Galway female entrepreneur Sinead Kenny has been selected for the innovative ‘Going for Growth’ business network
Going for Growth, a support initiative designed specifically for female entrepreneurs, launched its latest cycle in January 2015 following a competitive process.
The 60 successful participants were selected from hundreds of applicants and Galway businesswoman Sinead Kenny, director of DiaNia Technologies was among the selected.
With a combined annual turnover of over €40 million in 2014 and employing 750, this network of enterprising women are aiming to significantly drive forward the growth of their businesses during the six-month programme.
The Going for Growth programme, which receives funding from Enterprise Ireland, KPMG and the Equality for Women Measure, is based on peer support, where ‘Lead Entrepreneurs’ including some of Ireland’s most successful business women, facilitate round table sessions with groups of ambitious female entrepreneurs who are serious about growing their businesses. The focus on growth is paramount in each group and a strong sense of collaboration and peer to peer support prevails.
Over 350 business women have already taken part in Going for Growth including Galway businesswomen Ann Dunne, Co- Founder of The White Gables Restaurant, Celestine Rowland, Director of Galway Business School, Siobhan Lawless, Co-Owner of The Foods of Athenry and Dorothy Creaven, CEO of Element Software.
Siobhan Lawless, The Foods of Athenry praises the Lead Entrepreneurs of the Going for Growth programme:
“Everyone was so encouraging and supportive. I still find it humbling that the Leads, who are successful business women, give up time and volunteer to share their wealth of business knowledge with us.”
Commenting on this year’s programme, Paula Fitzsimons, Founder and Director of Going for Growth said, “The participants are already experiencing the Going for Growth Effect – an increased strategic understanding which will lead to additional sales, increased employment and a number of first time exporters. The target being set for this group is to achieve an average increase in sales of 15% over the six month period and an employment increase of 13%. Given the results achieved by those who participated in previous cycles, I am very confident that these ambitious targets can be achieved.”
Julie Sinnamon, CEO of Enterprise Ireland, spoke at the Going for Growth Forum on the theme of support for growing enterprises, commented,
“The development of High Potential Start-up businesses is core to Enterprise Ireland's role in developing sustainable export orientated companies. Initiatives like Going for Growth, which harness the collective strengths of great Irish female entrepreneurs, are a priority for Enterprise Ireland. Now in its seventh cycle, Going for Growth has demonstrated year on year the significant impact it has on the growth of participant businesses and we are delighted to partner the programme again in 2015.”
