Inside track

Q&A:Mary Mitchell, co-founder, Green Angel skincare

What is the most unique thing about your business?

Our natural skincare products are based on the fusion of two ancient practices, thalasso or seaweed therapy, and aromatherapy. Seaweed is very rich in vitamins and minerals, and is very helpful for anyone with skin problems. The essential oils we use are chosen for their healing properties.

What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made in business?

Touch wood there have been no “biggies” yet. Our “mistake” was more one of naivety when we were starting off. Our products were in plain white containers and, buoyed up by very good customer feedback at exhibitions and trade shows, we tried to sell them into pharmacies as they were – without much success. We had underestimated how important packaging is. Needless to say, once we recognised the problem we put a lot of effort into solving it and benefited enormously as a result.

What has been your major success to date?

Developing the business from selling seaweed powder at exhibitions and craft fairs into a business employing 14 people, producing a range of 50 luxury skincare products, which are now sold in more than 500 pharmacies nationwide. In addition we have achieved this during Ireland’s most severe economic downturn for three decades.

Who do you admire most in business and why?

I was always impressed at JK Rowling’s rags-to-riches story and how Harry Potter has become a very successful industry. But closer to home I admire publisher and “dragon” Norah Casey. She once gave me some very good advice for women in business – tell people how good you are. She said women always give 110 per cent and hope someone will notice whereas men spend 10 per cent of their time telling everyone what they have achieved.

What piece of advice would you give to the Government to stimulate the economy?

Support employers and small businesses, cherish entrepreneurial spirit and talent, and help people with good ideas to feel positive about taking the chance of starting their own business. Sometimes it feels very difficult to be an employer, especially in the current climate with the lack of positive sentiment all round.

What would you say has been your biggest challenge?

Getting our distribution off the ground. We decided to distribute through pharmacies but when we approached them, they wanted to know what PR and marketing campaigns we had in place to support the brand, as we were relatively unknown. As a start-up company, we had very little, so we approached some PR/marketing companies to see if they could help us. The problem with them was they wanted us to have the distribution in place before they would take us on. It was a real catch-22 situation.

What are the short-term goals of your business?

To expand in the domestic market and develop into Northern Ireland. Then we want to launch into the UK, build on our existing business in Spain and look into the possibility of selling to Dubai as we’ve had interest from there. Women in the Middle East are very skin conscious and the use of essential oils is very traditional ther,e so we think there is a niche for our products. We have just launched a new product line: hand and foot treatment sets for golfers and gardeners and we will be further developing this.

What’s your business worth and would you sell it?

Green Angel is still young and we would like to develop it into the first truly global Irish skincare brand. Selling wouldn’t come into it until the company has reached maturity.

Do you think the banks are open for business to SMEs at the moment?

Yes, if a business can show without doubt that it has done its homework and can meet its loan commitments. We have been successful in negotiating with our bank recently.