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An Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar TD, is officially launching a new ‘green’ enterprise support this morning, to mark the beginning of Local Enterprise Week (1 to 5 March).
The Green for Micro programme, an initiative from the Local Enterprise Offices with support from Enterprise Ireland, is being rolled out nationwide to help prepare small businesses for the low carbon, more resource efficient economy of the future.
With the help of a Green Consultant, small businesses with up to ten employees can get free advice and technical support on resource efficiency, how to better understand their carbon footprint and how to implement an environmental management system to reduce costs and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
An Tánaiste is officially launching Green for Micro on the opening day of Local Enterprise Week as part of a ‘Spotlight’ event this morning, organised by Local Enterprise Office Dublin City. He said:
"I’m really happy to launch this year’s Local Enterprise Week. I know this past year has felt like constant firefighting for many businesses. I hope this week is an opportunity to take a bit of time out, to reflect, network and grow. This year’s theme is ‘Making It Happen’. Our Local Enterprise Offices across the country are always there to help no matter what challenge a business is facing. I’m also launching a new ‘Green for Micro’ initiative to help small businesses decarbonise and become more sustainable. Making your business more sustainable, is not just the right thing to do from an environmental point of view, it also makes good business sense.
"I encourage anyone interested to check out the programme of events for Local Enterprise Week – there are over 200 taking place over the next 5 days."
Organised by the Local Enterprise Offices and supported by Enterprise Ireland and the local authorities, ‘Making It Happen’ is the theme for Local Enterprise Week. Virtual events include information webinars, online networking and masterclasses with entrepreneurs and experts, designed to help those looking to start, grow or pivot their business in 2021.
The Minister for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Robert Troy TD, is speaking at another Spotlight this morning, ‘Spring Back & Step Forward’, which is hosted by Local Enterprise Office Donegal.
He said:
"There’s no question that this past year has been one of the toughest times for business. Our ability to learn from challenging situations and step forward is key to being successful and that’s one of the overarching themes of Local Enterprise Week, which I am proud to support. Businesses throughout the country are being severely impacted by COVID-19 restrictions and many haven’t been able to trade fully since last year. That’s why initiatives like Local Enterprise Week are more important than ever as they showcase all the supports that are available to small businesses and start-ups. The Local Enterprise Offices are on hand to help small businesses plan and prepare for 2021 and I am confident that through our collective efforts, we are beginning to turn the tide on these challenging times; and we will spring back."
Padraic McElwee, Chair of the Network of Local Enterprise Offices said:
"Because of COVID-19 restrictions, more than 200 events are moving online for Local Enterprise Week and as a result, we are making events as accessible as possible. Local Enterprise Week is the ideal time for business owners and those thinking of starting a business to find out what supports and programmes can help them face the challenges ahead. From existing schemes, like the Trading Online Voucher or Brexit Mentoring to new programmes, like Green for Micro, there is a whole suite of training, mentoring and financial supports that we’re encouraging small businesses to sign up for."
The other Spotlight events taking place during Local Enterprise Week are:
‘Building The New’ - A dynamic morning session featuring insights from innovators and new start ups, on Tuesday 2 March at 10am (open to all businesses across the country and organised by Local Enterprise Office Galway).
‘Growing Lean: One Small Step or One Giant Leap, Getting Started with Lean’ - An introduction to the basics of Lean thinking, how it is applied and the many supports available, on Tuesday 2 March at 2pm (open to all businesses across the country and organised by Local Enterprise Office Kildare).
‘AgriTech Revolution in Farming and Food’ - A fast-paced interactive conference that will examine how AgriTech has transformed farming and continues to help the sector thrive, on Wednesday 3 March at 9.30am (open to all businesses across the country and organised by Local Enterprise Office South Cork).
‘Creative Connections: Enabling your B-2-B Online Opportunities’ - Aimed at entrepreneurs in creative sectors, this event is designed to showcase opportunities through developing online tools for selling to the Trade, on Wednesday 3 March at 2pm (open to all businesses across the country and organised by Local Enterprise Office Carlow).
‘Engage for Growth with David Meade’ - A highly energetic and interactive 90 minute session introducing the psychology of leadership and providing a practical toolkit for effective business management, on Thursday 4 March at 10am (open to all businesses across the country and organised by Local Enterprise Office Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown).
‘S.M.A.R.Tech for StartUps’ - A dynamic event is aimed at technology start-ups who want to learn more about cutting edge technology and supports available, from both private and public sectors for their business growth, on Thursday 4 March at 4pm (open to all businesses across the country and organised by Local Enterprise Office Clare).
‘Masterclass: Health checking your business for its forward journey’ - Blaise Brosnan, Management Resource Institute author and business guru, will deliver a practical masterclass assessing the financial health of your business, on Thursday 4 March at 7pm (open to all businesses across the country and organised by Local Enterprise Office Wexford).
‘Trading Online Voucher Information Webinar’ - An interactive online information session covering various topics, including developing a website, digital marketing, social media for business and search engine optimisation. The information provided is impartial and will help you decide what trading online options are right for your business, on Friday 5 March at 9.30am (open to all businesses across the country and organised by Local Enterprise Office Fingal).
Details for all the events taking place for Local Enterprise Week, running until 5 March, are available at LocalEnterprise.ie/Week.
Information about the new Green for Micro programme, including how to apply, are available at LocalEnterprise.ie/Green.
Local Enterprise Week is an annual initiative from the Local Enterprise Offices and takes place from 1 to 5 March 2021. It’s supported by Enterprise Ireland, local authorities and the Government of Ireland.
Over 200 virtual events are taking place online, including ten ‘Spotlight’ events which are referenced in this brochure.
Common topics across the week include starting a new business, resilience and recovery, the green economy, becoming ‘leaner’, exploring new markets, doing business online and the new trading relationship with the UK.
Green for Micro is a new support from the Local Enterprise Offices and is open to micro-enterprises that employ up to 10 people. It involves two days of mentoring with a Green Consultant. More details can be found in the Green for Micro brochure.