After working in design for twenty years, Betty took the leap and moved
back to her hometown and into floristry. Setting up Lulabelle Flowers has
seen her become a staple on the high street in Dun Laoghaire and both her creativity and businesses flourish.
Lulabelle, a nickname given to her by her Mum, opened its doors three years ago and now encorporates a clothing store. Not stopping there, Betty recently opened Good Vibes Cafe and also runs an established flower school teaching sustainable floristry with new classes launching in 2022.
Family is really at the centre of her seaside empire. Her Dad was a tailor as well as a jazz musician and the Good Vibes Cafe is named in homage to him. In fact, tailoring and design run through her family so for Betty adding clothing to her store, “feels like being back where I belong.”
Going back to the beginning, it was wedding styling that led Betty on the path to becoming the businesswoman she is today.
Her eye for design and a natural talent for creating enchanting and engaging experiences for all the senses can be seen in both of Betty’s growing businesses. In both locations she partners with the best Irish suppliers she can source, whose products are also sustainable. This is a big part of her business ethos, along with championing female entrepreneurs and being at the heart of her community.
Built for every business.
‘Heart’ is also one of the reasons she chose to switch to Square - feeling that Square truly cares about the small business community matched Betty’s warm motivation to be an active part of hers.
“Customer Service is number one. It doesn’t matter what you do or who you are - you will get treated the same way.”
With both businesses on the same street Betty can be in two places at once when it comes to her transactions.
“Switching to Square has been really, really easy - there’s nothing to it and in two clicks of a button I can see what’s happening in both of my locations.”
Aesthetic matters too, and the sleek compact design of the Square Terminal is a hit with Betty as well.
Good Vibes Cafe came as a natural direction to grow the business and another opportunity to provide for the community. This time by creating a hub of carefully sourced Irish made products, serving the most delicious coffee and a place to meet, relax and feel a part of Dun Laoghaire life.
Each of Betty’s businesses are rooted in authentic experiences and desire to share them with her customers from sharing her knowledge of floristry through teaching, helping her customer choose a new outfit or serving up delicious coffee in the cafe. She has created a welcoming corner for everyone to enjoy and we can’t wait to see what she does next.
Visit Lulabelle here and of course in person if you can!