Posts Tagged ‘start your own business’
Calling All Startups. . . . Upcoming Free Event for Start-ups in association with Bizspark and DCU
Startup Story – www.mytutor.ie – Starting A Business In Ireland
Introducing www.mytutor.ie a new service for finding classes, courses and tutuors in Ireland… continue reading
Dublin’s Propeller Seed Accelerator Announces First Group of Funded Companies:
Ryan Academy for Entrepreneurship Propeller Accelerator outlines the first
cohort of six companies on its Techstars Network member programme:
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Introducing KOH Creative – Startups Story
We talk to Irish Startup graphic design company KOH creative about their journey so far…..
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Ryan Academy Announces New Venture Accelerator Fund
Dublin City University’s Ryan Academy for Entrepreneurship announces the establishment of a seed venture fund of 1 million for early stage technology start-up companies. continue reading
Bray Area Partnership Start your own Business Courses!
Bray Community Enterprise are registering names for a new course specifically designed for unemployed people living in the Bray area who want to set up a business. Courses range from the 7-week Considering Self-employment (next one starts on 2nd June) to the more intensive 22-week Pre-enterprise Training programme.
The services provides support to long-term unemployed people, short-term unemployed people, dependent partners of unemployed people, lone parents, early school leavers, people in receipt of a disability payment, non-Irish nationals and individuals working in the home.
The services and support we offer include:
Advice and support on business set up and planning;
Start Your Own Business Courses;
on-going support and advice once you have started trading;
computer training at basic and ECDL level;
information and advice for all entrepreneurs.
Our Start Your Own Business courses
We run the following Start Your Own Business courses for people who want to explore the option of self-employment, whatever stage you may be at:
Considering Self-Employment: Exploring Options
If you are thinking about self-employment, this programme will give you an introduction to the concept of self-employment and will help you to:
identify your own skills and interests and how you could use them in self-employment;
explore the elements needed to set up and run your own business;
build confidence;
learn to identify business opportunities.
Pre-Enterprise Training Programme
If you are long-term unemployed and have a business idea this course will help you to develop that idea and bring it to the stage where you can set up your business.
Course run over a 22-week period, as a CE scheme with support from FAS;
Structured training programme (group and individual mentor sessions) covering such topics as book-keeping, marketing, IT skills and management;
You may be eligible to progress to the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (DSFA).
For further information and to book your place on a course contact
Bernard Dromey, Enterprise Development Worker
Tel: 01 205 0111 Email: bernard@braycommunityenterprise.ie
New Business Startup Idea. Where do I start ??
All Businesses start with an idea!, How do you find the right one??
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Viral Loop – From Facebook to Twitter
If you are interested in using the Internet to grow your business virally, then “Viral Loop: From Facebook to Twitter, How Today’s Smartest Businesses Grow Themselves” is a must-read.
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Need 100k? No Problem! Just solve the national economic crisis…
www.yourcountryyourcall.com
Well points for effort I suppose, the idea is that there has to be one or two genius ideas out there that can save the nation from the mess that it is currently in. As the government is clearly devoid of any inspiration they have thrown the challenge back to us.
My 2 ideas are:
1) Sack the Government
2) Put Michael O’Leary in charge
I accept all major forms of cash as a government cheque would probably bounce….
The blurb goes as follows!
Your Country, Your Call is a competition to ignite imaginations and inspire thinking.
The goal is to pick two truly transformational proposals so big that, when implemented, could secure prosperity and jobs for Ireland. Proposals that could help change the way we do things, allow businesses to grow, employment to be created and prosperity to flourish
Your Country, Your Call gives you the chance to share your creativity to give life to new industry, revitalise or revolutionise an existing market, or even change the way we do business entirely. It’s not about creating new products. It’s about creating something that will make a long term positive impact on the future of Ireland, its people, and its economy.
Your Country, Your Call is all about Ireland. It’s about helping to create sustainable employment and prosperity, whilst at the same time generating hope, confidence, and positive thinking.
Your Country, Your Call is open for proposals.
Company: Storage Plus Ltd
Website: www.storageplus.ie
Founders: Barry Rabbitt
Age: 29
Based: Ashbourne, Co Meath
Staff Number: 3
Date started: March 2009
Tell us what your business does?
We offer a range of logistical services. Our most popular is the fulfillment service for online sellers. We store our clients products in our fully racked and shelved 7000sq foot warehouse. When orders are placed on their sites we pick and pack each individual order and dispatch it the same day for delivery anywhere in the world. In most cases we can do all this for less than the customer was previously paying for carraige only, so its a no brainer really! By us handling all the fulfillment it leaves our customers to concentrate on other aspects of their business. We also improve delivery time in most cases, which helps to attract repeat business for our clients.
Our other services include general packaging requirements, for example a recent client asked us to pack 5000 units of a laptop accessory along with installation CDs and plugs into new packaging ready for sale.
We also offer a cross docking service for businesses who may not hold a quantity of stock but simply order from their suppliers ‘just in time’. The goods are delivered to us in bulk, we then break this bulk order down and send out the individual orders.
Where did the idea for your business come from?
Due to my background in the logistics industry and access to warehousing space and good courier rates I started thinking that I should open an online store as I had the delivery aspect of the business sorted. Then one day I thought to myself that I should let someone else worry about the selling, and I would simply create a service that took all the logistical headaches away from these sellers, who in a lot of cases run their ecommerce sites as a sideline. After talking to a friend who described the packaging and shipping end of his ecommerce business as the most hassle, I knew I was onto a good idea.
Have you always wanted to run your own business?
Yes, other than packing shelves of the local supermarket while in school I have pretty much always worked for myself in a sense. Being involved in the family transport business www.deliverance.ie meant that I was to a greater or lesser extent my own boss.
What planning did you do before you started up?
I did some tests to evaluate how long it would take to pick, pick and prepare for shipping an average order. I divided that time into a fair hourly rate and that determined the labour charge I should apply along with courier and packaging charges per box. This figure came up as €8.50 which I felt was a great value price for the complete service I was providing. I ran the idea past some non biased people who mostly thought it was both a good idea and a fair price. So, apart from that basic research I didn’t go into too much detail, I feel that too many people think about things far too long – go with your gut feeling, there is nothing wrong with failing once you try and try again!
Which Irish Entrepreneurs do you admire?
I have a lot of time for Michael O Leary, though I wouldn’t like to come up against him in negotiations – which is probably a compliment in itself!
What challenges have you faced how have you overcome them?
Probably generating sufficient finance! I approached a number of banks for very modest business loans and they just aren’t available so I have used my own limited savings….and made sure they went as far as possible. My next biggest challenge was juggling setting up Storage Plus alongside running the family business.
How have you promoted your business?
I have done limited promotion so far, in fact most of my customers have come to me despite not having a very well indexed website. In the last few weeks I have set up a google adwords campaign which is generating some leads. Promotion is at the top of my list for the new year! We have everything running smoothly now so we’re in a good position to sell our service.
What has your growth been like?
Steady but controlled. We are currently shipping approx 40-50 orders per day, but already we have had to move to a new warehouse as we have filled our old unit to bursting point. Come the new year I would hope to grow the business at a consistent steady rate.
What’s the impact on your home life been like?
I suppose thats a question that would be better pointed towards my partner, Andrea! From my point of view it has had limited impact other than being there less. I think its important to try keep both aspects of your life seperate.
