The business community of the North Cork area received great information last Thursday morning when JJ O’Connell, PLATO spoke to a full house at Fermoy Community Youth Centre.

The Local Enterprise Office hosted the Information and Networking seminar.

This was a short two hour seminar. It was a twofold event – first, it was a presentation on the importance of Networking entitled “How to understand why networking is an essential pillar of enterprise and why it is the source of all successful and valuable business relationships: Understanding what you need to do and why you need to do it consistently”.

It was a short 30 minute presentation and JJ imparted the key messages.

The Speed Networking was facilitated by J.J. O’Connell, National Director of the PLATO Business Support and Development Network. Speed Networking took place and networking is an essential pillar of enterprise. It is the starting point of many successful business relationships.

Joan Kelleher, Business Adviser, Local Enterprise Office, kicked off the morning with details of the supports offered by the Local Enterprise Office. Clodagh Glavin, Chairperson of the NRG Group in Fermoy , shared information  on the NRG Referral Group.

"At first they will ask you why you’re doing it, later they will ask you how you did it.

I like to close our weekly meeting with a motivational quote. That's what we do at NRG- we encourage, support and motivate each other and their businesses. Founded in 2009, NRG stands for North Cork Referral Group, we refer people to each other's business. We meet every Thursday morning at 7.15am in Fermoy Community Youth Centre and discuss how our businesses are going and most importantly we refer business to each other. It's an informal networking group we ask people in business to come in and give us presentations on how they got to where they are in business. Personally for me this group of people are the bravest people I know and I am honoured to hold the chair this term.

Guest Speaker J.J. O’Connell, National Director of the PLATO Business Support and Development Network, stated “Good business relationships are founded on trust and a sense of expectation that a mutual need will be satisfied in a transaction. Meeting and communicating with like-minded people is the starting point of building relationships. Considering the level of energy and enthusiasm in the conversations at the (networking) event I am confident that business and enterprise is in good hands in North Cork”.

According to Joan Kelleher, Business Adviser of the Local Enterprise Office, “in today’s business climate, networking with potential clients has never been more important. There is a realisation among most sensible business people that they look beyond traditional ways of doing business and the type of promotional activities that they previously engaged in. We have been delighted with the enthusiastic response that this networking initiative has received, which demonstrate that smaller companies are willing to look at every opportunity that presents itself”.

The event received an overwhelming thumbs-up from all in attendance as they left with an invigorated pep in their step.

If you wish to book a place on any of the Local Enterprise Office Training Programmes, log on to book your place at www.localenterprise.ie/CorkNorthandWest