Research has proven that improvisation improves both interactivity and non-verbal communication, and is currently being offered as part of undergraduate and MBA programmes in the U.S.

The skill of improvisation will improve your business communication in 3 main ways:

1. It improves confidence levels, as you will never be afraid of being caught shy of something to say
2. It encourages a solution-focused mind-set which will further improve your relationships with potential customers and business contacts
3. Practising improvisation regularly improves creativity levels which will help you generate new ideas for attracting new business.

This half-day workshop includes:

• Working with the offer: Principles of improvisation and how they apply to business
• Yes, let’s work together – Positivity – the key to successful business – exercises
• What are you doing? – exercises in creativity
• Whose role is it anyway? – How to use this tool practically at work

Facilitator:          Tracy Aspel  - Tracy is a qualified facilitator and trainer who uses a combination of NLP(Neuro Linguistic Programming) and improvisation techniques when training or coaching clients. She helps groups and individuals work on three key areas for improved performance; confidence, communication and creativity. She has worked with a broad spectrum of groups both in the Community and Voluntary and business sectors. With over 10 years’ experience in sales roles she is passionate about the human element in business, from customer relations to staff development.

Date:                     Wednesday 30^th May 2012

Time :                   2pm – 5pm

Venue:                 Maldron Hotel, Roxboro

Cost:                      Free

Booking:              Jane O’Mahony, PAUL Partnership 061 419388 or email jomahony@paulpartnership.ie

This one-day training programme ensures participants understand the sales process and develop a sales sequence.  No matter what your product or service, it is critical for all businesses to understand and implement a good sales sequence which will generate the life blood of the business.

This workshop will provide participants with an understanding of the sales process and will provide participants with a knowledge of the communication skills, attitudes and behaviours needed at each stage of the process.

Course Outline:

Date:                         Wednesday 23^rd May 2012                                 

 Time:                         10am to 4pm

Venue:                      Maldron Hotel, Roxboro, Limerick

Facilitator:               Mr. Terry Harmer, NLC Training

Cost:                          €20 – Prior Booking Essential – Places Limited

Bookings:                 Contact Jane O’Mahony, PAUL Partnership on 419388 or email:

                                    jomahony@paulpartnership.ie

This workshop is designed to be highly relevant to small medium enterprises (SMEs) with a focus on the importance and use of marketing to small firms in a downturn. The aim is to provide and facilitate the knowledge and skills to owner/managers to understand their customer and market their products effectively.

Objectives:

Understanding what marketing is all about; explaining how relevant marketing is to you; identifying market segments and understanding the marketing environment; the importance of marketing in terms of competitive advantage and customer loyalty; Finally, planning an affordable marketing campaign that you can practically implement.

Course Outline:

• Introduction to Marketing
• Marketing today: Changes in economy and small budgets
• Understanding the marketing environment
• Product / Service Differentiation and your market.
• Dissect the marketing mix – 5 or 7 P’s (depending on industry)
• Practical Marketing Communication Tools
• Planning and implementing.

Date:               Friday 18^th May 2012

Time :              10am to 4pm

Venue:            Maldron Hotel, Roxboro      

Cost:                €20

Booking:         Jane O’Mahony, PAUL Partnership 061 419388 or email jomahony@paulpartnership.ie

Course Outline:

• The 90 Second Introduction
• Verbal & Non Verbal Communication
• Creating the Professional Image
• Importance of First Impressions
• Preparation for Business Interviews/Presentations
• How to get your point across in a professional manner

Date:                         Thursday 17^th May 2012

Time :                        2pm to 4.30pm

Cost:                          NO CHARGE

Venue:                      Maldron Hotel, Roxboro

Booking:                   Jane O’Mahony, PAUL Partnership 061 419388 or email jomahony@paulpartnership.ie

• What is the BTWEA and qualifying criteria?
• Application procedure.
• Registering with Revenue Commissioners.
• Completion of BTW2 Form.
• Comlpletion of Business Plan.
• Enterprise Training and Network.

Date: Tuesday May 1st.

Time: 12.30pm – 1.30pm

Venue: LES – Unit 2 Tait Business Centre, Dominic Street. Limerick

Booking: no prior booking required.

By the  end of the workshop you will:

• Understand the process of writing a business plan.
• Know the key elements of a business plan.
• Have examined your business idea from a strategic dimension by comparison with case studies.
• How to construct an Cash Flow Projection, Budget and Projected Profit and Loss Account.
• Explore Costing and Pricing issues.

Date: Wednesday 2nd May.

Time: 10.00 am – 4.00 pm

Venue: LES Jobs Club, Unit 4, Tait Business Centre, Dominic Street, Limerick

Cost : Free

Bookings: email:jomahony@paulpartnership.ie

 “Assertiveness – Building Confidence  & Self Esteem for the Start Up”

Speaker Nikki O’Neill

 Assertiveness, confidence and self-esteem tend to go hand-in-hand. If you want to increase your self-confidence, practicing being assertive helps. In the process, you’ll also create easier interactions with other people, and generate greater self-respect. Essential skills for the emerging business owner.

