Sail Away With Bags Of Style

They say that clothes maketh the man (or woman!) but it's also true to say that the bag perched on our shoulder, clutched in our hand or slung across our back can help tell the world something about who we are and the mark we wish to make on the world.

The shape and style, the range of colours and, most importantly, the materials used to fashion a bag, speak volumes about the wearer.

Sail Away, Sail Away

Mamukko, our featured business on Kickstart Your Business this week was founded by two Hungarian brothers Levante and Attila Magyar. After settling in Kinsale, they decided to build a  unique business inspired by the sea and their family tradition of leather craftsmanship. Fashioning their customised eco-friendly bags from up-cycled  canvas sails organically fused with leather, the brothers have created a product that is truly unique in the market.

The Sea, Oh The Sea

Behind every business is a story and Mamukko  tells us tales of sailing the high seas, riding the waves, arriving at far flung corners of the world. It's this wonderful story that needs to be captured on their website. Kinsale and the story of the sea needs to be writ large in their visual and written messaging. 

Over To You

What messaging might Levante and Attila display on their website to harness the power of the story behind their unique offering? 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)

Making Pingwaves In Energy Savings

"My tea is nearly ready and the sun has left the sky.
It's time to take the window to see Leerie going by;
For every night at teatime and before you take your seat,
With lantern and with ladder he comes posting up the street".

Robert Louis Stevenson's Poem 'The Lamp Lighter' harks back to a time when street lamps were powered by gas and as evening fell, the arrival of the lamplighter promised to banish the dark. Nowadays of course, light is provided by electricity and communal lamps are often illuminated night and day, wasting valuable energy which in turn increases costs for the consumer. The simple act of turning on the light when needed and off when not, seems lost in our modern age.

Shine A Light

Shining a light on this modern-day problem is Pingwave Lighting, our featured business on Kickstart Your Business this week. Entrepreneurs Kieran Griffin and Ken Long noticed that many lamps in the communal areas of public buildings and apartment block were illuminated 24/7.  Estimating a significant waste of energy with the consumer picking up the tab, they decided to design and sell SMART LED lighting that would save customers up to 85% in running costs.

Turned On

Kieran and Ken face the challenge of all business owners producing energy saving products; unless the benefits are immediately obvious to the end user, it's hard to catch their attention and even harder to influence them to take action.

Currently their website features a video that captures very effectively the lighting in action and the cost-saving benefits to the consumer. Gerard recommended a similiar approach across the rest of the website with written and visual messaging that attracts and excites, switching the visitor on to the benefits of this great product.

Over To You

What information might Kieran and Ken display on their website to immediately capture the interest of  potential customers ? 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)

Mumpreneur's The Word

We've come a long way since the 1950's when the only business mothers engaged in was the business of child rearing and housework, leaving their menfolk to head out into the world of commerce, tasked with bringing home the bacon. At first it may seem as though the modern mum can have it all but juggling running a home, raising children and growing a business can leave her overwhelmed and under-achieving.

Mother's Little Helper

Help is at hand. The Mumpreneur Support Network, our featured business this week on Kickstart Your Business, was set up by Mairead Kelly, a business coach and mentor who, through her own practice, discovered that female entrpreneurs face very different challenges than their male counterparts. Her dedicated support network is exclusively for 'mumpreneurs' to help them succeed in balancing the various demands their distinctive role places on them.

Mother Knows Best

As Gerard pointed out on the show last night, it's very easy for the conversation to turn to the challenges of entrepreneurs in general and there is already plenty of expert support for entrepreneurs  available from organisations like Enterprise Ireland.

Mairead needs to position herself clearly as a specialist who understands the specific challenges of her target market. That core message must be communicated explicitly and consistently through her website and other marketing resources.

Over To You

What information might Mairead display on her website to ensure her core message is communicated clearly? 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)

Start Spreading The Good Nusli

It's not often that Ireland is slow to catch up with the world when it comes to food, but in the case of bircher muesli, a hugely popular breakfast in Alpine communities, we've been depriving ourselves of one of the world's tastiest and natural starts to the the day. Maybe we've just  been waiting for the right person to come along and lead us to breakfast bliss?

Looking To The South East For A Sign

Nusli, our Kickstart Your Business feature this week, was founded by Dermot Hanley, a man in search of a taste he'd first experienced on the Alpine slopes. Dermot, an investment banker in his former life, teamed with a bunch of local artisan producers from Ireland's sunny southeast to create a crunchy, fruity, creamy, tangy snack. The single serve pot is perfect for busy people on the go and whether you're heading to the slopes or to the office,  Nusli will keep you full and fueled for the day ahead.

Running With The Cows

Dermot has done a great job establishing himself as a credible brand with retailers already happy to give Nusli shelf space and a place on their central listings. To help push the success of the product further, Gerard suggested that Dermot play up more of the story behind Nusli in both the packaging and the website. Dermot's own story of his move from running with the wolves on Wallstreet to running with the cows in the South East is a great place to start.

Over To You

What other ways might Dermot play up the story behind the product in his packaging and on his 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)

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)