Business Support

Tired of working for someone else, want to make your dreams into a reality, ever thought about being your own boss – Well then the Be Your Own Boss Programme is for you!!

Armagh Business Centre are now offering the Be Your Own Boss programme. The programme offers people wishing to start their own business a tailor-made training and business planning service. Clients availing of the programme will be able to choose the best pathway depending on their own individual needs.

Programme can be tailored from the following options:

• Business Marketing Seminar – £15
• Financial Management Seminar – £15
• Business Planning Seminar – £15
• Business Plan- professional business plan & financial projections developed. £99 + VAT

You don’t need to have special experience and skills, Just the desire to Be Your Own Boss.
For more information contact Samuel Marshall or Kelly Forbes at Armagh Business Centre Ltd on 028 3752 5050 or email samuel@abcarmagh.com or kelly@abcarmagh.com

This project is about creating business cultures within Armagh City and District Council area, strengthening the aspects of good forward business planning. The Council recognizes the need to create a knowledge based, innovative and business friendly region which has a coherent and co-ordinated approach to business and enterprise.

This project will contribute to a vibrant private sector offering entrepreneurship opportunities to the existing and emerging business community.

The Council also recognize that entrepreneurial activity is not just about business creation but  about sustaining and growing business especially in these difficult economic times. Through the provision of networking events and working in partnership to expand and develop further those networks which are already establishing within the region, this project will add value and bring new, innovative approaches to boost Armagh’s competitiveness and create better business development opportunities for our business sectors.

Furthermore, this programme is not intended to be stand-alone. It has various cross cutting themes:
• promoting networking opportunities
• promoting jobs and business creation in the region through promotion of the Enterprise Centres and the services they offer
• promoting sustainable businesses via direct mentoring to companies who plan to survive and grow, hence retaining jobs and in time providing new employment

SEED is an informal association of Councils in the South East Region formed for the purpose of collaborating in projects that address common local economic development needs, which could be more effectively met on a sub-regional basis. The initial Partnership was influenced by ad hoc collaborative work carried out by Councils under the 1997-2000 LED Programme which culminated in a study examining the merits of working together to achieve economies of scale and critical mass of participants on Business Development related initiatives. Councils formulated their individual Local Economic Development action plans to access ERDF monies and under guidance from DETI will continue to work in the delivery of collaborative projects across the whole SEED region.

Members of SEED

• Ards Borough Council
• Armagh City and District Council
• Banbridge District Council
• Craigavon Borough Council
• Down District Council
• Newry and Mourne District Council
• North Down Borough Council

SOAR [Southern Organisation for Action in Rural areas] is the Joint Committee and Local Action Group for the Armagh, Craigavon and Newry & Mourne Council areas.

We are responsible for the administration of the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 (NIRDP) within the rural areas of Armagh, Craigavon and Newry. The NIRDP is part financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and is managed by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Contact Details
SOAR Rural Development
Armagh City and District Council
The Palace Demesne
Armagh
BT60 4EL
Tel: 028 3752 9618
Fax: 028 3752 9601
Email: armagh@soarni.org
Website: www.soarni.org