Ulster Bank helps STEM sector

The Northern Ireland Executive’s has recognised that the future success of the Northern Ireland economy will require increased numbers of skilled workers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) qualifications. A STEM business group was set up in 2013 to examine how businesses can inspire young people, male and female to consider careers in these sectors and help address the gender balance. The group comprises of companies and education centres such as QUB, UUJ, Norbrook, Schrader Electronics, All State, Citibank.

The STEM Sector

Karen Lawther and Shauna Burns from Ulster Bank were invited to speak at the Belfast STEM Employers Equality Networking in Malone House on 10th June, to discuss the topic of networking and how Ulster Bank uses its internal network, Women In Touch and its external network, BusinessWomenCan to help address the gender balance in the business community.

Shauna Burns, Ulster Bank’s Head of Mid Ulster and Fermanagh Business Centre told the members about Business Women Can which is a network to encourage and support female entrepreneurs. Karen Lawther, Ulster Bank’s Head of Markets NI spoke about Women in Touch which Ellvena Graham started in 2010. This network was featured as a good practice case study in the STEM Business subgroup’s report Addressing Gender Balance-Reaping the Gender Dividend in STEM. The aim of this internal network is to support women in managerial roles to network, share experiences, learn from each other and realise their potential.

The WIT network offers Ulster Bank employees the opportunity to develop and advance their careers, becoming involved in activities that challenge and inspire them.

Participants then discussed the benefits of networks and the speakers kindly shared their expertise in answering members’ questions.

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How to cut down on stress when running a startup

If Kelly McGonigal is to be believed, stress is a natural and vital part of our day-to-day lives. She says the best way to combat it is through a more positive outlook, and the way to do this is to view stress as your body’s way of helping you rise to the challenge you’re facing.

While this is great news for entrepreneurs whose lives are often filled with stressful decisions and challenges to face, it doesn’t mean we should actively seek things that cause us to be anxious. Neither does it mean we should leave stressful things in our lives if we can avoid them. Identify what you can cut down, cut out, or just plain organise more effectively.

Consolidate your debts

Starting a business can play havoc with your financial situation. When you’re busy trying to keep your company afloat and your employees happy, it’s all too easy to let the situation at home get out of control. You might even forego paying yourself at times. Sorting out your personal finances is paramount to staying sane.

Cut down on procrastination

“Hey, I don’t have the luxury of being able to procrastinate,” I hear you protest. But how much time do you really need to spend carefully updating your online profiles and portfolios? Just how many of your collisionable hours are actually spent in a comfortable bar with other startup people that you already know?

Weigh up whether this time spent is really necessary for your mental health, or indirectly helping to cause stress.

Ignore the urge to start building

There are a lot of seductions when running a business. Everyone wants the perfect logo. Everyone wants to build a product right away. Everyone wants the perfect name for their company and whatever it sells.

According to Lean principles, you should put all that aside until you’ve talked to a load of people and satisfied yourself that there’s actually a market for what you want to do. Save yourself on future stress by focusing on the important tasks now. You’ll have plenty of time for the fun ones later.

Stop trying to multitask

Psychology Today says that multitasking should be called task switching: people are actually unable to do multiple complex tasks at the same time. We fool ourselves into thinking we are good at switching back and forth quickly, but in truth we’re only able to do it if one task is a well-practiced physical task.

When you’re trying to run a business it’s easy to get sucked into the idea that you’re multitasking. Emails come in constantly and priorities shift regularly, so you jump between responsibilities all the time.

Instead, make sure you set yourself a few time windows during the day to check emails and deal with them at those points exclusively, so you don’t end up stressing yourself out and wasting time.

Live a life outside your startup

Even though the pressure is on to maintain a high level of collisions outside your working hours, you need to spend some of your time enjoying life without work. You’ve got plenty of unavoidable stress when you’re building a business. Be smart and excise the stressors that you don’t have to deal with. Then take some time out to really enjoy yourself.

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Ellvena Graham is a Winner at WXN 2015

Ellvena Graham was among twenty five female business leaders who were honoured at this years WXN Most Powerful Women event in the Intercontinental Hotel, Dublin on 11^th June 2015. The award was a very fitting tribute for Ellvena who has recently retired from Ulster Bank after a 33 year career. Nominees were judged under a host of different headings: career accomplishments, vision and leadership and corporate performance. Other winners on the night included Anne O’Leary, CEO Vodafone, Siobhan Talbot Group Managing Director, Glanbia and Julie Sinnamon CEO Enterprise Ireland. Cathriona Hallahan, MD, Microsoft Ireland was inducted into the Hall of fame, having been in the Top 25 on two previous occasions. Over 400 Business Leaders from across the country attended the gala event which was preceded by a day long business summit. Ellvena was joined on the night by a number of her Ulster Bank colleagues to celebrate her success.

