Exploring Enterprise Programme helps local entrepreneurs

The Exploring Enterprise Programme is a new initiative aiming to help local entrepreneurs launch their own business successfully.

The new initiative aims to help those people who aren’t ready to start up a business, but who wish to explore the entire concept of business start up. It prepares individuals who are considering the option of self-employment, for the major step of starting a new small business.

The Programme helps people by offering a mix of one-to-one mentoring and group training and focuses on identifying transferable life skills, which are useful in business.

Commenting on the initiative, John Treacy, Programme Manager, said: “The Exploring Enterprise Programme is totally new and innovative. It helps individuals to identify existing skills and explores how these skills can be used to start and develop a business. Effective pre-start support encourages more people to start businesses, accelerates the start-up process and makes success more likely.”

He added: “Course materials have been designed to national standards and we are already receiving rave responses from participants who thoroughly enjoy the ‘soft’ and supportive approach of Exploring Enterprise.”

Professor Fabian Monds, Invest Northern Ireland Chairman, said: “This is an important and innovative element in the support framework being developed for our ‘Go for it’ campaign to create an enterprise culture that will accelerate the growth of entrepreneurship and new business starts throughout Northern Ireland. Our objective is to transform Northern Ireland into a more broadly-based, resilient and regional economy by increasing substantially the levels of innovation and entrepreneurship.”

The Exploring Enterprise Programme has been tested and has exceeded anticipated outcomes. To date, 228 individuals have successfully participated in the initiative, enjoying, in total, 4,288 hours mentoring and 6,840 hours training. Initial indications are that at least 50% of participants will go on to start their own business.

The Exploring Enterprise Programme is funded by the Department of Employment and Learning, with European Social Fund assistance under the Northern Ireland Programme for Building Sustainable Prosperity.

Other sponsors include Invest Northern Ireland, the International Fund for Ireland and Enterprise Northern Ireland.

The programme is managed by Fermanagh Enterprise Limited on behalf of Enterprise Northern Ireland and delivered locally by Enterprise Agencies throughout Northern Ireland.

(KMcA)