The Start Your Own Business Programme is delivered over 8 weeks, with each 3 hour evening workshop covering different aspects of starting and managing a successful business. The course is delivered through practical, informal and interactive training and at the end of the 8 weeks, participants will have completed a draft Business Plan. Participants will also avail of telephone and email support from the trainers.

Who the programme is for:

• Anyone with a business idea they want to develop
• Anyone looking at self-employment as a realistic career option
• Anyone who has recently started a business
• People who are committed to 8 weeks of focusing on their business development
• People who want to produce a business plan

What you can expect from the programme:

• Access to experienced business trainers who have successfully started their own businesses
• Access to experienced trainers across marketing, business development and finance
• Practical case studies and presentations from local people who have started their own businesses
• Key advice on the steps to starting a business
• Easy to understand, practical information and guidance with comprehensive notes for future reference
• A clear set of targets for your business success and income requirements
• A reasonable idea of whether the business will be feasible or not
• An action plan to develop your business and a business plan to guide you through the start up phase

What we expect from you:

• Commitment to attending all 8 evenings of the programme
• Commitment to researching the idea and taking direction from the trainers
• Commitment to producing a draft of a business plan by the end of the programme

Business areas covered on the programme:

• Getting started: Assessing your business idea
• Legal Structures and other steps to starting a business
• Market Research 
• Marketing Strategy: product, price, promotion and place
• Financial Management: cashflow management and pricing
• Bookkeeping and Taxation
• Sales and Communication
• The Business Plan