Limerick City Enterprise Board & PAUL Partnership offer networking sessions for new businesses.  If you have started your business within the last 18 months or if you are thinking of self employment come along to this informal and interactive networking event.

The networking session gives you the opportunity to engage with a circle of people interested in growing their business.  Nikki O’ Neill is providing her time free of charge.

 Date:                           Friday May 4^th

Time:                           10.00 a.m.  – 12.00 pm

Venue:                         Board Room, Limerick Youth Service, Lower Glentworth Street.

Cost:                            No Charge

Bookings & further information:

Jane O’Mahony 061-419388; email : jomahony@paulpartnership.ie<mailto:jomahony@paulpartnership.ie>

Nikki O’Neill

HR Consultant & Trainer  -Owner Manger Nikki O’Neill HR Consultant

Nikki has over 15 years experience working in partnership with Senior Management Teams in large, medium and small organizations helping them improve their employee productivity and tap into each individual employee potential.

Specializing in Human Resource Management, HR Systems and Processes with particular emphasis on Training and Employment Law. Introducing Performance Management into organisations and Training Management Teams on best practice for their Recruitment and Selection; Discipline Procedures and the Skills required to ensure employees are given an opportunity to improve all areas
She also prepares and represents both employees and employers at EAT and LRC Hearings & Resolve Bullying and Harassment Claims both formally and informally.

Specialties

HR and Business Training ; FETAC Programmes including Management Development; Sales Training; Starting and Running your Own Business Programmes; Supervisory Programmes and Train The Trainer Level 6. Outsourced HR Departments for employers with <50 employees without HR

• Ballinacurra Weston – Tuesday 8th May at 8pm in Our Lady of Lourdes Action Centre
• Moyross – Wednesday 9th May at 10am in Moyross Community Enterprise Centre
• Southill – Monday 14th May at 3pm in Southill Junior School.

Get Vocal open ‘Coffee morning’ to mark the start of Bealtaine Festival – 1st May 2012

Come and find out more about the Get Vocal Project for Limerick City – a project which aims to strengthen the voices of older people (over 55’s).  A coffee morning will be held on Tuesday 1^st May, 11am, at St Munchins Family Resource Centre, Clonconnane Road, Ballynanty.

Get Vocal April 2012 Newsletter

To download a copy of the April 2012 Newsletter, click here.

For further information on all of the above events, please contact:  Eleanor Cowan-Hughes, Older Persons Forum Development Worker, at 061 419388, or email: ecowanhughes@paulpartnership.ie

Through the ‘New Business Ideas’ seminar, participants will learn how to search for and identify business opportunities, as well as generate and expand ideas.  It will also offer an opportunity for people, who might already have an inkling of a business idea, to discuss and ‘flex’ it within a creative environment.

Date:              Wednesday 25^th April 2012
Time:              9:30am – 12.00noon
Venue:          Maldron Hotel, Roxboro
Cost:               FREE of Charge -  Prior Booking Essential – Places Limited

Presenter:       Mr. Kieran Hanrahan – As a consultant and trainer,  Kieran Hanrahan specialises in business start-ups and works with many of the Enterprise Boards on a nationwide basis.  Holding a 1st class Masters degree in Strategic Management and Planning from the Smurfit Business School, Kieran is a returning CIPD member.  He leads a specialist team of similarly practical consultants recruiting carefully over fifteen years and drawn from every sector of business skills needs – finance, taxation, marketing, sales, law, soft skills, ICT, etc.

Bookings & further information:

Contact Jane O’Mahony on 061-419388 or email jomahony@paulpartnership.ie

Workshop objectives:
 At the end of the course participants will:

• Have an understanding of market research
• Choose and apply market research techniques suitable to their business / business idea
• Know how to conduct market research cost effectively
• Know how to evaluate market research findings
• Apply market research findings to help prevent and solve marketing issues
• Draft a market research plan for their own business                                           

Course Outline:
Market Research is critical to finding out what your customers and potential customers think and for discovering what their wants and needs are.

This course aims to give participants a better understanding of what is involved in market research.

There are a number of key areas that will be covered during this course:
• Introduction to Market Research – breakdown of what market research is, why we use it, why it is important, why it is important to do it right. How can you do market research without breaking the bank?
• Your business – What business are you in? / What is your business idea?
• Market Research techniques: Examples from similar companies (size and industry). Questionnaire design. Sources of information
• Collecting data is one thing, know how to use it.
• Review
• Planning: Writing a research plan. A sample plan will be given to participants with the view of each participant filling out the relevant sections post training.

Date:                     Friday 20^th April 2012

Time:                    10 am – 4pm

Venue:                 Maldron Hotel, Roxboro

Cost:                      €20

Booking:              Jane O’Mahony, PAUL Partnership 061 419388 or email jomahony@paulpartnership.ie