Talk the talk
It was set up by my brother, Liam Fennelly, and me. We’re now in our third year of business. We started off with turnover of €300,000 in year one but grew that to €700,000 the following year and are on course to bring in €1.5 million this year.
We were very happy with the quality of the product, which is called eye q and contains a blend of marine fish oil and evening primrose oil. There are fats in fish oils that are good for helping day-today functioning of the brain. We think a lot of people aren’t getting enough of these fats, due to changes in diets and eating habits.
It’s completely natural and much better, we think, than cod liver oil. The fish oils are taken from stocks of sardines and pilchard from the southern hemisphere. It’s particularly suitable for children - it’s easy to take and free of any nasty taste - and may work to help alleviate attention deficit or hyperactivity disorders, as well as dyspraxia, which is a condition that affects co-ordination.
From what pharmacies are telling us, we’re the number one fish oil product in the market. But there’s lots more scope - everyone should be taking in fatty acids - our product has essential fats that people have to get in their diet.
Coming from a nursing background, I had no formal business experience. We submitted a business plan to suppliers in Britain and then had to try to find a pharmacy to take us on and give us our first start. We began distributing through the McCabe’s Pharmacy chain (in the greater Dublin area) but have since signed up with all the major wholesalers, like United Drug, UniPhar and Cahill May Roberts. Pharmacists can order our product and have it delivered within 24 hours now.
I’d like to develop in particular a pre-MMR supplement (for parents to give children before they receive the measles/mumps/rubella vaccine). This isn’t available yet but I’m getting sympathetic responses to the idea from people in the market.
