New Office will provide improved services to start-ups and small businesses across the county
New SME online guide for Government supports also launched
19 May, 2014
The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD; the Minister of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte TD and the Minister of State for Public Service Reform and the OPW, Brian Hayes TD today (Monday) officially launched the South Dublin Local Enterprise Office (LEO).
The South Dublin LEO is part of a network of 31 LEOs which will deliver an improved system of local enterprise supports to start-ups and small businesses across the country – with more staff, more funding, and more services being provided.
Today’s announcement means that, from today, people thinking of starting or expanding a business in every part of South Dublin will be able to access the full range of State supports provided by different Government bodies – for example South Dublin County Council, Enterprise Ireland, Revenue, the Department of Social Protection, the Credit Review Office, training bodies – in one easily accessible location within the local authority.
The Minister also helped to launch the Supporting SMEs Online Tool, a new cross-governmental guide to help small businesses know which of the over 80 Government supports could possibly fit their business. By answering the 8 questions in the Supporting SMEs Online Tool, a small business will, in one location:
· Find out which of the over 80 Government business supports from 27 different Government Departments, Agencies and Initiatives are available to them
· Get information on the range of Government supports for accessing credit
· Be told their nearest Local Enterprise Office to discuss the outcomes of the guide further
· Be able to download all these filtered results into a document for their further use
The tool is available on the Local Enterprise Office website: www.localenterprise.ie/smeonlinetool.
The establishment of the LEOs will mean that all categories of business – including sole traders, micro businesses and small and medium sized companies – will have access to Government supports and advice. Previously some businesses – for example, companies who were too large to access CEB supports, but were not exporting and therefore did not qualify for Enterprise Ireland supports – fell through the cracks between different agencies.
The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, said: “A key part of our Action Plan for Jobs is supporting job-creation across every region of the country. In the past year we have seen major progress on this, with employment now growing in all regions, but we must now build on and accelerate that, and this year we are putting in place a range of measures to deliver on that. The LEOs will deliver more services and better services to the start-ups and small businesses across the country that we rely on to create the jobs we need. Today is a good day for business and job-creation in Dublin.
“Also today we are launching the ‘Supporting SMEs’ online tool to make it easier for businesses to work out what State supports are available to help them. As I travel around the country it is clear that many business-people are simply not aware of the State supports that could help them as they seek to grow their businesses. ‘Supporting SMEs’ makes it clear, in a simple, easily comprehensible format, what supports a particular business might be eligible for and how to go about accessing them. Between this and the Local Enterprise Offices, it will after today be significantly easier for businesses to access State supports to help them start-up and grow their businesses”.
For further information contact:
Contact: Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Press Office: 01 631 2222
NOTES FOR EDITORS
Key points:
· 31 offices focused on local enterprise development
· The LEO combines the expertise of Enterprise Ireland with the broad reach of Local Authorities
· 170 dedicated staff across the LEOs system, supplemented by a new Graduate Recruitment Programme to take place shortly and supported by a further 40 Local Authority staff
· www.localenterprise.ie is the new client-focused website providing information about all national and local supports and events for local business
· Single point of access to ALL local and national enterprise supports and services
· All small businesses supported or advised, both exporting and domestically trading – under the previous system some business fell through the cracks between different agencies
· As businesses grow and develop, seamless progression through the ranks of supports from Enterprise Ireland
· Customer Charter and staff training by Enterprise Ireland
· Increased budget allocation of €3.5m (20%) in 2014
· New Youth Entrepreneurship Competition
· Access to Microfinance and Loan Guarantee schemes
· Network supported and managed by National Centre of Excellence in Enterprise Ireland
· Service delivery protocols in place between LEOs and key Government bodies to ensure business-people can access all relevant services from LEOs – Revenue, Dept of Social Protection, Education and Training Boards, Skillnets, Microfinance Ireland, Credit Review Office
· LEOs will each develop a local enterprise plan putting micro and small business at the heart of job-creation locally
· Enterprise Ireland has established a new Centre of Excellence for small business supports, to develop international best practice in this area and roll it out in LEOs across the country
· Each LEO, embedded in a local authority, will develop a local plan for boosting enterprise, with targets including new business start-ups, business expansions and jobs created or sustained as well as wider economic impacts such as exports, mentoring, training and enterprise promotion. This represents a fundamental reform of local government so that services are delivered and decisions made closer to the people
· New training programmes for all staff in customer support, and a new customer service charter which will include targets for levels of service delivery
What supports and services do LEOs provide?
