successful women in business

Meet successful women in business. Make it happen. Contents Wendy McCaughan, Kan Teq 04 Ann McLaughlin, Platinum Expo 06 Bonny Lee, Chinese Connections Ltd 08 Colleen Lowry, Blessingbourne Estate 10 Helen Walshaw, All Tucked Up 12 Barbara Watson, Islandderry Fishery 14 Jilly Dougan, Moyallon Foods 16 Patricia O’Hagan, Core Systems (NI) Ltd 18 Monica McGeary, Integrated Marketing Management (IMM) 20 Karen Maguire, GRP Systems 22 Maria Clarke, Classic Walls 24 Dympna McAuley, Diamond Precision Engineering 26 Contact 28 Entrepreneurial activity delivers employment, economic growth and wealth and is an essential component of a thriving economy. A key element of the government’s drive to increase entrepreneurial activity is supporting more women to become involved in business and business start-up and unlocking their wealth creating potential. In recent years the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor has shown an increase in women’s participation in enterprise in Northern Ireland. However, a gap still remains between the number of men and women engaged in entrepreneurial activity, and women continue to be the largest under-represented group in enterprise in Northern Ireland. There is enormous benefit to be realised for our economy if more women are encouraged to maximise the use of their skills in an existing business or new business start-up. Our research shows that inspiring role models do play a crucial role in encouraging women to become entrepreneurs. As part of our continued commitment to encourage greater female entrepreneurship I am delighted to introduce this booklet which provides a series of case studies profiling enterprising women throughout Northern Ireland. These women come from a variety of backgrounds and are involved in a range of sectors, and each has a remarkable story to tell. I would like to thank the women featured in this booklet for being candid about their experiences. I do hope that other women will find their stories motivational and an inspiration to Go for it Rotha Johnston Deputy Chairman Invest Northern Ireland and Board Member of the UK Women’s Enterprise Task Force 02 03 Wendy McCaughan, Kan Teq Wendy McCaughan combined her design expertise with her interest in equestrian sports to come up with an innovative business idea. Through her previous working life Wendy had extensive industry knowledge and good experience of the sports and protective clothing field. She set up Kan Teq in February 2005 and got assistance from Invest Northern Ireland to develop the product. The body protector is a safety garment that combines modern design, fit and materials with an innovative, highly flexible foam protective component. “With Invest NI’s support, I was able to transform my idea into a business reality, but it didn’t happen overnight. Firstly, I had to find the right suppliers and get them on board with the project,” says Wendy. Spotting a gap in the market and moving to fill it can lead to business success. But the journey from the initial ‘light bulb moment’ to the establishment of a viable business can be long and challenging. Wendy McCaughan discovered that with perseverance and flexibility you get there in the end. Wendy was working as a freelance design consultant, and one of the more unusual areas she worked in was bullet-proof vest design. During that time she came up with the idea of an equestrian body protector designed specifically for women. An equestrian eventer herself with an in-depth knowledge of the sport, Wendy had long been frustrated with the body protectors available on the market. “Many of the models on the market are flat, and female riders often find them bulky, uncomfortable and restrictive,” says Wendy. “I knew there had to be a market for a model that was designed to fit the female shape, which has a few more curves.” Wendy formed an alliance with Planet Knox, specialists in the production of protective panels for motorcycle wear, and the company developed a revolutionary moulded foam for use in the protector. Glenshane Fashions, based in Londonderry, came on board as manufactures of the garment cover. “It took three years to design, develop and test because it is such a hi-tech garment. The shell is tencel-coated and has two way stretch properties, and the lining is a hydrophilic ‘smart fabric’ which absorbs moisture whilst remaining dry to the touch,” explains Wendy. The product was showcased at the BETA International 2006 Show and received a phenomenal reaction from Wendy’s target customer base. Wendy is now getting help from Invest NI to export the product. When asked what advice she would give to other potential entrepreneurs, Wendy says: “Keep everything as simple as possible and take advice from as many people as you can. Remain flexible, persevere and be responsive to change.” “With Invest NI’s support, I was able to transform my idea into a business reality, but it didn’t happen overnight. Firstly, I had to find the right suppliers and get them on board with the project,” 04 05 Ann McLaughlin, Platinum Expo Ann McLaughlin is Managing Director of Platinum Expo, a company she set up when she realised she could do better than others in the field. business,” says Ann. “I knew I’d be able to provide a superior product to what was currently available in the marketplace.” “I got support from Invest Northern Ireland to develop the business and particularly