Better Business Summer 2022

S U P P O R T I N G E N T R E P R E N E U R S | VA L U I N G S M A L L B U S I N E S S | R E W A R D I N G R I S K TA K E R S | S U M M E R 2 0 2 2

BUSINESS PENSION COMPREHENSION PROVIDING FOR A BETTER FUTURE TODAY

BETTER BUSINESS SUMMER 2022

GET FINANCE SAVVY

UNDERSTANDING SME FINANCIAL SKILLS GAPS

IN HIGH SPIRITS

THE IRISH GIN MAKERS MAKING WAVES AT HOME AND ABROAD

EXCELLENT ADVENTURES IRELAND’S ADVENTURE PARKS TAKE OFF THIS SUMMER

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Peace of mind,

squared SQUARE’S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

JASON LALOR ON THE RIGHT TOOLS TO EMPOWER SMALL FIRMS

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WELCOME SUMMER 2022

BUSINESS PENSION COMPREHENSION PROVIDING FOR A BETTER FUTURE TODAY

BETTER BUSINESS SUMMER 2022

GET FINANCE SAVVY

UNDERSTANDING SME FINANCIAL SKILLS GAPS

Peace

IN HIGH SPIRITS

THE IRISH GIN MAKERS MAKING WAVES AT HOME AND ABROAD

EXCELLENT ADVENTURES IRELAND’S ADVENTURE PARKS TAKE OFF THIS SUMMER

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SQUARE’S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

JASON LALOR

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ON THE RIGHT TOOLS TO EMPOWER SMALL FIRMS

On the cover: Jason Lalor, European Executive, Square Photography: Paul McCarthy

Editor: Denise Maguire Creative Director: Jane Matthews Designers: Alan McArthur Neasa Daly Production Executive: Nicole Ennis Managing Director: Gerry Tynan Chairman: Diarmaid Lennon Email: info@ashville.com or write to: Better Business, Ashville Media, Unit 55, Park West Road, Park West Industrial Estate, Dublin 12, D12 X9F9.

Tel: (01) 432 2200 All rights reserved. Every care has been taken to ensure that the information contained in this magazine is accurate.

The publishers cannot, however, accept responsibility for errors or omissions.

Reproduction by any means in whole or in part without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. © Ashville Media Group 2022. All discounts, promotions and competitions contained in this magazine are run independently of Better Business.

The promoter/advertiser is responsible for honouring the prize. ISSN 2009-9118 SFA is a trading name of Ibec.

Welcome to Better Business, a magazine dedicated to the small business community.

As we move into the summer months, we can now look back and take stock of the months that have passed. It has been a turbulent time for the small business community, one marked by the ever increasing cost of doing business, the continued rise of inflation and the ongoing challenges in the labour market. In this environment, many small businesses are continuing to innovate and develop their business to meet the challenges head on.

In this edition, our sector spotlight takes a look at Ireland’s innovative outdoor adventure centres in anticipation of a busy summer season. The HR pages provide guidance on how to prepare for the new Gender Pay Gap reporting and some frequently asked questions on annual leave. Elsewhere in these pages, you’ll read about how Square is leading in innovation. We also showcase our highly successful SFA Awards gala along with our worthy winners.

This magazine contains stories that inform, inspire and entertain. It showcases and celebrates the achievements of small companies, provides advice to help you in your business and keeps you up to date on the latest trends at home and abroad.

Ireland is a nation of small businesses. Of over 267,000 businesses in the country, 99% have less than 50 employees (small) and 92% have less than 10 (micro). These companies can be seen in every city, town and village in the country and together they provide employment to half of the private sector workforce.

The SFA proudly represents a diverse membership of businesses with less than 50 employees: homegrown and spanning every sector of our economy. Our members can be found in every town and every city in Ireland. We want to make Ireland the most vibrant small business community in the world – an environment that supports entrepreneurship, values small business and rewards risk takers.

Better Business is the magazine of the small business community.

We welcome your feedback, suggestions and ideas to info@sfa.ie or on Twitter @SFA_Irl. Sven Spollen-Behrens Director, Small Firms Association

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CONTENTS SUMMER 2022

04 10 12

Big News for Small Business News, views and profiles from SFA members and small businesses in Ireland

Pensions Provide for a better future and get to grips with your options around pensions

Events Aalto Bio Reagents is this year’s Overall Winner at the SFA Awards

16 24 28

Sector Spotlight Irish adventure centres are making their mark in an increasingly competitive market

Cover Story Square chats about how the right tools can empower small firms

Top Tips How to incorporate wellness into your business in a practical sense

Trading Places A passion for brewing beer has brought Russell Garrett from New York to Cork

HR Employers must deal with requests for annual leave in line with current legislation

Arts and Culture Irish drummer Mark Alfred on why every Riverdance show is like the first

Travel Whether it’s a hotel in Cork or a cruise in Carlingford, Ireland’s got it all this summer

30 36 40

Entrepreneurs Ireland’s gin makers are carving out a name for themselves across the globe

44 54 58

Health Decluttering Coach Suzy Kell on the importance of a tidy work-from-home space

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Summer 2022  Contents

FROM TOP LEFT: Square Executive Director Jason Lalor on taking the pain out of processing payments, page 24 // Sally Anne Cooney at Boann Distillery on what it takes to launch a new gin on the Irish market, page 30 // Master Distiller at Elbow Lane, Russell Garrett is passionate about the craft of brewing beer, page 36 // Suzy Kell believes a tidy space makes a huge difference to your productivity, page 44

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Updates  News

BIG NEWS FOR SMALL BUSINESS

NEW BUSINESS

HONESTLY KITCHEN TO OPEN IN STRANDHILL Honestly Kitchen is due to open in Strandhill, Co Sligo, in July. The Kitchen and Farm Shop is the brainchild of Liam and Justina Gavin of Drumanilra Organic Farm in Co. Roscommon and like its counterpart in Carrick-on-Shannon, Honestly Kitchen caters for what the Gavin’s refer to as “ethical carnivores” as well as vegan and vegetarian diets. Organic farm produce will be available for sale from the Farm Shop, while the restaurant menu includes grilled meats that are organic, pasture ranged, GM and antibiotic-free and fully traceable to the Drumanilra Organic Farm on the shores of Lough Key. Honestly Kitchen aims to be a hub for good food, good produce and amazing local supplies to converge in the North West.

“The team at Honestly Kitchen have been working hard on this latest Kitchen and Farm Shop at Strandhill, set to open mid-July. The menu will feature signature brunch, burgers, salads and sandwiches, plus chargrill steaks, chicken, fish and veggie options served into the evening, along with locally brewed craft beers and organic wines,” says Justina Gavin. Honestly Kitchen is also currently recruiting for both its Strandhill and Carrick-on-Shannon locations, creating 200 sustainable food, farming and hospitality jobs in the North West.

MICROFINANCE IRELAND – SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES Microfinance Ireland (MFI) has a unique lending proposition in the market, where poor credit history does not preclude business owners from applying to MFI or accessing finance.

MFI’s lending decision is based on creating and maintaining employment for sustainable small businesses in need of support at a particular point in time. As a not-for-profit that is Government funded, MFI has a higher risk appetite and can support businesses in circumstances where other lenders cannot.

MFI recently agreed a new liquidity facility with SBCI which MFI will use to fund loans to its customers. This new facility has enabled MFI to reduce the interest rate charged on all new loans to 5.5% APR, while providing additional resources to significantly increase the lending support it can provide to small businesses. In conjunction with the larger portfolio of loan offers, this new facility will enable MFI to service more microenterprises during 2022.

For more information on the offers that are available, you can visit MFI’s website and see what the best option for your small business is. www.microfinanceireland.ie/ loan-packages-22

SFA MEMBERS IF YOUR BUSINESS HAS SOME NEWS TO SHARE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE FEATURED IN THE NEXT EDITION OF BETTER BUSINESS, CONTACT ELIZABETH BOWEN ON (01) 605 1626 OR ELIZABETH. BOWEN@SFA.IE

Find out more at www.drumanilra.breezy.hr/ 4 SFA | BETTER BUSINESS

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News

 Updates

TOP TWEETS @SFA_Irl

It’s critical that small business owners have organisational & financial literacy skills, as well as understand risk in order to implement the necessary changes to adapt to an ever-evolving business landscape. Read the SME Finance & Growth report here: https://ibec.ie/sfa/ news-insights-andevents/ news/2022/06/02/ sme-skills-gaps-infinance-and-growthidentified-inmentorswork-report

AV EXPERTISE Experts in the field of Audio Visual (AV) installation and maintenance, Fitting Image AV Sales Ltd is embracing the ongoing technological evolution, ensuring it brings the most effective solutions to its broad range of clients. The company is delighted to be on the framework agreement for both Trinity College Dublin and more recently, University College Dublin. Carefully considering the specific communication requirements of each department within Trinity College, Fitting Image has supplied and installed top-of-the-range AV equipment, including digital signage solutions, large-scale displays for detailed presentations, video conferencing facilities and audio systems in lecture theatres and other teaching spaces.

Fitting Image works closely with Trinity College IT Services Department to support their existing installations and install the latest technologies in their facilities. With the onset of the pandemic, Fitting Image has installed Hybrid Teaching systems to facilitate remote learning across the campus and will be supplying similar facilities in UCD. As expected from two of the leading teaching and research institutions in Ireland, both universities have requirements for the highest quality technology and AV solutions, with significant importance placed on ease of use and reliability of operation.

@SFA_Irl

Businesses that focus on adopting sustainable practices contribute to improving their environment, become more efficient & competitive, & achieve greater employee engagement. Take action & register for Climate Reality for Small Business on 23 June: https://ibec.ie/sfa/ news-insights-andevents/events/2022/ climate-reality-for-smallbusiness/general-details

@DeptEnterprise

If your business has been impacted by #Brexit, the Brexit Impact Loan Scheme may be able to help. Some features of the scheme:

@SFA_IRL

TEAM BUILDING

• Loans from €25,000 to €1.5m • Terms of up to 6 years • Available without security on loans under €500k.

More: https://sbci.gov.ie/ products/ brexit-impact-loanscheme-bils

www.fittingimage.ie

35,000 COMPANIES AND A LIFETIME OF MEMORIES Company Bureau is delighted to be celebrating 25 years of lasting relationships with customers, team members and the community. The company has registered over 35,000 companies since opening in April 1997 and says its success is down to the team; in addition to organising charitable fundraisers throughout the year, the team at Company Bureau always go above and beyond to provide clients with the best possible service. To mark 25 years in business, Company Bureau recently travelled to Delphi for a weekend of team building and relaxation. A fun award ceremony where everyone was recognised for the unique qualities and quirks they bring to the company was also held. Not everyone was able to attend the company retreat, so a company lunch was also held in the office. The directors were surprised and very appreciative to see all the team together again for the first time since the company moved to hybrid working.

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Updates  News

ROCHE TACKLES CUSTOMS PROCEDURES

“Through MentorsWork, companies acquire guidance on leadership, teamworking and problem solving. Emerging from the pandemic, MentorsWork will help SMEs navigate a much-changed world, in which digital transformation and inflationary pressures presents new challenges and opportunities.”

Simon Harris TD, Minister of Further and Higher Education, on launching Mentorswork 4.0

“During the pandemic, I took the academy online. While online music lessons were originally a means to an end, we saw this could be a new business avenue. My mentor guided and encouraged me.

The opportunity to discuss ideas and challenges with a fellow entrepreneur was invaluable.”

Sonya Murphy-Lyons, founder of the Mezzo Music Academy, speaking about Mentorswork

“The recently published Ibec guideline on diversity and inclusion is a response to queries on how to engage and communicate with employees on these issues. We welcome the fact that TENI has endorsed our guidance as being a practical and sensible support for employers.”

Kara McGann, Head of Social Policy, Ibec

Roche Logistics Group is providing free consultation on customs clearance procedures for goods arriving or departing to the UK or worldwide. In addition, with the expansion of services from Rosslare to Dunkirk, Le Harve and Cherbourg in France, along with services to Santander and Bilbao in Spain, the company is offering trailer services for both full and part load shipments in both directions. According to the company, these are exciting times for Roche Logistics Group who already services the UK with over 100 trailers per week catering for pallets, part loads and full loads on a daily basis.

STEADY GROWTH AT APOS Atlantic Prosthetic Orthotic Services Ltd is Ireland’s largest independent prosthetics and orthotics provider. APOS has a strong focus on patient care and quality service, comprised of an internationally experienced team with a reputation for problem solving and innovation. Since it was established in 2002, APOS has grown into a company that prioritises patient care standards through innovation. Participation in OT World 2022 was an important element of its strengthening outward focus, on building relationships and exploring opportunities internationally. The world’s largest prosthetic and orthotics show was the perfect stage to introduce the company’s digitally designed and 3D printed prosthetic socket. APOS says it has achieved a clinically appropriate, safe and cost-effective digital pipeline for design and printing of transtibial sockets.

