M A R C H
2 0 1 8
•
I S S U E
3
•
V O L
SELF STARTER Magazine
1
5.4.3.2.1GO!!! FINDING YOUR UMPH MAKE YOURSELF A HOT CUP OF SOMETHING AND READ ON.
Mighty March
* 20 seconds of courage * when it all feels wrong * * the perfect fit * power up * * the cream of the crop * showing your best side *
March Stars EST. 2018
www.selfstarter.com EMAIL selfstartermagazine@gmail.com INSTAGRAM www.instagram.com/selfstartermagazine FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/SelfStarterMagazine TWITTER www.twitter.com/MagSelfStarter PINTEREST www.pinterest.ie/selfstartermagazine
Publisher & Editor-In-Chief Kajsa Kinsella
Aisling Power
una healy
furkan karayel
wendy merrigan
niamh hogan
Arklow County Wicklow Ireland
"Stop calling it A Dream, it`s time to call it A Plan." P1 P2
"THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO DO IT, IS SIMPLY TO DO IT"
For You This Month
P 9. Meet Furkan Karayel, from beautiful Turkey, who created the very successful Irish business Giftoven.
P 20. See our favourite Irish pics in the "Cream of The Crop"-pages.
P 27. Having trouble chasing payments? We all find that P 23. Powerful Aisling Power is
part of business very stressful.
the founder of "Devils Edge Shirt
Wendy is here to help.
Company", get inspired by her personal story. P4
P 29.What to do when it just doesn`t feel right? Self-employment is not for everyone and Lynsey will help you figure this out before you find yourself under pressure.
P 32. Yummy wholemeal scones with loads of flavour will brighten up the afternoon. Pop them in the oven and put the kettle on!
P 38. In business, you have to learn how to show your best side, graphic designer Una Healy is your branding master. P 34. Straight talking Niamh has gone through the anguish of being a new entrepreneur, and came out the other end, smiling from ear to ear.
P5
Welcome, Spring!
Editors Welcome
BY KAJSA KINSELLA Hi Everyone & All.
I hope you all are well and that even though spring has dragged its feet a little longer than acceptable across the globe, it`s definitely on the way! (Surely it must be by now, pleeease...?) The other day I was driving in my car, and all of a sudden the right side of my face became so hot, I thought something was seriously wrong with me or that the car was on fire, but, I discovered that it was the warmth of the sun coming in through the window...I nearly shed a tear in relief - Welcome Spring! Yet again, the readership has been phenomenal for our February issue and I cannot thank my lovely contributors enough for their valuable and engaging teachings. This month, we will learn to find our UMPH-your inner power, your butt-kicker to change things for the better, and shape a future in the way YOU want to live your life. Read the personal story of Aisling Power about daring to push a simple idea to a global company. Our writers Furkan Karayel, Una Healy, Wendy Merrigan, Lynsey Rattigan. Niamh Hogan have put some fantastic teachings together for you from their P1 P6
experiences and expertise-you`ll love it!
"fear is but temporary, regret is eternal" "F.E.A.R-Forget Everything And Run Ooooooor F.E.A.R-Face Everything And Rise!"
One thing I discover as I read all the wonderfully honest stories written for this magazine, and speak to the many women who are either embarking on or already are in a life of business, is that we are actually ALL the very same. We share every emotion, as we travel the same journey. Each and every one of us goes through the same fear, the same anguish, we have stayed awake through the same sleepless nights and we share the same worries of how to make our business grow into success. Remember this, and be humble and kind; make sure to help each other as much as possible, because someone else's success does not diminish yours. In this issue, it`s time to be BRAVE and I hope that by the time you have turned the last page, you have gained the confidence to push your dream to the next level. Just the other day, I decided to do something I had been afraid of for the longest time. I was going to cut my hair! It might sound silly to you, but for me, this was a massive step towards conquering my fear of being courageous and embrace being out of my comfort zone, as I had often used my long mane to "shield myself" from the world, avoiding taking action. But, no more-because now I feel awake, I am optimistic and I can clearly see what I need to do since I have no more hair covering my view! Thank you for being here with me and I hope you will enjoy the magazine
P1 P7
Replacing "have to" with "get to" You won`t believe how powerful the mind is, in directing your thoughts and intentions in different routes, according to what you tell it to do. You see, your mind is not an entity of it`s own, it`s steered by you-fed and watered by you. So, don`t ever think that you have no control over waking up, feeling like a slug who simply cannot get anything done today, feeling like eeeeevery single step is an uphill battle...Rubbish-YOU are the one telling you mind what it feels, so start feeding it with positivity, rather than negativity. It might be scary, but by the end of this page, I bet you will continue your day smiling rather than frowning.
"Your time as a caterpillar has expired Madam, your wings are ready for collection" 1. I have to wake up
I GET TO WAKE UP and create a new day which will make both me and the people around me feel cared for & loved.
2. I have to create an income
I GET TO SHAPE MY LIFE and create an exciting and invigorating business which will satisfy both me, my family and my customers
3. I have to be on display
4. I have to meet people 5. I have to move
I GET TO SHOW THE REAL ME-wow, being me is exciting; I am unique, I am interesting and compassionate, and I can make an impact in whichever way I choose. I GET TO NETWORK and make invaluable human connections to real people, which will become both friends and customers. I GET TO GO OUTSIDE in the fresh air, hear the birds sing, walk with long strides and say "Hello" to people as I go along, making both them and me smile.
