West Cork’s best business asset is our people

WHEN I last wrote this column it was just before our last West Cork Business & Tourism Awards in November 2019. At the time who could have foreseen that, due to Covid, it would be three years until our next awards.

However, I wrote then that business in West Cork was in good health and I’m delighted to report that even after three years of disruption and some huge challenges, business in West Cork is still thriving!

How do I know this? I was privileged to attend the awards ‘Pitch Night’ back in December last year (superbly hosted by AIB). Alongside everyone else in the room I was blown away by our finalists - local business people that came from all over West Cork and from all types of businesses - to present their three minute ‘elevator pitch’ to a packed room which included the judges as well as their fellow finalists.

On display at the ‘Pitch Night’ was passion, creativity, ingenuity, innovation and collegiality from businesses that were big and small, new and established. Some employ one or two people and some employ hundreds.

It really was a fantastic evening, where our finalists delivered their presentations, networked with each other and ultimately made the judge’s job of picking winners a whole lot harder.

Ultimately, success in business comes down to one thing … great people! In West Cork we have such an eclectic mix of people launching, developing, diversifying and running businesses. Some of them have a vision, some of them take risks, some of them follow their dream when others are saying it will never work. These are the people and the businesses that we should celebrate, the ones who create local employment, who contribute to our local (and national) economy and who help promote the West Cork ‘brand’ through their products and services.

West Cork is a melting pot of entrepreneurial and business talent where homegrown ideas blended with ideas from around the world come together, where people like to think and act a little differently, and as a result often create a work/life balance which is good for themselves, good for business and good for their employees.

I would like to thank Cork County Council for their continued support of the West Cork Business & Tourism Awards as our awards partner for the third year and also for their commitment to helping develop and support local businesses across West Cork through their Local Enterprise Offices, their experienced advisors and their range of other business supports that are in place.

Thank you also to all of our awards category sponsors

‘We are delighted to welcome the return of the West Cork Business and Tourism Awards. County Cork contributes significantly to our national prosperity and as part of that, Cork County Council plays a very important role in the promotion of economic development for Cork County. We are immensely proud to support the strong cohort of enterprises trading across all sectors with a particular focus on our strengths in the tourism and business sector.’

– Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Tim Lucey