Business plans are dead — or are they? For many entrepreneurs, the business plan is an outmoded document and Start Ups rarely think they need one to get by.

Without a plan, a business is essentially rudderless, and day-to-day activities are likely to be haphazard and reactive, in stark contrast to those businesses that implement a well thought out and structured business plan.

Here Connor Sweeney from our Funding Advisory Services team gives us his top 5 tips to help you prepare a strong business plan.

When you are chief cook and bottle washer, it can be hard to find the time to grow your business. 

InterTradeIreland has recognised that those working within microbusinesses (fewer than ten employees) often have a number of roles to fulfil within the organisation and so developing sales opportunities through first time cross-border exports gets pushed further and further down the list.  

Are you an SME with ambitions to grow?
Not sure what funding options are available for your business?

Then our Meet The Funder events are designed especially for you :

• Tuesday 26th April 2016, Europa Hotel, Belfast

• Thursday 28th April 2016, Croke Park, Dublin

Both events are FREE and will provide information on and access to a range of funding providers and advice on how to approach the funding process. 

If you own a new start or early stage company, imagine how a cash injection of €10,000, €20,000, €50,000 or €100,000 would accelerate your plans!

With an overall prize fund of €280,000, InterTradeIreland has launched its annual Seedcorn Competition which offers a lifeline to young companies seeking to raise equity to help their business grow and develop. 

At a time where there is a shortage of seed finance, the competition is one avenue for ambitious start ups to get their new business ideas off the ground.

If you are looking for a job with project leadership, an attractive benefits package and a fully funded postgraduate diploma, then the InterTradeIreland Graduate programme is the right fit for you.

InterTradeIreland supports over 60 companies each year across the island to recruit ambitious graduates that want to use their skills effectively.

Focussing on Science, Engineering and Technology fields, these innovation driven opportunities are project led and offer an attractive salary, access to mentoring and support and includes a fully funded postgraduate diploma in Business & Management from Queen's University, Belfast.

Interested?

Did you know that InterTradeIreland provides a comprehensive view of cross-border flows on the island through a combination of online interactive graphs and tables?

You can now take a fresh look at cross-border flows in trade, as well as tourism, students and shoppers on InterTradeIreland’s website. The website now offers businesses, policy makers and researchers a suite of freely available downloadable charts and the data behind these. We will also be issuing quarterly updates on new statistics and other research which can be signed up for.

The 2014 data for cross-border trade has recently been released.

Fast Engineering in Antrim, an InterTradeIreland Business Ambassador and Challenge Programme participant,  has completed a Research and Development project with Japan’s Self Defence Force for a unique decontamination system for their fleet of amphibious vehicles.

The project will lead to additional new business in Japan for Fast worth around £500,000 over the next year and follows a request from the Self Defence Force for a portable and versatile solution to the problem of how best to tackle and effectively manage the contamination of amphibious vehicles by salt water, oil and hazardous materials.

Having a business mentor can really help you advance your goals and avoid some common business mistakes.

But not just any mentor will do. Finding a small business mentor that meets all of the requirements needed can ensure that you find someone who is going to be helpful and relevant to your business.