Lucan entrepreneur Arzu Gorbil is among 25 makers selected to take part in this year's Kilkenny Design Makers Academy
Crochet Dolls earns academy place
LUCAN-based business The Crochet Dolls is one of 25 taking part in the Makers Academy this year.
The Crochet Dolls was founded by Arzu Gorbil, a dual Irish-Turkish citizen, who set up the company from her home in Doddsborough after she lost her job during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Her creations that were initially intended for her daughters had caught the attention of people who wished to buy them off her after she started posting them on social media.
The Lucan entrepreneur enlisted the help of a group of women to produce the dolls for a wider audience and has not looked back since.
Arzu said: “I learned to crochet as a child, and I was doing little pieces for my daughters, and I decided to share them on Instagram. So, I created an Instagram account and I started sharing them, and people wanted to order my pieces, which I wasn’t expecting, to be honest.
“I started taking orders, but there was no way I would be able to cope with it myself. Now, a group of women help me with the production, and six years later, we still continue this business.”
The businesswoman came into contact with the Local Enterprise Office in South Dublin through Instagram as well.
The South Dublin LEO has offered Arzu advice on bookkeeping, how to market a product and more, and has even opened the door to connections with other local businesspeople.
“I met another group of small business owners – we now have a WhatsApp group. It is definitely an amazing community. If we are stuck, if we need to find out about something, we always ask one another.”
Her nomination for the Kilkenny Design Makers Academy came as a surprise, but the local businesswoman noted that it has been an enjoyable time so far.
Alongside other local businesses like Tae Tea of Walkinstown and Illina of Lucan, The Crochet Dolls completes a trifecta of South Dublin representation.
Social media has been a notable part of the academy, according to Arzu, and pop-ups through Kilkenny Design outlets, such as the location at Liffey Valley Shopping Centre, will allow the companies to gain visibility.
“Social media is really important for small businesses, so we had a presentation from TikTok on how it can be useful for our businesses.
“Also, the e-commerce manager of the Kilkenny Design made a great presentation to us and we received lots of knowledge and asked questions.
“In November and December, I will have a pop-up with the Kilkenny Design shops, a great opportunity to be there and meet customers in person.
“Kilkenny Design has a really good reputation in Ireland, so it’s a great way to expose our brand as well.”