Additive manufacturing is moving inexorably towards the mainstream of prosthetics and orthotics and APOS is at the forefront of this revolution. Only a tiny number of companies are successfully producing safe market-ready prosthetic sockets. This early to market advantage places APOS in a good position for developing opportunities for exports and further growth.

APOS OT World 2022 Stand

SMES

MAXIMISE YOUR PEOPLE POTENTIAL Managing people is challenging. Many scaling SMEs with potential can struggle to source the specific HR experience and capability needed to sustain their business growth. Operating in times of perpetual change, businesses need to adapt and flex to attract and especially retain good employees. In addition, managing hybrid and flexible working environments, competing with larger organisations on benefits and providing development opportunities need expert consultation. Voltedge acts as an expert guide to bring clarity to HR challenges and chart the relevant people strategy needed. The company encourages a genuine human-led approach, strong leadership and a happy work culture so that teams can pull together to reach their potential. Thanks to experience with tech start-ups, healthcare, finance and professional services, Voltedge has developed HR strategies to support businesses as they adapt and grow into the future. www.voltedge.ie

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News

 Updates

ala

AWARDS Barr

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‘BEST NEW AGENCY’ FOR YALA

EU TRADE SANCTIONS IN RESPONSE TO SITUATION IN UKRAINE On 3 June 2022, the EU adopted additional sanctions in response to Russia’s illegal and unprovoked military aggression against Ukraine. These sanctions build on and expand the earlier sanctions. EU sanctions regulations have direct effect in all member states of the EU and, as such, are legally binding on all natural and legal persons in Ireland. Private companies, therefore, have an obligation to ensure that they are in full compliance with these new measures. A natural or legal person who contravenes a provision of an EU sanctions regulation shall be guilty of an offence and liable to prosecution.

The sixth package of EU sanctions came into effect on 4 June 2022 and the major traderelated elements of the package are as follows: n I) A ban on the importation of crude oil and petroleum products originating in Russia. n II) An expansion of the list of goods and technology that may contribute to the

technological enhancement of Russia’s defence and security sector and whose export is prohibited. This includes 80 chemicals which can be used to produce chemical weapons. n III) An expansion of the list of items that generate significant revenues for Russia

Yala took home the trophy for “Best New Agency” at this year’s Employment and Recruitment Federation Awards at the Shelbourne Hotel on the 25th of February. Yala was established in 2018 and provides a RentA-Recruiter service to SMEs and international companies across multiple sectors, from finance and retail to technology, manufacturing and engineering.

The company fully embeds its recruiters in the employer’s business and instead of charging on a per placement basis, they charge a monthly subscription, allowing the employer turn on or off the service as they scale.

“After being nominated last year, we were delighted to win the award this time. It’s a recognition of all the hard work done by our team at Yala and a big thanks goes to our clients who use our RentA-Recruiter service,” said Barry Prost, Co-Founder.

whose import into the EU is prohibited. n IV) An expansion of the list of military-affiliated end-user entities in Russia and

For more information contact www.rentarecruiter.ie

Belarus subject to tighter export restrictions. n V) A ban on providing accounting, auditing, tax consulting, management consulting

and public relations services to entities established in Russia. n VI) The exclusion of additional Russian and Belarusian financial institutions from the

SWIFT payments system. n VII) Further additions to the lists of Russian and Belarusian individuals and entities

subject to financial sanctions.

1,186 Russian and 130 Belarusian individuals and entities are currently subject to financial sanctions. Therefore, traders should carry out thorough due diligence on all parties to a transaction to avoid inadvertently breaching the sanctions.

BREXIT SUPPORTS REMAIN AVAILABLE TO HELP YOUR BUSINESS MANAGE THE NEW TRADING ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE UK FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF ENTERPRISE, TRADE AND EMPLOYMENT. VISIT GETTING BUSINESS BREXIT READY TO VIEW THE MANY SUPPORTS AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO YOUR BUSINESS.

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Updates  News

Mc Ge

e

Visa’s She’s Next 2022 launch

in Eo

MONEY MAN EOIN MCGEE BACKS CHAMPION GREEN

VISA RENEWS ‘SHE’S NEXT’ IN IRELAND

Visa has brought the ‘She’s Next’ Grant Programme back to Ireland, to support women entrepreneurs to run, fund and grow their business. Due to the success of the inaugural programme last year, Visa is also doubling funding for the programme. Women-led businesses are invited to apply for one of five grants, totalling €50,000, and accompanied with one year of coaching provided by IFundWomen, a funding marketplace for womenowned businesses.

In Ireland, for every woman that is an early-stage entrepreneur, there are nearly double the number of men. Confidence continues to be a barrier to achieving parity, with only 38% of Irish women perceiving they have the necessary skills to start a business compared to 58% of men. For those that have started their own venture, this disparity in confidence remains, with 43% of women business owners surveyed by Visa stating they were very confident in evolving their business, compared to 65% of men. The She’s Next Grant Programme, in partnership with IFundWomen, is open to small businesses and organisations who are majority owned by women, operating across all industries and sectors, through a simple application process.

To enter, applicants are asked to submit details about their business and online presence at www.ifundwomen.com/visaireland

As the latest ambassador for the Champion Green support local campaign, Eoin McGee, the wellknown financial planner, broadcaster and author, has strongly urged consumers to shop consciously and to realise the true value of staying local.

Spending money with an overseas business, especially one with no staff here, means that money leaves the country and does no good, he said.

“The multiplier effect means €1 spent in a local business gets recycled back to suppliers and staff wages. They then continue to spend it here, in the Irish economy, and to pay their taxes, and so on. In fact, if we spend €1 in a locally-owned business, we can expect to add between €2.50 and €4 to the Irish economy and public services.” The Champion Green movement, a partnership of trade bodies and businesses promoting support for local SMEs, is similarly calling on consumers to ‘go green’ this summer, spending on eating out, leisure and family treats. Supported

by Kilkenny Design and Visa, in association with Retail Excellence, Small Firms Association and Chambers of Commerce Ireland, the #ChampionGreen movement highlights the simple ways everyone can make a difference.

INFLATION

COST INFLATION TOP THREAT TO GROWTH IN FOOD SECTOR In a survey of 70 small and medium sized food firms carried out by the food business representative group Love Irish Food and PwC, 97% identified the areas presenting the most significant challenge to growth. Supply chain issues and rising energy prices had already caused input costs to soar in many sectors, but the war in Ukraine has exacerbated the situation and much of the pricing pressure has yet to make its way through the system. Price hikes in animal feed, energy and fertiliser, along with supply chain issues, have seen food processors passing those increases on to the end consumer. “Irish food producers now face a tidal wave of challenges that encompass near doubling of energy costs, limited availability of key food and non-food ingredients, wider supply chain issues and labour retention costs,” Kieran Rumley, Executive Director, Love Irish Food said. “With [overall] inflation now estimated to reach between 7% and 9% in the third quarter driven by energy costs, the food industry is set for the biggest challenge that it has faced in many decades.” Other top challenges listed in the 2022 SME Food Barometer include greater economic volatility, identified by 86% and supply chain issues – 66%. Almost half of participants stated that labour shortages are a key threat for future business growth. Despite the challenges facing the sector, 85% of firms surveyed expressed confidence about the prospects for their own company’s revenue growth in the year ahead.

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Green skills for a sustainable future • Develop new skills in your team • Green your business for cost savings, competitiveness and profitability • Access highly subsidised flexible training boost skills – boost business Contact your local Education and Training Board or visit skillstoadvance.ie

learning works

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Pay yourself Feature  Pensions

first…

One

…TO PROVIDE FOR A BETTER FUTURE AND GET TO GRIPS WITH YOUR OPTIONS AROUND PENSIONS, WRITES BERNARD WALSH AT BANK OF IRELAND

of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever heard for business owners is “pay yourself first”. However, there is often a reticence on the part of owners to take money out of the business and pay tax on it. Managing cashflow is a critical exercise for companies, but paying a salary can be good discipline and using the pension system can prove a very effective way to reward owners and employees alike. The pension regime continues to offer compelling features such as tax relief on contributions, tax-free growth and the ability to draw down considerable amounts tax-free at retirement. For business owners and the self-employed, your business relies on your decisions and contributions.

The pension landscape is changing and while it continues to offer a compelling part of a reward strategy, significant changes have taken place (with more to come) that need to be incorporated into your plans. When we talk to businesses today, they are facing many challenges – high and rising inflation, keeping pace with technology and innovation to name a few. However, two that recur frequently are recruitment and retention. We know that pay is an essential part of your compensation and benefits package, but our research tells us that employees are increasingly seeking additional rewards such as pension and insurance plans.

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Pensions  Feature

The approach to using the pension system to your benefit can vary depending on your employment status. From an owner’s perspective, we are often looking at extracting money from the business in a tax efficient manner whereas for an employee or the self-employed, the focus is on using income tax relief to help them to save for retirement.

Let’s start with business owners. If you are a company director and you take money out of your business by way of salary, you could pay tax of up to 52%. If you take it as dividends, you pay up to 40%. If you decide to get a company car, you could pay 30%. If you sell the business, you could pay out up to 33%. There are many allowances and reliefs that can ease the pain, but there are other tax efficient solutions that are worth considering.

We talk to company directors about wealth extraction. We establish a trust and money is transferred from the company to the trust which is set up in the individual’s name. Revenue rules around how much you can transfer in are quite generous, but are typically linked to your salary and service.

One issue that we come across regularly is that many directors pay themselves relatively low salaries. This is usually done to minimise their exposure to marginal tax rates.

However, this can limit the amount that can be extracted from the business.

The tax advantages are really attractive.

The company gets corporation tax relief on the amount invested. The money grows tax free. At retirement age, you can take up to €200,000 tax free and a further €300,000 taxed at 20%. Some people say that they will sell their business and avail of Retirement Relief. This relief reduces the taxable value of the business. I would suggest that wealth extraction and Retirement Relief are not mutually exclusive and there is no reason why both cannot be used.

The only negative in wealth extraction is that you cannot access this money until you reach retirement age. Essentially, you are just deferring some spending today to do so in the future. There are plenty of rules associated with wealth extraction and Revenue has specific limits that apply. If your business is generating cash and you want to benefit from tax breaks while saving for your and your family’s future, it’s an approach that’s well worth considering. As always, it is vital that you get sound financial advice to ensure that you achieve your goals.

For employee benefits, employers need to consider the scheme structure now more than ever before. We have seen “IORP II” legislation that has really funnelled most new schemes into using a “master trust” defined contribution occupational pension scheme (OPS) arrangement or alternatively, a PRSA scheme. Each has pro’s and con’s for members and employers, but our research would suggest that employees favour the OPS route.

Employers also need to ensure that their contributions to schemes are pitched at labour market rates, given the ongoing war for talent we see today. While you have the flexibility to increase and decrease, dropping benefits could prove difficult in the future, if needed. For the self-employed, this flexibility allows you to assess what you can put aside,

Bernard Walsh, Head of Pensions and Investments, Bank of Ireland

"PENSIONS ARE BECOMING AN EVER MORE IMPORTANT PART OF THE EMPLOYEE RETENTION STRATEGY EMPLOYED BY BUSINESSES TODAY. FOR OWNERS AND THE SELF-EMPLOYED, THEY CAN ACT AS A TAX EFFICIENT WAY TO REWARD YOUR EFFORTS AND TO EXTRACT YOUR MONEY FROM THE BUSINESS.” depending on business performance and to adjust up or down as appropriate. We do recommend a fixed monthly contribution if cashflow allows and to enhance this at year end if possible. Putting aside a regular amount is a good discipline to get in the habit of.

For employers who want to build in a loyalty aspect to their benefits package, they could consider offering enhanced contributions to reward service. If employees can see a progressive pension scheme structure, it may discourage them from looking elsewhere.

If you take any of these approaches, a key consideration is to understand how you will draw down your benefits at retirement.

Depending on whether you want to buy an income in retirement or you want to go down the asset route through an Approved Retirement Fund, how your money is invested should perhaps be radically different. There are many new ways to invest your money that were not available five years ago. It is

well worth spending time checking if your pension savings are invested in the most appropriate manner or are there better ways to ensure that you achieve the right outcome? We have seen higher markets’ volatility and a high degree of correlation between investment asset classes this year and this may persist for some time.

Asking how well diversified your pension investments are really is a question worth asking.

