Ruairi Gough

• Company: Spontaneous Marketing
• Industry: Sales and Marketing
• Website: www.spontaneousmarketing.ie
• Location: Wexford, Dublin, London

Spontaneous Marketing is a family run business which brings together an exciting and innovative range of talents and abilities. They believe they can bring a unique proposition to the table through personal experiences that give them a broad perspective on the business marketplace. With first hand experience of business start ups, website development, oursourcing, and high profile product launches they believe they can offer the best advice to SMEs.

We spoke to Ruairi Gough, Managing Director of Spontaneous Marketing to find out more

What is the nature of your business?

The main services I provide are sales, marketing and advertising advice for SME's.

We offer a fresh and different approach to business and idea generation from promotional staffing and event management to website design and development.  We will not shy away from a project because people say it cannot be done. Our mantra “We will try anything once!”

At the moment I am working with a few dentists, rebranding their practices, giving them an online presence and helping them to increase their patient numbers. We are running business networking events in the South East, to help other SME's but also to get our own business more recognised. We are in talks with other potential clients including a magazine for SME's. We also own Sales Agent Network, a niche recruitment website for sales agents. So we keep ourselves busy!!

Why did you decide to start your business/how did you come up with the idea?

I started the business in July 2010 when I was made redundant. Even though this was a difficult time I am a positive person and I try to see the opportunity in every situation.

My redundancy gave me the motivation I needed to take my entrepreneurship to the next level and really go for it. But I was also reaching the point where I was not going to be happy in any job, as I wanted to be master of my own destiny!

What is your advice for other entrepreneurs?

Get out there, shake the trees and beat the bushes! There is no point sitting in an office or your spare bedroom waiting for things to happen, you need to get out there and make it happen.

Use your contacts, family, friends to help grow your business. Look for other streams of revenue, and try and use existing assets in other ways. Think outside the box. Good entrepreneurs think differently and can adapt to changing circumstances and situations.

How are you gaining visibility and promoting the business?

I attend any networking events I can get to – Business Owners Network in Dublin is run by two friends from school. Free Referrals Expo and Chamber of Commerce events are also very good. Also I run my own series of events in the South East – www.southeastbusinessnetwork.ie

In my opinion networking events are the best place to meet business owners and decision makers face-to-face to discuss ideas, make a pitch or get new clients.

Do you have any networking tips for other entrepreneurs?

When attending networking events, remember the people you meet may not be able to directly help you, but they may be your entry point into an organisation. Also, the person or business may not use you now, but you are developing a sales pipeline for the future. Most importantly follow up with everyone, otherwise there is no point in attending the events in the first place.