SME and micro-business owners across Ireland who want boost their online presence in terms of e-commerce capability and functionality now have a chance to access €150,000 worth of professional consultation, training and development support services via the IEDR’s 2013 OPTIMISE e-commerce Website Development Fund.
The IEDR (IE Domain Registry), the managed registry for Ireland’s official Internet address .ie, has revealed that SME and micro-business owners with a .ie website hosted online and currently accessible to the public can now apply for one of 20 places on the fund. The closing date for entries is 25 April 2013.
Under the OPTIMISE fund, the 20 successful companies will have their e-commerce needs and objectives assessed to create a customised plan to improve their online presence, broaden customer reach, generate sales and increase profitability, and enable the use of practical transactional tools and technologies to tap into the online marketplace.
David Curtin, chief executive of the IEDR, said the OPTIMISE fund is about helping companies make the transition to e-commerce-enabled websites in a practical way.
“Our experience shows that with the right training, tools and technologies, such as real-time payments and booking facilities, it is possible for small companies to access new customers and markets at home and abroad and to grow their business using the online marketplace,” Curtin said.
“Unfortunately, Irish companies remain slow to do this and without e-commerce-enabled websites, they are continuing to lose out online. I would therefore encourage any small business owner with a .ie website looking to take the next step to apply (for the fund).”