Keep Hustling, you are a superstar! P8
P14
"FURKAN, MY JOURNEY INTO ENTREPRENEURSHIP"
P9
The challenges and advantages of being a Turkish woman in Irish business
By Furkan Karayel
Hi, I am a tech-savvy woman, always has been ever since I was a little girl in Turkey. With a software engineering masters degree from Athlone IT and 10 years of experience working for and with multinational companies, my enthusiasm for my job has never subsided. In 2013 I won an Innovation Award for her creative product design ideas. I couldn't find a female role model for myself when I was young, therefore I always wanted to become one and empower girls like me in the technology sector so I set up a non-profit project which inspires girls to enter STEM careers in cooperation with strong and successful businesswomen as role models. Knowing people and what they like has always been part of my skill set as well as product management and desire to drive a digital product from A to Z. In 2016 I decided to put that valuable skill to good use and founded Giftoven. Giftoven is an online luxury gift shopping website based of the profile the clients create for the person they want to gift. Businesses: Giftoven – Founder Founded in early 2016. It is a new corporate and retail gift concept. Clients provide gift receiver’s profile online and specially selected and packed luxury gifts are delivered with premium service quality. Dublin Translations – Founder Founded and served since 2008. Ireland based, Turkish-English English-Turkish translation and interpretation services for corporates and individuals. NOMADIC | P10
24
"One day, when I was invited to a friend's birthday party, I started panicking, as I had no time to find the perfect gift for her. " From a young age, I have always been very interested in business and technology. When I was 15, I worked in my father's currency exchange bureau in a small town, called Giresun in Turkey during the summer holidays and I used to take his place when he was out. I knew I was going to have my own business from those days. Although I couldn't find a female tech entrepreneur as a role model for myself, I always wanted to become one and empower girls like me on this journey. I asked myself the question, how could I get there? What would my role model do, with limited resources, if she was in my shoes? The first thing was to learn English, to be able to reach out to international resources, so that's what I did. My journey to Ireland started in 2005 when I came to Athlone IT software engineering department as an exchange student from Istanbul. In 2008, I finally landed my first dream job in Ericsson Athlone , just a few days after my final exams and worked in multinational telecom companies for 10 years as a software engineer. Working in the corporate world was a great experience, however, I was very interested in product management so that I could drive a software product from A to Z. To experience this, I decided to start a side project, while still working full time in my software job. One day, when I was invited to a friend's birthday party, I started panicking as I had no time to find the perfect gift for her. At that moment it dawned on me, I needed someone that I could trust to pick out something that was both beautiful and within my budget. So, Giftoven was born. Giftoven is an online platform that finds the perfect gifts for clients of companies of any size, based on the client profiles they provide. In today's busy world, we simplify the gifting process for you without losing the personal touch, by wrapping them beautifully, attaching a card, and sending them to your clients for you. With our service, we save the companies, on average 2,5 hours per gift, time you can spend on your business. In addition to that, Giftoven also has a 100% customer satisfaction rate. I have experienced many advantages of being a Turkish woman in Irish business. As there are not many of us, people can recognize and remember us easily. This adds a huge awareness to our business which is absolutely great. Similarly, it gives us an opportunity to open a new route for other Turkish women or expats from different countries who want to start a business in Ireland. Personally, I am always happy to share my experiences about this in different occasions. I also strongly believe that we bring a unique and authentic flavour into Irish business society as well with our service experience from home. In addition to this, being a member of two well-established business organizations (WIBN and Dublin Chamber), I always feel supported and especially welcomed by my Irish counterparts. Besides many advantages, it’s no surprise that there will be some challenges too. Laws and regulations for starting a business in a new country can be challenging depending on your familiarity with them in Ireland. In most cases, you require taking more legal advice and consultations than local businesses. Another challenge can be building customer trust for your business, as it all depends on how well you know your customers. If you haven’t lived in the country very long, engaging with your target customers must be your starting point.
The trick to gaining confidence in a new country 1. Be well prepared: Do your homework. Study any information you can access beforehand. Discover opportunities around you. 2. Surround yourself with positive people: Spend your valuable time with people who support and inspires you. 3. Communicate: Engage with people. Build a strong communication bridge with them. Offer help. 4. Be open to challenges: Identify challenges and get your possible solutions ready. 5. Embrace diversity: Start from embracing your authentic self and then appreciate diversity.
P11
Investigating
USP Are you sailing against the wind, trying to be different and how far does one go? By Kajsa Kinsella
I know, in the middle of all the uncertain, unnerving and yet very exciting times of being a new entrepreneur, one is forced to face the fact that not only do we need to get to grips with business and all that this entails, we also need to figure out WHY people should buy from us and not from anybody else...Phew!
It`s true, we live in the best time possible for developing businesses, and through various remarkable internet platforms, having them being visible to the purchase-hungry consumer, but I have to say that I find, at least from my own experience, that the digtal platforms are so crowded that it`s not easy to get a foot-hold or create customers, unless you put in an insane amount of hours in doing so. So, before you exhaust yourself for nothing, make sure you have figured out your USP-Unique Selling Proposition and pave the road to world domination in your line of business with a great deal more confidence. P12
Your Unique Selling Proposition is the factor that makes you DIFFERENT from all the other businesses competing with you. It is what makes you UNIQUE and it determines WHY your audience purchases from YOU, rather than from others.
*Why are you doing this* *What is your story* *What are you great at* *What value do you add* *What emotions do you awaken* *What memories do you create*
CONSIDER THIS
"Every market is crowded nowadays; you have to be like a beacon in the night for the consumer"
Write down what your business can give, other than a product or service. Some ideas are: * Offer Excellent Customer Service *An Active Social Media Community *Tailoring To A Specific Niche *Offer A Powerful Offer Or Guarantee *Joining Up With A Worthy Cause *Giving A Small Gift As A Thank You * Check Up On Your Customer After Purchase * Invite Feedback, Start An Honest Dialogue
P13
Lunch Time!
