# ISME

This year

2023

Minimum wage increase 'unwise' and 'unsustainable' for SMEs

ISME retail members estimate that the increase – the largest jump since 2012 – will add between 1% and 2.5% to grocery bills.

13.2k

Jul 31st 2023, 2:22 PM

Last year

2022

# bank holliers

Explainer: What does Ireland's new public holiday actually mean for workers and employers?

For the vast bulk of workers within the State, a new public holiday will entitle them to an extra day’s paid leave.

46.4k

Jan 20th 2022, 3:57 PM

All time

# omicron

'We can get through Omicron and overcome it' - Taoiseach

All restaurants, bars, cinemas and theatres must close at 8pm until 30 January.

All restaurants, bars, cinemas and theatres must close at 8pm until 30 January

There is speculation that further restrictions could be introduced in the coming weeks

The Taoiseach has said that data on Omicron will be the "key consideration" around restrictions

67.0k

148

Updated

Dec 21st 2021, 5:20 PM

# essential or non-essential

Explainer: What exactly are the rules for essential and non-essential retailers and how can they be enforced?

What penalties are in place for businesses that break the rules?

82.5k

122

Oct 30th 2020, 11:00 AM

# Equality

Legal test case to be taken against the Irish government over the way private pensions are taxed

Chairman Ross McCarthy says ISME is taking the action to solve “inequality” between public and private pensions.

50.4k

Sep 22nd 2020, 2:46 PM

# social distancing

Ibec urges government to change social distancing requirement to one metre

Business group representatives have met the Oireachtas Covid-19 Committee today.

19.8k

Updated

Jun 9th 2020, 2:36 PM

# ISME

Anxiety remains for small business owners despite government recovery plans

Some €2 billion has been promised to SMEs through credit guarantee scheme.

15.7k

May 9th 2020, 6:30 AM

# Job Losses

Calls to push ahead with capping insurance payouts as government criticised for taking too long to act

ISME boss says a referendum is not needed on payouts and calls for action before businesses close down.

12.7k

Oct 19th 2019, 9:30 AM

# ireland 2029

It could make people happier and healthier - but would a four-day week work in Ireland?

Proponents say there are a wide range of benefits to the idea – but not everyone is convinced.

24.0k

Jun 26th 2019, 8:30 PM

# hard brexit

'Shockingly low' number of smaller businesses helped by Brexit scheme

The Brexit Loan Scheme aims to minimise the impact Britain leaving the EU will have on businesses.

10.3k

Jul 29th 2018, 6:30 PM

# Dangerous

'Simply a cop-out': Should businesses be forced to shut during a red alert warning?

People were being urged to stay indoors, but business groups say it should be up to individual employers whether to close.

41.0k

Mar 3rd 2018, 7:00 AM

# Crime

Courts should hand down tougher sentences for crimes against businesses, say company owners

The latest national survey finds a quarter of businesses were impacted by crime last year.

7.1k

Aug 15th 2016, 6:15 AM

# Benefits

Unemployment benefits are top of the wish list for the self-employed

However, the head of ISME says the government needs to show some leadership on the issue.

17.6k

Aug 8th 2016, 12:26 PM

# surprise

Business owners are not happy about the new minimum wage

The wage increased from €8.65 to €9.15 per hour last week.

24.3k

Jan 4th 2016, 6:10 AM

# crime survey

More members of staff are stealing from their employers

The most common crime reported by businesses was burglary.

18.2k

Aug 17th 2015, 3:05 PM

# counting pennies

The UK's minimum wage has just gone up...

Only by 20p though. Is Ireland about to follow the UK’s example? And by how much if so?

17.2k

Mar 18th 2015, 5:58 PM

# Jobs Jobs Jobs

Irish unemployment is THIS CLOSE to dropping below 10%

The live register hasn’t seen figures this low since February 2009

21.2k

166

Mar 4th 2015, 8:25 PM

# positive waves

Happy days - there's lots of good news out there today if you own a small business

Ireland’s guarantee scheme for small companies is being extended, while crowd-sourcers LinkedFinance announced a new €250 million SME loan fund

13.7k

Feb 23rd 2015, 6:28 PM

# Ouch

Eircom slammed for 'excessive' and 'opportunistic' price rises

Fees will be nearly €100 a year higher for some residential customers.

