 of the array of events and topics that will be on offer at this year's local Enterprise Week. It's on next week, next Monday to Friday. It's a collaboration between local Enterprise Office Dunny Gaul and its partners. In fact there's a total of 19 separate events happening next week. Head of Enterprise Dunny Gaul is Brenda Higgarty who joins me in the studio. Brenda, good to see you again. Good to be back. And good to be back talking about Enterprise Week and again it's a it's a packed schedule. The theme this year is what? This theme this year is Be Brave. So we're continuing on from the theme last year was Be Inspired so now it's about taking the action. So people that may be planning or thought about starting a business just to be braved maybe take that next step or those that are in business maybe just the courage and the activity to really take it to the next level bring their business to the next level engage in terms of maybe new markets new products and hear all about the different opportunities and the supports that are available through the local Enterprise Office and indeed through our other Enterprise partners. And to that end you have a whole host of events and a whole range of different speakers to in a way to educate and to give business owners ideas and tips and encouragement. Yeah very much so. So this is one of the pivotal activities across local Enterprise offices right around Ireland. So local Enterprise Office in Dunny Gaul put on a packed schedule with our partners and it's really an opportunity for businesses to network in the first place. Maybe take some time out and consider where they are in their business hear about from experts and from other people that's in business that have walked the journey maybe learn about different aspects different challenges that they faced and actions that they took to overcome those. So there's a wide range of different business areas under consideration. So looking at new markets exporting looking at pricing models looking at sustainability digitalization. So there's elements that are suitable regardless of which business what sector you're in or what size of business there's something for everybody in the schedule. It's a good opportunity for owners and indeed managers to step out of the day to day routine and go to one of these events get some info but she said to network as well and to also realize that they're not alone but the problems that they're facing maybe on a daily basis that other businesses are coming up against them as well. Yeah and that's so important that you know sometimes it is a lonely space to be in you know running your business particularly if you're a micro business maybe small team or maybe just yourself. So it's it's useful as opposed to a lot of business people spend a lot of time working in the business and now local Enterprise week is about working on the business you know taking the time to lift the head from the daily ground and just see where you are where the challenges but most importantly where are the opportunities and what supports do we need as a business to move the business to the next level. Sometimes it's hard to see the wood for the trees. Now it starts on Monday at the launch and you've managed to secure you know one of the best known journalists in the country. Yeah which who has Donegal roots which is even better. So Richard Corn is our emcee on Monday and that's the opening event but it's also a focus on taking your business to the next level and with three local entrepreneurs Elnor Hannah from Hannah hats Martin McGinnis from MMG Oceanico and Donna Kelly from circuit and they will be able to talk their journeys and the challenges and the opportunities so it'll be a great morning in the Radisson Hotel starting at 10 finishing up at 11 30. On Tuesday the focus is on food because there's the food coast Donegal producers showcase that's in the silver tassie. Yeah that's going to be a great event so food coast Donegal working with the local enterprise office. We are hosting a great showcase of food producers. We have over 28 Donegal food producers in the room. We also have expert speakers looking as both Mosgrave, Neve Ruans coming up from the Mosgrave group just looking at trends and demands from the consumer and what food producers can look to in the future in terms of demand from those type of suppliers. And yeah it promises to be a great event. It's open to everybody. All our events are open for booking and just go to localenterpriseoffice.ie forward slash Donegal. Then for businesses that are exporting the Wednesday is a day to focus on exports which is which is great because you know it's not all about the local markets. No and as opposed for many businesses looking outside of our own domestic market and that can include from an Irish perspective into Northern Ireland usually the first step into the export market even though we're on the island of Ireland but and then looking maybe beyond into GB and beyond and the export event is a great opportunity to look at the opportunities and the steps and challenges and the supports that are available because there is a big drive that our businesses in order to scale we have to look at new markets, new opportunities and as opposed enterprise agencies like ourselves are there to support businesses to get them into new markets and drive the growth of their business and automatically then the employment base and all of the economic impacts that will bring to the local economy. The the areas that you focus on each day they're they're relevant to all or a lot of businesses and Thursday is no exception because the focus is sustainability. Yeah and sustainability is a big buzzword and is a big challenge facing all of us whether you're in business or each one of us have to face up to our sustainability challenges but there is great opportunities in this sustainability challenge and it's about exposing what the benefit is to you as a business owner to take a assess where you are on your sustainability journey look at your products look at your consumer look at the packaging look at your carbon footprint and again we've a lot of supports available so as well as showcasing the sustainability journey it is also about highlighting what supports are available to each business and it's for every business in Donegal whether you're a one person or a 50 person it doesn't matter there is sustainability supports right across and finally on Friday lessons from sport leadership lessons from sport and again you've managed to secure some great names. Yeah that's really a great highlight of the week is always that leadership lessons through sport and it's you know it attracts a different type you know individuals maybe that aren't interested in the normal business type activity or seminars or workshops they have a particular interest maybe in sport and learning the lessons of leadership because there are great parallels and we have our own Donegal manager Jim McGinnis is joining us Bernard Jackman who has the great parallels of the corporate world he's done a lot of research into leadership in the corporate world as well as his experience of the Irish rugby team and then Coris Stanton who is a phenomenal lady in sport and has had great success in Mayo so Sean Perry is emcee and that so that's going to be a great event and that's on the Friday. Where abouts it's in the Mount Erica hotel on the Friday and then we have so many of our partners organize and events so we have letter Kenny chamber looking at pricing we have Donegal Women in Business Network hosting a cross border women's conference to mark International Women's Day which is Friday of Enterprise Week which is the Friday we have ATU running a number of events including their DICE conference looking at AI we have UDRS running events over in G-TECH and we have Donegal County Council and Donegal Tourism having an event focusing on tourism particularly sustainability digitalization we have letter Kenny chamber so a lot of many of choice a lot of choice and not all physical because I noticed that there's an online event as well there's about three or four online events so that allows you Enterprise Ireland is hosting an online event on sustainability the letter Kenny chamber pricing event is actually online and there is a range of different online IDP and a show and development partnership are hosting an event up in Bali Liffon actually so there is right across the county from Ghidor right up to Bali Liffon from Donegal Town right up to letter Kenny so all over the county there Enterprise event in person and online so there's a wide range of choice so check out the details in this fantastic brochure that is just hold up up there to camera or online of course all the info is online online so if you go to localenterprise.ie forward slash Donegal that has our brochure and a digital form so you'll be able to flip through each of the pages of the physical brochure and identify and as opposed the challenge will be identifying what events how you will manage your schedule and definitely come to as many events as possible as you can okay well it's a chance as was as we mentioned earlier to take stock and to see you know where your business is at and how you can grow it and maybe how you can innovate the launch is on Monday at the Radisson Blue in letter Kenny but it continues through the week Enterprise week Brenda thank you very much and the best luck next week thank you Joe enter the Virgin Media Playhouse for under