Female entrepreneurs in rural Ireland have said the experience of starting a business can be isolating and very tough and have praised peer-led support they received from other women.
The ACORNS (Accelerating the Creation Of Rural Nascent Start-ups) programme - a free initiative for early-stage female entrepreneurs - has supported over 450 women in rural Ireland in the past ten years.
Aisling Kelly Hunter, who owns Sligo Oyster Experience and WB's Coffee House, said the network of support from other women in the ACORNS group has helped her to overcome challenges and grow her business.
"I don't believe that I would’ve progressed as much in business if I didn’t get into the ACORNS programme," she said adding that peer-led mentors helped her with strategy and focus.
"When you’re starting a business as a woman; if you want to have a family or have other obligations - you need to put a plan in process. You can’t say I will be here 24/7.
"You’re cutting through the noise when you have a network because you’re getting help from people who have already done it."
Ms Kelly Hunter runs tours and experiences of the oyster farm from WB’s Coffee House, while her husband, Glenn, manages the oyster farm in Coney Bay under the shadow of Benbulben.
The monthly meetings from the ACORNS programmes allowed her to discuss challenges with other female entrepreneurs, she said.
"You can bring up your challenges. Someone else will say that happened them and you can discuss solutions."
The ACORNS programme is based on the belief that early-stage entrepreneurs learn best from their peers.
Participants interact with each other in the monthly round table sessions, which are facilitated by a lead entrepreneur.
Each lead entrepreneur gives their time voluntarily and they have first-hand experience of starting and successfully growing a business in rural Ireland.
A survey among the 50 women entrepreneurs who participated in the programme last year revealed they saw a 43% increase in turnover and a doubling in their workforce over the course of the six-month programme.
The programme is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine. Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue said the "programme aims to address the skills, enterprise and capability gaps that female entrepreneurs can face" while considering "the barriers which often limit entrepreneurial activity in rural areas".
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Candidates who wish to take part in the ACORNS programme must own or part-own a business, live in a rural area and expect to become an employer within three years.
Brosna O’Donovan, a 3D animator, who owns Mighty Gray Studio said the programme she completed last year helped her with networking, marketing and sales pitches.
She said it helped her to learn "how to become the face of a company".
The ACORNS initiative is accepting applications from new women entrepreneurs until Friday.