Pensions are becoming an ever more important part of the employee retention strategy employed by businesses today. For owners and the self-employed, they can act as a tax efficient way to reward your efforts and to extract your money from the business. For many, it can be one of their most important financial assets and merits attention, particularly as you near retirement. It’s becoming a more complex field and one where professional advice should always be sought.

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Events  SFA National Small Business Awards 2022

OVERALL WINNERS

THE BEST OF SMALL BUSINESS AALTO BIO REAGENTS IS THIS YEAR’S OVERALL WINNER AT THE SFA NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS AWARDS

A

fter two years of virtual ceremonies, the SFA was delighted to host the SFA National Small Business Awards at the RDS once again. Aalto Bio Reagents Limited, a Dublin-based company founded in 1978, was announced as the overall winner of the

(L-R) Graham Byrne, Chair, SFA; Philip Noone and Audrey Bradley, Aalto Bio Reagents

SERVICES

Awards for 2022.

Aalto Bio is a leading global developer of critical raw materials and reagents for the development of diagnostic tests. The company is the leading producer and provider of existing and emerging infectious disease pathogens and is at the forefront of the earlier test development for diagnosis of many global diseases over several years, including HIV and Covid-19.

The SFA National Small Business Awards celebrate the achievements of small businesses in Ireland and recognise the important and vital contributions of this sector to the Irish economy.

Forty-two finalists and five Emerging New Businesses were selected from hundreds of applications received for the 2022 programme.

Announcing the winner, Graham Byrne, SFA Chair said: “Congratulations to Aalto Bio Reagents, this year’s overall winner of the SFA National Awards. Adding to the company’s past success, Aalto Bio recently announced its commitment to developing diagnostic targets for 15 of the world’s biggest health risk pathogens, as identified by the World Health Organisation and is attending the World Vaccine Congress in Washington DC to meet and discuss their new products with all their international clients.”

SFA Director, Sven Spollen-Behrens added: “It is wonderful to be back in the RDS Concert Hall celebrating the Awards after two years of Covid. We continue to grow the SFA Business Awards programme that positions the small business brand as the backbone of the Irish economy. Congratulations to all the finalists. Each finalist represents the best in small business and are all winners. Small businesses are present in every village, town and city and contribute enormously to economic activity and community engagement.”

This was the 18th year of the SFA National Small Business Awards, an initiative of the Small Firms Association. The Awards prize package for ALL finalists included strategic management training, participation in the SFA Business Connect event last February and a half page media exposure in a special supplement published with the Irish Independent. The total prize for finalists is valued at €50,000 each.

Martin Campion, Campion Pumps

INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

Stephen Dempsey, Ecovolt

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SFA National Small Business Awards 2022  Events

OUTSTANDING SMALL BUSINESS

(L-R) Graham Byrne, Chair, SFA; Shane Heraty, Managing Director, Scotland and Ireland at Cisco; Pierce and Finlay Dargan, Equine MediRecord; and Sven Spollen-Behrens, Director, SFA

WORKPLACE WELLBEING

David Kieran, Richard Naylor, and Chris Brennan, ZOMA

FOOD AND DRINK EMERGING NEW BUSINESS

Graham Byrne, Chair, SFA; Declan Coppinger, Marketing Finance Manager, Bord Bia; Troy Lavin, Michael Slattery, Katherine Dalton, Sarah Hawe, VITHIT; and Sven Spollen-Behrens, Director, SFA

The five winners of the Emerging New Business category sponsored by .IE, a category to encourage emerging entrepreneurs to promote and grow their business are: ■ Coopman Search and

Selection ■ Craft Cocktails ■ Lakeland Kayaks ■ BiaSol ■ Sea Green Health

Entrants in this category are under two years in business and the winners were identified by the judging panel as companies that will grow into successful organisations.

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Events  SFA National Small Business Awards 2022

EXPORTER OF THE YEAR

RETAIL

(L-R) Graham Byrne, Chair, SFA; Enda McDonnell, Director for Dublin Region, Enterprise Ireland; Philip Noone and Audrey Bradley, Aalto Bio Reagents; and Sven Spollen-Behrens, Director, SFA

Graham Byrne, Chair, SFA; Jock Jordan, Regional VicePresident, One4All; Mary and Aishling Meehan, Verve Boutique; and Sven SpollenBehrens, Director, SFA

SUSTAINABILITY

Graham Byrne, Chair, SFA; Sean Farrell, Head of Product Development, SBCI; David and Lisa Walsh-Kemmis, Ballykilcavan Brewing Company; and Sven Spollen-Behrens, Director, SFA

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SFA National Small Business Awards 2022  Events

CATEGORY WINNERS The category winners were presented with a trophy and free membership of the Small Firms Association for one year. The overall winner also received a bursary of €5,000 for the charity of their choice, kindly donated by KORE Insulation, overall winner in 2020.

> Manufacturing

(sponsored by permanent tsb)

Bevcraft Group, Mullingar, Co Westmeath > Food and Drink

(sponsored by Bord Bia)

VITHIT Drinks, Dublin 2 > Services

(sponsored by SAGE)

Campion Pumps, Thurles, Co Tipperary Highly Commended: Carlingford Adventure Centre, Carlingford, Co Louth > Outstanding Small Business (sponsored by Cisco)

Equine MediRecord, The Curragh, Co Kildare > Innovator of the Year (sponsored by NSAI)

EcoVolt, Dublin 11

Highly Commended: One Agency Recruitment, Dublin 15 > Exporter of the Year

(sponsored by Enterprise Ireland)

Aalto Bio Reagents, Dublin 14

MANUFACTURING

> Sustainability

(sponsored by SBCI)

Ballykilcavan Brewing Company, Stradbally, Co Laois Highly Commended: Bread 41, Dublin 2 > Workplace Wellbeing (sponsored by DeCare)

ZOMA, Dundalk, Co Louth > Retail

(sponsored by One4all Rewards)

Verve Boutique, Donegal Town (L-R) Graham Byrne, Chair, SFA, Catherine Doyle, Head of Business Development, Permanent TSB, Ciarán Gorman, Bevcraft and Sven Spollen-Behrens, Director, SFA.

EMERGING BUSINESS

Highly Commended: Reflect AutoCare, Dublin 11

AWARD SPONSORS The SFA would like to thank this year’s award sponsors:

AWARD PARTNERS (L-R) Chris Fleming, Sea Green Health; Ray Carolan, Lakeland Kayaks; David Curtin, CEO at .IE, Dave Mulligan, Craft Cocktails; Andrew Murphy, Coopman Search and Selection; and Niamh Dooley, BiaSol.

The SFA would like to thank this year’s award partners:

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Sector Spotlight  Adventure Tourism

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Adventure Tourism

 Sector Spotlight

ADVENTURE TOURISM IS ONE OF THE FASTESTGROWING TRAVEL SEGMENTS IN THE WORLD. BETTER BUSINESS CHATS TO THREE IRISH ADVENTURE CENTRES MAKING THEIR MARK IN THIS INCREASINGLY COMPETITIVE MARKET

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big Sector Spotlight  Adventure Tourism

Adventure tourism is

business in Ireland.

It’s a sector that tourism bodies are keen to see develop and grow and with so many adventure centres opening in the past two years alone, it’s an increasingly competitive one. In February this year, Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys launched a major €15 million fund to support dozens of outdoor adventure projects across the country. The 2022 Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) aims to aid development of natural amenities such as our mountains, lakes, beaches, bogs, walkways, greenways and blueways and will support activities like hiking, mountaineering, kayaking, swimming and cycling.

Covid and the accompanying lockdowns have spurred interest amongst Irish people in outdoor pursuits. With so many of us now used to socialising outdoors, that interest is likely to grow further. Commenting on the funding, the Minister said: ‘‘Over the past two years we have all become even more aware of the importance of outdoor pursuits and activities. This announcement means that we will continue to invest in our natural amenities so even more people can enjoy the benefits. So, I’m urging applicants to be bold and ambitious with their proposals so that we can continue to further develop adventure tourism to the benefit of our citizens.”

CP Adventure

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Adventure Tourism

It’s estimated that there are over 100 adventure centres operating in Ireland today. CP Adventure at Russborough House in Blessington, Co Wicklow, offers visitors outdoor land and water-based activities, catering for school tours, team building events, adventure races, special events and hen and stag parties. The business was initially set up by Paul Ashmore and Conal Keaney and consisted of the adventure offering, along with a bike hire service out of the Phoenix Park. In March last year, the pair decided to split the business. “I decided to go with the adventure side and Conal opted for the bike hire business. The adventure centre moved from Blessington to Russborough House and as it was our first year in a new location, we didn’t expect to be busy. Thankfully we fared better than we expected; people were taking their holidays at home so we were busy,” said Paul.

Relocating the business in the middle of a pandemic was a daunting prospect. “I was very nervous. There’s a lot of risk involved in a move like that. It took a lot of rebuilding and resetting and wondering if it was the right decision to have made. But last summer proved it was the right thing to do. It’s been great to see the place grow and develop into the centre it should be.”

Corporate activities all but disappeared during Covid. It’s a segment that Paul is eager to grow this year and beyond. Reaching and keeping the centre at 100% capacity is the immediate goal.

“We’re busy during the warmer months with outdoor activities and we’ve started to run events during the winter period, just to keep the business going and employ staff.” Last winter, Paul and the CP Adventure team ran ‘Santa’s Cabin’, a festive event of ziplining, hot chocolate and a visit to Santa himself. “That was the first time we had run an event like that and it was very successful. We’re looking at running another Christmas event but making it bigger and better next time. It made a huge difference to our year; November,

 Sector Spotlight

Eclipse Ireland

Athos Tsiopani set up Eclipse Ireland in 2009.

Located along the Ring of Kerry in Kenmare, the outdoor adventure centre offers a host of activities including archery, biking, fishing, hill walking, bog runs, kayaking and orienteering.

Bookings are excellent this summer, despite the fact very little investment goes into advertising.

“It’s all word of mouth. People visit us and tell their friends and family about their experience.

“OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, WE HAVE ALL BECOME EVEN MORE AWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF OUTDOOR PURSUITS AND ACTIVITIES. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MEANS THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO INVEST IN OUR NATURAL AMENITIES SO EVEN MORE PEOPLE CAN ENJOY THE BENEFITS.” December, January and February are traditionally very quiet months for us so to be able to extend the season into November and December was really positive. It made the winter only three months long as opposed to five.”

Insurance costs remain a challenge for operators within the adventure tourism sector. It’s an issue that needs to be tackled from the top down, says Paul. “Even if you’ve done everything right, the insurance company is going to pay out on a claim and that’s why insurance costs are so high. It’s the biggest worry that most businesses in this industry have at the moment.”

The rope course and the zipline are the most popular activities at CP Adventure. In the near future, Paul has ambitions to add new activities such as an obstacle course in the treetops and more waterbased adventures. “I’m always thinking about how we can improve what we do here. I do this job because I love it; I love the outdoors and being active every day. It’s a great way to live.”

We customise packages for people so they’re getting exactly what they want, along with value for money,” said Athos. Currently, the centre is busy with school trips. During the summer and the rest of the year, sports teams along with stag and hen parties keep the Eclipse team busy. “I love this job as I get paid to torture kids! I get a huge amount of enjoyment from watching people get involved with activities and pushing themselves to complete a task.”

Unlike many adventure parks across the country, high insurance premiums aren’t an issue, says Athos. “I’m a member of Arachas, a scheme that specialises in insurance schemes for groups of businesses that find it hard to get cover. The excess is still a bit high, but it’s quite manageable.”

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Sector Spotlight  Adventure Tourism

A few years ago, an investment of €400,000 went into stable blocks at the centre, an activity that Covid put paid to. “When the pandemic struck, my staff at the stables just dispersed. It was impossible to get staff for horse-related activities at the time. There’s great potential to develop that side of the business.”

Huge emphasis is placed on staff training at Eclipse Ireland. Whether visitors to the centre are top athletes or people with additional needs, staff must deliver the same message. “It’s important that staff have empathy and can ensure everyone leaves feeling good about themselves. Right now I’m lucky in that I have excellent staff; an ex-Guard, an ex PE instructor, staff that have undergone Iron Man competitions. I was an athlete myself in my younger years, so we’ve got a great team of excellent sportspeople here.”

In 2009 when Athos opened the centre, plans were in place to open an indoor facility which would house the biggest climbing wall in Europe.

When the recession hit, those plans had to be shelved. “We were only half built when we opened.

That was a very difficult period, but we’re still here and doing very well. There’s huge scope here to expand, to open an indoor facility and grow and develop the centre. I’m 64 though, I’ve been doing this a long time. I think it’s probably time to consider my options; maybe a larger organisation or company could take on the centre and fulfil all the potential that’s there. I’m ready to retire to a nice little fishing port on the Mediterranean!”