appreciated the help they gave me on the management side. Having a specialist skill set is one thing but running a business and managing staff is another and that’s what I found most challenging in the beginning,” says Ann. Ann quickly built up a strong client base. Although her background was in exhibitions she realised that by diversifying her business to service the shop-fitting industry as well, she could create the additional revenue streams needed to grow the business. Platinum Expo now exports stands and conference sets for clients all over the UK, the Republic of Ireland and mainland Europe. Ann McLaughlin has over 14 years experience as a designer in the exhibition industry. Having for many years bought in stand design and construction services for clients that she was organising events for, she began to think she could provide a better service herself. Four years ago she decided to set up Platinum Expo. The company now employs 14. It has two main services: on the one hand it designs and builds highly innovative exhibition stands and conference sets, while on the other it manufactures custom-built pieces for the shop-fitting industry. “Having been a customer myself I have a lot of experience of what makes a good exhibition stand. That’s one of the reasons I started the “I get a real buzz out of what I do, especially as my products have a direct impact on my client’s performance. I help take the hassle out of exhibiting at a trade show and I am also able to create innovative designs that will ensure my customers stand out from the crowd and win new business,” she continues. “When you’re setting up a business you need a positive attitude, as it can be very tough. You have to believe in your own abilities and the product you are offering.” “It’s really important to have a good network of people around you to give advice and support when needed,” she adds. “When you’re setting up a business you need a positive attitude, as it can be very tough. You have to believe in your own abilities and the product you are offering.” 06 07 Bonny Lee, Chinese Connections Ltd When Bonny Lee came to Northern Ireland from China she saw an opportunity to build a bridge between the two countries and created a successful travel business. freelance travel guides in China to ensure that people who book trips with her get a tailored and personal service, and see the real China. “It’s the personal touch that makes our service unique. Sometimes I accompany large groups; otherwise my team in China will meet the travellers on their arrival and look after them.” As well as facing the normal challenges of any entrepreneur setting up a business, Bonny had the added difficulty of being a foreigner who wasn’t familiar with the local market. “One of the hardest things for me was that I didn’t know how things worked here in terms of business; for example, how do you register as self-employed, what records need to be kept? I had to find out about all the administrative details and financial aspects of running a business. Also I didn’t know the market and what people wanted so there was a lot to learn.” Bonny Lee was a lawyer in China but when she came to Northern Ireland in 2001 she found that the system was so different she couldn’t practice here. So she decided to look around for another career. “People were always saying to me, ‘I’d love to visit China, but I don’t know where to visit, or how to go about it,’ so I thought that here was a business opportunity,” says Bonny. “I wanted to create a business but at the same time to build a bridge between the two countries.” Bonny set up Chinese Connections in 2004 to arrange holidays and business trips to China from Northern Ireland. She uses a team of Taking part in Invest Northern Ireland’s Start a Business programme helped Bonny get to grip with the practicalities of running the business. “It’s great to be your own boss, to make your own decisions and have freedom and flexibility,” says Bonny. “It can be pressurised sometimes, that’s to be expected, but I wouldn’t want to work for anyone else now.” Bonny has recently changed the status of the business to a limited company and has plans to actively market Chinese Connections and grow the business significantly over the next few years. “It’s great to be your own boss, to make your own decisions and have freedom and flexibility,” says Bonny. “It can be pressurised sometimes, that’s to be expected, but I wouldn’t want to work for anyone else now.” 08 09 Colleen Lowry, Blessingbourne Estate Not everyone sets out to be an entrepreneur, but sometimes circumstances present an opportunity that is too good to miss. However, used to having a regular salary, and seeing her redundancy swallowed up in the renovations, Colleen wasn’t completely relaxed. “I was a bit nervous about not having a steady income so I decided to get a full time job while I finished renovating the first two apartments,” says Colleen. “But eventually I got too busy and couldn’t cope so I took a career break to concentrate full time on the business.” Once finished, the apartments were an immediate success and Colleen now runs a thriving holiday accommodation business. In 2003 Blessingbourne won the Rural Cottage Holidays award, and in 2004 a Fermanagh Regional award. With a young family herself, Colleen knows what children like to get up to. “Children want freedom. At Blessingbourne they can run about safely, go-kart, cycle, go