David McGowan has attracted widespread media attention for his tenacity in forging ahead with plans to start up a new venture the Quirky Glamping village in Enniscrone.
David is a man with a plan, full of passion and purpose. He has left no stone unturned when it comes to transporting a Boeing 767 from Shannon airport along the West coast, or finding a helicopter in a haystack and the trial and tribulations in terms of obtaining planning permission from the Council. His advice to anyone wishing to embark on a new start-up is learn to think outside the box and don’t take ‘no’ for an answer"
What led you to starting up your Glamping business?
I saw the demand and trend in the tourism market and I thought that I can bring/offer something different. Nine million people came into Ireland on holidays last year but Sligo and Mayo did not feature in the country’s top 10 most visited destinations. I think tourism is probably the one thing we can now depend on in this part of the country and if we could get about two million out of those nine million visitors to come to this area it would be a big boost. I like also the idea of investing into something that can make a positive contribution to the community.
How did you raise the start-up funds you needed?
Having worked as embalmer for one of the biggest funeral homes in Chicago, I managed to save money with the intention of setting up my own funeral home in Ireland. All the investments so far in setting up the Quirky Glamping village have all come from my own savings.
How many hours a day do you have to work on average and can you recommend a good time management technique for other entrepreneurs out there?
I usually work 10 hours a day and my tip for anyone is delegate as much work as you can and just keep going.
You can catch up with David at a number of start up seminars around the country over the next few weeks. On April 12th, David will be talking about the importance of thinking outside the box and how not to take ‘no’ as answer at the Network Ireland Limerick event. find out more here On April 24th, David will be one of the keynote speakers alongside Rhona Togher, CEO of Restored Hearing the Sligo Start Ups event at the IT Innovation Centre
Do you have a story similar to David's? Can you relate to her experience on your entrepreneur journey? If so, please let us know in the comments section below!