It can be stressful to find the perfect present but with Giftguru.ie it’s a breeze. Allaboutbusiness.ie talks to entrepreneurs Oonagh Levis and Mary Leahy about their new online shopping website and what gives their business an edge over their competitors.

Both Mary and Oonagh are seasoned entrepreneurs who know what it takes to set up a company. They first joined forces in 1991 when they set up Town and Country Hampers. The company has been hugely successful and received the Guaranteed Irish Award - acknowledging their support for small independent Irish producers where time honored methods are still revered.

In November 2009, Mary and Oonagh decided that there was an opportunity to expand their business into the gift side of things. From their experience of setting up Town and Country Hampers they had the contacts and experience to create something special. Gift Guru was born out of this initial idea.

Traveling the globe
2009 was a tough year to start a business but Mary and Oonagh felt that there was “a need for good value, useful gifts” in the online gift market. “A lot of the other online gift companies were focusing on gadgets and were very expensive” says Mary. “We spent a long time doing intensive market research. We wanted to make sure that we were giving the consumers exactly what they wanted.”

In order to achieve this, Mary and Oonagh regularly travel to tradeshows around the world to source gifts that are generally not available online. This jet-set life suits Mary “I have always loved shopping for gifts so work is now my hobby!” she says. “It’s such a great feeling when you find something a bit different or quirky that you know will make someone happy.”

A special touch
Mary and Oonagh say that what gives Gift Guru its edge is its customer service. “All of our gifts are wrapped free of charge and come with a complimentary Gift Guru card with a personalized message. Our customers really appreciate the little personal touches that we give our gifts.”

They have also found that offering a loyalty scheme has had a very positive impact on sales. If your Gift Guru order comes to more than €200, you become a Gold Card Customer and receive a 10% discount off all further orders for the next 12 months. “The most important thing for consumers, aside from excellent customer service, is value. Special incentives such as this keep customers returning time and time again.”

The gift of advice
Both Mary and Oonagh advise other entrepreneurs who are thinking about setting up their own business to talk to their local enterprise board. “Even though we already had one business up and running we approached Cork Enterprise Board. We were starting out in a completely different economic climate and the advice we got from them was invaluable” they say. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help, it’s not a sign of weakness. You would ask an expert if you were having problems in any other area of your life and setting up a business should be no different.”

Relevant Links

http://www.giftguru.ie/
http://www.facebook.com/giftguru