THE CHANGING FACE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP

As Ireland becomes more diverse we can expect ethnic and minority entrepreneurs to emerge and in doing so we are beginning to see new products and services available on the market. Niamh Mac Sweeney reports.

Starting up a business can be difficult but if Ireland is not your country of origin the task can be twice as hard. The barriers facing ethnic entrepreneurs in Ireland could be easily overcome if there was a concerted effort to ensure that potential ethnic entrepreneurs were given all the necessary information to successfully start and grow their businesses.

Obstacles Facing Start-Ups

Benedicta Attoh, Development and Awareness Officer with the NCCRI has experience of the starting up a business can be difficult but if Ireland is not your country of origin the task difficulties facing minority communities wishing to start their own business, as she too faced many challenges when she started her own retail and whole sale business.

“Funding is a big issue. Not knowing where to go for information or assistance was a big issue as well. I ended up attending a start your own business course with the Dundalk Partnership, but a lot of people would not even know that they provide that service. Although it is changing, in 2002 when I started there was no support in place for people like me,” Attoh reveals.

A Central Bureau

Attoh agrees that a central place were ethnic entrepreneurs can go to and where there interests are catered for would be ideal and would encourage more communities to consider setting up a business. “At the end of the day they are creating employment. I was not the only person working in my business, I recruited two other people so I was creating labour,” she says.

Knowing where to go to access information and how to avail of funding for any entrepreneur is crucial. Attoh says this is just as important for ethnic entrepreneurs. “It is important because a lot of people don’t know what the regulations are or even how to start a business. I had to do this on my own there are a lot of questions that come up for many people like myself.”

Emerging Entrepreneurs

Attoh admits that running her own business was not her primary focus but that the main reason she started the business was because she had difficulty finding a job in Ireland. She knew that she wanted to develop her career and so eventually sold her business as a going concern in order to pursue her career goals. She agrees that that new entrepreneurs are emerging in Ireland who are bringing new products and services to the market, but that more should be done to encourage ethnic entrepreneurs. “There should be dedicated funding that people can apply for. Its an area that should be look at very critically,” she concludes.

KENYAN MANUFACTURER OF PLASTICS PRODUCTS IN MONAGHAN NAMED AS INAUGURAL AWARDED ETHNIC ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

Rita Shah, founder and director of Shabra Plastics Kenyan born Rita Shah, founder and director of Shabra Plastics in Monaghan was recently announced as the overall winner of the inaugural Permanent TSB Ethnic Entrepreneur of the Year Awards Programme. Role Models Shah set up Shebra Plastics in 1986. The company recycles and manufacturers plastic products. In addition to winning the overall prize, Shah was selected as the winner in her category for Technology Entrepreneur of the Year. Speaking at the event, chief executive of permanent tsb and main sponsor of the event Denis Casey said “Ms Shah is an excellent example of entrepreneurial spirit among the ethnic community and is a wonderful role model for all entrepreneurs and also for women in business.” Other award winners included Juan Jimenez of Bella Cuba Restaurant who won Best Service Ethnic Entrepreneur of the Year. Emerging Ethnic Entrepreneur of the Year was won by Olga and Jimmy Gashi for Word Perfect Translation Services. Social Ethnic Entrepreneur of the Year was won by Salome Mbugua from AkiDwA, a non governmental network for African women living in Ireland. The Best Business Idea of the Year went to Aiyshas Spice House owner and Director Hafeez Rehman. Contributing To The Economy Speaking at the awards ceremony, programme co-ordinator and Editor of Metro Eireann Chinedu Onyejelem said, “these awards are strong evidence of the type of contribution immigrants in Ireland are making. Going by what I have seen, I am very optimistic that in no time, many ethnic entrepreneurs here will become household names.” In a speech by the President Mary McAleese she said Ireland’s ethnic entrepreneurs were highly commendable. “It is an impressive showcase, one that places our new minority communities in the public limelight and sets in front of us the significant and wide-ranging contribution, which these communities are now making to Irish life.”