Funding available now! 

Dublin City Enterprise Board (DCEB) is the lead agency offering business support to small business in the capital of Ireland. Funded by central government and the EU it offers business mentoring, training and financial support to micro-businesses in Dublin City.

This guest blog is written by Eibhlin Curley, deputy CEO of the enterprise board.

Dublin City Enterprise Board’s priority is to support job creation through focusing on supporting manufacturing companies and innovative businesses, and enabling companies to export.

Eligibility for financial support

Training and business mentoring is available to all businesses BUT financial assistance is available to certain types of businesses.

Irish businesses that are eligible for support are

-          businesses that export a product or service, e.g. sell technology software outside Ireland

-          that manufacture an innovative product in Ireland

-          tourism businesses that offer services to visitors in Ireland

DCEB assists small businesses with 10 employees or less based in Dublin city. We can help, owner managers of established businesses, start up businesses and people thinking of starting a business.

You must be creating at least one new full-time paid position to be eligible for funding.

Types of financial support available

Business Development funding is available for established businesses. Funds can be used towards new employee salaries, marketing and manufacturing equipment and fit-out costs. The Business Development financial support is partly refundable (50% to be paid back, previously 66%).

Priming funding is for new businesses (trading less than 18 months) and may fund salaries, marketing and equipment costs. The Priming financial support is partly refundable (33% to be paid back).

Feasibility/ Innovation grants support prototype development, market research and patent costs (a grant that is not refundable though requires match funding).
The average size of financial supports from the Dublin City Enterprise Board is Business Development €20,000, Priming €12,000 and Feasibility €7,500 – all depending on the number of new jobs created.

Application process for financial support (also check www.dceb.ie )

An application form and the Promoter’s CV are required for feasibility study/ innovation grant applications. In the case of Priming and Business Development funding a Business Plan, Promoter’s cvs, 12 month projected cashflow and 3 years of projected Profit & Loss accounts are required. For existing business the applicant must submit their most recent annual accounts.

The applicant must make a strong case and provide as much evidence as possible of commercial viability, job creation and export potential. A business mentor may be utilised in putting together the business plan and application.

Assessment of funding applications

Each application is reviewed by an evaluation committee which meets every month.  Recommendations are made whether the application should be rejected, deferred (if they need clarification on particular issues) or approved. Terms and conditions may be attached to an approval. The Board of Directors make the final decision on approving financial support. 

Financial support  “Claims”

A Tax Clearance Certificate is required for all payments.

Support for salaries

Payments towards salary costs are based on payslips of full-time employees. The payment is paid in two instalments. The first month’s payslip of the new employee and the second instalment is paid on the 6 month’s payslip.

All other approved expenses are paid on a receipts basis (excluding VAT), after the Board approval date and before the expiry date of the financial support offering. No retrospective expenses are paid for costs incurred before the Board approval date.

Summary

Dublin City Enterprise Board financially supports niche market businesses

involved

-          in manufacturing, innovative services or exporting.  

-          they can be pre-start or well established companies

-          employing less than 10 people

-          at least one new full-time job must be created

-          must be based in Dublin city

For full details about financial assistance and other DCEB supports check out www.dceb.ie or telephone 01 635 1144

Note: Dublin City Enterprise Board is funded through the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and EU Structural Funds    

For other information on managing your business, contact Billy Linehan of Celtar billy.linehan@celtar.ie

For information about doing business in Ireland, look at

http://celtar.ie/blog/business-resources-in-ireland/   

and

www.scoop.it/t/doing-business-in-ireland

Your Business Day 2.0 returns to the Science Gallery on 9 December 2011

Celtar are proud to be project managing the second Your Business Day event on Friday, 9th of December 2011 in the Science Gallery, Pearse Street.

” We are delighted to be part of this major initiative from Greg Swift, Liam Barry and the team at DCEB” says Billy Linehan of Celtar, “already seeing the lineup it has been called the small business version of the Dublin Web Summit!”

Dublin City Enterprise Board (DCEB) the leading enterprise support agency for Dublin City are hosting the event for the second year.

