New training and mentoring programme to accelerate small business growth – Minister Bruton

2^nd July 2012

A new management development programme, aimed at helping indigenous small businesses accelerate their growth prospects, has been launched by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton T.D., today (Monday).

As part of an initiative from the County and City Enterprise Boards, the new ‘Accelerate Management Development Programme’ is geared towards owners and managers of Irish micro-enterprises, which have been up and running for at least eighteen months.

Through a series of specially-designed modules and one-to-one mentoring sessions, hundreds of small business owners all over the country are expected to learn new management, leadership and business skills to carry over to their own companies. ‘Accelerate’, which is based on international best practice and is delivered over a six-to-nine month period, is being rolled out across all the County and City Enterprise Board areas, following a successful pilot programme staged in 2011.

Minister Bruton also announced that last year the network of County and City Enterprise Boards jointly delivered enterprise training programmes to 27,103* owners and managers of small businesses, an increase of over 3,300 on the previous year (23,732 in 2010). It is expected that a similar number of training programmes will be delivered by the CEBs in 2011, and the new ‘Accelerate’ training initiative will form a key part of this.

Improving the management and productivity of Irish businesses is a key part of Action Plan for Jobs 2012.

Speaking at the launch, Minister Bruton said:

“Irish businesses are central to our plan for jobs and growth. If we are to create the jobs we need, we must create a powerful engine of indigenous business, and that is why the Action Plan for Jobs focuses on a range of improved supports for Irish businesses as a means of driving recovery.

“Key to this is improving productivity and management of Irish firms, and today I am delighted to launch this important new programme which will deliver practical supports to small business on how they can improve their performance. The County and City Enterprise Boards delivered training programmes to a very impressive 27,000 businesses last year, and I am convinced that with this new programme they can make a real difference to small businesses seeking to improve their performance and create the jobs we need”.

Vincent Reynolds, Chair of the Network of County and City Enterprise Boards, said: “‘Accelerate’ has been designed to help indigenous small business owners address the business challenges that might be hindering their growth prospects. After they’ve completed the initial start-up phase of setting up a new business, it’s vital for micro-enterprises to keep investing in continuous improvement, to help develop their business and to enable them to sustain and grow jobs.”

“We expect that the County and City Enterprise Boards will be providing enterprise training to around 27,000 owners and managers of small businesses again this year and the ‘Accelerate’ Programme is a strategically important addition to our range of programmes and initiatives for Ireland’s micro-enterprise sector.”

Minister Bruton was joined at the launch by Vincent Reynolds from the County and City Enterprise Boards and Gerry O’ Grady from the CEB Central Co-Ordination Unit of Enterprise Ireland. Two ‘Accelerate’ pilot programme participants, Andrew McElhinney from O’ Donnell’s Bakery, a client of the Donegal County Enterprise Board and Susannagh Grogan, a fashion scarf designer and client of the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Enterprise Board, were also present.

In January 2011, McElhinney, a bread agent with O’ Donnell’s and Mark Kelly, a baker with O’ Donnell’s, bought the bakery and brand from the Liquidator, saving fifteen direct jobs at the bakery and another fifteen indirect jobs for bread agents. According to McElhinney, the company plans to create ten to fifteen additional jobs in 2013 as they look to expand the capacity of their bakery.

Further information around the ‘Accelerate Management Development Programme’ is available at www.enterpriseboards.ie or by contacting any of the Enterprise Board offices.

ENDS

Photography Note: Mark Stedman from Photocall Ireland has been commissioned to syndicate images from this launch. These reproduction free images can be requested by contacting Photocall Ireland on (01) 874 71 24.

For all media enquiries, please contact Engage Ireland

Sarah Bohan Tel: 01 8855162 / 087 65 39936 / office@engageireland.com

Notes to the Editor:

*Training Figures:

In 2011, the County and City Enterprise Boards jointly delivered training programmes to 27,103 small business owners and managers

In 2010, the Boards jointly delivered training programmes to 23,732 small business owners and managers.

Accelerate Management Development Programme: Aims

The aim of the Accelerate Management Development programme is to provide the

owner/manager with the management, leadership, business skills and knowledge

to achieve sustainability and growth in their business.

The programme will help participants:

• To effectively address their business challenges

• To develop and grow their business

They will gain a greater understanding of:

• Why they are in business and where their business is going.

• Marketing their business

• Continuous improvement

• Developing the business owner/manager and their entrepreneurial

capabilities

• Sales and selling techniques

• Managing the finances

• Developing their business needs.

Programme Modules (Accelerate Management Development Programme)

The programme modules are as follows: -

Module 1 Why am I in business?

Create a vision for your business and a route map to achieving it.

Module 2 Finding and Keeping Customers

Understand practical marketing and promotional tools and be able to use these

tools effectively to sustain and grow your business.

Module 3 How can my business do better?

Identify opportunities for innovation in your business.

Module 4 Managing the Money

Understand your financial position and how to improve the profitability of your

business.

Module 5 Selling For Profit

Use the appropriate selling models for your business and therefore sell more

effectively.

Module 6 Being the Boss

Self - Management in order to achieve your business goals.

Programme Structure

Programme Duration

The programme is delivered over a six to nine month timeframe comprising of seven workshops and six mentor consultations.

Mentoring

Each participating business is allocated a mentor as part of the programme. The mentor assigned is drawn from a panel of highly skilled and experienced business mentors with particular expertise in assisting the growth and development of small businesses.

Peer Review

At the beginning of modules 2-6 there is an opportunity for participants to exchange ideas with their peers. Progress on implementation of programme business practices will be reviewed by the participant and their peers on the programme.