Cork business women: Acorns helped us grow our business

THE latest cohort of female founders have graduated from a programme designed to nurture entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland – and they say it’s been a transformative experience.

Acorns is an initiative that launched in 2014, and a cycle has taken place every year, starting in October and finishing the following April.

Acorns 9 has just wrapped up, and among the Cork women to have completed it are Gemma Kingston, The Family Edit; Stef McSherry, Kinderama; Siobhán O’Leary, SOL Learning; and Sue Nelson, fine artist.

Director Paula Fitzsimons explains how the initiative is designed to unleash the potential of female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland, who have recently started a business or who have taken concrete steps towards starting a business.

“The objective is to equip these early stage entrepreneurs with the appropriate knowledge, confidence, and networks to successfully start and develop sustainable businesses,” said Paula.

Starting a new business can be a very lonely experience, as it can be difficult to find someone on your wavelength who understands the issues involved. "Acorns is designed to address these challenges by successfully reducing psychological isolation, increasing confidence, strengthening networks and motivating participants to achieve their enterprise goals,” she added.

To qualify for consideration, the entrepreneur must have recently set up a new business which she owns or part owns, and which has generated sales no earlier than the previous 36 months prior to the application, or must be at an advanced stage of planning a new venture and have a clear idea of what she wants to achieve.

“She must also be living in a rural area. These are all areas of the country outside the administrative city boundaries of Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford.

“All type of business are eligible. Preference is given to those who expect to become an employer within three years,” explained Paula.

Based on a belief that entrepreneurs learn best from each other, the initiative is focused on interactive round table sessions that are facilitated, not by consultants, academics or professional trainers, but by female entrepreneurs who have started and successfully grown businesses in rural Ireland.

These are referred to as Lead Entrepreneurs. Working with a group of about eight participants each, the Lead Entrepreneurs facilitate round table meetings, addressing enterprise challenges and supporting participants to consider how best to start, develop and position their businesses for sustainability and growth.

Those interested in participating in the next cycle can register their interest at any time on www.acorns.ie and they will be sent an application form, when these next become available, most probably August.

Sue Nelson, Fine Artist and Fine Art Photography

THE Acorns programme was extremely supportive, both professionally and personally, says Sue Nelson who got involved in the initiative to develop her passion for photography.

“I’m inspired every day by the raw beauty of nature and my goal as an artist is to help ignite and foster that connection in others through my work,” said Sue, who lives in Ballygarvan with her husband and two children.

I really enjoy capturing everyday moments and well-loved landscapes, then transforming them into vibrant, abstract works of art through digital illustration.

“Since introducing Sue Nelson Designs, my range of Fine Art Photography, at the Glucksman Craft & Design Fair, the response has been overwhelming,” she said.

“I applied to Acorns, as the programme is very focused on growth and I wanted to grow my business both at a national level and abroad. Acorns gave me the tools and the supportive network to do just that.

“My photography has also found a special place as corporate gifts, with esteemed clients including Adare Manor, Dell Technologies, PWC, University College Cork, Network Cork and many more.”

Throughout her journey, the Acorns programme has been so supportive and encouraging, she said.

“Amidst personal challenges, such as the loss of my father during the programme, the unwavering guidance and camaraderie of my Acorns family proved invaluable,” she said.

I would highly recommend those thinking of applying to take the plunge and go for it.

“Looking ahead, I am excited about expanding the corporate side of my business. As companies embrace a return to the workplace, I’m passionate about helping them to create spaces that foster creativity, collaboration, and a vibrant company culture.”

Siobhán O’Leary, SOL Learning

Having a supportive group to share ideas with and learn from, especially when you’re juggling business and family, is invaluable.

So says Acorns graduate, Siobhán O’Leary of SOL Learning, which helps companies navigate the constantly evolving Educational Technology landscape and identify the best digital tools for their business and learning needs.

Originally from Skibbereen, she moved to England to train in aeronautical engineering. Returning to Ireland, she moved to the pharmaceutical sector where she spent over 13 years, progressing to a management role building her skills in maintenance engineering, project management, and people management.

