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Council aid fight for survival for local industry

29/07/2011
 



Dungannon & South Tyrone Borough Council through its Local Economic Development Plan which covers the period 2010 - 2013, is reaching out to local businesses to provide advice, support and assistance in difficult trading conditions. As a follow-up to its initial Business Survey, Council appointed Cavanagh Kelly Chartered Accountants to specifically address current Business activity.

Gerard Gildernew of Cavanagh Kelly recently presented the Council with his firm's findings after consulting more than 60 local businesses on the issues currently faced by local SMEs on a day to day basis. The SME Business Data Programme funded by Dungannon & South Tyrone Borough Council and part financed by the European Regional Development Fund under the Competitiveness Programme and delivered by Cavanagh Kelly collated data from manufacturing, engineering and tradable services businesses within the Borough. This data included detailed economic and financial information on each business and led to the identification of priorities issues to establish the needs for further support.

The report noted that more than 60 percent of respondents found that sales had fallen in the past three years. It was also found that only 10 percent of respondents trade outside GB and Ireland. Only a small number of participants conduct any research and development. I.T. solutions and Innovation were also areas of weakness.

Commenting on the report's findings, Mr Gildernew said: "Our research and findings are reflective of where many of Northern Ireland's SMEs currently sit. The past three years have been difficult but we are resilient and many trading businesses have successfully cut their cloth to suit and are still in business."
He continued: "Northern Ireland business does, however, have to be innovative in developing new products, and to look new markets in growing their business. There is help available to do this which can be easily accessed."

The Council's Acting Chief Executive Mr Alan Burke thanked Cavanagh Kelly for their valuable contribution, he said "This report will provide the foundations for us in developing future assistance programmes for local businesses.

"The findings presented has allowed us to develop a Business Survival Programme providing local business owners with the help they need to make their businesses more successful."
For find out more information on these programmes visit www.dungannon.gov.uk or alternatively contact Dungannon & South Tyrone Borough Council's Economic Development Unit on Tel. / 87720320.

Source: Tyrone Courier
Date: Wednesday 27 July 2011

 

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