Starting a Business in Ireland | Help for Ireland's Entrepreneurs | Start Up Your Own Business - Are you thinking of starting a business in Ireland? Well, Startups.ie is here to help. We know that starting a business can be daunting. That’s why Startups.ie contains all the information, advice & tips you need to successfully start your own business. Established in 2005, we are the longest serving, largest & most comprehensive advice platform covering everything you need to know start, buy, run or sell a business in Ireland. Many people dream of starting their own business. Startups.ie is dedicated to those who get up and get started!

How to Brief a Marketing Agency or Consultant When you reach out to an agency for help on a specific project they will ask you to supply them with a brief that they can analyse. Without this, it will be difficult for them to send you a detailed proposal that matches what you are looking for. Often, most small to medium-sized businesses do not have a briefing document “template” ready and waiting for you to use. So, what do you do? How do you go about drafting one? And where do you start? I have been in this situation in the early years of my career and I remember feeling helpless

You know what you know – but you don’t know what you don’t know! So, employ a person to do the job and let them get on with it. When you start out it is not easy knowing when to hire someone to work for you when you are used to doing everything yourself. But, this can be an excellent way to expand your business. You know what you know, but you cannot know everything or do it all yourself. There comes a point where you need to hire someone to help and trust them to get on with it. Employing someone can be a tough job. If you hire

Everyone wants the number one spot on the first page of Google. Competition is hot to get to the top of Google search rankings. This is a tough ask for the small business owner. Around 91% of people do not click past the first page of Google results to find what they want. Being on the first page is crucial to capture the interest of more potential customers. Getting your website to the top of the search results can be a complex equation to solve. Search engine optimization (SEO) and keywords are two key components but, to most business owners, this is a mystery. Here are some things you can

Hi Folks.. It is hard to believe that the Startup Awards are now in their 7th year – how time flies when you are having fun! The Startup life can be a hard one so sometimes it is good to look back and take stock of the successes (as opposed to mulling over the inevitable failures). The Startup Awards like this site (Startups.ie) were born out of a passion for supporting and promoting entrepreneurship in Ireland. I launched Startups.ie 12 years ago (again hard to believe!!) when I first left the security of a well paid job to venture out into the unknown and set up my first Startup. I

Sudden extreme weather conditions can have you running for cover. But what does this mean for your business? Are you prepared for rain, snow, or hail as this will affect the running of your business? With so much at stake, such as computer assets that hold all your data, you need a disaster recovery plan. Being prepared at all times can mean the difference between surviving adverse weather and failure. While you may not be in immediate danger, it is always wise to prepare for a worst-case scenario. Here are five ways to keep your business going in adverse weather conditions. 1. Backing up and storing critical data Today businesses

There are less than six months before new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) take effect in the European Union (EU). These aim to strengthen the rights and protection of consumers in the EU. This means that all businesses need to prepare for the impact of more stringent data collection and storage processes. GDPR starts May 25, 2018. This legislation affects all EU member states. Everyone will now have to follow the same laws for collecting, storing and using consumer’s personal data. Benefits of GDPR There are two key benefits to the GDPR: Its goal is to give EU residents control over their personal information. It simplifies the regulatory environment for

The AIDA model is very simple and extremely effective when you understand it. In this post, we are going to walk you through the funnel and show you how to apply it to your sales and marketing efforts. At the end of this article, you will know how to generate better leads, how to build and nurture relationships, and how to accompany those leads all the way to purchase. Note: not all leads are buyers and therefore it is important to remember that people will drop off as they go through the funnel, this is normal. What is the AIDA Model? The AIDA model implies that buyers move through a

It is still the first quarter of the year, so have you taken the time to take a good look at your business and to consider what you want to achieve in 2018. Here are 10 things you can do to start the year off on the right foot. 1. Review last year’s results Review your last year’s results. Do you know what your revenue was for the last year? How much profit did you make? What about your website traffic? What was the most shared content and your top performing keywords? Do you have the best people in the right positions? Put together a list of all these questions

Starting up an online business – small or large – is a big undertaking and your business plan should include some sound marketing strategies which will pull in potential customers. If you are an upcoming start-up who is drafting a business plan or are an existing brand considering potential marketing strategies, I bet you have one thing on your mind: online marketing. This is great; there are many benefits which you can take advantage of by executing a strong online marketing strategy. But, many of your potential customers may not (and probably do not) spend a lot of time on the internet, using their smartphones or scrolling through social media

Those who want to achieve some short-term successes and boosts to their popularity, traffic and sales, usually think about a marketing campaign. On the other hand, those who are in this industry for the long run, prefer to focus on the issue of branding as a whole. By creating a brand, you are turning your business into an entity capable of relating to your customers on a personal, rather than rational level. In other words, it creates the sensation that makes your customers buy from you rather than from your competitors even in a situation where they have a slightly better offer. Needless to say, in the world of eCommerce,