'Taking Care Of Business' Event Brings Together 30 State Bodies

A new initiative will bring together up to 30 State bodies to offer advice to small businesses.

An Tánaiste and Minister for Business Enterprise and Innovation Frances Fitzgerald, together with Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection Pat Breen, have called on existing small business owners, and people thinking of starting a new one, to register their interest for the 'Taking Care of Business' event on Wednesday November 8th at the Printworks Conference Centre in Dublin Castle.

The half-day event is specifically targeted at people thinking of starting a business as well as small business owners and managers. In the context of Brexit, it is also an opportunity for businesses to seek advice from a range of experts on how to diversify and expand into new markets.

An initiative of the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Taking Care of Business will bring together up to 30 State bodies, agencies and units, and builds on the success of previous events in recent years, which have been attended by more than 2000 people from across the country.

The event will have two separate strands:

• In one part of the conference centre, State bodies will give presentations focusing on the key regulatory requirements for operating a business in Ireland, as well as on the supports available to help entrepreneurs develop their businesses;

• Meanwhile in another part of the conference centre, staff from the State bodies will man information stands, talking directly to attendees and answering any questions they may have.

Calling on businesses to register their interest for the event, An Tánaiste Fitzgerald said: "This Government is committed to supporting businesses and helping to reduce burdens on them, in particular in the context of Brexit and the challenges that they may face. Our Action Plan for Jobs, which my Department oversees, clearly demonstrates the importance we place on the SME sector, who play such a vital role in job creation.

"This event provides a fantastic opportunity for small business owners, entrepreneurs and those who want to start up businesses to get advice from a wide variety of agencies, on topics as diverse as health and safety and access to finance, for instance. We all want, and need, small businesses to succeed and this event is part of our efforts to explain, simply and clearly, government regulation, and how best to deal with it."

Minister for Trade, Employment and Business Pat Breen said: "We are committed to providing the most supportive environment possible for those seeking to create and develop their businesses. This event offers a tremendous opportunity for SMEs, entrepreneurs and those planning to start businesses to speak directly to all the relevant offices and agencies and to get advice and clarity on what supports are available to them. This event will, in the space of a half day in one location, help SMEs and potential business owners better understand what they need to do, how they can do it most easily and what supports are available to them"

The State offices and agencies represented will provide information across a wide range of areas, including:

• Tax, employment and Health & Safety obligations;

• Legal requirements for setting up and running a business;

• Requirements in areas such as food and environmental safety;

• Advice on government procurement and intellectual property; and

• Assistance and supports from enterprise agencies.

"A number of representative bodies from industry are also supporting the event and will be available to talk to attendees on the day."

(MH/CD)