boating or riding, there’s so much to do. We’re famous for getting kids muddy!” Colleen’s business has grown organically, benefiting from much repeat business and word-of-mouth recommendation. She’s now targeting the corporate market and keeps the business fresh by devising special events for families. The recently completed renovation of the Coach House and Old Dairy will enable her to offer residential activities, cater for group visits and offer workshop space. “Being self-employed has been very rewarding,” says Colleen. “I thought I’d miss the buzz of working in an office but I’m actually glad when I get a quiet time now! I have a vision for how I want to grow the business and am really encouraged by the number of repeat customers we already have.” Six years ago Colleen Lowry was made redundant. At the time she was pregnant so a lot of things in her life were changing. Her parents-in-law’s Blessingbourne estate on the Tyrone/Fermanagh border, offered accommodation to anglers fishing the lakes, but didn’t really operate as a full time business. Colleen wondered if there was an opportunity to develop it into quality tourism accommodation. “I decided to use my redundancy package to renovate the holiday apartments at Blessingbourne, and target the family holiday market,” says Colleen. “Blessingbourne is set in 550 acres of woodland, and offers the perfect base for a family holiday with walking and cycling trails, coarse fishing, tennis court, and it’s close to golfing and pony trekking facilities.” “Being self-employed has been very rewarding,” says Colleen. “I thought I’d miss the buzz of working in an office but I’m actually glad when I get a quiet time now! ” 10 11 Helen Walshaw, All Tucked Up A talent for textiles led Helen Walshaw to turn a hobby into a business that is now exporting its products across Ireland and the UK. “You could say that I stumbled into a niche market sector,” says Helen. “It was never my original ambition to set up in business; I fell into it really.” However, when the orders kept coming Helen decided that if she was to make a go of it she needed to focus on getting her business organised. She took part in a number of Invest Northern Ireland backed schemes, including the Design Development Programme. She also got help to exhibit her products at trade fairs. “I’ve received a lot of support over the years, which has helped me to grow and develop my business,” she says. “For example, taking part in Business in the Community’s Business to Business Bridge programme gave me access to people in a large textiles company, who were able to help with sourcing and production.” “The ‘Think Big’ programme provided a similar mentoring scheme and introduced me to expert designers who helped me develop my packaging.” All Tucked Up’s products are handmade by Helen in brightly coloured polar fleece. She plans to extend her range to include boot and slipper socks, children’s blankets, fleece pullovers and pinafores. When asked what advice she would give to other female entrepreneurs Helen says: “It helps if you have created a product or are offering a service that you feel passionate about. If you have faith in what you are producing it will sell, and you will be able to build up a good customer base.” “You also have to be prepared to ground your dreams in commercial reality, be realistic with your finances and above all maintain your enthusiasm.” Some years ago Helen Walshaw contributed some hats and scarves that she had created for her own children to a well known trade fair in the Republic of Ireland. She had no real intention of turning one of her favourite pastimes into a business, but when the fair was over she started receiving orders for her products. So she decided to set up as a sole trader and created All Tucked Up, operating her business from home in order to work around her young family. Today All Tucked Up is thriving and Helen’s highly sought-after garments are sold in arts and craft shops across Ireland, the UK, continental Europe and Japan. “You also have to be prepared to ground your dreams in commercial reality, be realistic with your finances and above all maintain your enthusiasm.” 12 13 Barbara Watson, Islandderry Fishery Barbara Watson decided to combine her passion for fishing with her desire to be her own boss and now runs a successful fishery. Barbara has also created a one acre lake for use by children, young adults and people with disabilities. Both lakes are teeming with rainbow trout. While being a female in the fishery business may seem challenging, it has actually been an advantage for Barbara. “As fisheries are a traditionally maledominated industry, I think women are attracted to my business as I explain fishing to them and they don’t feel self-conscious if they have no experience,” says Barbara. “We give everyone the opportunity to indulge their passion – from the complete novice to the consummate professional.” Barbara was a finalist in the Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards in 2004. She recently built a shop at the fishery, providing everything the novice or professional ‘fisher-person’ needs and has also developed her own fishing rod. Barbara admits that running her own business is not the easy option: “I’m responsible for every aspect of the business from ensuring the lakes are fully stocked, the boats are in good shape and the accounts balance, to making sure the