 This evening in Donegal Town, it's called Empowering Business Together and it's a local enterprise office donegal, the Celebrating National Women's Enterprise Day and as far as I understand it, it's a sell out but I want to talk not just about that but also there's another initiative and there's awards that are coming up, enterprise awards that are coming up in November I think it is, again I'll find out more but I know that the deadline is very short the next week in fact, December the oldest words are on but the deadline is next week because I'm joined in the studio by head of enterprise at local enterprise office Donegal, Brenda Hegerty. Brenda you're more than welcome, a lot to talk about. Thank you John. First of all the Enterprise Day, it's Adelaide Esk this evening from half past five, that's a sell out is it? Yeah sell out so this is National Women's Enterprise Day all around Ireland and the local enterprise offices are celebrating so together with Leo's in Slaggwin Lytrum and Donegal we have one regional event in Lachiaske it's a sell out over 200 women coming along to celebrate women in enterprise this evening. Okay and Anna Geary is going to be there, she's a host. Yeah delighted Anna Geary is going to be the host and then we're joined with all our female entrepreneurs so Gronja Mullins from Graw Chocolates, Nora Casey was to be there but unfortunately Nora's sick but we got a last-minute great replacement in Gronja Mullins from Graw Chocolates in Galway has a great story to tell and then we're joined with our local female entrepreneur Isabel Sanga from Donegal Natural Soaps as well as Onja from Drumwood Box Day and Lockgill Distillery Helen Mulholland so we have a great line up of females this evening. Absolutely this evening over at Laus Castle. Now tomorrow evening there is another evening, another enterprise evening if you like because it is Meet the Makers Craft Showcase and this is a great chance to not only meet the makers but maybe do a wee bit of early Christmas shopping. Brilliant so this is a fabulous event and a big shout out to my colleague Grace Corbell who put a lot of work into this so we're launching a new craft directory so it's really showcasing the wonderful talent that is in Donegal so we've designed and manufacturing happening on our door stop and it really adds to the authenticity of Donegal obviously famous for Donegal tweeds there's a lot of textile and manufacturers from McGee's to McNutt's to Malloy's and everybody around that. Looking at the directory here there's pages off them it's brilliant. Fabulous. Little would you think that there's so many here in Donegal? Yeah so there's 36 showcasing it's not all of our craft makers but it's 36 that we are showcasing tomorrow evening. We have North American buyers coming in 14 of them coming in and that was the impetus for the event where we were bringing all our craft makers together with an opportunity to sell into the North American market and then we're opening it up we're showcasing Noel Cunningham is going to be our emcee to speak about Donegal tweed and there's a lot of effort now looking at getting protected status the same as champagne in France for Donegal tweed it'll really add value to our beautiful Donegal tweed and then we have it open then to the public so it's open and available for early shopping as you say early Christmas shopping and there is fabulous range of jewellers, designers, knitwear as well as the Donegal tweed so a lot of craft on display and a great opportunity to support. Open to the public from what time? It's open to the public from half six tomorrow evening so there's actually food registration and food from 5.30 so come along from then it's a free event but we do ask you to book if at all possible so that we can just manage the numbers. Okay and I'm looking here just through the directory you know everything from the natural sub company to photography, crockery, ceramics, paintings, design and just like it's you know don't for a second think it's all about textiles far from it. Far from it there is everything from jewellery to artwork to ceramics to brass work so a range of products at different price points so there'll be a lot of opportunities for the early Christmas shopping or gifts for special people. Okay so that is tomorrow evening at Lloya's Castle. Now the awards are coming up fairly shortly in December but of urgency is the deadline for nominations if you would like to be considered for one of the awards and this is the awards in small business and it's what it's doing is it's honoring the achievements of small businesses right around the county and they're big every year I think this is the 20th year. Yes so it's a great year and it's a great again it's a national initiative each local enterprise office and does enterprise awards in Donegal our awards are closing on Monday so I'd urge any business out there to have a look localenterprise.ie forward slash Donegal the application it's a short application nomination form and we have 14,000 euro in prizes so a lot of prizes the best incentive great incentive so there's individual prizes of 1,000 euro and then 3,000 for the best overall business and there's also 2,000 for the best new startup so a great financial incentive and there's categories around as best startup digital green innovation best exports so a wide range that different people as well as creative best creative business the best engineering business so all that aligns with the supports that are available in the local enterprise office. So if you have a small business and by that we mean one with fewer than 50 employees there's a good chance that at least one of the categories will suit you. Yes that's correct you just need to have received one support at least one support from the local enterprise office and it's for under 10s in particular under 10 employees so it's the micro businesses last year winner silver strand ropes up in Movel actually went on not only to win the Donegal award but he was a regional winner at the national award so the representative from Donegal goes on to a national final in May and silver strand ropes picked up the regional award and we're hoping some of these days we will have a national winner. It may be this year the awards in December but the deadline for applications is this coming Monday at 12 o'clock and to get more information or to apply yeah localenterprise.ie forward slash Donegal the application form is there it's a short application so please do consider it and get your application in for Monday. Before I let you go I just want to briefly throw in a mention for a program that was that is designed to help small businesses to reduce their carbon footprint now maybe I'm just throwing this at you but I just came across it and I just thought it was something that you know maybe that I could mention the whole idea is to create more sustainable practices with small businesses and we can all play our part because I've been chatting about the Teddy Towns initiative here now individuals can play their part but businesses can as well. Yes so there's a great incentive now obviously with the whole climate change and the whole move to net zero by 2050 all businesses have to start looking at our green credentials and making this shift in that so we have a number of supports available for businesses the first is our green for business program it's open to any business under 50 employees in any sector so whether you're a shop a restaurant a manufacturer or a service business you can avail of two three days mentoring with an expert that'll come in and look at your business and do a green plan identifying what actions or steps you can take to make your business more green and maybe even just tell your story because there's a great competitive advantage now in acknowledging where you are on that green journey whether it's a green product green process and consumers increasingly are looking for businesses that have commitments to being greener and more environmentally friendly absolutely it can help be raised above the competition exactly and then there is a follow-up support which is just a new support called energy efficiency grant so when you have received your plan and they have a number of actions you can get a grant of up to 5000 euro and that grant will enable you to implement some of your actions so it might be around maybe replacing old outdated energy gosling equipment so it could be refrigeration maybe in a shop or in a restaurant old outdated equipment in the manufacturing process and there's a 50 grant 5000 euro LED lighting maybe smart controls to manage the heating so there's a wide range of products that you can use the 5000 euro grant so it's a great incentive and as I say it's open to all businesses so do feel free contact the local enterprise office or go on our website again a very short simple application and we're there to support businesses absolutely okay all makes a perfect sense and and the best look over there the next couple of evenings because I know you're going to be busy over at law ask yeah Brenda thanks a minute thank you Joe get with the best virgin media