Starting your own business in Omagh

Starting Your Own Business

One of the proudest achievements I have was to start my own business. All be it by accident, a little hobby which has grown into Irelands largest shoe design service. Precious Pumps began out of my necessity. As someone with small feet, I found it very difficult to find pretty shoes so I decided to start decorating my own. After wearing a pair of my own creations to a friend’s hen do, the bride to be asked if I could design a pair for her wedding day. The rest, they say, is history. It was the beginning of something wonderful, allowing me to earn an extra income while staying at home.

As being self-employed and owning my own business, I felt I needed some support so I contacted Omagh Enterprise Centre and they signed me up for the Go For It program. Here I got invaluable information on how to grow my business as well as some basic book keeping, marketing and product research information as well as meeting other small business start-ups …and it’s free!!

Along with the Innovate program run through the Council, I received free mentoring which included help putting together a business plan which in turn allowed me to apply for a start-up grant from Invest NI.

To date, I haven’t employed anyone else as my work can be seasonal and at times, quiet. Precious pumps is mainly run through Facebook but word of mouth has also brought in lots of orders. My shoes are currently stocked in two bridal salons and I have orders for samples for two more.

I would certainly recommend to anyone who has a little idea that they believe can grow into something bigger given the right support, to start their own business. Maybe it’s just a hobby for now, maybe it’s something you have put lot of research into but just afraid to take that final step or, maybe like me, it came about by accident. Give it a go!!! Do a little market research, find out who your competitors are and work out your costings. Precious Pumps helped me in so many ways, not just financial. It has built my self-confidence, given me goals to aim for, has made me better known in the community and has shown my children that anything is possible if you believe in it.

Being my own boss and growing my own business has given me the opportunity to do a presentation for the Innotech centre on teaching other small businesses the importance of social media for business. It has also lead to me being asked to do motivational talks to pupils in various schools. Something I thought I would never have the confidence to do.

 I am happy to help advise anyone thinking of starting their own small enterprise.

“Failure is not doing something and not succeeding at it, failure is not trying in the first place “a quote from the smartest woman I knew…my mother “!!

Anyone looking to join the Go For It program or Innovate , can contact Aine O’Reilly at aine.oreilly@omaghenterprise.co.uk or call 02882249494.