QUICK & DELICIOUS MAKE A MOUTHWATERING LIGHT LUNCH IN MINUTES
P14
OH, SO YUMMYÂ GOATS CHEESE SALAD
"It`s so delicious, don`t be surprised if you find yourself making a second batch!" Often, eating a large, hefty meal makes you sluggish and tired, and as self-employed, fatigue is something we can truly do without. This light and easy to digest lunch is amazing in both its flavour and texture combinations.
Simply toast a sturdy slice of sourdough bread, brush some olive oil on one side and add thinly slices goats cheese to that side. Grill in the oven for a minute or two, keep watch for it burns easily. Slice pear and avocado thinly, arrange with mixed leaves lettuce on a plate and add the hot and crispy bread slices. To make the cranberry dressing, simply mix two spoons of cranberry jam, a splash of white wine vinegar, a squirt of lime juice, salt & pepper, and a little olive oil. Mix well together and drizzle over your lunch-YUM!
P15
Positive
Negative
Affirmative, Favourable, Approving, Enthusiastic, Constructive
Dismissive, Obstructive, Bleak, Cynical, Unenthusiastic
Discussion Debate, Examination, Scrutinize, Dialogue, Review
Supportive Sympathetic, Benevolent, Approving, Nurturing, Reassuring
Ignorant Uninformed, Dismissive, Insensible, Impolite, Unmannerly
Use
Your  Words!Â
We all wish to feel confident in discussions and come across as intelligent and articulate, but it`s easy to feel hesitant and you somehow get "lost for words". Here are a few snazzy synonyms of common words to add to the conversation!
Strength
Weakness
Tenacity, Fortitude, Supremacy, Intensity, Vigour
Fragility, Flaw, Shortcoming, Imperfection, Defect
Proposal Clear Comprehensible, Intelligible, Lucid, Accessible, Coherent P16
Manifesto, Overture, Recommendation, Motion, Propostition
Vague Indistinct, Imprecise, Non-Specific, Ambiguous, Equivocal
PHENOMENAL FACEBOOK Do
1
Follow the 80-20 rule; 80% of posts should be social in a business like way and 20% can be purely promotional.
2
Respond quickly and friendly to messages and post comments, both positive and negative.
3
Keep your posts under 80 characters-people want to get what it`s about in one glance.
4
Add nice, well shot photos to your posts, we are all weak when it comes to beauty.
5
Ask questions, create engagement and interaction, to make your post "live" longer.
Don`t
1
Over sell. People get clued in pretty fast, and your efforts will go unnoticed.
2
Ignore your audience, it won`t go down well and it leaves a sour taste in the mouth.
3
Write lengthy posts, as very few people have the attention span for more than a couple of seconds.
4
Post photographs of your products on your bed or bathroom rug or with half a dog in it...
5
Only post images of your breakfast, lunch and dinner-let us get to know you and your business!
P17
"You cannot cross the ocean unless you dare to lose sight of the shore..."
it only takes...
20 SECONDSÂ OF COURAGE By Kajsa Kinsella
When I was a young girl, growing up in a very small town and moving away from home when I was only 16, I desperately wished to be brave; to take from life as much as I possibly could, to hear, to see, to taste, to smell and experience everything as if every day was the last day of my life. I took my own life in my own hands and I truly lived to the fullest, being immensely brave every day, there was no challenge which I didn`t dare to face. I suppose young bravery is a natural trait, as the world that lies before them is a new and completely unexplored playing field and it`s there for the taking. P18
Well, guess what, I grew up, I grew older! Bit by bit I got less energetic and connected; became a mum to a child, then to a second, then to a third and both physically and mentally, I think I simply stopped even attempting to do anything challenging for about 20 years. And although that state of mind was a "safe place", it was soul destroying and very confining. The less you challenge the soul, the weaker it gets I discovered first hand. So, here I am today, having decided that I have to take this one life we have and do something remarkable with it and I`m working hard again to do something brave every day-it doesn`t have to be skydiving or swimming with hungry sharks (neeeever in my life!!!) but something as simple as writing an email with a clear intent, make a productive phone call, help someone in need and create a better life for yourself. If something is scary, give it a go for 20 seconds-I promise you will discover that you have much more "Umph" than you thought NOMADIC | 24 Step by step, let`s get involved and dare to be brave again!
