Networking, Training & Business Funding Opportunities this February 2020
Brought to you by DunLaoghaireTown.ie
Supported by Bank of Ireland and DLR CoCo
Now that the long month of January is finally over, it’s time to get stuck into your business goals for 2020.
It’s already shaping up to be an interesting year for business. Here in Dún Laoghaire, there are plenty of opportunities to up-skill, find funding, and seek out a competitive advantage, whether you’re a long-established business in town or just getting set up.
This month, we’re covering:
- Business Events in Dún Laoghaire Town in February
- Local Enterprise Week 2020
- How to Promote Your Business on DunLaoghaireTown.ie
Make sure you make time for these helpful events and local resources in February!
Networking Events
February 26th – Digital Dun Laoghaire Meetup – New Decade – New Start – New Business
Are you, or someone you know, thinking about starting your own business in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown? This month’s meet-up is geared for people considering a new start-up business.
Topic for February
Is 2020 the year you’re going to start your own business? Maybe you want to formalise your side gig into a full-time job.
Whatever goals, start-up culture in Ireland is thriving, and there’s a wide range of supports available in both in Dún Laoghaire and beyond. Digital Dún Laoghaire’s February Meetup will introduce attendees to what’s available and provide sound advice from our panel of experts.
Places are available on a first-come first-served basis.
Did you miss the January 30 Lunchtime Briefing? Maybe you’re looking for a refresher. Find all the resources from our January event here on the microsite.
Register Now – Register your free place now on the Digital Dún Laoghaire Eventbrite page.
February 27th – Women in Business Network
Venue – Royal St George’s Yacht Club
The Women in Business Network (WIBN) is hosting a Dún Laoghaire introductory meeting and luncheon open to all women in business living in the area. Membership of the group includes a mix of entrepreneurs, SME owners, and employees and leaders across industries. Check out the Eventbrite page for more details and to register.
DLR LEO Events for February 2020
Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Local Enterprise Office has a full calendar of business events for the month of February.
The Instagram and Facebook training event on February 10th is booked out, but other upcoming training sessions in Dún Laoghaire town still have places left.
LEAN for Leaders Introduction Workshop – February 20 – 7:30 AM – 12 PM
DLR LEO’s introduction to LEAN workshop is back for February. If you’ve heard about LEAN but wonder how it might apply to your business, come along to this introductory workshop on February 20.
Trading Online Voucher Information Seminar February 27 – 9:30 – 1:30
Irish shoppers are more likely to shop online than any other nationality, but many Irish businesses are still in the process of setting up their websites and ecommerce stores.
If you’re new to ecommerce and want some support in getting started, consider applying for LEO’s Trading Online Voucher scheme. Drop into the free information seminar at the Royal Marine Hotel on February 27 to learn more about web development tools and how to apply for the Trading Online Voucher grant.
Book your place for any of the above through LEO’s online booking portal.
Get Ready for Local Enterprise Week 2020 (2nd – 6th of March)
Local Enterprise Week kicks off the first week of March 2020.
There’s a notable number of events happening both in town and further afield (Stillorgan, Leopardstown, Dundrum).
The events in Dún Laoghaire include:
- Pricing Guidance Workshop for Start-ups & SMEs (2/3/2020 at the The Studio, dlr LexICon)
- ‘Close the Deal’ Sales Workshop (2/3/20 at the Royal Marine Hotel)
- Financial Management (Advanced) for Growth (2/3/20 at the Royal Marine Hotel)
- ‘Win the Tender’ Procurement Workshop (5/3/20 at the Haddington Hotel)
Visit LEO’s site for the full schedule and remember to register for any events.
Don’t forget: LEO will offer free 30 minute mentoring sessions to coincide with Local Enterprise Week. These will happen at the LEO DLR office throughout the week. Sessions are usually €15 each, so it’s a great opportunity for a productive sit-down without the need to provide your card details. Book your space on LEO’s website.
New Businesses in Dún Laoghaire Town
This month we feature two new businesses that have recently arrived in our town, if you know of a new business that have located here please let us know – [email protected]
In our February edition of Experience Dún Laoghaire (our B2C newsletter) we focussed on The Little Wooden Peg, to read the story please click on the image below.
From the business to business sector our town welcome’s Faction.
This month’s Dún Laoghaire business to business spotlight comes from Faction, a strategic branding agency that calls the Glasshouses 2 (92 George’s Street Lower) home.
Faction connects with businesses who value branding and design and who see these tools as a strategic opportunity to set themselves apart and increase their bottom line. The team includes three core designers as well as five to ten external designers dotted around Ireland who contribute their unique skills with the Dún Laoghaire team.
The team at Faction aren’t your typical studio and they don’t do design for design’s stake: they welcome clients of all sizes who come to them with great ideas and a desire to turn those plans into reality. Tim and his team of designers provide start-to-finish services from naming to positioning and design and implementation.
Why Dún Laoghaire? When we caught up with Tim Bebbington, associate and lead designer, Tim noted all the things that make the town great for running a business: the ability to walk to work, proximity to the DART, and of course the sea. (Tim is a sailor, who first came to Dún Laoghaire in 1991.)
Spaces like the Glasshouse 2 sealed the deal. The space is impressive and filled with likemind creatives, and Tim liked what Chad Gilmer (owner of the space) was trying to accomplish with breathing new life into Dún Laoghaire.
What’s coming next for Faction? Big things, undoubtedly, but Tim says he’s looking forward to watching Dún Laoghaire blossom and reach its full potential as a quintessential and dynamic Irish seaside town.
Funding Opportunities
Funding for a facelift for your shop front from DLR County Council
Is your shopfront in need of a facelift? Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council are offering a 50% grant of maximum of €5,000 for shop front improvement works to street-facing independent businesses in the town.
Interested? Email [email protected] or visit the DLR CoCo website at the link below.
Promote Your Business on DunLaoghaireTown.ie – It’s free
DunLaoghaireTown.ie website is run on a not-for-profit basis. It acts as a digital channel to promote the town, local businesses and the broader community. To do so, the website provides a range of free services available to all.
This month, we want to show you how your business can use our platform to share relevant news, events and deals with a wider audience.
There are two ways DunLaoghaireTown.ie can help your business grow its sales:
How to market your events to a wider audience
We encourage you to use the DunLaoghaireTown.ie Event calendar to promote your event to an audience of thousands. The best part: it’s free!
We use a simple form to captures all the details that DunLaoghaireTown.ie needs to add it to the town’s event listing and promote it on the DunLaoghaireTown.ie social media networks. The only requirement is that the event is taking place within Dún Laoghaire Town.
How to market your deals to a wider audience
Do you have a fantastic deal that your customers, or new customers, just shouldn’t miss?
You can use the DunLaoghaireTown.ie Deals Page to promote your deal to a much wider audience. It’s free, and you can upload it yourself in only a few minutes!
One simple form captures all the details that DunLaoghaireTown.ie needs to add it to the town’s DEALS listing and promote it on the DunLaoghaireTown.ie social media networks. The only thing we ask is that the deal is available from a business located within Dún Laoghaire Town.
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