I am delighted to be here this evening to acknowledge and present certificates to the participants of the Limerick City Enterprise Board's "Management Development Programme". This course was specifically targeted at companies who are considering expansion and diversification.

The Limerick City Enterprise Board is one of 35 City and County Enterprise Boards which were established by us in September, 1993. This new initiative generated much interest at the time and people wondered what type of impact it would make in fostering small business at local level. The Report prepared by the Task Force on Small Business in 1993 established quite clearly how important small firms are to economic development and wealth creation at local level. Traditionally, industrial policy in this country focused on the larger firms or on small enterprises with major potential for growth. The decision to establish the Enterprise Boards represented a re-direction of policy in favour of local initiatives geared to strengthening the small business base in their own localities. This re-direction has occurred, not alone in Ireland, but right across OECD countries where there is a growing appreciation of the power of small business to drive economic growth in a strong local environment. It is most gratifying for all of us that the Task Force on Local Government Reform decided last year that the local enterprise and support function will, in future, be centralised in our Enterprise Boards. This momentous development did not happen fortuitously or by accident. Rather, it came about from a recognition of the sterling work which the Boards have discharged since their inception. Indeed, it is a constant source of pride to me that I conceived this initiative back in 1992, at a time when national morale was at a low ebb and the economic outlook distinctly gloomy.

Limerick City Enterprise Board provides a single point of access to the full range of support services required by small business. I believe that it shows what can be achieved when local interests put together the right mix of services to suit the real needs of start-ups and small businesses without duplicating any existing services, whether in the public or the private sector.

To date the Limerick City Board have approved over £1m. in grant assistance to nearly 300 projects and have created over 350 full-time jobs in the locality by providing not only direct financial assistance in the form of grants but also, indirect financial assistance in the form of advice, counselling, mentoring and management development training. It has long been recognised that it is not sufficient solely to provide "financial" incentives for job creation - the development of management skills in micro enterprises is fundamental to business growth.

As a solution to the grant only support mentality, I am glad to see that the Limerick City Enterprise Board have been firmly involved in providing a number of activities designed at providing comprehensive and practical support/training programmes both to grant assisted and non-grant assisted companies. The Board recognised that there are many hurdles to overcome, not only in setting up in business but also in running a successful business.

Entrepreneurship is both an exciting and formidable challenge. It requires discipline, flair, integrity, self belief and vision. Entrepreneurs can be discouraged by the effort required to pull together all of the information that they need to get started. The range of skills and knowledge which they require may seem daunting for an aspiring entrepreneur. Production, marketing, accounting, finance, customers, employees, are but a few areas of vital importance. The reality is that far too many new businesses fail because of a lack of planning and entrepreneurs must be constantly aware of changing trends in the real work of modern-day business.

Management Development Programmes provide an integrated approach incorporating the range of enterprise support services to support the owners of micro enterprises. These programmes aim to offer a systematic process to support micro enterprise development by providing the right combination of support with a view to promoting business success .

The Limerick City Enterprise Board are to be congratulated for taking an innovative approach to helping new businesses develop and grow by their provision of comprehensive and very practical support/training programmes. Management Development Programmes take account of the time and financial constraints on small business and offer business owners the opportunity to step back from the business and look at it objectively.

In their Action Plan 1997-1999, the Board set an ambitious programme for the development of owner managers in Limerick City and commissioned a study of the management development preferences of micro-entrepreneurs in this city. Based on the findings of the study which surveyed 240 micro-entrepreneurs in the city, key areas were identified by them for inclusion in any Management Development Programme:-

• Marketing
• Financial Management
• Business Planning
• General Management
• Information Technology

The study also revealed that in participating in Management Development Programmes , owner/managers are looking for an immediate effect on their business and would evaluate any programme on how relevant it is to their business.

With this in mind, two programmes were custom designed for owner managers -

• the first programme was designed for participants drawn mainly from the manufacturing and trading services sector and was managed and delivered on behalf of the Board by Lane Daly and Partners
• the second programme was designed for independent retail businesses and was delivered by May Day Management Consultants.

T he main objectives of these programmes are

• to assist the entrepreneur in achieving sustained growth in his business over an agreed period of time,
• to give them a better understanding of all aspects of their business,
• to give them a comprehensive appreciation of the business environment within which they are operating,
• to help them acquire business management skills to improve and develop their business,
• to help entrepreneurs find solutions to common business problems through discussion, workshops, exercises, tutorials and mentoring,
• to help them overcome the isolation of small business ownership

I would like to take this opportunity to commend the companies who have participated in these two excellent programmes, the benefits to their businesses will be seen for a long time. These programmes will allow the participants to develop skills and techniques necessary to sustain a viable business and take in the advice offered and be part of a dynamic action-oriented learning programme.

Small business is firmly rooted in the community which provides its work-force, services, and frequently finance and various other facilities. Where networks of small businesses emerge, I am confident that they can provide the dynamic to grow the local economy and create sustainable employment. The Enterprise Boards have given a huge boost to the development of such networks through their support for micro-enterprise at a local level, in particular through approaches such as these Management Development Programme.

In conclusion, I would like to take this opportunity also to commend the Limerick Board for their concerted effort in developing and promoting these programmes. I would also like to thank both Lane Daly & Partners and May Day Management Consultants who delivered these programmes on behalf of the Board. Finally, It gives me great pleasure now, to present the certificates to the 35 participants of the programmes and to wish you all continued success in your business ventures.