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Local Enterprise Week is organised every year by the 31 Local Enterprise Offices across the country, and this year over 200 events are taking place virtually from Monday, March 1st to Friday, March 5th.
This year’s schedule includes ten ‘Spotlight’ events (details below) which are organised by individual Local Enterprise Offices and open to every business – wherever you’re based.
Local Enterprise Week highlights the importance of the LEO network in assisting micro and larger enterprises to advance their business development. The multiple events over the five days of Local Enterprise Week also showcase the supports and programmes available to business to help face the challenges ahead. For anyone thinking of starting a business or researching an idea for a new business, it's the ideal place to learn what's out there.
The following two case studies illustrate how LEO supports can assist SMEs to expand and improve their trading performance
KIANDA TECHNOLOGIES
Derya Sousa, a founder and Chief Operating Officer of Kianda Technologies, is a speaker at the Local Enterprise Week event being organised by LEO Fingal on March 5th.
In Association with
The Fingal Enterprising Women Network is a very important support group for female entrepreneurs in north and west Dublin, and the ‘Women in Business - Our Time to Shine’ webinar (12pm to 1.30pm, on Zoom), will also feature Gráinne Seoige.
Based in Blanchardstown, Kianda Technologies provides a user-friendly, no-code application delivery platform empowering business users with or without coding skills to create enterprise technology. The name Kianda has its origins in African mythology and means the one that protects the good.
Derya Sousa (pictured above) started her career as a creative designer, continued as a programmer and IT consultant, working with IT management and business, acting both in an advisory role as well as hands-on technical roles.
According to Derya: “On my path into co-founding the automation tech start-up Kianda, I have faced and overcome many situations that other women tech entrepreneurs would also be facing at the moment. Working in IT, I found I was often the only woman in the room and that did not feel good. On the journey to grow our startup, often I pitched to male-dominated panels and that felt lonely.
“I am a true believer of what is different is more powerful. Many women would have experienced feeling different, whether because of their ethnic background, look, ability, less traditional career path, or something else. It's more about what we do with our differences that truly matters. Leveraging my differences and turning them into advantages have worked for me along the way.”
Derya is originally from Turkey. She met her husband Osvaldo Sousa in Portugal while they both were studying. In 2007, the couple moved to Ireland. "We always had the idea of starting our own tech business, but this was never an easy move to make,” says Derya. “It wasn’t until 2016 that we had the emotional maturity and decided that we had sufficient life and industry experience to start our own business.”
Kianda Technologies has ISO 27001 Information Security System Management Certification. Currently the venture employs eight people and Derya says the plan is to double the team in 2021. “Our vision is to grow Kianda to become a market leader in no-code process automation,” she adds.
“We have received great support from Local Enterprise Office Fingal since the early days of our Kianda journey. A Business Priming Grant supported us with our capital expenditure and expanding our team, while a TAME grant helped us to attend a European tech conference.
“A Business Expansion Grant supported us with our further growth and hiring new staff. Working with the Local Enterprise Office Fingal and their exceptional team made hiring and growing our business easier for us.”
The company is also a client of Enterprise Ireland, and recently availed of the COVID-19 Business Financial Planning Grant to improve business financial planning and go to market strategies.
AMBR EYEWEAR
Ambr Eyewear co-founder Dan Nugent will be among the virtual attendees at the ‘Engage for Growth’ online workshop being organised by LEO Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown on March 4th (10am-11.30am). The workshop will hear from speaker and BBC TV presenter David Meade, who will introduce the psychology of leadership and provide a practical toolkit for effective business management.
Dan founded Ambr Eyewear with Sacha Cahill in 2017. The business sells a range of glasses with special lenses that block the blue light emitted by smart devices, indoor lighting and other sources.
Excessive exposure to blue light has been linked with headaches, eye strain and sleeplessness. Ambr’s range of more than 100 glasses are available in non-prescription and prescription versions. They have been sold in over 80 countries worldwide, generating almost €2m in sales.
The Ambr Eyewear founders (pictured above) turned to LEO Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown for a range of supports since launching their business, including a Feasibility Study Grant, a Business Priming Grant, Trading Online Vouchers and a Technical Assistance for Micro Exporters (TAME) Grant. “The LEO grants helped us bridge the gap between being employed to starting your own business full-time,” says Dan.
He adds that the Priming Grant helped both founders to take the plunge into Ambr full-time, while the Trading Online Vouchers helped develop all aspects of Ambr’s website, through which it makes most of its sales. The TAME grant helped Ambr explore its export potential. “The TAME Grant allowed us to attend a trade fair in Dubai, which got us a distributor for the MENA region, while the Feasibility Grant allowed us to launch foreign language sites and run ad campaigns.”
Dan says that LEO Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown’s supports were essential in getting Ambr off the ground and growing. “They give you the ability to do things you wouldn’t otherwise be able to. There is also plenty of guidance available for navigating the various supports on offer.”