customers are happy,” she says. “It’s hard work and it can mean long hours – in the summer I work from morning till dark and more often that not a seven day week – but I wanted to be my own boss and be able to express my own ideas. The sense of achievement I feel every time I look over the lakes more than makes up for the hard work.” Running a fishery may seem an unusual choice as a career for a young woman but it has been a rewarding one for Barbara Watson both financially and personally. Barbara had always enjoyed fishing as a hobby, but hadn’t ever considered making a career out of it. However, after speaking to a local farmer who had a fishery but no time to develop it, Barbara realised there was an opportunity to develop a business. In October 2003, with support from Shell Livewire and the Prince’s Trust, she set up a rainbow trout fishery. Islandderry Fishery in Dromore is a ‘put and take’ fishery on a natural lake some nine acres in size, which means anglers have the choice of fishing from a boat or from the bank. “I wanted to be my own boss and be able to express my own ideas. The sense of achievement I feel every time I look over the lakes more than makes up for the hard work.” 14 15 Jilly Dougan, Moyallon Foods With the optimism of youth and the encouragement of her dad Jilly Dougan embarked on a career in agri-farming that took her from six wild boar to a business with a £1.5 million turnover. “So I bought six boar and worked at the same time as breeding them since it takes a while to develop the herd. I attracted quite a lot of media attention, as I was a young woman doing something that was quite new in the agri-farming arena. That was a real boost since it generated a lot of interest in the business.” Initially Jilly coped with all the aspects of running the business from tending the herd, taking them to the abattoir, distributing the meat to her buyers and doing all the sales and administration. “I eventually realised it was time to take the business to the next level so in 1997 I got support from LEDU and DARD to build a butchery on the farm. I had already realised that it made sense to have more than one product, so I added beef cattle, rare breed pigs, venison and game birds to the range of produce.” Jilly Dougan runs Craigavon-based Moyallon Foods, which processes and sells a range of speciality meats including wild boar, venison, duck, specialty sausages and dry-cured bacon. It’s a thriving business employing 14 but came from small beginnings in 1991 when Jilly bought her first six wild boar for breeding. “After I left university with a HND in business studies I decided I wanted to do a job in agri-farming and looked around for free range farming opportunities. It probably seems an odd choice but I was always encouraged by my family to do what I wanted and not to feel that anything was beyond my capability.” Moyallon Foods has picked up a clutch of awards including two gold, two silver and one bronze Great Taste Awards. “Winning the awards reassured me that I was doing things right. Quality has always been central to the business,” says Jilly. Jilly sits on the Taste Council administered by An Bord Bia and is doing an MSc in agri-food marketing. She is optimistic about the future of the speciality food market. These days she doesn’t farm her own animals preferring to buy them in from trusted farmers. “At the beginning it was a steep learning curve but I love what I do and I believe in it, so it’s been great seeing my idea become a success.” “At the beginning it was a steep learning curve but I love what I do and I believe in it, so it’s been great seeing my idea become a success.” 16 17 Patricia O’Hagan, Core Systems (NI) Ltd With third level qualifications in engineering, construction and IT, Patricia O’Hagan is multi-skilled but found that running a business means you still learn something new every day. Director. She found that one of the most challenging aspects of building up a business is facing and dealing with new problems every day. “We wanted to move the company forward and go from just earning a living to being a successful business. Every day you find yourself looking at new challenges: how do we export into a particular market, how to meet certain standards, how do we manage our staff?” “You constantly have to push the barriers of your knowledge and you have to take risks.” Core Systems is a software development company specialising in biometrics, which is the technology used to identify people based on their biological characteristics, for example iris recognition, finger prints and hand geometry. The company produced a paper on Survivable Security Systems that was presented at NASA and it is now targeting the US market. Before joining her partner’s business, Core Systems, Patricia O’Hagan had worked for several of the UK’s biggest companies, gaining a broad range of experience in the fields of IT, construction and engineering. “My partner Tommy had set up the business with a colleague and I became the third director,” says Patricia. “My role initially was to build up the infrastructure of the business, administration systems, recruitment, business development and so on. I was also responsible for project management,” says Patricia. “That was 10 years ago and there were just four of us.” Core Systems now employs 18 and plans to employ 25 by the end of the year. Two years ago Patricia took on the role of Managing “Our