The Business Achievers Awards 2015: Open For Entries

As many of you know we at Small Business Can are big supporters of business competitions: anything that gets you thinking about your business and working on your business rather than in it. And if you can generate publicity, link into a great business network and meet bankers, politicians, founders and journalists along the way, that’s even better.

Enter The Business Achievers Awards

The Business Achievers Awards competition is probably one of the biggest and most broadly based competitions on the island with categories to appeal to most businesses of all sizes across sectors. The application form is here and will take no more than 30 minutes to fill in. It could be 30 minutes well spent because there are great benefits to entering.

Here are some good reasons why you might want to consider adding ‘must enter business competition’ to your ‘business planning to do’ list!

The application process is an opportunity to reflect on what your business is all about and clearly articulate your USP.
It’s an opportunity to work on your business rather than in it by stepping back to look at achievements, challenges, market trends and areas for improvement.
It will give you time to reflect on new angles and perspectives to overcome obstacles or to plot new strategies for growth.
Competitions are also about PR, marketing, selling…spin. They’re an opportunity for you to raise the profile of the business for free. Entering the competition will get you into the local press. You could get your business national and even international profile.
By working the competition – filling in the forms correctly, engaging with local reps for the competition, turning up at the networking events, volunteering to give quotes and elbowing yourself into photos, you will get marketing material that’s ‘independent’ for your website and other marcomms.
If you progress through the competition there are some programs such as Ulster Bank’s Business Achievers Awards that produce corporate videos for all of the short listed companies. These are done by professional companies with editors and designers. You probably cannot afford to produce these yourself! They are given to you after the competition for your website and other marketing material, and they will impress!
Working the competition will also give you access to a big network of people that can help your business grow. The politicians always turn up. You’ll meet the local and national enterprise support agencies. Bankers, funders, journalists, other successful businesspeople…the big national Awards are a veritable who’s who of the great and the good in business. And you’ll be one of the stars of the show…just by entering. And if you win…!
When you sit down and take the time to apply to a competition, you’ll realize that you have a team supporting you. It illustrates the importance of the support of family and its role in moving your business forward. You’ll see the staff that have and are stepping up to the mark.
You’ll probably get your management involved. Sometimes just by reflecting and internally acknowledging what you’ve achieved together is a major win in its own right.
Even if you’re not short-listed you will benefit from working ‘on’ your business. You can use the knowledge to plan future strategies and identify weak areas. It’ll help you make your business stronger and better. And that’s what it all, eventually, boils down to!

Don’t miss your chance!

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Ulster Bank and DogPatch Labs

It has been a while in the making and we were told not to tell anybody…..

Until now.

Combining banking with fintech, start ups and innovation

Ulster Bank and DogPatch Labs are going to start working together. Combining banking with fintech, start ups and innovation. Leveraging the international connections through RBS and the links through IBOS (which for example, gives you direct access to Silicon Valley Bank).

Melting pot of opportunities

Combine that with the 20,000 resident entrepreneurs on Smallbusinesscan and the Business Achievers Award and you have a melting pot of fantastic opportunities.

Watch this space (and this video).

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NI Chamber initiative in partnership with Ulster Bank.

Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell today launched the second phase of business support programme ‘NI Chamber Connections’ – a Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI Chamber) initiative in partnership with Ulster Bank.

Launched on board the Tall Ship Buque Escuela Guayas, the private-sector led programme aims to create a network of local businesses who share common interests, goals and challenges.

Following a highly successful pilot phase in June 2013 – June 2014, NI Chamber Connections will assist businesses to develop and grow, whilst providing a vehicle for shared learning and new market development for those companies looking to grow via exporting.

The second phase of the programme will also include a series of regional events and web based support, as well as continuing to link companies for advice locally and through the overseas network of Chambers, which has proved a valuable resource for companies who often don’t know where to access advice and information.

