ACORNS alumni and Meath native Clare Tully is focused on helping small business owners ‘Thrive’ in the digital age.
Clare Tully had been running her own children’s clothes shop before the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic forced her to close the business.
However, the experience of doing her own social media inspired her to undertake a post-graduate degree in digital marketing.
“ACORNS helped me structure my approach to developing the business. It forced me to be more goals orientated and made me more accountable”
A native of Fordstown, Co. Meath, she set up her own digital marketing agency Thrive Social in January 2024. “We do social media management, strategy and coaching, website design and development – a bit of everything,” she says.
“When I had the kids’ clothes shop, I built the website myself and all the socials. I found that I really enjoyed that side of things. I’m also passionate about small businesses and helping them be successful. I was trying to marry my marketing skills and my experience to help them get off their feet and get online.”
She is a graduate of the celebrated ACORNS women entrepreneurship programme which recently opened applications for 11th Cycle as previous participants reported 54% revenue growth. The next programme has a deadline of midnight on 22 September. The programme is available to early-stage female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland who have generated sales no earlier than the end of June 2022. Up to 50 places are available for ACORNS 11, which will run from October 2025 to April 2026.
Digital marketing maverick
Operating from her home office, she has enjoyed considerable success in her first 18 months in business, earning nominations for Network Ireland and Microbusiness Ireland awards and delivering a digital marketing workshop at the Network Ireland National Conference in September 2024.
“I’ve had some big milestones but getting accepted on the ACORNS programme was a major one. It helped me structure my approach to developing the business. It forced me to be more goals orientated and made me more accountable. The roundtable with other business owners allowed me to develop ideas. The support was unbelievable and helped me realise that I wasn’t working in a void,” she says.
Looking to the future, Clare is hoping to hire a social media manager so that she can concentrate her efforts on coaching workshops.
“Workshops are more accessible to small businesses owners. I want to give them the tools to go and do their own digital marketing, if they can’t afford to hire someone. That’s the direction I’ll be taking the business in the next 12 months,” she says.
From little ACORNS to thriving businesses
Women in rural Ireland with new businesses or at least with well-developed ideas are being invited to join next phase of the programme, ACORNS 11.
The ACORNS programme is designed to support early-stage female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland through a peer learning approach. Thanks to the support of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and the voluntary contribution of time by Lead Entrepreneurs, there is no charge for those selected to participate.
Interested applicants for ACORNS must first register their interest here and will then receive an application by email. There is no charge for participation, thanks to continued government support and the voluntary contribution of time by Lead Entrepreneurs.
Results from ACORNS 10 demonstrate the programme’s impact on rural female entrepreneurship. All 52 participants who completed the cycle reported feeling closer to achieving their business ambitions, with 90% saying their participation brought about practical change within their business. Four businesses started trading for the first time during the cycle.
The financial results were particularly impressive, with the combined annual turnover of ACORNS 10 participants growing from €2.8m to €4.3m, representing a 54% increase. Participants employed a total of 104 staff at the end of the cycle, an increase of 15 positions, and 18 participants had gained export experience.
ACORNS operates on the belief that early-stage entrepreneurs learn best from their peers. The programme features monthly roundtable sessions facilitated by Lead Entrepreneurs who have first-hand experience of starting and successfully growing businesses in rural Ireland.
The programme has also been recognised as a ‘good practice’ on the EU’s INTERREG Learning Platform, adding to its recent accolades.
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