Success stories

Ups and downs. Warts and all. These are the stories behind the companies we work with. From 2010 to new ventures we’re just starting today.

The people behind one of Ireland’s leading Business to Business Tour operators were looking to branch out into the Business to Consumer market. They had the industry know-how and contacts but needed our marketing expertise and ongoing business advice and support.

Website: www.myirelandtour.com

Timeline: 2015 - present

My Ireland Tour and SquareFish

Our first objective was to map out the lay of the land within the market. Extensive research was undertaken, graphs and spreadsheets were plotted and scanned, and best and worst-case scenarios were batted around… until we were sure that we knew the market inside out. This project needed a huge investment in marketing to get it off the ground. By SquareFish taking on all the marketing duties & expenses, we were able to remove this considerable expense off their shoulders.

In this highly competitive market—which is dominated by state-backed or large international companies—we knew that paid advertising would be cripplingly expensive. A focus on SEO would be the key to growth. First off, we built a big, shiny and user-friendly website. Secondly, we applied all our expertise and resources into getting the website to the top of Google.

Knowing that as the business grew, so too would the volume of contacts and bookings. We developed custom software fully tailored to the unique needs of the business, that would tie together all the moving parts of the booking process, as well as the details needed by accommodation and attraction suppliers. We developed the recruitment systems as the business expanded, as well as streamlining the admin side of the business. While there was no cash investment necessary during this phase, the expense of developing and creating the custom software was shared between the two companies.

Having become the top-rated operator for Ireland tours, as well as holding the number one spot for Google.com’s most important keywords, My Ireland Tour has expanded its tour offerings and passenger numbers year-on-year. In our business consultancy role, we are now focusing on guiding through the very uncertain times of COVID-19. Although no one can predict any particular crisis, facing such business-critical downturns is par for the course when running companies. We’d planned ahead for such, and with strong foundations and business efficiency, the company is looking to not only survive but thrive.

Having cut their teeth in the hospitality and catering industry, while working across Europe, a couple approached us with the idea of starting a ski holiday company in the French Alps. They were on the lookout for marketing expertise and technical support to allow them to focus on their guests.

Website: www.chalets-lesgets.com

Timeline: 2008 - present

Mountain & Tradition and SquareFish

First off, we set about finding a brand voice and a look and feel for the company that would resonate with the market and their personalities. We worked in tandem to design the perfect products - both achievable to create, appealing to the market and at the ideal price point for the area they were operating in.

As this was one of our first projects, we really began to sharpen our SEO tools here. Valuable mistakes were made, while we were still testing the waters. As the ‘do’s and don’t’s and ‘nice to have but not essential’s became more apparent, so too did our SEO efficiency. Soon we were competing with and outperforming much larger, more established companies—and doing so with a much smaller team. You guessed it: Efficiency is king. As a way of investing in Mountain & Tradition, SquareFish took on board all the marketing expenses from the start of the project onwards.

As the company grew from a one-chalet operation into what is today a seven-chalet and six-apartment offering, so too did the level of admin work involved. We knew that it was of utmost importance to keep this admin work at a manageable level. Through our custom-built software—which stores and manages all the moving parts related to each individual booking—we dramatically reduced the admin man-hours per booking. Staffing is a critical component in such seasonal businesses, so we developed a full life-cycle system with them—fully redesigning their recruitment process, training and staff management systems—to make sure they, their staff and their guests all get the best from their shared experience.

Like most other chalets in Les Gets, and travel businesses across the globe, Mountain & Tradition has been adversely affected by the outbreak of COVID-19. With its main market being the U.K., and travel to and from countries currently being restricted, we’ve rapidly changed the focus to the internal French market. Expanded web presence, redesigned products, and a switch to French Google rankings. Our business consultancy side is always on guard through both good times and bad to help guide and advise.

We were approached by a young couple who had an impressive backstory in hospitality and were ready to start a business of their own. They wanted to offer luxury holidays in the French ski resort of Meribel, where they had been working for several years. They needed start-up capital, marketing expertise and ongoing business support.

