Dublin City Council and Forum Polonia recently gave Polish nationals the opportunity to learn more about setting up and expanding a business in Ireland.
The consultation meeting, held on Thursday 12 February at Dublin City Council’s Civic Offices on Wood Quay, was aimed at providing a better connection between immigrant entrepreneurs and the resources available to them.
It attracted a wide range of people from both established businesses and recent arrivals, with some Poles visiting from as far as Cork to seek information.
The Polish Embassy Trade and Investment Section and other focal points for the Polish community in Ireland have recently noted an increase in queries regarding the setting up of businesses both in Ireland and in Poland.
Marcin Klinkosz – the owner of a company providing publishing, graphic and web design services – said: “Many Poles who consider having a business in Ireland lack the most basic information about how to get started and how to operate in the Irish economy.
“Most of these people have funds to invest and, considering the current economic climate, would prefer to invest their savings rather then having to borrow.”
Dublin City Council invited US Fulbright scholar Prof Jack Pinkowski to conduct research and draft recommendations for polices and plans that may contribute to greater success of immigrant entrepreneurs.
He said: “I have found that there is a good deal of resources already established by various authorities in the regional and State Government levels, however people from immigrant communities don’t know about them. It could be due to the language or to trust in the Government.”
Involving new communities in business, job creation and community activities requires bridging the gap between available services and immigrants access to them, he added, explaining that more understanding of how immigrants engage and how they negotiate the circumstances of living in a new country is necessary to bring their full potential into play.
