We are conducting this survey on the attitudes and perceptions of Cork businesses towards Cork and doing business in Cork to be incorporated into a Destination Branding project that is being carried out for the Cork region by Colliers International and Fuzion Communications.

It will take approximately 5 minutes to complete the questionnaire and your responses will be strictly confidential.  If you have questions at any time about the survey or the procedures, you may contact Alma Murnane at 021-4530147.

 COMPLETE SURVEY HERE

Date: 25th September
Time: 07:30 - 09:00
Venue: Gresham Metropole Hotel
Cost: FREE
To Book: visit our website here


Are you one of the 50,000 businesses in Ireland that will be affected by SEPA? This is the Single Euro Payments Area and all companies using electronic payments must migrate over to this new system by 1st February 2014.

Cork Chamber will run an important and informative morning seminar on the steps you need to take to become SEPA compliant and how SEPA will affect your business. This event will feature expert speaker John Rice, SEPA Programme Manager with the Central Bank, as well as a Cork Chamber case study company.

Date: 23rd September
Time: 8.30am
Venue: Clarion Hotel, Cork
Cost: Free (and qualifies for CPD)
To book: email Samantha at the Irish Tax Institute here  –  or phone 01 6631707


The Irish Tax Institute is delighted to be associated with Cork Chamber of Commerce in hosting an informal Breakfast Briefing in advance of Budget 2014.  An array of issued will be addressed including personal tax, PRSI, capital taxes, SMEs and measures that might help economic growth and job creation.

The Cork innovates bursary valued at €30,000 is now taking applications  HERE   

Applications are being taken online until October 21^st midnight.  A stringent and multi-tiered selection process will follow! 

The bursary recipient who will be announced at the InBusiness InCork Showcase on November 14^th will benefit from a wide range of services including advertising, consultancy services for a number of business activities (including PR, accountancy and e-commence), print and design services and cash support.

Contributors include: AIB, Brook Catering, Cameo Communications, Cork Chamber, Irish Examiner, Newstalk, Rubicon, Studio forty9, Voxpro, Westboro Partners & Woodland Print & Design.

Those wishing to attend the INBusiness INCork event can pre-register now HERE   

Identifying new customers, driving demand, and building a solid sales pipeline is at the core of successful sales prospecting for anybody who sells in the business to business. 

The marketplace is growing more competitive by the day, which means that the business customer has more choice than ever before.  On top of this the current recession has conditioned buyers to shop around for the best deals. Sellers now have to work as hard for repeat purchases as they do for new business.

Our brand new Business to Business selling – The secrets course will teach you the necessary consultative selling skills required to exceed your sales target this year and beyond. The course is three days duration (1st & 15th October & 5th November 2013). Book here now and blow your sales targets out of the water!

The Enterprise Europe Network helps small business to maximise their presence on the European marketplace. Working through a network of local business organisations across Europe and further afield, we can help you develop your business in new markets, source or license new technologies or access EU finance and EU funding.

For more information, please see: www.een-ireland.ie or contact Katherine@corkchamber.ie

See the ‘read more’ section (below) for further information on the following:

• “The Lions Tour”, a joint Ireland and UK Matchmaking event, hosted by Enterprise Europe Network Galway on Tuesday, 8 October 2013
• Access to Finance for SMEs – Part 2 – EU Funding, hosted by the Enterprise Europe Network Cork on Wednesday, 9 October 2013
• RENEXPO Fair, a renewable energy event, taking place on 16-17 October 2013 in Warsaw, Poland
• Business partnership opportunities 

Good Luck to all companies who have been shortlisted for the Chambers Ireland Corporate Social Responsibility Awards which takes place tomorrow evening in Dublin. #CSRAwards.

Period of the offer: 16th -  27th September  

Proof Brand & Design Agency are offering each Cork Chamber Member a free 1 hour consultation to discuss, evaluate and offer advice on their businesses’ current branding activities. Proof is a creative agency that offers a wide range of effective graphic design solutions for brand, print and digital media.

Period of the offer: 10% off Window Cleaning & 10% off Office Cleaning for Month of September.

