E163 That Great Business Show Kevin Maughan, Urban Volt - Michael FitzPatrick, Fitz of Inch

That Great Business Show

Kevin Maughan, co-founder of Urban Volt, a company that will put solar panels on your business rooftop at no cost to you. He quotes a well known business proverb 'There's worse things to being wrong in business, you can be too early'. They believed in their business proposition when others didn't and they had to wait, and wait, for the market to come to them...But did he ever think of packing it in???

He has some very interesting observations about energy efficiency.

Does he think we've achieved peak output from solar panels?

And, they've started installing big, big batteries - and he explains how much electricity you get out of a battery.

And why does ESB not want to take electricity generated from Urban Volt's solar panels?

His company offered to put solar panels on every school in the country, within eighteen months, and he says 'no one's interested'.

Looking to the future he answers if he'll flip the business.

Who would he 'hire in a heartbeat'? Stephen Vernon (his Chair)? Johnny Sexton.

Michael Fitzpatrick (26), aka Fitz of Inch, talks about how and why he has re-branded his Stradbally, Laois event venue - a venue that you can rent for 30 people, overnight or for weeks on end (as some do) and it's available 52 weeks a year. He organises everything for his guests, and that can be casinos, Irish dancing, camp fire nights., African drumming...anything (almost!). If you're in hospitality, hear why dog holidays are going through the roof. He talks about what Covid did for them...and the true entrepreneur pivoted and housed doctors and other front line workers, essential to allow them to serve in hospital. It also gave him time to think.

He comes very close to naming some of his very high profile clients (famous musicians, dignitaries from the Middle East...)...see if you can guess who they are.

His venue is different in that they actively want to have hens and stag parties in his venue.

He takes a month long break...in the middle of summer - what is the height of the season. Find out why.

He has plans to double the size of his business in the coming years and he has a new tourism business he's going to launch shortly. But what is it?

A problem that can (it's rare) arise is people trying to add people to the number already booked.

And when things go wrong, he says tell, tell, tell them there and then.

Michael's 'hire in a heartbeat'? Barbara Ann Corcoran, American businesswoman, investor, syndicated columnist, and television personality. One of the show's original "Shark" investors, Corcoran has appeared in all 14 seasons of Shark Tank (the US version of Dragon's Den).

With thanks to Daft.ie

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