success has been based on being very good at what we do. As we’ve gained confidence we’ve pushed ourselves forward more, going for contracts that seemed out of our reach before,” says Patricia. Asked what the good and bad aspects of running a business are Patricia says: “Working for your own company is all good. You can decide which paths to go down. When you work for someone else you often have an uphill struggle to convince others to do something new.” “Also from a lifestyle point of view there’s a lot more flexibility. That’s something that we offer all our staff so that we can all work around family commitments.” “Working for your own company is all good. You can decide which paths to go down. When you work for someone else you often have an uphill struggle to convince others to do something new. ” 18 19 Monica McGeary, Integrated Marketing Management (IMM) After working in America for five years for a technology contact centre Monica McGeary returned home and used her experience to set up a niche marketing company. Monica set up IMM in a small office. Initially she got mentoring support and has since received a range of financial support from the economic development network. Six years later she is running a successful business employing seven and has achieved Investors in People status. “I’m still in the trenches about 30% of my time; the rest of the time I’m selling IMM or planning the future,” says Monica. “I’ve a strong team that have taken over the day to day running of the business and are doing a great job.” Alongside building up the business Monica has built up her family and now has four children with a fifth on the way. “Putting a childcare arrangement in place was critical and I’ve been very lucky because my sister-in-law, Elaine, looks after the children. I used to struggle to get home before 5.30pm but I’ve now got a remote connection to the office so I can go home and still have access to work at the office. That’s definitely been a huge step forward.” “The advantage of being self-employed is that you can make time for the family when you need to. And it’s nice to create jobs locally. There are still the pressures of day to day work, probably more than working for someone else – as you’re always thinking about work and you’re the last person to get a pay cheque. So it’s not easy, but after three years of wondering ‘what am I doing, should I go back to employment?’ I’m now 100% sure that I did the right thing and wouldn’t turn back.” With a small baby and another on the way, Monica realised on her return from America that it would be hard to find employment. So with her husband’s encouragement she decided to set up a specialist appointment setting and research contact centre for small businesses. “Over a couple of months I put my thoughts together, hastily arranged a brochure and a website and away I went,” says Monica. “I started talking with local IT companies about what I could do for them and none of them had heard of outsourcing cold calling and appointment setting for their reps. But enough of them gave me a chance to prove myself.” “After three years of wondering ‘what am I doing, should I go back to employment?’ I’m now 100% sure that I did the right thing and wouldn’t turn back.” 20 21 Karen Maguire, GRP Systems An engineering graduate working in the area of fibreglass, Karen Maguire spotted a gap in the market and decided to set up a company to fill it. Karen received an Export Start grant from Invest Northern Ireland and a wide range of support to help her develop the business. She looks after the running of the business in terms of sales, finance and administration while her dad oversees the fabrication side of things. “As my dad had his own business, I always had the idea that I wanted to work for myself,” says Karen. “Dad has retired from his own business but is very active in my business and that’s been a great help to me.” Karen employs two other staff in the business and, having built up a good customer base, is now hoping to take on another two staff next year. However, she admits that the first year in business is tough. “Financially it’s difficult when you’re setting up. There was a big initial outlay and as a start-up company you have no sales base to work from, so you have to work really hard to keep the work coming in. Also you begin thinking ‘a salary would be nice’!” But Karen has also found that being selfemployed has many plus points. “I am very customer focused and having control over the business means that when I make a promise to a customer I can deliver on it. I’m not depending on other people. “You also have a great sense of achievement when you see your business up and running. Now the challenge is to keep it going, but having got this far I feel I’ve come through the toughest bit, and can see the light!” In 2005 Karen Maguire set up GRP Systems to supply glass reinforced plastic components. She had been working for other companies and realised there was no local supplier in this specialist area. GRP Systems manufactures a wide range of non corrosive products such as grating, stairs, walkways, ladders and anti-slip flooring products, using this lightweight, but extremely durable material. “I realised I could serve the market better than existing suppliers. Leaving a secure job to start the business was not an easy thing to do, but my father who has run his own business has been a great role model for me,” says Karen. “You also have a great sense of achievement when you see your business up and running. Now the challenge is to keep it going, but having got this far I feel I’ve come through the toughest bit, and can see the light!” 