This year’s Local Enterprise Village at the National Ploughing Championships will be home to 50 businesses started by women and the Local Enterprise Offices are encouraging more women to consider starting their own business in the sector.
The National Ploughing Championships, taking place from September 20th to 22nd, have become Europe’s largest outdoor event with 281,000 visitors last year. To help small businesses and start-ups make an impact on the rural economy, Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) in the local authorities network are introducing a new product launch and demonstration area within the Local Enterprise Village for 2016.
Of the 84 companies that will be showcasing their products and services, with the support of the LEOs in every county and city, approximately 50 of them were founded or co-founded by female entrepreneurs.
The female entrepreneurs inside the Local Enterprise Village operate within a wide range of business categories, across food, drink, skincare, children’s toys, books, jewellery, fashion and giftware. Services for the agri-sector are also represented, such as soil, milk and water testing, manufacturing of sprayer attachments and genetic identification services.
Marcella Rudden with the Local Enterprise Offices said: “There are lots of growth opportunities in the agri-business sector and in the rural economy generally, for both business-to-consumer and business-to-business companies. For example, small businesses inside the Local Enterprise Village generated sales and orders worth nearly €645,000 last year. Following in the footsteps of the 50 businesses in the Local Enterprise Village that were either founded or co-founded by women, we’re encouraging more aspiring female entrepreneurs to start their own business in this sector and to seek out the supports that are available to them through Local Enterprise Offices in the local authorities network.”
The plans for the Local Enterprise Village were announced over the summer by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Ms. Mary Mitchell O’ Connor T.D., the Local Enterprise Offices, Enterprise Ireland, the Local Government Management Agency and the National Ploughing Association.
More details around the Local Enterprise Village are available through www.localenterprise.ie and by searching #localenterprise on social media. The 85th Annual National Ploughing Championships run over three days from September 20th to 22nd in Tullamore, Co. Offaly and tickets are on sale HERE