High-flying business people are being encouraged to enter the Ulster Bank Business Achievers Awards, with prizes including a €50,000/£35,000 publishing bursary.
The awards aim to celebrate the achievements of companies across a wide range of sectors including social enterprise and agri-business.
The event is being run in association with InterTradeIreland, the Irish Independent, Enterprise Ireland, Invest Northern Ireland, Belfast Telegraph and SmallBusinessCan.com.
The Prize
The overall winner will receive a comprehensive prize package, including a €50,000/ £35,000 publishing bursary with the Irish Independent, business mentoring from Enterprise Ireland, a full-service communications workshop, as well as national and regional media exposure.
About the Awards
Eddie Cullen, managing director of commercial banking at Ulster Bank, said that the lender is "committed to providing support to Irish businesses" and added that the awards are "at the heart of that commitment".
When looking for a winner, judges will be reviewing a variety of merits including financial performance, company milestones, future strategy for business people and the business, and development of innovative products and services.
How do I enter?
Companies can submit their entries via BusinessAchieversAward.com and are permitted to enter up to two of the eight categories.
Entries will be welcomed for this year’s awards from SMEs across all sectors and must be received by Friday 25 September. Companies can enter in any two of the following categories:
Business Start Up Award
Small Business Award
Established SME Award
International Business Award
Woman Led Business Award
Food & Drink Award
Social Enterprise Award
Agri-Business Award
Get Social
Follow @ulsterbank and #BusinessAchievers to keep up to date with all of the action throughout the 2015 awards.
Ray Hayden InterTradeIreland, Minister Simon Hamilton MLA and Margaret Hearty InterTradeIreland at the 2014 event.
InterTradeIreland in conjunction with its partner organisations is holding a Meet the Buyer event: Ramada Plaza Hotel, Shaws Bridge, Belfast, 17th June 2015.
This event will provide SMEs with a number of opportunities to meet with public sector buyers from across the island at the Buyer stands.
There will also be representatives from the key business agencies across the island who can advise you on current funding opportunities and business supports available.
Why should you attend?
• Hear from public sector buyers, their procurement process, what they want from suppliers and upcoming opportunities • Talk to public sector buyers at the buyer stands • Hear and learn from other companies sharing their experience • Find out about the latest procurement news and trends – aggregation of contracts etc • Network with other companies to form joint ventures and identify sub-contracting opportunities • Find out about funding opportunities and supports available from the main development agencies across the island and how they can help your business access all island public sector opportunities
Whether you are a recent or an experienced graduate, or know someone who is - we now have 14 opportunities on our Graduate Programme.
The InterTradeIreland Graduate Programme allows you to work with a leading small or medium company on the island - offering vital opportunities to get your foot in the door.
We currently have 14 jobs live.
As an InterTradeIreland Graduate you’ll receive a career opportunity with a focus on practical skills and professional relevance, whilst receiving an attractive salary and obtaining a FREE Post Graduate Diploma from a leading Academic Institute.
Current Job Opportunities
Software Developer, Hoy Dorman - Co. Antrim
IT Systems Integrator & Developer, Carna Transport - Co. Monaghan
Mechanical Engineer – Product Development Engineer, Design Pro - Co. Limerick
PHP Programmer, Aura Internet Services, Co. Monaghan
Am I eligible to apply? You must have a degree or diploma which matches the criteria of the position being advertised by the company. In some cases, you may be required to have relevant previous experience in the industry. Jobs are normally for 12 or 18 months with 80% of our graduates offered full time positions within the company following successful completion of the programme.
Why should I apply?
Jobs that make a real difference
A unique opportunity to put your stamp on an organisation, providing you with a Project Manager's role early on in your career. Find out more.
Investing in your future
A fully funded Post Graduate Diploma with a leading academic institute on the island.
Earn while you learn
Each job offers an attractive salary and training package.
Increasing your employability
80% of graduates who successfully complete our Programme are offered full-time employment within the company.
Job Security
Graduates are offered secure employment for the duration of the project (12 or 18 months) with fast track career opportunities for advancement to a Senior Management position. Find out more.
Support Network
Ongoing support and mentoring from an InterTradeIreland consultant and an Academic Institute who will support you throughout your project.
Working in Partnership
Access to research and development facilities in a leading university or college.
To really grow your business, accessing new markets is crucial to many firms. So what’s your market? To whom and where do you sell your goods and services? Do you export?
It’s surprising how few businesses in Northern Ireland do. What is it that makes exporting so foreign to so many? This podcast from The Profit Margin explores the barriers to export, and asks firms and individuals who are export experts about the challenges and opportunities.
Featured: Aidan Gough InterTradeIreland, Mark Nodder from Wrightbus, Irene McAleese from See.Sense, Ricky Martin from The Skunk Works Surfboard company and start-up Daniel Crawford from Axial3D.
Burren Smokehouse receiving their InterTradeIreland Business Ambassador Award from Rosemary Delaney InterTradeIreland
The Burren Smokehouse in County Clare was recently featured in a major new documentary series being produced by ITV.
Wild Ireland, a primetime six-part series, saw presenter Christine Bleakley returning home to Ireland to travel the length of its 1500-mile west coast - the longest continuous coastal route - known as the Wild Atlantic Way.
The series was devised by Big Mountain Productions, a Newry-based production company, but supported by Tourism Ireland, within their strategy to highlight the Wild Atlantic Way around the world.
Burren Smokehouse was one of 63 companies acknowledged for their contribution to enterprise and innovation across the island of Ireland. They were awarded ‘Business Ambassador’ status by InterTradeIreland at a special event held in the Mansion House in Dublin in October 2014. The event was hosted by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD.
About the Business
Burren Smokehouse Ltd. was set up in 1989 by Birgitta and her husband Peter. The company sources 100% Irish quality raw materials for its Burren Smoked Salmon, Trout and Mackerel products, and controls its own quality standards with backup of regular testing from independent laboratories and regular checks from organisations who certify it. The Smokehouse currently employs a staff of 18, and ships Burren Smoked Irish Organic Salmon within Ireland and to countries all over the world.
Wild Atlantic Way
The Lisdoonvarna-based Burren Smokehouse was featured in the first episode of the series which was broadcast on ITV and UTV Ireland on Monday April 13th.
Speaking about the opportunity Burren Smokehouse owner Birgitta Hedin-Curtin said:
"Our growing customer base, which includes Harrods, Selfridges and Fortnum & Mason sparked the interest of the programme producers who were keen to discover more about our company and how we source 100% quality Irish raw materials for our Burren Smoked Salmon, Trout and Mackerel products," said Ms. Hedin-Curtin
"During the programme, viewers saw Christine Bleakly being treated to a demonstration of how we smoke our Irish Organic Salmon here in the Burren. We hope that it will give the wider public an opportunity to learn a little more about what we do as well as discover more about the range of high quality, food producers now operating in both County Clare and the West of Ireland," she added.
A ritual and its predictability can help finding focus in your day
We start every day knowing we’re not going to get it all done or fit it all in. How we spend our time is really a function of priorities. That’s why Peter Bregman argues in 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done that we need to plan ahead, “create a to-do list and an ignore list, and use our calendars.”
“The hardest attention to focus,” he writes, “is our own.”
