Power of connection for tomorrow’s leaders New network event exclusive to young entrepreneurs launched by Local Enterprise Offices

Power of connection for tomorrow’s leaders

New network event exclusive to young entrepreneurs launched by Local Enterprise Offices

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A new and energetic event exclusively for young entrepreneurs has been launched by the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) in Cork.

A Network for Cork’s Young Entrepreneurs kick-started on Thursday March 10th, in the atmospheric setting of Cork City Gaol as part of Local Enterprise Week.

The Network, which is exclusively for young entrepreneurs aged 18 to 30 who have an existing business or strong business idea, was attended by over 60 budding business people across a broad range of industries such as health, IT, food, services etc.

The Local Enterprise Offices in Cork launched the network to give young entrepreneurs the opportunity to share resources, collaborate and connect with one another. The demand for such a social network came from the hugely successful campaign to find Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur which attracted applications from hundreds of young businesspeople in Cork last year.

According to Sean O’Sullivan, Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office South Cork, it is extremely important to encourage and support our young talent so that they can realise their business dreams.

“According to a recent report, only 2% of young people in Ireland aspire to become entrepreneurs and Ireland has one of the lowest rates of young people who are self employed which is a statistic we need to change especially as the ideas, skills and young talent is out there.

“The IBYE competition last year showcased an undeniable quality, innovative spirit and passion among tomorrow’s leaders which is why we wanted to develop a regular event through which we could encourage and instil confidence in the next generation of Ireland’s top business people.

“There is a significant commitment required when someone, of any age, wants to seriously pursue a business idea which is why it’s so important to give them an outlet to meet other like-minded people in their position. We look forward to this event blossoming and becoming a regular feature in their calendar.”

Twenty-five-year-old  James Foody, winner of Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur 2015 for Glanmire and California based AYDA,  whose products include a wearable fertility tracker app for women, explained how important networking is for him.

"Having a good business idea is one thing but being able to network and develop the confidence to meet and speak about you and your idea is a vital skill that comes with practice and experience.

"This is a fantastic initiative that will give young entrepreneurs such as myself the opportunity to connect and collaborate and to build our confidence and network.

"Cork, and Ireland as a whole, has such an exciting and world-renowned young talent pool which is why initiatives such as this foster a culture of entrepreneurship and promote start-up businesses as a career option for young people."

Key note speakers at the first Network for Cork’s Young Entrepreneurs were Eimear McNally from Think Visual, creative consultant Meabh Ring and Arun Kapil from Green Saffron who described how communication through packaging is crucial to positioning and attracting sales.