A County Down coffee shop and restaurant is set to grow after receiving a grant through the government-backed Go Succeed business support service.
Avril McIlveen, who took over The Goose Coffee House in Comber earlier this year after two decades as a stay-at-home mum said she now plans to expand its services to use the venue as a community hub.
Inspired to become a business owner following a conversation with a friend, Avril took over The Goose Coffee House in the summer.
Avril McIlveen, who took over The Goose Coffee House in Comber earlier this year after two decades as a stay-at-home mum said she now plans to expand its services to use the venue as a community hub.
Inspired to become a business owner following a conversation with a friend, Avril took over The Goose Coffee House in the summer.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00My business is The Goose Coffeehouse and we're here in Cumber and basically I'm
00:09wanting to try and make The Goose more into like a community hub as well where
00:13there'll be events for people within the town. I've always wanted to start my own
00:17business, wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do, I've been in hospitality most of
00:21my life and this opportunity came up so I just grabbed it with both hands. What
00:25made me see it to be a success was my friends and my family have such a good
00:30connection, I've got such good support behind me and they encouraged me right
00:34from the start to do it and that if anybody could do it I could do it. When I
00:39first started with Go Succeed I heard somebody talking about it and a friend
00:42had mentioned it to me who's also in the business and I will take any help there
00:47is available. I am not ashamed to say that I need help and if there's anything
00:52going I'm there for it. What I've benefited with Go Succeed is my one-to-one
00:58mentoring. We've put together a good business plan and also she was the one
01:02who advised me about the grant funding that there was available and then
01:06whenever I looked into it I managed to be able to get the grant so I have a
01:10grant to help me do a lot of work within the place. The impact from Go Succeed is
01:14the help and the support that you get and it's not that it's something online
01:20it's face-to-face you're talking to somebody. A lot of things is all online
01:25or virtual but there's actually a person there and we sit and have a cup of tea
01:29or coffee and we go through everything and she will point out things that I'm
01:35missing. I've never run a business before in my life, this is my first time so that
01:42help is fundamental for me. Proudest moment to date? Every day just coming in
01:48and open the doors and seeing the customers and my staff are just all of
01:54them are wonderful I couldn't do it without them. Every day is a proud moment.