Based in Ballincollig outside Cork city, Salt Robe swim robes are designed and embroidered in Cork and made from recycled consumer plastics. Co-founder Lauren Lucy Crowley talks to ThinkBusiness about launching during a pandemic and the importance of listening to customer feedback.
What led you to set up your company?
I’ve always wanted to set up my own company. I was waiting for a grand idea of what it was going to be but it turns out simple ideas work too. I love the ocean and recently returned from New Zealand.
“The designs on newer products like towels, were completely hand drawn by my sister. The products are embroidered in a very small family run company in Cork. That’s something that I’ m really proud of”
When I came back to Ireland, the sea seemed particularly cold. I noticed people had these robes on but none of them were Irish. The inspiration for the company came to me on the beach. I wanted to create something that I personally loved. I love the ocean and the outdoors so it was something was needed and most definitely Irish.
What makes your company different?
Our products are locally designed in Cork. The designs on newer products like towels, were completely hand drawn by my sister. The products are embroidered in a very small family run company in Cork. That’s something that I’m really proud of. All our products are made from recycled consumer plastics. They’re waterproof, windproof and very warm. Our microfibre towels are made from 100% recycled plastics.
“We started during the pandemic and have survived through a bit of luck, taking some risks and a lot of guesswork. Nobody knows where we’ll be in 12 months”
There are smaller features that are different from other similar products. A lot of these features are consumer driven on the back of customer feedback. For example, one customer – a film company that was shooting outdoors in Wicklow – needed robes that we supplied but asked where they could put hot water bottles. In response we created small pockets in the robes where you can fit hot water bottles for after your swim.
What challenges did you meet and how did you overcome them?
Trying to keep up with demand has been challenging. We set up during the pandemic and have been operating fully since last September. I’m running all aspects of the business.
“In a pandemic in particular a lot of trends that are happening in the market are happening for the first time, so it can be quite hard to predict where things will be in another 12 months”
I have great friends and family that I can lean on for support but in terms of deciding how to grow and scale the company, that’s the biggest challenge.
In a pandemic in particular a lot of trends that are happening in the market are happening for the first time, so it can be quite hard to predict where things will be in another 12 months.
Did the pandemic impact your business and how did you adapt?
We started during the pandemic and have survived through a bit of luck, taking some risks and a lot of guesswork. Nobody knows where we’ll be in 12 months. I think one of the best things that to come from the pandemic is that Irish people have fallen in love with the ocean.
“No matter how big you grow, it always comes back to making sure your customers are happy, and you love what you do”
I live by the ocean and I can see the swimmers every day, it’s so nice to see. I hope that continues and it would reduce the risks for a company like mine. But it’s quite difficult to predict what will happen for any type of business.
What supports did you receive to set up your business and how could support for entrepreneurs be improved?
The information available to new businesses and entrepreneurs needs to be more accessible and easier to digest. When someone is starting a business they have millions of ideas.
“People who purchase our products love nature and appreciate sustainable products. Sustainability is something they want to invest in”
There are so many things happening, and a lot of different things to think about. It can be quite difficult to understand what support is available and whether businesses at different stages qualify for it. I haven’t had much support other than the huge support from my friends and family, which I would have been lost without.
I know there is support available for growing a business and I would love to leverage it. Enterprise Ireland has quite a lot of support for businesses that are expanding overseas, so that’s a support I will look at and would love to benefit from.
What was the most important thing you learnt and what would you pass on to other businesses?
The most important thing is to make sure you really love what you are doing. You might have lots of good ideas about what you’ d like to do but the reality is it’ s extremely hard work.
“Seeing someone on the beach wearing something that didn’t exist 12 months ago makes me think wow, if I can do this, other people can do this”
There are late nights working out a myriad of problems but when you really love it, that keeps you going. If you do love what you do, you’ll be able to satisfy your customers. No matter how big you grow, it always comes back to making sure your customers are happy, and you love what you do.
What are your plans for the future?
Sustainability is very important to us, especially when our product is associated with the sea. People who purchase our products love nature and appreciate sustainable products. Sustainability is something they want to invest in. Our products are made sustainably and we’ re looking at making our packaging and supply chains as sustainable as possible too.
When we launched, I wasn’t sure where the company was going to go. It has surpassed all my expectations. In 2022, the plan is to expand into markets across Europe. We’ve had a lot of queries from overseas markets so we want to address them and figure out how to scale as much as we can.
What are you most proud of?
Bringing our products from initial design, to creating them and seeing someone on the beach wearing something that didn’t exist 12 months ago makes me think wow, if I can do this, other people can do this. Bringing my creation to life is something that I’ m really proud of.