Website: www.luxurychaletsmeribel.co.uk

Timeline: 2012 - present

Delicious Mountain and SquareFish

The first challenge was to find the right ski chalet in Meribel, in the right location and at the right price point for their target market. Based on experience, we were able to offer detailed advice throughout the contract negotiations. We also provided the investment to pay the deposit and get the business up and started.

Hospitality is all about occupancy: you have to get bums in seats. So we knew that success or failure for this company would come down to marketing. For us, that meant using our background in search engine optimisation to push the website to the top of Google as quickly as possible. Within a few months, we were there, and the first season saw almost full occupancy and profitable accounts. By way of further investment, we also took on board all the marketing expenses from the start.

To sustain the growth that Delicious Mountain had enjoyed, plans were rolled out by us which included; the maintenance of its Google rankings, the creation of custom-built software (which became an integral part in ensuring that guests’ bookings and details, regardless of their volume would pass through our systems without a hitch) and our help with the recruitment and training of the best possible staff members. In the third year, a significant investment was needed to upgrade a chalet, and SquareFish provided that too.

Having enjoyed nine ski seasons in Méribel, the original couple has now passed the baton onto one of their most experienced employees. Currently, he has brought an extra chalet on board and is looking to expand the company further through the coming years. We are here in our business advice and guidance role to ensure a smooth handover, and then to match the marketing and growth level to whichever direction he takes the company.

Born out of a desire by well-established ski companies to expand into the solo skiers’ niche, The Ski Gathering is the result of a collaboration of 5 different enterprises. By working together, we’ve achieved success in a unique holiday marketing niche.

www.theskigathering.com

Timeline: 2015 - present

The Ski Gathering and SquareFish

Finding the most appropriate marketing angle, pre-launch, was critical here. Essentially, we had to portray that this was a singles’ ski holiday but not a dating one and that it was a solo experience but not a ‘billy no mates’ one. We undertook extensive market research, and looked at the marketing angles of similar companies in different industries. We then created a website with a suitable look, feel and brand voice, and worked alongside our partners to create, from our findings, the most appealing holiday experience for this particular market. 

Once we had a successful model in place, we were then able to roll it out to different resorts. We supplied the marketing, the industry know-how, and the website (along with a sprinkle of our SEO expertise). Our partners provided the physical elements needed for a solo ski holiday, as well as ensuring that guests enjoyed their stay. As word of mouth began to spread, via solid guest reviews, so too did our brand awareness. All the investment from SquareFish came in the form of marketing expenses.

As The Ski Gathering grew—into different resorts with different partners—we knew that keeping the guest experience consistent was vital. Through the collaboration with our partner and the use of our custom-built software, we have ensured that the guests receive a consistent and joyous experience. The Ski Gathering now operates as the leading solo ski holiday company in the Alps.

Although the outbreak of COVID-19 has halted The Ski Gathering’s growth, the foundation has been laid for it to grow in line with its market’s demand. As the number of partners/resorts grows, so too does the number of new partners who get in contact. As of the 2022/223 ski season, a holiday from The Ski Gathering was available in five different resorts across two countries; Morzine, Les Gets, Méribel and Chamonix (in France) and Zell Am See (in Austria).

This was a project that was brought to our attention by two Cork locals. After they had completed a huge amount of groundwork, they had a very interesting business plan laid out; Wind Turbine Inspection using drones!

Website: www.mech-v.ie

Timeline: 2020 - present

Mech-V Ltd and SquareFish

Mech-V uses drones for the surveying, inspecting and documenting of Wind Energy assets.

A relatively new business model within the Irish market, and one that certainly piqued our interest. Once we began a deep dive into the business plan, we discovered some of all too familiar business start-up stumbling blocks; A heavy leaning towards product detail research, with little or no thought put towards areas such as marketing and calculations - areas that hold the key to the success of a project.

While it's the least glamorous aspect of a business plan, getting into the nitty-gritty world of churning numbers, making projections and looking into the pros and cons, was where we began. By combining his industry insider knowledge with our business know-how, we were able to pinpoint the current strengths and weaknesses along with putting together effective financial predictions.

