RURAL women in Northern Ireland are being encouraged to sow their own seeds and start a business via the 'Seed Formula'.
Delivered by business enterprise agency Ledcom and business consultancy The Simple Series, the Seed Formula is a programme aiming to inspire and support women living in rural towns and villages across the north.
The programme kicks off with the Seed Summit on Friday September 10, where three local entrepreneurs - Pamela Lilburn (Brookvale Farm), Rachael Coulter (Stable Manager) and Pamela Laird (Moxi Loves) - will tell their business story.
As well as there being introduced to the 12-week Seed Formula programme there are various breakout sessions looking at the future of rural women in Northern Ireland.
Supported by Ulster Bank, the Seed Formula will guide and support female entrepreneurs who are committed to building a business in their chosen field.
As the business enterprise centre for the Ballyclare and Larne areas and headquartered in a rural area, Ledcom has 36 years’ experience supporting business start-ups in rural communities.
Its chief executive Ken Nelson MBE said: “We strive to inspire and support individuals in their business journey.
“We know that economic and social ventures can have a huge positive impact on rural towns and villages. The main aim of the Seed Formula and additional membership is to not only empower female entrepreneurs but to further improve the communities in which they reside.
“Rural women have much to offer the world of business and I encourage anyone who may be interested to sign up for the Seed Formula, which will equip participants with all the knowledge and skills to get their business off the ground.”
Research conducted by the Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship showed that one in 10 female entrepreneurs plan to start a business in 2021, with the single biggest issue holding them back being a lack of funding.
Serial entrepreneur Shirley Palmer and founder of The Simple Series identified that women living in rural areas were under-represented in favour of their female counterparts living in larger towns and cities. These findings were one of the main motivations behind the formation of the Seed Formula.
She said: “Given the challenges of the past year with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic coupled with the issues around trading in the wake of Brexit, our economic recovery greatly depends on the untapped potential that women-led businesses can represent.
“Seed Formula participants will learn everything they’ll need to know about running a successful business, from their ‘why’ and sales to marketing and finances. They will be expertly guided from an initial idea to final brand.
“We believe that this formula will result in innovative projects and/or businesses which will create new jobs and enhance the quality of life for those who live in rural communities. We know that those who complete the programme will see results.
“We intend to build upon the Seed Formula’s success and offer more women throughout Northern Ireland in 2022. We’re looking forward to working alongside local women to help their business dreams come true.”
John Ferris, regional ecosystem manager with Ulster Bank supporting projects like Seed Formula was key to tackling the imbalance female entrepreneurs continue to face when it comes to accessing funding.
“At Ulster Bank we are committed to supporting female entrepreneurs and providing them with the tools and networks they need to start or scale a business. This partnership with Seed Formula has the potential to deliver transformative change for women; particularly those in rural areas, and we are pleased to have been able to play a role in bringing female entrepreneurs even closer to potential investors through the Enterprise Partner Funding grant.
“We look forward to seeing the outcomes of the project and wish each of the participants well as they take the next step of their business journey.”
To register for a place at the Seed Summit on September 10 or for more information please visit https://theseedformula.com/. The Seed Formula begins on Wednesday September 29.
The three entrepreneurs telling their story at the summit are:
:: Pamela Lilburn (Brookvale Farm)
Whilst Pamela worked full-time at PwC, she also understood the huge commitment in supporting her husband, a dairy farmer from Moira and knew it was equally important to find a way to have more flexibility and freedom to spend time with their children, Theo, Harrison, and Evie.
In February of this year and with three children under the age of eight Pamela and Richard Lilburn decided to launch their fourth baby “It’s Just Milk”. They knew that their hard work, perseverance, and dedication would pay off.
Their innovative approach at Brookvale Farm to new technology, bottling their whole milk and milkshakes in re-usable glass bottles and a recent collaboration with a local gelato company Taboo HQ and their farm was showcased on an episode of BBC’s Countryfile show in June.
Whilst Pamela was born in Larne and brought up in Carnalbanagh a rural area in Co. Antrim she now resides in Moira enjoying farm life.
:: Rachael Coulter (Stable Manager)
As a software engineer and a Grand Prix dressage rider Rachael recently decided to blend her experience, technical skill, and passion to build Stable Manager, a digital platform connecting horse owners with service providers. Having worked, trained, and competed in the equestrian sector for some 16 years she knew there had to be an easier way to manage the necessary admin tasks.
Stable Manager is the equestrian world’s new hub – giving horse owners and equine businesses of any size the tools they need to quantify equine performance, boost their profits and, most importantly, optimise their horses’ welfare. Rachael pitched at the IoD’s Women’s Leadership Conference in March and walked away with the funding prize amidst the competition of another five female entrepreneurs. Having started a business mid-pandemic shows resilience, tenacity, and grit – clearly Rachael has an abundance of all three.
Rachael originally from a rural area near Ballymena now enjoys the city life in Belfast.
:: Pamela Laird (Moxi Loves)
Pamela started out in the nail industry 11 years ago. She was immersed in the beauty world from an early age with her mother owning a successful beauty salon for 25 years. With a passion to make a difference in the sector she set her sights high on building a brand that was innovative, clever, clean, and waterless to the marketplace.
Her revolutionary beauty brand Moxi Loves was showcased on the award winning ‘The Apprentice’ on BBC One alongside 15 other entrepreneurs to win a lucrative investment opportunity from Alan Sugar. Whilst Pamela didn’t win the show and came third, the rejection encouraged her to focus more on niching her brand, the message and mission to build a global brand.
Moxi Loves has an award-winning product range and is available in Boots, Ocado, Amazon, Dunnes, Cloud10 beauty and pharmacies.
Pamela lives and runs her business from Dublin.
