BANK of Ireland has launched a support programme for business owners in Northern Ireland designed to build confidence, help drive competitive advantage and enable SMEs to build a network of peers to help accelerate their business growth.
More than 100 business owners attended the inaugural Business Owners Insights launch, where the bank invited several business customers including suppliers, caterers and speakers to be actively involved in delivering the event while also promoting their business.
Gavin Kennedy, head of business banking NI at Bank of Ireland UK, said: "Business Owners Insights is all about building business confidence and we can help to do that through sharing knowledge, insights and success and by building a powerful community of networks.
"Half the SMEs we recently surveyed said their current business was just managing, with a further 16 per cent stretched or struggling.
"We’ve listened, and in response we have developed a programme that we hope will inspire, engage and create business opportunities for our customers so they can gain a competitive advantage.
The bank’s key objective in developing the new initiative is to enable local SMEs to hear from some of Northern Ireland’s most talented and successful entrepreneurs on the challenges they have faced in building their business, the lessons they have learned and the advice they can give to fellow entrepreneurs with ambition to grow their businesses.
Keynote speakers were Breda McCague, motivational & transformational specialist and co-founder for Lean-In Ireland, and Niall McKenna, chef and entrepreneur owner of the James Street & Co restaurant group.
Other speakers included Willie Jack, owner of a number of bars in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter, and Holly Wilson, commercial manager at Belfast Cathedral.
