Ground Wellbeing expects turnover to double this year

Ground Wellbeing, a company which develops wellness treatments and products, is expanding rapidly and expects to double its turnover this year.

The company was founded to relieve people from anxiety, menopause, burnout, gut issues, and treatments for people going though cancer and chemotherapy.

Peigín Crowley, the company’s founder, told the Business Post that she worked as a consultant for 10 years, designing spas and products as well as training teams for various hotels. When lockdown happened, she turned her passion of helping people into a business.

“I’ve been a holistic and massage therapist for 25 years and have always loved and believed in the power of plant essences, aromatherapy – the power and craft of touch and massage in making people feel better. Even during Covid, when we couldn’t touch or hug each other properly is just a reminder of how powerful a way of looking after people it is,” she said.

The company’s range of balms and oils have been sold to hotel spas such as the K Club, the Shelbourne, Mount Juliet Estate, and the Europe Hotel & Resort as well as treatments such as hot and cold stones and holistic massage.

The company launched its products in Brown Thomas in December 2020 and experienced immediate success, selling out online in the first week and selling out in stores in week two.

“In summer 2021, we launched our website, and spas re-opened and started getting in contact with us. We opened in the spas in Ireland and then we started to pop up in Rosewood Hotels in Madrid, Hong Kong, the Caribbean, and Hawaii. After that, we launched in the Four Seasons in the US and Canada”, Crowley told the Business post.

“We are now launching in Berlin, and we have two very prestigious launches in London coming up. It’s been mind-blowing. We have the most incredible head of training and treatment development, Rachel O’Malley. She’s just incredible, it’s just brought us on from strength to strength.”

Ground Wellbeing expects to double its turnover this year and Crowley said that gift purchases have been a big contributor to its fast growth.

“Our greatest growth trajectory is gifting of our products. People are receiving gifts from people through us and leaving a personal note and then those people are buying two gifts for someone else. It’s amazing the growth that gifting has given us.”

The Local Enterprise Offices in Cork have been extremely helpful providing grants and mentorship on finances to Crowley and her 12 person staff, she said.

Ground Wellbeing is now entering the High-Potential Start-Up Unit with Enterprise Ireland and along with helping the company establish new markets in countries such as Japan.

Crowley said Enterprise Ireland have been instrumental in funding her ability to hire a key employee to help her run the business.

“There’s a moment in your business where you are doing too much for one person. You must find out where you’re strong and where you’re weak and supplement yourself and bring someone in to help you with that.

“It’s all about trust and handing over your baby but it feels so good, and it feels right, and Enterprise Ireland have been great with that.”