As part of Mayo Ideas Week 2015, Network Ireland are hosting their National Conference and Awards ‘Harnessing Opportunity in Changing Times’ on Friday the 25^th of September at Knockranny House Hotel, Westport.

In the run up to this exciting event, we at Mayo Ideas Week caught up with Olwen Dawe, owner of Irish Business Intelligence and President of Network Ireland to find out a little bit more about her and to ask what advice and tips she would give to those starting out in business.

Who is your inspiration?

I’ve been very fortunate to grow up around inspiring people, my parents are pretty extraordinary!  I find inspiration in my friends and colleagues also…   Network Ireland’s membership is populated by inspiring women, all forging their own paths in business, the arts and professional roles.  I can say without question that I wouldn’t have had the courage to start my own business had I not had the role models I did early in life, but also the encouragement of my Network colleagues, they are all absolute believers that you can do anything you put your mind to.

Tell us about yourself/your work?

I’ve actually just passed my business’s five-year birthday! I set up Irish Business Intelligence in 2010, it was at that stage focused entirely on aiding start-ups, so mentoring mainly - and providing the kind of advice I’d developed working in small businesses and start-ups, so how to get funding, develop a business plan etc.  Since about 2012, I’ve moved a little more into developing and / or delivering the programmes offered to start-ups, so enterprise development supports.   These include networks, support / development programmes etc.  More and more now though, I project manage and advise for the agencies involved - and this spans a wider area, so is quite varied, from policy implementation to arts projects, but I do still enjoy getting my hands on a new business concept and putting a good development strategy in place! Apart from that, well, I’m a Galwegian by birth, live in beautiful Westport and am becoming a part-time student in the autumn when I start an MSc. in Policy.  From one challenge to another!

What advice would you give to start up’s or expanding businesses?

Well, you won’t be surprised… but I’m a big advocate of strategy, the right mind-set and not being afraid to change.  Eric Ries advocates ‘The Lean Canvas’, a tool I know Maria Staunton and the team at the GMIT Innovation Hub use… it’s a really super way to truly test an idea, see how close you are to the right approach, what needs to be done next and avoiding ‘analysis paralysis’.  Often businesses and their owners become so caught up in the day-to-day, they lose sight of what’s really happening - you need to take yourself OUT of your business sometimes, and really take time to see what’s going on.  I don’t do so much mentoring these days, but I’d always recommend a business takes time out with their Board or an external advisor, a half day, once every few months just to see what’s actually happening  - measuring goals, adjusting the sails [to reach the right sales, often!] and being candid about concerns or issues.  That’s the path to success.

Are there any mistakes that you have made?  And what have you learned from these?

Everyone makes mistakes.  It’s how you respond that’s most important.  What can I learn? If something went wrong, there’s a reason why - so don’t ignore it.  Learn from it, adapt, and move on.

If there was one piece of advice you could give to a budding entrepreneur, what would it be?

Much like your earlier question, I think it’s all about being focused - and actually, building a network is also important.  Join one, create one - but don’t be isolated.  Often businesses are set up by one-person founders, and they can sometimes stay as sole traders for a time.  Being disconnected from the outside world is not a good thing… so do connect and enlist colleagues to just have a coffee with regularly, or give honest feedback.  You can’t beat that!

What advice would you give to women in business/economic development sector?

Again - I think most people starting out just need a bit of encouragement, support, advice and a lot of that comes from supports like those on offer during Mayo Ideas Week, from the LEO, Mayo Ideas Lab, the GMIT Innovation Hub and other agencies - or the networks involved, like ourselves in Network Ireland / Mayo, BNI, the Chambers etc.  It really is so important to interact, learn and develop on the entrepreneurial journey - don’t end up stagnating like a dinosaur, you know what happened to them!

If you could have given yourself a piece of knowledge or advice when you first started, what would it be?

I’d say, I probably underestimated the rollercoaster [aka the emotional cycle of change!] that comes with being a business-owner, soaring highs and crushing lows.  You get used to it though! And they become less severe over time.  It’s just a case of being aware of it, understanding what’s going on, taking it on board but not being bogged down when things don’t go according to plan.  I suppose, that’s probably something I wish I’d known a bit more about - but then, you can only learn that from experience!

How do you conquer those moments of self-doubt that so often stifle entrepreneurs with fantastic ideas?  What pushes you through?

I think that all entrepreneurs / business-people suffer from the fear of the unknown - some more than others.  I think failure accounts for much of that fear.  But as the much-quoted Samuel Beckett said, “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better”.  You never know what’s around the corner, so just enjoy the journey!

Olwen Dawe is an experienced communicator, project manager and advisor. Through her business Irish Business Intelligence, Olwen offers key services to SMEs, economic and enterprise development projects and organisations, and the media. Olwen is an advocate of female entrepreneurship and is currently President of Network Ireland.

Network Mayo is a networking organisation for women in business, the professions and the arts.  The aim of Network Ireland is to provide a forum where women can exchange ideas and increase their business contacts; encourage women to achieve more satisfying careers; promote women as worthy contributors to the Irish economy and decision-making bodies.

Mayo Ideas Week is a week-long series of idea generation, entrepreneurship and business events hosted by the development and enterprise support agencies and organisations in Co. Mayo.  Admission is free to most events.

Posted by Nichola Cosgrove  - Mayo Ideas Lab