Council"s new Business Information Centre

A new initiative for those interested in starting up their own business and for existing small businesses has been launched by Meath County Council. The Meath Business Information Centre is being jointly provided by the Economic Development and Innovation Unit and the Library Service of Meath County Council, and was officially launched by the cathaoirleach of Meath County Council, Cllr Willie Carey. A large collection of relevant business-related titles is now available at both Navan and Ashbourne Libraries, and books from the collection can also be reserved at any of the public libraries in Meath or online at www.meath.ie/library Topics covered in the collection include business planning, PR & marketing, HR, entrepreneurship, green business, accounting and health and safety. A number of titles aimed at assisting those seeking employment will also be available. Information from a wide range of economic development and other relevant agencies is also available in addition to the main book collection. In addition, visitors to the libraries can avail of free access to a number of business resources, including www.lexisnexus.com, www.vision-net.ie, www.kompass.ie and the archive of the Irish Times. Cllr Carey underlined the importance of this resource to those with new business ideas and those who already own or manage a small business. 'The amount of material available can sometimes be overwhelming, not to mention expensive to purchase,' said Cllr Carey. 'In providing this free resource, Meath County Council is offering a tangible service to small businesses in what is a challenging time.' Meath County Manager Tom Dowling pointed out how Meath is still in the top five locations for new business start-ups in 2009. He emphasised the importance of indigenous enterprise to the future recovery of our economy. In supporting this type of enterprise, the council is taking a leading role to ensure all possible assistance is provided. County Librarian Ciarán Mangan noted that this investment in library and information services is an investment in the economy. With the growth in the complexity and the amount of information published in all formats, public libraries are ideally placed to satisfy the research and information needs of business people. Kevin Stewart, director of services for economic development and innovation, added that the Economic Development & Innovation Unit has introduced a number of new initiatives, including the Meath Business Property Listing Service, the Meath Business Directory, the Pride of Place Business Initiative and is currently working on a Small Business Development Programme. Further information on these initiatives can be found on www.meath.ie/business. People can also make their contributions with ideas and suggestions via this website. For further information, contact the Economic Development & Innovation Unit, Meath County Council, County Hall, Navan, on (046) 909 7065 or by email at edi@meathcoco.ie