Eclipse Ireland

Smugglers Cove

Smugglers Cove

Smugglers Cove in Rosscarbery, Co Cork is home to Ireland’s first summer tubing park and largest corn maze. Owned and managed by Geoff Wycherly, the park has grown considerably since first opening in 2014 with crazy golf and an existing golf course. Over the years, activities including a timber maze, corn maze, tubing area and café have rounded up the offering. Right now, the tubing park is proving a hit with kids and adults alike. “It’s like tobogganing except you’re sitting in a hard-bottomed tube. There are four tracks, one which has a big jump. It might look scary, but it takes people out of their comfort zone a bit. The majority of people that seem a bit afraid before they do it are generally the ones racing back up the hill to do it again,” said Geoff.

Significant investment has gone into Smugglers Cove. In the beginning, financial help came from West Cork Development Partnership and in recent years, from SECAD. “We probably couldn’t have done without the help. In the last couple of years, we would have paid back any grants received through corporation tax, PRSI, VAT etc, so it’s a win win.” Recruiting and retaining staff isn’t an issue, says Geoff. Attractive working hours (9am to 6pm) and a four day working week mean staff get to have a social life. The main barrier to growth, says Geoff, is insurance costs. “When we started back in 2014, my insurance was €1800. Today, it costs me €16,000. There are two projects I’d like to get up and running at the moment. The first thing I did was call my insurance company to see if I could get insurance on them. The answer was no. Centres are closing down and we all know there’ll be more. And at the end of the day, it’s the customers that are losing out.”

Smugglers Cove is currently insured through Arachas. “Only for that, my insurance would no doubt be double what I’m paying now. I’m also involved in a second business here in Rosscarbery, the Lagoon Activity Centre, and insurance for it has gone from €15,000 to €58,000, even though it’s only open 12 weeks of the year.”

Despite obstacles to growth, Geoff ’s got big plans for Smugglers Cove. Adding new activities, growing numbers at the centre and creating a sustainable business in the long-term are the top priorities, he says. “I take great pride in employing people. I’ve got a great team of staff and we love to see visitors come in and enjoy themselves, that’s really the main thing. There’s great scope here for growth and that’s what we’re trying to build on.”

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my gift to the world Together, we can continue to create a future that is fair for everyone. And make a world without poverty our legacy.

For more information contact OXFAM Ireland Tel: (01) 672 7662 Email: friends@oxfamireland.org Oxfam Ireland is a member of Oxfam International, a world-wide development organisation that mobilises the power of people against poverty. Charitable co. limited by guarantee. Reg. No. 284292, CHY5988

www.oxfamireland.org/legacy

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Advice  Wise Guys

WISE GUYS

SIX INDUSTRY EXPERTS SHARE ONE PERSONAL NUGGET OF ADVICE FOR ASPIRING ENTREPRENEURS.

1

HR Consultancy Carmel Somers Managing Director, Carmel Somers Consulting Limited (CSCL)

When I set up my company, I saw the power of my professional network who shared advice, created introductions and helped me navigate the start-up environment. Growing my professional network through speaking opportunities and attending meet-ups is a powerful support for growing businesses. The saying “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” has a strong element of truth to it!

2

Lean Strategies Dermot Freeman Managing Director, Dermot Freeman & Associates

I have grown to hate the prefix “Re” as in re-work, re-design etc. Every time you use it, it costs you money, or profit to be more precise. Allowable exceptions are re-use, re-cycle and customer re-ordering. Delivering value to customers is hard enough without adding cost that can’t be passed on. My advice is don’t tolerate “Re”…

ANYWHERE, EVER!

3

LEGAL Services Kathryn Maybury Managing Director, KOMSEC Limited

My guiding star in 30 years of business has always been corporate governance. Corporate governance forces us all to step back from the day job and look at a company from a different perspective. Provided there is buy-in at all levels, corporate governance can improve and transform so many elements such as risk management, transparency, enhanced reputation and the ever constant bottom line.

There are many definitions, but there’s one thing that all great business leaders agree on, and that’s how success can only come by persevering despite failure.

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Wise Guys  Advice

“I’m not going to continue knocking that old door that doesn’t open for me. I’m going to create my own door and walk through that.”

4

PrinT Paddy Gallagher Sales Director, Print Media Services

I have picked up lots of interesting advice and tips over the years – the secret to sales is to have “shiny” shoes, a nice smile and to always have an entertaining story or two. But the best advice I would give is to remember that companies don’t deal with companies, people deal with people.

It’s all about building those relationships.

If you are a business leader

5

Consultancy Tony Dignam

Managing Director, The Agile Executive Being an entrepreneur can be challenging and lonely, so seek external help and advice to help you grow your business.

There are so many grants and supports available to SMEs; look out for them and take whatever is available. Also, seek out and talk to successful entrepreneurs. They love to be asked for their opinion and for their help.

Ava DuVernay, US filmmaker, television producer and film publicist

6

Consultancy Veronica Murphy Consulting Partner, The Discovery Partnership

I am a big believer in “fix one BIG thing” in your business! Rather than trying to be brilliant at everything, focus on what really matters most to deliver value to your business. It will often hold the key to your best commercial opportunities!

Quick wins are really important to harness your team’s energy and to motivate them.

and you feel you have some words of wisdom to share with he small business community please email info@sfa.ie

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Cover Story  Square

Peace of mind,

Paul McCarthy

squared SMALL BUSINESS IS WHY SQUARE EXISTS. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JASON LALOR CHATS TO BETTER BUSINESS ABOUT HOW THE RIGHT TOOLS CAN EMPOWER SMALL FIRMS AND TAKE THE PAIN OUT OF PROCESSING PAYMENTS

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Square  Cover Story

“WE WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR ECOSYSTEM SERVES OUR SELLERS SO THEY CAN RUN AND GROW THEIR BUSINESS, ALL ON SQUARE. ALTHOUGH WE SERVE BUSINESSES OF ALL SIZES, WE’RE HEAVILY FOCUSED ON OUR MICRO SELLERS AND SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESS.”

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In 2009, independent artist Jim McKelvey lost out on a two grand sale because he was unable to accept a card payment for a piece of art he had created. Back then, card payments were not the simple, touch and go transactions they are today; the financial system in place in the US made it difficult for many small businesses to accept credit cards, with high processing costs and payment delays exacerbating the issue. Instead of putting the experience down to bad luck and hoping the next sale was a cash one, Jim decided to do something about it. He contacted his friend Jack Dorsey and together, they concluded that the answer lay with the iPhone, the technological revolution of the time.

If an iPhone can be a camera, a map or a book, why can’t it process payments too? Out of that concept, the pair effectively created Square’s first ever product to hit the market, a small VoIP card reader that utilised the iPhone to process payments. “Before Square, only large businesses with access to advanced business tools could take credit cards. Square changed all that. Our purpose is economic empowerment; we believe everyone should have easy and fair access to financial services,” said Jason Lalor, Executive Director at Square. No business, large or small, should ever feel left out because barriers are too high, cost is too great or indeed technology is too complex. “Legacy financial systems often penalise smaller business, tying them into long contracts with high rates and poor service levels. We do the opposite.”

Since setting up in 2009, Square has evolved from an inperson payments company to an omni-channel commerce firm, with a presence in several international markets. Jason attributes the company’s growth to building an integrated ecosystem of solutions spanning hardware, payments and software as a service. Customers, or ‘sellers’, are Square’s top priority. “We want to make sure our ecosystem serves our sellers so they can run and grow their business, all on Square. Although we serve businesses of all sizes, we’re heavily focused on our micro sellers and small and medium business. The reason I came to work at Square is that I absolutely buy into the idea of economic empowerment. I

Jason Lalor, Executive Director, Square

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Square  Cover Story

come from a family of small businesses myself and I’ve seen first-hand how complex and costly it can be. Small business is at the heart of everything we do here. It’s why we exist.”

In May of this year, Square celebrated its first year of operating in Ireland. it’s also the first market where the company launched its full ecosystem of products. Research conducted by the company showed that small businesses were looking for something new and that Ireland’s underserved market would, says Jason, align nicely with Square’s principle of economic empowerment. “We felt that Irish small businesses in particular were looking for a service that would provide a one stop shop across multiple accounts. Establishing our European HQ in Ireland was also a strategic move; it’s an excellent market to be able to launch our business across Europe.” Square offers Irish sellers the ability to sell in person through its POS software and through its hardware, which includes Square Terminal, Stand and Reader. Just recently, Square Register was launched in Ireland, a powerful and efficient till system with fully integrated POS and payments. The new tech lets the user manage chip and PIN, mobile and contactless

in omni-channel selling, says Jason, a move that Square can fully facilitate. “Our ecosystem of products takes away the headache of juggling multiple system integrations and we do that by providing an integrated solution with transparent pricing. Our ultimate goal is about wanting sellers to be able to concentrate on making their business successful and not wasting time trying to figure out how to stitch together five or six different unconnected systems in the backend. I would see that as our unique selling proposition.”

The pandemic has highlighted the resilience of Irish small business, says Jason. “Our focus is very much on supporting our sellers and providing them with the tools they need to succeed. With Covid, we’ve learned that it’s more important than ever that they have access to integrated tools that lets them pivot and adapt, sell online or in store. Over the past couple of years, I’ve been blown away by the resilience of our seller base, not just in Ireland but across the world.” Square’s suite of products has helped small business recover faster, says Jason. A one-to-one approach with customers and a policy of seeking their thoughts and opinions on Square products is helping to keep the company one step ahead of the competition, says Jason. “We adapt our business based on the counsel we receive from our sellers.”

Square is all about transparent pricing, says Jason. No tricky T’s & C’s, no unclear price structures – sellers are clear

Paul McCarthy

“OUR FOCUS IS VERY MUCH ON SUPPORTING OUR SELLERS AND PROVIDING THEM WITH THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO SUCCEED. WITH COVID, WE’VE LEARNED THAT IT’S MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO INTEGRATED TOOLS THAT LETS THEM PIVOT AND ADAPT, SELL ONLINE OR IN STORE.” payments, online sales and click and collect, all from one point of sale. No extra tablets, apps or card terminal are required. It’s an iconic piece of technology that will, says Jason, prove a gamechanger for Irish business.

Having a diverse group of sellers across the country from the off has helped ensure products from Square are the right fit for the Irish market. “We’ve got a great mix of sellers and we’re heavily focused on food and beverage, retail and professional services. The Irish office is growing steadily, we’re really happy with progress so far.” Having the ability to sell both in store and online has never been more important. Trends are clearly pointing to an upsurge

on what they’re paying from the get go. Square also doesn’t require sellers to sign up to a contract. “We’re very clear on the fact that sellers can join Square without any complexity.

We want them to spend their time running their business and selling whatever it is that they’re selling; our aim is to make sure we’re enabling commerce. With Square, you’re not just getting a system that’s going to work out of the box. You’re getting something that will grow and adapt as you grow.”

Over the next 12 to 18 months, Jason sees a steady drumbeat of momentum and progress at Square’s European HQ. Currently, there are 170 people employed at the Dublin office and that number is expected to grow. “We’ve hit some fairly major milestones over the last year – a jobs announcement at the end of 2021 and the launch of our software offering for marketing and loyalty at the start of 2022. Not to mention the launch of Square Register in Ireland. We’re on a trajectory of growth, we’re continuing to invest and more importantly, we’ll continue to serve the sellers that are at the heart of everything we do.”

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e c i t c a r p n i s s Wellne HOW DO YOU INCORPORATE WELLNESS INTO YOUR BUSINESS IN A PRACTICAL SENSE? ZOMA HAS THE ANSWERS. Like all marketing companies, we aspire to develop brands that make an impact. When we chose to re-brand in 2021, we wanted to make sure we left a lasting impression on our customers and potential customers, but also on our team. Led by the core value of ‘marketing actively’, ZOMA was born. Putting physical and mental wellness at the forefront of our business has been hugely successful for us. We have implemented a number of initiatives including weekly team workouts, availability of healthy snacks and meal plans and the adoption of comfortable, casual uniforms ensuring that all staff look and work smart when getting our creative juices flowing. All our efforts are paying off in terms of productivity, creativity and turnover, proving just how effective the right approach to wellbeing can be.

1

ENCOURAGE CREATIVITY

Since our rebrand to ZOMA in 2021, we have seen a massive 109% increase in turnover. This is largely due to the creative expression we encourage in our team. At ZOMA, we believe that everyone has a creative streak and we actively encourage our team to share ideas and develop new concepts without the fear of failure. We encourage open discussions around workplace pressures and make sure to bounce ideas off each other in our communal workspace.