22 23 Maria Clarke, Classic Walls Construction is considered a male domain but Maria Clarke has proved that there are no longer any no-go areas for women in business. When she set up the business Maria got a lot of help and encouragement from the Construction Industry Training Board but also faced some discrimination as a woman in a man’s world. “I knew before I set up the business that as well as the normal challenges that every entrepreneur faces when running a business, I would face some hurdles in being a woman working in construction,” says Maria. “However, you develop ways of coping, and one of the best is showing that you are very good at your job.” Maria has certainly done that. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building and has built Classic Walls into a highly respected business currently employing 20 staff. “We tend to work on prestigious high-value developments. Because the materials we use are natural and contain no solvents we are increasingly involved in projects, such as public buildings, that are required to be environmentally friendly,” says Maria. As the managing director, Maria deals with all the logistics of running a busy company as well as keeping her hand in by doing consultancy work, most recently in the US. Maria believes that women have much to offer the economy. “Northern Ireland needs a lot more entrepreneurs and it would be great to see more women setting up businesses. Women are naturally good at multi-tasking and that’s essential for running a successful business.” Maria Clarke is managing director of Classic Walls, a Kilrea based company of plasterers specialising in Venetian polished plaster for the high-end construction market. Maria has 30 years’ experience in the construction industry, 15 of them running Classic Walls. She trained as a plasterer herself and has worked in many countries. “At one stage during my early training I was working in Malta with a squad of plasterers. I was the only woman in the squad and the locals used to come along just to look at me, because a female plasterer was so unusual!” says Maria. “I knew before I set up the business that as well as the normal challenges that every entrepreneur faces when running a business, I would face some hurdles in being a woman working in construction.” 24 25 Dympna McAuley, Diamond Precision Engineering Dympna McAuley worked for 20 years before setting up Diamond Precision Engineering with her husband John. “One of the things that I value most about running my own business is the ability to tailor my day around other commitments particularly my family,” says Dympna. “I can choose to work at home, take time out for school events and just be a lot more flexible than I’d be working for someone else.” However, Dympna admits that building up the business was hard work. “When you are building a business, it comes first and you have to put the hours in. But we’re in a good position now because we have a strong team in the business and I know I can depend on them to get on with things when I’m not there.” The company now employs 18 and Dympna and John have ambitious plans to grow it significantly. “We are looking for a greenfield site on which to develop new premises. That will allow us to expand the business and target new export markets. We’re getting a lot of interest from bigger companies but at the minute we don’t have the capacity to meet their requirements,” says Dympna. “We know the possibilities are there and we want to build up our infrastructure so that we can take advantage of them.” Despite the work involved in building up the business Dympna would not swap running her own business for working for someone else. “I always felt hemmed in when I was employed, now I really appreciate being in control of my own time – not that I am with three children!” Dympna left school at 16, worked for two years in the civil services and then for the next 18 years for her brother’s building company. “I had plenty of experience of admin and sales so when my husband decided to set up his own business I joined him to help with the administration,” says Dympna. “Since baby number three had just arrived we felt it was the right time to give the business a go.” The company, Diamond Precision Engineering is now ten years old. It provides a range of components for manufacturing and engineering companies. Dympna is a director of the company and now oversees all the support services including administration, management accounts, training and health and safety. “One of the things that I value most about running my own business is the ability to tailor my day around other commitments particularly my family” 26 27 Contact Investing in Women Initiative Invest Northern Ireland Bedford Square Bedford Street Belfast BT2 7EH T: 028 9069 8519 E: joy.knox@investni.com or claire.herron@investni.com www.investni.com/femaleentrepreneurs If you require this brochure in an alternative format (including Braille, disk, audio cassette or in minority languages to meet the needs of those whose first language is not English) then please contact: Invest NI’s Equality Team T: 028 9069 8268 Textphone: 028 9069 8585 E-mail: equality@investni.com 28