Sunday Business Post Twitter Article

THE SUNDAY BUSINESS POST n22 SEPTEMBER 18 2011OUT ON YOUR OWNMentoring move to aid OUT ON YOUR OWN BRIEFSwomen entrepreneurs second Wednesday evening Spirit of of each month at a number entrepreneurship in of venues. Mayo The first event will be held at SFA offices on Dublin’s Galway-Mayo Institute of Baggot Street. It will be Technology (GMIT) is ex- hosted by Leanne Pa- pecting a substantial turn- paioannou, managing di-Discussions aim to help Women’s out at an entrepreneurial event it is hosting tomorrow rector of Chilli Pepper Marketing, and will focus Enterprise evening as part of Mayowomen learn the skills Day Ideas Week. Spirit of Entrepreneurship on customer retention. Callan said the Business Bytes training events wouldneeded to succeed This year’s National Wo- will take place on GMIT’s campus, showcasing pro- be free to attend. ‘‘The two factors that often men’s Enterprise Day ducts and services from (NWED) will be marked with discourage owner-managers start-ups based in the in-A n a mbitious from engaging in training a two-day event in Portlaoi- stitute’s Innovation in Busi- mentoring in- se’s Heritage Hotel on are time and money, which itiative for wo- ness Centres (IiBC). November 16 and 17. is why these events are m e n a i m s to Speakers will include en- help young en- Elaine Organised by the County entirely free of charge and and City Enterprise Boards, trepreneur Sean Gallagher trepreneurs O’Regan NWED will have a half-day and Ciaran Crean, co-foun- are operated in a two-hourbuild viable ventures by learn- slot outside of key business conference programme, der of micksgarage.ie. Thising from successful business hours,’’ she said. supper and informal net- is the fifth year GMIT hasveterans. For more info, log on to working on November 16 Going for Growth involves a hosted Spirit of Entrepre- and full-day conference and www.sfa.ieseries of roundtable discus- revenues of e20 million and neurship. lunch on November 17.sions led by established female employs 50 people at offices ‘‘We want to get people Speakers will include:entrepreneurs who have first-hand experience of managing on Dublin’s Abbey Street and Patrick’s Street in Cork. & Lisa Myers from the thinking about setting up Swords to get Wig Clinic in Cork; their own business or de-high-growth businesses. Having begun her career in & Birgitta Curtin of veloping their existing busi- pop-up bank The idea is that participants the travel industry in her early A pop-up bank will open Clare’s Burren Smokehouse; ness further. This event willhave the opportunity to learn twenties as a duty managerimportant lessons from these with Club Air, McKenna be- & Elena Brennan of temporarily as part of Fingal Cavan’s Elena Brennan outline the funding sources‘lead entrepreneurs’, who give lieves on-the-ground experi- Enterprise Week later this Jewellery; and supports available,their time voluntarily. ence in your chosen sector is a month. & Anotherfriend.com’s while successful entrepre- Mary McKenna, managing huge benefit when setting up a ´ Grainne Barry from Limerick The pop-up bank – thedirector of Tour America, is business. neurs who have been city. brainchild of Fingal Countyone of ten lead entrepreneurs She also worked on the through it all will tell their The NWED delegate Enterprise Board – will opentaking part in the next Going agency side of the travel busi- own stories,’’ said Maria fee is e100. For more, from noon to 6pm onfor Growth cycle. ness in marketing and office Staunton, manager IiBC, log on to www.nwed.ie. September 28, at the ‘‘I am passionate about this management roles with Amer- GMIT.because, when I was starting ican Holidays. Europa Academy in Swords, To book a place at thisout with my business, I wish I ‘‘When I look back, I was Co Dublin.had had role models and peo- very raw when I started out holders, I would say to start- event, e-mail iibccastlebar The aim of the initiative willple to talk to,’’ she said. with my own business. I didn’t ups: ‘know how to go about va- @gmit.ie or call 094- be to offer small businesses ‘‘I will give four days next know too much, but I had an luing your business, know 9043198 Mary McKenna, managing director, Tour America and entrepreneurs adviceyear to work with a group of idea and I did my market re- about figures and learn abouteight people.To take part, their search,’’ said McKenna. how shareholding works.’ on loans, grants, venturebusinesses will need to be trad- ‘‘ I h a d no mo n e y, s o I ‘‘That is really important. Free training for capital funds and Businessing for at least two years. Themeetings will be infor mal brought Club Travel’s Liam Lonergan on board as a silent Market intelligence is also hu- gely important, especially if Mary McKenna’s top reads SME owners Expansion Scheme invest- ments.roundtable meetings. We will partner. Liam owned Club Air you are in the retail business. The Small Firms Association It will involve collaborationbrainstorm and throw ideas at the time and I told him I was You need to get your prices ‘‘I have read a lot of books on ples of many start-up busi- important ingredient in starting (SFA) has launched a new business over the years and I nesses and also highlights any business is emotional in- between state supportout there.’’ starting a business and he said right for the consumer.’’ management training initia- McKenna established Tour he’d g ive me the money I Going for Growth is funded think it’s important to continue where people do not prepare telligence. agencies, financial institu- tive for SMEs.America 16 years ago to pro- needed. by the European Social Fund, to educate yourself all the time. enough and how that can hinder ‘‘I would also recommend The tions and BES investment Speaking at the launch ofvide holidays in North Ameri- ‘‘As it turned out, I didn’t Enterprise Ireland and the De- ‘‘My top three include Dra- their business. Naked Leader by David Taylor. It companies. gons’ Den – Success from Pitch ‘‘Emotional Intelligence by is a fantastic read – again with the Business Bytes trainingca to the Irish market. need the money and it is impor- partment of Justice & Equality. The company has since di- tant to be aware that some- to Profit by Richard Farleigh. David Goleman is another fa- the theme of emotional intelli- series, SFA director Patricia Callan said the events For more info, log on toversified, launching Tour Afri- times you can start a business For more information, log on ‘‘This book gives great exam- vourite – I believe the most gence running throughout.’’ would take place on the www.fingalenterpriseweek.ieca and Cruise Holidays. It has without cash. With share- to www.goingforgrowth.com. Social media for start-ups Tapping into Twitter to boost your business tweets can be viewed by media and other social In the second anyone. media sites to make your Re-tweeting (RT) is when company visible to more part of this new you repost other people’s people interacting online. content to your Twitter series on using network of followers. This is a great way to enhance your 2. Be interesting It is important to make social media, reputation by associating yourself with relevant your tweets exciting and to post photographs and we examine how content and information. By re-tweeting other users’ videos to keep your followers interested. If your Twitter can help content, they are likely to return the favour, tweets are boring, there is a risk of losing key followers. your business Conor communicating your tweets to a larger community. Lynch 3. Engage communities It is important to listen to Define your Twitter Hashtags the Twitter community so Twitter is a micro-blogging strategy by finding and A hashtag or ‘#’ is a really you know about online service you can use to following the Twitter useful Twitter tool, which is comments on your brand. communicate with content that is best aligned used to categorise key This will enable you to customers by exchanging with your business and words or topics in a tweet. engage effectively in short and frequent online marketing The hashtag symbol is conversations. messages. These messages objectives. placed before the keyword – are called ‘tweets’ and are Follow the key for example #SocialMedia. 4. Don’t spam composed of 140 characters influencers in your By clicking on a hashtagged Spammers don’t survive or fewer. industry, your competition, word, you can see all other long on Twitter as they With more than 100 your business partners, tweets in that conversation. don’t build followers. Those million users, Twitter your customers, potential The hashtag ensures you that do follow them tend to presents an opportunity for contacts and sales leads. are following and engaging change their mind pretty companies to keep up to Once you opt to follow a in the right conversations. quickly. Spam on Twitter date with developments in particular Twitter user, usually involves a company their competitors’ activities they will usually do the tweeting constantly to and to interact with same in return. Twitter tools promote its brand. While customers. There are a number of free companies can use Twitter Twitter has also just tools that make Twitter to promote their brands, announced the launch of an Tweeting more user-friendly, helping they should not do so all the analytics tool, which will be By tweeting a person or you to spot opportunities time. of great benefit to business company, you can increase and minimise the time you users. the number of people your spend on Twitter. 5. Avoid poor grammar and Setting up a Twitter profile is visible to. Place These tools allow you to spelling account is very easy. To get the ‘@’ sign before the measure the impact of your In order to gain as many started, go to http:// person’s username to post tweets and other social followers as possible, twitter.com, click the sign them a public message such media updates, monitor businesses need to ensure up button and enter your as @socialmedia_ie. who is talking about you that they write in the details. The shorter the When you tweet someone, and manage your social correct manner. Twitter is username you choose the you are making yourself media activity. The five not like sending a text, so better. Remember you are visible to a wider tools we recommend are you should spell each word always restricted to just 140 community and you could Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, correctly and not use characters. potentially gather followers. Pluggio, Socialoomph and abbreviations. A direct message (DM) is Twitterfall. a private message sent via Conor Lynch is a social Followers Twitter to one of your media strategist and founder Once you have created your followers. You can only Tips of SocialMedia.ie, a Dublin- account, you can start send a direct message to 1. Integrate your marketing based firm that advises building your profile by your followers and it is the efforts businesses nationwide. For following people and only way to have a private Blend your Twitter more information, log on to companies. conversation on Twitter as account with traditional www.socialmedia.ie

Sunday Business Post Twitter Article

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