.

A Two Way Conversation

What do you suggest that Fiona might do to make sure that help is on hand for anxious families everywhere?

Listen back to Fiona on Kickstart Your Business (with thanks to Energia), and tell us what you think? We'd love to hear from you.

Kickstart Your Business is broadcast on The Right Hook on Newstalk every Thursday around 6.25pm, and is available for playback immediately afterwards at Newstalk. com.

What To Wear Under Cover

Briefly put, many males are reluctant to shop for the bare necessities of clothing, those essential items that are glimpsed rather than seen by all except their nearest and dearest. Even the more hygienic are prone to the threadbare look when it comes to the 'socks, jocks and tees' department of their wardrobe.

And somewhere in his mind, the Irish male of the species hears his mammy's voice worrying over the state of his underwear if he were to be rushed off unexpectedly to hospital. Yes indeed, what would the neighbours think?

Underneath It All

Well mammy, those next-door neighbours or anyone getting up close and personal with the nation's wannabe gentlemen need judge no more, for help is at hand in the form of this week's guest on Kickstart Your Business.

With a family background in men's fashion (Galvin For Men), Rob Galvin noted that men were often slow to shop for quality underwear essentials. A recent graduate of UCD's Innovation Academy, he decided to set up www.Stor.Supply, an online service supplying regular consignments of underwear to reluctant shoppers.

Reluctant gentlemen shoppers, and those who love them, can sign up for a subscription that sees those simple, bare necessities delivered undercover of some elegant packaging once a month or every three months. Sure Mammy wishes she'd thought of it herself.

Boxing Clever

George and Gerard both enjoyed Rob's undercover assignment, with George vowing to change his boxers more often as a result.

In particular, Gerard admired the way in which Rob has cleverly included the nearest and dearest as key target customers for his growing business. Pinpointing the ideal customer and those who buy for them in this way is inspired, and should keep Rob focussed on what matters in his business.

The Whole Package

What do you suggest that Rob might do to get the whole world of men happily wearing only the finest underwear essentials. Not to mention the joy he brings to their nearest and dearest.

Listen back to Rob on Kickstart Your Business (with thanks to Energia), and tell us what you think? We'd love to hear from you.

Kickstart Your Business is broadcast on The Right Hook on Newstalk every Thursday around 6.25pm, and is available for playback immediately afterwards at Newstalk. com .

Jam Packed With Quirky Goodness

There is much evidence, even in mainstream retailing, to suggest that customers are looking for something out of the ordinary when they make their weekly shop.

Although the traditional staples still feature large on the supermarket shelf, growing numbers of highly-original takes on these original foods have jostled their way onto those same shelves. Once left to shout their wares from the stalls of farmer's markets and craft-shops, these bold upstarts now stand proudly side by side with foodstuffs that can seem frankly dull by comparison.

What To Do In A Jam

When Olive Germaine, and husband Pat, became redundant from work within one week of each other, they decided to return to the kitchen and cook up some high quality chutneys, relishes and preserves, and go to market under the quirky name, The Birds And The Teas.

Their produce proved so delicious that when our George tasted some at his local supermarket, he was immediately prompted to invite Olive to feature on Kickstart Your Business on The Right Hook.

Relishing The Prospect

George was already a fan, but Gerard was also won over by both the tasty jams and the playful invitation to table in the name and packaging.

The Birds And The Teas evokes a tea-party in wonderland, and this is reflected in many of the names Olive and Pat have given to their unusual combinations: Last Mango In Paris Chutney, Rhubarb Rhumba Preserve to give just a taster of two of the many more on offer.

The Preserve Of Experts

What would you do to get the whole world jamming along with Olive and Pat?

Listen back to Olive's Kickstart Your Business feature and let us know what you think. We'd love to hear from you.

Kickstart Your Business broadcasts at 6.20pm every Thursday on Newstalk's The Right Hook, and is available on playback immediately following the show.

Queezy Does It

Throwing up, whether as a result of car or sea-sickness, pregnancy or a tummy bug, is never a pleasant experience. But that same experience is made even more stomach-churning (for both the one throwing up and the one catching), when the receptacle for all of that nastiness is as makeshift as a hastily-grabbed paper bin, shopping bag or handbag. What they both wouldn't do for a thoughtfully designed queasy bag, to help safely catch and dispose of the unpleasantness.

The Catcher On The Fly

When Carrie Doorley, our featured guest on Kickstart Your Business,  found herself playing catch-up for her first child Liam who suffered from travel sickness, she looked in vain for sick bags in several shops and pharmacies near her home. To her surprise, none offered anything more suitable than clear plastic bags, and so she decided to design and produce her own.

And so, in the absence of designer sick bags, Queezy Bags were designed and born. Featuring a number of innovative features such as an easy hold rim, discreet patterning and a slot to twist the bag and seal in the smell, Queezy Bags are a real catch.

