Ben Dunne "Beats the Downturn"

Ben Dunne, made it clear last Wednesday that “There is no such thing as a bad time for good business and the downturn can even be an advantage for the underdog who thinks on their feet and makes good their opportunity”.

While the year ahead is going to be a tough one for small business, “don’t be afraid of the challenge” was the ‘hang tough’ message from four heavyweight business champions: entrepreneur Ben Dunne, communications guru Terry Prone, marketing expert Pearce Flannery and prominent media economist Marc Coleman. Speaking in Croke Park at An Post’s ‘Beat the Downturn’ seminar on Wednesday 4th February the four shared smart strategies with over 200 small businesses attending on the day.

Media economist Marc Coleman was honest about where the economy stands, how we got here and the very real impact on small businesses who “really need to dig deep and box above their weight.” He sees marketing as the “antidote to this recession with the more courageous and innovative businesses not just surviving but thriving on the right strategy.”

Not for the faint hearted! PR and Communications expert Terry Prone described “defence as the best offence for small businesses” with “customer communication and retention offering competitive advantage over larger businesses”.

For those on a strict budget, Pearce Flannery, author of ‘Grabbing the Oyster – Anecdotes and Advice from Icons of Irish Business’ said “small businesses can get off the ropes by making sure they pack a punch “getting the right message to the correct person” everytime.

This event was hosted by An Post in conjunction with the Small Firms Association, the Irish Direct Marketing Association, and Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association. For further details visit www.anpost.ie/beatthedownturn