Belfast entrepreneur recognised by royalty for her dedication to NI small businesses

A Belfast entrepreneur has been recognised by King Charles III for her dedication to small businesses in Northern Ireland.

Louise Brogan, owner of LinkedIn with Louise, a global LinkedIn marketing agency for professional services, is leading efforts to encourage the public and local firms to get involved in the Small Business Saturday campaign.

A longstanding champion of the campaign, she has been a ‘Small Business Britain’ champion and ‘Small Business Saturday Hero’ for the past three years, hosting free webinars and contributing to government and roundtable discussions.

Recently Louise was honoured for her dedication at a royal reception in Buckingham Palace that recognised the contribution of small businesses to the UK economy.

The reception brought over 400 economy ministers, small business owners and ‘high profile’ entrepreneurs such as Dragons Den’s Peter Jones and Mary Portas ‘Queen of Shops’ together. However, only 10 ‘VIPs’ were invited to receive an audience with King Chares III, Prince Edward, the Duke of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent, of which Louise was one.

Louise said: “Small Business Saturday spotlights the important role that small businesses play in our communities and showcases the love that people have for local firms. It’s a vital campaign that makes a big impact all year round. Support from the public for small firms is essential as business owners all over the country face a challenging winter ahead.

“Small, independent and local businesses from all industries are the life and soul of NI. My own business started out small and with the right help and direction, it is now thriving and growing year after year. Helping other small businesses to do the same is my passion. Being recognised for this personally by our new King and extended members of the royal family is a highlight in my career so far, and one that I will be telling my children and grandchildren about in years to come.”

Small Business Saturday will run on December 3 and be celebrating 10 years. If you are a small businesses and are interested in speaking with Louise, she is hosting a meetup for small business owners on Friday, December 2 in Ulster University’s new Belfast campus.

Find out more as Louise tells her story.