LEOSEMINARTO SHEDLIGHTON ONLINETRADING

WITH online spending continuing to rise, a seminar addressing trading online will be held in Rathnew next month.

Organised by Local Enterprise Office Wicklow, the free seminar will take place from 9.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. on Thursday, May 17 at Wicklow County Campus.

The growth in online shopping has created an opportunity for Irish businesses to access a wider market, expand their business and create more jobs. However, statistics suggest that only 32 per cent of small Irish companies are engaged in e-commerce sales and that 70 per cent of the €850,000 spent online by Irish consumers per hour is going overseas.

The ‘ Trading Online Voucher’ campaign, financed by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, aims to encourage small businesses to develop their online presence through a website or digital marketing strategy by availing of a trading online voucher of up to €2,500 or 50 per cent of their eligible expenditure – whichever is the lesser.

Businesses looking to apply for the Trading Online Voucher must be trading for a minimum of 12 months, employ less than 10 employees and be located in County Wicklow.

The seminar will help participants to understand and determine the best approach to establish and increase their online presence and trade online. Applicants for the trading online voucher must attend a trading online information seminar, with a number of seminars held during the year.

Noel Davidson of The Entrepreneurs Academy Ltd will deliver the seminar on May 17. The programme will cover why a business needs to be online, how to target customers, being visible online in online searches, setting up a website, building a business website, how to develop a digital marketing strategy for a business and information on the online trading voucher.