These offers apply to commercial premises and are open to Chamber Members. We are a Cork based company in business since 2007. We provide the following cleaning services: window cleaning, carpet cleaning, office cleaning, home and end of tenancy cleaning. We also carry out external home cleaning and maintenance. We provide repeat or once off cleaning services, and are focussed on customers’ needs. Our prices are very competitive and we aim to provide services, which ensure we get called back again


Please call on 086 0451664 or 021 4840426  or email us here to avail of these offers.

Period of the offers: December 2013. Free Travel Insurance for Cork Chamber Members.

Travelfox have a number of concert breaks on sale that would make the perfect Christmas gift.  For a spectacular New Year’s Eve why not head to Bratislava to see Andre Bocceli perform live in concert, from only €519pp sharing and this includes flights and accommodation!   They also have a Bruno Mars Concert package to Prague from only €319 per person or why not ask them about one of their Christmas Markets Packages to Prague, Munich or Vienna.  Call Travelfox today for more info on 1890 98 98 02

See 'read more' below to see the full range of holiday offers available.

Date: 16th September
Time: 7pm
Venue: The White Horse, Ballincollig, Cork
Cost: €10 per person
To Book: Email HERE 

Live discussion with American writer and entrepreneur AJ Leon, who is visiting Ireland as part of his world tour to launch his new book 'The Life & Times of a Remarkable Misfit' followed by Egg Talks with Carmel O’Keeffe, Dress for Success Cork and Doreen O’Mahony, Digital Brand Manager, Laya Healthcare.

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Date: 2nd October
Time: 7pm
Venue: Cornstore Restaurant
Cost: €40
To book: mags@cornstore.com   / cork@cornstore.com

A night of food fashion & fun all in aid of The Girls Club Cork (cancer support group), enjoy a cocktail on arrival followed by a 3 course dinner plus show, best dressed lady competition, numerous spot prizes.

Date: 20th September
Time:  07.45
Venue: Lodge & Spa at Inchydoney Island
Cost: €25 members €35 non-members
To book:  chamber@clonakilty.ie

Clonakilty Chamber of Commerce will host David Duffy, CEO of AIB plc  at a business breakfast event. Mr Duffy joined AIB in December 2011 as Chief Executive Officer and member of the Executive Committee. The event will focus on connecting the general and business communities of the area to encourage positivity and confidence for the future. A share of the proceeds from the event will go to support the work of CoAction West Cork who are the designated service provider for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and autism in the region.

Date:  9^th October
Time: 8.00am – 10am
Venue: Hayfield Manor
Cost: No cost
To Book: For expressions of interest or to find out more contact anna_mcivor@ssga.com

Join State Street Global Advisors (“SSgA”), one of the largest investment managers in the world, over breakfast to hear presentations from Niall O’Leary, Head of EMEA Portfolio Strategists Group, and Nigel Aston, Head of UK Defined Contribution. Niall and Nigel will discuss the forces driving investment markets in 2013, what looming monetary policy changes might mean for investors and, importantly, how pension trustees and members can be helped to make decisions in an ever-changing environment.

Date: 19th September 
Time: 6pm
Venue: The Kiln Heineken
Cost: Open to all, no charge
To book:  HERE

Incoming Cork Chair Mandy Young will give an overview of how the Marketing Institute can benefit your business. We will discuss in particular the growing synergy between the marketing and IT functions and how it impacts on today's business. The event is kindly sponsored by Heineken.

Date: 26^th September 2013
Time:  8.30pm
Venue:  Cork Constitution Football Club, Templehill, Cork
Cost: Table of 4: €40.            
To Book: Contact: Don at cork@bluebirdcare.ie  or  087 2580223

                                                
Bluebird Care are proud fundraising sponsors of Special Olympics Ireland and we have committed to raising much needed funds with a campaign entitled “Summit for the Weekend”.  The Cork office of Bluebird Care, as part of this campaign,  are holding a Table Quiz on Thursday 26th September 2013, details above. Please join us for night of fun & trivia in aid of Special Olympics Ireland.