Ellvena Graham is a winner at WXN 2015

WXN was founded in Canada in 1997 and today is Canada’s leading organization dedicated to the advancement and recognition of women in management, executive, professional and board roles. The organization has 17,500 members in Canada and Ireland has 2,500 members. WXN is launching in London in September this year and it is hoped that this chapter will generate more cross channel business and opportunity for WXN members.

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40 Companies on the Dublin University Campus Bus Tour

The innovation bus left this Tuesday, with 40 small business from a wide variety of sectors, visiting UCD, DCU and Trinity College.

On the day the companies explored the opportunities that universities have to offer in areas such as funding, research, knowledge transfer and innovation, and will cover areas of interest the companies have requested such as sensors, e-learning, RFID, cloud computing, data analytics, 3D printing, monitoring systems, food, health, etc.

The companies visited over 8 research centres, made the necessary connections and started the process of engaging with academia and add value to their businesses.

The feedback has been fantastic

“whirlwind tour of the 3 universities”
“it was brilliant to see all the different facilities available in each university”
“great day”
“impressive”
“would never thought about doing this if it wasn’t for the bus”

Ron Immink of Platinum event (and Smallbusinesscan); “We wanted it to make as easy as possible for small businesses to start engaging with universities, but also to illustrate what a wonderful source of innovation and opportunity universities are. It is a win-win, universities can transfer knowledge and IP and businesses that normally do not engage with universities will become more innovative, add more value to their business and the economy. This was a very successful pilot and we will be doing more”.

Background

The campus bus tour is joint initiative with the UCD Innovation academy, Invent-DCU, Knowledge Transfer Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Smallbusinesscan and Trinity College organised by Platinum Event.

Next bus

The next bus will be leaving soon. Register your interest here

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Entering Business Competitions: If It’s Worth Doing, Do It Right

We’re a website. We have to do a Top Tips! Here’s our take on how you should approach entering business competitions and filling in the forms. Sorry if this appears a bit didatic. But last year some of the smallbusinesscan team were on judging panels; this blog is based on some of the very simple mistakes that were made – and could so easily be avoided – by applicants.

Check the deadline for entry

Of course its obvious but almost 90% of applications are filled in on the last day…and they look rushed. Mad dashes to meet deadlines result in poorly written applications, errors and spelling mistakes. In many cases essential information is missing, probably because the author didn’t leave enough time to get it organised. It takes time to complete an application properly. You may have to undertake additional research – which you probably should be doing anyway as part of the routine of running the business (another reason to enter awards!). You may need to find research to back up your claims. And you’ll need to have your financials at hand.

Check you meet the criteria

Criteria might include how long you’ve been trading, level of turnover, your business sector. If there are a range of categories for entry, think carefully about which one best suits your business. Ulster Bank allows you to enter at least 2 categories, so make sure you check this out. It doubles your chances and helps you think about how you want to present your business and the kind of profile you want for it.

Read any entry guidelines available

Again obvious enough isn’t it. But ask yourself this…when you were doing the A Levels or Leaving Certificate, how many of you read exam papers from start to finish, before putting pen to paper? Yet it is and was probably taught to you as a fundamental exam technique. You’re older and hopefully wiser now, so read the guidelines for business competitions you’re entering!

Keep your answers simple, clear and as short as possible

First of all remember that judges are going to be reading hundreds of applications. They’re not going to read long rambling essays. They’ll also know if you just cut and paste answers from your website! Consider talking about your business, achievements, and plans for the future…

• In short sentences
• And in bullet points

Go over your application again

On the same theme: Read your application thoroughly for spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, punctuation. Get a colleague to read over the final application. Ask for feedback on the content as well as correcting typos.

Back up what you are saying

Whatever you say about your business and achievements, eventually you’ll have to back these claims up with evidence – financials, research, marketing materials, testimonials and references.

Check out previous winners

It’s always worth looking at the ‘previous winners’ page to give you an insight into the types of business that win and how they project themselves. All these winners are good well managed companies and this is a good chance to peer review and benchmark.

Hit that deadline

Make sure you leave plenty of time to get the application in on time. And look for a receipt to prove that it is in.

Any more tips? Please add them to the comments section below.

