1 Give us your pitch: Why should someone buy one of your products/service? SocialBee is an events catering service, specialising in afternoon tea parties. We bring the timeless theatre and decadence of the traditional afternoon tea experience to you, and help to make your occasion a memorable one.
2 How did your business come about? I was frustrated by how changing times have led to changes in how we socialise and communicate with one another. We are more connected than ever, thanks to technology, but in many ways, we have never been so isolated.
The timeless tradition of a tea party brings people together, allowing them to stop for a while, and make time for themselves and one another.
3 How long has your business been running and how did you scale it up? It will be two years this April. The growth has been mainly organic, a lot of word of mouth and smart social media.
But I joined the Dublin Chamber of Commerce when I decided to branch out into the corporate market, and their professional networking events have been invaluable to me in terms of promoting the business.
4 What has been your biggest success in business? There have been many highlights, not least serving afternoon tea to the President, landing professional networking giant LinkedIn as a client, and hosting a tea party for 300 on O'Connell Street on Culture Night. But my biggest success must be the pop-up tearooms I opened in Dame Lane. I was incredibly proud of what I created there.
5 What has been your biggest challenge so far? The biggest challenge has been learning to wear all the hats needed to run your own business. The tea parties are the fun part, but behind the scenes there is bookkeeping and administration, networking, social media mastering, learning how to use your website, writing blogs and articles, sales, research, and the list goes on. The trick, I think, is not to think of it all at once or it will totally overwhelm you.
6 What has been your biggest influence thus far as an entrepreneur? The strong, driven and energetic fellow women entrepreneurs that I have met along the way have been my inspiration. Surrounding yourself with the right people is key to your drive to continue and succeed when you are flying solo as a businessperson.
7 In the next 12 months, what would you like to achieve in your business? Continued growth and sustainability. I've won a place on an accelerate programme to help achieve these goals.
8 What's your best piece of advice for other people setting up start-ups? Get out of your own way and don't be afraid to ask as many people as you can for advice and information and their suggestions over a cup of tea. As entrepreneurs we often think the path we've chosen is a solo one and that we must venture down it alone, but the truth is, people are encouraging and supportive and generous with their time and pleased to be asked.
9 What is the worst business advice you ever received, and did you follow it? Someone suggested that I buy a box of tea bags to have behind the counter at the tearooms for anyone who wouldn't be familiar with fancy loose leaf teas. I chose not to heed their advice. My service isn't for everyone, it is for those who appreciate it for what it is.
10 What is the best thing about being your own boss? The pride you sometimes feel in yourself when you remember that what you've chosen to do is one of the most challenging, insecure and uncertain career paths of all. And you get to pat yourself on the back for being gutsy enough to take it on, win or lose. Melissa Curley is founder of bespoke events catering service SocialBee
