Coalisland Businesses Complete Training Programme
Publish Date: Friday, 05 June 2009
Coalisland Businesses Complete Training Programme
A Certificate Ceremony was held on Tuesday 27th May by Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council in conjunction with Coalisland Regeneration Partnership Committee to acknowledge local businesses which completed a tailored Business Development Programme over the last 6 months.
The programme was funded by the Department for Social Development (DSD) under the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme and delivered by Lestas Consulting. At the event, which was held in the CRAIC Theatre, 19 participants were awarded with a Certificate in Retail Development from the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM).
One Coalisland retailer who completed the training is taking steps to beat the credit crunch after participating in the business development programme.
Seamus O'Donnell of Yankees Star Grill, said: "Taking part in the Business Development Programme has really allowed me to reinvigorate my business by taking a step back and looking at ways of improving the business.
"I have redesigned my menus and I am now targeting customers that I never had before. The programme enabled me to look at different aspects of my restaurant which is particularly important in today's economic climate.
Councillor Francie Molloy, Chairman of Coalisland Regeneration Committee and Coalisland Neighbourhood Renewal Partnership, said: "We are delighted with the overall success of the programme. The vibrancy, uniqueness and quality of service offered by our independent local businesses are of immense value and we want to ensure they thrive and survive in today's increasingly difficult economic climate. As the programme shows, we are very keen to help and assist local businesses to compete sustainably and make a positive contribution to the local economy."
Commenting on the value of the programme Mayor, Councillor the Lord Morrow of Clogher Valley MLA stated "The fact that the Council has been able to put in place a programme for these SME's shows our support and the fact that we are prepared to work with them to meet the unique challenges in the current recession instead of just leaving them to fend for themselves shows how important the Council sees its role within this community."
Nicholas Lestas of Lestas Consulting the Management Consultants responsible for the delivery of the programme stated "We were delighted to be involved with this initiative as the companies we worked with had a real need to change their working practices as a result of this economic downturn and we found that all the participants really appreciated a new objective viewpoint from a mentor that was able to bring some new thinking to the table." Nicholas went on to say "The very fact that 19 out of the 20 businesses involved completed the programme and achieved their certification is a testament to the commitment of Coalisland companies to bring their town through this recession and keep the heart in the town centre. Lestas Consulting felt very privileged to be a part of this kind of determination. "
The Business Development Programme run from October 2008 through to March 2009 and comprised of consultancy days with an experienced mentor, including a thorough business audit and mystery shop, helping the business pinpoint key areas to be addressed within a business improvement plan. Participants also benefitted from five bespoke collective sessions on key issues such as Business Development and HR, ICT, Marketing and merchandising, setting up an EBay trading shop, and Finance and action planning
Further information on the programme can be obtained by contacting Paul McCreedy, Economic Development Section, Council Offices on 028 8772 8602.