Once all aspects of the business were thrashed out, from the product details to the marketing plan, and all projections and scenarios were envisaged, SquareFish was at hand to provide the significant financial investment needed.

During the growth phase of Mech-V, SquareFish provided an extensive training program, focusing mainly on the particulars of the Business-to-Business sales process. We also developed technical systems to aid in the tracking and capitalisation of potential prospects.

While this is one of our newer ventures and has yet to live through a long enough timeline to track its success, we can happily report that - via the tried and tested SquareFish fairy dust- Mech-V is now being seen by the right people in the right places and that inquiries and projects are coming in at a steady pace.

While we're excited by the prospect of achieving sustainable growth and branching out with Mech-V, as experienced business advisers we know that the focus, for the time being, must be rooted in the here-and-now. Certainly a project that fits nicely into our 'watch this space' category.

Brought to us by the same people as Mech-V. What they need, from our end, was investment, guidance and advice on the business side of things. ​

Website: www.engineerswithdrones.ie

Timeline: 2020 - present

Engineers With Drones and SquareFish

This was a project that was developed by the same people behind Mech-V. Without diluting the Mech-V brand, whose main focus is on the Wind Energy sector, Engineers with Drones services pretty much any high-altitude, hard-to-reach asset.

Deploying drone services to provide owners of anything from stockpiles to historic buildings, from construction sites to oil and gas silos, and everything in between. Everything that is except the wedding photography. While that is a very noble and lucrative use of drones, it is not where our area of expertise lies. That's why everything from the name of the company to the logo had to have the 'it does exactly what it says on the tin' effect of; 'we are engineers, and we have drones'.  

As with all of our ventures, every aspect of Engineers with Drones, from sales strategy to market analysis and financial projections, was thoroughly dissected and put back together by the SquareFish team before the project's launch. Even though it operates in the sphere as its sister company Mech-V (in that they are both drone inspection companies), Engineers with Drones is very much a different product, and so the blueprint created while launching Mech-V had to be torn up and rewritten during the launch of Engineers with Drones.

Everything from prospecting potential clients to marketing strategies and the sales process was tailor-made by SquareFish to ensure that Engineers with Drones reaches its full potential.

Engineers with Drones is one of our newest projects, and while there are certainly green shoots of growth, it is a little too early to gauge its success.  Keep an eye on this space for further developments.

With remote working becoming the new normal, SquareFish was approached with a novel idea; Digital Nomad accommodation in the French Alps.

Website: www.heydaychalet.com

Timeline: 2021 - present

Heyday Chalet and SquareFish

After working abroad for a number of years in the banking and Fintech sectors, Heyday Chalet's founder had a strong relationship with the Digital Nomad way of life; packing up your laptop, and working from anywhere you like, unanchored to a particular location.

Having visited Morzine, a ski resort in the French Alps, many times before, he saw it as the perfect location for his new enterprise. We were able to give our expert advice on purchasing and renovating a chalet, one that would suit this unique market. Getting the product design right, at this stage, was also crucial. Digital Nomad/Coliving, being a niche market segment, meant that the branding, market expectations, as well as the look and feel of the website and booking system, had to be extensively researched. Numbers were crunched and projected to the nth degree, until all parties were satisfied that we were ready to go.

Because Heyday Chalet began life during the Covid-19 pandemic, when international travel was all but impossible, we focused our attention first on the French self-catered market. This way, the business could find its feet, while in tandem becoming ingrained in the close-knit network of similar companies globally. The Digital Nomad community is all about word of mouth and ‘‘who you know’’.

While Heyday Chalet is currently enjoying its first ski season, we are looking to the future. With its strong footing in the Digital Nomad community and its unrivalled location (a skiing, mountain biking and hiking Mecca, attracting visitors throughout the year), we are looking forward to Heyday Chalet becoming the Alps’ number one Digital Nomad accommodation.

Website: www.purevolt.ie

Timeline: 2022 - present

PureVolt Solar and SquareFish

PureVolt Solar focuses on solar panel installation across Ireland.

