Enterprising Longford women urged to apply for ‘innovative’ business programme
Brónagh Rogers of Bean & Bread in Granard successfully completed ACORNS 10 recently and she has encouraged others to join.
ACORNS is inviting female entrepreneurs from Longford to submit their applications for the twelfth cycle of the highly successful business development programme.
The programme supports women in the early stages of starting their own business who are living in rural Ireland.
Longford entrepreneur Brónagh Rogers of Bean & Bread recently completed ACORNS. She joins Claire Kiernan Campbell and Geraldine O’Callaghan as previous Longford participants calling on businesswomen to join the programme.
The free initiative for early-stage female entrepreneurs is funded through the Rural Innovation and Development Fund by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
The deadline for applications for ACORNS 12 is midnight, September 18. There are up to 50 places available. Those wishing to receive an application form should register on the website (www.acorns.ie).
Brónagh Rogers, who worked as a chef for ten years in Dublin, London, New York and Canada, among other locations, had to rethink her vocation when, like many people working in hospitality, she was let go during the Covid-19 pandemic.
So, the native of Mullinalaghta, which is outside Granard, swapped cheffing for baking three years ago and set up her business at home in a premises she built herself.
However, while the bakery was a success, Brónagh couldn’t help but notice that the various coffee shops she was supplying were making considerably more money from her products than she was.
This inspired her to pivot her business, and she opened her own café – Bean & Bread – in Granard in April 2024.
Brónagh says one of the most beneficial aspects of being on the ACORNS programme was being among a group of participants who were doing completely different things but who were able and willing to help each other.
Claire Kiernan took over Longford Country House & Self Catering Cottages in Ennybegs, Killoe in 2023 and is now developing the business into a rural wellbeing destination with her new wellness retreat – AILM & OAK (www.ailmandoak.com).
Claire will offer workplace wellness programmes, giving people time to step away from everyday pressure, unwind and learn practical tools to support their physical and mental wellbeing.
Claire says, “Running a business can be lonely and the day to day isn’t glamorous so it’s great there is an organisation that really has our best interests at heart. It goes down to the bones of the business from tax, systems, market research, AI, sales.
"The part I really love is the belief they instil in you and that they understand and nearly know what you need before you know it yourself.”
Geraldine O’Callaghan, who is from Granard, founded Next Steps Rehab in December 2024, operating the business from her home.
Next Steps Rehab supports organisations to enhance rehabilitation, recovery-focused care and integrated models of care, particularly at key transition points in a person’s healthcare journey (www.nextstepsrehab.com).
Geraldine says: “ACORNS gave me the confidence, structure and strategic thinking I needed to turn a strong idea into a real business. As a healthcare professional developing Next Steps Rehab and the RehabReady programme, I had the expertise and vision, but ACORNS helped me think like a business owner – about positioning, pricing, long-term growth and much more."