SME entrepreneurs are competitors at heart. They desire to begin, grow and win. Yet no matter how brilliant a strategy, in business those who play a solo game will lose out to a team.
Getting your name in the papers is a powerful way to build your brand, raise awareness and attract customers. Earned media is much more credible than advertising and best of all, it’s free.
These are uncertain times for Irish SMEs. After more than two years of endless debate and constant media coverage, it seems we’re still no closer to knowing how Brexit will eventually pan out. Whatever the outcome, though, the impacts will be wide-ranging and now is the time for Irish businesses to prepare…
An effective elevator pitch can often be the only difference between you and your competition. If you’re up to your eyes in trade shows, conferences, or business lunches, be sure to have a tried and trusted pitch at the ready.
Customer delight is everyone’s responsibility. Modern SMEs cannot afford to make their customers unhappy. If you don’t meet their expectations, they can publicly share their criticism online. It’s so easy nowadays for any customer, client, or happenstance bystander to share their instant discontent on the likes of Facebook Reviews, TripAdvisor, Yelp, or Google Reviews…
The onslaught of emails is constant, particularly when you’re running your own business. Figuring out how to manage the never-ending wave of communications is key to squeezing the most out of each day.
We’ve all been told at one time or another that “it’s not what you know but who you know“ that counts. Now, while there is no substitute for real knowledge and expertise, it certainly helps to have a highly developed network of contacts.
Sitting here on Europe’s periphery in a relatively small market, the ability to ship our products and services overseas is vital, both for the economy as a whole and for individual SMEs. If your business has hit a ceiling at home, then export may be the only way to take things to the next level.
Q4 was a record quarter for the platform with more than €11 million in business loans issued to Irish SMEs. It brought to a close a successful year that saw the platform exceed €80 million in total lending with almost €40 million of that activity happening in the last 12 months.