Excel & Prosper - Reach your Goals

Expertise to start and grow your business

DONNCHA HUGHES, BUSINESS ADVISOR

A self-employed Business Advisor & Trainer who provides Consultancy & Training to Startups & Small Business

Business Training

In-person and virtual (Zoom) group training on Marketing, Sales, Negotiations, Business Models, Value Proposition, Business Plans & Lean Startup. Donncha is a very popular Trainer with New Frontiers and Local Enterprise Offices. 

Online Training

Video-based online training programmes - first 6: Pitching (Free); Writing Your Business Plan, Financial Projections, Competitive Start Fund, Complete your Lean Canvas (Free), and New Frontiers. Register account to preview free samples.

One to One Support

Strategic and practical guidance towards starting and growing your business - to include preparation of marketing, sales, and investor-ready (HPSU) business plans, and financial projections.

Tender Consultant

Donncha has worked with a range of service providers to win procurement contracts from State funded organisations in Ireland. Process includes: tender strategy, document creation to include section writing and overall document and personnel upskilling.

Mentoring

Donncha is a mentor on strategy, business startup and business plans with Enterprise Ireland, and the LEOs in Roscommon, Mayo and Galway. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of Bizmentors an organisation providing free mentoring in Galway City & County. He has particular interest in the Lean Startup approach.

Financal Projections

We can examine your business model, pricing, revenues and costs so that I can create a interactive, updateable  Excel based Financial Projection for business plans, grant applications, loans and equity investment pitches. Cash flow, Balance Sheets and P&L.

Guide to Self Employment

A Guide to Self Employment in Ireland (updated 2023) - identifies and briefly addresses 24 key issues when starting out as a sole trader, freelancer or contractor - to include: Taxation to include VAT, Business Name, How to pay yourself as a sole trader, Marketing and Sales to include Pricing and Designing your Website and Social Media.

Grant Writer

Donncha assists small business owners to prepare grant applications for LEO (Feasibility, Priming and Business Expansion Grants), LEADER and Enterprise Ireland (Agile Innovation, Pre Seed Fund and HPSU)

BOOK TO MEET DONNCHA - ZOOM OR IN PERSON

Donncha is happy to meet in person for 3 hours in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon or using Zoom for 90 or 60 minutes

Feedback from happy customers

Testimonials

We were fortunate enough to engage with Donncha through Enterprise Ireland’s New Frontiers Programme in LyIT. As ‘newbie’ business owners, Donncha’s business mentoring and guidance was instrumental in helping us establish our start-up venture. In the space of a few months, his expert commercial advice brought us from an early stage business idea to securing funding and private equity investment to include CSF support from Enterprise Ireland. Our idea is now becoming a reality!

Donncha, thank you so much for all your help, advice and encouragement through our journey so far. We certainly wouldn’t be in the position we are now if it wasn’t for you and we hope to continue working with you well into the future.

Card Park Ltd Logo

Ken Doherty and Gillian Doyle

Co-founders of Cerebreon

I first met Donncha through a GMIT Graduate Entrepreneurship programme just before we launched the business in 2015. He encouraged us to get started - he helped as we pulled together the initial business plan and financial projections. We keep in regular contact and Donncha has assisted at intervals to update our plan and to prepare for Pitches and Enterprise Competitions to include IBYE and the LEO National Enterprise Award which we won in 2019.

clean cut meals logo

Michael Dyer

Joint Founder of Clean Cut Meals

In 2019, Youth Work Ireland Tipperary engaged Donncha following a tender process, to undertake a feasibility study of a proposed social enterprise to be located in Thurles. We were impressed with the process and the output - an interim report and a final written report which provided the information required by Executive Management and the Board to make a decision on this project. The work plan included market research, stakeholder engagement, and development of a plan incorporating Operations, Personnel and Finance to include set up costs.

Donal Kelly

Youth Work Ireland Tipperary (YWIT)

Donncha has been absolutely crucial to my business journey with Allergy Lifestyle. Donncha provided mentoring and invaluable strategic advice and guidance from start up, through the Lean Start up Programme, New Frontiers, CSF and HPSU.  I would have no hesitation in recommending Donncha as his expertise, skill sets and ability to work through any problems in a professional, competent manner would be an invaluable asset to any start up.

Allergy Lifestyle Mayo logo

Anne Walsh

Founder of Allergy Lifestyle

Just wanted to say thanks for everything with Showergem. Had the final review with EI today and they were very happy and said that the business plan was brilliant. A lot of that was thanks to you. Just a few days ago we also received word that we have being offered investment from the Competitive Startup Fund. Thanks for everything Donncha, definitely one of the best mentors that I have had to date and am very happy with the business plan that I have because of you.

New Frontiers Phase 2 Participant IT Sligo 2016/17

Sean Mc Garry

Founder/ CEO of Showergem