28.0k

Jan 14th 2015, 5:25 PM

# Your Say

Poll: Should teachers be banned from going on strike?

Second level teachers are set to stage another day of strike action later this month.

20.5k

102

Jan 13th 2015, 9:18 AM

# ISME

Small business employees can forget about a wage hike this year

This follows an IBEC survey earlier in the week suggesting a 2% wage hike across

7.4k

Jan 4th 2015, 7:45 AM

# christmas crime

Organised gangs are flying into Dublin to shoplift your belongings this Christmas

Retailers want courts to crack down harder on shoplifting.

13.9k

Dec 16th 2014, 7:00 AM

# Angel Investors

Ireland needs more backers to get 'skin in the game' for business to grow

Owner-operators are far too dependent on banks for finance… and it’s getting worse.

6.1k

Dec 12th 2014, 4:53 PM

# Business Poll

Business Poll: So this year's coming to a close - but how is 2015 looking?

Is it going to be a bumper year or is trade still in the doldrums?

9.5k

Dec 5th 2014, 8:25 AM

# not a good little earner

Ireland's economy might be picking up, but workers' earnings are still going backwards

Workers in the public sector get nearly 50% more on average than those in private companies.

9.8k

Nov 25th 2014, 12:53 PM

# sbci

SMEs will soon to able to access €800m from Ireland's newest bank

The Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland is hoped to be up and running by the end of the year.

8.0k

Oct 31st 2014, 7:35 PM

# motor-vated

Cars, furniture and electrical goods: These are a few of our favourite things

Products that people stopped buying during the recession are back on shopping lists.

10.1k

Oct 29th 2014, 4:25 PM

# gobshite-free zone

'Sack the gobshites'... And a few other things one entrepreneur has worked out so far

Business advice, Jerry Kennelly style.

18.3k

Oct 27th 2014, 8:45 AM

# in disneyland

There are too many second-rate colleges in Ireland with 'Mickey Mouse courses'

Why one Irish entrepreneur hired staff from India, Portugal and Sweden over local workers.

25.9k

Oct 24th 2014, 4:14 PM

# the money trail

Is Ireland really 'the best small country in the world in which to do business'?

These are the bills which are making it hard for owner-operators to compete in the global market.

9.5k

Oct 18th 2014, 10:30 AM

# budget... meh

'Uninspiring' budget continues tax discrimination against self-starters

The self-employed are still paying more tax than everyone else.

5.4k

Oct 14th 2014, 6:15 PM

# budget 2015

'Be business focused not jobs focused' - government told

Owner-operators should have their costs cut in the budget to create long-term jobs, ISME says.

4.5k

Oct 1st 2014, 3:20 PM

# cough up

The government's 'charade' on late-payment laws is hurting small business

A quarter of SMEs are waiting more than 3 months to get paid and the problem is costing jobs, ISME says.

4.5k

Sep 29th 2014, 9:07 AM

# falling debt

SMEs dipping back into loans from 'bailed-out banks'

But total borrowings for small business are still headed south.

5.7k

Sep 5th 2014, 3:28 PM

# Tackling debt

Life after debt: advice for heavily-burdened SMEs

ISME is to run a series of free advice sessions for struggling business owners.

5.1k

Aug 25th 2014, 3:00 PM

# Fraud Squad

'Increasingly sophisticated' scams on the rise, warns ISME

Business owners are being warned of ‘new and ingenious’ methods of defrauding them.

8.8k

Aug 18th 2014, 2:13 PM

# business studies

Enterprise culture "lacking" in Irish schools

ISME says students are encouraged to look for a job, not start a business.

6.3k

Aug 13th 2014, 4:13 PM

# Criminal

Business owners aren't reporting crimes because they don't trust the legal system

Almost one in five owners don’t report crimes, a survey has found.

9.2k

Aug 11th 2014, 2:58 PM

# Different fortunes

Foreign multinationals are thriving while Irish businesses go to the wall - ISME

The small business association has lashed out against Government “complacency”.

9.5k

Aug 7th 2014, 4:25 PM

# SME

SMEs call for Budget 2015 to focus on competitiveness

ISME also says keeping the 12.5% corporation tax is essential to the recovery.

3.5k

Jul 29th 2014, 4:27 PM