A new campaign launched today by Neale Richmond, T.D., Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail is encouraging small businesses across the country to avail of supports that will help them save time, money and energy.
The “All In A Day’s Work” campaign by the Local Enterprise Offices is focused on highlighting the supports that will enable small businesses to make significant changes to the way they work that will help them now and in the future. These supports include the Lean, Green and Digital programmes, all of whom enable small businesses to become more competitive and productive in how they work.
Figures from the Local Enterprise Offices show that the Lean for Business programme, running since 2015 with Enterprise Ireland, has helped save businesses an average of €34,000 by helping them work more efficiently and improving their processes.
The programme has saved Irish companies over €28million since it began and is free to all small businesses through their Local Enterprise Office, who are based in the local authorities across the country. The figures also highlighted that the businesses that did avail of these programmes had an average 31% increase in their output or production.
The “All In A Day’s Work” campaign aims to encourage small businesses to link in with their Local Enterprise Office to find out what support is best suited to them at their stage of businesses and how it can benefit them.
Minster Neale Richmond T.D.; “While starting a business is an exciting time, without mentorship and advice, it can also be very hectic. Local Enterprise Offices offer both the financial supports and mentorship programmes that help businesses to save time and money by being more efficient. Local Enterprise Offices can have a significant impact on a business; that businesses are saving an average of €34,000 thanks to the Lean for Business programme is a testament to this. Local Enterprise Offices are a fantastic resource, and I would encourage any small business who has not reached out to them yet, to do so today.”
The campaign features six Local Enterprise Office clients that have availed from these supports and reaped the benefits including Rascal’s Brewing (supported by LEO Dublin City), Bon Chocolatiers (supported by LEO Westmeath), Hatched Analytics (supported by LEO Dublin City), AIP Thermoform (supported by LEO Clare), Kerrigan’s Butchers (supported by LEO Fingal) and Juspy (supported by LEO Limerick).
John Magee, chair of the network of Local Enterprise Offices, said; “It’s been a challenging few years for small businesses and those challenges will continue. That is why any business should be looking to make themselves more efficient, more productive, and more sustainable for now and the future. The figures speak for themselves on the impact these supports can have. We hope that this campaign will emphasise those benefits and encourage more small businesses to look at how their businesses can save time, money and energy by becoming more efficient and more sustainable. These are choices that will impact them positively both now and in the years ahead.”
The campaign begins today across a range of national media including a new dedicated website www.AllInADaysWork.ie where businesses can hear from Local Enterprise Offices clients that have availed of these supports and the impacts that they have had for them.
Carol Gibbons, Head of Regions and Local Enterprise, at Enterprise Ireland said; “A key goal for Enterprise Ireland is to support companies to make the transition to the low-carbon, resource-efficient economy of the future and the ‘All in a Day’s Work’ campaign is a key part of supporting this critical agenda. The campaign aims to place a firm spotlight on the numerous supports available to small businesses to enable them to take the next step on their sustainability journey. Increasingly, sustainability is seen as a core driver of future growth for small businesses, aligning them to changing consumer demands. The business supports offered by the Local Enterprise offices from Digital to Green for Business are a key enabler for business, and I would encourage all small businesses to reach out to their LEO and start this journey together.
On behalf of the local government sector, Sonya Kavanagh, Chair of the County and City Management Association committee on business and enterprise said: “The Lean, Green and Digital supports offered by Local Enterprise Offices can make a huge difference to businesses, saving them money and helping them to become more competitive. Everyone in business is busy, and it can be difficult to find the time to stand back and evaluate how you’re doing things and how you might improve your efficiency and productivity. That’s where these supports come in. I would strongly encourage businesses to connect with their Local Enterprise Office and find out what supports will work for them and help them day-to-day.”
The Local Enterprise Offices also run a number of initiatives to foster entrepreneurship across the country. These include Local Enterprise Week, the National Enterprise Awards, the Student Enterprise Programme, National Women’s Enterprise Day and Local Enterprise Showcase. The Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities are funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland.
Established in 2014, the Local Enterprise Offices are the essential resource for any entrepreneur looking to start a business or any small business that is looking for support or advice to help them grow. Since their inception eight years ago, the Local Enterprise Offices have helped create over 25,000 jobs across the country. The LEOs work with thousands of client companies across Ireland in a diverse range of sectors offering mentoring, training, expert advice and financial supports to small businesses. For more information on the campaign – www.AllInADaysWork.ie
