Break Your Book, Not Your Back

There are many challenges facing children transitioning from Primary to Secondary school, from the bewildering array of new teachers and subjects, to school bags laden down with heavy text books.

We've all seen the comical sight of first year students wearing bags almost as big as themselves but there is nothing funny about the damage down to a child's back when they are forced to carry up to 20 kilos to and from school. That's two large bags of potatoes in George's language!

It's a problem many parents are concerned about but what can be done?

A Book-Splittingly Good Idea

Featured on last night's Kickstart Your Business, Margo Fleming, Founder of BookSplits, explained how she, like many parents, was very concerned about the damage being done to her child's back from carrying so many heavy books and came up with a simple and instant solution to the problem; 'Split Your Book In Half - Half The Weight'. ' Like all great business ideas, Margo's offer provides an instant solution to an obvious need.

In An Instant

BookSplits boasts a very attractive website with an excellent video and high quality imagery but as Gerard pointed out on the show, the messaging needs to show instantly exactly what's on offer before it goes into any justification of the product.

Show first, then tell!

Over To You

What other ways can Margo instantly demonstrate her product on her 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.

  

Meanwhile, for those of you Kickstarting your own business in 2015, why not check out our Raising A Brand Programme, a practical course (one afternoon a week) over six weeks during which Gerard teaches you all you need to know about researching, developing and building a brand that will make you the natural choice of customers.

Let's Talk About Sex Siopa

For a nation that's famous for our gift of the gab, we are slow and more than a little uncomfortable talking about sex openly. And don't ask us to talk about sex toys or products! That may lead to 'wink wink, nudge nudge and sure what we would know about such things?'

What we do know is there is a demand for good quality and safe sex products (yes, even in little old Ireland!) and because the industry is largely unregulated and customers are unwilling to talk openly about their consumer needs, there is a real danger that customers will end up purchasing badly designed and poorly made products, all for want of a mature conversation.

Starting The Conversation

Sex Siopa, this week's feature on Kickstart Your Business, is just the company to get the conversation going. Founded by Shawna Scott, who on a visit back to home to her favourite sex shop in Seattle, was struck by how completely normal the shopping experience felt and was determined to bring a similar approach to sex shop retailing in Ireland. Sex Siopa stocks well designed toys and accessories as well as providing customers with current, up-to-date information about toy care, safe sex and the products themselves.

Get Ireland Talking

As with any product, it's important to get customers using, talking about and reviewing their purchases. That's a challenge in any industry but particualty in this one. With her well designed website and matter-of-fact and informative blog, Shawna is making it easy for customers to have mature and engaging discussions about their shopping experience.

Over To You

What other ways can Shawna keep the conversation going through her 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.

  

Meanwhile, for those of you Kickstarting your own business in 2015, why not check out our Raising A Brand Programme, a practical course (one afternoon a week) over six weeks during which Gerard teaches you all you need to know about researching, developing and building a brand that will make you the natural choice of customers.

Bonjour To Fun French Stories For Kids

For most people born and raised in Ireland, our first introduction to learning a foreign language was at the age of twelve or thirteen when we looked at subject choices for secondary school.

That is five or six years later than our European counterparts who are introduced to a second (or in some cases a third or fourth language) at the tender age of seven. From a learning perspective, a child's brain at seven or earlier is the perfect sponge for absorbing new languages. And they are happily unselfconscious about practicing pronunciation in front of their peers.

A New Language Made Easy

Teacher and entrepreneur Grainne Ryan Schaeken, introduced us to FrenchBooksForKids.Com on this week's Kickstart Your Business.  Looking at the market, she saw there were no storybooks in French aimed at English speaking kids and so developed Danny Cool, a series of humorous stories in French, featuring an Irish family in leafy Foxrock. Beautifully illustrated, the series is set to have  Irish children exclaiming 'J'adore Danny Cool' when they reach for the books.

More Student, Less Teacher

As Gerard suggested on the show, students are attracted to a particular book, not because they want to learn something new, but because they want to read the story. Bringing out the humour and playfulness of the stories themselves on the website, rather than the learning opportunity behind them, will better attract and engage Grainne's real customers (who will in turn persuade mammy or daddy to put their hand in their pocket).

Over To You

How can Grainne bring the story of Danny Cool to life through her 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.

  

Have Wristband, Will Travel Safely

It's every parent's nightmare. You're out with  one or more small children at the zoo or in a busy supermarket and as you're paying for an item or tying a shoelace, a child goes missing. Rational thought goes out the window and panic threatens to overwhelm you. Until your child is safely back in your care, the supermarket or zoo can feel like the most dangerous place in the world. It's one of the most gut-wrenching feelings any parent can experience and anything that can help alleviate the worry and stress and reunite you safely and quickly with your child would be a godsend.

Identifying A Simple Solution

This week on Kickstart Your Business, we featured a product that will have parents everywhere breathing a sigh of relief. IDme, a safety wristband, was designed and developed by Dee O'Leary, a mother of three whose experience of losing a small child in a local supermarket sparked a great business idea that is fast becoming an essential travel item for small children. The award winning wristband holds essential information that means a good samaritan can quickly help the lost and vulnerable child to reunite with their anxious parents. 

Endless Opportunities

This is one of those business ideas that's so simple, it's a wonder we didn't think of it ourselves! The possibilities are endless for a product that is so fit for purpose and meets an instantly recognisable need in its target market. And that market extends beyond the parents of wandering children and can cater for sports enthusiasts or individuals with medical issues or special needs. As Gerard pointed out on the show, there is also endless opportunity to customise the strap and create a range of designs that will appeal to children and adults alike (much like Swatch did with their watches). 

Over To You

What type of designs could Dee use to customise her product and create individual and eye-catching safety wristbands ? 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.

  

Three Wheels On My Coffee

For many budding entrepreneurs, renting the space to house a great product is simply beyond their modest budget. Then there's the challenge of choosing the right building in the right location to attract and engage your target customers. And what about all of those lovely customers that are just out of arm's reach because your premises is located a street too far for them to make the journey to buy from you?

If The Mountain Won't Come To Saltpeter

Let Saltpeter come to the mountain! That's exactly what this week's featured Kickstart Your Busines  Saltpeter has set about doing. Founded by freshly-baked entrepreneur Jenny Lyons, Saltpeter is a three-wheeled pop-up shop that sells fabulous coffee and irresistable baked goodies. Rather than waiting for her customers to turn up, Jenny's mobile offer will come to them, enticing them closer with the smell of feshly ground coffee and delicious baked treats. Makes you want to rush to the window and check if Saltpeter is outside!

Big On Personality

Already Jenny has successfully created a brand with oodles of personality and with her scaleable business model in place, she's gearing up to take over the world, one coffee and treat at a time. Presenting the brand at every opportunity is essential when your premises is a three-wheeler van, and wearing a uniform that reflects the fun personality of Saltpeter will add even greater recognisable appeal to the brand (and no George, Jenny will not be going with your recommedation of a drindl as the perfect uniform!).

Over To You

What other easy ways can Jenny help bring her 'teeny weeny but big on personality' brand to life ? 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