· We provide direct financial supports to micro businesses. Micro Enterprises are businesses with 10 or less employees
· We advise on a range of alternative funding options available
· We offer business information, advisory services and enterprise support
· We deliver high-quality training to meet the needs of your business including; Start Your Own Business, Managing Your Business e.g. Marketing, Sales, Financial Management, Strategy and Business Planning
· We mentor you and your business with experienced experts
· We guide you to the services most relevant to support the growth and development of your business
· We give you advice on local authority regulations, planning, accessibility, environment, procurement, and other issues affecting your business
· We connect you with appropriate State resources for your business, including relevant agencies, such as:
o Department of Social Protection: Enterprise Supports
o Microfinance Ireland: Business Loans
o Revenue: Seed Capital Schemes
o Education and Training Boards: Business Courses
o Skillnets’ Training: Networks and Courses
o Credit Review Office: when your bank has refused credit
· We create progression pathways for high-potential companies to Enterprise Ireland
· We advise on local property solutions for start-ups and business expansions
· We organise key enterprise events
· We facilitate effective business networking
· We promote entrepreneurship education in the local community
· Our website www.localenterprise.ie gives you access to online information about our supports and services
Who Can We Help?
· Anyone with a business idea or who already has an established business that is looking for information, advice, referral to other supports, guidance on ‘how to start your own business’ – or maybe needs training, mentoring or financial assistance
· With a customer charter, dedicated training new web materials and service protocols with other agencies, we will be the first stop shop for anyone with a business idea
· The Local Enterprise Office is for anybody interested in starting up a new business, or already in business, including; first time or young entrepreneurs, early stage promoters, start-ups and micro and small businesses looking to expand
· The Local Enterprise Office will encourage people to think positively about starting and growing a business locally, in particular motivating young people locally to start their own business
What’s on Offer?
· Our Mission is to promote entrepreneurship, foster business start-ups and develop existing micro and small businesses to drive job creation and to provide accessible high quality supports for your business ideas
· Small businesses face a host of barriers to success, including: not knowing where to find information and resources; weak management, access to finance or lack of marketing and business planning skills. Helping to overcome these challenges are
among the many ways that Local Enterprise Offices will serve the practical needs of people in business
· We will provide strategic, administrative, technical and financial support and services to start, grow and develop micro and small business in each local area
· With 31 dedicated teams across the Local Authority network in Ireland, Local Enterprise Offices offer a wide range of experience, skills and services to turn your business idea into a business
· Through its information and advice service, including its new website, the Local Enterprise Office will connect people to all the appropriate information available in the State that they need to start grow and succeed in business
· We will continue to provide grants to those with the potential to export
· The Local Enterprise Offices have access to the full range of expertise in Enterprise Ireland with the establishment of a new Centre of Excellence to guarantee ‘best practice’ service and staff training nationally
· We can provide access to the specialist expertise in Enterprise Ireland for businesses in a particular sector, or with innovation and export potential
· We will provide access to the full range of financial supports available to business in the State including direct referral to the Microfinance Ireland loan scheme for businesses that have been turned down by the banks
· As well as advice and direct supports, the Local Enterprise Office will promote a pro-enterprise culture locally, by organising enterprise events, supporting local business networks and working with local Chambers and other organisations, schools etc.
· We will be to the forefront in promoting entrepreneurship through the schools as well as through the National Enterprise Awards
· We will help existing businesses tap in to their potential to expand their business through mentoring, training, advice, information and where eligible, direct financial aid #
About the Supporting SMEs Online Tool
There are currently over 80 Government business supports - totalling over €2bn available - to SMEs. A specially commissioned survey of nearly 2,000 SMEs has shown a lack of awareness of these supports amongst Irish businesses, with 98% of respondents admitting they had a low awareness of public supports available to them.
The Supporting SMEs Online Tool aims to address this problem. By answering 8 questions, a small business will, in one location:
· Find out which of the over 80 Government business supports from 27 different Government Departments, Agencies and Initiatives are available to them
· Get information on the range of Government supports for accessing credit
· Be told their nearest Local Enterprise Office to discuss the outcomes of the guide further
· Be able to download all these filtered results into a document for their further use
Launching the Online Tool across the country were:
Tanaiste, Eamon Gilmore LEO Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown
Minister Noonan LEO Limerick
Minsters Bruton, Hayes & Rabbitte LEO Dublin South
Minister Perry LEO Roscommon
Minister Sherlock LEO Cork North & West
You can check out the Supporting SMEs Online Tool here:
http://www.localenterprise.ie/smeonlinetool