Wexford business woman shares insights into how her business has lasted 35 years

Fiona Gainfort is an award-winning business owner who, alongside her husband Michael, has worked her way up the victory ladder from a very young age…

Since the Gainfort name will celebrate 35 years of success this year, I decided to speak with the woman in question to see what steps she took to reach the top.

Fiona was born and raised in England until the age of ten, when she and her family moved to Wexford in Ireland.

“I always wanted to be a teacher when I was growing up, but going to college in Dublin just wasn’t something we could afford,” she told Wexford Weekly.

Instead of going down what is now considered the “traditional route,” she took it upon herself to work and train as an accountants technician, as well as taking some online college classes at night. Building her way up with promotions, Fiona then left her job and started her own accountancy practice which ran for around eight years.

At this point she married Michael Gainfort, whose own business, Gainfort Hairdressing Supplies was taking off from the back of his van.

“Michael worked for another wholesalers for many, many years in Dublin, then came back to Wexford and set up out of the back of his van.”

With her experience in accounting, Fiona began looking after the books and the finance side of things for a few more years.

“As Gainfort’s kept growing, Michael kept asking me to leave my accountancy business and come in with him. I got some beauty and hair qualifications for myself so I would know what I’m talking about, and Gainfort Hairdressing Supplies became Gainfort Hair and Beauty Supplies.”

Since teaching was always on the backburner in her mind, she decided to add Gainfort Academy to the business too, where people can come and get all sorts of training in the hair and beauty department.

For a husband and wife to both be individual business owners under the same name is a very unusual dynamic that very rarely lasts for the length of time that these two have.

“Michael has always had a real interest in salon design and is a very hands-on, not sat behind a desk sort of person.”

One thing that keeps the flow of the business going is the pair’s mutual pride in their customer service and loyalty. They have customers that have been with them since Michael was selling products out of his van, and continuously get new ones both individually, and for each other.

“We have learned to set boundaries regarding work. We very much so try and not bring work home. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and will forever play to the strengths and help with the weaknesses and I think that’s how we best make it work.”

Having been together since their teen years, they not only know how to run a smooth business, but how to balance that with raising a family.

Men and women have always been treated differently in the workplace, even when they are in the same position. Giving the Gainforts’ unusual circumstance of opposite genders in equal power, I wanted to know if any improvement has been made since the beginning.

“I had a preconception from people that Michael was the boss and I was just the wifey handling a few books to help him out while rearing the family. It has gotten better definitely since the beginning, but you will still find it happens from time to time.”

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree of successful business women in this family however. Fiona’s maternal grandmother owned her own taxi company and managed a large network of male drivers, despite not being able to drive herself.

Her mother was also the general manager at Avon Ireland for years, so having been brought up around such hardworking and powerful women, it is no wonder they are her biggest inspiration.

When starting up Gainfort Hair and Beauty Supplies it wasn’t the sexism that Fiona felt was the most difficult aspect.

“Fear was probably the hardest. Fear of asking for money to invest in something that we weren’t sure would go anywhere.”

Ultimately it was a leap of faith that set the company soaring. They were the first hair and beauty wholesalers in the entire South East of Ireland, all of the others being located in big cities like Dublin and Galway.

The hair and beauty products that are sold in their store, located in Ardcavan Business Park, are all ones that Fiona personally uses and rates very highly herself.

“We are such a touch, feel, smell industry and a key part is being able to come in and do all of those things,” she says.

It is for these reasons that in ten years’ time she hopes to be exactly where she is and that everything hasn’t moved online.

“The smartest and most personally rewarding career move for me was selling my accountancy business and setting up Gainfort Hair and Beauty Supplies. Networking is the smartest thing to continue doing since it gets your name out there to all sorts of people.”

That networking approach has opened new doors for Fiona, who has since been named Training Provider of the Year, and has won The Woman of Vision Award. It was through her connections with The Irish Hairdressing Council, The Irish Management Institute, and the 30% Club backed by the AIB Bank, as well as her dedication and hardworking commitment, that has helped her reach the level she is now at.

It will always be a nerve-wracking experience to open a business and take such a big step not knowing what the payoff will be.

“Worry is like a rocking horse, it’ll give you something to do, but will get you nowhere. Michael says this all the time, but if I had to give a piece of advice to everyone it would have to be getting in touch with the right people, to trust your bank as they can become so much more than that, and overall to take the leap of faith.”