Are you in First or Reverse?
Allow me set the scene. A warm summer’s evening in Ballybay circa 2011/2012. For reasons still unbeknown to me, I agreed to go with dad to a house on the outskirts of Ballybay and take out some wet rot affected floor boards. This was my foray into the family business. So I’m buzzing around trying to be as helpful as I can. After a while of just lifting up and putting things down, dad entrusts me with the power- the cordless drill. Feeling like Frodo from Lord of the Rings, I set about unscrewing screws in the floorboard. Much to my misfortune I had the drill setting wrong and a wily old builder quipped: “Are you in First or Reverse there young fella?”. So instead of removing the screw I was in fact drilling it in even deeper. Queue scores of laughter amongst the veterans and a scarlet red face on me.
My days on site have been few and far between since then. Instead I have tried to help the family business via the pen and laptop as opposed to the cordless. The end of my time in college coincided with Harry, Eileen and Stephen’s decision to launch a brand revamp. New logo, new website and new brand image. It was decided that for too long we failed to respond to changes and innovate; the yellow pages acting as our only marketing tool. In response, I have set about optimising the website for SEO, establishing a presence on Instagram and most recently, starting this blog.
McGuinness Building 2.0
Although still very much in its infancy, McGuinness Building 2.0 now has increased levels of website traffic and engagement. For years our website contributed to a measly less than 1% of projects. As of August 2020, that figure now sits at 10% and growing. As cliché as it may sound, the sense of satisfaction you get from contributing to your own family businesses success really cannot be matched.
On a side note, if you have a fear you have screws around your home or office that just aren’t screwed in enough, you know who to call.