Inaugural Mid-West business week a success

CLARE, Tipperary North, Kerry, Limerick City and Limerick County Enterprise Boards have heralded the inaugural Mid-West Regional Business Week a huge success.

A total of 45 events took place during the week, with an extensive programme of seminars, workshops, networking events and expos addressing relevant business topics. This concerted, combined initiative organised by the city and county enterprise boards and Enterprise Ireland was organised with the region’s development agencies and statutory authorities hosting a wide range of events.
The main regional highlights of the week included the official launch of the inaugural Mid-West Regional Business Week by Minister for Trade and Commerce, Billy Kelleher and the Mid-West regional networking evening with Seán Gallagher from Dragon’s Den.
The Enterprise Expo attracted over 40 stands from professional bodies who offered advice and guidance to business owners and those thinking of starting a business. Many of the enterprises who took part in the expo have received funding from Enterprise Ireland or the Enterprise Boards and are an example of the local successful entrepreneurship stories in the Mid-West Region.
At the event titled, Put Your Money where your Mouth Is, guest speaker Seán Gallagher of Dragon’s Den stated that “in this difficult time of doom and gloom it is time to stop talking about the problems and to move forward and find solutions”.
He advised the audience that entrepreneurship is a very viable option for people who are out of work. “We need to support the entrepreneurial spirit that is alive throughout the county. We need to identify these entrepreneurs, provide training for them and link them in with the education institutions and with experienced people who are already in business. It is imperative that they have access to start up capital,” he said.
The inaugural Mid-West Regional Business Week sent out a clear and positive message to the small and medium sector that the Enterprise Boards, in partnership with Enterprise Ireland, have an all-hands-on-deck approach to the real challenges being faced by the sector in the current climate. The enterprise boards were established over 15 years ago with a remit to be proactive, innovative and responsive to the needs of enterprises at a local level.
For further details on the supports offered by the Clare County Enterprise Board contact 065 68 41922, email clareceb@clareceb.ie or log onto www.clareceb.ie