please help consultant needed!

Dalas

I am looking at setting up a new business and I desperatly need to get advice from someone in the industry. I have no idea where to start looking or how much it would cost. Does anyone have any suggestions?

whiskeyman

what industry?
have you tried http://www.basis.ie ?

Dalas

whiskeyman wrote:

what industry?
have you tried http://www.basis.ie ?

Thanks for the site... It's the food industry. But its a new concept and at this stage I am just trying to consider the options and I have no idea where to go to ask questions specifically related to my quest so thought the best thing to do is avoid big mistakes if i do go ahead and ask someone who knows their stuff but will keep it just for the moment confidential...

Hitchhiker's Guide to...

Try your local enterprise board - they are extremely good. E.g. the DBIC (http://www.dbic.ie/). You can get funding, including targeted funding, for business ideas.

Also, maybe have a look at some of the FAS training courses - http://www.fas.ie/services_to_businesses/cdp.htm

If your business is export-orientated, you could try Enterprise Ireland, although i have a feeling that they specifically exclude the food industry.

Maybe you could even post some (non-commercially sensitive) details of your business and we could give you some advice on this forum? No guarantees that it'll be good advice though!

Dalas

Roundtower2 wrote:

Try your local enterprise board - they are extremely good. E.g. the DBIC (http://www.dbic.ie/). You can get funding, including targeted funding, for business ideas.

Also, maybe have a look at some of the FAS training courses - http://www.fas.ie/services_to_businesses/cdp.htm

If your business is export-orientated, you could try Enterprise Ireland, although i have a feeling that they specifically exclude the food industry.

Maybe you could even post some (non-commercially sensitive) details of your business and we could give you some advice on this forum? No guarantees that it'll be good advice though!

Just joined this board yesterday and cant believe how great it is!
Anway! really appreciate your reply I am going to get all the info I can together and post it up to see what you think. It may take a while tho! I am so delighted to have a place to go for advice even if its not guaranteed good!

Reyman

It's not clear but I presume you have an idea and want to develop it into a small business.

Your first step is to get a simple book on how to prepare a Business plan.
Follow the guidelines given and you will then have the framework to talk to the organisations mentioned in the other posts.

Don't go to the Organisations 'cold' - you won't get a serious hearing

RainyDay

Are you really sure you want to set up a business in an industry that you know nothing about? How can you have any confidence that your business will actually work? Have you considered getting a job in that industry for a few years to build up your own knowledge first?

Dalas

RainyDay wrote:

Are you really sure you want to set up a business in an industry that you know nothing about? How can you have any confidence that your business will actually work? Have you considered getting a job in that industry for a few years to build up your own knowledge first?

I hear what you are saying but that was why I wanted to go with a consultant. I have the idea I just need to get the expertise now to make sure it dosnt go pear shapped. But I am really confident it will work....

tcoen

You could approach teagasc or an bord bia maybe.

what about contacting someone in a food science dept in one of the unis.

REDZ

Hi
i'm going to pm you the number of a good managment consultant i know who has experience and contacts in the food sector.