Richard Donnan, Managing Director, Retail Banking and NI SME & CIB at Ulster Bank:

“We’re very pleased to be supporting the next phase of NI Connections – it’s an excellent initiative aimed at fostering international cooperation and providing an important resource for growth

“Strong local exporters can play an important role in the sustainable expansion and development of the private sector, and making it easier for them to break into new markets abroad can have significant positive impacts on jobs and opportunities at home.

“At Ulster Bank, we have £1.5bn available to lend to businesses this year, and we want to support Northern Ireland’s many great businesses.”

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Dream Big, Win Big at #IBYE 2015

The Search is on for 93 of Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneurs.

Through Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur competition (#IBYE), over 90 people aged between 18 and 30 will win €10,000 – €20,000 to invest in their own businesses in Ireland this year.

That lump sum can buy that new piece of equipment you need; it can pay the salary of a new employee joining the team or it can fund that marketing campaign that will help your business expand into new markets.

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, pictured with the 2014 winners of the #IBYE competition. Photo: Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland

Last year, Philip Martin used his prize money to buy specialist machinery, helping him to open Ireland’s first tortilla-making factory in Tipperary (Winner: Best Business Idea).

The money also helped Eamon Keane take on highly skilled staff at Xpreso Software in South Dublin (Winner: Best Start Up Business/ Overall Winner). And it came in very handy when Dean Gammell from Westmeath was expanding his group booking software business into the UK (Winner: Best Established Business).

Every Local Enterprise Office (LEO) around the country has €50,000 (each) to invest in three local businesses and start-ups – and with 31 LEOs, that bring the total number of winners to 93. Each local winner will get an injection of cash between €10,000 and €20,000 to put straight into their business.

And that’s just the start!

Up to 500 young entrepreneurs and business owners will also be invited to take part in Business Bootcamps around the country, helping them finely tune their business plans or learn new enterprise skills. One-to-one mentoring and business coaching will also be available, through all 31 LEOs.

To be in with a chance to win, complete the entry form through the IBYE website on-line. But hurry, the deadline to enter this year’s competition is July 31st 2015.

There are some competition terms and conditions (you have to be aged between 18 and 30 for a start and your business idea or existing business must be in Ireland), but if you don’t try, you can’t win!

So, why not ‘Dream Big and Win Big’ at #IBYE 2015!

See more about #IBYE here on YouTube

(#IBYE is completely free to enter and is part of the Action Plan for Jobs 2015. It is supported by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices http://www.ibye.ie)

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How These 4 Companies Made a Successful Comeback

Many big companies that have filed for Chapter 11 or been the brink of bankruptcy have been able to take incredible steps to organize hugely successful comebacks. The decisions made by company leadership during times of crisis and during restructuring have been crucial to the companies’ comebacks and provide critical lessons for businesses looking to transform challenges into opportunities for growth and improvement.

Apple Inc.

Steve Jobs orchestrated one of the best-known company comebacks for Apple, Inc. He negotiated a deal with Microsoft in 1997 that saved the company from bankruptcy with a $150 million investment and updated the Mac version of Microsoft Office. Jobs studied the organization and implemented a change management strategy that propelled Apple into developing cutting-edge technology for more than a decade.

Instead of banking on the success of the late 1990s, Jobs looked ahead. He connected the iPod, iPhone, and iTunes Store to open new markets that would change the way we interact with our personal technology and media. One of the keys to his success was good project and change management strategy. Change was part of his strategy from the beginning until the end. He adopted change as part of the company’s success. With excellent organizational consulting firms like Ruota Consulting, specializing in helping companies face challenges, companies can develop and pursue successful change management strategies like what Steve Jobs put in place for Apple.

Continental and United Airlines

Continental Airlines suffered two bankruptcies, one in 1983 and the other 1990. Though it continued to operate flights, thanks to the Bankruptcy Protection Law, the airline struggled into the 2000s. In 2002, United Airlines faced bankruptcy as well. The two airlines commenced negotiations of a merger that would pool together their resources and hopefully minimize the damages of bankruptcy. This merger finally took place officially in 2010, and the two became United Continental Holdings. By 2015, United Continental Holdings had become the 345^th largest company in the world, according to Forbes Global 2000 ratings.

