Eoin McGee backs Shout-Out for Ireland’s Small Business Owners

Pictured: Mary Keane, General Manager Kilkenny Design Flagship Store Nassau St, Dublin, and Eoin McGee, Financial Advisor & Media Personality

Consumer finance advisor, Eoin McGee, joins Champion Green campaign

“I am backing Champion Green to remind people that, although Ireland is a big player on an international stage, everything starts at home.  

“If we don’t support each other, and if we don’t support local business, the foundations of our economy and society are undermined.  We need an Ireland that can sustain itself, and backing Irish businesses is a keystone to that sustainability”.

Eoin McGee, the well-known financial planner, broadcaster and author, today strongly urged consumers to shop consciously and to realise the true value of staying local, as he was announced as the latest ambassador for the Champion Green support local campaign.

Spending money with an overseas business, especially one with no staff here, means that money leaves the country and does no good, the financial advisor says.

“The multiplier effect means €1 spent in a local business gets recycled back to suppliers and staff wages.  They then continue to spend it here, in the Irish economy, and to pay their taxes, and so on.  In fact, if we spend €1 in a locally-owned business we can expect to add between €2.50 and €4 to the Irish economy and public services”.

The Champion Green movement, a partnership of trade bodies and businesses promoting support for local SMEs, is similarly calling on consumers to ‘go green’ this summer, spending on eating out, leisure, and family treats.

Eoin McGee also highlighted that there are 2 million people in Ireland who are better off financially as a result of Covid.

“Wages stayed the same and expenses fell through the floor, with no commute, meals or trips abroad, and limited access to shops. 

“I am a financial planner, but I am not all about keeping money in our pockets; never spending! Within reason, we should spend our money, and spend it on ourselves.  And this means in our own businesses, in local businesses for the benefit of both ourselves and the economy, because, essentially, why export Ireland’s hard-earned wealth?”

Welcoming the support of the TV finances guru, Marian O’Gorman, Champion Green founder and Kilkenny Design Chairperson, said Irish businesses have been through a tough time with the pandemic, and now price rises driven by supply issues and global inflation.

“Most of us rely on a local shop or restaurant or services.  They’re handy and they look after us.  But, they also create vibrant communities, and they represent hundreds of other Irish suppliers and manufacturers.  That is the message we need to grasp when deciding who should benefit from our consumer spend”, the Champion Green founder explained.

Consumer Reward

Planning for Champion Green in 2022 includes new consumer advertising, small business workshops, money-saving advice for consumers, and a Green Friday campaign in November. Promotions are designed to encourage and reward consumers loyal to local brands and businesses, as well as helping business recovery.

A range of supports available for SMEs includes a Champion Green toolkit, ‘how to’ webinars, and promotional opportunities, with all detail on www.championgreen.ie.

The initiative is backed by a €1m investment to drive consumer support for local enterprise and to help SMEs adapt business.

Supported by Kilkenny Design and Visa, in association with Retail Excellence, Small Firms Association and Chambers of Commerce Ireland, the #ChampionGreen movement highlights the simple ways everyone can make a difference.

The campaign encourages the public to shop and to ‘click local’, as well as seeking out local service-providers first, to help businesses in their community to bounce back, to thrive again, and to remain vibrant for future generations.