BTWEA grant. Am I wasting my time on this scheme!

soccercrew

Trying to build up my business and it's been costing me a lot of money as businesses do. I thought I'd built a website seeing as everything is online these days. Not only a website but I wanted to make myself a home office in large spare room where I can bring my clients when doing busines, and for somewhere I can work in peace and have everything organised. I also want to attend trade fares all over the country and join my local BNI as a way of getting more business.

Seeing as I'm entitled(or so I thought)to 1500 euro for advertising and office equipment I naturally thought I'd get some help with this. Off to Argos and another online store to get 2 quotes for office material and also to 2 local papers for quotes for advertising. Both advertising quotes came to 600 euro for 15 weeks of advertising whIch I was very pleased with! The office material consists of a laptop, camera(for pics of my work and for website), tablet, external hard drive and a TV. The TV will be for hooking up to the laptop for better viewing when showing clients what I'm selling. I'll also need the TV, tablet and laptop for trade shows and my BNI meetings for my presntaions.

Naturally thinking I'd be walking in and everything will be processed efficently but to my horror, I walked out feeling like someone who was walking in with a begging bowl. The women behind the desk, was looking me up and down and making me feel very uneasy and what happened next actually shocked me. She then said that there's no chance she'll process this because there's a TV on it and I'll be using all the materials for personal use! I'm actually feeling deflated after this metting and wondering is there any point in all this when the very office that's supposed to be supporting me has actually made me feel worthless! Not a it of wonder the life register is the way it is when we have people like this making us hard working folk feel worthless. All I'm asking for is 1500€, if my business flourishes, I'll have made back that 1500€ to the government in no time but as of now, if my business can't move forward, I'll be sitting back on the dole come October costing the tax payer money which is the last thing I want!

What I want to know, is there anyway I can get this processed or is it a case of I've hit a brick wall with this women and that's it, no where else to go. Is there a complaints office or somewhere I can go to try and push my case forward more.

The Raptor

They made you feel worthless?

Its their job to treat everyone that comes through the door to feel worthless.

In my experience, they will look for any excuse not to help you and pay out what you're entitled to.

Go back again, go to a different person, speak to someone else, a supervisor. Don't give up. Throw in some more office things like a desk to make it look like you want an office. Also, maybe change the TV to a computer monitor.

ED E

Yeah, there's zero reason to pay for a TV with tuner etc when its just an external display, get a monitor instead and it won't look like you're trying to get something to watch the match on for nothing.

kerryjack

What size TV were you looking for, have you any of this gear already, it does look a bit like taking the piss to be looking for a new tv, laptop, camera and tablet.