Connect with us
David McGowan David McGowan

Business

David McGowan Highlights Importance of Business Planning at Network Ireland Limerick

Network Ireland Limerick, April Meeting in the Savoy Hotel, Limerick with guest speaker David McGowan, Quirky Nights Glamping Village pictured here with president of the Limerick branch of Network Ireland, Edwina Gore.Picture: Keith Wiseman

David McGowan Highlights Importance of Business Planning at Network Ireland Limerick

Entrepreneur David McGowan highlighted the importance of always having a plan at a Network Ireland Limerick event in the Savoy Hotel recently. David McGowan made headlines across the world in May last year when he and a team of people transported a decommissioned Boeing 767 plane from Shannon Airport to his glamping site in Co Sligo.

“Everything must have a plan,” he said, dispelling perceptions that the media coverage and social media response to this event happened by chance and explaining how every aspect of the publicity around the event was planned.


advertisement




advertisement




advertisement




advertisement




advertisement



Captivating his audience for over 90 minutes, David used his unique story-telling skills to give insight into how his successful entrepreneurial spirit has honed from an early age.  In a bid to understand more about his father’s funeral undertaking business, he went to the US to earn a mortuary science degree. He returned home in the 1980’s and “broke tradition” by establishing the first purpose built funeral home in Ireland having worked for the biggest funeral undertakers in Chicago

David McGowan

Network Ireland Limerick April Meeting in the Savoy Hotel, Limerick with guest speaker David McGowan, Quirky Nights Glamping Village pictured here are president of the Limerick branch of Network Ireland, Edwina Gore, Becci Harrison, president of Network Ireland and Louise Lawlor, ex-officio Network Limerick.Picture: Keith Wiseman

 

The new concept and standard she set were soon mirrored right across the country. Never one to sit still he stressed the importance of “reinventing yourself every five years because people notice professionalism”.  Five years ago, before he started sowing the seeds for Quirky Glamping, he reinvested €220,000 into his funeral home to protect his ‘milking cow’ business.

Wanting to change his business profile from the ‘grim reaper’, he decided to start a new business.  To help him ‘Think Outside the Box’, he undertook lots of research to understand how he could grab people’s attention – right down to stopping people in a restaurant or on the street to ask them what social media stories made them stop.

As evidenced by the number of obstacles he overcame in transporting the plane to Enniscrone, David is not someone who takes ‘no’ for an answer.  He urged attendees to “surround yourself with positive people and go into business with a can-do attitude”.

The Quirky Nights Glamping site is not open to business just yet, but David is currently attracting the necessary investment to complete it.

An advocate for promoting positivity, particularly amongst young people, in his parting words he said: “every business should have a social impact and help others.”

Edwina Gore, President of Network Limerick, said “David is a gifted storyteller, but he shared so much more than just an entertaining story. Everyone left with inspiring tips and lessons on how to achieve personal and business success.”

Network Ireland Limerick is a forum for women in business, the professions and the arts in the mid-west and invites inspiring speakers like David McGowan to speak at their monthly events.

For more stories on Limerick Business click here

To visit the I Love Limerick Facebook Page click here

Richard is a presenter, producer, songwriter and actor. He was named the Limerick Person of the Year (2011) and won an online award at the Metro Éireann Media and Multicultural Awards (2011) for promoting multi-culturalism online. Richard says that the ilovelimerick.com concept is very much a community driven project that aims to document life in Limerick. So, that in 20 years time people can look back and remember the events that were making the headlines.