Local Enterprise Office Galway is offering a free Brexit mentoring programme for small businesses across Galway city and county.
The aim of this programme from LEO Galway is to allow businesses to review possible impacts on their businesses such as longer lead times for inbound and outbound products, additional paperwork, potential tariffs, loss of competitiveness, and loss of sales to the UK.
Latest opinion suggests that to agree a deal with the EU, Britain will have to accept a customs union and other conditions – and the ability to pass these conditions through parliament in London look remote.
The risk to Galway businesses in this eventuality – exporting or non-exporting – is high.
A skilled mentor can help audit businesses and develop a focused Brexit action plan to protect businesses and employees from the negative impacts expected once the UK leaves the EU.
Clients will complete an online ‘Brexit scorecard,’ and will then work with a mentor to clearly think through their business strategy, specifically in relation to Brexit, and then to define this strategy in an action plan that is meaningful and measurable.
The intervention will result in a Brexit action plan for each client specific to their business needs to clearly separate their current state of self-assessment and business action plan vis-Ã -vis their relative positioning on completion of the mentoring programme.
Businesses will usually be offered five free sessions with a mentor.
Over the course of the mentoring programme, six key pillars of self-assessment will be examined – including business strategy, operations, innovation, sales/marketing, finance and HR.
The scheme will also see businesses educated on ways to streamline and improve their business, with the option to consider further training such as the LEO Galway Lean for Micro programme.
Clients may also be able to access funding for low rates of interest based on the resulting business plan – which clearly outlines the exposure to the client on his/her business model.
