Thousands flock to “Local Enterprise Week”!
Ten Fingal finalists compete at Fingal Enterprise Awards, the overall winner is “WeBringg Ltd.”
Fingal Local Enterprise Office has reported that this year’s Enterprise Week was the biggest ever, with well over ten thousand business owner/managers and aspiring entrepreneurs attending over 300 business events throughout the country.
Locally, most of the Fingal business events were full to capacity with well over 1,000 people participating and using the opportunity to network and learn from business experts. In Fingal, a series of over 20 events included business seminars, workshops, business clinics, networking and pitching events. The week culminated in the Fingal Enterprise Awards which saw Castleknock based “WeBringg” securing the overall winner award, which comes with €5,000 prize out of the total prize fund of €15,000!
The runner-up prize was split between two companies: Dropchef Ltd. of Sutton; and ScoobyBox/BusterBox Ltd. of Baldoyle.
Runners up Gary Redmond, Liam Brennan and Paul Clarke from Buster Box with, Paul Reid CE Fingal (left), the Mayor of Fingal Mary McCamley (centre) and Oisin Geoghegan, Head of Enterprise in Fingal.
Runner up Ryan Scott from Dropchef with Paul Reid, CE Fingal, the Mayor of Fingal Mary McCamley and Oisin Geoghegan, Head of Enterprise in Fingal
Speaking on the busiest week in the diary of the Local Enterprise Office, Chief Executive of Fingal County Council Paul Reid expressed his delight at the range of activities:
“Well over 1,000 people have booked places at our events this week and this is indicative of two things. Firstly the appetite among Fingal based entrepreneurs to improve their own management abilities, their networks and to explore opportunities for growth. Secondly, it demonstrates that our Local Enterprise Office here in Fingal has its finger on the pulse of the real needs of our small business community”.
Congratulating the winner of the Fingal Enterprise Award this year, the Mayor of Fingal said: “I am so impressed with the extraordinary entrepreneurial talent in this competition. It is fantastic that Fingal County Council, through our Local Enterprise Office, is cultivating these wonderful small businesses and providing very practical supports to help them to flourish. Well done to WeBringg and all of the 10 finalists this year”.
The week kicked off with a business breakfast event called “Show me the Money – Raising finance for SMEs” in the Carlton Hotel Dublin Airport, at which all of the state bodies and other funding bodies participated in a panel discussion with Ian Guider of the Sunday Business Post. A panel of five entrepreneurs also featured, joining funders like Enterprise Ireland, the Local Enterprise Office, Microfinance Ireland, Linked Finance, Business Angel Networks, the SBCI, etc.
Brendan Murphy, Emer's Kitchen, Ian Guiden, MC, Gavin Coyle, The Coyle Group, Oisin Geoghegan, Head of Enterpise Fingal, Ann McGee, MIAS pharma, Paul Reid CE Fingal County Council and Billy Griffin, Artisan Solutions Mobile.
On Monday evening the LEO joined forces with Balbriggan Chamber of commerce for a seminar entitled “Driving Sales on Social Media”, led by renowned expert Noel Davidson. SMEs learned how they can use social media to gain new customers and help them promote their brand and products.
Driving Sales on Social Media' Bracken Court Hotel, Balbrigan. Pictured was guests speaker Noel Davidson, Entrepreneurs Academy, Martin Daly, Fingal LEO and Maurice O'Halloran, CEO Balbriggan Chamber of Commerce.
On Tuesday morning, the Howth Sutton Baldoyle Chamber hosted a talk from consumer expert Dermot Goode, who explained how businesses can cut their health insurance costs saving thousands of euro in doing so. It was then over to the Linc in the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown for a “Business Pitching competition”.
Following this on Tuesday evening in Castleknock hotel, BWG Group presented to more than 120 local food producers from the Dublin Food Chain. Details were announced about an innovative new competition being run by BWG as a collaborative initiative with the Local Enterprise Office. In this competition, 10 short-listed businesses will get an opportunity to pitch to become a supplier to BWG, owners of over 1,000 retail outlets in Ireland including Spar, MACE, Londis, and BWG Foodservice, among others.
SImon Marriott, Trading Director BWG, Gill Toal, Geneovese Foods, Oisin Geoghegan, Head of Enterprise in Fingal and Suzanne Weldon, Marketing and Comms Director, BWG.
David McKernan of Java Republic coffee delivered an inspirational talk at a breakfast event hosted by Fingal Dublin Chamber in Portmarnock on Wednesday morning, followed by an information session in Balbriggan on how the new “GDPR” data protection regulatory changes will impact SMEs.
Oisin Geoghegan, Head of Enterprise in Fingal, David McKernan of Java Republic and Con O'Donoghue of White light Consulting
On Thursday the highlight was the Fingal Enterprise Awards, where Conall O’Morain from Today FM hosted a prestigious evening in Swords with 10 fingal finalists, of which We Bringg emerged triumphant and will go on to represent Fingal at the national Enterprise Awards final in May.
Finally, on Friday a major Ethnic Entrepreneurship Expo took place in Blanchardstown, an event opened by Fingal Mayor Cllr Mary McCamley and featuring over 130 ethnic entrepreneurs.
Speaking at the end of a long but exciting week, Head of Fingal Local Enterprise Office, Oisin Geoghegan said: “This has been the best Enterprise Week yet. I am delighted to see so many Fingal businesses availing of the services that are being provided to them. Enterprise Week is now over for this year, but our work goes on throughout the year and our doors are always open to entrepreneurs who have a good idea for a business, and to our established businesses that are seeking support services”.
