Sowing the seeds of a new business

What sets your business apart?
Over 10 years ago, I was the first person to bring in artificial grass for people's lawns, so we are specialists in our field, we were the first ones to do it full-time and that has given us a great advantage to date. We do everything except sports, so that sets us apart from our competitors.

What was the best piece of business advice you have ever received?
A mentor I respect always said that the market is very fair. You are measured by your output and your output alone. You can have all the back office systems you like but really it's what you produce that you get measured by. It's a belief and a discipline that you have to have. The same guy really brought it home to me, using sport as an analogy; you can do all the training you like but, when you are on the pitch, that is when you have to perform.

What's the biggest mistake you have made in business?
Fifteen years ago, when I got back from America and went into landscaping, we were importing fake log cabins from Finland and one day I got badly stung by someone who wouldn't pay us.

So I just left it [the business] at that and now there are a lot of companies who are doing it. The learning point was that, 10 years ago, when I started the artificial grass people laughed at us but I stuck at it and now, thankfully, I am having the last laugh.

And your major success to date?
Two years ago, we had our first garden in Bloom, the Irish version of Chelsea [Flower Show], and it was a massive success. It was an Alice in Wonderland-themed garden and one of the few walk-through gardens. We had between 35,000 and 40,000 people walking through and we got a lot of publicity; a lot of people didn't know us before that and it was a big help.
Who do you most admire in business and why?
I met Bob Geldof in London a year and a half ago at a conference. I was always a fan of his. He was always a bit of a rebel but he also has a lot of companies [and] at the moment, he is investing in Africa. As well as being an entrepreneur and a bit of a rebel, he is also socially minded.

Based on your experiences in the downturn, are the banks in Ireland open for business to SMEs?
It really helps when you continue to grow and we have, so we haven't had the grief a lot of companies have had. We aren't associated just with the construction sector, so we have had an easy ride. They have been supportive. I can see what is happening all around but it does help when you are in a growing niche and we haven't over expanded.

What one piece of advice would you give the Government to help stimulate the economy?
There is very little they can do themselves except create the circumstances. They really need to continue with the reform process.

It’s like the joke: why is there only one monopolies commission? There is more potential to be gotten from freeing up closed shops or markets. The International Monetary Fund has identified several, for example, the legal profession.

What's been the biggest challenge you have had to face?
The difficulty of delegation. A guy once said to me: "An ounce of commerce is worth a tonne of work". That just hit home with me. I have gone from one guy doing everything to trusting others and now, thankfully, I have a team of people I trust.

How do you see the short-term future for your business?
We are quite bullish and optimistic. Since the recession, I have spent a lot on marketing and that has really stood to me. What I have spent on the next Bloom garden, people have said I am crazy but you invest in the future and reap those rewards.

What's your business worth and would you sell it?
Yes, I would, but I haven't a clue what it's worth. It's more than a lifestyle business. But based on a multiple of orders, I would like to think there are a good few noughts involved.

I actually can’t put a value on it.

In conversation with Mark Hilliard