Keeping Afloat

Being in business is difficult.

If you eventually take the plunge and set out on your own venture - which I strongly advise people to do - you will be relatively safe for a period of time. What I mean is that you have done your homework, your business plan is full to the brim and ready to go. You've done your budget and either have your savings at the ready, or you have agreed a loan amount. You have a plan, you have money, and off you go.

My advice for surviving? Simple. Watch your speed!

If you have come up with an idea that you think is good enough to bring to life, it's easy to get excited. As you find your feet - and make natural mistakes - make sure that the speed you're working at both suits you and (more importantly) is sustainable! Starting off too fast means you can drop the proverbial ball when you eventually do slow down. You can burn yourself out if you over work yourself. You can lose friends if you neglect them in favour of work, and often, those friends can be the best  word of mouth marketers you could find! Work hard, yes, but work sustainably - and accept good quality help when it's offered.

Getting into business is nerve wracking, but, the real test is staying in business!

Keep a level head, maintain a steady pace. You can do this.

100 Days

As you may (or may not) have heard, there's an ongoing campaign taking place at the moment called #100DaysofHappiness. Basically, the challenge is to post something, ANYTHING, that has made you happy. Be it to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, whatever. The point is, you have to find something!

After speaking to some friends, who shall remain nameless, Cassie and Jennifer, it seems that this little project, actually works!

*Gasp in amazement*

It doesn't necessarily MAKE you happy, but it teaches you to find it... though on some particularly nasty days it can be harder to weed out than others, (who said Mondays?). As the days add up, and the posts continue, another added bonus pops up out of nowehere - you get to look back. Stored there, on whatever medium you chose, are photos stacking up. All relevant to you. Ones that are a little different to the normal posts, (a.k.a. selfies, plates of food and nights out!). They're little moments that trigger a memory, however brief, of a happy time.

Nice right?!

So, feeling a little left out of the loop, Éire Óg Tours is hopping on the bandwagon (as per usual!). Both on Facebook and Twitter there'll be something posted everyday for 100 Days. Not just pictures though, there'll be trivia and humour too. Why not just photos you say? Well, I look the same on most days.

I am a bus after all.

What a Year for the Banner County

Well, it seems that County Clare rally is coming up 'Trumps' this year. A sale has been agreed for the Lodge at Doonbeg and Doonbeg Golf Resort. And to none other than the mighty Trump Organisation! Here's a link to a recent article by the Clare people going into the sale itself in more detail.

http://www.clarepeople.com/2014/02/11/donald-comes-up-trumps-for-doonbeg/

Following the sale, we thought we would have a little recap on some other good news stories that took place during the past few months...

First, we won the All Ireland Hurling Final (following an incredible replay) after a lengthy 16 year wait. The celebrations are still taking place and the Liam McCarthy cup has now seen more of the world than Google Maps.

Then, a Clare man won the famous Dublin City Marathon . Sean Hehir crossed the line in 2:18:19 as the first Irishman to win in 20 years. And funnily enough, he crossed the line only 53 seconds ahead of fellow Irish runner Joe Sweeney, who was running his first ever marathon!

And last but not least, Diarmaid Nash of County Clare has been winning Handball tournaments and titles left, right and center this past year. He is the current Men's Irish Seniors National Champion and the 23 & Under World Champion. Kind of a big deal I'd say!


And to top it all off... It's snowing today. Well I personally think that's good news!

Then and Now

Hi again,

For today's post I thought I would show you some progress in a more visual way. I found that when I set out in business HOURS could be spent working on something... but that effort wouldn't show in a physical way. It doesn't make the work any less important, but still, sometimes it's nice to see your blood, sweat and tears pay off!

When I finally decided to launch the business, I started looking for vehicles. Price was fairly restricting so instead of looking for a brand new bus with a few too many zeros on the end, I started looking for one with potential. I came across one on DoneDeal (no surprise there) that had been used as a school bus. With low mileage and one of the friendliest drivers I've ever met, I decided this was the one.

And this is what she looked like...

So first the letters came off...