Marvel Worldwide, Inc.

Marvel entered bankruptcy in 1996, as it became clear that comic books were a dying medium. Though instead of allowing the company to join the ranks of forgotten heroes, the company’s leadership did a serious self-evaluation during this crisis and made critical decisions based on this assessment. Years later these good decisions paid off, with the company carrying a $4 billion price tag when Disney Company acquired it in 2009.

The key to Marvel’s comeback success was looking inward and carefully and accurately evaluating the strengths of the company. Marvel’s core business strengths included a highly loyal customer base, powerful brand, thousands of widely known characters, and even thousands more already-proven successful stories. Its executives keenly identified that profitability in a digital entertainment industry would come from proprietary content and banking on high-paying repeatable formulas for the digital medium. Today, Marvel is a movie giant, and its stories and characters are essential elements of popular culture.

Trump Entertainment Resorts

Donald Trump companies have bankrupted four times. Each bankruptcy though has provided an opportunity for Trump’s companies to restructure and improve their financial position. Trump has also lost the great majority of ownership and been forced to resign. However, this too is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes, it’s hard to fix mistakes with the same leadership. Change is not always bad, and with an estimated net worth of $4.1 billion dollars in June 2015, according to Forbes, it’s clear that Trump is not bad off after multiple bankruptcies and losing influence in his company.

Companies should always act responsibly in managing their resources. However, sometimes crises are unavoidable, and can bring on needed change. These moments provide critical opportunities for good leadership to take hold and effect changes that will put the company in a better situation down the road. A company that takes the time to recognize these opportunities, equip itself with support, and develop plans for change can actually come out of a financial challenge like bankruptcy even stronger than before.

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John Jordan Photography profiled

John Jordan Photography delivers quality, creative, tailored photography for Irish businesses, big and small, in the area of portrait, location and still life. We deliver it with flair, experience and commitment and have been doing so for over 14 years.

Why did you start?

Photography was always a way of life for me. I had been shooting rolls of film since I was 8 or 9. It was a good business to get into (when I did) and I saw it as a way of working with other local businesses in a creative, fulfilling way. Visual story telling is the future.

Why are you unique?

We like to engage with clients at an early stage in projects, and push hard to realise them to their best. We listen carefully and always get a feel for the job before we do anything else. We have the skillbase to work in several different areas, and we always find an angle to make sure our clients stand out.

Visual communication is key

Every job is unique and an opportunity to bring creativity and experience to the table. Photography is a really key part in personal and business branding. Just telling your story. Its unfortunate that people sometimes don’t realise this – particularly for profile pictures on LinkedIn.

In the small amount of time and space that you get to convince your customers, as they initially check your website, visual communication is paramount and effective photography is key in those few seconds.

Transform how people are portrayed

We work to transform the way businesses portray their brand, their personality, their values. We believe that the right photography is a really essential part of telling and selling your story and growing your business.

We strive to show people how compelling photography, as with great design, can add value and credibility to their business, changing the way not just customers think about it, but staff and management also.

Clients

It’s always an honour to be trusted with the responsibility of being part of a company’s visual presence/ identity. It’s one that we take seriously.

We have worked for small Start-Ups and SME’s right through to large multi-nationals like Arup and Aviva, and Danone.

What are your plans?

Continue to build strong relationships with good clients. Continue to play to my strengths and be open to new opportunities.

