Budding entrepreneurs can bring forward their ideas and kick-start a new business thanks to the ‘Go for It’ Business Start Programme.
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council alongside the ten other councils have joined forces with Invest Northern Ireland to encourage people to take up the call and ‘Go For It’ with their local council if they are thinking of starting a business.
Go For It is part funded by Invest Northern Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund under the Investment for Growth & Jobs Northern Ireland (2014-2020) Programme.
It will be delivered free of charge by a team of highly experienced business mentors through Northern Ireland’s wide network of enterprise agencies.
Recognising that the all-important first step in starting out on your own is testing out your idea, Go For It will provide expert advice and help with developing a robust business plan in order to help turn your idea into a reality.
Urging anyone considering going out on their own, starting or growing a business to contact their local enterprise centre, Councillor Joe Nelson, Chair of the Economic Development and Regeneration Committee commented: “Our message is clear, don’t be afraid to bring forward your ideas.
“By talking them through with a business start-up advisor, you will quickly know if it’s going to fly, and if it is, they’ll work with you to develop a business plan to allow your business to take off.
“I am very pleased that we are delivering this valuable programme for the many budding entrepreneurs across the borough.”
Gordon Gough, Chief Executive of Enterprise Northern Ireland, the body which runs the network of Enterprise Agencies delivering Go For It commented: “Our business advisors have probably heard every fear, reservation or worry there is
about taking the first steps to starting out on your own.
“The programme is designed to work through these, to clarify goals, explore potential problems, map out the route to
success and even to help with access to finance to start up or grow a business.
“Bill Scott, Invest Northern Ireland’s Executive Director of Regional Business commented: “Northern Ireland has a long history of entrepreneurship. Many of our most successful local businesses were self-started by one person with a simple business idea. Equally, there are thousands of micro-businesses which are the lifeblood of our local economy.
“The latest national employment statistics show that the number of self-employed is continuing to rise steadily, now accounting for over 15% of the working population in the UK, or 4.86 million people. Go For It is a valuable first step towards thousands of new businesses in Northern Ireland.”
If you have a business idea you’d like to develop or if you are thinking about starting a business, contact Eileen Stewart in Armagh Business Centre on 028 3752 5050 or info@abcarmagh.com.
