Local Enterprise Week 2020 ‘# Making it Happen’ runs from March 2 to 6. One of the highlight events for the week will take place on Friday, March 6, with International Women’s Day 2020 celebrated at the Celtic Ross Hotel, Rosscarbery. The event will include networking, as well as a panel discussion and keynote speakers. It is open to women in business across all sectors, whether you are an entrepreneur with a business idea, a new start-up or an established business. The event will cost just €30 to attend and will include a lunch.
MC on the day will be Deirdre O’Shaughnessy, the editor and sometimes presenter of Cork’s leading daily talk show, the 96fm Opinion Line. She is a regular panellist and contributor on radio and TV shows, as well as a freelance journalist for a number of national publications.
Keynote speakers will include award-winning retailer Jean McCabe from Willow in Ennis. Jean will share her knowledge about how trading online works for her business and how it has greatly increased revenue for the business. Plus she has some marketing, promotion and customer service tips that could be used across any sector.
Leaving behind a career in Engineering, the shop Willow was born in 2007. Starting out as a 21-year-old, with no experience, Jean fell in love with retail and grew Willow into the Retail Experience it is today. Winner of the Retail Excellence ‘National Store of the Year 2019’ shows that a small business can compete, you just need to know how to do it!
The second keynote speaker on the day will be Wicklow-based Margaret Hoctor, Kilmullen Lamb. Having faced redundancy from a Senior Director role in 2013 in a leading Global Market Research company, she found herself reviewing her situation and decided, along with her husband, to build the farm business. Fast forward seven years and they have diversified into lamb direct, where all their lamb is sold in full boxes, half boxes from the farm, online or in pieces in farmers markets.
Margaret is also is a trainer coach and speaker and, when not lambing and working on the farm, is a trainer with the Entrepreneurs Academy, sharing what her learnings are in ‘real time ‘with start-up’s. Margaret recently spoke at the Women in Ag conference in Sligo where over 600 women attended. Her story is told with honesty, humour and passion.
Margaret is delighted to speak about her experience to-date sharing her learnings along the way in both being in retail and farmers markets and how she has found that what is between our ears and our mindset is what matters most when it comes to self-belief expansion and growth.
The panel discussion on the day will include West Cork women in business ‘on the couch discussion’ with Deirdre O’Shaughnessy. Including Caroline Murphy, Owner of West Cork Eggs and President of Network Ireland West Cork plus Katy Waering, Director of OMKO Ltd Bantry. Both Caroline and Katy are inspirational and uplifting speakers who will share their business stories while giving tips on what supports are available in Cork for women in business. Bookings are now open for this event from the website.
Free business advice clinics will take place throughout the week in Clonakilty, Dunmanway, Kinsale and Skibbereen. Free website advice clinics will also be run in Dunmanway.
A trading online voucher information seminar will take place in Dunmanway. The vouchers are used to support small businesses looking to enhance their online trading presence. The vouchers offer financial assistance of 50 per cent of expenditure to trade online up to a maximum of €2,500. Come along to the seminar to find out if your business is eligible for this funding.
Afree Brexit customs workshop will be run in Clonakilty. Regardless of a hard or soft Customs Brexit, goods to/from the UK or transiting through the UK will be subject to strict compliance and documentation requirements.
On Monday, March 2, there will be a morning networking event in Mallow ‘The Only Way is Up’ with keynote speaker Pat Falvey followed by speed networking. West Cork clients are encouraged to attend this event to meet with businesses they may not already know in the North Cork area. The event is open to all sectors, whether you are an entrepreneur, start-up or an established business.
Bookings for all events are available from the website and many of the events are FREE with pre-registration required for all events.
www.localenterprise.ie/corknorthandwest
Or call 023-8834700.