Contact details

John Jordan Photography

T.00353-1-4450261

M.00353-87-2454871

email: isee@johnjordanphotography.com

web: www.johnjordanphotography.com

twitter: @johnjordansnaps

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The three National ClimateLaunchpad Finalists

One of the members of the Smallbusinesscan team had the pleasure to coach the participants in the climatelaunchpad. This are the winners that are going to Amsterdam. If you can help them in any way, contact ron@smallbusinesscan.com. All help, suggestions, ideas, introductions appreciated.

wasteNOT

is a technology to enable the consumer to efficiently manage their food by reducing waste and saving money. A combination of innovative labelling, ICT and a smart phone app will automatically maintain an inventory of current food by expiry date and send push notifications of food that needs eating with suggested recipes. The founders Eoin White, Tom Oldfield and Nick Holden, have a dream to enable sustainable food systems globally.

The wasteNOT team

The three team members have a passion for system thinking and sustainability. Tom Oldfield is carrying out a PhD in sustainability, focused on the environmental impact of recovering nutrients from agri-food resources. Tom’s career has transitioned from the British Army to being a Humanitarian professional with Concern Worldwide to completing his PhD. Eoin White is a sustainability consultant specialising in energy analysis and life cycle assessment. He also works as a part time researcher at UCD investigating environmental decision analysis. Prior experience includes working for Shell Global Solutions. Nick Holden is a professor in UCD, and is a global expert in agricultural and environmental research, specialising in the environmental impact of agri-food sector and soil.

Boltz Secret Seeds

are seedbombs enhanced with biochar. They are a platform to encourage people to garden at home, locally produce fruit & flowers and make a great occasion gift. The biochar enhancement promotes the growth of the seeds thus making them more efficient and environmentally friendly. The founder Elaine Doyle, has a dream to develop products that are environmentally responsible and the first product – secret seeds – will change the world one flower at a time.

The Boltz team

Elaine is academically, professionally and personally passionate about sustainability, having worked in various organisations such as Engineers without Border, Food Cloud, and Wind Prospect. She has a background in engineering, specialising in materials and environmental education, development and social entrepreneurship. She is the founder of Bolts, an environmental product development company and the first product she has developed is called Secret Seeds.

Agri Grow Lights

is a state-of-the-art solution that, by controlling the light spectrum from LED lights, food producers can increase the nutritious content of crops. The founders – Brian Reilly – has a dream to provide solutions to address global challenges on food production; growing more nutritious crops will assist in productivity, encourage people to grow their own and reduce excessive food miles and carbon emissions. The added bonus is that the LEDs are super energy efficient.

The Grow Lights team

Brian Reilly is a Horticultural Scientist with qualifications from UCD, and the idea being presented is based on his final year dissertation. Brian has keen interest in R&D to develop the agricultural industry worldwide to ensure security of food supply and nutritional value of food, and has established the company Agri Grow Lights to achieve this goal. Brian has completed a graduate programme with IPM Potato Group, a subsidiary of Donegal Investment Group.

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WasteNOT, Boltz Secret Seeds and Agri Grow Lights are business achievers

Minister Bruton announces finalists to represent Ireland at the European ClimateLaunchpad Final

The “A Green Space to Innovate” event kick started the “Sustainability Gathering 2015” and took place on Monday afternoon, the 22^nd of June, 2015 at the CHQ Building, Custom House Quay, Dublin.

The event showcased innovative cleantech entrepreneurs, and hosted the national final of the ClimateLaunchpad competition.

The ClimateLaunchpad programme is managed by Climate-KIC, the EU’s main climate innovation initiative.

The three finalists wasteNOT, Boltz Secret Seeds and Agri Grow Lights were announced by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, and will represent Ireland at the European ClimateLaunchpad Final

The European Final will take place in Amsterdam on the 4^th of September 2015 and Start-ups from 28 countries will compete in it.

Announcing the finalists, Minister Richard Bruton, T.D. remarked: “The green economy is an important economic pillar for Ireland’s continued growth and prosperity and is a key sector which we have targeted as part of our Action Plan for Jobs. We are determined to nurture and support more entrepreneurs and start-up businesses in this area. Ireland’s participation in ClimateLaunchpad is a wonderful opportunity to position our cleantech entrepreneurs to take advantage of global opportunities.”

