The Elevate programme is 100% funded by InterTradeIreland and the application process is very simple.

How do I apply?

All you have to do is complete a short application form and if approved, you will then get to choose one of our consultants who will work with you to develop a winning cross-border sales plan for your business, kick start your sales and get on the fast-track to cross-border trading!

You’ll benefit from free one to one advice and support from your very own expert within your industry or sector to develop your own sales development plan.

Interested?

To find out more and to download an application form visit www.intertradeireland.com/elevate or contact one of the Elevate team on 028 30834143/110 (048 from Ireland).  

Elevate helped these small businesses.

Advance Machinery Installation Ltd, Antrim http://www.advancemi.co.uk/

One such company that benefitted from the Elevate Programme was Micro-business Advance Machinery Installation Ltd, based in Antrim. Advance was established in 2010.  The company specialises in the relocation of single pieces of machinery right through to complete factory moves and re-organisations.   

Before the Elevate programme, Advance carried out around 90% of its business in Northern Ireland with around 10% of work being carried out in the Republic of Ireland.  Alistair Carson, owner, believed that the cross-border market could offer new leads but he didn’t have the time or resources to investigate properly. 

“In the past we had approached the cross-border market sporadically and had never pro-actively searched for new business.  We knew that there could potentially be leads there for us but with a small team we were busy focusing on the clients we already had and servicing them. ” 

He goes on to explain:  “What we have achieved within the six months or so from the Elevate programme would have taken us years!  Where we had previously relied on the phone ringing to get jobs in the south, our Elevate consultant had turned this approach on its head and now we were actively pursuing business.  This targeted approach has been very beneficial to us and it has highlighted that there really are opportunities out there if you go looking for them.  

Since taking part in the Elevate programme, we have gone from 10% of our business being carried out in the Republic of Ireland to 30%.  We have secured orders in Ireland in the region of £240,000 through Elevate, including major contracts with Sonoco, Manninckrodt and Norland.  We were delighted with the success and have several other leads to take forward.” 

Stonewell Cider, based in Kinsale, Cork.  http://stonewellcider.com/

Stonewell Cider, based in Kinsale, Cork, is an independent craft cider producer. It was established in 2010 by local man Daniel Emerson, the company owner and sole employee at the time.  Today the company has a full-time staff of three with six additional part-time seasonal employees to assist with apple harvesting and bottling. 

The company specialises in producing an artisan range of premium ciders which are made solely from fresh apple juice and are fermented using natural champagne yeast.  As a craft cider, Stonewell uses only natural ingredients, with no artificial additives, unlike other commercially produced ciders on the market which can contain a high percentage of glucose syrup. 

 With a market share of half of one percent in Ireland, Daniel realised at a very early stage that it was important to seek out additional markets before saturation, which he felt would be at around 10% of the Irish market.  

Daniel commented:  “We were probably the first of the ‘modern’ batch of artisan producers to start looking at the export market and we realised the necessity to plan ahead, should domestic saturation be realised.  Exporting was always on the cards for us but being a micro-business, daily tasks are always driven by what needs to be done the most. Researching a new market, albeit one just across the border, was desirable but difficult to make a priority when other jobs were pressing.” 

He goes on to explain:  “With this in mind, when an email popped into my inbox stating that cross-border sales support was available for micro-businesses, I paid extra attention to it.  That decision has changed the business and we have gone from a company supplying the domestic market to an organisation with customers in Northern Ireland, England, France, Holland and as far away as Canada!” 

“The cross-border sales plan that was produced by our Elevate consultant was very solid and identified just who I should be talking to in terms of securing sales.  It provided us a ready-made toolkit to take the steps towards successful exporting. Our home market accounts for 92% of our business, and since the Elevate programme, we have taken the export side of our business from 0% to 8%, which is a great achievement for us and we will continue to work to grow this figure. . In terms of sales growth, through Elevate we managed to secure an additional €45,000 worth of cross-border sales as a result.”

www.intertradeireland.com/elevate