Cork firms will be able to avail of €2,000 worth of mentoring services 

Cork members of the Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association (ISME) will be able to avail of mentoring services worth €2,000 under a newly launched scheme to help improve their businesses.

The Stages (Survive, Thrive, Accelerate, Grow, Export, Scale) mentoring programme provides business consultancy delivered by ISME Skillnet, and will provide fully subsidised one-to-one mentoring for members of the association.

Neil McDonnell, the ISME chief executive, said that while small businesses are “the engine of the Irish economy”, he cautioned that they often lack access to the expert advice they need to grow and compete.

“The Stages programme is designed to give SMEs that support. Whether they’re recovering from a crisis, breaking into export markets, or preparing to scale. We’re proud to offer this as a tangible, tailored benefit of ISME membership in Cork,” he said.

The Stages programme is also aimed at supporting ISME’s broader goals of enhancing innovation in the small and medium enterprise sector, boosting export activity and improving resilience to future shocks such as Brexit, covid-19, or “sector-specific downturns”.

The programme is designed to help businesses address real-world challenges and opportunities at each stage of their development, with expert-led sessions tailored to their specific goals. It is fully funded by ISME Skillnet and is available to new and existing members of the association but is only running until the end of this year.

Participants will receive up to two full days (or four half-days) of mentoring with experienced business advisors, covering a range of strategic and operational areas including cashflow management, digital transformation, export readiness, succession planning, and more.

Businesses seeking further information are being encouraged to contact the association at stages@isme.ie.