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Mind techniques for SMEs

The power of the mind

In Bookbuzz, when we work with CEOs, we often cover decision making, leadership, dealing with millennials, mindfulness and increasingly the power of the mind. People who follow us have seen our post on Navy SEALs, super athletes and flow, being antifragile, the business of belief, coherence, decision making, the power of creating habits, stoicism as an operating system, etc. They all cover in some way the power of the mind, resilience and how mind techniques can help you.

VUCA

As an entrepreneur or owner manager, in a world of VUCA, in a world that is becoming increasingly confusing, where change is going so fast, the power of the mind becomes more and more import. Being mindful and applying mind techniques is not an option, it is a necessary skill.

Jack Black this Thursday

We were going to design a programme around it. Until we came across Mindstoreand Jack Black. And he is coming to Dublin this Thursday. To do a masterclass in the best mind techniques for running your business. He is explaining what he is planning here:

You can book your ticket here. And because you are part of Smallbusinesscan, feel free to use SBC as the discount code and get €100 off the price.

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Women in Business – Helping you Achieve your Ambition!

Women in Business, Northern Ireland’s largest and fastest growing network for business women in NI, is on a mission to help you achieve your ambition! Now in our 13th year, Women in Business decided that an exciting, fresh look was essential to reflect the changes and growth that have taken place over the years.

To do this, we have invested time, money and a huge amount of energy in a rebrand campaign to ensure our message is loud and clear – Women in Business is about “Creating a New Economy” through inclusive growth. We are on a journey to support the delivery of a diverse business community throughout Northern Ireland! As part of our special relaunch we are also offering annual membership for just £25 per year, ensuring there are no financial barriers to helping business women grow their network and their business!

The evidence is clear and continues to mount, diversity in; the board room, senior management teams, in all areas of society, whether business, politics or the judiciary, leads to very clear benefits. Better profits, better productivity, better decisions, and better solutions.

When all members of society are supported to reach their full potential and to successfully achieve their ambitions we will have a “new economy” and a better society.

Supporting Women in Business

Women in Business is here to help create the diverse business community that will be better for our economy, better for society, better for ALL of us.

We will do this by supporting and encouraging all business women to reach their full potential and achieve their ambitions!

And the best way to support business women is to support them to build a business network, to inspire them to achieve more, to motivate them to persevere and to mentor them to leadership.

We want to continue to deliver for all business women and we recognise that women have huge time pressures at different times in their businesses, in their careers and in their personal lives. We know it can be difficult to attend events and that you may only get to one or two out of the 50+ on offer so we wanted to look at a price point that would allow all women to stay engaged with their network and to dip in and out, time permitting.

To allow members to choose when and what services will work for them. We want to remove any barriers to membership for all business women and our special relaunch fee of just £25 annual membership allows us to do this – to offer all business women an attractive proposition that can help them achieve their ambitions!

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Business Achievers Awards 2015 are open

The Business Achievers Awards, the biggest and oldest business awards programme on the island of Ireland is open for entry again.

Celebrate achievement

The awards aim to celebrate the achievements of local companies across a wide range of sectors including women led business start up, social enterprise and agri-business.

Big prize

The event is being run in association with the Irish Independent, Enterprise Ireland, InterTradeIreland and SmallBusinessCan.com. The overall winner will receive a comprehensive prize package, including a €50,000 publishing bursary with the Irish Independent, business mentoring from Enterprise Ireland, a full-service communications workshop, as well as national and regional media exposure.

Winners have become household names

Eddie Cullen, managing director of commercial banking at Ulster Bank, said that the lender is “committed to providing support to Irish businesses” and added that the awards are “at the heart of that commitment”. Previous winners of the awards includes a huge number of successful companies that have gone on to become household names, including Realex Payments, Glenisk Foods and Tayto Park.

Smart Paint

Speaking at the launch, one of the former winners, Ronan Clarke of Smarter Surfaces said that winning the Business Startip Award at the last year’s Ulster Bank Business Achievers Awards “has given us huge credibility and really helped us to position ourselves on the global stage. “In the six months since winning the award, we have expanded our distribution network to South America and Australia, and that expansion is continuing all the time,” he said. He added that his firm will launch e-commerce sites in French, German, Italian and Spanish for the first time in June. “In addition, we have re-branded the company from ‘Smart Wall Paint’ to ‘Smarter Surfaces’, in recognition of the fact that we now offer a wide range of products, outside of our flagship whiteboard paint, so winning the award really has been a catalyst for huge change for us,” he said.

Submit

Companies can submit their entries via www.BusinessAchieversAward.com and are permitted to enter up to two of the eight categories. The deadline for submissions is Friday, September 25. In the meantime you can express your interest, which will give you access to regular updates and support with your submission from smallbusinesscan. You can register here.

