TweakYourBiz TV talks With Mike McGrath of supply.ie

Tweak Your Biz » Marketing » TweakYourBiz TV Talks With Mike McGrath Of Supply.ie

TweakYourBiz TV Talks With Mike McGrath Of Supply.ie

by Elaine Rogers on April 10th, 2012
12 Comments

In a business environment that demands a rigorous focus on minimising costs, Mike McGrath’s B2B online quotation service, supply.ie is a boon – offering buyers an efficient liaison point with suppliers that saves companies time and money. The time-saving strength of his business is one of its key selling points.

Supply.ie is a B2B marketplace. Instead of companies trawling Google, they go to the site, and for no charge, post a request of what they are looking for, and supply.ie works with the suppliers in order to give the buyer the best quotes.
Great news for the SME owner, supply.ie is free for buyers to use, and the service is paid for by the supplier, through a respectable referral fee.
Mike has other business interests, such as paradering.ie – a site that sells races horses. Yes, like a Buy & Sell for horses!

Mike took some time out with me to share some insights into starting up an online business and what were the highs and lows, and what he learned along the way. We also discussed some of the qualities of entrepreneurism that are particularly important when it is so difficult to get certain funding and resources.

It was great fun talking with Mike, and not one of my questions fazed him. He is indeed a focused and charismatic businessman.

Expert in the field of e-procurement

Mike has been recently appointed by the European Commission to an expert group to advise on how a switch to e-procurement that could save between €50bn and €70bn across Europe every year. The European Commission has recognised Mike as an expert in the field of e-procurement.

I have no doubt he will be the catalyst that leads to saving businesses across Europe oodles of time and money. Read the article here

Do you use e-procurement for your business elsewhere, and if so, how has it impacted your business and industry in your country? Share with us below…

Category: Group buying, interviews, Online video

Tags: business interviews, videos

The Author: Elaine Rogers

Elaine Rogers is a Business Training & Development Specialist. She provides training and coaching in the areas of IT Skills, Business Skills, and Soft Skills. Elaine has just launched a new online training store at http://www.thesmarttrain.com that provides videos and workshops in the areas of IT, Business and Soft Skills. http://www.thesmarttrain.com

Add Your Comment

http://www.bloggertone.com Niall Devitt

Hi Elaine, Thanks for another great interview. I think that what he had to say about businesses valuing their time more than they do, purely just cost saving – is a point that’s often lost. Thanks to Mike for taking part and sharing his insights, he comes across as such a likeable and knowledgeable guy that you can’t but help wishing him every success.
Warren Rutherford

Elaine – that is a great interview with Mike. Great concept and he is adept at explaining and implementing. Clearly one of his central values is providing a personal linkage between his customers and suppliers, in a field that will certainly grow and expand. Thanks.
http://www.smartsolutions.ie/blog/ Elaine Rogers

Yes Mike is a maverick. A true gentleman, and like yourself so generous with his time with others. One thing that has struck me is his commitment to the business and his sense of conviction. He is in a tough business and knows how important it is to avail of the resources that are available to business owners starting out.

I trust Mike will touch many other entrepreneurs through this interview, and I had such fun chatting with him!
http://www.smartsolutions.ie/blog/ Elaine Rogers

Absolutely Warren, even though he is operating in a space that we all appreciate (i.e. saving money) it’s dog eat dog out there, and I hugely respect his positive outlook and sheer commitment to the people using the site, from both sides.
Thanks for watching, and sharing your thoughts.
http://irsmartt.com/ IR Smartt

Really enjoyed this. Thanks folks!
http://www.smartsolutions.ie/blog/ Elaine Rogers

Thanks for stopping by Mike, and providing an “open door” for readers. I am sure people appreciate that. Best wishes with your new role with the European Commission
http://www.smartsolutions.ie/blog/ Elaine Rogers

Glad you enjoyed the Interview with Mike from @supplyIE, thanks for stopping by.
http://www.shelleydupont.com/ Shelley DuPont

These very principles apply to just about anything we want to be successful at. I’m putting forth my efforts towards writing. The baby steps are where we learn those important basics that will support us when things become more demanding.
http://www.bizsugar.com/ Heather Stone

Harry,

This is so true. If only every entrepreneur who started out understood the difference between a great idea and a business, we’d have fewer people getting disappointed when they find out what starting and running a business is really about. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and thanks to Sian Phillips for sharing this post with the BizSugar community.
http://www.smallbusiness-steps.com/ Wazir Khan

Good article. Absolutely agree with the above mentioned points. A lot of people use the great idea myth as an excuse for inaction.
http://www.callboxinc.com/ Julie Dawn Harris

Ideas are ideas when you don’t make necessary steps to make it happen. One thing, I realize is that business is synonymous to taking risk, risk and more risk. My advice make a plan, decide and try.Go out of you comfort zone and be resilient to failures. A common quote said “There’s no harm in trying”.
http://www.thesmarttrain.com/ Elaine Rogers

Yes, I agree – good point on leadership and political level!

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