AN INTERACTIVE online resource for small and medium-sized enterprises was launched yesterday.

Smallbusinesscan.com aims to help the 250,000 SMEs across Ireland beat the downturn.

An independent website describing itself as established by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, it aims to help business people grow their enterprises by sharing knowledge, experience and contact networks. The website is open to all businesses and subscription is free.

The entrepreneurs behind the website are Greg Byrne, author and lecturer on entrepreneurial marketing; Ron Immink, specialist in start-up strategy and consultant for the OECD; and Fionán Murray, finance and technology journalist and ex-chief executive of a software applications business. The website was set up to respond to the challenges faced by small businesses and has been in development for over 18 months.

Commenting on the website, Greg Byrne said: “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy; they make up 97 per cent of all companies on this island. To remain successful and respond well to the challenges presented by the current environment, small businesses are telling us they need concrete, realistic and practical solutions for their day-to-day concerns.

“Already, visitors to the site are picking up valuable information on new markets, supplier contacts and cashflow management. They are saving time and money by sharing information. The site offers a range of experts across almost every discipline, and an added benefit is that it’s completely free.”

At the heart of the site is a tool called RoadMap4Growth, which profiles the user’s business according to three growth stages and offers advice on money, management and marketing appropriate to the individual business.