COUNCIL AREA: Fermanagh and Omagh District Council
ENTERPRISE AGENCY: Omagh Enterprise Centre
BUSINESS ADVISOR: Sinead McKenna
A pair of entrepreneurs from Omagh have joined forces and launched their very own purpose-built guitar school train aspiring young guitarists, thanks to support from the Go For It programme in association with Fermanagh and Omagh District Council.
The Go For It programme is part funded by Invest Northern Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund under the Investment for Growth and Jobs Northern Ireland (2014-2020) programme.
Musicians Owen McNulty and Matt McGlinn decided to team up in 2020 and work together to develop a state-of-the-art facility to offer students from across the region an enhanced learning experience.
Owen said: “Matt and myself have been teaching guitar in our own houses for years and we decided rather than teaching separately so close together in the same town, to work together.”
Matt commented: “We took the decision to launch The Guitar Studio at the end of the first lockdown. We had both been teaching guitar from home and we decided to combine our skills and knowledge, rather than competing separately, to launch a purpose-built guitar school and teaching facility for local kids and adults who want to learn to play the guitar.
“For both Owen and I, the perception of learning the guitar has been very casual and we want to offer students a way to feel validated in their journey as they learn the instrument.
“Being part of a local business community, working with other businesses and throwing ideas about things we could do to develop not only ourselves but offering something to other local businesses that maybe wasn’t there before.”
The business partners got in touch with the Go For It programme and the support proved invaluable.
Owen said: “Sinead at Omagh Enterprise Centre was very helpful with sorting us out, we had a quick turnaround from inception to opening and she really went the extra mile for us.
“The programme gave us a far great understanding of the importance of basic business principles, having a business plan, not treading water and being realistic with our overheads and earning potential.”
The Go For It programme is delivered free of charge by a team of experienced business mentors through Northern Ireland’s wide network of enterprise agencies. It provides expert advice and help with developing a robust business plan to help turn ideas into a commercial enterprise.
For anybody who is considering starting up their own business, Matt said there is nothing more rewarding:
“My advice for anybody starting their own business is trust their own skill set. Owen and I have been teaching guitar for years individually so we knew we could do it.
“There is nothing more rewarding, it can be stressful but when it all comes together there is nothing better.”
Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Errol Thompson said: “I welcome the establishment of the business in Omagh. Owen and Matthew are to be congratulated for identifying a gap in the market for this business.
“The district has a long-established reputation for entrepreneurial spirit and small to medium sized enterprises play a significant role in providing jobs and contributing to the local economy.”
“There is nothing more rewarding, it can be stressful but when it all comes together there is nothing better.”
If you have a business idea you’d like to develop or if you are thinking about starting a business contact the Go For It team on 0800 027 0639 or visit: www.goforitni.com.