 

Then the rust, and the tyres and skirtings got painted...

Then the logo went on and the blue disappeared...

And finally the transformation was complete!

 

Time to really start 'monkeying around' and get the business on the road. So far, the business mainly caters to Hen & Stag parties, guided tours and concert & event travel. But the more the word gets out there, the more the phone rings. It's 2014 now (can you believe it!) and things are only getting warmed up... It's still a recession though, meaning it's about time the customer was king again. 

The plan now is to get more vehicles on the road and keep catering to special requests... Let's have some fun with this! :)

The Fear of Failure

Hi there - me again,

Today I thought I'd mention one of the biggest challenges I faced personally after going into business. When I started off, I decided to keep my identity fairly hidden. How? you might ask - well, I set up a website, email and Facebook page for a business without attaching my name to it. 

I did this for two main reasons:

The first was that I thought my age (and possibly my gender) might turn potential customers away from my service. Now that might sound silly to many people, but when 99% of your competitors are men over the age of 40, there is a fear that people would rather stick to the status quo. I was worried that if I rolled into the industry as bold as brass there might be the perception that I wouldn't be able for it.

The other reason was simply fear. I was nervous to link myself to a business that might not work out. What if I fail? What if people laugh at me? Would I be able to get a job if I wasn't able to do this? Would it affect my future mortgage options? And the list goes on...

So, I linked my phone number, my town and as much other vague information as I could. I became really active online and gained a small bit of traction - but the phone didn't ring once. I eventually had to bite the bullet and post openly on Facebook that HEY - THIS IS MY BUSINESS. It was terrifying. But then an amazing thing happened - people I went to school with, old friends, distant relatives all got in touch with messages of support.

I'm currently enrolled in a Masters course in Entrepreneurship at the University of Limerick, and one of the most important lessons I've learned so far, is that I have to sell my business. Why? Because I am my business. It's not an easy thing to do. I mean I still get embarrassed! But nobody knows the business like I do. It's my responsibility. That means getting out there and shaking hands. LOTS of them. 

To quote Regina Brett "No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up".

As a thank you to all those who supported me, past and present, here are just a small few of their messages:

Katherine McMahon: "Amazing!!!!! Congrats!!! So proud"

Ken O'Shaughnessy: "Well done you worked hard enough"

Andrew Hogan: "Brilliant, well done"

Eoin Neylon: "Comhgairdeas leat agus go n-éirí an t-ádh leat leis na gnóthaí"

Maria Sweeney: "The very best of luck, not that you'll need it"

Stephen Clery: "Well done Michelle"
Áine Considine: "You can do it"

Bob Healy: "Fair dues" "From little acorns.."

Anthony O'Halloran: "Wishing you continued success"

"Please allow me to introduce myself..."

Hi guys, welcome back,

We're all about honesty here at Éire Óg Tours H.Q. (that being the sitting room!) so I thought I'd let you know where the business stands today. This includes revealing my very biggest business problem, and more importantly, what I plan to DO about it.

Like many, many, many Irish businesses, our biggest problem is, (dun-dun-DUNNN), cash flow... there, I said it! This is what holds me back from expanding, from advertising, from researching the marketplace. It holds me back in every way possible.

But - it's not all bad either. If I was handed €10,000 euro tomorrow, what would I spend it on? Would I spend it in the right places? Being stuck to a strict budget means that every penny is important. If I make mistakes or an advertising campaign is unsuccessful, then I have to learn from that - and more importantly - NEVER MAKE THAT MISTAKE AGAIN! For now, I'm sticking to this impossibly small budget, because I know it won't last forever.

But I have to have a plan! At the moment, I'm busy applying for every fund, grant and business prize in Ireland. Many competitions, such as Bank of Ireland's Sponsor for a Day, are aimed at small businesses like mine. The PR value of being nominated alone is massive. So I'll keep applying. I'll keep being turned down. Ad I'll keep learning and tailoring my application for the next one that comes around. Like most other businesses, money is our biggest problem. So maybe that's a good thing. It could be a lot worse - and at least I know that my business is on par with everyone elses! :)

To quote Finding Nemo: 

"Just keep swimming, Just keep swimming, Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming"

"Oh the times, they are changing..."

