On this week’s episode Sonya was joined by Carina Galavan, Property fund and ESG specialist at Aviva Ireland – Carina talks about her role at Aviva and how the organisation make a difference and create impact via sustainability and energy upgrades and projects in and at their properties. She talked about the partnerships they have created and their work with Champion Green and how they support the Champion Green pop up competition - they gift a unit free of charge for a small period of time to the winner of the champion green pop up winner so they can find out if this works for them. She talks about the various brands they have supported them and how that impacted the business. Sonya shares her experience and the importance of moving from an online business to a physical space and they both also briefly cover how some businesses are not sustainable or suitable for a physical retail space and how many learnings there can be in that.

They also talk about how to find out more about the next Champion Green Pop up competition, when it opens etc and about the other gifting initiatives Aviva do with other organisations and charities including one with neurodiversity Ireland, pride month and the Finally they talk about the changing face of retail.

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On this week's episode Sonya is joined by Gareth Bridgeman, MD of An Post Commerce. Gareth talks firstly about his role and how, since 2017 An Post have been delivering more parcels then before. He also spoke how they help small and medium businesses and how Irish retail has increased their online shopping options particularly since Covid. He also shares just how special the staff are and how that important connection they have with customers was amplified during covid. Gareth and Sonya also talk about how An Post can support people selling online, about their loyalty scheme for small businesses, he talks about their advantage card and click and post. They also chat about the importance of businesses offering free delivery where possible, the power of online shopping and changing consumer trends.He also gave some really helpful tips for businesses considering starting to sell online.

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Sonya is joined by Jenny Johnston, Spokesperson for Champion Green on this episode. They talk about the initiative and the movement that champion green is, how it started and what prompted its inception. Jenny explains how Champion Green is a national shop local initiative that provides consumer education and gets behind local businesses by giving them support, tools and resources. Champion Green also shares the unbelievable stories behind local businesses and brands and promotes how important it is to support them. 

Jenny explains the Champion Green logo and how it’s based on the butterfly effect - with small actions big things can come and change can come. Sonya and Jenny talk about how we have a duty to protect those important local businesses and brands. Jenny details what Champion Green do to support businesses - they talk through practical tools they have available for businesses and also how they work to help by providing key consumer information on the importance of shopping local.

Jenny talks to Sonya about the Champion Green pop-up shop competitions, shares stories of past winners and how the experience has helped those members. They chat about 'green friday' and how it works. The ultimate aim for Champion Green is to reduce the level of spend that leaves the country at key shopping periods. Finally, they chat about where Champion Green is going next and how they want to move forward.

Champion Green can be found at https://www.championgreen.ie/

Some other brands mentioned in this episode

https://jillandgill.com/

https://ambreyewear.com/

https://thekind.co/

https://www.sarahwickhamdesigns.com/

https://www.littlelight.ie/

https://www.pressedflowersbynell.com/

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sonya is joined on this week's episode by Sian Horn, Champion Green Mentor, business owner and networker. They first discuss Sian's journey - her many businesses and all the highs and lows that have come, and how she got started in the business world. She shares how she managed to make a new business survive through a recession and sell it successfully while admitting none of it would have happened without people. Sonya and Sian chat about how vital a support such as Champion Green would have been through the difficult times 

San talks to Sonya about how her athleisure line Bebelle came about and again the importance of strong community, dealing with her realisation during covid that 50% of her business wouldn't reopen and how her community 'the club' was formed - her work as a coach and a mentor within the club and elsewhere. She shares how you can join the club and the importance for her of working with Champion Green.

You can find more information on Sian https://sianhorn.com/  and on the club https://theclubwomensnetwork.com/

https://www.instagram.com/theclub_womensnetwork/

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Host Sonya Lennon is joined by David Broderick, Director of the Small Firms Association for the first episode of the Champion Green Podcast. They talk about how to make the Irish economy and society better by supporting our own and ask how we can change the dynamic of the economy to favour local business and encourage people to do that. 

David explains the importance of small businesses; how 98% of all businesses are considered small business (less than 50 employees) and that they employ just under half of the private work force in Ireland. Sonya reminds listeners that research has shown how every €10 spent with an indigenous business creates €50 in the ripple effect around that business, keeping the money in the country and multiplying it!

Described as a vibrant yet vulnerable part of society, David outlines the challenges faced by small businesses recently, such as the energy crisis, the right to request to work from home, statutory sick pay and auto-enrolment of pensions and why they need the support of the local community and Government to keep going. The two, both with their own business backgrounds chat about the importance of help, support and networking. David runs through what supports a membership to SFA gets you. He also discusses their mentorship programme and small business awards.  

Resources mentioned

Small Firms Association https://www.ibec.ie/sfa

Skillnet:  https://www.skillnetireland.ie/

Enterprise Ireland https://www.enterprise.ie/

Small Firms Association business awards https://www.ibec.ie/sfa/campaigns/sfa-business-awards

Small Firms mentor programme https://www.ibec.ie/sfa/campaigns/mentorswork

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