Kildare County Enterprise Board

PLATO Management Development Programme

How the Plato programme works:

Small Business Development Programme for Owner-Managers of small and medium sized companies with 3-50 employees operating at least two years with potential for growth.

PLATO Kildare is an initiative of the Kildare County Enterprise Board, assisted by the Operational Programme for local Urban and Rural Development, supported by the E.U and Department of Enterprise and Employment.

As the owner -manager you may often feel the need to access specialist expertise. Perhaps you have wondered how other companies have tackled the issues you are facing? Or maybe you would like to develop your skills in areas such as business planning, marketing, or finance. Yet you don’t feel that academic courses are suited to your needs.

If so, PLATO can help, by providing you with practical training, business counselling and support, so that you can acquire the skills necessary to help your business grow and prosper.

What is Plato?

PLATO is a highly successful business development programme now established in 6 countries in Europe. To date over 1500 small and medium sized companies who have taken part in the scheme have experienced substantial benefits as a result. PLATO was established in Ireland in1993. It presently operates in five regions: County Kildare, South Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Louth / Newry Mourne.

Benefits for PLATO SME’s

• average 34% increase in turnover
• average 15% increase in employment
• all would recommend the programme to other companies
• 50% acquired new business through the PLATO network
• 80% said PLATO was more suited to their needs than other programmes

How can PLATO help you?

Large firms help and support small companies. The PLATO programme is led by managers from large (parent) companies in your area. These "parent" companies have each provided experienced executives to support you throughout the two year programme.

Kildare PLATO Parent Companies

- Wyeth Medica Ireland

- Oral B Laboratories

- Avonmore Foods

- Irish Ropes Ltd.

- Champion Spark Plug Co.

- Donnelly Mirrors

- Intel (Ireland) Ltd.

- Stream International

- St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth

- Bord na Mona

- Hewlett Packard (Irl) Ltd.

Small Business Groups

PLATO is highly practical and meets the real needs of small business by letting you decide the topics covered. Groups of owner-managers of small companies meet to discuss issues relevant to their companies, to hear about the experiences other owner managers have, and obtain answers to key questions from a range of recognised experts.

The PLATO small companies also come together a number of times per year for "global" seminars to discuss topics of general/mutual interest, e.g. time management, business finance etc.

Involvement in PLATO includes access to the PLATO Network, PLATO Directory of Companies and Services, Trade Visits, ISO 9000 Programme, a Kildare Trade Fair etc. The services of the PLATO programme are constantly being updated and expanded.

Typical Group Meeting Topics

• Strategic Analysis
• Dealing with banks
• Cashflow, Working Capital
• Debt collection/ Credit Control
• Sources of Finance
• Letters of credit
• Taxation
• Business Planning
• Sales Forecasting
• Insurance
• Selling techniques
• Health & Safety statements
• Recruitment
• Employment contracts
• Computer systems
• Quality Control
• ISO 9000
• Analysis accounts
• Advertising
• Time management

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Kildare County Enterprise Board, The Woods, Clane, Co. Kildare.
PHONE: (045) 861707 - FAX: (045) 861712
kceb@indigo.ie