Start Your Own Business Course To Commence In Edenderry

By Justin Kelly

The Local Enterprise Office at Offaly County Council are running a six week 'Start Your Own Business' course in Edenderry Town Hall, commencing on February 2. This course is free of charge to people on Job Seekers Allowance or a Job Seekers Payment, and will cost €70 for other applicants. Classes will run from 7-10pm on Monday nights from the commence date until March 2.

This course is designed for anyone who is thinking of starting up their own business. It will cover all stages of preparing for a business start-up, and course topics will include Market Research, Business Structure, Business Planning, Sources of Assistance, Taxation Issues, Promoting your product/service, and Managing your business. Geraldine Beirne, Business Advisor with the Local Enterprise Office told InOffaly this week: "It will arm you with the knowledge of how to go about setting up the business, how to decide if there is a demand for your product or service, how to properly cost your product/service, and how to take your product to market."

Participants on this course will be mentored by Leo Gibson from Mentor Consultants and Training Services Ltd. "Leo Gibson established Mentor Consultants in 1985 and has run a wide range of training programmes for various agencies both in Ireland and overseas," Geraldine Beirne said. As well as the six three-hour classes in the above areas, a final mentoring session will be carried out with each student after the programme is completed. The date for these sessions will be agreed between Leo Gibson and the course participant.

The Local Enterprise Office is funded through the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, and Geraldine Beirne says the office continues to support start-ups as they move from conception stage into the world of business: "We provide free access to our monthly business ezine, free membership of Offaly Network of Entrepreneurs (ONE) Network, as well as ongoing phone support and business mentoring from the Local Enterprise Office. In addition, the Local Enterprise Office works closely with all the Departments within the County Council, like Planning, Finance, and Procurement, to assist with queries and advise on any relevant supports."

The Local Enterprise Office can be contacted by emailing info@leo.offalycoco.ie or phoning 057-9357480.

14.8% Drop In Numbers Signing On Live Register In Offaly

By Justin Kelly

Central Statistics Office figures for December 2014 have revealed a 14.8% decline in the number of people on the live register in Co. Offaly. The number of unemployed people has declined in all eight regions of the country, and the news has been welcomed by Fine Gael TD for Laois/Offaly, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy.

“Another drop in the Live Register in December emphasises that the economy is in recovery and that more people are entering the jobs market. I am particularly encouraged that the Live Register here in Offaly has dropped by such a significant percentage,” Corcoran Kennedy said.

Rural Ireland has been particularly affected by the economic downturn, and while technology companies like Facebook and Google have opened offices in the urban centres, counties like Offaly have been lacking investment. Corcoran Kennedy, who is the chairperson of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs and Enterprise, has spoken of the government's commitment to rural communities: “This year there will be an increased focus on job creation outside of the main urban centres as the Minister for Jobs Richard Bruton prepares the launch of a pilot programme in the shape of the Regional Enterprise Strategy. This strategy, which I welcome, will specifically address local economies in rural areas, an issue I have consistently raised with Minister Bruton in the Dail,” the deputy stated.

It was recently announced by the IDA that 37% of foreign investments in 2014 were made outside the main urban centres, and Corcoran Kennedy wants to ensure counties like Offaly “compete with the likes of Dublin and Cork” in terms of foreign direct investment going forward. “The IDA figures are encouraging, and the government will commit to continuing this trend in the future,” she added.

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy has also welcomed the other investments that were made in Offaly throughout 2014: “€6,971,007 went towards capital spend for schools in the county and 18 Garda cars came on stream in the Laois/Offaly division,” she revealed. While recognising these positives in the county, Corcoran Kennedy also acknowledged the difficulties that have been encountered by the people of Co. Offaly: “There is no doubt that 2014 was a challenging year for the people of Offaly. We have been coming out of the most difficult recession in the history of the State and recovery does not happen overnight. Major progress has been made however, and the same can be expected for 2015.”

Nationally, the latest CSO Live Register figures show that the unemployment rate has dropped to 10.6% from a high of 15.1% in 2012, and Corcoran Kennedy says “we expect that this figure will finally drop below 10% in 2015.”