3

BE FLEXIBLE

With 44% of people surveyed in Irish HR practices saying that the “always on” culture and screen time most affect their mental health, we strive to take time away from our laptops as often as we can. Where possible, we encourage team members to take frequent breaks or adapt the working day to fit their lifestyle. We understand that this isn’t possible for all businesses, but on most days it works for us. We have also adapted and seen the benefits of hybrid working; we love having the option to work from anywhere.

2

GET ACTIVE

In addition to our on-site office gym, we have paired up with our active partner Fred’s Functional Fitness who puts us through our paces weekly on Workout Wednesdays. As our team grows, we are conscious that certain sessions may not suit everyone or that work and life commitments mean that not everyone can make every session. We encourage all of our staff to take time for physical activity that fits in with their own schedule.

4

CREATE THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENTS

Like our uniforms, we also aspire to have a comfortable office space that encourages productivity. Whether you prefer rocking on a wobble stool, keeping your two feet firmly on the ground or changing it up at a sit/stand desk, our office caters for all preferences. With a 102% increase in productivity (measured by the number of projects we’ve undertaken) in the year since our rebrand, mixing up our workspace definitely works for us!

It’s called work-life balance for a reason and for us, promoting wellness isn’t just a 9 to 5 job. We strive to promote wellness for the ZOMA team in all aspects of their lives. We were delighted to be recognised for our efforts in wellness as recipients of the SFA Workplace Wellbeing award in April of this year. We’re far from finished with our efforts and as our team grows, so will our efforts to ensure that wellbeing continues to drive our creativity.

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04/07/2022 12:41

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04/07/2022 10:48

Entrepreneurs  Gin Makers

THAT’S T HE

IREL IN ’S G A ND R KE MA R T FO

HE

R

S AR M EC SE A LV RVIN ES GO N U O BU T JU T A NAME TA CRO ST AT HOM E, SS T HE GL OB E

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Gin Makers  Entrepreneurs

MOIRA DOHERTY in Algaran Seaweed in Glencolumbkille, who’s an expert in all things seaweedrelated. She told us which seaweeds were available off the west coast and which ones could be distilled. We selected about 20, distilled them individually on our little still and picked the five that we felt were the most interesting.” From there, Moira made a basic gin recipe containing juniper, coriander, Cassia, Angelica, orange and lemon, along with the five seaweeds. “We worked with those ingredients until we got the proportions right. As far as I’m aware, An Dúlamán is the only gin in Ireland

imbabwe native Moira Doherty never thought she’d end up owning a gin and whiskey distillery on the west coast of Ireland. A nurse and midwife by trade, she moved to Carrick in Co Donegal with her husband James in 2014. At that stage, they had already taken their first steps towards creating An Dúlamán Gin and Silkie Irish Whiskey. “James worked in the drinks industry for many years and setting up a whiskey distillery was his brainwave.

Creating the gin was mine. We’re self-taught; we started off with a tiny little two and a half litre still and it’s really just taken off from there.” Sliabh Liag Distillery, situated on the Sliabh Liag peninsula in Donegal, launched in 2014 while the distillery for An Dúlamán Gin was established in 2017 just outside the village of Carrick. A 500-litre hand-beaten copper still, which Moira has christened ‘Méabh’, is used to make the liquid.

Savoury as opposed to floral, An Dúlamán contains five different types of seaweed. “We sought the help of Rosaria

made with five seaweeds.”

With Silkie Irish Whiskey performing well at home and in the US, the ambition for An Dúlamán is to continue to grow the brand. Moira is currently working on two extensions of the gin, made up of the same basic recipe but only containing kelp.

“We lived in Hong Kong before moving to Ireland so one of the extensions will be inspired by our time in Asia and another will be inspired by my life in Africa.”

Moira and James are in the process of building a new distillery in Ardara. The plan is to expand capacity from 440,000 to 600,000 litres of alcohol a year. Bottling will be carried out in the Carrick distillery, while An Dúlamán will have its own distillery in Ardara. “That will help us expand the brand. We know An Dúlamán is different. We know it’s unusual. This isn’t a mainstream gin but hopefully, it’ll be a gin that people feel passionate about. That’s what we’re aiming for.”

“WE KNOW AN DÚLAMÁN IS DIFFERENT. WE KNOW IT’S UNUSUAL. THIS ISN’T A MAINSTREAM GIN BUT HOPEFULLY, IT’LL BE A GIN THAT PEOPLE FEEL PASSIONATE ABOUT. THAT’S WHAT WE’RE AIMING FOR.”

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Entrepreneurs  Gin Makers

KILLIAN O’SULLIVAN

Distilled in small batches, Conncullin is defined by a blend of juniper supported by hawthorn berry, elderberry and other botanicals. The liquid is, says Killian, performing extremely well, despite a crowded marketplace. “It gets increasingly crowded by the week as people get it into their head that they want to create the best-ever tasting gin. It can be difficult to carve out a space for yourself, but I think we have a very good, solid offering.” Limited edition caskaged variations of Conncullin Gin have proved a big hit with the public, says Killian. “We’re planning on releasing two more this year. The first will be a Conncullin that’s been finished in port casks, which gives it a bit of colour and rounds out some of the sweetness. We’re also going to bring back our French toasted oak cask finish, which disappears the moment it hits the shelves.” For. Conncullin, cask finishes are definitely preferable to new flavours. “I believe a lot of the ‘flavoured’ gins are just flavoured and coloured vodka. It’s easy to jump on the gin bandwagon as it’s quite lightly regulated.”

“IT GETS INCREASINGLY CROWDED BY THE WEEK AS PEOPLE GET IT INTO THEIR HEAD THAT THEY WANT TO CREATE THE BESTEVER TASTING GIN. IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO CARVE OUT A SPACE FOR YOURSELF, BUT I THINK WE HAVE A VERY GOOD, SOLID OFFERING.”

L

ocated on the banks of the River Moy in Ballina, Co Mayo, The Connacht Distillery first began distilling whiskey in 2016. Around the same time, Master Distiller Robert Cassell decided to add a premium gin to the distillery’s portfolio. “Rob was the co-founder of Philadelphia Distilling Company in the US and he created Bluecoat Gin, so when he said he was going to create a new gin at Connacht, we knew it would be something special. His ambition was to create something fresh, something that reminded him of the west coast of Ireland. That’s where Conncullin Irish Gin came from.”

Whether it’s glass, labels or containers, input costs have increased significantly since 2021. The cost of doing business has shot up and passing those costs onto the customer isn’t an option, says Killian. “We work hard to try and ensure we get the best possible rates, but it’s extremely difficult. Even getting wood barrels from Kentucky to age our whiskey in is a problem. Every little thing has a knock-on effect at the moment.”

With the visitor centre at The Connacht Distillery back open, the team are hopeful for a profitable summer. Bookings from US visitors are strong, while domestic business is also proving buoyant. “It was important to us to be able to reopen the visitor centre. It’s a great way of engaging with people and telling them the story of our brands, as opposed to trying to convey that online or on Zoom.”

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Gin Makers  Entrepreneurs

SALLY-ANNE COONEY

Sally-Anne Cooney, Director at Boann Distillery, is just back from showcasing Silks Irish Dry Gin at Bloom in the Phoenix Park. She’s got another two events lined up this week alone, along with Whiskey Live in the RDS. “Business is good, we’re extremely busy at the moment. It’s so great to see the return of festivals and events and to get the opportunity to showcase our brands to a whole new audience. Silks is still a relatively new brand and the aim at the moment is to get as much visibility on it

“AFTER TWO AND A HALF YEARS OF COVID, PEOPLE AREN’T ALWAYS WILLING TO EXPERIMENT WITH SOMETHING NEW ALTHOUGH AS WE GO INTO THE SUMMER, THAT SEEMS TO BE CHANGING.”

as possible.” Launched in July 2021, Silks is performing well at home and already available in 15 US markets. “We launched in America in April. Our US distributor for our Whistler brand was happy to take on the Silks brand too. Up until now, the US hasn’t experienced the same kind of gin boom that we’ve had here in Ireland, the UK and Europe. We’re starting to see the signs now though; people are experimenting with different gins and they’re starting to trade up their gin too.

I’m hoping that we’re launching just the right side of a nice gin boom in the US.” Silks is a brand that’s close to SallyAnne’s heart. It tells the story of the family business and its beginnings in Co Meath.

“When I was thinking about a concept for Silks, I kept going back to the orchard at our family home at the foot of the Hill of Tara. There are about 6,500 apple trees in the orchard and for some reason, I felt drawn to it as a starting point.” Silks’ signature botanicals – apple blossom, honey, elderflower and hawthorne – are all foraged from the orchard, creating a floral forward, contemporary style gin.

“There are quite a few spice forward, strong gins on the market right now. Silks is quite subtle, very balanced and also very versatile.” A jar of honey from the orchard’s eight hives (kept by Sally-Anne’s beekeeper mother) goes into each distillation.

An element of ‘gin fatigue’ in the Irish market is making it difficult for new brands to shine through, says Sally-Anne. “Once we tell the story of Silks and get someone to actually taste it, we can usually get over most hurdles. After two and a half years of Covid, people aren’t always willing to experiment with something new although as we go into the summer, that seems to be changing. I think we’re looking at a strong summer, for both the on trade and also the off trade.”

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Entrepreneurs  Gin Makers

JUNE O’CONNELL

fresh Douglas fir needles. “We also use Dillisk, a sea botanical. We use it like you’d use salt on your dinner; you shouldn’t be able to taste it but you’d know if it wasn’t there.” Skellig Six18 Gin is a ‘food’ gin. It’s an aperitif, says June, for people who enjoy food and want to discover how flavours are put together.

Skellig Six18 Distillery is located in what was previously a manufacturing plant for textiles in Cahersiveen, right on the Ring of Kerry. The distillery’s visitor centre is proving a hit with both international and domestic visitors, says June. “People are interested in how gin is made, particularly Irish people. We also have a retail shop, which is an important element to the business and we have a premium corporate gifting service.” As well

“BUILDING A GLOBAL PREMIUM SPIRITS BUSINESS IS A LONG JOURNEY, BUT ONE WE’RE REALLY ENJOYING. WE’RE VERY MUCH ROOTED IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY IN CAHERSIVEEN AND THAT’S SOMETHING WE’RE KEEN TO GROW AND DEVELOP”

Skellig Six18 Gin

was launched in Chapter One restaurant in Dublin in October 2019. Renowned chef Ross Lewis and his team played a part in devising the recipe for the gin, says Skellig Six18 Distillery CEO, June O’Connell.

“From the off, we were keen to make sure that our gin reflected our region here on the Skellig Coast and so we foraged locally for whatever botanicals we could find. Paul Quinn from Nádúr helped us identify about 20 different Irish botanicals which we then distilled separately to try and come up with a profile, but it was too overwhelming. That’s when Ross Lewis and Darren Hogarty in Chapter One stepped in to help us out with their expertise and sophisticated palettes.” Out of those 20 botanicals local to the distillery, three were selected. Yarrow, which grows wild in every ditch in Europe, birch sap and

as growing the business at home, fulfilling the potential of the exports market is top of the agenda, says June. “We’re making good progress since global markets reopened. Exports are a priority for any Irish spirit as the market here is too small. Also, the alcohol products tax is incredibly high in Ireland.”

Ambitions at Skellig Six18 Distillery are high for 2022; two new whiskey expressions are set to be released in Q3 and construction on a new two tonne whiskey plant will start before the end of the year.

“I also think there’s great potential with the visitor experience, so this year is all about getting visibility on it. Building a global premium spirits business is a long journey, but one we’re really enjoying. We’re very much rooted in our local community in Cahersiveen and that’s something we’re keen to grow and develop. Finding excellence and agility in rural Ireland has not been a problem for us.”

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Available in SMALL,

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01/07/2022 09:26

Trading Places  This Brewing Brewing Life Life

Brewing THIS

LIFE

A PASSION FOR BREWING BEER HAS BROUGHT ELBOW LANE’S MASTER DISTILLER RUSSELL GARRETT FROM NEW YORK TO CORK

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 Trading Places

This Brewing Life

For over 36 years, Rockaway Beach-native Russell Garrett has been brewing beer. His career has brought him from New York to Seattle, Pennsylvania and Boston and today, he’s the Master Distiller at Elbow Lane in Cork, probably the smallest brewery in the country. A life in beer wasn’t on the cards initially though. “I aspired to be an artist and had gone to art school in New York. It’s a really competitive profession and difficult to get into and so when I was offered a job at a tavern in Manhattan that brewed its own beer, I took it.

