Cork North & West LEO continues support of women in business

11 women recently completed a programme that aimed to help them to develop key skills that will help them grow their business and create jobs.

Run by Cork County Council’s Local Enterprise Office Cork North & West as part of their efforts to support women in business and ensure that women have an equal opportunity to reach their full potential, the programme finished up on Monday 19 November in The Mill, Castletownroche.

The female specific training programme covered business skills such as business planning, financial planning, marketing and sales, human resource management, leadership skills and building a team. It began on Monday 10 September.

Kevin Curran Head of Local Enterprise Office Cork North & West said: “The LEO offices of Cork County Council are at the heart of the business community assisting in generating sustainable jobs. This programme encouraged and supported dedicated female entrepreneurial activity in the area. There are some wonderful and dedicated female entrepreneurs in the area and we in the Local Enterprise Office are delighted to assist them through the various training, mentoring and business development support programmes.”

The 11 female entrepreneurs who completed the programme were Sharon Cregg, Parkwest Flowers, Mallow; Louise Byrne, The Little Love Knot Bakery, Buttevant; Philipa Jane Farley, ProPrivacy, Castletownroche; Helena McCarthy, Hallmark Building Services, Mallow; Louise Bunyan, SmartFox, Fermoy; Marie Forde, Marie Forde Solicitors, Charleville; Stephanie McSherry, Kinderama, Mallow; Patricia Moylan, The Daily Grind, Kanturk; Lavinia Untea, Magpie Gems, Mallow; Audrey Cashman, Upstyle Junkie, Mallow; Claragh O’Shaughnessy, Inspect 4 Hoof Trimming Ltd t/a HoofCare Direct Ltd, Ballynoe, Conna.

Joan Kelleher, Business and Training Advisor of the Leo Cork North and West said: “We are very proud of all of our clients. These ladies provide excellent role models to women in business in the region and are excellent examples of female entrepreneurs. Very often through these training and support programmes, business ideas are unlocked and the capacity of the participants is developed so as to provide for a strong foundation for success and further engagement with the vast array of supports offered to small business opportunities through our LEOs.”

Kevin Curran Head of Enterprise Cork North and West said: “It is our intention to continue and support all business the best way we can. If research indicates that female specific initiatives will help us to help business grow then we will provide female specific initiatives. We will also continue to run a full range of training programmes for both men and women so we believe that we are providing a range of supports that will suit everyone’s requirements.”