South Street Meats, Newtownards, Co. Down

Written by goforitni Tuesday, 11 October 2011

Starting out on South Street

Butchers Ian Lecky and Ivan Irwin set up their own business – South Street Meats – in Newtownards after attending Invest Northern Ireland's Go for it programme.

"We were already used to running a butchery business on a day-to-day basis, so it just seemed the right, natural thing to do," said Ian. "The biggest challenge was keeping control of the books and dealing with banks and accountants, but Invest NI's Go for it programme was a huge help."

Ivan added: "We have spent the biggest part of our working lives as butchers, but we find running our own business completely different from working for someone else.

"The Go for it programme helped us understand how to deal with book-keeping, filing, taxation and marketing, and gave us the confidence at an early stage to get our business up and running.

The business has given the two men a greater purpose to their lives and more control over what they do. They have already been successful in building on trade and bringing in new products.

Ian and Ivan's aim is to continue providing customers with quality products at competitive prices, while expanding into the pre-packed produce market.

"We have set ourselves the challenge of making every day a successful one," added Ian. "We would very much recommend Invest NI's Go for it programme for anyone attempting to do the same. It's helpful, it's informative, it's free – and it gives you the confidence to go for it!"

The Go for it programme is provided by Invest Northern Ireland and is part financed by the European Regional Development Fund. For details, log onto: www.goforitni.com.