Leading The Herd

Technology has the ability to change how we live and work and nowhere is that more obvious than in the life of a farmer. Just think back to the days when cows were hand milked one at a time, a labour and time intensive activity, to the modern milking machine that allows one farmer to milk up to 350 cows in an hour!

Farming has always been a labour intensive operation and any technology that can introduce new efficiencies and time savings into the long working week, will be a godsend.

Your Herd In Your Hand

This week's Kickstart Your Business feature is Herdwatch, an app that's set to change the way dairy and beef farmers manage livestock. Developed by Fabien Peyaud who, when recently working with the farming sector in an IT capacity, saw first hand the increasing pressures that dairy and beef farmers are under trying to manage their livestock.

Fabien believed mobile technology could make their lives easier and so developed Herdwatch, an app that enables farmers to keep a close eye on their animals at all times.

Word Of Mooth

Gerard noted that Fabien seems to have an instinctive sense of what prospective customers need to see and hear in order be attracted to his offer, and was particularly impressed how Fabien is rewarding existing customers, as well as those just signing up, with his first birthday promotion (he offers one month extra on an annual membership).

Bigger, mainstream brands should take note, as many seem to encourage disloyalty rather than reward loyalty through their switcher campaigns.

Over To You

What other ways can Fabien continue to lead the herd? 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 to listen back to on Playback.

Books Worth Getting Your Digits On

The educational publishing industry has been slow to capitalise on the opportunities for enhanced learning through digital technology.

Think of your average classroom where textbooks are still the order of the day and, where iPads are used, the quality of the digital content available is simply a digitised version of the traditional book. These typical eBooks don't make more of the extraordinary technologies now available to bring the learning experience to life for both student and teacher.

Digitally Enhanced

This week's featured company on Kickstart Your Business was founded by Clive Friary who spotted an opportunity in the market that is notoriously slow to recognise and adapt to the opportunities offered by technology.

His company ePublish offers its customers the opportunity to purchase a range of eBooks through iTunes, and can link through directly from the ePublish website. Given that ePublish promises full interactivity, customers are then likely to be prompted to buy by being able to enjoy some of those interactive features for themselves from the get-go.

Hands-On Advertising

Whilst Clive's products make the most of interactive technologies, his website misses out on the opportunity to showcase his capabilities by performing in a fairly traditional way.

As Gerard suggested, the best advertisement for any product is the product itself. Next best is something that mimics the product and demonstrates its benefits in an immediate way.                                                                     

Over To You

What other ways can Clive better promote his leading-edge products through 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 to listen back to on Playback.

Pleased To Greet You With CleverCards

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, card companies and postal services the world over are rubbing their hands together in glee at the prospect of their projected sales' figures for the month.

We still love to buy and get cards but for many of us, finding the time to go out and pick a card, queue at the till, buy the stamp and post it, can seem like too much bother and we end up with all good intentions but nothing to show for it!

Send The Perfect Card In Minutes 

This week's Kickstart Your Business feature CleverCards was founded by Kealan Lennon to make it easy for people to emotionally connect with family and friends both online and offline. With twenty years' experience in the design, publishing and media industries, he wanted to shake up the traditional card sector by adding some new technology magic to the mix in order to help people connect better using digital and printed greetings.

Stamp Of Approval

Gerard admired CleverCards truly intuitive offering, which seamlessly draws on the immediacy of Facebook, whilst George was excited at the prospect of never missing another important date in the lives of his family and friends, with the lovely Ingrid set to receive her first Valentine card from the normally-forgetful broadcaster.

On the business front, Gerard suggested that CleverCards needs to develop a more distinctive visual identity, that will enable the start-up to 'own' this online space and ward off cheap imitators in this highly-competitive environment.  
                                            

Over To You

What other ways can Kealan help people around the world to make those emotionally-charged connections through CleverCards? 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 to listen back to on Playback.

A New Business That Wants To Give Us The Boot

The importance of brand as a emblem of the tribe we belong to is nowhere more obvious than in the world of sport. Wearing your club jersey, your club shorts and carrying your club sports bag, all allow players and their fans to identify with and show support for their team or county.

And of course the business of branded sports products in a very lucrative one with a readymade enthusiastic and loyal target market happy to purchase and wear with pride.

Put The Boot In

Last night on Kickstart Your Business, we featured RClub Sports, a company that's ready to put the boot in and enter the market of branded sportswear. Founded by Anthony Moriarty who, when standing on the sidelines watching his son play football, noticed that the team all had the club crest on the togs, socks and jersey, but not on the footboot boots.

Not letting his lack of knowledge in the area of branding deter him (Anthony's background is in construction), he set about developing a range of customised football boots so the crest could be displayed with pride from head to toe.

They're On My Team

By partnering with at least two of the largest sports organisations in Ireland, Anthony has cleverly created shop windows all around the country and customers can also buy direct from the website.

As Gerard pointed out on the programme, Anthony can now draw on the pulling power of his partners and display on the website, though well chosen imagery, his connection with the partners, thus adding value to the transaction that is above and beyond the branded products themselves.

Over To You

What other ways can Anthony draw on the pulling power of his partners through 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.

  

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.

Bags Of Irish Personality

We're used to seeing people from other cultures or tourists visiting, carrying bags that display iconic patterns such as the English Rose or The Eiffel Tower. A powerful symbol of tribal identity and belonging, these iconic patterns are instantly recognisable and easy to replicate. That's why it's rather strange that up to now, we Irish have been deprived of the pleasure of a bag that says Ireland with style and panache.

Say Ireland

The good news is that we are deprived no more! Our featured business on Kickstart Your Business, UrsulaCelano has come to our rescue. With a background in Management Consulting and IT, Ursula Celano, like many working mums, found it difficult to juggle a career and a young family. Noticing a gap in the market, she decided to create her own tribal motifs for the Irish market across a range of designer bags and stationary.

Design Of The Times

Gerard suggested that like many successful designers before her (think Orla Kiely), Ursula needs to develop an iconic design or signature style in order to establish the brand amongst customers - both current and potential. In many ways, her great variety, which should prove a source of longevity, may mean that she struggles in the short term to leave her imprint on the collective Irish mind.

Over To You

What other ways can Ursula manage her growth from one-woman business to a whole tribe? 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 (starting February 11th for 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.