Hey guys, back again for a bit more insider info into the magical, the MYSTICAL, world of transportation!

As you all know, the business is still very (very) small... but my vision is for it to keep on growing. But what can you do if you hit a lull? Éire Óg Tours has been an online entity for just over a year now. Thanks to Facebook, tracking business page progress has become very easy. Not to toot my own horn, but to-date our Facebook account has over 700 likes and the Twitter account has over 800 followers (toot toot).

But what next?

I know, let's sit behind the computer screen and poke each other for a few hours each day and hope the business takes off!

No.

I have big plans. Our next step, which I mentioned in a previous post, is to get the upholstery re-done. After that, I will be getting the Facebook 'F' and the Twitter 'T' logos put on the back door. Not a big deal right...ooooohhhhhhh I'm not stopping there. From December on I will be rolling out a new series of deals for those living NEAR a town, but not quite near enough. This means that for folks living in places like Crusheen, Quin, Tulla, Ruan, Corofin, Kilkishen, Tubber, Inagh, Connolly, Kilnamona etc. etc. etc. you will be able to get in and out of Ennis with all of your friends at a DAYCENT price.

And that's the end of it I suppose? WRONG AGAIN! From March 2014 onwards, I will undertake the long, painful process of acquiring more vehicles. At the moment I only have a 16 seater minibus on the road. By next Christmas, I intend to have a nice variety, including a 33 seater and a 9/12 seater. This means that Éire Óg Tours will be able to cater for more groups, and means I will be able to keep the prices as low as possble. If there's only 8 of you, why would you be paying for a 16 seater?

Get my drift? :)

One Year Today...

Wow, time certainly does fly. You'll hear people say, "Can you believe it's November already" or "Only 9 weeks 'till Christmas". Well, all I will be saying today, November 4th 2013, is that Éire Óg Tours has been in existence now for one whole year!

Last November was a fairly overcast day - nothing too remarkable about it. I woke up around 8am and did the usual, trolled through the internet looking for ways to make my business idea a reality. Usually, hours were spent going around in circles to same sites offering the same outdated information. But that day was different. Almost immediately after logged on I stumbled across an Irish Enterprise Board scheme for developing a website for a business - even if it's just at the idea stage. Boom!

Within 2 and a half hours of frantic typing, clicking and editing, Éire Óg Tours was online. I had created a presence for my business. I then spent the next few weeks keeping an eye on the Facebook, Twitter and site interactions and continuously tweaking  content. After a month, I decided that the business was viable and applied to Companies Registration Office to officially register my business name. For the next few months I continued my research and started organizing myself in preparation for some big expenses. I kept an constant eye on Done Deal and in June, spotted the ideal minibus.

Since then, I have done trips to the Galway Races, Concerts in the O2, Matches in Croke Park (wahey), Festivals like Electric Picnic and the Willie Clancy among several birthdays, hens, stags and tour outings. And it has been great fun so far. Unfortunately, as most good business owners will tell you, the best way to learn is by doing. There were several things, (and still are), that needed changing to improve the customer experience. The first, and most obvious, one was to get the graphics done on the bus. The next big change was to refit a new radio and new speakers, to which we can now play CDs (if they still exist), and plug in any iPod or MP3 player directly. After that, I realized that the upholstery was getting more and more frayed with each trip. Happily, that should be completed within the net fortnight.

Of course, when your entire business relies on a vehicle, the mechanics have to be in good condition. There have been two runs to-date that I have had to turn down and both were just to be on the cautious side. Since then, more improvements have been made and the minibus will live to drive another day!

My plans are always to expand and I have some major changes in the woodwork, but I'll leave that for another post. For now, all I'll say is, thanks! To anyone who supported me in the last year, and even those who didn't. I think it was a healthy mixture of encouragement from my friends and family, along with stubborn pride to achieve contrary to what some pessimists had predicted. I am by no means a success story - but I'm not finished yet.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY