I am very happy to be invited here tonight by the Galway City and County Enterprise Board to address the National Launch of the City and County Enterprise Boards' Programme to advise small businesses on how to become Y2K compliant. The occasion also marks the inauguration of Galway City and County Enterprise Board's "Guide on how to Start Your Own Business"

It has been said that the Y2K problem, or the millennium bug, will affect every business enterprise world-wide. Those who think they can go untouched are living in a false world. It is imperative that the correct steps are urgently taken to tackle this wide-ranging problem. Preparedness by companies for the Y2K problem is worrying as no one really knows what's going to happen until then. Smaller companies are particularly vulnerable. The reality is that unless companies, irrespective of size, assess the level of their individual risk even at this late stage and prepare a plan of action, they are most definitely going to suffer.

As the Government Minister responsible for the Business Awareness Campaign, I recognise that many small businesses will not have the time or the skills necessary to confront the potential difficulties and adverse effects which the Year 2K computer problem poses to their business.

"The longest journey commences with the first step." Taking ownership of the problem is" that first step." By taking action now, companies will immediately learn about their technical capabilities and will be prepared to face the challenges of the much talked about E Commerce revolution. Companies need to ensure not only that their own systems are free of latent problems, but equally important, that both their suppliers and customers are not going to cause them unexpected difficulties. To do this, each individual company needs to evaluate their supply chain and ensure that it is compliant in all critical areas.

In order to help and encourage those businesses struggling with the Y2K problem, the Enterprise Ireland National Year 2000 Information Service was initiated last December. This information service is specifically geared to the needs of both small and medium sized companies.

The new information service can be contacted on a helpline number 1850 57 2000 and, there is also a guide and directory of Y2K consultants and service providers. The new Information Service will also operate a dedicated website providing updated versions of its information pack and various other relevant material. The Y2K website also provides links to other suitable sites of direct benefit to SMEs.

I am also very happy to say that the City and County Enterprise Boards are playing a major part in this national campaign. They are ideally placed to assist small and medium sized companies in addressing their Year 2K issues. They are in a position to get companies active immediately and to help them implement a suitable strategy that ensures critical business functions will continue normally for all critical times. The Boards' role will be to operate in tandem with other public bodies and to focus on our Y2K resources and activities to gain the maximum impact possible. To this end the Boards will run information events to advise their client companies of the problems. Whilst this undertaking will require a significant commitment in both time and resources by the Boards, companies themselves must take the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that their company is Y2K compliant.

It would be a serious setback if the Y2K issues which we are discussing to-day were to put any brake on progress or hinder our business community from achieving their full potential in generating economic growth and creating sustainable employment. With capital and investment so mobile we can never rest from the imperative of ensuring that we retain our competitiveness as a nation, which has been such a crucial factor in our national economic well-being.

I would like to move on now and take this opportunity to congratulate the Galway City and County Enterprise Board on producing a " Guide on how to Start Your Own Business".

The Galway Board has been the shining star in the local enterprise initiative, with their annual job creation record considerably the highest nation-wide. To date the Galway Board has assisted the creation of over 1,100 full-time jobs since October 1992.

This Guide is an indication of the co-operation which exists between the Galway Board and the business community. This excellent publication was financed totally by the advertisers and was produced at no cost to either the Enterprise Board or the State, i.e. the tax-payer

One of the most significant changes in the enterprise orientation of Governments in many countries in recent years has been the redirection of public policy in favour of local initiatives and into strengthening collaboration through networks of small firms.

Entrepreneurship is both an exciting and formidable challenge. It requires discipline, flair, integrity, self belief and vision. Entrepreneurs can be discouraged by the effort required to pull together all of the information which they need to get started. The range of skills and knowledge which they require may seem daunting for an aspiring entrepreneur. Production, marketing, accounting, finance, customers, employees, are but a few areas of vital importance. The reality is that far too many new businesses fail because of lack of planning. This Guide is all about preparation and planning. It is designed to take potential entrepreneurs through the process of starting a business. It covers preparing a business plan, raising finance, marketing, premises, effective selling and all other aspects of running an effective business. The language and style of the Guide is easily understood and should encourage the reader/entrepreneur. The Guide provides first-class information not only to new entrepreneurs but also to existing small business who must be constantly aware of changing trends in the real world of modern day business.

The Galway Board are currently using this Guide as part of their overall business management training and development under the Soft Supports Programme. This excellent programme under which £160,000 was spent last year, has lead to the development of many small businesses throughout the city and county. The Guide is also used as part of an information pack which is distributed to course participants and may be used as a reference source after the courses are completed. I commend this Guide to the widest possible audience because of its comprehensive nature and clarity of expression. It is indeed a necessary companion for entrepreneurs on the road to starting and running their own business.

Finally, I would like to sincerely congratulate the Galway City & County Enterprise Board on their foresight in producing this publication and I also must commend and thank the many businesses, who saw fit to support it. I wish you all well with all of your endeavours.