# SMEs

All time

# future stars

How to be the next Hozier

A layperson might be surprised at just how good a system Ireland has in place for its aspiring musicians.

16.2k

Apr 12th 2015, 8:00 PM

# grand designs

Want to be a jewellery designer? The woman behind Chupi.ie says 'now's the time to start'

Chupi Sweetman is a very Irish success story. Her secret? “I want people to wear what I make all around the world…”

14.3k

Apr 4th 2015, 9:30 AM

# lean and green

Why being sustainable makes for good business

For March’s in-depth coverage of SMEs, we looked at business and the environment, and making enterprise more sustainable.

10.5k

Apr 1st 2015, 8:20 AM

# Dirty water

An Athlone company is helping solve a big problem for the world's growing population

Oxymem has overhauled waste-treatment processes which have barely changed in a century.

19.8k

Mar 29th 2015, 4:30 PM

# a spud affair

Why our relationship with the potato is in need of couples counselling

It’s hard to keep the home fires burning after all the years.

22.5k

Mar 28th 2015, 11:45 AM

# who ya gonna call?

An Irish product that predicts when a cow will give birth is about to make it big time (oh, and it's called Moocall)

Quite apart from having the best name ever, Moocall works a treat. And it’s going to make its three founders a lot of money.

25.5k

Mar 28th 2015, 11:15 AM

# sme book club

Businesses don't have to scrimp on quality - a little innovation can go a long way

‘Frugal Innovation’ is a book for businesses that want to do great things with less.

6.0k

Mar 26th 2015, 7:30 PM

# doley cow

Could the self-employed be about to get equality on social welfare?

The next budget is gearing up to be pretty generous one. It’s the latest in the pre-election extravaganza…

21.7k

Mar 26th 2015, 2:30 PM

# chewy salty meaty

This man thinks there's a big future in Irish beef jerky*

*Except it’s a bit different to jerky – and he’s not calling it that.

19.6k

Mar 22nd 2015, 9:30 AM

# how to guide

These are the reasons why every business should think about sustainability

It can save you money – and help you earn more.

7.2k

Mar 21st 2015, 10:15 AM

# growth spurt

These are the businesses you want to be in across Ireland right now

Big or small, north or south – we have the figures for them all.

24.5k

Mar 9th 2015, 4:19 PM

# The Big Idea

This startup wants to save companies a tidy sum on their energy bills

Energy Elephant’s big idea is deceptively simple.

20.1k

Mar 8th 2015, 7:30 PM

# sme book club

Setting up a food business is a lot more doable than you think

‘Money For Jam’ should be a bible for anyone culinary-inclined who wants to strike out on their own

16.3k

Feb 26th 2015, 7:30 PM

# paddock to plate

Poll: Would you pay extra to know where your food came from?

Most people want better labelling on country-of-origin, but that change could come at a price.

11.7k

Feb 25th 2015, 4:30 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

# known unknowns

Why your food can include a United Nations of meats and you will probably never know

But do people really care what meat makes its way into their lasagne?

22.4k

Feb 21st 2015, 7:55 PM

# Big Brother is watching

Central Bank asked to watch the state fund for small businesses like a hawk

The Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland launched the €400 million fund this morning.

10.0k

Feb 19th 2015, 3:56 PM

# clever clogs

These are the startups Ireland's newest business leaders have been coming up with

Complicated tech ones for the most part…

18.3k

Feb 19th 2015, 8:40 AM

# Girl Power

The level of female start ups in Ireland has increased 600% since 2011

With 1,500 jobs on the way Richard Bruton has hailed Ireland’s entrepreneurs as ‘heroes’.

17.1k

Feb 18th 2015, 2:10 PM

# The Big Idea

Meet the Carlow farmer making this very French delicacy much more Gaelic

Ever wondered how you wrangle a free-range snail?

40.1k

Feb 15th 2015, 6:45 PM

# What I learned

"We don't go to China for anything": Irish business owners on why they are successful

Modern technology offers would-be potters and artisans a golden opportunity to carve a niche for themselves.

