Ambitious female entrepreneurs from Kilkenny sought for Going for Growth programme

Ambitious female entrepreneurs from Kilkenny who are looking to take their business to the next level are being urged to apply for the latest cycle of Going for Growth, the award-winning business development initiative.

Going for Growth is a six-month part-time programme, supported by Enterprise Ireland and KPMG, which assists ambitious female entrepreneurs to achieve their growth aspirations. There is no charge to those selected to participate.

This is the 15th year of Going for Growth and more than 850 female entrepreneurs have so far taken part in the programme.

A total of 88% of participants on the 14th Going for Growth programme reported that their involvement brought about practical change within their business and 93% said they felt nearer to achieving their ambitions.

All participants said they would recommend Going for Growth to others.

The figures, which were gathered in their end-of-cycle survey, show the resilience and determination of the entrepreneurs on the programme – and the value of the peer support they received while participating.

Past participants from Kilkenny include Aisling Carroll of Momentum Healthcare which specialises in providing people with complex physical disabilities the opportunity to enjoy an active and independent lifestyle.

Other past participants from Kilkenny include Kate Fleming and Nicki Hoyne. Kate was a participant on the 14th cycle with her business, LawEd, an educational hub that teaches young people how the law impacts their daily lives.

Kate says: “This programme was the first time I actually gave myself time to work on the business and not in it! It was like a business degree in 6 months and touched on everything that was so relevant to a business like mine. The power of the round table was immense and the will to share, help and assist at all times. It showed me that you need to evolve and be agile in business but the most important part is that you need to be stubborn and passionate about your vision.”

Nicki, founder of Nicki Hoyne, a slow fashion footwear and handbag brand, was a participant on Starting Strong, which is part of Going for Growth but for earlier stage businesses.

Nicki says: “An incredible programme, I highly recommend. With the guidance of Chupi Sweetman, we came together to deep dive into monthly topics to interrogate and build strong foundations for our businesses. The group was open and honest, sharing and supporting each other through the process. It taught me to always be zooming out to work on my business and not just in my business. I now have strong foundations and the right plan to move forward.”

Log onto goingforgrowth.com for more details.