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Business Women Can Summer Event – Health and Wellbeing Seminar

As part of our “Inspiring your Success” series of events, the Business Women Can Dublin Ambassadors held a very successful evening event at Ulster Bank Georges Quay on 28^th May with over 75 in attendance.

The event was organised by two of Ulster Bank’s Business Women Can Ambassadors, Emma Chapman and Lynda Hughes. There was time at the start of the event to network and have some refreshments. We were delighted to see some loyal followers of Business Women Can at the event and indeed many new faces some that travelled from as far as Cork and Newry. We also welcomed the growing number of men who attended the event and hope they will return.

The topic for the event was “Living the meaning of Life” – Health & Wellbeing.

The speakers at the event were:-

Niamh Gunn – Founder of “The Well”, a new centre for better living

An inspirational business woman who shared the story of her personal journey and how she changed her life around for the better. The statistics around suicide and mental health issues and stress is staggering and through “The Well” their aim is to promote a new way of working by making wellbeing integral across spheres of Irish life thereby creating healthier and happier communities.

Niamh commented “Doing important and meaningful work is necessary to our personal wellness and the sustainability of our organisations.”

Orla Walsh – Consultant Dietician

Orla gave some very simple tips on ways to improve our diet which will enhance our mood and energise us. 4 simple steps – Eat a balanced diet, drink more – WATER, eat regularly and exercise.

Orla commented “How learning why I get “hungry” and what to eat to regulate my mood and performance is important.”

Gillian Hynes – Founder and Head Trainer of the Body Project

Gillian’s enthusiasm about all areas of fitness was infectious. She also shared simple tips to improve our physical and mental health and wellbeing. The key message was to begin with baby steps and build it up gradually and to find some form of exercise that we love and will want to do. Another key tip was to give up the bad practice of eating lunch at the desk and replace this with a brisk walk during our lunch break.

Gillian commented “We all have time to exercise … for goodness sake Obama, the most powerful man in the world has time to exercise”

After 3 great presentations there was time for Q&A, a draw for the best TWEET at the event and more time for networking and a glass of wine. We were encouraged by the positive feedback from the event and our plan is to continue these events in the coming months.

So if you would like to receive information on future Business Women can events such as this one, please drop us an email with your details to businesswomencan@ulterbank.com, we would love to hear from you. We would also welcome ideas on topics you would like us to cover for future events.

Business Women Can Summer Event – Health and Wellbeing Seminar

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Business Women Can – Region East – Networking Lunch

The stunning setting of Palmerstown House in Naas, Co Kildare was the perfect location for Ulster Bank’s Business Women Can’s networking lunch held on Friday 15th May. The theme of the event was “Delivering a Difference” and the 3 speakers are prime examples of inspirational ladies who live that vision.

Joan Freeman – Founder of Pieta House, a centre for the prevention of self-harm and suicide which Joan opened in 2006 due to the lack of suicide prevention services at the time.

Karen Quinn, Regional Service Delivery Manager Ulster Bank, Maeve Lewis, Executive Director One in Four, Elizabeth Waters, Director An Cosan’s Virtual Community College, Joan Freeman, Founder of Pieta House.

In 2011 Joan was presented with the People of the Year award by An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, to acknowledge her remarkable achievements in the area of suicide prevention.

Maeve Lewis – Executive Director of One in Four, a Dublin based NGO providing professional psychotherapy and advocacy services to adult survivors of child sexual abuse and to their families together with a sex offender treatment programme.

Since 2008 Maeve has lead One in Four successfully through a turbulent time when resources diminished by twenty five per cent and demand for services trebled.

Liz Waters – Director of An Cosan’s Virtual Community College. Liz has been involved in community education for over 25 years; nineteen of these with An Cosan , providing community based adult education and enterprise to the community of Tallaght West.

Karen Quinn, Regional Service Delivery Manager Ulster Bank, Maeve Lewis, Executive Director One in Four, Elizabeth Waters, Director An Cosan’s Virtual Community College, Jim Golden, Senior Manager West Dublin & Kildare Business Centre Ulster Bank, Joan Freeman, Founder of Pieta House, Angela Meegan, Relationship Manager Ulster Bank, Fiona Kingston, Business Women Can Programme Director.

Under Liz’s leadership An Cosan embarked to virtualises its curriculum, from basic education to degree level through the An Cosan’s Virtual Community College.

Representatives of more then 40 female-led businesses gathered at the beautiful Manor House venue for the afternoon which was packed with Networking opportunities, Insightful speakers and brilliant opportunities to mix with like minded people.

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Category Archives: Business Women Can