"5,4,3,2,1-Go!" Speak What`s In Your Heart
Put Pen To Paper
Let The Past Be The Past
Set Appropriate Boundaries
Ask What You Want To Know
Tolerate That It`s Scary
P19
k c i P s ` r o t i d The Cream Of The E Crop
Jando Design Julie and Owen Mc Loughlin are masters at making you "feel" in abundance, I find! "High Rise" is the office favourite. € From 30.00 www.jandodesign.com
Jennifer`s designs on 100%Irish Linen are simply delightful. "Silver Service" € 78.00Set of 4 www.jenniferslattery.com
Jennifer Slattery
Brook Field Farm Give the unusual gift of a share in a beehive. Along with luxurious lipbalm and candles, at harvest,you will receive at least 5 jars of 227ml of honey from your own hive! "Hiveshare Bee Garden Gift Box" € 95.00 www.brookfield.farm
P20
Sow Enchanted Geri makes these stunning Irish Daning Girl cards with added wildflower seed paper. Simply plant and watch it grow! € 12.50 www.etsy.com/ie/shop/Irishwildflowerseed
Fulfil Vitamin & Protein Bars
Sweet Post Sweet Post lets you send beautiful cards for every occasion with a surprise Butlers Chocolate bar in the post! € See full range www.sweetpost.com
Niall and Tom of Fulfil Nutrition are making the most delicious, guilt free bars you can find-Yum! € 2.50 www.fulfilnutrition.com
Lamb Design A sweet wicker basket for the little ones to collect stones at the beach, have a picknick or why not collect Easter eggs! "Piki Basket Natural" € 29.00 www.lambdesign.ie
The Soul Of Crete Slated Established in 2010, family run Slated are the creators of luxury artisan homeware. "Alphabet Carved Coaster" € 15.00 www.slated.ie
Enjoy the mouthwatering flavours of Crete, curated and created by Catherine and Petros of The Soul Of Crete. Enjoy! "Chocolate Tahini" €-4.40 www.thesoulofcrete.com
P21
FREE ON THE NET
SLACK provides a virtual platform for your entire team, where everything you need for your business and work team is organised and accessible. Keep all files, messages, calls, files and apps in one practical place. www.slack.com
Create anything and everything visual you need for your business. On their FREE option, you have over 35,000 images to choose from with hundreds of cool templates, so you are sure to have a blast! www.desygner.com
DUE is a very nifty program which allows you to accept payments online, to organize and send invoices in a flash. There is a small charge for credit cards, but having the practicality makes it worth it. www.due.com
Bit.ly is fantastic. Want to post a link but it`s too long? Simply copy your url, paste it in the shortening bar and abrakadabra, it`s bitesize. Super practical and FREE. www.bitly.com
"IT`S NOT ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY YOU MAKE, IT`S ABOUT HOW YOU SAVE IT" There are SO many excellent free programs, platforms, and apps on the net for business owners, which are just as efficient as the paid ones. You`d be mad not to at least try those out before the ones that charge. P22
The fit...the fabric... the finish...
 AISLING POWER OF DEVILS EDGE SHIRT COMPANY IS A BREATH OF FRESH & CONFIDENT AIR P23
Sometimes I wonder about all the amazing business ideas which have popped into someone's head like a flash, only to be forgotten within milliseconds never ever to be heard or thought of again... Unless you are able to stop what you`re doing and put pen to paper at that very moment, the genius intention will most likely be gone as quickly as it appeared. Thank goodness, this was not the case for Aisling Power, as her strong business acumen forced her to listen to her intuition one day whilst ironing a shirt belonging to her husband which they had bought during a holiday in Bangkok, a good few years previously.
As she turned the garment over and back; studied the fabric; the cut, and the quality, she was suddenly hit by the fact that although this piece of clothing must have been worn and washed most likely a hundred times, it looked just as good as when it was initially bought and it was in this moment the light bulb was switched on for Aisling... She could see it in front of her; she was to create a bespoke, made to measure suit and shirt company to tailor to the fashion conscious male who was looking for something different to wear, something he could have an influence over.
IN A WORLD OF FAST CONSUMERISM,
There is a great comfort in calm and content confidence, and this, Aisling has in abundance. She, as a woman, wife, mother knew that her path was not to be stuck in an office Monday to Friday 9-5 and live a predestined life, no, she was determined to create her own path of work-one which suited both her at the time two young sons and her husband who was himself self-employed, running a marketing company but it also had to satisfy her need for being creative. Whatever type of business she decided to embark on, it had to fit harmoniously with the family.
STANDING OUT AND BEING UNIQUE IS THE KEY By Kajsa Kinsella
P24
Aisling grew up in an active business family as her father developed and sold women`s rain gear to many UK outlets. She quickly learned all there is to know about how to be business savvy, and once the excitement of working for daddy had run its course, she moved on and embarked on a career in publishing. As one thing leads to another, she eventually met the man she was destined to have and to hold, Stephen, and two lovely sons quickly followed. As the boys were still small, the pair decided to move back to Ireland and set up a home there and Aisling was content nursing the children, but in 2013, as they had grown to selfsufficient size, she felt that it was time to go back to work and this is when the idea of Devils Edge Shirt Company started to take shape. At first, she developed the foundations on her own but it didn`t take long for Stephen to see the potential in her idea of creating a unique type of tailoring business and he came on board as a full-time partner. Many hours of tweaking the business followed.
THE DEVIL IS TRULY IN THE DETAIL, AND IT CONCERNS ALL ASPECTS OF YOUR BUSINESS
On the eve of their successful launch in 2016, Aisling was truly convinced that the business was both needed, wanted and sustainable, and now things started to happen very fast, due to the fact that Stephen happened to hear an advert for the Irish Dragon`s Den on the radio... -"Not a hope in hell!" said Aisling, still uncertain about wanting to push it to the next level just yet, and laying her business bare for all the world to see, but her husband convinced her otherwise fairly quickly, and together, they began the application process and submitted their material, trying not to hope for too much. I don`t think I need to tell you Aislings surprise, a few days later, as she is standing at the stove, up to her elbows in today`s dinner which happened to be chili con carne, the phone rings and it`s a researcher from the show. Natural and unfaced as Aisling is, she had a lovely chat with the caller about this, that and the other, including the business, and as the conversation was finished off with a "this was actually the second part of the process" comment from the producer, Aisling was feeling weak at the knees! A few anxious days later, a second phone call is received, and the Powers were asked to come in and meet with the production team, bringing samples, packaging and other materials with them. It was declared then that Devils Edge Shirt Company was indeed selected to appear on Dragons` Den only a few months later. At this point, the nerves and excitement truly hit, but Aisling was determined not to let this opportunity pass her by.
