Mid Ulster Enterprise is designed to help local businesses turn ideas into practical action

Under this year’s theme, ‘Turning Ambition into Action’, the programme will equip entrepreneurs, start-ups and established businesses with fresh insight, useful connections and practical tools to navigate a changing economic landscape and plan confidently for growth.

The week opens with a bang with the ‘Mid Ulster: Ready, Set, Grow!’ event at Hill of The O’Neill, Dungannon. Hosted by BBC Economics and Business Editor John Campbell, the event will explore the outlook for the local economy, the challenges facing businesses and the steps local firms are taking to build resilience and pursue new opportunities.

John will be joined by local business leaders Dee Graham, Dee Graham Tailor Made; Ann McErlean, Craftec Ltd and Jody Wilkinson, Managing Director at Henry Brothers, who will share candid insights into their business journeys, future plans and experiences of responding to recent challenges.

Enterprise Week’s online events will help boost your business’s marketing expertise and increase online exposure; with webinars like ‘Google Business Profile’ with digital marketing experts Digital 24 and ‘Using AI to make your business more efficient’ with Ciaran Connolly from Profile Tree.

Louise Keenan Clarke will explore why clear and confident communication remains essential in an era of AI and automation during ‘The Confidence of Communication’ webinar, offering practical insight for businesses seeking to strengthen relationships, build trust and grow.

At Pomeroy Forest, broadcaster Lynette Fay will host ‘Behind the Mic: Podcasting for People and Business’. The event will bring together podcasters and communications specialists Rachel Molloy of ‘On the Couch with Rachel’, Lisa McElroy, The PR Angel and award-winning podcast producer Roger Gowdy from the DS3 project.

Together, they will share practical advice and first-hand experience for businesses and entrepreneurs interested in using podcasting to tell their story and connect with new audiences.

Businesses can also discover the range of help available through ‘The Business Support Spotlight’. Representatives from Invest Northern Ireland, South West College, Innovate+ and Mid Ulster District Council will explain the support they provide and how local businesses can access it.

The programme will also inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs. During ‘From Blank Pages to Full Tubs’, author Emma Heatherington and Bethany Boyd of Betty’s Ice Cream NI will introduce young people to the world of enterprise and share how creativity, determination and ideas can be transformed into successful ventures.

Launching this year’s Enterprise Week, Councillor Deirdre Varsani, Chair of the Council, said: “As Chair of Mid Ulster District Council, I am delighted to support this year’s Enterprise Week, taking place from November 16-20 under the theme ‘Turning Ambition into Action’.

“Our local business community is full of ambition, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit, and this year’s programme has been designed to help turn those qualities into practical action. With 12 online and in-person events, there will be valuable opportunities for entrepreneurs, start-ups and established businesses to gain fresh insight, make useful connections and access practical tools to support their next steps.

“Whether you are developing a new business idea, looking to grow an established company or seeking to adapt to the changing economic landscape, Enterprise Week offers something to help you plan with confidence and move forward.”