1. Successfully Engaging Senior Entrepreneurs: 50+Start Your Own Business Course Hugh Reilly CEO Meath County Enterprise Board (CEB)

2. CEBs Overall Objectives Fostering an Enterprise Culture Supporting Dynamic New Enterprises Strengthening Existing Businesses Supporting Growth

3. CEBs Supports for Start-ups Information One-to-one Advice Start Your Own Business (SYOB) courses Business Skills Training Business IT Skills Seminars Networks Mentoring Finance

4. 50+ SYOB Pilot Programme Kildare, Meath, Wicklow Pilot: 3 courses run simultaneously SYOB Content & format adapted Residential element introduced Promotion Funding

7. Participation

8. New Business Profiles Healthcare Beauty Tourism Software Craft Web based B2B services B2C services Average projected number of employees:2 Average projected annual turnover: 120,000

9. 50+ SYOB course – A Success? High overall satisfaction rating by particpants Clear merit of having an age specific 50+SYOB course Strong commitment by particpants Good dynamic and collaboration Too early to judge the number of sustainable new businesses that will emerge

10. Recommendations A focus on an age specific 50+ Start Your Own Business has merit and should be continued Include testimony from past particpants in marketing and promoting future courses Extend the length of the course to 12 weeks Focus on the production of business plans as targeted outcome

11. Recommendations Style of delivery Draw on the expertise and experience of particpants Less as a teacher more as a facilitator Focus on applied learning Provide course material in advance of each session Presentation and course materials to be easily read and heard

12. Recommendations Profile particpants at early stage (expertise, experience and planned new businesses) Recognise unevenness among group in IT knowledge and computer skills Issues surrounding succession and exit strategy very pertinent Facilitate social/networking element

13. Recommendations Residential workshop should be be made more developmental Introduce role models to describe their experience to group Following the course, develop self sustaining groups Six month follow-up Develop online resource material Role of Senior Enterprise

14. Successfully Engaging Senior Entrepreneurs: 50+Start Your Own Business Course Hugh Reilly CEO Meath County Enterprise Board meath@eircom.net