Over the coming weeks we’ll be interviewing each of the eleven finalists taking part in The AIB Start-Up Academy. This week we caught up with Seamus Tighe, founder of Everest Granola, to find out what it’s like to be part of an Irish start-up and the key pieces of advice he has been given so far in his career.
Everest Granola produce gourmet granola cups made from tasty natural ingredients crammed full of proteins, fibres, minerals and live cultures. The company aims to revolutionise breakfast on the go and change bad eating habits. It’s far too easy to start the day by either missing breakfast or having unhealthy non-nutritious options.
Everest Granola provides the convenient solution of a great product at good value at any time of the day. The product currently comes in three different flavours: apple and cinnamon, raspberry and honey.
You can check out our interview with Seamus below.
What prompted you to start your business?
Seamus Tighe: I am a busy, health conscious person, so I don’t have a huge amount of time for breakfast in the morning or preparing meals throughout the day. From talking to my friends, family and colleagues, I understood that a lot of them felt the same way. I decided to create a convenient, healthy alternative to what was already on the market; something that you would actually make at home with high quality ingredients which is ready to eat on-the-go.
Why did you choose to go into the food industry? What research did you undertake before starting out?
ST: I felt I could produce a product that could fill the gap in the market for a healthy, on-the-go convenient snack or meal. When I heard about the Food Academy I was intrigued and saw this as a real opportunity. I carried out extensive surveys and questionnaires outside supermarkets, and after discussions with family and friends I realised that there was demand for the product. I had been providing a high quality coffee chain with our granola cups. This backed up my research and the feedback reinforced our view that there was a niche in the market for our premium gourmet granola cup.
What did you do to make you stand out from the competition?
ST: We invested heavily in working with a high-end product design company. The purpose of this investment was to make our premium product stand out from our competitors. There was a lot of time and detail spent in getting the design correct. Our colourful packaging ensures that our products stand out from the competition. We also invested in brochures, sales material and tasting stands. The granola is also made and roasted in Ireland unlike many of our competitors.
What has been your biggest barrier since starting up Everest Granola?
ST: The biggest barrier that we have encountered to date has been the distribution and merchandising of the product. We found ourselves having to pay large amounts to get this service provided. Although we have obtained more competitive prices, it remains a challenge and a barrier we had not anticipated.
Have you had many mentors? What has been the best advice they have given you?
ST: As I am part of the Supervalu Food Academy, I spend alot of time dealing with the team in Musgraves, namely Kenneth O’Connor and Ciara Humphreys, who have been a huge help to me. The best advice I have received revolves around how to deal with large organisations, to be flexible in your approach and not be afraid to make changes to your product. The Local Enterprise Board has also been a huge help.
What has been your greatest moment since starting up?
ST: The greatest moment was realising that there was a genuinely strong demand for Everest Granola Cups in the listed supermarkets that we were trading with. The demand has remained constant, and with the addition of new stores coming on board, we anticipate steady growth over the next 18 months.
And your worst?
ST: When we obtained our first orders and our delivery timescale, we had a month to prepare. The problem was the six week lead time to get the necessary packaging. I searched suppliers all over Europe and had to pull a few favours. I ended up air freighting some pallets of packaging in from Austria in order to make the deadline. There were a couple of sleepless nights and the packaging arrived a day or two before the order was due. We worked until 3 am that morning; we got it done but just in the nick of time!
What’s the bravest decision you have had to make in business so far?
ST: I could have followed in my father’s footsteps in accountancy. However, after working in the profession for 3 years I decided it was not for me. The urge to be self-employed and to be an entrepreneur was greater than being an accountant. The decision to run my own business and start from day one with nothing was daunting, but to be honest I haven’t looked back and so far it has been the best decision of my life.
Name three things you have learnt at The AIB Start Up Academy so far…
- The networking module with Sean Weafer was incredibly helpful. Networking is an important part of the food business – Sean’s advice will be extremely beneficial for the future.
- It was also interesting to work with Johnny Ryan of the UCD Innovation Academy. Johnny has really helped me to think outside the box concerning new product development and business planning.
- Bobby Kerr was an intriguing guest at our last module. He provided us with ten life tips that he lives by. That night when I got home I read over them, they really made sense to me and I feel if I can live my life in that manner I will have a healthy and successful future.
What are your three pieces of advice you would give to somebody starting off?
- Understand your costs. People think it is easy to set up a successful business but there are always hidden costs involved. It is important to understand these from day one.
- Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty in order to understand all aspects of your business.
- Surround yourself with positive people and get good professional advice.
What Fortune 500 company would you MOST like to be in charge of?
ST: I would love to be in charge of Starbucks as it has similar traits and services to Everest Granola. Starbucks started as a small operation in Seattle and its growth has been phenomenal. The business is very scalable and has a strong management structure in place with great locations and a worldwide brand recognition. It is my opinion that there are synergies between what they have achieved and what is possible for Everest Granola Cups.
What are your “cheats” or “hacks” for making life easier in the business world?
- Have an Everest Granola cup for breakfast! I find it’s a suitable healthy breakfast or snack for me when I am on-the-go and it allows me to be more productive throughout the day.
- Get a handsfree kit for your car – when you have a lot of driving to do it is important to be able to communicate with both customers and clients while on the road.
- Invest in a quality laptop. I have a MacBook and it makes it possible to work anywhere at anytime. They are extremely efficient and easy to use.
Who would you prefer to face off with in a fight to the death: Bill Gates or Donald Trump? Keep in mind that the winner keeps the loser’s business…
ST: A face off with a fight to the death with Bill Gates would be my choice. He owns the world’s second most valued brand and I find him such an interesting person that just to sit opposite him with “my back up against the wall’’ would be too good an opportunity to resist. I would love to take on one of the wealthiest men in the world and risk seeing how I could benefit from the encounter.
I would challenge him to a game of GAA football where we would be opposite numbers on the pitch in a fight to the death. I would keep him scoreless and be supremely confident that I would win and take over his Microsoft business! Ultimately, this would give me the power to invest in whatever I choose, and I would invest in Everest Granola and use all the marketing and sales expertise that is required to make it a product available on supermarket shelves worldwide!
For more about Everest Granola check out their website, Twitter and Facebook pages.
