Kenny launches programme to get more businesses online

Pro

Taoiseach Enda Kenny today launched a national campaign to get Irish businesses online and make the most of the economic opportunity of the Internet.

Getting Irish Business Online (www.gettingbusinessonline.ie) is a partnership between Google, Blacknight Internet Solutions, An Post and the County & City Enterprise Boards targeting the 40% of Irish SMEs including sole traders that do not have a website or an online presence.

The launch of the campaign was also attended by the Minister for Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation Richard Brutonand Minister of State for Small Business, John Perry.

Speaking at the launch Kenny said: “Irish businesses need to be establishing themselves on-line now to get a foothold in the online market. In the challenging economic times that we are working to overcome, having an on-line presence would help Irish businesses survive and keep people in jobs. For most businesses, having a presence online is no longer an optional extra: it’s an essential part of business in the 21st century.

The presence of Google and other technology companies here forming a digital services hub is a very real asset to the Irish economy. This new innovation will help get more Irish small business online – so they can sell their goods and services from Ballina to Beijing.”

Google research shows that almost 60% of Irish commercial SMEs do not have an entry in an online directory and that 40% do not have a website. This is despite the millions of euros being spent by Irish consumers shopping online every year. Over 75% of Irish customers use the Internet as their primary tool for researching new companies and products, and 68% believe that search engines help to find relevant sellers of products. But, with only 21% of Irish businesses e-commerce enabled, Ireland is effectively losing revenues to UK and US online businesses.

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