In this issue
Mood of optimism taking hold according to the latest InterTradeIreland Business Monitor
Annual Conference addresses the topic - 'Has there ever been a better time to raise equity?'
InterTradeIreland's Challenge Programme - Minimising Time, Money and Risk for SMEs
With a total cash prize fund of €280k - put your business idea to the test with Seedcorn!
New consortia service launched to help SMEs bid together for public sector contracts
Co. Antrim firm, Quad-X, reaps the rewards of being up for a challenge!
5 Low Cost Ways to Promote Your Small Business
Seedcorn 2014 Workshops - various venues
Challenge Briefing Events 2014 - various venues
Taking Care of Business - 25th March - Galway
Taking Care of Business - 1st April - Cork
Dates for your Diary
Seedcorn 2014 Workshops - various venues
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Challenge Briefing Events 2014 - various venues
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Taking Care of Business - 25th March - Galway
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Taking Care of Business - 1st April - Cork
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Latest News
Mood of optimism taking hold according to the latest InterTradeIreland Business Monitor
 
Aidan Gough, InterTradeIreland Strategy & Policy Director
Aidan Gough, InterTradeIreland Strategy & Policy Director
The latest quarterly InterTradeIreland Business Monitor (October – December 2013) released last month has conveyed one of the most positive pictures of the economy since the recession began. 

However, there continues to be real concerns over increasing costs, particularly energy expenditure, that can be a serious barrier to recovery for many firms.
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Annual Conference addresses the topic - 'Has there ever been a better time to raise equity?'
 
Patrick Joy, Founder of Suretank and Entrepreneur of the Year 2013
Patrick Joy, Founder of Suretank and Entrepreneur of the Year 2013

With more local venture capital funding available than ever before, innovative businesses across the island have now got greater access to equity funding. 

This was the message from today’s 13th InterTradeIreland Venture Capital (VC) Conference at the Titanic Belfast, which brought together entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, business angels, investors and company representatives, to share insights into the array of funding options available to businesses. 

The conference is the only event of its kind on the island, and was attended by a record number of 350 delegates.

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More News
InterTradeIreland's Challenge Programme - Minimising Time, Money and Risk for SMEs
 

In the last 2 years, the InterTradeIreland Challenge Programme has helped 22 companies transform in just 9 months by exploiting a highly profitable route to significant business growth. Now we are ready to help more do the same. 

We are looking for ambitious CEOs and MDs to attend FREE two-hour briefing sessions to find out about the tools and techniques used in our Challenge Programme which you can take away and use in your business. 

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With a total cash prize fund of €280k - put your business idea to the test with Seedcorn!
 
Connor Sweeney, Seedcorn Project Manager
Connor Sweeney, Seedcorn Project Manager

This year's Seedcorn competition is now open for applications and we are looking for new start-ups and early stage companies from across the island to enter.

As well as a total cash prize fund of €280k, the competition imitates the real-life investment process and gives you a valuable opportunity to put your business idea to the test and ensure that it is investor- ready and stands up to external scrutiny.

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New consortia service launched to help SMEs bid together for public sector contracts
 
Joanne Gillen, ITI Consortia Facilitator Service
Joanne Gillen, ITI Consortia Facilitator Service
Want to bid for those large contracts but company too small to do it on your own?  InterTradeIreland has just launched its new Consortia Facilitator service which aims to help SMEs bid together for contracts.

Collaborative bidding opens new and larger opportunities to SMEs in the Irish and Northern Irish markets. Smaller companies are being encouraged by public buyers to join forces in order to compete. 
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SME in Focus
Co. Antrim firm, Quad-X, reaps the rewards of being up for a challenge!
 
Gillian Bonnar, Quad-X
Gillian Bonnar, Quad-X

InterTradeIreland’s Challenge programme does just that – it challenges CEOs and MDs of SMEs to look beyond their comfort zone, helping them to innovate, diversify and take their business to the next level. 

One such company who took the ‘Challenge’ was Quad X, a County Antrim based company specialising in all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accessories and quad equipment.

Quad-X

Founded in 1993 as a small ATV service and repair workshop, Quad-X had a vision of developing a range of products that would be technically advanced and appeal to a larger market, increasing production volume to offer more affordable prices.  Production started with sowers, trailers, sprayers, booms and yard scrapers and later expanded into a larger range of quad accessories.  Quad-X is now one of the leading manufacturers of quad accessories in Europe, with 92% of production exported to 14 countries. 

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And Finally......
5 Low Cost Ways to Promote Your Small Business
Taken from article by nicholeknupp on February 26, 2014
 

Every business owner knows the importance of advertising and marketing their small business, but your budget is the largest factor in how little or much you promote your business. So here are some quick low cost ways to promote your small business.

With a few pointers, you will be able to promote your business without breaking the bank. Since there are so many choices for high speed internet providers and many people use their phone, tablet and laptop to search for businesses online a few of the below options are free ways to promote your business online. These five tips will astound you by how affordable and effective you can be with a bare minimum of capital investment.
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