Jack Wall
Question:67. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the supports available to a person to establish their own physiotherapy clinic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19815/14]
View answerThursday, 1 May 2014
Questions (67)
Written answers
Anyone interested in starting their own business should in the first instance contact their Local Enterprise Office (LEO). The LEOs support the indigenous micro-enterprise sector in the start-up and expansion phases and stimulate enterprise potential at local level. They are the first port of call in terms of advice, direction, training and grant support for anyone who wishes to start a business. Contact details for the LEOs are available on www.localenterprise.ie.
The LEOs generally only grant assist enterprises in the manufacturing or internationally traded services sector, which over time can develop into strong export entities and graduate to the Enterprise Ireland portfolio. Retail or locally trading enterprises are ineligible for direct financial support from the LEOs due to concerns over displacement (where grant-assisted projects simply displace business from other players in the local market).
However, anyone setting up or operating a business can benefit from participating in the LEO non-financial or “soft” support programmes. All locally trading businesses, including start-ups, can avail of non-financial assistance from their LEO in the form of a wide range of business advice and information services, management capability training and development programmes, e-Commerce training initiatives, etc. Training courses include such topics as start-your-own-business (SYOB), taxation for beginners, internet marketing, ideas generation and negotiation skills.
In addition, any start-up can use the LEOs as a gateway to accessing finance from Micro Finance Ireland, which offers support in the form of loans of up to €25,000 to start-up, newly established or growing microenterprises employing less than 10 people with viable business propositions that do not meet the conventional risk criteria applied by the banks. The Fund has a significant entrepreneurship focus and is open to anyone with a viable business proposal. Applications for the Microfinance Fund should be channelled through the local LEO.