Company: Araya Business & Marketing Solutions
Sector: Digital Marketing
Hub: Ballinasloe Enterprise Hub

About Araya

Founded in 2019 by Niamh Creaven Connaughton and Honoria Mitchell Black, Araya is a digital marketing agency providing outsourced support for businesses of all sizes. Their services span social media management, content creation, email campaigns, event management, and strategic marketing solutions. As Niamh explains, ‘basically we are your marketing team, just outsourced.’

From its beginnings at a kitchen table, Araya has grown into a trusted partner for local and national clients, helping them launch products, grow their reach, and manage campaigns with creativity and measurable results.

Why Ballinasloe Enterprise Hub?

After initially working from home and then from the Ballinasloe Enterprise Centre, Niamh and Honoria moved into the newly developed Enterprise Hub in the town centre. The reasons were clear:

• Affordability & low risk: Rent includes electricity, heating, high-speed broadband, furniture, parking, and access to a canteen – allowing them to scale without financial strain.
• Location: In the heart of town, close to clients, and local businesses and local initiatives.
• Heritage with a modern twist: A vibrant, light-filled space that retains original features of its former life as a bank chamber.
• Professional showcase: A base they are proud to bring clients to, enhancing credibility.

“All you need is your laptop – everything else is here. Affordable rent, utilities, broadband, even furniture. It took away the risk and gave us room to grow.” – Niamh Creaven Connaughton

“For me the biggest difference is when you leave the house, you’re already putting yourself in a different mental space – a space where you can work uninterrupted, and also get the support of other business people”. – Honoria Mitchell Black,

Community & Collaboration

The Enterprise Hub is more than just an office:

• Peer network: From web designers to creatives and even a tattoo studio, the mix of tenants creates unexpected opportunities.
• Chance conversations: Informal chats in the kitchen have led directly to client referrals and collaborations.
• Support structures: Access to the wider Ballinasloe Area Community Development network, the Pulse Club, and local accountants and suppliers within walking distance.

“The community here has been a game-changer. Those chance conversations over coffee have led to referrals and real business opportunities.” – Honoria Mitchell Black

Niamh says ‘I absolutely love the space. It’s fresh, it’s funky, it’s modern, but at the same time it has a lovely nod to its original, heritage. It used to be an old bank chamber. You can see upstairs we have lovely original stonework. When we bring people here, we’re proud of this lovely modern space, but with these lovely original features’

The Hub Effect

Moving from home working to the Enterprise Hub gave Araya a clear shift in focus and mindset:

• Productivity boost: Leaving the house sets the tone for a professional, structured workday.
• Separation of work and home: Critical for founders with young families.
• Client confidence: Professional meeting rooms and bright spaces make a strong impression.
• Business focus: With the hub manager handling facilities, the team can concentrate fully on client delivery and growth.

“There’s a fabulous community here in the enterprise hub. There’s such a plethora of businesses. And that’s what really, really makes a difference – making these connections personally and professionally. – Niamh Creaven Connaughton

Why It Matters

Araya’s journey highlights how hubs empower small businesses to professionalise, scale, and embed themselves in their local economy. For founders, the move into a hub environment delivers both tangible business benefits and intangible ones – confidence, community, and credibility.

✅ Key Takeaway: Enterprise hubs like Ballinasloe provide more than space – they are catalysts for growth, collaboration, and entrepreneurial confidence.