The Start Your Own Business Evening course is delivered LIVE VIA ZOOM over six 3 hour workshops, with each workshop covering different aspects of starting and managing a successful business.

The course is delivered through practical and interactive training and at the end of the course, participants will have completed a draft Business Plan.

Participants will also avail of telephone and email support from the trainers.

Who the course 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 focusing on their business development
• People who want to produce a business plan

What you can expect from the course:

• 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 workshops
• 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

Programme Outline

Getting Started

• Setting achievable goals
• The Business Plan and introduction to the Business Model
• The elements that make a business successful
• Gauging if your business idea is viable
• Information and how to get it
• Planning and organising the business
• Step by step guide to getting started

Tax and the Law

• Choosing the right legal structure
• Basics of Irish Tax system: Income tax, Universal Social Charge, PRSI
• Your obligations
• Calculating the cut-off point, Tax credits and reliefs
• Calculating expenses 

Researching the market

• Creating a profile of customers and competitors
• Methods and sources of Market research
• SWOT analysis
• Creating a market research plan

Marketing- product, price, promotion, place

• Positioning
• Making the most of press, social networks and media
• Advertising, packaging and branding
• Creating a Marketing Plan 

Financial Management

• Cashflow management
• Sources of finance
• Variable, Fixed and Capital costs
• Break Even Point
• Pricing 

Sales and Communication

• Creating leads
• Communicating effectively with your customers
• Customer Care strategies 

VAT and Book keeping

• Responsibilities, records and completing the books
• Designing a simple book-keeping system that works

The Business Plan

• Drawing all the elements together
• Presentation
• Time management
• Action planning
• The future

Free One to One Meeting with Trainer upon completion of course

This course is FREE of charge to all Offaly based participants.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS COURSE WILL BE DELIVERED ONLINE. 

This training will be delivered by Glen Anderson of Irish Colleges Training Centre