Growth Programme
A series of training workshops and mentoring that supports growth from start-up to scaling stage. This programme is aimed at design and craft companies who are beyond ideation, have been operating for some time, and wish to scale beyond their current position either in the Irish market or an international market.
Why Attend:
- define your vision for your business
- understand your customer and competitors
- improve your ability to make strategic business decisions
- define your strategic objective, key milestones and
- implement steps for success
- learn how to use the business tools shared on the course
- improve your entrepreneurial confidence
Who Should Attend:
- Design and craft companies beyond the ideation stage.
- Businesses looking to scale in the Irish or international market.
Key Features of the Course:
- Growth-Focused for Craft Businesses – Designed for established design and craft companies looking to scale in Irish or international markets.
- Expert-Led Training & Mentorship – Led by Dr. Colm Reilly, an expert in business growth, strategy, and SME development, with tailored mentoring support.
- Strategic Business Development – Covers vision setting, customer & competitor analysis, pricing, financial management, and growth planning.
- Accredited Certification – Recognised by the UK Chartered Management Institute, adding value to participants’ credentials.
- Flexible Learning Format – A mix of online and in-person sessions, making it accessible for businesses nationwide.
Hear from Dr. Colm Reilly, the tutor for the 2024 Growth Programme, returning again in 2025
WORKSHOP FACILITATOR:
Dr. Colm Reilly
Dr. Colm Reilly is an accomplished expert in Economic Development with international experience across Europe, North America, and the Middle East. He has worked with multinational companies like Novartis, Fujitsu, and Electrolux and founded three successful start-ups: Eureto, Aviareto, and Biotherapeutics MD.
For 15 years, he has been a senior executive in global consulting, focusing on the craft sector, leading the Business Growth programme for the World Craft Council. He developed a curriculum for Irish craft companies emphasising practical business and product development, supported by mentoring and connections to funding agencies.
Dr. Reilly is also an author of three books on SME development: The Pricing Puzzle, Value Price and Sustained Competitiveness, and No Frontiers.
Student Testimonials
“Colm delivered a very complete business course which compiled all the core information needed to review and refine the core foundations of a small craft business. In spite of the large amount of information covered, I left each session with much clarity regarding each topic covered, and the steps to follow towards building my Business Plan. Anita’s weekly mentoring session allowed for any questions in relation to each topic covered to be answered, and specific business points to be discussed for my brand. Overall I am extremely satisfied with the content of this course and the way it was delivered. It has helped me a lot to gain clarity about the steps to take to develop my business in a way that is specific to my brand’s voice and vision.”
Laetitia Sorohan, NAIIAD Jewellery
“The DCCI growth course is a comprehensive programme with mentor support that gives you the tools to focus better on the structure of your business ie. realistic pricing, market strategy, sales channels. A very valuable course for start up craft businesses.”
Course Content:
Module 1 (7th May 2025):
- Introduction/ learning points for this module; development phases of a growing company/ the journey to growth; resilience and confidence – how to create and sustain; building a vision of your business; wearing many hats in your business; ideation and idea/team fit – how value generation is determined; funding mechanisms to help small businesses and how they work/ the European landscape; systematic growth – making your business systematic/ what you now know.
Module 2 (14th May 2025):
- Breakdown of the international craft and design market; understanding research and how to use it; understanding customers and their behaviour; introduction to toolsets/ CVP; culture – understanding and misunderstanding; what you now know.
Module 3 (21st May 2025):
- Building a brand based on the customer value proposition; first guest speaker: my customer value proposition; pricing and how it really works in a business – understanding costs and how pricing relates to value proposition; building your pricing model.
Module 4 (28th May 2025):
- The machinery of running a company; channels to market and logistics/ customs; eCommerce audit results; questions and answers to first section; social media – how to use and how to measure; how to use key performance measurements.
Module 5 (4th June 2025):
- Building a go-to-market strategy; guest speaker: how I developed a go-to-market approach and what I learned; making sales – the process of selling and how it connects to market and value; financial management; guest speaker: how I learned to deal with finance (MicroFinance Ireland).
Module 6 (11th June 2025):
- Bringing it all together – creating growth plan from all other work; presentations to finalise.
Course Specs:
- Course Dates: 7th May-11th June 2025 (1 day per week)
- Interviews: 30th April
- Registration deadline: 20th April
- Time: 09:30am- 13:00pm
- Venue: Online and in-person, location tailored to suit applicants. All classes will be made available online
- Number of participants: 12
- Fee: €450 + VAT (23%)
Upskill and learn with DCCI Academy
DCCI Academy is a specialised academy for education, training and apprenticeships. We welcome everyone, from design and craft beginners, to established professionals.
Learn more