Web 2 Ireland

Joseph Kelly let us know that LoopThing went live this week. It’s a business social network that starts with a simple directory and builds from there. You can register your company and enter all the relevant details about the business. Others can then be friends/fans and interact with you on the site. They also have a ratings system and the ability to share files and media.

One particular aspect of the site which works very well is its openness. All of the information and interactions are there for all to see rather than requiring logins and rights management.

Whilst LinkedIn has become a huge site, I always feel it misses the mark. I go in to add or reply to connections and immediately leave. The groups feature has also become a quagmire of marketeers/spammers/recruiters. There is still lots of opportunity for other business social networks to grow and it’ll be interesting to see how LoopThing gets on.

Enterprise Ireland is doing an information evening on starting a tech business in Letterkenny on 25th March.

It looks like a very useful session with speakers on:

• Business Planning Process
• EI supports to High Potential Start ups
• Paul McNulty on starting his own Technology Business

If you wish to attend, please contact marian.roberts@enterprise-ireland.com

This week’s Tuesday Push is LouderVoice who have just launched a range of business services. If you like what they are doing, please blog about it. You might even do it in the form of a review that they can use on the site.

LouderVoice for Business

I’ve heard nothing but good things about the EnterpriseStart programme in Cork. It was a real lifeline to many Motorola employees last year. The idea is to give basic business skills to those looking to set up their own companies.

Mary Boyle let us know that they run the same scheme in Sligo and the next one is coming up. If you are even considering making the leap then it’s worth popping down to hear what it’s all about.

A free information evening will take place in The Glasshouse Hotel, Sligo on 23rd September. Hear from experts on the supports available to entrepreneurs and from companies who have already set up. Liam Birkett will be the guest speaker on the night. Liam's career began in office management in the grocery trade and extended into sales and marketing. He was involved in the launch of Mace and VG group in Ireland. His experience extended into wholesale, retail, cash & carry, and consultancy on a national and international basis before moving to O'Kennedy Brindley Advertising (later to become Saatchi & Saatchi). With colleagues from the advertising agency, he founded Bernardini, Birkett & Gardner Ltd, a design & marketing consultancy which, for more than 20 years was responsible for corporate identities and many marketing initiatives for Stokes, Kennedy Crowley, Waterford Foods, Monaghan Co-op, Smurfit Group, The K Club, The new GAA branding as well as graphic and packaging projects for a long list of high profile clients.

The evening will kick off at 6pm. For more information please contact Mary Boyle on 071 9159700 or mary.boyle@enterprise-ireland.com

UPDATE: The programme is happening in Cork too in October.  It is delivered by a mix of trainers and entrepreneurs, over six weekends, and at the end of the programme participants file a short feasibility study. The participant is then given a mentor for 5 sessions. The total cost of the programme is €275, with the balance of costs funded by EI and FAS. Contact Paul DOT Healy AT cit DOT ie for details