Business Services

Workspace provides businesses with assistance and advice to suit a range of business needs. From exploration of the idea of becoming self employed and starting a business, to specific assistance for established businesses seeking to expand, the business development team can help.

The business development team is made up of experienced advisers and mentors with complementary and specialist skills who are accredited by the Institute of Business Advisers.

Loan Funds

The Loan Fund is available to all small businesses, in each of the 26 District Council areas in Northern Ireland. The aim of the fund is to make funding more accessible to those starting or operating a small business and in support of the loan, to provide advice on cash-flow and other business advice. For more information please click here.

The Tradelinks Programme

The Tradelinks Programme was specifically designed to assist the micro-enterprises across Northern Ireland and the Border Counties of Louth, Monaghan, Cavan, Leitrim, Sligo and Donegal by:

• Enhancing employment generation opportunities
• Developing exporting capabilities
• Addressing barriers to cross border trade
• Investigating the opportunities afford by new techonlogy
• Encouraging new market and new product development
• Encouraging innovation

 Tradlinks will provide you with a range of benefits including:

• A wide ranging suite of programmes specifically designed to address the issues unique to the micro-enterprise sector.
• A team of experienced assessors and mentors.
• The opportunity to form linkages with similar micro-enterprises and
• A full signposting service to other programmes

For more information please click here.

Social Entrepreneurship Programme

The new Social Entrepreneurship Programme offered by Invest NI is aimed at helping potential social entrepreneurs to start a business and encouraging existing social enterprises to grow, create additional employment, exploit opportunities to export products or services and maximise their positive impact on society.

Groups already in the voluntary and community sector will also be assisted to become social enterprises through this initiative.

The new programme will offer more flexible and timely assistance for those at the start-up stage. It will provide tailored mentoring, business planning support, and capability advice to participating groups, helping them to successfully develop their socially oriented business. There will also be the potential for groups to avail of financial assistance.

If you are interested in the programme please contact Michelle Clarke at Workspace Draperstown on 02879 628113.