AN AMERICAN entrepreneur says he is "excited" to bring his unique business owners advice workshop to Belfast later this year as part of the annual Homecoming event.

Prior to rejoining the world of entrepreneurship, Brian Moran was the Executive Director of Sales Development at the Wall Street Journal where he oversaw the sales development and marketing programs for the financial and small business categories among the many Journal brands.

"I had my own publishing company for nine years, published magazines around business owners," he explained.

"I developed a love for entrepreneurship. I started Brian Moran Associates. We basically help business owners run better companies and help marketers target better the small to mid-size business market.

"Since then, I have launched two other companies – Small Business Edge and Bricks or Sticks. Everything is focused on the small to mid-sized business market. I want business owners to avoid mistakes that I have seen time and time again."

With the support of Invest NI, the Innovation Factory and the Belfast International Homecoming, Brian is bringing his workshop to Belfast in September as part of the annual Belfast International Homecoming event.

"Last October, I launched a workshop series for new and existing business owners with Jocelyn Ring, a top branding and leadership expert," he added.

2Gallery

"It’s called Bricks or Sticks, and is designed to help business owners build solid foundations for their companies that last. 

"Our goal is to help 25 Belfast business owners achieve their goals. The workshop is broken into four separate pillars that make up the foundation of every business, regardless of the size of your company.

"The idea of the Bricks or Sticks workshop is to look at the foundations of companies if something adverse happens like the recent pandemic.

"The workshop is four weeks long from the beginning of September. The first three weeks will be virtual and the fourth in person.

"I will be joined by Jocelyn. Her expertise is in branding and leadership. We do a great job of complementing each others work.

"Bricks or Sticks is the idea of three businesses made out of sticks, hay and bricks. The big bad wolf was the pandemic. Two businesses did not survive because their foundation was not strong enough and the third business lost a few bricks but survived.

"We developed the workshop and it is all about business owners who want to strengthen their business and grow it. You need to go back to your origins and look at what type of business owner you are – a small business owner, an entrepreneur and a passionate business owner."

Brian is hopeful his first visit to Belfast will bring many benefits to local business owners.

"I am very excited for it. It is a bucket list item for me. I have been to Ireland twice, but never to the North.

"It has been a few years in the making. The opportunity of being able to work with 25 local Belfast business owners is hugely exciting.

"The people from Belfast I have met are so enthusiastic about the city. It is infectious and I want to be an ambassador for businesses in Belfast."

You can book your spot for the workshop here.