The event is aimed at supporting small business in Dublin City, and will be of interest to those in business AND individuals starting up in business or thinking about starting a business.

Amongst other things the day will involve a series of talks from successful clients of DCEB, seminars and several development agencies are taking stands at the event.  There will also be a Tweet and Meet zone for networking and making connections.

A key feature of the day will be free business mentoring on the day to individuals attending the event, (we had over 250 attendees last year).
25 business mentors from a variety of business backgrounds will be available all day to answer your questions. The mentor slots start from 0900 and end at 1600.

The general theme of the event is “creating opportunities for self employment”, and DCEB clients and other speakers will share their experience through addressing specific topics such as,

• Growth through exporting,
• Use of technology in a small business
• Digital marketing, Social Media & SEO
• Innovation in small business
• Value of Design in business
• Financing your business, different stories
• How to start a a web based business, and even make a profit!

Real business owners speak at the event, practical people giving up their time for free to share their experience with attendees.

To date speakers include

George Howlett of  www.safefood360.com

Jamie Jenkinson of www.cushnshade.com

Agata Stoinska of www.D-Lightstudios.com

Martina Delaney of www.HandyBaby.com

Conor Lynch of www.SocialMedia.ie

John Ring of www.RingJohn.com

Mark Scanlon of www.SourceDogg.com

Lorna Coleman of www.First-Step.ie

David FitzGerald of www.Scapegoatdesign.com

Graham Clark of www.kookydough.ie

Joanna Norton of www.click4ESOL.com

And more to come!

For further information, and to book a free advice session with a business mentor, go to www.dceb.ie

For more information on Celtar services, contact Billy on 086 608 6991 or billy.linehan@celtar.ie

Celtar client Fit For Life is  supporting Positive Aging Week in a very positive manner.

Maintaining fitness as we get older makes a very significant difference to the quality of life of an older person. Nursing home residents will take part in the ‘Fit for Life’ Olympics this week, Positive Aging Week.  The event allows residents, family and nursing home staff to get involved in Fit for Life’s Group Exercise therapy sessions and learn more about the benefits of keeping active in old age.

The Fit for Life Olympics run from 26th to the 30th of September in 22 nursing homes in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Tipperary, Mayo, Kilkenny, Wexford and Wicklow.  Participants, who’ve been training for the event for the past month, will compete against each other in team events such as bowling, magnetic darts, golf and ring toss. Gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded to winners.

Speaking ahead of the Fit for Life Olympics, Managing Director of Fit for Life, Mark Sweeney said “We here at Fit for Life are committed to improving the quality of life of the older generation.  The Fit for Life Olympics are designed to provide our clients with a fun event where their families and nursing home staff can get involved and see the benefits of keeping active!  Our clients in the 22 nursing homes involved have been practicing their events for the last few weeks and we’re seeing a healthy competitive spirit brewing as a result!”

“Fit for Life’s team of chartered physiotherapists, exercise physiologists, and exercise and rehabilitation specialists have been providing active life services to nursing homes, day care centers and active retirement groups for the past 10 years” added Mr Sweeney.  “Our research and experience over that period has shown that those over 50 can really benefit from keeping active and getting regular exercise.  Our specialised group exercise therapy sessions are designed to provide a fun environment in which participants can improve their flexibility, mobility and balance.”

About Fit for Life:

Fit For Life, was established in 2001 by Mark Sweeney to provide a wide range of services for adults, from the very active right through to those who may need more assistance in their day to day lives.  The company currently employs 22 fully qualified and experienced staff, all of whom are educated to a minimum of a BSc standard in relevant disciplines such as physiotherapy, exercise physiology and exercise and rehabilitation.  All staff are full and practicing members of their respective associations including the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists.

Fit for Life’s mission is to empower the aging Irish population and help them to remain as active and independent as possible, ensuring they achieve and maintain the best quality of life possible.

