Many new and established businesses have benefited from initiatives
delivered by Carrickfergus Enterprise. With the agency’s
support an average of 28 new businesses are being set up each
year. As you can see below, these range from hi-tech through
to craft focused businesses.
Faced with the prospect of redundancy, engineer Vic Du Preez
and ICT manager Paul Crilly decided to pool their resources
and set up their own business. The pair took part in the Fresh
Start Programme delivered by CEAL and funded by Invest Northern
Ireland, subsequently setting up Teccho, a business concerned
with installing home and small business networking systems.
Says Vic: “I wouldn’t have had the guts to go
ahead with the business if I hadn’t completed the course.”
Teccho is now a thriving business that has built alliances
with several major companies from the IT and construction
sectors. For more information visit www.teccho.net
With the help of the Start a Business Programme (SABP) Heather
Craig turned her artistic talent into a successful home based
business, Lighthouse Drawing Rooms. Heather had spotted a
gap in the market for quality handmade cards and after researching
the market contacted Carrickfergus Enterprise and signed up
for the SABP. The course helped her get to grips with the
many different aspects of running a business, including finance,
marketing and legal issues.
“To run your own business you must be dedicated and
prepared for hard work,” says Heather, and her hard
work has paid off. She now employs two assistants, has expanded
her workshop to allow for larger production facilities and
is promoting her products throughout the UK and Ireland. For
more information visit www.lighthousecards.co.uk
When two Carrickfergus mothers, Ruth Gourley and Suzan Wright,
realised there was a shortage of childcare services in the
area they decided to set up an after school club, Kids Come
First.
Both Ruth and Suzan had previous experience of working in
childcare but benefited greatly from taking part in the Start
a Business Programme, run by Carrickfergus Enterprise. The
course took them through the practical aspects of running
a business. It also gave them access to a business advisor
to help them with any issues arising as they got the business
up and running.
Kids Come First, located in Oakfield Community Development
Centre, caters for children aged 3 to 12 and offers school
pick ups and focused activities for the children.
Wickedly Innocent is a partnership between Chris Gibson
(27) and Lisa Boyd (24). The company specialise in offering an
exclusive range of contemporary and unique wedding stationery.
Each design comes as part of a complete range of stationery.
These include ... Save the Date cards, Day Invitations,
Evening Invitations, RSVP Cards, Order of Service, Menu, Place
Cards, Place Names and Thank You Cards.
Having researched the market for a considerable time they
launched Wickedly Innocent in January 2005. Advertising in
media such as Ulster Bride, Northern Ireland Wedding Journal,
Wedding Ideas Magazine and using online advertising with
Google, demand for the stationery quickly rose. This has
allowed them to invest in a new web site
www.wickedlyinnocent.co.uk, design of a new company logo
and search engine optimisation.
Orders grew to such an extent that they could not work from
home anymore. They relocated to the new Hi Tech offices at
Carrickfergus Enterprise in September 2005, as they had
previously been assisted by Carrickfergus Enterprise on the
Start A Business Programme. This has greatly improved their
overall production, efficiency and work life. |
