WILD GEESE Niamh GivenFounder of online wine merchant Crushed Grapes, China
GROWING AFFLUENCE means more and more Chinese people are interested in the finer things in life, such as good wine, and Dubliner Niamh Given sees greater sophistication plus the online shopping boom as a major opportunity.
Eight years ago, Given had finished her degree in commerce and Spanish at UCD, and was four weeks away from starting the CEMS Masters at Smurfit when along came the opportunity to join Irish supply chain company PCH in Shenzhen.
“After meeting with Liam Casey and learning about PCH, it was an opportunity I could not turn down – even though I didn’t even know where Shenzhen was at the time!
I don’t actually think I made a conscious decision to leave Ireland – it’s more I was in search of an exciting opportunity and experience,” she says.
At the time the company was still small, employing about 40 people. “When I met Liam, he wasn’t sure what role I was going to be involved in but he said no matter what it should be interesting!”
During her time at PCH, she worked in all areas of the business, including sales and finance and operations. She also hit the books and two years ago started a part-time Masters in Financial Analysis at Hong Kong University of Science Technology.
Given put together a business plan for an idea she and her husband Dan Given had been kicking around for a few years – building a wine business for the Chinese market.
“The moment I had finished the business plan, I knew that we could not let this opportunity stay dormant any longer. As Dan already runs his own businesses , I knew I was the one that needed to leave PCH and kick-start this new business venture,” she says.
She left PCH in October 2010, established her China Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise by February 2011 and by July last year the website of the online wine destination Crushed Grapes ( crushedgrapes.cn) was launched.
There is a massive market in China for both cheap and very expensive wines, but the decision was taken to focus on the middle of the market, looking at boutique wines from a very select range of vineyards.
As well as selling from their portfolio of 30 wines, Crushed Grape does bilingual online tutorials using video wine blogs. About 60 per cent of its customers are people ordering online, and about 40 per cent of her customer base is Chinese.
Given has no tech background, although her brother has just launched a music tech start-up ( 45sound.com).
“Wine and operations were my background, the rest we knew we would need to find the right people to work with and learn very, very quickly.
“We’ve been lucky to have been able to use the resources available here in China and I now know more about website design and development than I ever thought I would.
“I guess what I love about doing business here in Asia is the energy. There’s always something going on – a deal being struck, someone chasing a potential opportunity or just meeting people from all walks of life. There is a real feeling that anything is possible,” she says.
Doing business in China, like anywhere in the world, can be challenging, but her background in Shenzhen, the sheer entrepreneurial buzz of that city, plus the experience of dealing with global clients has been a big help.
“As a place to start a business, the enthusiasm and support that people give you is very valuable – there is energy of opportunity,” she says.
There are regulatory challenges, but she says the key is to remain patient and focused – “No” doesn’t necessarily mean “No”, it’s important to explore why and what other options are available.
Her experience on establishing a start-up has left her optimistic on Ireland’s longer term prospects.
“Things are definitely not great back at home but I have really seen a change in people’s attitude – people are starting to take a positive approach and are looking to the future,” she says.
“Ireland has been through tough times before and we will rise again. Start-ups are going to be key to this recovery.”
She cites the example another ex-PCH employee, Fiona Halliday, who moved back to Ireland last year to start up an online shoe store ( trixiebelles.ie), using the design and manufacturing skills she learned in China and applying them to the Irish and UK markets.
To anyone considering a move to Asia, Given speaks with evangelical zeal.
“Go for it! There is such energy, opportunities to travel and learn about so many different cultures that if you have the chance to come out here you should go for it.
“The most important thing is to have an open and broad mindset – when you are living in such a diverse environment, it’s important to embrace it and you will be surprised at the amount of potential opportunities and experiences you will encounter.”
I guess what I love about doing business here in Asia is the energy. There’s always something going on – a deal being struck, someone chasing a potential opportunity
