As schools across Northern Ireland head back for another year, one former West Belfast teacher has swapped the classroom for the boardroom as she takes her fledgling business up a gear.
After spotting a gap in the market, Úna Méabh O’Hanlon followed her passion for the Irish language to start Connect the Dots Design in 2017 starting small and growing organically.
Now she’s taking this award-winning Irish card and stationery business, based at Innovation Factory, to the next level, growing her range quickly as she breaks into the wholesale market and prepares to take on her first staff member.
Úna Méabh first got the idea to start the business when she went out searching for an Irish language wedding card and was unable to find anything modern, bright and fun.
“Everything was very traditional and that wasn’t what I was looking for. So I designed my own and that soon began a hobby as I created different cards and drawings, which people asked if they could buy,” she said.
She began learning Irish in school at the age of 12 and spent summers in the Donegal Gaeltacht, where coincidently she met her future husband.
She then went on to study the language at University and completed a PGCE so she could teach. She’s had a number of educational roles and in 2017 took a job at Coláiste Feirste, which she loved.
“I used to drive past Innovation Factory every day on my way to work but never imagined I’d have my own business here. I had been selling cards on Etsy and pouring all my love and free time into my designs. It was so overwhelming to turn in my notice in late 2020. It was scary but really a huge relief as it took me so long to make this decision,” she explained.
For several years, she worked from home but as the business grew, she ran out of storage space and could only print small quantities of her products. She needed an office to expand and as soon as she came into Innovation Factory on the Springfield Road she knew it was the right place for Connect the Dots to grow.
“The staff at Innovation Factory were phenomenal from the very first visit. Centre Manager Rebekah Griffith gave me a really in-depth tour and answered all my follow up questions. They really supported me as I moved in. I’m also working with Orla McKeating, the centre’s Business Growth Manager, to get advice on taking on my first employee,” she said.
Having her own office, means she has been able to change her business model, carrying a larger stock and a bigger range of products. By scaling up, this has helped to reduce her per unit costs.
“My dream is to have cards and other products in every county in Ireland. I’ve attended wholesale trade shows and I know I will make this a reality,” she said.
The flexible space at Innovation Factory means she can also grow as quickly as needed, upsizing to a larger office to accommodate new staff and products.
With three Gradaim gold medals from Glór na nGael, it is essential that her team will be able to provide the service level in Irish.
She added: “Anyone I hire, will need to be fully fluent in Irish so that they can provide the same service level that I provide. It’s really exciting for me to think that perhaps I will be giving jobs to some of the pupils I used to teach in school.”