FREE SPOTLIGHT EVENTS
The Local Enterprise Week 2021 schedule with over 200 events includes ten FREE ‘Spotlight’ events organised by individual Local Enterprise Offices and open to every business – wherever you’re based. Find out what supports and programmes are the best fit for your business to help face the challenges ahead, and book your place today at LocalEnterprise.ie/Week.
Monday March 1st
9.30am – 10.45am
Benefits of Green for your Business – Launching Green for Micro
Open to all. Organised by LEO Dublin City
This practical ‘how to’ event will help you to ‘Green’ your business and benefit from practical guidance on how to make your business more sustainable. Discover the benefits of doing so, and listen to case studies from those who have already done it. You will learn how to market your green business credentials as a unique selling point. Attendees will also learn how to access ‘Green for Micro’ supports from their Local Enterprise Office.
Register www.localenterprise.ie/week
Monday March 1st
11am – 1pm
Spring Back & Step Forward: Building Leadership & Resilience
Open to all. Organised by LEO Donegal
A highly motivational online event, focusing on developing leadership and resilience to adapt to the challenges and opportunities facing businesses today. The line-up of speakers includes Emma Jones of Enterprise Nation and explorer and inventor Mark Pollock.
Register www.localenterprise.ie/eek
Tuesday March 2nd
10am – 1pm
Building The New
Open to all. Organised by LEO Galway
A dynamic morning session focusing on innovation and opportunity. This event features a selection of new businesses, including those which began as a result of Covid-19 and those which have had to innovate. Speakers include Damian Young of the National Design Innovation Hub, Gourmet Tart Company and Dough Bros.
Register www.localenterprise.ie/week
Tuesday March 2nd
2pm – 4pm
Growing Lean: One Small Step or One Giant Leap, Getting Started with Lean
Open to all. Organised by LEO Kildare
The biggest challenge which many business- owners face, is how to get started with LEAN. The event will set out the many supports available as well as an introduction to Lean Thinking – which will cover the basics, and how it is applied. It will also feature a selection of business people who will share their experience of introducing LEAN into their businesses.
Register www.localenterprise.ie/week
Wednesday March 3rd
9.30am – 11.30am
AgriTech Revolution in Farming and Food
Open to all. Organised by LEO South Cork
This fast-paced interactive conference will examine how AgriTech has transformed farming and continues to help the sector thrive. Speakers will explore how using technology can put Ireland at the forefront of sustainable agriculture and where the export opportunities are.
Register www.localenterprise.ie/week
Wednesday March 3rd
2pm – 4.30pm
Creative Connections: Enabling your B-2-B Online Opportunities
Open to all. Organised by LEO Carlow
Aimed at entrepreneurs in creative sectors, this event is designed to showcase opportunities through developing online tools for selling to the Trade. It will provide a forum for best practice sharing with expert speakers and peer learning by listening to entrepreneurs who have travelled the road of developing B2B online selling tools.
Register www.localenterprise.ie/week
Thursday March 4th
10am – 11.30am
Engage for Growth with David Meade
Open to all. Organised by LEO Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown
A highly energetic and interactive session introducing the psychology of leadership and providing a practical toolkit for effective business management. David Meade, internationally renowned speaker, BBC TV presenter, and expert on what makes humans ‘tick’, will deliver deep insights, new techniques, and vital takeaways to help you succeed in business.
Register www.localenterprise.ie/week
Thursday March 4th
4pm – 5.30pm
S.M.A.R.Tech for Start-Ups
Open to all. Organised by LEO Clare
This dynamic event is aimed at technology start-ups who want to learn more about supports for their business growth. Speakers from both private and public sector will discuss new digital transformation technologies such as IoT, Industry 4.0, Automation, Robotics and Data Analysis. The event includes a virtual tour of the Dell Customer Solution Centre and the new campus in Limerick of the Confirm Centre for Smart Manufacturing.
Register www.localenterprise.ie/week
Thursday March 4th
7pm – 8.15pm
Masterclass: Health checking your business for its forward journey
Open to all. Organised by LEO Wexford
Blaise Brosnan, Management Resource Institute author and business guru, will deliver a masterclass assessing the financial health of your business. He will examine working capital, cashflow management and financial challenges and will tease out the issues while offering a range of practical solutions which you can both understand and use.
Register www.localenterprise.ie/week
Friday March 5th
9.30am – 12.30pm
Trading Online Voucher Information Webinar
Open to all. Organised by LEO Fingal
This innovative scheme helps small businesses to develop their online presence by offering vouchers, valued at up to €2,500, towards website development or digital marketing strategy. This interactive online information session will cover 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.
Register www.localenterprise.ie/week
Local Enterprise Week is organised by Local Enterprise Offices and supported by Enterprise Ireland, local authorities and the Government of Ireland.
Find out what programmes and supports are the best fit for your business in 2021.
Book your place at a Local Enterprise Week event today at http://www.localenterprise.ie/week. Together, we can make it happen
#MakingItHappen
