Kildare

...Making It Happen

Business Continuity Voucher available for Retail Businesses to Stabilise, Reset, & Recover Business

Business Continuity Voucher available for Retail Businesses to Stabilise, Reset, & Recover Retail Business

Practical Actions & Support - mentoring and Retail consultancy is available through the Business Continuity Voucher program.

This program of Support has been designed to Stabilise, Reset, & Recover your retail business from the COVID-19 Crisis.  Participant companies will attend 4 highly relevant group workshops followed then by individual mentoring with an experienced retail mentor.

The program will utilize the Jigsaw VAE Business Benchmark & Retail Action Canvas which will assess and develop a clear understanding of the current business situation and the gaps.  This will explore both internal and external elements of your business including.

  •     Inventory turn stock in to cash, ensuring that stock loss is minimized, setting inventory controls to ensure optimum stock levels.
  •     Channels moving from single channel to multi-channel retailing, customer experience at this time.
  •     Finance controlling cash flow, supplier agreements, payment deferrals, state funding supports for staff.
  •     Communications identify internal/external stakeholders, Marketing, Social media presence, current trading options.
  •     Innovation use this time to set in place improved/new means to trade e.g. online presence, inventory controls, retail store layout, re-merchandising opportunities.

 

Workshop sessions are highly interactive, with breakout sessions and the opportunity to learn from peers.  Content will include:

  •       Business Benchmark & Retail Action plan
  •       Financial Planning
  •       Leading your team through change – Remote working systems
  •       Exploring new channels & Innovation on your business model
  •       Marketing & Communication Strategies
  •       Implementation Social Distancing & Health & Safety measures
  •       The changing situation: Up-to-date information on regulations and supports

Mentoring and the develop of your own Business strategy will focus on:

  •      Gap analysis & Action Plan
  •      Making the right decision & acting fast
  •      Financial review: Revised sales projections, cost centres, actions & supports.
  •      Support completing MFI & SBCI Applications for restocking etc.
  •      Web / online trading consultation, assessment, solutions, & support with applications for further funding
  •      Digital Marketing planning & delivery
  •      Health & Safety practices for reopening
  •      Review of remote working solutions and implementation of cloud services.

Kildare LEO have partnered with Jigsaw VEA to offer a whole business solution to business continuity to give small businesses the right advice & tools to Stabilise, Reset, & Recover.

These business continuity services now include:

  •       Retail Mentoring with high experience retail professional
  •       Financial Consultancy
  •       Innovation
  •       Web / Online trading consultancy & solutions
  •       Digital Marketing & Communication
  •       Health & Safety / (implementation of NSAI Standards)
  •       IT / Cloud – Delivery of remote working solutions (Office 365 / G-Suite/Zoom)
  •       Business Practices - Leading Remote Team, Business Process Redesign
  •       Lean Thinking – Delivering Value with scarce resources

Delivery

The workshops are delivered over 1-2 week period in blocks of 2 hours.

  •     4 x 2-hour group sessions – delivered remotely
  •     Multiple individual sessions to guide and write up your strategy to reopen .

 

Note: It is recommended that participants on the program apply for the Business Continuity Voucher in advance and this is used to fund the mentoring & consultancy element. 

Based on the immediate business need, Jigsaw VAE will work with our team to develop an action plan to best support the business.  This will involve advice, action, and assisting the client to draw on the other supports available (TOV, Microfinance, etc.)

How to Apply:

  • As mentioned above, this programme is accessed through the COVID-19 Business Continuity Voucher
  • To apply for this voucher, download the application form here, and submit to localenterprise@kildarecoco.ie before Monday 4th May.
  • Please use the subject line 'Retail Business - Continuity Voucher Application'.
  • Once the application form is approved, you will receive course access details

 

Workshop Schedule:

COURSE BEGINS TUESDAY 5TH MAY

Workshop schedule below. The virtual one to one consultation will be scheduled at a later date.

Workshop 1

  • When: 11:30am - 2:30pm Tuesday 5th May

Workshop 2

  • When: 11:30am - 2:30pm Wednesday 6th May

Workshop 3

  • When: 11:30am - 2:30pm Thursday 7th May

Workshop 4

  • When: 11:30am - 2:30pm Friday 8th May

 

 

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