I trained there for three years and also attended the Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago at the same time. It’s a career that was sort of thrust upon me, but I could see the opportunity in it.” Back then there were hundreds, not thousands of breweries across the US. Russell recognised the potential that existed in the burgeoning craft beer revolution. “I got to travel around the country, working for different sized breweries. In the late 90’s, I heard that the craft beer movement had hit Ireland so decided to take a chance.”

For Russell, moving from New York to Ireland in the 1990’s wasn’t the culture shock you might expect. He and his Irish-born wife Christina (who he met working in a brewery) had run a B&B in Killorglin in the 1980’s before moving back to the US for a few years. “Everything, from people’s haircuts to their clothes, were out of date by at least a decade! It was a very different experience to living in New York. Obviously, Ireland had a much more conservative culture back then but when you’d walk into a pub at night, you’d always hear laughter. When I first came to Ireland, there was no shame in being on the dole and heading to the local for a few jars on dole day. Ireland has changed hugely since then. Back then, I was known as the Yank but the influx of various nationalities that now reside in Ireland has made for a real ethnic melting pot.”

Running a B&B in Killorglin in the 1980’s was a tough ask. After a number of years, Russell and Christina sold on the business and moved back to the US. By the time he made Ireland his home for a second time, Russell already had 10 years of brewing under his belt. In 1998, he became a partner at Franciscan Well Brewery, staying there for about 10 years before leaving to do some consultancy work and then joining Elbow Lane. Due to large excise duties, quite

Russell Garrett, Master Distiller, Elbow Lane

“EVERYTHING, FROM PEOPLE’S HAIRCUTS TO THEIR CLOTHES, WERE OUT OF DATE BY AT LEAST A DECADE! IT WAS A VERY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE TO LIVING IN NEW YORK. OBVIOUSLY, IRELAND HAD A MUCH MORE CONSERVATIVE CULTURE BACK THEN BUT WHEN YOU’D WALK INTO A PUB AT NIGHT, YOU’D ALWAYS HEAR LAUGHTER.” SFA | BETTER BUSINESS 37

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Trading Places  This Brewing Life

“THEY WORK CLOSELY WITH US IN THE BREWERY AND TAKE BY-PRODUCTS AND RAW MATERIALS FROM US TO INCORPORATE INTO THEIR MENUS. THAT’S A WHOLE OTHER SIDE OF WHAT WE DO, WHICH DISTINGUISHES ELBOW LANE FROM OTHER CRAFT BREWERIES.” a few of the older Irish craft breweries have closed down over the years, says Russell. “It wasn’t until 2004 when the Irish government granted us the reduction in beer duty that we got on the same level as the rest of Europe. That was a game changer for the craft brewing industry.” Younger people became more discerning; the beer their grandfathers drank didn’t cut it anymore. It took until 2012 for the tax break to really kick in and for the craft beer movement to feel the benefit. “Craft brewers talk about three waves of craft brewing; the first wave was the original guys, the ground breakers, that set up shop around 1995.

The second was the small number that set up in the early 2000s and the third wave came around 2012 when we began to see the number of craft breweries go from around 20 to 70 within a few years. That was a big change.”

Throughout his career, Russell has worked in eight different breweries, four of which have been start-

ups. “They were amazing experiences. I would come on board and oversee the installation of the original equipment, formulate recipes, establish operational procedures, train personnel, all the elements that go with a brand new brewery.” The other four breweries were established businesses, varying in size. With a 500 litre brew size, Elbow Lane in Cork is the smallest brewery that Russell has worked in to date. It’s part of the Market Lane Group which also includes Elbow Lane Smokehouse, Market Lane, Goldie, ORSO and Blackrock Castle restaurants. It’s also one of the few Irish breweries that adheres to the principles of the ancient German purity law, ‘Reinheitsgebot’. “It means we only use four ingredients in our brews – malted barley, hops, yeast and water. Reinheitsgebot dates back to 1516 and was probably Europe’s first consumer protection law. It governed what went into beer at a time when people were throwing nearly anything into it. We follow that law; no additives go into beers at Elbow Lane, it’s all totally natural. We rely on time and gravity sedimentation to allow our beers to settle out.” A smaller operation like Elbow Lane, one that’s attached to a chain of restaurants, has gotten the creative juices going, says Russell. He feeds off the creativity of the young chefs and the rest of the team that he works with. “They work closely with us in the brewery and take by-products and raw materials from us to incorporate into their menus.

That’s a whole other side of what we do, which distinguishes Elbow Lane from other craft breweries.”

Innovation shines throughout each of the Group’s menus; butter, infused with hops from the brewery, is melted on top of steaks; malt is used for desserts; a miso paste has been made out of brewer’s yeast; spent grains are used to bake breads. “That’s something you wouldn’t get the opportunity to do in larger production breweries. There’s so much interaction between myself and Head Chef Harrison Sharp. It’s a great thing.”

Just recently, Elbow Lane announced it would be doubling its brewing capacity with match-funding from Cork City’s Local Enterprise Office. It’s expected the €60,000 investment will help the micro-brewery keep up with existing demand and help develop its distribution within the region. “We’ve invested in a new four head bottle filler and a 5 litre mini keg filler. We’re also starting to see the benefits of the new tanks that we purchased last summer. The investment has allowed us to increase our capacity by a certain percentage but with demand as high as it is, we could easily hit that ceiling within a year or two.” Brewing excellent beers is the aim right now, says Russell.

“We’re focused on continuing to do what we’re good at doing, which is brewing good beers and matching them with the food we offer in our restaurants. I’m only six years away from retirement but right now, I love what I’m doing.”

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Pat McDonagh, Owner Supermac’s, Trócaire Supporter.

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30/06/2022 12:20 05/09/2016 09:51

SFA HR  Annual Leave

managing

Annual Leave

WITH SUMMER HOLIDAYS PERMITTED ONCE AGAIN, IT’S ESSENTIAL THAT EMPLOYERS DEAL WITH REQUESTS FOR ANNUAL LEAVE IN LINE WITH CURRENT LEGISLATION

Throughout the summer season, employers tend to see an influx of annual leave requests. In April this year, the CSO published the results of its Personal and Work-Life Balance 2021 survey which revealed that one in five workers did not take any annual leave in 2021 (this was mainly due to Covid-19).

Employers will be aware that annual leave should, in accordance with the provisions of the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 (OWTA 1997), be used in the annual year in which it accrues or within the first six months following the end of the leave year. As a result of a higher than usual number of employees carrying leave over from last year, a significant number of businesses may now be fielding competing annual leave requests.

See our FAQ on the next page that address issues relating to annual leave requests.

HR GENDER PAY GAP

If you haven’t started working on the information required by the Gender Pay Gap Information Act, now’s the time The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth have published guidance and FAQ documents for employers on how to calculate the various metrics required by the Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021.

In 2022, employers with 250+ relevant employees on the snapshot date from June 2022 (1-30 June - date to be chosen by employer) will have to report on the 12-month period preceding and including the chosen snapshot date on the mirror date in December 2022. This will extend to employers of 150+ employees in 2024 and to employers of 50+ employees in 2025.

What will employers have to report?

Mean and median gender pay gap Mean and median bonus gap Mean and median gender pay gap of part-time employees Mean and median gender pay gap of temporary employees Percentage of male and female employees who received bonuses Percentage of male and female employees who received benefits in kind Proportion of male and female employees in each of four equally sized quartile Employers will be required to include a narrative alongside the figures explaining the reasons the employer believes are relevant for the figures and the actions they have or may take to address the gender pay gap. There is currently no specified format for the gender pay gap information to be published, but it must be available on the employer’s website (or an alternative way that is accessible to all employees and the public) for a period of at least three years, including the reporting date.

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Gender Pay Gap

We have received a number of competing annual leave requests for leave during the summer months. How should we deal with this?

When dealing with competing annual leave requests, an employer should use a fair and equitable approach to determine who can take the requested leave.

For example, a rota system could be implemented so that an employee whose request is refused this year will be permitted to take time off next year, or a simple draw could be used in which the manager will select at random to see who gets the time off. Having a clear annual leave policy will assist in avoiding potential issues arising when competing holiday requests are received.

Can an employer refuse a request for annual leave?

Requests for annual leave can be declined due to business needs. However, an employer is required under legislation to consider the need for the employee to reconcile work and any family responsibilities and the opportunities for rest and recreation available to the employee.

Must an employee take an unbroken two weeks of holidays?

Following eight months’ work and where the employer has refused the employee’s requests to take annual leave during this time, the employee is entitled to an unbroken period of two weeks which may include one or more public holidays.

What should an employer consider if planning on assigning annual leave to employees?

As set out in the OWTA 1997, an employer must have due regard to an employee’s opportunities to reconcile any work and family responsibilities and have regard to the opportunity of the employee to avail of rest and recreation during their leave.

In addition, an employer must only assign annual leave to an employee by providing one month’s notice. Open communication with employees is crucial so that workers understand the firm’s rationale behind wanting to assign annual leave.

Can an employer pay an employee in lieu of annual leave?

Statutory annual leave should not be paid in lieu of except in a situation where the employment relationship is terminated.

 SFA HR

Can an employer impose a ‘use it or lose it’ policy with respect to annual leave?

Where statutory annual leave is not taken in the leave year it is accrued, an employee cannot ‘lose’ statutory leave if it is not taken.

Where the employee has been encouraged to take his or her statutory annual leave within the leave year but has failed to do so, an employer may require the employee to take annual leave with one month’s notice.

Employers who provide additional company leave days in addition to statutory leave may employ a ‘use it or lose it’ policy with respect to these days, as they are viewed as a company benefit and are not governed by the OWTA 1997. It would be important to ensure that the company policy is very clear in this regard.

Can annual leave be carried over to the next leave year?

Generally, a company policy will be very clear in terms of the rules around the carryover of annual leave. The 1997 Act outlines that annual leave should be granted within the leave year to which it relates, or with the consent of the employee within the period of six months following the end of the leave year.

Guidance on calculations The guidance lays out how employers can calculate for each person employed on the chosen snapshot date their total ordinary pay, total bonus, total benefits-in-kind and total hours worked for the reporting period. Employers will also need to be mindful of which employees were full-time, part-time or temporary during the reporting period. All of this will enable their hourly remuneration to be calculated, as well as the various calculations required to report the elements above.

It is essential to be aware of the various definitions throughout, as they identify what is to be included or indeed excluded from different calculations. This is particularly relevant for employers who may have already reported in other jurisdictions as the definitions may vary. For example although quite similar to the UK definition, the Irish definition of Ordinary Pay includes overtime and requires employers to have a strong record of all overtime hours to take into account for this calculation.

At this stage, there is not a lot of time for employers to undertake this exercise and for many, it is a new process which will take time.

As such, work should begin as soon as possible to prepare the data and calculate the various metrics required. To support that, employers may need a team of key stakeholders from payroll to provide the data, HR to ensure the people data is up to date and to identify or create the initiatives that will help address the gender pay gap and communications to assist in developing and presenting the report. In addition to the data required, it is worth examining additional data around gender balance in recruitment, promotion opportunities, job titles and different levels to understand where possible blocks or opportunities for change may exist.

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SFA Policy  MentorsWork

GET FINANCE SAVVY A NEW MENTORSWORK REPORT HAS IDENTIFIED SME SKILLS GAPS IN FINANCIAL KNOWLEDGE Productivity and business development are being curtailed across many small and medium sized enterprises, due to emerging skills gaps. That’s according to a new report compiled by MentorsWork, a collaborative venture of Skillnet Ireland and the Small Firms Association, whose findings also show that many SMEs are also struggling to access finance and financial supports.

While innovation and technological advances are critical in delivering increased productivity, SMEs crucially must have robust financial planning, says Sven Spollen-Behrens, Director of the Small Firms Association (SFA). “It is critical that owner-managers of small businesses have up-to-date organisational and financial skills, including financial literacy, financial analysis skills and understanding risk, in order to implement the necessary changes to adapt to an ever-evolving business landscape”.

MentorsWork, an award-winning joint initiative from Skillnet Ireland and the Small Firms Association (SFA), is designed for business owners and managers throughout Ireland to help boost SME productivity by providing mentoring and business development tools. The report determines several predictors of financial competency, with higher employee numbers and older businesses (10+ years) more positively correlated with stronger financial literacy skills and higher capacity to execute effective strategic planning.

Younger SME businesses (10 years or less) score lower than older counterparts in the report’s metrics in measuring financial literacy, financial analysis and understanding risk. In addition, these businesses have more difficulty with routes to accessing financing and financial

supports, as do businesses with nine employees or fewer. ICT and services are the sectors particularly challenged when it comes to financing needs and the services industry is associated with lower levels of financial literacy in the report.

