OPEN Sesame’s owner Sally Smith opened her business in 1988. As part of Inter- national Women’s Day, she recounts the early days in Ennis and Gort, and discusses challenges she faced on route to becoming a successful business owner.
I am pleased to celebrate my 37th mother’s day as proud owner of Open Sesame. I opened Open Sesame’s doors in a tiny outlet in Parnell Street in August 1988 – I had no till, no phone and of
course no computer. I used a simple red cash box, a calculator, and a large notebook for takings and expenses. I was armed with those simple tools, and the knowledge I had gained by attending a 12-week FÁS business course in Galway.
In the early days, suppliers often asked “can I speak to the boss” and I would enjoy replying “you already are”. The other assumption made was that because I was a
woman, Open Sesame was secondary income or a hobby. I am glad this assumption has changed.
Married to a very supportive musician, the shop was my venture and our main source of income. Looking back, there were several other women running their own businesses in the street even then – some of whom are still going to this day.
Compared to the early days, things are much better for women now. Driving into the city recently I noticed at least eight woman of different ages at various points running in fabulous gear full of pride, health and energy, heads high full of power and sass. I thought of my own two fine daughters my four granddaughters and of my 97-year old mother who is still the strong woman I grew up with. She still puts make-up on every day!
After a few years trading, we moved the business to a bigger and better premises a few doors up with the expertise of a great shop fitter – an exciting project. Then came my first taste of being “victims of your own success” when ex-staff and others opened rival sores in Ennis. There’s no point glossing over it – to be honest, I was disappointed and worried for the future. However, this challenge encouraged me to open a second branch, closer to my home, in the lovely town of Gort in 2000. Even 12 years on from opening in Ennis, there were still doubts as to the viability of a health food store in the town but we hit the ground running. Trading through two recessions and a pandemic is something I’m proud of, as well as the employment opportunities we have provided to so many.
There are still challenges of course – not least the over saturation of outlets and the rise of the faceless multinational chain stores. Gargantuan, non-Irish owned brand scan take from the character of a small town. It doesn’t take long for the high street to lose its soul and become a copy of every other city.
By using extreme buying power, some chains are able to offer discounts that we simply can’t compete with. However, our secret super-power is our knowledge and investment in staff training. We love to keep track of the latest scientific research and innovation.
Just recently I attended the Health Stores Ireland annual event in Shannon and was delighted to see innovation and passion is still at the heart of the Irish health- food industry.
It’s nice also to see my son Leroy in the role that I filled myself in the past as chairperson of Health Stores Ireland. It’s been great to see the things that were considered alternative when I started Open Sesame – things that I have always loved, become accepted and mainstream. Yoga, pilates, supplements and the importance of diet in overall well-being are just some of the things that were considered avant-garde back in 1988 but are now very much part of our culture.
Another super-power of ours is our relationship with customers. We would be nowhere without them and find it so important to listen and learn from our customers’ feedback. We encourage people to let us know how they get on with a product and do our best to source anything we may not have on our shelves for them.
The last but most import- ant super-power I will leave you on is our staff – apart from my wonderful son, all of them are strong knowledgeable females who I am proud to work alongside, just a little less than I used to – I am 70 you know!
