We went on a field trip to visit three very different Wexford tourism businesses this week. This field trip was part of the training and mentoring programme that we are delivering for Wexford Local Development at the moment.
Wow. A little trip envisaged in February and planned in August delivered motivation and inspiration to twenty Wexford Tourism businesses in November. Over the years, we have noticed that in business workshops conferences and seminars, that the speakers that inspire action in attendees the most are those who are doing it for real. Speakers who are business owners themselves are the most inspiring, the most respected, and the most credible, simply because they do what others merely talk about, namely continue to operate a business through thick and thin. Over the past few weeks, we have been lucky enough to hear real business stories and learn lessons from Linda Tuohy of Oceanics surf school, and Bettie-Marie Burger-Smit of the Brandon House Hotel. This week we took a bus and went to visit:
- Ann O’Connor at Secret Valley Adventure Farm
- Séan Reidy at Dunbrody Famine Ship, and
- Noel Lonergan at Pirates Cove, (on behalf of owner Karl Fleming)
These three entrepreneurs were incredibly honest and generous with their business stories, telling both the successes and the failures that brought their business to where it is today. Each of the entreprenuers spoke with passion and clarity. The tourism group spoke to me afterwards of how inspired and motivated they felt by listening to these business owners. Here is one story from each business that gives a flavour of why they are our motivators for this week and beyond.
The Motivators |
A Business Story |
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SECRET VALLEY ADVENTURE FARMWhen you are designing the layout of a tourist attraction, you need a second experienced eye. Poor layout decisions can end up costing you money and may be difficult to rectify afterwards. In a small attraction, routing arrivals through the coffee shop rather than a separate gate will save on a salary.
That is a really valuable lesson, because layout needs to be strategic as well as functional.
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Noel Lonergan at Pirates Cove |
PIRATES COVETourism businesses everywhere face the challenge of developing income streams to sustain them through the off season. For Pirates Cove, as Courtown is very much a summer seaside destination, this challenge proved especially difficult. In the end, one of their solutions ingeniously smacks of "If Mohammad can't go to the mountain, let the mountain come to Mohammad." Pirates Cove has a very popular train that brings people from the seafront in Courtown up to Pirates Cove. They decided to bring the trains to major shopping centres to the main mall areas during the winter months. It took time and determination to crack this market, but once they did, the shopping centres were delighted as the trains improved “dwell time” in the centres. They now have four trains working in shopping centres off season, one in Ireland and three in the UK. These trains generate much needed Winter income which will be used to upgrade facilities back at Pirates Cove.
That's really innovative thinking here by Pirates Cove, they are not limiting themselves to earning income on site, and are using their assets to earn income not just off season, but off site. They have therefore overcome two limiting factors with one solution. That's impressive. |
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DUNBRODY FAMINE SHIPMarket research is key to developing a profitable and sustainable model. The famous Kennedy clan, from which the former US President John Kennedy was born, emigrated from New Ross in County Wexford, during the potato famine. Logic might suggest that the Kennedy connection would prove to be the main attraction for visitors to the Dunbrody Famine Ship. However, early market research showed that the ship itself came out on top of what the customers would value about the attraction, and as the ship itself is so majestic, it is easy to see why this is so.
This is a useful insight, because it is easy to make assumptions about our customers and about what has appeal. However relying on our own instincts is not good enough. We are not representative of our customers, so research is vital at an early stage to prevent us from going in a direction that our customers won't value.
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Séan Reidy at SOME PICTURES FROM THE TRIP
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Secret Valley Dog |
The Sweets |
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On the Dunbrody Ship |
At Pirates Cove |
Finally, here is what some of the participants thought about the day, in their own words.
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1. |
I found with all three, their determination, honesty and strength to keep going and always to try and think outside the box, really inspired me. |
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2. |
Had a great day on Tuesday, it was a real team building day as well as learning about the three places and how they got the show on the road. |
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3. |
Very enjoyable. Three places to visit was just right. The sweets were great. Great day, learned a lot . Thank you. |
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4. |
Well organised, great use of time. Varied business experiences, all with relevance to the course. Thank you to all for their involvement and time. Well done to Helen Cousins for creating a relaxed and worthwhile experience. |
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5. |
Great idea. Definitely opened my eyes to what running a business is all about. The diversity in the three businesses was evident, however the principles of business life are the same. I observed that vision, passion, planning, confidence and not always without fear are the main requirements. I thoroughly enjoyed the field trip as it also served as a bonding session with the group. Thank you Helen and WLD. |
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6. |
Striking difference between each project, one operating with a very small budget, one operating with capital grants and one with borrowings. |
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7. |
Great day, enjoyed it all, and thanks for the sweets! |
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8. |
It was a fab day out! Many thanks. |
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9. |
Thanks for the sweets Helen, nice thought. It was a good excuse for Peter to chat to everybody while handing out the sweets. Good opportunity to get to know different members of the group. Most enjoyable. |
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10. |
All in all it was an eye opener for me. I know times are hard but it was still a surprise to discover that none of the enterprises would still be open today were it not for funds provided by the likes of WLD. Quite scary actually. |
On behalf of the group, I want to thank each of the three featured businesses for their expertise and their generosity in sharing it with us. What lessons or comments would you add? Do let us know in the comments below!
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