Cork women gear up to celebrate National Women's Enterprise Day 

Making it happen is the theme for this month’s National Women’s Enterprise Day event in Cork.

This Local Enterprise Office (LEO) initiative, now in its 18th year, will take place on Thursday, October 17 in the Maryborough Hotel and is designed to be a celebration of female entrepreneurship.

Organised by the four LEOs in the region (Cork city, South Cork, Cork North, and West and Kerry), women in business across all sectors and at all stages of their entrepreneurial journey are welcome to attend, along with women who are considering self-employment but haven’t taken those first steps yet.

This is Ireland’s largest female enterprise event, promoting and encouraging female entrepreneurship across Ireland.

“It is designed and led by women and is an annual high point in promoting entrepreneurship to women in Ireland,” explains Ita Madden, LEO Cork city.

“LEOs provide a wide range of support, incentives, mentoring, training and development programmes to all their clients, at all stages of development, and while support is available all year round, this event allows us to turn the spotlight on female entrepreneurship and opens the prospect of entrepreneurship to women who may not have considered it before, providing valuable networking opportunities and connections with industry experts,” added Ita.

Economist, businesswoman and author Susan HayesCulleton (aka The Positive Economist) agrees that networking will be a key focus of the day. MD of the HayesCulleton Group and having set up her own business while availing of supports from her Local Enterprise Office, she has invaluable information and insights to share with the delegates.

Her businesses include Active Peers AI - a tech platform that optimises mentor matching programmes including admin, algorithmic matching, tight feedback loops and effective interactions all in one space.

“On the day, women will be invited to share on the app some key challenges they may be facing, or equally things they’ve learned on their business journey, and our tech will match them to people in the room who can help,” she said.

Originally from Dripsey and now Dublin-based, Susan will talk about the importance of optimising revenue, profit and cash flow and identifying red flags in your business.

I’ll also be pointing out that help is out there and discussing how we all face unique challenges, but also opportunities.

“A sense of collective support will be a key element weaved into the day and if you’re looking for answers, they’re likely to be in the room.

“For example you might think you’re the only person who can’t read a balance sheet – you’re not! What you’ve overcome might be another person’s challenge, so it will be a practical day of learning tailored to your needs.”

Highly accomplished herself, does Susan feel women face unique challenges in business?

“You have to decide if they’re challenges or opportunities,” she said, pointing out that women tend to underestimate their transferrable skills.

“Women generally are the people who choose the family car, book the holiday, decide what goes in the lunch box. They are excellent money managers and don’t give themselves credit for that, managing the household’s balance sheet.

“However, they do 75% of unpaid work in the world between household duties, caring for children or elderly parents, that’s an awful lot less unbillable hours, and we’re hard on ourselves for not acknowledging that.”

Susan said women also tend be less confident when applying for new roles, or seeking new contracts.

Men, she said, are confident if they have six out of the required 10 attributes in a job spec’, whereas women can feel they need 11 out of the 10.

“But women are good at building relationships and we’re savvy and discerning consumers, but we don’t give ourselves the credit we deserve, because the narrative doesn’t point it out.”

She urged women who are interested in broadening their perspective to attend on October 17 and said it will be inclusive of all ages, and business stages.

“If you do what you always do, you’ll get what you always get. Step off the treadmill and allow yourself to be strategic rather than operational for a day,” she said.

Her best business advice?

“You have to understand what drives your business and keep an eye on those metrics that matter. If you don’t know your sign posts, you’ll get lost. 

A lot of people focus on the end goal, but it’s the actions you need to take to get there that need the attention.

Susan will facilitate a panel discussion with four businesswomen who will share their entrepreneurial journeys, the challenges that came with it, and supports they received (and continue to receive) from their local LEO. They are: LEO Cork City – Bhagya Barrett, Rebel City Distillery; LEO South Cork – Hanna Bäckmo, Hanna’s Bees; LEO Cork North & West – Barbara Connelly, Atlantic School of English and Active Leisure and LEO Kerry – Jo Arbon & Clair Kelly, The Holistic Hound.

“If you’ve just started your own business or you’re running a well-established and growing business, or perhaps you have a business idea but are unsure of the next steps, there is something for everyone at this conference – you will leave energised with new ideas, new connections and new motivation!” concluded Ita.

See localenterprise.ie for ticket information.

AMBASSADOR’S PLEA

More work is needed to level the playing field for women in business, according to Bhagya Barrett, co-founder of Cork’s Rebel City Distillery and ambassador for National Women’s Enterprise Day.

Originally from India, Bhagya began her career in tech leadership after earning an Information Technology degree in 2007, followed by roles in India and Spain.

After managing global, multi-million-dollar programmes for leading multinationals, she co-founded Rebel City Distillery in 2020 with husband Robert Barrett. Today, their portfolio includes Maharani Gin, Rebel City Absinthe, and Rebel City Distillery Pomelo Vodka (soon to be launched as Maharani Pomelo Vodka), alongside an award-winning visitor centre in Cork city, and plans to open a spirit school in early 2025.

And while she feels progress is being made in terms of opportunities for women in business, she feels they do face unique challenges.

Access to funding is harder, with biases often favouring male-led companies. Networking can be difficult in male-dominated industries, and for immigrant women, breaking into these networks is even tougher.

“Balancing societal expectations, family responsibilities, and career adds extra pressure. Immigrant women also face language barriers, cultural differences, and limited local connections, making it harder to gain visibility and support. Despite these obstacles, many women overcome them through community support, mentorship, and leveraging diverse perspectives for innovation,” said Bhagya.

She’s a huge advocate for the Local Enterprise Office (LEO), describing it as has vital to their growth, providing key support through grants and mentorship.

“In 2020, we secured €50,000 for equipment and wages, followed by €30,000 to help us enter the US market. LEO also funded crucial US market visits and enhanced our online presence with a trading voucher. Additionally, they supported our participation in major events like the Ploughing Championship and Cork Summer Show, expanding our reach. Winning the Cork City Council Enterprise Award in 2023 further boosted our visibility, and LEO’s mentorship has streamlined our operations and sales, driving continued success,” she said.

Bhagya is urging women to attend NWED 2024 to “connect with like-minded entrepreneurs, gain valuable knowledge, and access resources that can help them grow their businesses”.

She added: “It’s a chance to learn, share experiences, and leave feeling more confident and equipped to take their ventures to the next level. It’s an honour to serve as a brand ambassador for NWED 2024. As an immigrant living in Ireland for the last 11 years, I’m excited to share my experiences and inspire women from diverse backgrounds who are pursuing their entrepreneurial dreams in Ireland.”