18.2k

Feb 12th 2015, 10:00 AM

# how to guide

This is how you make it as an Irish foodie when your rivals 'aren't playing fair'

We talk to the man behind Skelligs Chocolate on the importance of supporting Irish.

23.2k

Feb 8th 2015, 9:15 AM

# SMEs

2015 off to a strong start for new companies, and it could 'beat all predictions'

There’s already a 22.5% increase in the number of new companies this year.

6.2k

Feb 2nd 2015, 4:36 PM

# ooo-pa

Greek approach "precisely what this government did", says Tánaiste

The Tánaiste has welcomed Greece’s move to “renegotiate rather than repudiate”.

18.2k

181

Jan 29th 2015, 7:50 PM

# sme book club

What you can learn from one of the world's greatest football managers? Quite a lot, really

This month, we take a look inside the mind of Manchester United’s all-conquering chief, Sir Alex Ferguson.

9.0k

Jan 27th 2015, 8:00 PM

# reach out

The Big Idea: How to build happier (and more productive) workplaces

Many companies offer workplace perks, but looking after staff mental health can pay even bigger dividends.

14.2k

Jan 25th 2015, 5:15 PM

# Business Poll

Business Poll: What is the best way to keep staff motivated on the job?

Is it all about the money? Or is having a happy workplace and a good boss more important?

14.3k

Jan 20th 2015, 3:00 PM

# Self-employed

'Bosses need to be treated equally to - if not better than - employees'

The Small Firms Association wants an end to ‘discrimination’ against the self-employed.

14.6k

Jan 20th 2015, 10:01 AM

# Entrepreneurship

Why this TD thinks we love failure in Ireland

Dara Calleary wants more encouragement for Ireland’s young entrepreneurs.

10.3k

Jan 18th 2015, 5:00 PM

# currencyfair

What I Learned: Saving expats a small fortune wiring their cash back home

The banking crisis finally got people angry enough to take their business elsewhere.

22.0k

Jan 18th 2015, 8:30 AM

# Ah Ma...

How 'Irish Mammy Syndrome' is stopping young entrepreneurs

Fine Gael TD Aine Collins has identified a key cultural barrier to encouraging young entrepreneurship in Ireland.

21.0k

Jan 17th 2015, 9:00 AM

Voices

Opinion: The secret to managing a stress-free employee review

January is the time of year when most employees have a performance appraisal with their manager – but what are the benefits and potential pitfalls facing the employer?

520

Jan 16th 2015, 8:00 AM

# big promise richard

'We can create full employment by the end of 2018': Bruton

Bruton and Enterprise Ireland say 2014 was a very good year for new jobs.

12.1k

104

Jan 12th 2015, 4:47 PM

# share the love

How to: Get the most out of staff... by being nice to them

A bit of ‘fair play’ in the workplace can go a long way.

19.7k

Jan 10th 2015, 4:00 PM

# Support

New €85 million fund for life sciences to create jobs and investment

The State has invested more than €15 million to the fund.

5.2k

Jan 9th 2015, 9:48 AM

# out to launch

These were the bumper industries for Irish startups last year

It was a big year for new businesses.

18.3k

Jan 8th 2015, 4:48 PM

# Hey Big Spender

Irish consumers had their best Christmas for seven years

New figures today also show an increase of 6.4% in retail sales over the course of the year.

9.5k

Jan 8th 2015, 2:08 PM

# 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

# VAT

Sell online to the EU? You could have a lot more paperwork from today

Michael Noonan has said new tax rules are a good thing, but not everyone is convinced.

14.2k

Jan 1st 2015, 1:11 PM

# All in the family

Inside this iconic family business... and what keeps it going after 43 years

The Danny Ryan Music Shop in Tipperary Town has a new hand on the till for the first time since 1971.

29.9k

Dec 27th 2014, 8:30 PM