A leading Donegal business has been invited to help launch one of Google’s new products.
The Minister for Business, Enterprise, and Innovation, Heather Humphreys TD, has launched Market Finder, a new tool from Google that helps businesses identify new customers, plan for success and grow their export sales online.
And Martin McElhinney, of McELhinney Stores in Balybofey, was on hand to speak about the leading department stores’ success online.
McElhinney’s department store in Ballybofey which has been in business since 1971 and has faced many challenges including customers travelling into Northern Ireland to shop.
In recent years, McElhinney’s has invested heavily in its digital presence which has revolutionised the business.
Martin McElhinney, general manager of the family business said “Today over a third of our sales are now to customers abroad and we’re exporting to over 65 countries. This is phenomenal for a family business based in the North West of Ireland and shows what is possible.
“Expanding our digital presence has made our business more sustainable. It’s not just about exporting, being online is also driving in-store sales with customers regularly requesting items they have seen online, in-store”.
Speaking at the ‘Think Big. Think Global.’ export summit which was attended by more than 100 companies from across Ireland, Minister Humphreys said there are significant opportunities in various international markets for quality Irish goods and services.
“The Government through Enterprise Ireland provides various supports to assist Irish companies increase their exports. We want to see more ambitious Irish businesses broaden their export footprint into new markets – both in the Eurozone and beyond. Digital is a key enabler for companies to find new markets and new customers and I welcome the launch of Market Finder by Google as an additional support to help Irish businesses respond to the Brexit challenge by accelerating their market diversification efforts.”
Fionnuala Meehan, VP and head of Google in Ireland said today we’re encouraging companies to ‘Think Big’ and ‘Think Global’ with Market Finder as a key tool to help Irish entrepreneurs grow their business internationally.
“We’re seeing a real hunger for the skills to look for new customers and new markets, particularly in the wake of Brexit. With 3.7 billion people online around the globe, every business, no matter how small, should be going digital to reach new customers around the world. Market Finder makes it as easy as possible for businesses to take the first steps into the export market.”
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