New Business Start Up Package!

To help and support Irish people starting their own business right now, Dineen Company Formations along with KRO IT Solutions, have compiled the following package which will give any business a great start and is guaranteed to get money rolling in.

We are offering a full package: company formation, logo, website design, business cards, and a laptop…

INCLUDED: Advice and registration of your company through Dineen Company Formations

INCLUDED:

Designer created corporate logo and corporate identity.

INCLUDED: Designer created business card design with starter pack of 500 printed and posted.

INCLUDED: Designer created bespoke website design which you will have input into.

INCLUDED: Full bespoke website development with our EasyEdit website editor.

INCLUDED: Free hosting and domain name,(.ie/.com/.co.uk or similar).

INCLUDED: Full search engine optimisation service.

INCLUDED: €150 worth of Google adwords and a managed advertising campaign.

INCLUDED: Brand new full-size, high spec Lenovo Laptop worth well over €500.

All In Cost: €1895 ex. VAT If required we may be able to spread payments over a period. Contact Ruairi in KRO today on 091 399 939 for more information and details.

NB: You must order and pay a €895 deposit. The business cards and the laptop will be shipped immediately after your final payment has been received. If you don’t require a laptop or business cards we can reduce the cost accordingly.

Offer is strictly limited to 5 customers.

Supporting new Business in Limerick

Dineen Company Formations are delighted to sponsor The Greenhouse Limerick incubator program for new start up businesses in Limerick. The Greenhouse Incubator was developed in Limerick by internet entrepreneur Evert Bopp in January 2009, in response to a need for an incubator with a difference in the Limerick area.

Greenhouse Limerick is independently funded which allows for more flexibility and Irish start-ups have to go through an application process in order to determine their chances of success.

Media and business interest in the Greenhouse Limerick incubator continues to grow as the organisation starts to work in the Limerick area. Evert Bopp, Greenhouse Limerick founder, has been in demand across the country to try and install similar incubators in other recession hit towns and cities across Ireland.

We are delighted to be involved with such an innovative new company. More information on their newly appointed advisors can be found here or through their website.

Build your own Website Workshop

We here at Dineen Company Formations, think that one of the most important marketing tools for new and existing businesses, is a website. It works for you 24 hours a day, provides potential clients information as required and promotes your business online, which ultimately will result in new customers.

We also understand that in these economic times, forking out a fortune for a website isn’t an option for a lot of new business starting up. Which is why i’m writing this post. What would you say if you could (1) create a website (2) update it at will without consulting an website consultant and (3) upskill yourself at the same time all for just €245! In my mind i would say its a no brainer and a fantastic investment in both you and your business.

KRO IT Solutions are running an IT Training Workshop next month in Dublin. Ruairí Browne, Director and trainer in KRO says that “In this workshop you will learn how to create a professional website in just one day. While doing so you will learn all about HTML, images on web pages, stylesheets, and search engine optimisation. This workshop is strictly limited to 12 attendees. You will not need experience of HTML or web design to attend this course, but reasonable computer literacy is essential. Use of PC and software included. This workshop includes parking, refreshments, lunch, and all materials required.”

I would think these places will go like hot cakes so i’d get in and book a place now! More information on this workshop and other workshops being held by KRO can be found on KRO IT Solutions website.

 

10 Steps to Starting Your Own Business

A lot of consideration is needed before jumping right in a starting your own company. Here are a list of 10 things you really should consider before making the big leap!

1. Know Yourself. Very important. A lot of people don’t think of this at all, but its important to suss out whether you would be productive working on your own. Its completely different from working with a lot of people around you. Also, if you’re not going to be working on your own, i.e. if you will be taking on staff, are you up to the responsibility? Do you know what responsibilities you will have as an employer?

2. Are you prepared to take a risk? With lending being so low at the moment, a lot of new business startups are digging into their saving to get them started. You need to ask yourself if you would be prepared to do this, and if the worst came to the worst and things didn’t work out, how would this leave you financially?

3. Research your market. Is there a niche for your product or service? Who are your customers and also who are your competitors? Research is the key to any successful business.

4. Look at your production requirements. Where will the business be located. Is machinery/office equipment required? Will you need staff and if so, will employees require additional training prior to commencing work?

5. Work out your total costs. What costs are involved in the purchase of capital equipment/premises? What will your labour/staffing costs be? It is very important to establish what your fixed costs will be before moving forward as these are essential to the operating and running of your business.

6. Estimate your selling price and plan how you will achieve sales. Taking the factors in point 5 into consideration, estimate what your selling price will be. Do not under estimate as this could be detremental to your business. Also, how will you achieve sales? How will you promote your enterprise and what channels of distribution will be used.

7. Decide the legal framework for your business and check out any legislation that might affect you. So, what business structure will your enterprise use? Sole Trader, Partnership, Limited Company? (go to www.getregistered.ie for more details). Remember as well as registration of the business/company name, registration with the Revenue Commissioners is also compulsory.

8. Check out your sources of materials/supplies, their availability and cost. Where can raw materials be purchased if required? Have you received quotations from a number of potential suppliers?

9. What are your total financial/investment requirements? How will you fund this new business (personal investments, grant aids loans)?

10. Produce a Business Plan. The most important of them all!! Commit all relevant information to paper whilst being realistic and setting targets based on research carried out.

Once these 10 things are taken into careful consideration, then you may well be on the way to starting your own business!

Is it a good idea to start a business in a recession?

One word. Absolutely. Although arguments may be pitched for or against the above motion, we can hardly expect entrepreneurs to shelve their ideas and wait for a better economic situation before they take that first daunting step into the world of business. We have to remember that some of today’s most successful international companies were set up in the last recession. Examples of this are Google, Yahoo and even Microsoft, which proves its not impossible at all.

 

Even though these are huge multinationals, there is no reason why smaller to medium size Irish businesses can’t weather the storm as it were. What makes a downturn different from other times is that entrepreneurs willing to start up are now really focused. It is difficult enough to raise money during a recession, and this directly means founders have limited resources on hand. This makes them think creatively. Frugality, however painful it may prove, brings its own advantages – founders pay far more attention to cash flow, budgets and balance sheet.

 

Other Positives that we can dwell on. If a company manages to start during recession against the odds, it would be in a perfect shape to attract good investments once economy comes out of recession. This will give particular company enormous advantages over other companies. In addition, chances of getting very committed employees during a recession would be far higher than during normal times as our unemployment rate continues to rise. Also, employees may come cheaper. Same would be the case with other essentials like office space, computers, software etc. People and businesses are now willing to negotiate on prices as they have no choice, so embrace that negotiation and see how much money can be saved!

 

Our Taoiseach, Mr Cowen, seems pretty optimistic and says that “If we have a clear vision of where we want to be after this period, it will guide our thinking and actions in the difficult period ahead.” Mind you, he says a lot of things, but that’s all in another days’ blogging.