Let me tell you, watching the episode of their appearance on the show is nearly as nerve-wracking as I can imagine it must have been for them. A full 90-minute interview at 7.30 in the morning was followed by a celebratory lunch as, after disaster struck and four out of five dragons bowed out, their "Dapper Dragon" Eamonn Quinn extended an offer they couldn`t refuse. Aaaaand, the rest is history as they say. One year later, Aisling and Stephen now have multiple franchises in Ireland and the UK, and their spoilt rotten customers can choose from over 1200 types of fabrics, plus any collar or cuff can be replicated, to best suit the end result and purpose of the shirt. The ultimate goal for Devils Edge Shirt Company is that the one who wears the garment feels confident and personally cared for from collar to cuff. It was truly inspirational to meet you Aisling and I thank you for giving of your time, sharing a story of strength, determination and self-belief with all of us. P25
THREE SHORT TIPS FOR YOUR NEW VENTURE FROM AN ACCOUNTING POINT OF VIEW By Wendy Merrigan
1. Record Your Time If you are a sole trader with a relatively new business, recording where you spend your time is key. How much time are you spending generating leads versus how much time is spent developing your product or service? Your time will not be completely occupied with work relating to your customers (as you may not have enough customers at the beginning). Over time, this will change of course, but the key to staying focused on your business, is recording your time. When not fully ‘busy’ with working for customers, we can get distracted or unfocused looking into various opportunities, instead of focusing on why we began our business. If you wanted your business to be nine to five but find you have time free, that time can be spent making calls, setting up meetings, getting feedback from your customer base. Record how much time is being spent with your customers. Over time you should see this increase. Recording where your initial sales come from is also good practice. To know where your customers are coming from, allows you to focus your promotion in that area. This does not mean spending money advertising (when you may not have a marketing budget), it means being aware of where customers are coming from, so you know how best you can interact with them and grow your customer base.
2. Raising Invoices (in a timely manner) If your business is online and a sales invoice is automatically generated and paid when an order is made, then this will not be an issue for you. A lot of new businesses struggle with the amount of administration they have to deal with. Watching your bank account, ensuring your bills are paid and dealing with day to day queries, can be time consuming. If your business is not selling online, like the above example, the most important piece of administration work you can do is raise your sales invoices in a timely manner. You may have terms of engagement or a contract with your customers, if so, ensure your invoice is in line with your terms. While some business owners prefer to spend time working on their business, they sometimes overlook this key area. Customers value the work you have done just after you have performed the work (and they are happy customers). If they receive an invoice a while later, they may forget what a good service you performed. It can also make your business look like it is not well run. Work performed and not yet billed is called ‘work-in-progress’. Your focus, as a business owner, will be to keep this amount to as low as possible. Finding ways to get jobs done quicker, and therefore, invoice quicker and get paid faster, is the aim. Once you raise sales invoices, the customers are then referred to as ‘Debtors’, anyone that owes you money.
3. Collecting cash As mentioned in point 2 above, you may have contracts or ‘terms’ in place with your debtors. If so, the terms or contract should state when you expect payment. Most small businesses state 30 days from the date of the invoice. Whatever your terms, if you have not received payment within the specified period, it is important you follow up immediately with your debtors once payment is due. For various reasons, many people do not like making telephone calls looking for payment from their debtors. This is the one area you should learn to become comfortable. Overcoming any awkwardness or shyness talking about money is very important. We are dependent on ourselves, when self-employed, to ensure cash comes into the bank and we can pay our suppliers or staff. For that reason, this is one of the most critical areas of your business, cash collection. For many small businesses that may be on your debtor list (if they have cashflow issues), unfortunately, payments tend to be made to the businesses who actively chase cash hardest. If someone is getting an emailed statement from one supplier or a telephone call from another (or even a visit, if necessary), it will be the visit or the telephone call that will prompt the quickest payment. Obviously, this is very unfair, however, it is a reality many small businesses face and for that reason, it is most definitely the most important of the Top 3 Tips. P26
Making money in your first few months (or years), can be challenging. Many start-up businesses struggle financially in the first few years. This does not mean you cannot make a profit in your first year. On the contrary, I have seen many small businesses, controlling their costs and ensuring they focus on making money from the very beginning. When we hear the phrase ‘time is money’ so often, it can be easy to forget just how true that statement is. Wasted hours of your time, most definitely costs you money. Make sure you send invoices to customers in a timely manner. If you are dealing with a new customer for a large amount, bill little and often. Spread your invoices out by billing ‘on account’ where possible. ‘Show me the money’ as Gerry Maguire said. Once you have sent your invoices, be sure to chase payment in line with your terms. By learning to overcome talking about payment terms or negotiating price, you are learning a skill that will improve your business in the long run. If you are unsure of how to deal with any of the advice, please talk to your financial advisor, accountant or bookkeeper. Wendy Merrigan, Chartered Accountant. Wendy has an accountancy practice that looks after small and mediumsize business. Everything from setting up your business to bookkeeping, to payroll and year-end accounts work. Wendy also runs free workshops. The ‘Goal Focused’ workshop will be run on 13th April in Wicklow Town. ‘Understanding Your Finances’ is being run with Helen Creegan-Walsh in the Central Hotel, Exchequer Street, Dublin on 23rd March. Wendy will cover the records to keep, knowing what expenses to claim and growing your business using your numbers. Helen will cover investment and financial advice for sole traders, explaining what can be achieved using practical examples. For more information email wendy@williamsmerrigan.ie or see Wendy’s profile on LinkedIn for further information https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-merrigan-fca4832a613/
P27
"BE FEARLESS IN WHAT SETS YOUR SOULÂ ON FIRE" P28
LISTEN TO YOURSELF
WHEN IT JUST DOESN`T FEEL RIGHT by lynsey hanratty
Lynsey believes that you only get one chance of life, and it’s way too short to spend it not doing something you love. After 13 years of scientific research it was clear to her that it wasn’t cells and molecules she loved to work with, but people. She moved into coaching in both education and recruitment and has been helping people realize their potential ever since. Now Lynsey has started to fulfill her ambition to help others use their gifts and talents to start their own successful businesses, she does this by way of one to one coaching and speaking to groups. If you would like to avail of Lynsey’s 30-minute complimentary call to explore your business ideas and help you create a plan of action, you can contact her at hello@lynseyhanratty.com or call her on 086 3569689. The rewards of running your own business venture are huge, freedom to pursue what you want to do, and marching to the beat of your own drum. However, there are times when selfdoubt and second-guessing your abilities will kick in, and you need to plan for those days (or weeks!). In the beginning, you are likely trying to balance a full-time job, develop business ideas, manage your daily life and make connections that will help you with your business, and the workload can seem relentless. It won’t be like this forever, just remember that. And when it gets too much and you feel overwhelmed, step back and treat it like an experiment. No one is asking you to leave the security of your job tomorrow, you are just exploring other avenues that could provide that sense of freedom and adventure that you crave. Take the time to do your homework and really explore the business avenues you are interested in, believe me, it is really worthwhile!
