Galway Enterprise Board heads into the county with Business Roadshow

Galway County & City Enterprise Board is marking next week’s SME Week, which runs from October 21 to 25, with a Roadshow around the county and a series of events which will provide information and inspiration to individuals with business ideas and existing business owners.

The Roadshow features local business owners, Pádraic Ó Máille, mentor trainer and motivator and Breda Fox, CEO of the Galway County & City Enterprise Board. All speakers are there to share their experiences and offer advice, support and encouragement.

Local entrepreneurs and will speak about the challenges and opportunities in the current economic climate and how they are positioned to make the most of opportunities with the support of their County & City Enterprise Board.

The Roadshow will first stop off at the Ard Rí Hotel in Tuam next Monday from 7pm to 8pm when speakers include the Friendly Farmer, aka Ronan Byrne, who produces free range meat poultry from his family 35 acre farm holding outside Athenry which once belonged to his grandparents.

It was in 2007, after Ronan returned from Poland (where he managed a large scale dairy farm) that the farm was switched to an ‘open pasture’ method of farming, in an attempt to redress the balance of intensive poultry production and the growing demand for better quality. The farm also has the most beautiful Pyrenean Mountain dogs, these dogs are classed as ‘livestock guardians’ and when properly trained will protect whatever livestock they live with.

On Wednesday, the Roadshow moves to the Lough Rea Hotel – again from 7pm to 8pm, when the key speaker will be Mike O’Neill, Managing Director of ONM Systems Ltd which he founded in 2006. The company is based in Loughrea, and now employs seven staff. The Company is 100% Irish owned. 

The core business of ONM Systems Ltd is the development and installation of software systems on mobile devices.   These systems are primarily used in a Van Sales / Sales representative environment but they have also developed Ticketing Systems, Courier Systems and Maintenance/Service Engineer systems.  As they write all their own software, their systems may be tailored to meet specific customer requirements. ONM also provide staff training and a comprehensive after sales support & maintenance service.

At startup the company consisted of Mike O’ Neill and the office was a converted garage.  Naoise Wrynne (Technical Director) joined the company shortly after startup.  Due to growth the company moved offices in 2009 and the company now employs 7 people. Their main market is in Ireland but they have also installed systems in England and Scotland.

And then on Thursday, the final night of the Roadshow is at the Station House Theatre in Clifden – from 7pm to 8pm – when the speaker will be Graham Roberts, owner of Connemara Smokehouse.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.