“It was when I took some to raise my young family, that a whole new world opened up. I decided to complete my Masters in technical communication and eLearning - online. I loved that I had the tools to connect, learn and develop personally and professionally right here at my desk,” said Midleton-based Siobhán.

“SOL Learning, helps businesses assess their current learning strategies and implement solutions to maximise employee potential. The focus is to partner with companies who allocate large budgets to training or education, because of compliance requirements or skill development, but rarely establish if they are receiving any return on this investment,” said Siobhan, who is a mum of four children, ranging in age from 10 to 17 years. Acorns, she said, really encouraged her to get back to basics and make sure had a solid foundation for growing the business.

“Additionally, the chance to connect with other ambitious, like-minded businesswomen was fantastic. I was particularly fortunate that the mentor assigned to me was Caroline Reidy of the HR Suite who not only understood my business but offered concrete suggestions on developing it. 

I would highly recommend it for the insights it offers and the support network that helped me grow my business.

Stef McSherry, Kinderama

Any start-up business will have its challenges but if you have a group of women supporting you, it means you don’t feel so alone through the whole process. That’s how Stef McSherry describes her experience of the Acorn programme.

Mallow-based Stef has been working with pre-school kids for the last 20 years with her business, Kinderama.

“We visit schools, créches and events all over Munster with our multi-activity programme. We took that programme online during the pandemic and we were the runner-up for Education Website of the Year for the National Digital Awards, 2024. I am also co-host on The Mum Mind Podcast,” said the mum-of-two.

With two decades experience behind her, she was motivated to enhance her business – and that’s where Acorns came in.

“For Kinderama, we have beautiful costumes made for our classes. For years I have wanted to produce these costumes for retail and it is this that brought me to the Acorns programme. We are now developing a range of costumes that will be produced from ethical, sustainable sources. They will be high quality and durable so that they can be washed and worn over and over again. 

Most of the cheap costumes manufactured today end up tatty and torn and ultimately in landfill. 

"We want to avoid that and provide well made, keep-sake costumes to inspire your little ones’ imagination-based play,” said Stef.

Acorn’s regular meetings keep you focussed and accountable, she said.

“And your group are with you through the good times and the bad! We have had many laughs and a few tears around those tables! We had two residential weekends, hosted by inspirational businesswoman Paula Fitzsimons, where all the groups came together. It’s incredibly inspiring to hear everyone’s story.”

What’s next?

“Lots of hard work for the next six months to get this product to market. Every day there are new challenges but I am really excited for the future and I know I have a great bunch of female entrepreneurs supporting me. If you have been thinking of applying to the Acorns programme – go for it!”

Gemma Kingston, The Family Edit

ACORNS played “a pivotal role in helping to expand my business”, said West-Cork based Gemma Kingston.

That business is The Family Edit, a platform born out of what Gemma found was a necessity to provide trusted family life information, catering from pregnancy to primary school years.

She transitioned from a corporate job in ACC Bank Dublin to a career in primary education, teaching in Dublin and Cork for over 15 years.

With the arrival of her first child, her struggle to find reliable information on essential services for new parents sparked a realisation: other families were experiencing the same frustrations too.

The Family Edit has since evolved to cover 11 categories, recommending the best family-friendly places to stay, play, shop, eat, explore, and celebrate across Ireland.

“The lightbulb moment transformed into a supportive community of families from all across Ireland and our website, www.thefamilyedit.ie, serves as a trusted source of information for families seeking curated guidance and recommendations. Being awarded the prestigious Mums & Tots Best Family and Baby Website in Ireland marked a significant milestone in our business journey,” said Gemma.

“Embarking on The Family Edit full-time marked a new chapter for me and the business, and Acorns became pivotal in this phase. 

It not only offered much-needed expertise but also mentorship, guidance, support, and camaraderie, thanks to Team Lead Alison Ritchie and my wonderfully supportive group of fellow female entrepreneurs.

“With our Inaugural Family Friendly Business Awards on the horizon, and an expansion of our service offerings, Acorns played an instrumental role in preparing us for this leap. For anyone at the inception of their business journey, I couldn’t recommend Acorns enough.”