Cleantech entrepreneurs are establishing businesses that respond to global challenges such as climate change and resource (energy, water) scarcity. By their nature entrepreneurs and start-up companies are demonstrating leadership by taking brave decisions to develop their business and have a global impact.

Frans Nauta, Deputy Director Entrepreneurship Climate-KIC and founder of ClimateLaunchpad: “Across Europe hundreds of good ideas were submitted for ClimateLaunchpad 2015. It’s great to see so many start-ups with outstanding cleantech innovations that combat climate change. This competition trains teams to develop and sell their ideas. We see lots of opportunities for them to achieve global impact with their businesses.”

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Ulster Bank Teams Up With Munster Agricultural Society to Sponsor Cork Summer Show

Ulster Bank is sponsoring one of Ireland’s longest running and most loved agricultural shows, The Cork Summer Show, which takes place on 20 and 21 June 2015.

Four participants of the Business Achiever Awards have been given the opportunity to show their wares at the show, compliments of Ulster Bank.

The Cork Summer Show will take place at the 100-acre showgrounds site at Curraheen on 20 and 21 June, when the area will be home to more than 1,700 animals including 700 horses, 120 sheep, 80 goats, 100 poultry and 400 cattle. There will also be more than 300 dogs competing across 9 categories in the pet and pedigree dog shows.Running over two days on 20 and 21 June at the Curraheen showgrounds, this year’s Cork Summer Show expects to attract over 50,000 visitors. An incredible line up of livestock shows, sheep shearing, show-jumping, vintage tractor rally as well as farm to fork artisan food markets, craft beer stalls, musical entertainment, home & garden show, petting farm and dog shows will guarantee a great festival atmosphere and a super weekend for all show visitors.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.corksummershow.

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How To Break Out Of Smaller Markets

Office Workers

Owning a small company and starting from scratch is not an easy task. That is why many people fail and go bankrupt, but for those who survive the initial hardships, there are new challenges. When you obtain a loyal customer base another problem occurs. Your appetite will grow, and you will want to reach out, and make it big. But the problem is, that no matter how much effort some people put into their growing business, once they hit the hard cap, they cannot go any further. This is where certain changes have to occur in order to maintain the company’s growth. Here are some of our ideas.

Add New Products And Improve Customer Service

Most owners want to stick to the thing that brought them success, and are not ready to try some new things, fearing it might not work out. This is the exact reason why their business suffers. You must be able to adapt to the market, as it will not happen the other way around. The important thing is to listen to your cogniview customers, and try to supply them with whatever they need. Customer service is also very important, as all people like to get their information quickly and easily. It also creates a bond between your customer and your brand, and you can get great reviews on social media in this way.

Internet Is A Powerful Weapon

Social media has taken the place of the most powerful marketing tool in the world. A lot of people are still hesitant thinking so, and do not invest much of their time and effort into it. This can be fine if they own a small business, but if they aim for the bigger market, creating a well known brand is one of the most important things. If you create a website for your company, it can add up to a huge boost in sales. Many people are still wondering; what is content marketing, and how can it add to my success? Well, by creating a loyal fanbase of readers, you will be able to place your product better, and it can affect your sales numbers. So take a few days and inform about this, it may be the step you need to convert to a powerful and famous company.

Install A Software Which Will Increase The Productivity Of Your Employees

This can be an expensive step, but it is a necessary one. A small business can be controlled by a few people with no problems, but once things speed up, it becomes impossible to manage every little thing. That is when the owners try to fix the problem by hiring more people, and it just creates an even bigger confusion, as well as it brings the payroll up. A good software increases the productivity of workers, saves a lot of time, and provides better results for the customers. You do not have to use software from big companies which will charge you with huge amounts of money. Instead, buy from a small company wanting to make it big. It can be a boost needed for both of you.

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Category Archives: Business Achievers