NOMADIC
|
24 P29
If you are part of the traditional working world, you know that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach every Sunday evening around 9 pm. You’re getting organized for the week ahead, and then it hits you, that impending Monday feeling. Another week of living this working life. You know that restlessness has been nagging at you for a while now, that desire to do something different, away from the annoying colleagues, relentless admin work and dealing with incompetence in the workplace. You yearn for something more. You try to think of the alternatives, but nothing comes to mind. Then the little voice echoes in your ear ‘Who are you to start your own business?’, and you feel deflated again. How do you figure out if starting your own business is right for you? What is it about the working week that just doesn’t feel right to you? What if being an entrepreneur won’t suit you either? How can you figure it out?
1. Look inward: The best way to start to figure out if a business start up is right for you is to look at your core values. What are the things that mean something to you in your working life. If you value things like freedom, variety, challenge, independence, autonomy and courage, chances are you can make it in the entrepreneurial world. However, if you value stability, security, routine and a regular salary, chances are that a freelance or self-employed world is too unpredictable or risky for you. Start with your work values in mind to get a sense of what the ideal working day means to you.
4. Explore: You may have lots of ideas to start with, and find it hard to whittle it down to one, but the best part of this quandary is that you can try each idea out for a month or two to see if it resonates with you. You might find that your love of fashion doesn’t translate to you wanting to write blogs about it all the time or build a following, or that an interest in cookery and nutrition means you want it to be a full time business venture. A little bit of exploration will help you focus on the business ideas that resonate the most.
P30
2. Start with Why? When you look at why you want to start a business, really hone in on why this would be so important to you. What would starting a business bring to your life? Fulfill a life long ambition? Use your strengths and talents to your best ability? Use your time and energy on something worthwhile and important to you? Once you have identified your ‘Why?’ it makes starting your business more real and authentic to you, and you are more likely to commit to the action plan of geting it started.
5. Play it out! The great thing about starting small when you are starting out is you still have the cushion of your day job, and you’re not going to risk losing that until you know your side business idea is a runner (you’d be mad to do that, right?!). But at the weekends or in the evenings you can try out your business idea with friends and family, and then approach your ideal client base with your product or service. For example, your friends and family love your cakes and buns, but will they sell at a local farmer’s market at the weekend? Try it out and see! Or you love to create websites for friends, but what about getting that first paying customer to really give you a feel for doing the work full time? Playing it out gives you a chance to put yourself in a real life business situation to see if this idea will really work for you, and if it is something you want to do long term. Keeping it small scale to start with means you are not risking anything but your time and expertise, so feel free to experiment.
3. Strengths: Looking at your strengths and talents can really help with the process of figuring it all out. Knowing what you are good at in terms of getting a business off the ground is vital to its success. Perhaps you are the ‘front of house’ kind of business owner, where you have a personal brand and are the face of the business. Or are you the one who works behind the scenes and keeps all the plates spinning? It’s also important to know what areas you might need help with too, be it the website, the finances or the promotion and marketing. A business owner works best in their ‘spots of genius’, everything else should be delegated!
6. Commit! Now is the time to take action and start committing to the process. Planning 3 months ahead at a time will help you take the baby steps you need and avoid creating feelings of overwhelm and stress. While it’s good to have the bigger picture goals in mind, the day to day stuff needs to get done with a full time job in mind and other responsibilities. You need to commit to the realisation that it will not all land in your lap overnight. You need to plan it out, be strategic, make connections, and make the action plan work for you within the small pockets of time you have to do it.
"WILL IT BE EASY? NOPE. WILL IT BE WORTH IT? ABSOLUTELY." P31
P32
Enjoy a quick cuppa and some savoury scones
"The mix and match possibilities are endless, play around with flavours" You Will Need: 6 dl. Wholemeal Flour 2 dl. Plain Flour A pinch Of Salt 1.tsp. Sugar 4 tsp. Baking Powder 100 g. Soft Butter 4 dl. Natural Yoghurt Cubed Blue Cheese Cubed Feta Cheese A Handful Of Chopped Hazelnuts Chopped Dried Apricots Chopped Dried Figs Add all the dry ingredients in a large bowl, cut the butter in small cubes and add to the mixture. Work the butter and dry matter together to a crumbly mixture. Add the natural yoghurt and blend everything into a smooth, very sticky dough. Divide the dough in half and to the first one, add chopped hazelnuts, chopped dried figs and feta cheese cubes. To the second dough, add cubes of blue cheese and chopped dried apricots. Make six large scones out of each dough and bake on parchment paper in the oven at 250C for 15-20 minutes.
