Jennie Haire

Your Wellness Collective, Co-Founder, MSc in Management Consultancy (2018)

What is the business about and where did the idea come from?

It is a health and lifestyle platform. We specialise in personalised health and supplement plans. My cofounder and I are nutritionists and we saw that there was a lack of understanding around supplements in the market and so 'Your Wellness Collective' bridges the gap. We give people personalised supplements based on their health goals. We offer high quality supplements on our e-commerce platforms and we also work in corporate wellness programs.

Where did the idea come from?

It was through myself and my co founders experience with clients. We saw that there was a lack of understanding surrounding supplements and we just thought how beneficial supplements could be but, only when you are taking ones that are actually targeted to your health goals and concerns. And that's where the idea emerged.

Which resources did you find in UCD useful?

I was an ASPIRE Scholar in the UCD Smurfit School. I found the ASPIRE scholarship network and colleagues very useful and valuable. The Market Research Paper in MSc Management Consultancy was useful too.

What external support did you receive?

Networking has been key. I found a couple of programs designed for female entrepreneurs very useful namely: Going For Growth, highly recommend it. We got a lot of support from the Local Enterprise Office and after a bit of growth Enterprise Ireland can be useful too.

What advice do you have for budding entrepreneurs who have an idea

that they want to bring to life?

I think you have to be very responsive to your market. So you might think that you have a product that is, you know, perfect for your audience. But when it goes to market, you are very likely going to have to pivot that and adapt it to the needs. And I think, taking consumer feedback on board is crucial to the success of any startup. So that is probably the first thing. Secondly, if you don't have a finance background, you need to get on a course to up skill yourself, and that's because cash is king and you will need to understand the figures going forward. These two are really key. Third, there is never going to have a perfect product when you launch. So I think launching when you are maybe 80% there and then getting consumer feedback and adapting it will be key. Last, having a really granular understanding of where your money is going, how you're spending it will be essential too. So you have to really understand your business and the numbers behind it, because, you know, business with only good ideas fails every day.

Website: yourwellnesscollective.ie