Fit for Life provides extensive health based services to over 3,000 clients over the age of 60 in over a 100 residential Nursing Homes, Day Care Centre’s, Hospitals and other organisations throughout 26 counties.  It also provides services to community groups and private individuals on a weekly basis.

 www.FitForLife.ie

For further information please contact Mark Sweeney mark@fitforlife.ie

 Major new source of finance for city start-ups

Gerry Breen, the Lord Mayor for Dublin, has endorsed this fund set up with Ulster Bank and aimed at new businesses starting in the Dublin City area.

With no sector restrictions and interest rates that are competitive, it is worth a look for new and early stage businesses who are finding it difficult to access finance.

This new fund is welcomed by Billy Linehan of Celtar business consultants “access to finance is very tight now and every new channel available makes a positive contribution to reviving our economy. Sources of finance for business start-ups are less in Dublin compared with other major cities, Dublin Enterprise Board and First Step are the only two non-bank finance providers that I can think of.”

In short

• The fund will support viable start up business plans and entrepreneurs who have business ideas that have strong prospects and  potential for growth
• A start-up business loan rate of  4.1% (variable) is offered
• This rate is only available for start-up business loans for new and existing businesses of 3 years
• A maximum of €70,000
• Transaction fee free banking for 3 years
• Loan of up to €30,000 for new business development purposes with no need for personal guarantees to be backed by assets.
• All applications are processed via Ulster Bank College Green Branch
• And require a business plan and completed application form

The link to the application form has changed – now updated on 12 January – and is available at

http://www.dublincity.ie/Documents/Application_Forms/Business/Loan_Fund_Application.pdf

For further information

Economic Development Unit, Dublin City Council

Block 4, Floor 3, Civic Offices, Dublin 8

Telephone 222 0100

Email edu@dublincity.ie

Billy Linehan,  billy.linehan@celtar.ie

Free event for Dublin owner managers

Targeting future growth is firmly on the agenda at the capital’s largest free event for small businesses next week.

‘Your Business Day’ takes over the Science Gallery on Pearse Street next Thursday (December 9^th) and has been billed as a day of free advice and enterprise information for micro-enterprises and new start-ups.

Organisers Billy Linehan and Suzanne May of the Dublin City Enterprise Board,  have put together an impressive schedule for the initiative. It features free one-to-one mentoring clinics, case study presentations from successful Dublin city businesses, seminars on key topics and an exhibition area which are all geared towards Dublin’s small business community and those thinking of setting up a business in the city.

According to Greg Swift, CEO of Dublin City Enterprise Board, the emphasis throughout the day will be on practical advice and tips that entrepreneurs can readily adapt for their own businesses: “What small business owners and new business start-ups are looking for right now, is useful and concise information, inspiration from more established entrepreneurs and a little motivation to seek out new opportunities.”

“Anyone already in a small business in the capital or seriously thinking of setting one up in the New Year, is encouraged to consult with a mentor or attend an enterprise seminar at ‘Your Business Day’, to help them plan effectively for the year ahead,” he added.

Fifty individual mentoring sessions will be scheduled next Thursday, through on-line bookings and drop-in appointments; visitors with specific queries will be matched with the business mentors that have the most relevant experience.

Helping to lead by example, the advice and insights of successful businesspeople in the city will also be shared, through the stories of Cush ‘N Shade , Macleod Agencies , OneFootAbroad  , GiftedbyNature.ie, Languagewise.ie, Karora Cosmetics and Whatclinic.com.

Keeping the focus on new opportunities, a range of seminars around improving selling techniques, using intellectual property, maximising referrals and exploring export markets are taking place throughout the morning and afternoon. Seminar speakers include Liam Birkett, Alan Bell of the Referral Institute, John Mahon of Chessboard Associates and Austin Rutledge of Export Edge.

An exhibition area for state support agencies, micro-finance and trade associations, will also be open to visitors (including PLATO, First Step and Enterprise Ireland).

‘Your Business Day’ will also include plenty of opportunities for networking and is supported by Ulster Bank and the Science Gallery, running from 9am to 4pm on December 9^th. Advance bookings for mentoring and seminars can be made on-line through www.dceb.ie, but drop-in bookings are also welcome on the day and there is free entry.        

Speakers from

www.export-edge.com

www.chessboard.ie

www.referralinstitutedublinsouth.com

www.Celtar.ie