16/03/2012

For business An Post Do More

Gone are the days when Irish businesses used the national postal service to simply deliver invoices, the odd business letter, or occasional direct mail offer. Today, An Post provides a vast array of both traditional and online business solutions, all of which are specifically designed to help Ireland’s SME sector do more business even in today’s difficult commercial conditions.

The Internet is one area where even the smallest local business can cost-effectively compete, on an equal footing, with much larger companies. To enable Irish SMEs to make the most of their Internet presence, An Post launched growmybusiness.ie – an easy-to-navigate, highly user-friendly website literally packed with sound business advice, from how to profit from your existing customer base to the best ways to win sales from new customers. There’s even a handy supplier directory.

Another clever initiative from An Post, iloveshopping.ie, is a unique online shopping portal that offers Irish retailers the opportunity to promote their wares to the widest possible audience. The site features links to literally hundreds of businesses selling everything from toys, books and fashions to food, jewellery and sports equipment. Retailers can avail of a free trial listing on Ireland’s online shopping directory by simply registering their business on the website.

The importance of the Internet in the future success of Irish SMEs cannot be overemphasized; the World Wide Web is the new virtual shop window for businesses of all sizes. That’s why An Post, in association with Google, Blacknight and County Enterprise Boards, developed gettingbusinessonline.ie. This site was created primarily to help any businesses without a website get online for free. What’s more, the site also includes lots of useful tips, tools and training seminar availability.

While An Post has obviously been highly pro-active ushering in a host of innovative online business solutions for Irish SMEs, they certainly haven’t neglected some of the more traditional aspects of their service to business customers. Their business parcel service, for instance, continues to go from strength to strength. With their unrivalled local knowledge, combined with a nationwide network that includes over 1,100 post offices, An Post provides large and small business customers alike with the complete parcel delivery package. Well known names such as Boohoo.com, Arnotts, Irish Cancer Society, Butlers Handmade Chocolates, RTÉ and The Jelly Bean Factory, to name but a few, have come to rely on An Post to deliver to their important customers throughout Ireland.

‘‘An Post fully appreciates that, economically speaking, times are tough out there for a lot of Irish SMEs. However, with our range of exciting online initiatives, An Post believes that Irish businesses of all sizes will once again be in a position to thrive, and not just survive. By delivering even more for our business customers, we have every confidence that the future for Irish businesses is going to get a lot brighter.” Ciara Sheridan, Marketing Communications Manager, An Post.

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