Back for Business 4 Outcomes

The Back for Business 4 cycle ran from February to June 2021. Twenty-nine early stage entrepreneurs completed the programme. All who completed Back for Business 4 were very positive in their end of cycle feedback. Virtually all felt nearer to achieving their ambitions and would recommend the programme to others.

• At the start of the cycle, 76% were pre-revenue. Over the course of the programme a further eleven began to trade. At the end of the cycle more than half were trading (57%) with others planning to generate sales in the coming months.
• By the end of the cycle, the combined turnover of the group had increased by 168% and there were 35 more employees.
• One of the advantages of time spent out of Ireland is contacts developed internationally. At the start of Back for Business three of the participants already had some export sales. There were a further ten first time exporters over the course of the cycle. The strong export orientation is evident with the majority expecting to have customers in export markets in three years time.

Seven previous participants also took part in a Further Development cycle with round table sessions facilitated by a Lead Entrepreneur. The feedback from this group was extremely positive given the circumstances. Over the six-month cycle, participants reported a combined increase in their turnover of just over €1million. There was one new exporter and four more employees at the end of the cycle.