By sector, retail and hospitality, food and drink and manufacturing report above average competency around financial planning. SMEs involved in ICT are average, while services and all others rated below average. Manufacturing, ICT, retail, hospitality and food and drink performed best when it came to assessing finances and risk. The MentorsWork programme includes an in-depth competency assessment on SMEs’ main productivity drivers, one of which is finance and growth skills, says Skillnet Ireland Strategy Officer, Mark Jordan. “Programmes are developed in response to specific business needs, which we regularly measure and assess. Our latest

data from recent MentorsWork participants has helped us refine supports in the areas of finance and business growth for specific types of business. For example, the new 2022 MentorsWork programme, launched last month, includes a more intensive programme for faster growing businesses, as well as additional new support in progressing a business plan for former scheme participants.”

The success rate of businesses completing the 12-week MentorsWork programme is impressive to date, says the Skillnet Ireland Strategy Officer. “The mentoring and business planning programme supports SMEs with up to 250 employees from a diverse range of sectors. SMEs play an important role in driving Ireland’s economic revival. The programme helps companies to focus on key talent needs which are essential to shape and deliver on a sustainable business plan,” Jordan says.

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MentorsWork

"THE PROGRAMME HELPS COMPANIES TO FOCUS ON KEY TALENT NEEDS WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL TO SHAPE AND DELIVER ON A SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS PLAN." Launched in 2020, MentorsWork has helped over 1,000 businesses around Ireland. The next round of 1,000 programme places is now open to SME owners and leadership teams across all industries. Any private sector business with up to 250 employees can participate in the 12-week subsidised mentoring programme, addressing core competencies with a one-to-one mentor.

Marks for Marketing Competency in business marketing is highest in the retail and hospitality and food and drink sectors and for larger companies too. Younger companies (0-10 years) rate their marketing competency higher than more established businesses.

Older and larger businesses rate their competence in winning and competing for new business more highly, with retail and hospitality out-pacing services, manufacturing and ICT businesses.

However, it seems the motivation for growth in the retail and hospitality industry is lower than average. The same is true for younger and smaller businesses.

Businesses more than 21 years old and those with 10 employees or more are associated with higher strategic planning scores. The manufacturing, food and drink and ICT sectors are rated more highly than average for strategic planning.

A strategy focus is something significant that an independent mentor can bring to a business, says Sven Spollen-Behrens

 SFA Policy

of the Small Firms Association (SFA).

“Small business owners are pulled in all directions and will often manage day-to-day operations and sales and marketing to keep business ticking over.

Where MentorsWork helps is in directing attention to future business planning, such as what does expansion look like, how will it be funded and where will it come from?” One-to-one mentoring sessions, peer-focused workshops, expert-led masterclasses and an online learning platform are all part of the scheme to support business productivity.

MentorsWork supports businesses in sectors including services and manufacturing for domestic and international markets. Lifestyle, hair and beauty, childcare, technology, retail, marketing services and recruitment are largely represented in the 12-week programme too.

SME owners and managers can apply now to participate at www.mentorswork.ie SFA | BETTER BUSINESS 43

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Health  Tidy Home Space

Tidy HOME,

Tidy mind DECLUTTERING COACH SUZY KELL ON THE IMPORTANCE OF A TIDY WORK-FROM-HOME SPACE You know that Monday feeling – a flood of emails, a shudder to your laptop’s start-up sound before sleepily attending at least one meeting that should have been an email? It’s a hard slog right now for sure. It doesn’t help that you’ve got crumbs on your chair, a stack of random papers and unfolded laundry in your eye line. Well, the good news is that there are some key things you can do to tidy up your space that take no time at all, but make a huge difference to your mood and productivity.

Here are three ways to declutter your workspace ASAP.

Su zy

Ke ll, D

1.

Clutter makes it hard to do your best work Did you know clutter makes it hard for you to give your full attention to cognitive tasks? In 2011, a study from the Princeton Neuroscience Institute found that having too much visual stimuli makes it difficult for your brain to focus and process information properly.

Quick tips Clear loose files on your computer desktop. Put them into either the recycle bin, the correct folder or an ‘in progress’ folder for instant relief.

Get a tray to gather cups and dishes throughout the day so they don’t live on your desk and can be easily brought back to the kitchen.

2.

Clutter makes you feel like an imposter Have you ever felt like you’re a huge fraud in your job and that one day the person who hired you is going to ‘find you out’? That’s called Imposter Syndrome. A cluttered work environment will not only make you feel out of control, but you may be hyper away of what your colleagues see in your Zoom call backgrounds. Firstly, you’re probably dealing with a lot right now, so cut yourself some slack. Secondly, focus on making yourself feel comfortable first by clearing out the big stuff like extra clothes and returning purchases.

Quick tips Buy yourself some time with a simple wall behind you on Zoom calls or upload a virtual background of a neat house.

Start by sorting things in your workspace into categories – stationary, belongs in another room etc. Without having to dispose of anything, you will already feel more in control.

e c lu tte h o ac gC r in

3.

Clutter makes it difficult to switch off When you work from home, it can be easy for your personal life to slip into your work day as much as work sneaking into your evenings. A few simple changes can create an environment that propels us to do what we need to do at the right time.

Quick tips Create a wind-down routine at the end of each work day that ties up all loose ends – set reminders, write out tomorrow’s top three to-do’s and shut down your laptop.

Put all notebooks, papers and gear into your work bag or desk for a clear and welcoming workspace in the morning.

If using the same room for work and play, turn off the overhead lights in the evening and opt for lamps and candles to give the room a soothing and completely different atmosphere.

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DeCare Dental Insurance Ireland Ltd

 Partner Profile

HUMAN CONNECTEDNESS THE MOUTH ISN’T JUST A TOOL WE USE TO EAT AND SPEAK WITH. IT’S A MEANS OF MAINTAINING SOCIAL WELLBEING, WRITES DECARE’S DAVID CASEY

The mouth is the gateway to the body and is connected to physical, mental, emotional and social wellbeing.

Almost all that enters our body is given entry through the mouth, from food, medicines and smoking to the consumption of alcohol – it all enters through this one entry point. Our mouth delivers a variety of functions that support daily living such as eating, speaking and appearance.

It’s also a key connection tool to social wellbeing and is an organ of communication that conveys a range of emotions, including the smile which connects us as human beings.

A smile speaks a thousand languages and encompasses diversity, love and belonging, connecting us without a need for words. As well as giving entry to the body, it has a gateway effect that showcases the mouth as an exit point and it’s a gateway to how we connect as human beings. We speak, we laugh, we cry, we shout, we sing, we express ourselves and our thoughts and feelings. The mouth connects us. Connection should also be considered in the same category of risk factors such as smoking, diet and exercise, to mention just a few.

It underpins our overall wellbeing and is a basic human need throughout our life course, from cradle to grave.

Social connection is the experience of feeling close and connected to others.

This involves feeling loved, cared for and valued and forms the basis of interpersonal relationships.

Human connection is the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard and valued.

It’s crucial to every individual to understand that connection underpins everything, from wellness to overall health. As human beings, we are one of the most social species and connection is the most essential basic human need after food, water and shelter. Lack of connection or loneliness and isolation has been linked to inflammation, accelerated ageing, cardiovascular health risk, suicide and early mortality. Our mouths can help connect us, as it acts as the organ of communication. The relationship we have with speaking our minds and expressing our feelings has implications for our psychological wellbeing and emotional health just as much as the physical health implications to our jaw’s teeth and gums. When we keep our mouth closed or shut, we deny our feelings and can bottle it all up, affecting our mental wellbeing.

The mouth is also linked with enjoyment and pleasure, two key components of connection.

From kissing to embracing other human beings to tasting textures and tastes at a meal, our mouths are vital to

David Casey, Wellness Health Promotion Manager, Decare

connection of the human experience.

Perhaps the most special and important gifts that this organ of communication offers are the words we can express that can deliver a message of hope, love, kindness and compassion to another human being.

Our overall health and oral health are not linear by any means and have many multi-dimensions linking physical, emotional, social and mental wellbeing. It is an organ, a two way entry and exit point, that must be maintained across our life course.

Find out more about our dental, vision and wellness programs at decare.ie SFA | BETTER BUSINESS 45

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DeCare SFA partnership Ad Print.qxp_Layout 1 20/10/2020 12:25 Page 1

Specialists in Dental and Vision Benefits

Our Mission Empower people to improve their oral, optical & general health over a lifetime DeCare is Ireland's only specialist dental, vision and wellness benefit provider.

DENTAL

VISION

FIND OUT MORE: corporate.decare.ie

WELLNESS

wellness.decare.ie

DeCare Dental Insurance Ireland DAC trading as DeCare, DeCare Dental & DeCare Vision is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

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SOLAS

 Partner Profile

SOLAS GREEN SKILLS INITIATIVE SOLAS IS DEVELOPING A RANGE OF GREEN SKILLS PROGRAMMES TO EQUIP EMPLOYEES TO COMPETE IN A LOW CARBON, RESOURCE EFFICIENT, CIRCULAR ECONOMY Climate change and sustainable development are a key focus for Further Education and Training (FET) to harness its strong capabilities in energy, building and the environment to make an impactful contribution to the Government’s call to action on climate change.

Speaking at the Green Skills Summit, held by SOLAS, ETBI and Waterford Wexford ETB (Education and Training Board), in March of this year, Andrew Brownlee, CEO of SOLAS, remarked: “The Climate Action Plan published in 2021 has set ambitious targets for the decarbonisation of our economy and the transition to this new economy will require significant levels of skills across the country in a huge variety of sectors to come to fruition.”

Companies need to ensure that their employees have the right skills to compete in a low carbon, resource efficient, and circular economy. In response to the ongoing critical challenges that businesses are facing, SOLAS is developing a range of green skills programmes in collaboration with the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) and strategic partners Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, Irish Water and Regional Skills Fora.

At the Green Summit, Fiona Maloney, Director of Further Education and Training, ETBI, assured that, “We will work closely with our SOLAS colleagues to support the implementation of the Green Skills for FET 2021-2030 Roadmap to ensure that our learners and trainees have the appropriate skills to both power Ireland’s green economy and access career opportunities.”

“THIS INITIATIVE ASSISTS EMPLOYERS TO DEVELOP NEW SKILLS IN THEIR TEAMS, IMPROVE THEIR COST SAVINGS, COMPETITIVENESS, AND PROFITABILITY THROUGH HIGHLY SUBSIDISED TRAINING” Stackable Modules

These Skills to Advance programmes include QQI accredited microqualifications at Level 5 in the areas of Environmental Sustainability in the Workplace, Lean Practice for Sustainable Business, Resource Efficiency in the Workplace, the Circular Economy, Sustainable Procurement and Greening the Supply Chain. These programmes are of short duration, stackable and will be delivered in a blended learning format incorporating tutor led support and provide access to online digital resources that will enhance and support the learning experience.

To ensure all learners participating in FET can develop green skills, a Level 4 Environmental Sustainability Awareness module has been developed and will be rolled out by the ETBs from Autumn 2022.

The Level 5 programmes are being

developed under the Skills to Advance initiative and will be delivered by the 16 ETBs around the country. The initiative supports ETBs in embedding a strategic, consistent, and structured approach to enterprise engagement to meet enterprise and employee skills needs. In the last 3 years, over 25,000 employees have benefitted from upskilling opportunities provided by their local ETB through Skills to Advance. This initiative assists employers to develop new skills in their teams, improve their cost savings, competitiveness, and profitability through highly subsidised training. For employees, Skills to Advance provides upskilling opportunities to develop new skills in emerging areas and futureproof their jobs.

For further information contact your local ETB or visit www.skillstoadvance.ie SFA | BETTER BUSINESS 47

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what’s on your

You’re not alone when it ComeS to CopinG www.turn2me.org

Forums, Group Support, 1to1 Counselling, iphone enabled

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Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation

 Partner Profile

COUNTY CHAMPIONS DONATE LOCAL AND SUPPORT A CHILD IN YOUR COMMUNITY WITH THE JACK AND JILL COUNTY CHAMPIONS PROGRAMME The Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation is a nationwide charity that funds and provides in-home nursing care and respite support for children with severe to profound neurodevelopmental delay, up to the age of six. Another key part of the charity’s service is end of life care for all children up to the age of six, irrespective of diagnosis.

The charity was set up 25 years ago by pioneering parents Mary Ann O’Brien and Jonathan Irwin, based on their family’s experience. They cared for their son Jack at home in Kildare with the help of local nurses, until he passed away at the age of 22 months, on 13th December 1997.

