Medieval Scouts' Experience Aims High

If, like many of us, you are drawn to the colour and pageantry associated with medieval sports,particularly the clothing, weaponry and other paraphernalia of the era, then we know just the place to send you. Deep in the heart of the Kildare woodlands, Stephen and his collegaues at Tyrsland are ready and waiting to offer you the medieval scout experience of a lifetime.

Target Practice

TyrsLand, this week's feature on Kickstart Your Business, have created a thrilling environment in which to learn a wide range of medieval skills and have rightly identified a number of potential customers for their different offerings. However, in common with many new businesses that have an embarrassment of product riches, they face the danger of being unfocussed in their marketing and sales efforts.

Keep Focussed On Your Core Market

With such a wide range of skills on offer and a wealth of possibilies for the future of the business, Stephen must be careful not to fall into the same trap that many new business owners topple into head first; trying to reach too many potential market sectors at the one time. Gerard suggested that Stephen and his colleagues concentrate first on pitching to children and particularly those in the modern-day scouts, where they are most likely to find their perfect match of customer.

Over To You

How do you suggest Stephen attract the modern day scout (and their leader) through the website? Listen back to the show on the Kickstart Your Business blog and let us know what you think. 

We'd love to hear from you.

Getting To Grips With Crawling

Studies have linked a substantial rise in learning difficulties with the decline in infants crawling

during a key stage in their development. Our modern living environments and their polished and smooth floor surfaces are thought to be the cause of this decrease and though the effects may not be obvious until a child begins pre-school or school, parents are now becoming very aware of the potential difficulties and are anxious to address the problem as early as possible.

Snug As A Bug...

Creeper Crawlers,  this week's featured business on Kickstart Your Business, has responded to the research on the importance of crawling with their product 'Creeper Crawler', a 'babygro with grips' made from 100% of the softest cotton. Ollwyn Moran, business owner and a Neurological Developmental Therapist, reports that all babies using them to date have crawled more happily, more successfully and for longer. That's good news for this generation of growing infants and their parents and in a few years time, it'll be good news for their teachers too.

Getting To Grips With The Market

The website is visually very appealing and immediately the consumer can see what they are buying. With the high quality of the product itself and the use of an ethically approved manufacturer, parents can confidently buy into the offer. Ollwyn now needs to play up her entrepreneurial credentials and convince the big retailers that she is on to something they need with her unique product. 

The good news for Irish parents is that Mothercare now stock Creeper Crawlers so let's watch this space for more retailers coming on board over the coming months.

Over To You

How do you suggest Ollwyn shows her credentials through the website? Listen back to the show on the Kickstart Your Business blog and let us know what you think. 

We'd love to hear from you.

Just The Lift You Need

As anyone who has ever needed to move several items around their house or premises will tell you, dismantling, lifting, moving and re-assembling is not for the faint-hearted or weak-backed! One impact of catalogue and online buying has been the increase in larger items that require delivery to the home or office and not everyone is lucky enough to have a strong man willing and able to give a hand to roll out a heavy carpet or to lug heavy boxes up several flights of stairs.

Who You Gonna Call?

Our featured business this week One Hour Labour is a flexible, mobile, heavy-lifting service offered, as the name suggests, by the hour in Dublin city. Available at very short notice and for however many hours are needed, their staff are fully trained, certified in manual handling and are fully insured and mobile. Zipping about the city on their mopeds, armed with folding trolleys  and power tools, Pat Keogh and his team are ready to give everyone the lift they need!

Bring In The Heavy Hitters

Rather than looking at selling their services one sofa or office table at time, Gerard suggested Pat initally focus his marketing efforts on the people who supply the heavy items, those natural referrers who will send business Pat's way again and again. As Pat himself said, those companies who in the past needed two staff to travel with a truckload of heavy items. Now they can simply use a driver and Pat's team can swoop in for the hour or two that's needed to lift the heavy items from the truck into their rightful place in your home or premises.

Over To You

How do you suggest Pat and his team attract the attention of those natural referrers? Listen back to the show on the Newstalk Kickstart Your Business blog and let us know what you think. We'd love to hear from you.

Never Discount A Great Offer

Not so long ago, on-line vouchers offering great discounts in restaurants and hotels across the country were all the rage with customers hoping for a great deal and venue owners hoping to fill beds and seats at off-peak times. A win/win situation you might think but the reality turned out to be quite different with customers experiencing a less than friendly welcome from venue owners whose disappearing profit margins made little commercial sense. 

A Tempting Proposition 

Our Kickstart Your Business feature this week, Tempster are offering a smart phone application that enables customers to find great deals immediately in restaurants, clubs and theatres and helps venue-owners to fill empty tables and seats quickly and inexpensively. As Ollie Fegan, its owner explains, instead of lowering the price, the venue owner is encouraged to add to the customer experience with perhaps a glass of prosecco before the meal or a free cocktail in the bar upstairs afterwards (which may lead to the customer staying for another few drinks, and that's good for business).

Encouraging Spontaneity 

Already this business has a great name and a classy website and even George was won over by how well this offer will equally serve the young and spontaneous who are heading into town on a whim, and the not so young who have time on their hands and can receive offers from their favourite restaurant while sitting at home, book a table there and then and enjoy an extra-special experience. Tempster encourages us to be playful and spontaneous and Gerard suggested that the business as a whole needs to capitalise on this aspect of its brand if it's to 'own' a strong position in the market.

Over To You

How do you suggest that Ollie might help create a philosophy of spontaneity on the website and throughout all communications? Listen back to the show on the Newstalk Kickstart Your Business blog and let us know what you think. We'd love to hear from you.