Renewable energy is an industry that we have been looking to enter for some time. Domestic solar panels, in particular, was an area where we felt we could make our mark.

Existing companies don't seem all that inviting, nor helpful. It's frustrating trying to find cold-hard facts or even ballpark figures. There seems to be a veil of secrecy about them. People, looking to go solar, could lose interest and drop the idea.

Cutting out the jargon and giving useable data in plain English, was the PureVolt Solar MO from the start.

By bringing on board a specialist in the renewable energy sector (with 12 years experience in green tech), and using our ninja-like marketing skills, as well as the investment in all marketing-related expenses, PureVolt Solar was born.

The website was created with the 100% open, honest and transparent ethos in mind. Even if a visitor to the site gets some helpful info on solar and uses a different installer, that's still a win in our book. The customer has gone green! PureVolt Solar is a project focused on the ecological side of things, rather than the financial.

Helping Irish homeowners understand that there is a low-cost and low-carbon alternative to traditional energy sources is what PureVolt Solar is all about.

Having recently launched, we are excited to see where this project will go. A solar panel installed on every roof in Ireland is the aim! Watch this space.

Software Development Company

While SquareFish's speciality lies within angel investment and business partnerships, our real passion comes in the form of software development. Namely, in the creation of tools that make businesses run smoother, faster, and more efficiently.  Spend any length of time chatting with us, and you'll realise that efficiency is the name of the game here. We are big fans of utilising and creating systems that run seamlessly in the background, allowing your brain-power to be focused where it should be; on the running of your business.

From researching and implementing software systems for your business to developing custom software, and getting all systems in sync and talking to each other; we've done it all, and for every size business imaginable. We've developed an endless list of software programs, from the smallest apps to complex, behemoth-sized booking systems, and perfected them all. So much so, that we are on the verge of launching our very own software development company (as yet without a name), where our collective tech knowledge, featuring such favourites as Angular front-end, dotNET Core back-end, SQL Database, Azure Hosting amongst many more, will be harnessed and brought to the market. 

Chalet Kitchen was a food delivery company, developed by us and our ski chalet partners in Les Gets—aimed at the self-catered ski holiday market. Originally, the entire service consisted of our partner cooking and delivering meals to local properties, by the time it had ceased operations, in 2020, it had expanded to reach 12 different resorts across the French Alps.

Website: www.chaletkitchen.com

Timeline: 2012 - 2020

Chalet Kitchen and SquareFish

​In 2012, food delivery—that customers book before they arrive in resort—was a completely novel idea in the French Alps. This presented us with a challenge; how to let the market know that something that they’d previously never heard of was now something they needed. We focused our attention on getting food delivery into the mindset of people booking self-catered ski accommodation, something that should be booked at the same time as their ski hire, ski lessons, chalet, etc.

Our expertise in SEO was of no benefit here, as people don’t google something they do not know exists. Getting the Chalet Kitchen name out there on Social Media, as well as promoting the brand on self-catered property websites and through pay-per-click advertising (via Google and Facebook), proved to be the turning point towards success. In terms of investment at this stage, all the marketing—needed during the launch—was taken on board by us. 

After Chalet Kitchen entered the market, the idea that food delivery was something that should be booked in tandem with a self-catered ski property began to enter the zeitgeist. Investment by us during this stage included; the creation of a new, custom-built booking system; allowing every detail of a customer’s booking to be stored, managed and transferred via an efficient and user-friendly interface. We also invested the cash necessary for the building and outfitting of a second kitchen.

During the 2017/18 ski season—as a franchise business, Chalet Kitchen was running from two separate kitchens and was operating in 12 different ski resorts across the French Alps. A focus on building relationships with partner companies to promote the brand, along with streamlining both the product and production, allowed continued growth.

In 2020, Chalet Kitchen ceased operations. Although achieving a turnover of just under €300,000 at its peak, this was a side project for our catered chalet company in Les Gets.

To make the next step increase in turnover, a significant investment in new facilities was required coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. In our business guidance role, we must ensure our clients never throw good money at risky investments. With the huge uncertainty around tourism due to COVID-19, we decided to cease operations.