Moving Up a Gear

ACCA, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, who participated as a mentor in the Open to Export Global Jumpstart programme which seeks to support SMEs expertise in exporting goods and services, has welcomed the vision of local Northern Ireland company See.Sense which is committed to growing its business globally.

ACCA is providing the Newtownards based business with the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge on how to be more competitive, grow its exports and expand its global market base.

See.Sense was selected as one of five SME companies across the UK which sought to develop knowledge and expertise about moving into new markets overseas. The support included expert advice from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) to help the company with business planning, developing an export strategy and advice on accessing finance.

Founded in April 2013, the cycling technology company uses advanced sensor technology to create an intelligent bicycle lighting system to improve cyclist visibility and plans to use the support to further grow its global market base beyond Ireland and the UK.   One of the local companies selected by Invest NI to travel on Northern Ireland’s trade and technology mission to the US, See.Sense has targeted significant global growth in the next couple of years.

Irene McAleese, Marketing and HR Director at See.Sense said, “With 50% of our current production already being exported to Europe, US and Australia and with the cycling market growing by 5% every year, we believe now is the time to expand and grow our business.  We see the Open to Export Global Jumpstart programme as a fantastic opportunity to build our international growth strategy and take advantage of the opportunities available in exporting and global trade. The invaluable support from ACCA provided in-depth guidance about operating overseas and preparing finances as part of our revised business plan.

“There is a positive future for the cycling industry in Northern Ireland and beyond which is a rapidly growing sector and we believe with the help of ACCA and by offering a unique and innovative product we are now well equipped to expand our global market base.”

Shane McKeown, SP McKeown and Co Chartered Certified Accountants, based in Newry who is leading the initiative on behalf of ACCA said “There is no doubt that Northern Ireland has the talent, creativity and innovation required to compete on an international platform and this competition demonstrates the quality of local SMEs which are driving our economy forward.”

“I provided See.Sense with advice on the development of a five year business plan, budgeting, finance options available to them as well as advice on business structure, performance management and referrals to other areas of support and specialist advice and look forward to seeing them realise their export potential.

“There are a number of great export opportunities available for businesses however more companies need to be aware of the help and information that is currently available to help overcome barriers to exporting such as the language barriers, lack of local knowledge and the risk of currency fluctuation. ACCA provides a wealth of information and tailored resources for small business including access to finance, working capital management and accounting records.”

For further information about ACCA advice and guidance for SMEs visit: http://www.accaglobal.com/ie/en/technical-activities/small-business.html

Pictured is Irene McAleese Marketing and HR Director at See.Sense with Shane McKeown, SP McKeown and Co Chartered Certified Accountants who is leading the initiative on behalf of ACCA and Philip McAleese, CEO See.Sense.

ENDS

For more information, please contact: Shane Finnegan or Katrina Frazer at Aiken PR on 028 9066 3000 or email firstname@aikenpr.com

Notes to Editors1. ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is the global body for professional accountants. We aim to offer business-relevant, first-choice qualifications to people of application, ability and ambition around the world who seek a rewarding career in accountancy, finance and management.2. We support our 170,000 members and 436,000 students in 180 countries, helping them to develop successful careers in accounting and business, with the skills required by employers. We work through a network of 91 offices and centres and more than 8,500 Approved Employers worldwide, who provide high standards of employee learning and development. Through our public interest remit, we promote appropriate regulation of accounting and conduct relevant research to ensure accountancy continues to grow in reputation and influence.3. Founded in 1904, ACCA has consistently held unique core values: opportunity, diversity, innovation, integrity and accountability. We believe that accountants bring value to economies in all stages of development and seek to develop capacity in the profession and encourage the adoption of global standards. Our values are aligned to the needs of employers in all sectors and we ensure that through our qualifications, we prepare accountants for business. We seek to open up the profession to people of all backgrounds and remove artificial barriers, innovating our qualifications and delivery to meet the diverse needs of trainee professionals and their employers.