From a Local Problem to a Global Business How identifying a simple issue sparked a tech company
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What started as a small project to solve a local parish's burial space issue grew into PlotBox, a global leader in deathcare management software based in Northern Ireland.
This Entrepreneur UK interview with Leona McAllister, CCO & co-founder of PlotBox, showcases how innovative thinking and resilience helped transform a local challenge into an international tech business.
What inspired you to start your business?
PlotBox, the deathcare management technology company, is the first of its kind to integrate deathcare management software and geo-rectified mapping. Along with CEO, Sean McAllister, I co-founded the business in 2014, following us identifying challenges while helping our local parish accurately identify what remaining burial space they had. We realised lots of cemeteries could be facing the same problem and we set about finding a solution. The first ambition was reasonably small - to map all the graveyards in Ireland and offer as an additional service as part of our existing business, but soon we grew our mindset and ambition, switching from a survey company to a tech company.
Today, PlotBox has over 120 employees across the UK, North America, and Australia, and continues to lead the way in deathcare management software solutions.
What was your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?
Although we didn't realise it at the time, our greatest challenge was building the mental resilience to face the daily and weekly struggles—whether it was managing finances, dealing with staffing, and other growth issues. The real test was staying mentally strong, learning to compartmentalise stress, and making time for family, exercise, and self-care. Only in hindsight do we see that this was the most significant challenge: navigating life's ongoing pressures while maintaining the discipline to balance work and personal life.
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How did you secure your initial funding?
After winning a local startup pitch, followed by winning the Invent Awards in Northern Ireland, we were invited to join the 500 Startups accelerator program in California USA. This program came with initial funding as well as follow-on funding as a result of a 500 Startups Demo Day where we had interest from several other investors. Along our journey, we had the opportunity to receive investment and partner with venture capitalist (VC), Par Equity - the team have been great to work with and have played a vital part in supporting our successes.
How do you handle failure or setbacks?
Failures and setbacks can often be valuable learning experiences - they can make you refocus, shift into problem-solving mode, and pivot in a different direction. You can be disappointed for a minute, but then you have to get straight back to it, solve the problem, lead the team confidently, and keep moving forward.
While it is easy to see failures in retrospect, handling failure in the moment can be challenging. The key is to avoid panic, take a moment to feel disappointed about but tenacity is one of our values for a reason - we pride ourselves as being strong at hustling through the tough times and remaining focused.
What advice would you give to someone starting their own business?
A couple of things:
Be part of the ecosystem available to you. Surround yourself with mentors, other startups, and companies who have been there before you or are a little further along the journey. It is great to be open to being challenged.
Get out and talk to the people who are going to be your customers, even (and especially) if you don't have anything to sell them yet. Research and validation is absolutely crucial to successfully launching a product.
How do you stay motivated during tough times?
Staying motivated during tough times ultimately is a result of the people around you. Being surrounded by a strong and supportive team —those who have your back and champion your efforts—makes all the difference. Mentors are crucial, especially those who understand the ups and downs of the journey. Above all, maintaining belief in what you're building, even when facing challenges, is essential. That unwavering belief keeps you pushing forward.
Share your tips for achieving success
There are multiple tips per area of the business, but the key things for us would be:
Team - We are not a family, we are more of a sports team and need top performing, hard working players who are proud to be there. Sometimes that means difficult decisions and conversations.
Numbers - It is essential to have someone on the team who is deeply focused on the numbers, from forecasting to budgeting and managing cash flow, ensuring the business remains financially sound.
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