Retching For The Stars

Both George, who brought up in graphic detail his own sea-sick adventures, and Gerard were immediately impressed with Carrie's innovative solution to a problem that can afflict someone almost any time or any place.

Think cars, boats, planes but don't stop there; include hospitals, night-clubs and anywhere a toddler or a mum-to-be frequents. As Carrie memorably puts it in her tagline: Life Is Busy, Don't Hold Back.

Both also admired Carrie's clever name, Queezy Bags, which really says it all, but Gerard suggested that the overall packaging is unremarkable and doesn't give her product and new brand the stand-out it requires to establish real elbow room on the shelves and shop-floors of pharmacists and retailers everywhere.

Glad You Brought That Up

What else do you suggest that Carrie does to capitalise on this yawning gap in a worldwide market?

Listen back to Carrie's Kickstart Your Business feature and let us know what you think. We'd love to hear from you.

Kickstart Your Business broadcasts at 6.20pm every Thursday on Newstalk's The Right Hook, and is available on playback immediately following the show.

A Helping Hand For Helping Hands

The call for volunteers to help in any worthy cause typically prompts a generous response from people willing to lend a hand. But those same willing hands often get tied up completing the inevitable paperwork that now accompanies the not-for-profit initiative, rather than being put to good use in the field. 

With safety first the priority both for the voluntary organisations and those who regulate them, how can the local sports club or fundraiser fulfil their duty of care without getting overwhelmed by form filling?

Now Generosity Knows No Bounds

When David Miller, our featured guest on this week's Kickstart Your Business, and his colleague Rowan Devereux needed to recruit other parents to the various working groups at their local football club, they realised there was a massive gap between paying lip service to safely bringing volunteers on board, and doing it right. And so they decided to develop the Complyfile software to help organisations everywhere safely recruit volunteers.

Making Time To Save Time

With their own backgrounds in volunteering, both George and Gerard immediately appreciated the benefits of this new software to everyone concerned with the voluntary organisation, from committee members to working groups to volunteers.

Gerard particularly liked the ease of navigation through ComplyFile.com and noted how the site authors cleverly advise on the length of time (60 seconds) it takes to watch the introductory video, which enables the visitor to easily choose whether or not to view it. Too many publishers ask for an open-ended commitment, the same type of commitment that David & Rowan address through their time-saving and coherent on-boarding software.

Step Forward & Say What You Think

How do you suggest that David and Rowan can get the whole world volunteering in a safe and practical way?

Listen back to David on Kickstart Your Business and let us know what you think; we'd love to hear from you.

Kickstart Your Business broadcasts at 6.20pm every Thursday on Newstalk's The Right Hook, and is available on playback immediately following the show.

A note from Gerard: When I'm not helping to Kickstart Your Business, I work with business-owners of all shapes and sizes to help them build a brand that stands up to the competition and stands out in the marketplace. You can find out more about my work at Islandbridge. 

Once a year, I work closely with twelve ambitious business-owners through our six-week Raising A Brand Programme. Our next programme kicks off on February 9th for six Tuesday afternoon sessions; you can find out more at Raising A Brand

Are You Going My Way?

For many people, the cost of travelling alone in a taxi is prohibitive and probably puts the brakes on many a night out. 

Even groups of friends, who might otherwise split the costs, often find themselves heading for home in different directions and unable to enjoy the economies of a shared journey. Meanwhile, the road home is likely to be filled with taxis carrying just a single passenger on board and all going their way too.

A Problem Shared

When Paul Goodwin’s corporate clothing business closed under pressure from cheap imports, he drove a taxi for three years to make ends meet. But once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur, and whilst plying his trade, Paul, our featured guest on this week's Kickstart Your Business dreamed up the TaxiToShare app, which allows customers to taxi-pool if they’re headed in the same direction.

On The One Road

Gerard and George liked Paul's simple yet effective solution to a problem shared by many people, particularly students, on a limited budget. As Gerard noted, many of the world's emerging businesses are based on the notion of shared rather than competing resources, and Paul has identified a great opportunity to build another through his TaxiToShare app.

Paul also has separate apps in development for the Ladies Only and LGBT markets, but Gerard suggested that he focus first on establishing his mainstream offering, before considering specialist groups. He may discover in fact that there's no need for such tightly-targeted offerings, which might anyway be accommodated within his TaxiToShare app.

Your Turn To Share

Listen back to Paul on Kickstart Your Business and suggest how Paul can get the whole world sharing taxis. We'd love to hear from you.

Kickstart Your Business broadcasts at 6.20pm every Thursday on Newstalk's The Right Hook, and is available for playback immediately following the show.

A note from Gerard: When I'm not helping to Kickstart Your Business, I work with business-owners of all shapes and sizes to help them build a brand that stands up to the competition and stands out in the marketplace. You can find out more about my work at Islandbridge.

Once a year, I work closely with twelve ambitious business-owners through our six-week Raising A Brand Programme. Our next programme kicks off on February 9th for six Tuesday afternoon sessions; you can find out more at Raising A Brand. 