"Make sure you have everything peeled, sliced and chopped before you start, because your hands are going to be destroyed!"
P33
"THE POWER OF PERSEVERANCE" Niamh Hogan P34
"IF THE DREAM WON’T LET YOU GO, THEN DON’T MAKE IT GO" By Niamh Hogan
I’m a Holistic Therapist, before that I was in Restaurant Management, neither of which I knew much about but I was interested so I learned along the way. I didn’t know much about the beauty industry either but here I am, a creator of beauty products and CEO of Holos Skincare. My point is that I am an Entrepreneur, I find things that interest me. I learn how to do them, enough to get me started and the rest I learn along the way. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a chancer. My experience in management taught me how to budget, plan, do accounts and lead people. My work as a Holistic Therapist introduced me to natural health and the ingredients I build my products around. Every experience enriched my life and lead me to where I am today. To become an expert in my field, I studied, I watched, I listened, I learned. I also just jumped in with two feet, believing I would land on solid ground. You see that’s what business is all about. You take your experience and mash it with a ‘Just do it’-attitude. When you do that, you wouldn’t believe the things that can happen. P35
I began making product in my kitchen in 2012. I launched Holos Skincare in January 2014 after securing funding from Wexford LEO. Nervously I began making cold calls to shops to introduce Holos winning 5 stockists in my first week. I felt I could do anything. After 9 months I won my first business award and had my first TV appearance in the same month. I felt I was living someone else’s life. In year 2 Holos began winning product awards. Any we entered we
"Every step, I feel like I don’t know what I am doing. Every step is outside my comfort zone. " 1. Look after your health and well being - eat well, exercise, do things that make you happy outside of the business. 2. Stop saying “I don’t have time” You are the boss, so you call the shots. If you want to be successful manage your time. If you constantly tell yourself you don’t have time, you’ll focus on that instead of getting the job done.
won something in. We got more attention from the media and awareness began to grow with appearances on TV and in print. Bit by bit Holos was getting out there. In 2016, Holos needed an injection of cash so I applied for the Female Competitive Start fund of €50,000 from Enterprise Ireland and was successful on my first attempt which I had been told was almost impossible. That same month I pitched in RTE’s Dragons Den where I secured further funding of €50,000. Holos is now in another round of investment to grow and expand internationally. Every step of the way has scared me. Every step, I feel like I don’t know what I am doing. Every step is outside my comfort zone. Every step instills in me a stomach churning surge of excitement that propels me forward, forward to the next scary thing. It’s like a high that has you in it’s grip and you have given it full control. If you feel terrified, if it all seems too big, if it feels out of control, my guess is you are doing it
3. Allow yourself to be overwhelmed. If you’re not overwhelmed at times, if you don’t feel like you are sometimes out of your depth, you’re not pushing yourself to your full potential. 4. Never ever ever let fear stop you. If you are faced with something that is outside your comfort zone but may help grow your business, you only have 1 choice. Do it! 5. Have rules and keep them. Rules around how late you work, rules around social media, whatever your rules, make them and keep them. You’re the boss. 6. Know where you want to be but plan your stops along the way. Every stop should be a goal that needs to be overcome to get to the next part of the journey. At every stop, you learn, you grow and you are better prepared for the next part of your journey.
right.
" Never ever, ever, let fear stop you. "
7. Never ever assume you know it all. Refusing to take advice and never listening to others is a recipe for disaster. Having mentors and people who have walked your path to turn to for help and support is crucial to your success. 8. Know your flaws and you weaknesses. If you lack ability or desire in an area that is necessary to your business, hire someone who can do it. If you can’t hire, you need to suck it up, learn, and do it yourself.
Simplicity, Functionality, Fun Holos Skincare is award-winning luxurious plant-based aromatherapy skincare to maintain skin health and help prevent the signs of premature ageing. Holos encourages people to treat their skin like they do their body. We feed the body good food to keep it healthy and prevent illness. Would you wait until you’re 40 to eat vegetables? No! So why would you wait until you’re 40 to start putting healthy ingredients on your skin? Holos moto is ‘Prevention is better than cure’. Feed the skin to PREVENT the signs of aging. Holos is handmade in Co. Wexford using natural and organic ingredients. Products are holistic and ethically produced without animal testing or using animal ingredients. www.holos.ie P36
THE SEEDS OF TODAY ARE THE FLOWERS OF TOMORROW P37
"SHOWING YOUR BEST SIDE" By Una Healy
Understanding the psychology behind creating the logo of your business. From a very early age, I was always drawing and making things. The margins of every school book I owned, to the dismay of my parents, were strewn with doodles and sketches. Drawing was an integral part of my life. I was 14 when I first realised that the skill set I had could possibly lead to a future career and enable me to earn a living doing something I absolutely loved. So, I began my first small design business. The personalised Valentine cards which I drew for my lovesick pals, became a big hit as I took orders for drawing cartoon versions of their intended love targets! It was hugely popular and the pressure was on to get those Valentine caricatures finalised. My business plan worked well until we all realised that as the Valentine cards were sent anonymously, the recipients thought I had personally sent out a batch of about 30 cards. Definitely not the intended result! But despite this first embarrassing blip, I knew that there was only one future career for me and that was working in the creative area of graphic design.
P38
After studying Visual Communications in IADT, I moved to London, gaining three years of invaluable design experience. The design scene in London was a growing one and demand was high for eager graphic designers. Despite being headhunted by leading agencies and having a dream job there, I missed my family and the beauty of Ireland. As jobs were scarce at that time in Ireland, in order to return home, I had to start my own business. Based in Baggot Street, I ran a successful graphic design studio based around business presentations.
