Small businesses and budding entrepreneurs in Laois will have the opportunity to sample 14 events aimed at helping them to start or grow their business as part of this year’s Local Enterprise Week. 

The initiative of the Local Enterprise Offices nationwide, supported by Enterprise Ireland and the local authorities, takes place from the 4th to 8th March this year across the country.   

While there are hundreds of events taking place nationally during the week, including two National Spotlight events that are available for free online, there are also plenty of events in Laois open to all to attend, the majority of which are in person, with great presenters and great networking opportunities.  

This year’s programme of events includes “Be Brave – Take Your Business to the Next Level”, a unique opportunity to glean insights from Pearse Flannery, author of the no.1 bestseller business book ‘Grabbing your Oyster’.

Discover how to recenter your goals, rekindle your focus, and revolutionize your approach to achieving high performance. This seminar will take place in Preston House, Abbeyleix on Wednesday 6th March at 7pm.

Refreshments will be served, and the seminar is devised to empower and motivate people to get the most out of themselves through changing approach, habits, lifestyle, and mindset. 

Local Enterprise Office Laois will host a Women in Business Networking lunch on Friday 8th March to celebrate International Women’s Day.

The event will take place in Castle Durrow from 12:30pm – 14:30pm. The event will feature special guest Lorraine Keane, journalist and freelance broadcaster with RTE and Virgin Media Television, content creator, host and MC of corporate and public events.

Lorraine will speak on her business, give tips on skincare and discuss female health. Lorraine will also be joined by Dr. Mary Ryan, Consultant Endocrinologist who will speak on women’s health and ‘Taking Care of you’. 

Throughout the week, a diverse range of training programmes will be available to meet the needs of small businesses including “Accounts for Small Business”, “Winning Public Tenders – Understanding E-Tenders & Public Procurement” and “Branding Your Business for Success”. 

One-to-one mentoring clinics will also be available for anyone thinking of starting their own business as well as opportunities to speak with experts to discuss key areas of business from financial skills, raising funds and boosting your business online.

Evelyn Reddin, Head of Enterprise said: “Local Enterprise Week is a fantastic marker in the road for any business.  It’s an opportunity to take stock of where you are, see where you can grow, where you can innovate or maybe become more sustainable and see what resources are available on your doorstep. 

“There is something for everyone and those who maybe always had that ambition to start on their own, or a great idea, this is the week to see how to get started and make it happen.

“There are hundreds of events taking place all over the country covering everything from exporting and digital to going green or growing that idea. 

“We also have two National Spotlight events taking place online and open to everyone that include experts from a range of industries.  So online or on your doorstep, I would encourage everyone to check out the schedule of events and get involved.”

The two National Spotlight events are open to everyone and can be accessed online.  The first, “Understanding and leveraging future trends for your business” on Wednesday 6th March looks at what are the trends that will be emerging in the short and long term and how they will affect business. 

The session will also delve into how you can adapt and leverage these trends for business success.

The second spotlight event focuses on the area of sustainability.  The “Sustainability imperative for business success” session on Thursday 7th March will look at how sustainability is becoming a bigger and bigger factor in business survival and success.

Headlined by renowned broadcaster and science and environment expert, Liz Bonnin, it will show how the small changes in your business can make a big impact and most importantly how you can start.    

The full calendar of events for Laois Local Enterprise Week is available through www.localenterprise.ie/laois. 

Most events are free of charge, but all participants must register online at www.localenterprise.ie/laois. All local businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs are invited to take part.