Wicklow marks National Women’s Enterprise Day
‘OPEN doors to new markets’ was the theme for this year’s National Women’s Enterprise Day, which was celebrated by over 60 local entrepreneurs at Killruddery House and Gardens in Bray.
The host and guest speaker Fionnuala Ardee, CEO of Killruddery Estate Enterprises Ltd, inspired everyone present with her story of the various challenges she encountered over the last ten years while turning Killruddery House into a successful and profitable enterprise and also maintaining its heritage and the family home.
Killruddery is a living, working house, gardens and farm. It has been home to sixteen generations of the Brabazon family.
The audience at Killruddery was treated to Fionnuala’s insights and tips on how women can make it in the business world by embracing challenges and tapping into new and sometimes overlooked markets and by focussing on their strengths and setting clear goals.
Afterwards the audience were invited by Fionnuala and Sheelagh Daly, Head of Local Enterprise, to join in a networking event over afternoon tea in the orangerie.
Organised by the Local Enterprise Offices, including Local Enterprise Office Wicklow, fifteen events were organised around the country with over 1,200 entrepreneurs participating.
The Local Enterprise Offices invited 60 successful female entrepreneurs, including Fionnnuala Ardee, to share their business stories at events in Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Mayo, Carlow, Laois, Tipperary, Cork, Cavan, Monaghan, Meath, Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow and Waterford.
In 2016, the 31 Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) across the country jointly supported 14,300 female entrepreneurs and the National Women’s Enterprise Day initiative is still as important as ever. Sheelagh Daly, Head of Local Enterprise Office Wicklow said:’studies show that women still have a higher fear of failure when it comes to starting a business and can lack confidence in their own skills and knowledge.
To help address this, the Local Enterprise Offices teamed up with sixty successful female entrepreneurs all over the country to share and celebrate their stories and to demonstrate how every woman can open doors to new markets and what supports are there to help.’
An Tánaiste and Minister for Business, En- terprise and Innovation, Frances Fitzgerald, T.D. said: ‘ the events taking place around the country, including County Wicklow, are a true celebration of the potential and achievements of women in business. Women can get close to, and examine, real stories and successes of other female led start-ups. National Women’s Enterprise Day, organised and run by the Local Enterprise Offices, is the ideal opportunity for those female entrepreneurs thinking of starting or expanding their business to learn from other successful businesswomen. Women make a huge contribution to business in Ireland, creating innovative enterprises that are focused on growth and exports in every town and village across the country. I want to encourage more women to set up businesses across our regions and I would encourage you all to avail of the many supports available from your Local Enterprise Office.’ PREPARATIONS for Brexit were at the fore at several NWED events around the country. In June, LEO Wicklow arranged a Brexit Strategy Workshop which took place at Wicklow County Campus.