Help for small firms on can-do website

A new interactive online resource, smallbusinesscan.com, has been launched today to help the 250,000 SMEs across the island of Ireland beat the downturn.

An independent website established by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, it aims to help businesspeople grow their enterprises by sharing knowledge, experience and contact networks. The website is open to all businesses and subscription is completely free.

The entrepreneurs behind the website are: Greg Byrne, author and lecturer on entrepreneurial marketing; Ron Immink, specialist in start-up strategy and consultant for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and Fionan Murray, finance and technology journalist and ex-CEO of software applications business.

The portal was set up to respond to the challenges faced by small businesses and has been in development for over 18 months.

Small businesses were the backbone of the our economy as they made up 97% of all companies on this island, said Greg.

Visitors to the site were already picking up valuable information on new markets, supplier contacts and cashflow management.

The site offers a range of experts across almost every discipline.

By accessing a well-trodden path navigated by other businesses, users can avoid making the same mistakes as those that have gone before, said Greg.

Among the features on the website are advisory articles, podcasts and a networking room called Insights Xchange where members can share their views.

At the heart of the site is a tool for businesses called RoadMap4Growth, which profiles the user’s business according to three growth stages and offers advice on money, management and marketing appropriate to the individual business.

Already more than 1,400 businesspeople are visiting the site per day to make use of the tools and advice on offer.

The website is powered by Ulster Bank and resource partners include the Irish Management Institute, Newstalk 106-108 fm and The Belfast Telegraph.

Article courtesy of the Evening Echo newspaper.