Gearing up to celebrate National Women’s Enterprise Day in Cork

AS an award-winning sustainability strategist and founder of environmental platform Reuzi, Pat Kane is well placed to be a guest speaker at the south west’s National Women’s Enterprise Day Regional Event, which takes place on Thursday, October 19 at Dunmore House Hotel in Clonakilty.

Hosted this year by Cork County Council’s Local Enterprise Office (LEO) North and West, the full-day programme covering the Cork and Kerry region is one of a number of events taking place around Ireland as part of National Women’s Enterprise Day 2023.

Now in its 17th year, National Women’s Enterprise Day shines a spotlight on female entrepreneurship, opening the prospect of it to women who may not have considered it before, and highlighting the various supports that are available.

The theme for 2023 is ‘Empowering Business Together’, which is fitting for Pat, who says she felt empowered from an early age growing up in Rio de Janeiro.

“I had the privilege of being raised in a family of strong and entrepreneurial women,” she says. 

This environment played a significant role in shaping who I am today, as I was exposed to the resilience and determination of these females.

“They were not only nurturing and supportive, but also fiercely independent and driven. Their entrepreneurial spirit inspired me to pursue my own dreams and ambitions.”

Living by the beach in Rio de Janeiro also gave her an appreciation for nature and the outdoors, along with a passion for adventure, which led her to moving to Kingston in Jamaica when she was 23.

“I got a job with an Irish telecommunications business called Digicel, and that was the start of my love affair with Ireland!”

After marrying a Monaghan man while they were still living in the Caribbean, and holding several executive positions in the corporate world, including director of customer experience at Flutter Entertainment, Pat began her own entrepreneurial journey following their move to Dublin and the birth of their first child.

“This was when I realised the amount of rubbish we were going through each day,” she says. “It was everything from plastic bottles to random boxes – and lots of nappies! I remember thinking that if just two adults and a tiny baby can generate that much waste, imagine the amount in an office or a school.

“My initial reaction was to educate myself on recycling and composting. Our goal as a family has been to replace everything that won’t be recycled or composted with reusable alternatives.”

It was this personal experience that led her to launch Reuzi in May, 2018. A hub for environmental living and awareness, Pat says the company’s mission is to inspire and empower individuals and businesses to drive positive impact through a wide offering of sustainable products and educational services.

Existing in both the real and virtual worlds, Reuzi was able to first establish a digital presence with the help of the LEO’s Trading Online Voucher Scheme.

The Government-funded grant offers SMEs financial assistance of up to €2,500, with co-funding of 50% from the business, to help develop their e-commerce capability.

“This is a fantastic help for anyone who has built their initial website themselves and are ready to improve it with professional support, which is where I was at when I applied for it.

I am a big fan of this initiative as it really helped me create the website of my dreams.

While all entrepreneurs face challenges, Pat does believe female ones can often come up against more than their fair share of them.

“Historically, I think we have encountered several challenges when starting and running our own businesses, which can make it more difficult compared to our male counterparts,” she notes.

“Gender bias is a big one – it can affect our ability to secure partnerships, clients or funding. Investors and business partners may hold biases that can hinder our success in business, something I’ve seen with my own eyes.

“Work-life balance is another challenge. As someone who works from home a lot, I believe in ‘integration’ rather than ‘balance’.

“Balancing family and business responsibilities can be more complex for us, which may impact our ability to dedicate the time and energy required to grow a business.”

That said, all these obstacles can be overcome, she insists.

“It’s important to recognise that despite these kinds of challenges, many female entrepreneurs have successfully built and scaled businesses across various industries. I have a network of incredible women in business, and I am always in awe of their achievements.”

Meanwhile, Pat believes that there are a number of core requirements for entrepreneurial success, regardless of gender.

“It takes a combination of hard work, strategic thinking and adaptability. You have to be self-motivated – as your own boss, you need to be able to concentrate on the tasks at hand, without ignoring the big picture. It takes a lot of discipline and motivation to stay on track.

“You also need to have resilience because, invariably, things will go pear-shaped and you will have to pick up the pieces and start again. And you need focus. It’s very easy to get carried away by shiny opportunities or vanity projects, but it’s important to stay focused on what will help your business grow and succeed.”

Pat’s own focus remains firmly on sustainability across all her elements of her work.

“Most of my time is taken up with the strategic work I do for businesses and organisations on how to enhance their sustainability credentials,” she explains. “From small family businesses to large corporations, my offering includes, but it isn’t limited to, creating an ESG (environmental, social, and governance) strategy for them, mapping their customer experience and refining it according to their market needs and expectations, reassessing their communications strategy, and putting together bespoke educational solutions for staff and customers.

“Sustainability is no longer a matter of ‘if’, it’s a matter of ‘when’. It’s here to stay, and the upcoming regulation will make it mandatory for businesses to structure their approach, define KPIs and fine tune their communications. So the time to get ready is now.”

It’s not about preaching, it’s about informing, Pat stresses.

“I want to educate people about our climate challenges and how one person can make a difference by swapping dirty disposables for eco-friendly, durable and reusable products. 

I want people to address our over-consumption of single-use items. 

"My business and life motto is ‘The Power of One’ – one individual, one change, one step at a time, one better planet! I want to get to know people in the local community and to find out more about their ways of creating a positive impact so we can all share our knowledge to become more eco-friendly together.”

And so, finally, what advice would she give to any female with a business idea?

“Just do it!” she says. “You will never regret trying. Make plans and stick to them. Things take time to happen so be focused and have patience. Have a clear budget because you don’t want to end up with financial problems. And find yourself a really good mentor so you can share any issues you may encounter.

“It’s very important for female entrepreneurs to be proactive in seeking out resources and support networks that can help them overcome potential challenges and thrive in their respective industries. I am always saying that, in Ireland, support is one DM or call away. 

No-one is out of reach, so don’t be shy and make the connections you need to help your business succeed.

MORE ABOUT THE EVENT

The Southwest’s National Women’s Enterprise Day Regional Event takes place on October 19, at Dunmore House Hotel in Clonakilty. Covering the Cork and Kerry region, this full day programme is designed and led by women to promote and encourage female entrepreneurship across Ireland.

There will be a welcome address by Sharon Corcoran, Cork County Council’s Director of Services, Economic Development, Enterprise and Tourism.

Cork-based Amy Jane Keating, Host and Creator of the Go Do You podcast, will be the day’s host and facilitator, which will include Guest Speaker Pat Kane.

There will also be a panel discussion with Cork and Kerry Leading Lights, including Caroline Murphy of West Cork Eggs, along with Wendy Oke, TeachKloud, Kathy O’Dwyer, Career Training Internships, and Anna and Orla Snook O’Carroll, Valentia Vermouth.

This will be followed by Keynote Speaker Laura Dowling, Fabulous Pharmacist (See page eight and nine for a big interview with Laura) founder and CEO of fabÜ Wellness.

For more see https://www.localenterprise.ie/