Early Signs Are Good For SuperHands

Although the early years in your child's life are typically filled with the joys of discovery and connection for both baby and parents alike, they can bring their own share of frustrations too. Many of these can be traced to the difficulties on both sides in making themselves understood. 

Is baby tired, hungry, scared, in pain? Often the only signs are that baby is somehow distressed and it's up to mum and dad to second-guess the reasons for tears and tantrums.

"What We've Got Here Is Failure To Communicate"

If the two grown men in Cool Hand Luke were troubled by a breakdown in communication, imagine how much more frustrating it is when you and your little one both seem poorly equipped to share vital information. When words don't come easily, what's a baby to do?

Professional actor Miriam Devitt (Cool Hands Miriam), our featured guest on Kickstart Your Business, started using sign language with her own daughter when she was tiny, and was so encouraged by her success that she set out to get every baby in Ireland signing before they can talk through her business SuperHands.ie.

So Babies Can Tell You Before They Can Talk

George and Gerard were initially intrigued and then delighted with Miriam's initiative in helping young families to get signing through classes, Ireland's first baby signing book and, more recently, the SuperHands app on the App Store. Especially when they learned that babies who sign tend to talk earlier than their peers, and seem better equipped in later life for learning new information.

Gerard admired the SuperHands.ie website in particular but suggested that Miriam might look a little more closely at how she guides the visitor and prospective buyer throughout. The options of classes, book or app are presented somewhat randomly; with her extensive experience, Miriam is in a great position to gently direct her visitors along the well-worn paths to purchase.

Your Chance To Show And Tell

Whilst the early signs for SuperHands are great, how do you suggest that Miriam attracts even more baby signers, particularly as she looks to take her business overseas.

Listen back to Miriam on Kickstart Your Business and let us know what you think; we'd love to hear from you.

Kickstart Your Business broadcasts at 6.20pm every Thursday on Newstalk's The Right Hook, and is available on playback immediately following the show.

A note from Gerard: When I'm not helping to Kickstart Your Business, I work with business-owners of all shapes and sizes to help them build a brand that stands up to the competition and stands out in the marketplace. You can find out more about my work at Islandbridge.
Once a year, I work closely with twelve ambitious business-owners through our six-week Raising A Brand Programme. Our next programme kicks off on February 9th for six Tuesday afternoon sessions; you can find out more at Raising A Brand

Living The Sports Dream

Although many youngsters dream of making a career out of their chosen sport, the winner-takes-all philosophy that prevails in most professional sports means that the road to success is by no means a certain one. For many parents of sports-mad children, following the sports dream means pushing school and college aside and making a high-risk play for success. And although the sports-scholarship route allows some youngsters to follow their dream whilst gaining an academic qualification, only a minute number of scholarships are available in any particular sport. So how to dream big whilst keeping your feet firmly on the ground?

Making The Dreams Work

Our featured guest on Kickstart Your Business, Kildare-born Paul Cummins of Sport Dream Academy lived the dream of many aspiring sports stars when his teenage prowess won him a scholarship to play American high-school and college basketball, and go on to play professionally and represent his country. He set up Sport Dream Academy so that others like him might find a route in sports colleges across the USA in a range of elite sports, including tennis, volleyball, track and field, soccer, golf and rugby.

Leave It To The Professionals

With his own background in coaching in the US, George warmed immediately to Paul's story and new venture. Whilst Sport Dream Academy can't guarantee success for the aspiring professional, it can help the young player to make the most of their talent and showcase their skills and aptitude to a range of top coaches in colleges across the USA. And Paul can advise on how to avoid the pitfalls that might await the unwary in a college system that has wildly varying academic standards.

Gerard suggested that Paul is currently underplaying his own expertise and experience when he refers to his venture as a part-time labour of love. Not unlike many of the great entrepreneurs, Paul is involved in more than one venture: he is both CEO of Sport Dream Academy and CEO of a highly-successful health and safety consultancy, Sea Change. His success across a wide range of disciplines is a real strength, and a reassurance to the aspiring sports star that he has what it takes to help them take the best shot at success in their chosen sport.

Everyone Can Dream

How do you suggest that Paul can help more and more talented youngsters live the sports dream through his academy?

Listen back to Paul on Kickstart Your Business and let us know what you think; we'd love to hear from you.

Kickstart Your Business broadcasts at 6.20pm every Thursday on Newstalk's The Right Hook, and is available on playback immediately following the show.

A note from Gerard: When I'm not helping to Kickstart Your Business, I work with business-owners of all shapes and sizes to help them build a brand that stands up to the competition and stands out in the marketplace. You can find out more about my work at Islandbridge.

Once a year, I work closely with twelve ambitious business-owners through our six-week Raising A Brand Programme. Our next programme kicks off on February 9th for six Tuesday afternoon sessions; you can find out more at Raising A Brand