Newry Chamber of Commerce and Trade has launched a Tuesday evening Twitter-based forum for local entrepreneurs and businesses to promote themselves online. Newry hour incorporating #newryhour runs for sixty minutes from 9pm on Tuesdays and allows for anything from pitching for business, advertising local products and services sharing good news stories and highlighting achievements to promoting other businesses and general networking as a modern day e-conference with no limit on the number of users taking part. Kieran Morgan a commercial lawyer who practices in Newry for Johnsons Law Firm Belfast is a member of Newry Junior Chamber and said he is ‘a huge advocate of #newryhour and the benefits it has for local businesses.’ He added that #newryhour opens up lines of communication with other businesses which might otherwise be closed of during the working day and it provides a forum for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that don’t have time to go to events or conferences to network and gain valuable insight into how similar enterprises are doing whilst also allowing entrepreneurs and start-ups to build an online profile and to learn from established businesses. “All Newry businesses should engage in #newryhour,” he said. “It is an exciting initiative and Newry Chamber of Commerce and Trade is at the heart of promoting it and encouraging more and more businesses to get involved. Newry is a city that conducts big business locally but fundamentally if is a city of SMEs and start-ups which need support and encouragement to involve and build and #newryhour provides that much needed support and that growth mindset. Newry has an enviable talent pool with market leaders in industry and pioneers in technology and #newryhour helps to showcase what our city has to offer and provides a new ‘e-market’ for emerging talent and established businesses.” Mr Morgan said that to garner interest and greater uptake in #newryhour he came up with the idea of a trial weekly ‘hot seat’ where one local business or start up takes the first 15mins of #newryhour to pitch for business to discuss its products or services or to advertise its plans for growth and expansion before engaging in a Q&A session is lively or mutually beneficial,” he said. “#newryhour has discussed using podcasts for this or whether it should remain a live stream of tweets and input and ideas are welcome. #newryhour needs more uptake form local businesses and I am confident that more businesses getting involved and helping to advertise its obvious advantages can lead to a #newrydaily. It has also been suggested that as #newryhour grows all the businesses engaging in the forum. This will bring business and create new business. That is the fundamental premise.” He advises businesses looking to get involved to tweet the #newryhour on Tuesday nights between 9pm and 10pm and said more information is available from Newry Chamber on 028 3025 0303. #newryhour promotes business intelligence and marketing and encourages local businesses to do business together and share a growth mindset for our city and its environs,” said Mr Morgan. “‘Newry2015’ is our mantra. So I would encourage all local businesses in Newry and further afield to improve their social media skills and engage in #newryhour.”
Newry Reporter
13th May 2015
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