All in a day’s work with your Local Enterprise Office
Keeping your business competitive and productive is much easier with the help of your Local Enterprise Office
Small businesses have faced massive hurdles since the start of the decade. The Covid pandemic changed the way businesses worked forever, and now energy costs and the rising cost of living are putting a significant squeeze on everyone, particularly small firms. What we have seen from small businesses is an adaptability and a resilience that has enabled many to change the way they work. That has helped them not only to survive but also to thrive.
Facing into another winter of challenging conditions for small businesses, the Local Enterprise Offices have launched a new campaign aimed at helping businesses to make those changes that will help them now and in the future.
The All In a Day’s Work campaign is focused on driving small businesses to their Local Enterprise Office where they can be helped in saving time, money and energy through competitiveness and productivity supports. These supports include the ‘For Business’ suite of programmes — Green for Business, Lean for Business and Digital for Business. Each is tailored at future-proofing your business and making it more sustainable, productive, and competitive in today’s market.
With the Lean for Business programme, businesses have an opportunity to fine tune or completely overhaul their processes with the aim of effecting savings. Many businesses work in a certain way because that is ‘how we’ve always done it’, and never question if there is a better way to do things.
The Lean For Business programme enables a business to step back and see how things can be improved. Since the programme commenced through Enterprise Ireland in 2015,
there have been over 2,000 assessments and interventions. The average saving for participating businesses is €34,000, and the average increase in output or productivity is 31%.
MENTORSHIP
Neale Richmond TD, Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, noted that while starting a business is an exciting time, without mentorship and advice it can also be very hectic.
“Local Enterprise Offices offer both the financial supports and mentorship programmes that help businesses to save time and money by being more efficient,” said the minister. “Local Enterprise Offices can have a significant impact on a business, and the fact that businesses are saving an average of €34,000 thanks to the Lean for Business programme is
a testament to this. Local Enterprise Offices are a fantastic resource, and I would encourage any small business who has not reached out to them yet to do so today.”
Since their inception, the Local Enterprise Offices have helped create over 25,000 jobs across Ireland. The LEOs work with thousands of client companies in a diverse range of sectors offering mentoring, training, expert advice and financial supports to small businesses.
John Magee, chair of the network of Local Enterprise Offices, expects that challenges for small businesses will continue. “That is why any business should be looking to make themselves more efficient, more productive, and more sustainable for now and the future,” said John. “The figures speak for themselves on the impact these supports can have. We hope that this campaign will emphasise those benefits and encourage more small businesses to look at how their businesses can save time, money and energy by becoming more efficient and more sustainable.”
TRANSITION
Local Enterprise Offices run a number of initiatives to foster entrepreneurship across the country. These include Local Enterprise Week, the National Enterprise Awards, the Student Enterprise Programme, National Women’s Enterprise Day, and Local Enterprise Showcase. The Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities are funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland.
Carol Gibbons, Head of Regions and Local Enterprise at Enterprise Ireland, said a key goal for the agency is to support companies to make the transition to the low-carbon, resourceefficient economy of the future.
“The All in a Day’s Work campaign is a key part of supporting this critical agenda,” said Carol. “The campaign aims to spotlight the numerous supports available to small
businesses to enable them to take the next step on their sustainability journey. Increasingly, sustainability is seen as a core driver of future growth for small businesses, aligning them to changing consumer demands. The business supports offered by the Local Enterprise offices from Digital to Green for Business are a key enabler for business,” Carol added.
Sonya Kavanagh, Chair of the County and City Management Association committee on business and enterprise, believes that the Lean, Green and Digital supports offered by Local Enterprise Offices can make a huge difference to businesses, saving them money and helping them to become more competitive.
Sonya explained: “Everyone in business is busy, and it can be difficult to find the time to stand back and evaluate how you might improve your efficiency and productivity. That’s where these supports come in. I would strongly encourage businesses to connect with their Local Enterprise Office and find out what supports will work for them.”
For more information on the campaign and what’s on offer from Local Enterprise Office, go to AllInADaysWork.ie