MAKING CONNECTIONS WILL HELP EXPORT DRIVE (NOV 2014)
By Ellvena Graham, Head of Ulster Bank Northern Ireland and Managing Director SME Banking

As we return to global economic growth, a focus on exports is even more important to help Northern Ireland firms expand. What has been pleasing to see in recent years is active government support in this area, with a series of significant initiatives making it easier for smaller companies to take those important first steps into the export market. In this context, we at Ulster Bank are proud to partner with the NI Chamber Connections programme which is designed to foster an international approach to business and further support Northern Irish businesses that are exporting or have the potential or appetite to trade globally.

The programme provides access to 400,000 chamber business contacts across the world, as well as offering businesses the prospect to meet and learn from other Northern Ireland companies who are already exporting and who have become experts in their field.

Since we opened our doors 178 years ago, Ulster Bank has been financing ambitious local companies. This outward-looking approach is in our DNA – after all, we were founded by business people from Northern Ireland who wanted to connect local enterprise to national and international opportunities. The distances and the names of the export markets may have changed but an ethos of innovation still remains at the heart of what we do.

One thing that we’ve seen from the recent One City conference in Belfast is that there is genuine and lasting benefit to Northern Ireland businesses that engage with our vast diaspora network. They are potentially one of our greatest – but most underused – natural resources. Building on their natural affinity for the people and place, we can highlight to them the significant opportunities for development in the creative industries, food and drink and service sectors to the mutual benefit of investors and local communities. Game of Thrones doesn’t grow on trees – we must continue to knock on the door and enlist people as global advocates for Northern Ireland’s business community.

With a dedicated £1bn available for business lending this year across Ireland, we’re confident that we can match demands for scale to in-depth local knowledge. A lot has changed since our foundation, but some things remain fundamental – good personal service and the right products to support our customers, helping them realise and reach their potential.

DIRECT BANKING ON THE RISE (OCTOBER 2014)

By Brian Allen, Head of Direct Banking, Ulster Bank

A silent revolution is taking place in banking. Almost overnight, digital technology has transformed how our customers interact with us. Banking is no longer focused on keeping cash and valuables safe in the big vault. It’s about giving people access to information concerning, and control of, their finances 24 hours a day. Ulster Bank customers continue to move toward direct channels with 86 per cent of all activity now happening outside of the traditional branch. We’re clear that digital is at the heart of our customer proposition and we’re constantly looking out for new technologies and solutions to make banking easier for customers.

Our numbers reveal that 21.4 million direct banking transactions were made in Northern Ireland in the second quarter of 2014. That’s around 7 million direct banking transactions a month and represents a significant increase on the same period last year. The challenge is to keep pushing the boundaries for new ways to leverage new technology to support customers; creating opportunities to customise their experience with their bank. The best example of this revolution is the use of smartphones to do your banking. It’s reported that, at an industry level, transactions via mobile phone have doubled in a year.

It’s understandable, therefore, that Ulster Bank is investing heavily in its digital and mobile banking functionality. Last year, for example, we launched the unique “Get Cash” service on our mobile app. This functionality allows customers to get cash from an ATM using a code generated by their mobile app without the need to use a debit card. In the first half of 2014 over 20,000 people in Northern Ireland have used this service, well ahead of our expectations. Customer service is also being transformed by the use of webchat across our websites to support customer queries and journeys.

It’s almost impossible to predict what the next big change will be. Suffice to say that customers are becoming more comfortable with digital technology and they’re demanding more convenience from banks. In Ulster Bank we’ll continue to invest to ensure we stay at the forefront of technology and continue to meet our customers’ demands.

FIRMS TO SHOWCASE AT ULSTER BANK BUSINESS ACHIEVERS AWARDS (JUNE 2014)
By Ellvena Graham, Head of Ulster Bank Northern Ireland and Managing Director SME Banking

Recent indications from surveys such as Ulster Bank’s PMI report suggest that the economic recovery in Northern Ireland is maintaining its pace. For those who have spent many years carving out new business leads in the face of economic downturn, this is an exciting point: it offers new opportunities and the chance to reflect on what has been achieved, even when the road has been bumpy.

Initiatives such as the Ulster Bank Business Achiever’s Awards are an excellent opportunity for SMEs to secure recognition for their hard work, but also to showcase themselves to potential customers.

These awards are a strong example of Ulster Bank’s support for local enterprise, recognising businesses as the drivers of economic growth. Alongside our ambition to lend £1bn in 2014 and our dedicated support and propositions for sectors such as start-ups, they demonstrate our commitment to helping businesses grow across Northern Ireland. Local companies looking for more information on the awards, or indeed for ways to help improve their business, can visit SmallBusinessCan.com. It is a portal that we work closely with to provide advice and encouragement on how to evolve and generate sustainable success.

Whilst winning such an award is of course one potential outcome, the act of taking a step back from your business – to assess the successes and look for opportunities – can also provide a new perspective that has a positive impact on your bottom line. The benefits gained via the new connections that can be made through the networks created by becoming involved in Business Achievers or Small Business Can, as with your local chamber or local enterprise agencies, can be invaluable. We are proud to promote the shortlisted companies as beacons of best practice for other businesses across Ireland.

The success of many Northern Ireland businesses in the creative and technology sector indicates that small can be beautiful when it comes to creating innovative new business opportunities. I know that over the months ahead our judging panels of industry experts and successful entrepreneurs are looking forward to seeing the pioneering thinking deployed by our business leaders.

Those interested in entering the Ulster Bank Business Achievers Awards can do so at businessachieversaward.com. Entries close on the 26 September 2014. Terms and conditions apply.