Making small business our business

Small business mentoring programme is sponsored by ESB Independent Energy

ESBIE

An innovative new small business mentoring programme sponsored by ESB Independent Energy was launched at W5 in Belfast on Thursday March 11.

The Connections Programme, run by Business in the Community (BITC), is a mentoring and support programme for small businesses with fewer than 50 employees.

The programme will match small businesses with mentors from large, successful companies to facilitate the sharing of best practice and the transfer of expertise, skills and know-how to encourage responsible business growth.

"Small businesses (SMEs) form the backbone of the Northern Ireland economy which also has the highest percentage of small firms of any region in the UK," says Heather Major of BITC. "There are 132,000 businesses in Northern Ireland, 99% of which are deemed to be SMEs and of these, some 95% are micro-businesses, employing 10 people or fewer.

"This programme has been designed with the small business owner in mind. It will facilitate the transfer of expertise, skills and know-how from big businesses to small businesses with particular focus on responsible growth and sustainability."

Mentoring is available to any business with fewer than 50 employees across the province, from any sector.

"Supporting local business is key to Northern Ireland’s recovery from the recession especially as many SMEs are facing significant challenges in the current economic climate,” said Susan Kinane, Managing Director of ESB Independent Energy. "We are delighted to play our part via the Connections Programme, helping to nurture economic growth within the small business community.

"The Northern Ireland economy has great potential and we believe that the business community must pull together to provide every competitive advantage for the SME sector; this exciting new initiative is an important step in delivering this.

A full programme of Connections Best Practice Workshops for SMEs will be delivered across Northern Ireland from March starting with Switch off and Save £'s, along with seminars on specific subjects such as employment law updates and the provision of practical toolkits.