M50 Enterprise Programme

A quick note on the M50 Enterprise Programme that is run out of the Institutes of Technologies in Tallaght and Blanchardstown. I did it last year for a 12 month period. I know it’s back up again and I think they are either looking for businesses to participate or have already filled the positions. Anyone interested should get in contact straightaway and find out what the situation is. 

I found the programme to be really helpful as well as being a great source of ideas and camaraderie with the other participants. Patricia O’Sullivan who runs it is very cool – and very helpful. 

It basically operates by providing workshop type seminars where you discuss various aspects of your business and look at ways of developing. These are very useful and it’s nice to participate in a group scenario. There also one on one sessions which go through all aspects of your business directly. 

The programme works with EI, and a lot of participants get CORD funding (but administered and adjudicated by EI directly)

Anyway, most definitely worth a look into

 

 

 

Tradeshows

As I was saying in the last post we did a trade show in November 2007. It was held down in the RDS but run by an outside events company. It was expensive enough to take a stand. The one that we took was approx, 1250 + vat for a 4 by 1M stand. Long and narrow. They company who were organising had a reasonably good PR \ advertising blurb but in reality I am not so sure how much of it got implemented. The problem with these shows is that they want to get you signed up and paid and then not spend the budget and scrimp on essential things like promotion.

The result of them not spending the money was that footfall was low in comparison to other shows down in the RDS. They were also a bit tight on spending on the floor as it were. The lighting was poor. So everyone had to stump for extra lights.

Also, the wireless connections down in the RDS were not working so you couldnt access internet (a bit dodgy if you are trying to process txns online)

Between the jigs and the reels the footfall never really picked up, and even though we were in a good position sales were way below expectations. After the show, I got on to the organisers to let them know I was not happy – they weren’t that concerned – I think they were happy to have it over and done with and to have made some cash. But the reality is that on the discussion forums to which we all look/participate there was a lot of chat about how unimpressed people were with it and that they would not go back next year. So the upshot is, don’t allow yourself to be sucked in to marketing\sales nonsense and go with your head. If an organiser has not done it before and is very expensive – BEWARE. Look before you leap is definitely the way to go.

Be interested in hearing other peoples experiences

 

 

 

Back to Blogging

It has been a long time since I’ve been blogging about the travails of baba beag. Intend to resume blog again to discuss ups and downs of an Irish retail online site. 

Apologies for absence, will hopefully make amends over coming weeks and months.

First real post will be on Retail Trade Shows – did one in November – very mixed bag, maybe provide some insight for other people displaying at such shows