Christy Lynch (back) of Efficient Plumbing and Heating who won the Best Established Business Category in last year’s IBYE contest in Donegal, pictured with some of the other short-listed entrants.
Business owners in Donegal who are under 30 are being urged not to pass up the chance to win a significant cash-boost of €20,000 for their business by entering the contest for Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur before next Friday July 31st.
The competition that has a total of €50,000 up for grabs in Donegal, includes a prize of €20,000 in the Best Established Business category for anyone under 30 who has been in business over two years.
Last year’s winner in the Best Established Business category, Christy Lynch of Efficient Plumbing and Heating said the cash prize was a fantastic help to their business.
“Sometimes an established business might think that it’s too time consuming to enter a contest like this, but if you take the time it can be very rewarding.
Winning the cash prize in the best established business category was a fantastic boost for our business cash flow, it allowed us to do mare marketing and attend more trade shows and we are now getting more business as a result of that,” he said.
There’s a similar investment prize of €20,000 to be won in the Best Start-Up Category while anyone in the age bracket with a new brilliant new idea could walk away with a €10,000 investment prize.
Head of Enterprise in Donegal Enterprise Office, Michael Tunney said that the feedback from applicants last year was that, in addition to the prize money, the Business Bootcamps for all short-listed entrants had been of tremendous assistance.
“It is a really nice incentive for applicants to try and capture the investment prizes, but even if they don’t, taking part in the Business Bootcamps will help them fine tune their business plans, learn new enterprise skills and avail of the highest quality one to one mentoring and business coaching.”
What’s more he added, anyone who has entered before can re-apply although there may be some conditions attached.
“If someone entered the contest last year they can still reapply. It might be the case that they fall into a different category this year or it may be the case that their business has developed since then and they have an add-on to the product they entered with last year. I’d say to anyone who had entered before and who hasn’t done so this time around, is that they really shouldn’t let this fantastic opportunity pass.”
Mr Tunney urged anyone with queries or seeking further information Donegal Local Enterprise Office: 07491 60735 or e.mail [email protected] or download the application at www.ibye.ie
But, he stressed that the deadline for the competition is fast approaching and he urged Donegal’s young entrepreneurs to get their applications in before the July 31 deadline.
“The applications can be made online at www.ibye.ie but once the deadline is gone, so too will the opportunity, so I’d urge businesses to get their entries in quickly,” he concluded.
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