For the latest in our series of editorials focusing on Irish Women in Business, we’re talking to Ursula Boland, the founder of GaryB Wheelchair Accessories.
Ursula set up the business because she wanted to give her son Gary, who was born at 27 weeks and suffers from multiple disabilities, more choice in his wheelchair accessories. Here she tells us, in her own words, about juggling her business and family life.
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Ten years ago, I would never have imagined GaryB Wheelchair Accessories was a possibility never mind a reality. It wasn’t even an idea. Ten years ago, I had a four-year-old child with many special needs and a three-month-old baby, and I never imagined a life where I could have the time or energy to take on such a venture. Life with a child with so many special needs was, to say the least, trying. As Gary was growing, it was hard to find wheelchair accessories that were practical yet fun and age-appropriate. This is where the idea came from. In others words, it was out of necessity.
I was always handy with the sewing machine from skills I learned from my mam and this led me to take matters into my own hands. When I needed a blanket that would keep him warm but was fun and looked good, I figured I could make something that would do the job. But it turned into much more than that. Everyone loved it and I started to make them for friends and it kind of expanded from there.
I toyed with the idea of starting a business for three or four years, weighing up all the options as well as the pros and cons. For example, time was a major concern. After all, I had a disabled child who was prone to spending time in hospital with very little notice. Financially, I had to decide whether it was worth giving up my career allowance, knowing that I wouldn’t get it back with the government cutbacks. Another worry was not having the business background. I had to ask myself whether I wanted to be a stay at home mother to my kids that were growing up, or go out there and do something that I knew I was good at, that there was a demand for and that I loved doing. So here we are.
My aim initially was to provide a range of products that were practical and functional yet fun, friendly and age-appropriate. The research showed there was a huge gap in the market for products that catered for the needs of someone in a wheelchair or with special needs that also wanted to look fashionable and cool. Existing products were functional but boring so my idea was clear.
I have always had a vision about GaryB. I pictured having a small workshop and GaryB vans driving around delivering my products, but now this seems so much closer to a reality and really is a huge possibility. I am so proud of my product and have always known that they do exactly what they’re supposed to do, which is unusual as so many times you buy something with great expectations and you are left disappointed and out of pocket. The life experience has really come into play in designing my ranges as I have designed products that I have to be happy to use on my son.
It has taken years to get to where I am now and it hasn’t been without its hitches. As I’ve said, it all started with a blanket and that was eight years ago. I developed the GaryB Blanket set originally and then the Bandana Dribbler. These were my two products and with these I decided to dip a toe in the water and do the Fingal ‘Start Your Own Business’ course. It gave me a great insight into what what I needed to do to turn this dream into a reality.
I think the decision to start GaryB has been the biggest challenge. There were a lot of things to consider, having Gary with so many needs as well as two other kids. I didn’t want to feel anything would have to give and compromise my time with them. But at the end of the day I was ready to do something else and push myself in another direction. It is something I love and feel I am good at so it is a win win situation.
I have had many proud moments so far. Each time I accomplish something, I am super happy with myself because this is so different for me and not natural at all. At times I really feel out of my comfort zone but each time I do something it gives me great satisfaction. To date there have been a couple of things that really stand out such as appearing on TV3 and launching my new website. It’s exactly the way I imagined it. Another highlight was featuring in Spokeout Magazine. I think I’m growing as a business person and taking it all in which makes me feel very proud as well.
GaryB is unique in many ways. I have first hand experience of the kind of products and the quality that is needed for my products and my target audience. I have empathy with my customers and understand their needs as well as how difficult it is to find the perfect accessory at a reasonable price.
To find out more about GaryB Wheelchair Accessories, visit the website here or check out the Facebook page. To suggest other great Irish women to feature in this series, please do get in touch.
