The 12th cycle of ambitious Irish female entrepreneurs joining the Going for Growth programme has just begun with 83 entrepreneurs who have sales of €170m between them.
A total of 83 female entrepreneurs have been selected for the 12th cycle of Going for Growth — the highest number of participants since the programme began.
Between them these entrepreneurs already have annual sales of over €170m and just under half of them are already exporters. They currently employ almost 2,400 people and have ambitious plans for their future growth.
Going for Growth is designed to support these entrepreneurs to achieve their growth ambitions, helping create new jobs and grow their sales. Going for Growth is sponsored by Enterprise Ireland and KPMG.
Going for Growth is designed to support these entrepreneurs to achieve their growth ambitions, helping create new jobs and grow their sales. Going for Growth is sponsored by Enterprise Ireland and KPMG.
Going for growth
At the conclusion of the most recent cycle (11th), 64 participants reported:
- Combined turnover of €45.9 million – an increase in reported sales of €8m over the cycle;
- The creation of an additional 81 new jobs over the cycle, bringing to over 593 the total number employed; and,
- Three first-time exporters, increasing to 35 the number of participants with export experience.
One past participant who participated in the last cycle of Going for Growth is Dr Vanessa Creaven, from Spotlight Oral Care. Established with her sister and fellow dentist Dr. Lisa Creaven, the company produces safe and effective oral care products, with clinically proven active ingredients.
The company, which launched in 2016, has products for sale in Boots, Tesco, Dunnes Stores as well as in pharmacies across the country. They also export to 15 countries and have recently signed a deal with Target and Ulta Beauty in the US.
“When I began on the Going for Growth cycle, I expected I would gain a lot of expertise, but I had no idea as to the extent of that expertise, or the friendships I would make along the way,” said Creaven.
Pictured at the first day of the programme at the Marker Hotel in Dublin are (l-r): Monica Flood, Lead Entrepreneur (formally Olas IT), Nessa Cronin, Going For Growth participant and owner of Vanity Fair boutique in Kildare, Julie Sinnamon, CEO Enterprise Ireland, Olivia Lynch, Partner KPMG. Image: Shane O’Neill
Written by John Kennedy (john.kennedy3@boi.com)
Published: 23 January, 2020
