LIMERICK business week begins this Monday where a host of free events will make up the week long series where venues will play host to speakers and groups sharing experience and vital tips to the business community.
The naming of the winners in the Limerick Best Young Entrepreneur competition and a business networking workshop hosted by communications executive and broadcaster Anton Savage are among the highlights of Limerick Business Week 2014, which gets underway this coming Monday.
Running from October 6th to 10th at various venues around the city and county, the 11th annual initiative is the first to be hosted by the Limerick Local Enterprise Office (LEO).
The aim of Business Week is to inform, advise and motivate businesses and potential entrepreneurs across Limerick. Events taking place next week include a social networking workshop, an enterprise clinic, self employment information event, the launch of a new financing scheme for SME’s, a networking event for businesswomen, a food business advice seminar, and a guided tour and talk focusing on the issue of Crowd Funding.
This year’s programme has been developed in conjunction with the Paul Partnership, Limerick Chamber of Commerce, Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) and Ballyhoura Development Limited.
“Limerick Business Week is a very important annual event on the local business calendar as it encourages start-ups, SMEs and multinational companies to share and learn from each others’ experiences,” commented Eamon Ryan, Chief Executive of LEO Limerick.
He continued: “Over the years, Limerick Business Week has been developed locally as a mechanism to promote entrepreneurship as an opportunity to all sectors, levels and people. The Week also encourages members of Limerick’s business community to speak openly about their experiences, to encourage potential entrepreneurs and to encourage investment in the community.”
“We have prepared a programme of speakers and networking events that contains something of interest for those involved with or who have an interest in developing the local business and enterprise sector,” added Mr. Ryan.
Limerick Business Week gets underway in the Castletroy Park Hotel next Monday October 6th when the winners of Limerick’s Best Young Entrepreneur are announced. €50,000 is being invested in the business models of Limerick’s three winning entrepreneurs who will also proceed to regional and national finals with the aim of finding Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur.
At the same venue from 5.30pm to 9.00 pm, Anton Savage – broadcaster and Managing Director of The Communications Clinic – will present a business networking session and talk. The event is free but pre-booking is essential via www.localenterprise.ie/limerick.
On Tuesday 7th October, Shane McCarthy (CEO and Co-Founder of BlueChief Solutions) will present a workshop that will provide attendees with a basic knowledge of LinkedIn and Twitter and how these can benefit businesses. Hosted by Limerick Chamber of Commerce, the free event takes place from 12.30pm to 2.30pm at Absolute Hotel. Booking essential via info@limerickchamber.ie / 061 415180.
From 2.00pm to 4.00pm, Ballyhoura Development will host a Self Employment information event outlining enterprise and self employment supports available to people who are in employment, are unemployed, looking to develop a business idea or who are interested in the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance. The free event takes place at Coote Hall in Kilmallock, Booking essential on 061 450070 or jhassett@ballyhoura.org.
Ballyhoura Development will host one-to-one Enterprise Clinics throughout the day for existing traders and people thinking of starting up a business. Positions are available by appointment on 063 91731 / chorgan@ballyhoura.org.
On Wednesday 8th October, the Dunraven Arms Hotel in Adare will be the venue for a talk on business financing featuring a range of experts including Michael Johnson (Chief Executive of Microfinance Ireland) and Paul Kerr (Member of the Institute of Banking, the Sales Directors Association of Ireland, and the Irish Mediators and Venture Capital & Private Equity Ireland). The free event will also feature the launch of Microfinance Ireland (MFI), a not-for-profit lender which has been established to deliver the Government’s Microenterprise Loan Fund through the country’s network of Local Enterprise Offices. Booking is essential via Microfinance Ireland on 01 2601007.
Later in the day from 6.00pm to 9.00pm at the Castletroy Park Hotel, the Limerick LEO will host a free Women In Business networking event featuring guest speaker, Colette Twomey of Clonakilty Black Pudding. Booking is essential via www.localenterprise.ie/Limerick. Further enquiries to Smart Marketing Limited,info@smartmarketing.ie or 086 8561827
LIT will host two separate events during Thursday 9th October. From 12.30pm to 2.00pm at LIT’s National Franchise Centre at 108 O’Connell Street, there will be a networking session and talk on how organic growth can be achieved through Innovation and Strategic Alliance. Dr. Michael Daragh Naughton (Principal Investigator at the ACORN Research Centre at LIT) will demonstrate how innovation can positively affect a business which is working, locally, nationally and internationally. John McNamara (Founder and CEO of BCM Business Cost Management) will discuss the subject of Strategic Alliances in business. Booking details from nfc@lit.ie.
Meanwhile, the Discovery Partnership Ltd who are part of the LIT Training and Mentoring Panel for enterprise start-up and growth support will host a Crowd Funding seminar at Croom Community Enterprise Centre from 11.30am to 1.00pm. Free transport will be provided to and from Limerick City. Booking viabelinda@croomenterprisepark.com.
Limerick Business Week 2014 concludes on Friday 10th October with a presentation of findings from four annual surveys of Small Business Start Ups in Limerick City and how they fared in the two years since they commenced traded. The presentation in the Abbey Suite of the Absolute Hotel from 10.00am to 1.00pm will be made by Helen Fitzgerald (Performance Monitoring, Research and Evaluation Officer with the PAUL Partnership).
Meanwhile, Ballyhoura Development will host a talk on the Food Business sector for new and existing producers and providers. Marie Curtin of Athlacca-based Temple Dairies Ltd. will be guest speaker at the event which takes place at Coote Hall in Kilmallock from 10-11am. Booking in advance is essential.
Further information and booking details in relation to Limerick Business Week 2014, visit www.localenterprise.ie/limerick.
