Businesses line up for cross-border networking

SMALL businesses will get the chance to network with potential partners across the island at an InterTrade Ireland event later this week.

The cross-border business development body will host the event on Wednesday in Dublin’s Citywest hotel as part of the Microtrade initiative, which is jointly run by Northern business development agency Enterprise Northern Ireland and city and county enterprise boards in the Republic. The event is open to firms employing fewer than 10 people and will help participants to find new customers and clients, as well as find suppliers and potential outlets for their products and services.

Among the participants will be Brilliant Red, an Armagh-based marketing consultancy that has joined forces with InterTrade Ireland to develop a marketing support programme for businesses on both sides of the border. The Focus programme provides grant aid to allow small business to hire a marketing graduate for a 12-month period.

The programme was launched on a trial basis in late 2003 but is now set to be established on a permanent footing.

Companies that have taken part in the programme have used it to complete rebranding programmes as well as access new markets on either side of the border. Brilliant Red’s Paul Reavey said participating companies and the graduates they took on had already benefited.

Graduates gained first-hand experience of working for small companies with ambitions to grow, while their companies were given access to new skills that allowed them to identify new market opportunities. Many of the companies offered their graduates a permanent contract after the initial 12-month period had come to an end.