During that seven years, the business grew from a tiny start up to the best known business in its sector. As family life became more hectic I sold my interests in the company. This gave me the freedom to juggle a very busy family life with my own personal design work. When the children were very small, I was asked to Illustrate two children’s books, which was always a lifelong ambition of mine. During that time, in the back ground, my design business was growing organically as clients came to me asking for me to work and advise on their various design projects. The business expanded. I attended networking events and met some fantastic likeminded entrepreneurs. Social media played a huge part in the success of my growing business. Now, Una Healy Design, is a thriving, busy studio, working with a wide range of clients from the large Corporates, Government Departments, County Councils to Universities, Galleries, Private Companies, Consultants, Self Employed and Start up Businesses. My studio collaborates with a variety of designers, printers and web designers. This gives us huge scope to build dedicated teams for every project that we work on. The love of design has followed through every aspect of my life and I definitely count my blessings having a career doing something that I never grow tired of, where every day is different and where creativity and business mix so well together.
So, what makes a great logo? We’ve designed many many logos over the years. And here are our thoughts on what defines good logo design: If your logo design follows these five basic steps, then your business is already well on it’s way to creating a strong and memorable brand. A logo is the visual identification for your business. Think Twitter, McDonalds and Apple…..See what I mean? I bet it didn’t take long for you to recall their logos. These are all huge businesses and they have huge marketing machines behind them. Maybe your company has the same marketing budget (lucky you) but if you don’t, there is no reason why your logo should not have the same visual impact as any of these ‘big guys’.
SIMPLICITY Keep your logo clean, simple and clear. Avoid fussiness and remember not every computer company needs to have a picture of a computer in their logo. The Amazon logo, with seemingly simple use of a symbol and type, denotes a speedy, excellent delivery from a to z..
MEMORABILITY Once again strong, simple imagery will achieve a distinctive logo. A memorable logo is the one that stands out from the crowd. In 126 years, Cocacola has never changed from their original logo except for some minor alterations.
LONGEVITY Avoid trends to achieve a timelessness. Trends are great on the catwalk but will quickly date a logo. Avoid trendy typefaces, colours and imagery. If your business is in it for the long haul, ensure your logo will last. Your business needs to build trust and loyalty. It’s hard to do that if you constantly need to update your logo.
VERSATILITY
RELEVANCE
Does your logo look as good on a business card as it does on a billboard? To achieve this, your logo should be drawn up in a vector format. This will ensure that when enlarging or reducing your logo, there will be no loss of detail or impact. Also it is a good idea to have a positive and negative version of your logo for printing on both light or dark backgrounds.
A good logo design should be relevant to the business, the client and the target market. When designing a logo for a children’s charity, it shouldn’t look like it was designed for a bank and that works the other way around also. So think of your business – and what you want to say about it. Think about your existing clients and think about your target market. What will appeal to them? If your logo design follows these five basic steps, then your business is already well on it’s way to creating a strong and memorable brand.
P39
For a business startup, a professional Design is equally important as the professional Legal and Accounting side of the new business. Get your branding right in the beginning and you will be building a strong and memorable image from day one, without having to rebrand after a few years down the road. View the initial branding outlay as an investment rather than an expense. To find a designer that will ‘get’ you and your business vision, look around at different designers. Make sure they are professionally qualified and have appropriate experience in logo design. Look at their previous work samples. If you like their design portfolio, give them a call to have a chat with them. If you feel there is a rapport and you would work well as a team together, then go ahead and hire them and watch your brand image taking form. The first thing you will need is a logo. This is where you will need to organize a brief for your designer. They will give you guidelines for this and help you to start this exciting process. Trust your designer’s professionalism and experience. Be guided by their thoughts on your logo. Just because pink is your favourite colour doesn’t mean that it will work in your branding. Check your draft concepts that you get from your designer and go with your gut feeling about which logo will work best for your business. The initial concept can be refined and tweaked until it is a strong visual representation of your business. Find Una for advice on unahealydesign.com
DO’S & DON’TS OF LOGO DESIGN
*Do: Use a professional design service, tailored to your needs *Do: Look around for a designer who will work well with you and whose work you love and is in your price range. Budget for a professional design job. *Do: Trust your designer to visually represent your business in the best and most appropriate way. *Do: Check out your designer's credentials and ensure they have the proper training for the work you want them to undertake. *Do: Make sure you get a vectorized version of your logo which can be used in print to any size, without losing quality. Alongside this, you should be supplied with a logo that can be used online for your website and social media platforms. *Do: Use appropriate colour for your brand. *Do: Use appropriate typography in your brand *Do Not: Go cheap. There are lots of cheap online providers of logos. These tend to be bland and generic solutions. They are also not unique to you and you may see your logo reproduced somewhere else. *Do Not: Cut corners on the thought you put into your logo, not if you are in this for the long haul. *Do Not: Use colour just because it’s your favourite colour as it may not be suitable for your brand. *Do Not: Get your friend’s teenage daughter to design the logo because she’s good at art in school. She won’t have the experience of creating a versatile and long-lasting logo.
P40
Last Words
I AM are THE most powerful words in the world, because whatever you choose to put after them, shapes your entire reality.
P41
Thank You! I hope you have enjoyed the magazine; that it has inspired you and given you a bit of a boost to start on your own path of entrepreneurship.
My most sincere gratitude to this month`s contributors; Furkan Karayel, Wendy Merrigan, Una Healy, Lynsey Hanratty, Niamh Hogan & last but by no means least, Aisling Power.
P42