Jack’s home nursing care plan became the blueprint for over 2,700 children who’ve been supported by Jack and Jill since then, as Mary Ann and Jonathan vowed that no parents should have to walk this difficult care journey alone. They set about establishing a practical home nursing care model and raising funds to deliver it. Its

PARENTS CALL IT THEIR “GIFT OF TIME” - TIME TO DO THE NORMAL FAMILY THINGS, LIKE SLEEPING, SHOPPING, WORK AND SCHOOL. vision then and now is: “That all families with children who need our care can access us” and they strive to fulfil this with a mission of empowering parents to care for their child at home, in communities across Ireland.

Every child Jack and Jill support is unique, as is every family situation, therefore its service is bespoke and designed around the family’s requirements, never forgetting the siblings who may also require extra time with their parents. Parents call it their “gift of time” - time to do the normal family things, like sleeping, shopping, work and school.

County Champions

Community is important to Jack and Jill. The charity’s community reach and County Champion programme appeals to people who want to support local and donate local in the knowledge that their donation supports local children and families with specialist home nursing care hours from local nurses.

Now, in its 25th Anniversary year, Jack

and Jill are asking local businesses to support a child in their local community by signing up for the County Champion programme.

One of the County Champions, Jeff Greene, Principal, Greene Solicitors, says, ‘’As a long-established general practice law firm based in the heart of Dublin, it made sense to support Jack and Jill and the 97 families they continue to look after all over Dublin. It’s important for us as a local business to support a local charity and give back to the community by donating and raising awareness about the amazing work and support Jack and Jill provides to children and families in need.”

For more information and to sign up your business to the Jack and Jill County Champion programme, see jackandjill.ie

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Your Business Waste Easily Sorted!

Go to mywaste.ie/business to download a FREE toolkit designed to help you better manage your business waste.

This toolkit includes posters, bin labels and a step-by-step guide to better business waste management.

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My Waste

 Partner Profile

YOUR BUSINESS WASTE – SORTED! A NEW INITIATIVE DESIGNED TO TAKE THE UNCERTAINTY OUT OF WASTE SEGREGATION FOR BUSINESSES HAS BEEN LAUNCHED

BY MYWASTE, IRELAND’S OFFICIAL GUIDE TO WASTE This governmentfunded initiative

Providing a free and extensive suite of signage and training materials to help workforces make accurate recycling decisions, the new government-funded initiative has been designed to assist Irish businesses achieve greater Circular Economy performance through increased recycling and composting rates. A waste characterisation study by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that almost 70% of materials being placed in the general commercial waste bins

is waste that should be placed in the recycling or food waste bins.

Targeted materials (those suitable for recycling) accounted for only 60% of the materials in the mixed dry recycling bins, with food waste among the contaminants. The study found that by improving waste segregation practices, businesses could divert up to 350,000 tonnes of waste from the general waste stream annually.

Speaking on behalf of the Regional Waste Management Planning Offices, Kevin Swift, Connacht Ulster Region Waste Office said: “This initiative will empower small and medium size

businesses, particularly those in the retail, hospitality, manufacturing and corporate sectors, to further improve how their waste is managed.

With clear language and visuals, the materials will make it easy for staff to quickly understand what waste goes in what bin. This should help significantly increase the amount of recyclables and food waste diverted from the general bin and correctly placed in the recycling and food waste bins.”

The toolkit is free to download or order from www.mywaste.ie/business/

“THIS INITIATIVE WILL EMPOWER SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZE BUSINESSES, PARTICULARLY THOSE IN THE RETAIL, HOSPITALITY, MANUFACTURING AND CORPORATE SECTORS, TO FURTHER IMPROVE HOW THEIR WASTE IS MANAGED.

recycle

Plastic bottles & containers

Plastic tubs & trays

general

Soft plastics

Non-compostable disposable cups

clean dry & loose Cans & tins

Cardboard

Visit mywaste.ie for more information

Soiled aluminium foil & containers

no food no recyclables no batteries Aluminium cans

Cartons

Wet wipes

food

Paper & magazines

Broken crockery

Floor sweepings

Visit mywaste.ie for more information

Broken glassware

Contaminated items

Disposable face masks & gloves

Raw food

Paper towels & napkins

Cooked food

no glass no plastics no metals

Compostable bags

Compostable packaging

Certified to EN13432

Certified to EN13432

Unwanted leftovers

Tea bags & coffee grinds

Greenery & flowers

Visit mywaste.ie for more information

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Partner Profile  SBCI

SUPPORTING IRISH BUSINESSES THROUGH COVID-19, BREXIT AND RISING COSTS THE SBCI’S STRATEGY IS GROUNDED IN ITS MISSION TO SUPPORT GROWTH, PROSPERITY, AND THE TRANSITION TO SUSTAINABILITY WRITES JUNE BUTLER, CEO, SBCI Over the past number of years, the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) has continued to evolve the ways in which it supports Irish SMEs to adapt, innovate, protect and grow their business.

The support and assistance offered through the SBCI’s loan products and risk-sharing schemes has helped Irish businesses to face the challenges of both Covid-19 and Brexit, and with the introduction of its new energy scheme will now encourage businesses to invest in their energy efficiency and sustainability.

Low Cost Funding

The SBCI continues to supply lowcost liquidity into the SME finance market through its many non-bank partners from which SMEs can access significantly lower cost funding which would otherwise not be available to them.

Bibby’s Trade Finance Product, funded

by SBCI, is an example of the value the SBCI has provided to the SME market.

SMEs availing of this product are able to buy and sell goods before payment, allowing them to easily source new suppliers. This is of significant benefit to SMEs given the challenges Covid-19 and Brexit still pose to Irish businesses.

The Covid-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme (CCGS) will close at the end of June, to be replaced with a new Covid-19 Loan Scheme, offering similar loan types and interest rates. Since the inception of CCGS in September 2020, almost 9,600 loans totalling approximately €666m, have been drawn down by businesses from multiple economic sectors. Businesses have used this Government funding for working capital, to fund necessary investments as they adjusted their business models through the crisis, and for the refinance of Covid-19 related expenses that were initially funded through short-term or temporary finance facilities.

Brexit Support

The SBCI Brexit and Brexit Impact Loan Scheme enabled SMEs to finance the changes needed to adapt and react to Brexit. Through these schemes, businesses were able to purchase additional stock, acquire new storage facilities, explore new markets beyond the UK or look for new suppliers, scaleup the business to address multiple markets and diversify their production.

As of mid-June 2022, almost 1,500 loans, valued circa €200m, have been sanctioned to businesses dealing with Brexit.

“AS THE ECONOMY TRANSITIONS INTO THE POST-PANDEMIC PHASE, THE SBCI’S JOB IS TO HELP BUSINESSES DURING THE RECOVERY PERIOD AND BEYOND AND STRENGTHEN THE ECONOMY IN THE PROCESS.”

June Butler, CEO, SBCI

Sustained Growth

The SBCI’s strategy is grounded in its mission to support growth, prosperity, and the transition to sustainability by driving competition, enabling innovation and improving access to finance in the Irish credit market. As the economy transitions into the postpandemic phase, the SBCI’s job is to help businesses during the recovery period and beyond and strengthen the economy in the process.

The SBCI has developed a 10-year loan guarantee scheme to focus on increasing investment in energy efficiency measures, such as heat pumps, solar panels, LED lightning and other energysaving technology. The SBCI Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme, to be launched in the coming weeks, will be made available through multiple on-lending partners and will help SMEs and farmers to cut their energy bills and improve their sustainability.

For more information visit sbci.gov.ie

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Credit Review

 Partner Profile

GET FINANCE RIGHT KNOW YOUR FINANCING OPTIONS AND GET THE RIGHT FINANCE TO SUPPORT YOUR BUSINESS AND ENSURE IT SURVIVES AND THRIVES After two years of turbulent trading compounded with continuing supply chain disruption, increasing costs (especially energy) and rising inflation, it is important that Irish businesses have the right finance in place to support the business and ensure it survives and grows.

For short-term working capital requirements an overdraft, stocking loan or invoice discounting facility might be most suitable. For capital purchases, a term loan or hire purchase/leasing agreement may be more appropriate.

The term of the loan should match the length of time the asset will contribute

to the cashflow of the business.

The shorter the term, the higher the annual repayments – too much shortterm debt means businesses can be in danger of running out of cash; cash required for immediate day to day payment of wages and suppliers. During the Covid crisis, short term debt was a temporary quick fix; this may need to be restructured over a more appropriate period now.

Before you approach your bank, either to restructure existing debt or for additional working capital, you need to realistically assess your cash needs and cash flows, putting together a short

business plan with associated costings that considers the financial needs of your business over the next two to three years. Consider the need for flexibility and having a cushion to meet any future shocks.

As a first step, talk to your accountant or financial advisor and know your options – an informed borrower will be able to negotiate a more suitable solution from their financial institution.

If you are having difficulty engaging with your bank for credit or a restructuring arrangement, see creditreview.ie or contact Credit Review on 0818 211 789.

Credit where it’s due.

Having trouble getting a business loan from your bank?

Have your credit facilities been reduced or declined?

Credit Review is here to help.

Call our helpline on 0818 211 789 or visit creditreview.ie

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Arts and Culture  Mark Alfred Alfred

drum E TH

ONE OF IRELAND’S MOST CELEBRATED DRUMMERS TALKS TO BETTER BUSINESS ABOUT LIVING IN LA, TOURING WITH RIVERDANCE AND WHY EVERY SHOW IS LIKE THE FIRST

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Mark Mark Alfred  Arts and Culture

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Arts and Culture  Mark Alfred

Mark Alfred was just four years old when he picked up his first set of drumsticks and began to play. That initial curiosity fuelled a career that has seen him tour the world in Broadway shows like ‘Come From Away’ and ‘Riverdance’ and play gigs with the likes of Paddy Maloney, Lionel Richie, Girls Aloud and Josh Groban. Now living in Los Angeles with his fashion designer wife Caterina, Mark grew up in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan. It was at a Paddy Cole gig with his dad that the idea of studying drumming began to take root. “Paddy Cole was my father’s friend and it was actually him who suggested I attend the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin. He could see that I had a talent and that I loved the instrument. So every Saturday for eight years, my mother brought me up and down to Dublin on the bus as I was too young to go on my own.” It was there that Mark met Brian Byrne, a multi award winning film composer, songwriter, producer and conductor. Years later, the pair would collaborate on ‘Heartbeat of Home’, a show created by Riverdance legend John McColgan, with Mark in the role of Musical Director and Brian as composer.

“We started off so young together in Dublin. It was crazy that all those years later, we would be working together on such a successful show.”

For the past 15 years, Mark has held the role of Musical Director, Drummer and Percussionist of Riverdance. He and the rest of the team have brought the show around the world; right now, he’s in Birmingham, Alabama and later in the week he’ll finish the US leg of the tour in Chattanooga, Tennessee before flying to Dublin for the summer run in the Gaiety.

When he’s not touring, Mark works on various projects for a variety of artists from his home studio in LA. “It’s great to have the studio at home. It means that I can record drums for any artist in the world from the comfort of my own home.

It was particularly helpful to have it there during Covid. I like being able to work on lots of different projects when I’m off the road; a good example would be the

“IT’S GREAT TO HAVE THE STUDIO AT HOME. IT MEANS THAT I CAN RECORD DRUMS FOR ANY ARTIST IN THE WORLD FROM THE COMFORT OF MY OWN HOME. IT WAS PARTICULARLY HELPFUL TO HAVE IT THERE DURING COVID. I LIKE BEING ABLE TO WORK ON LOTS OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS WHEN I’M OFF THE ROAD.” recent Riverdance animated movie. Bill Whelan, who I’ve worked with for years, composed new music for it. That was a great opportunity.”

Twenty-five years on from the first time Riverdance premiered at The Point, the 25th Anniversary Show kicked off in February 2020 with a stint in the 3arena.

Moving onto the US, the show was running in Radio City Music Hall when the pandemic hit. “We got told mid-show that this would be our last one. Broadway had already closed down and I think we were one of the last shows still running.

Radio City Music Hall is a career high for a lot of musicians and dancers, it’s the dream gig. So that was a big disappointment for a lot of people.” Covid signalled the end of live gigs for the foreseeable future. From his home studio, Mark kept busy with online projects with friends including Patrick Avalon and The Chainsmokers. His wife Caterina was also busy preparing to open her new store in Hollywood. “Covid gave her the time and opportunity to really focus on the new shop and get it right. It’s not just her own designs that she sells in the store, it’s also other Irish designers so

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Mark Alfred  Arts and Culture

Mark Alfred and Matt Sorum, Guns N’ Roses

it’s a great way of promoting Irish designers in LA.” No Riverdance shows meant a welcome physical respite, says Mark. “I think my body was very welcoming of Covid! My schedule is usually so hectic, it was great to be able to spend time at home and concentrate on other things.

Playing drums in a two-hour show every night requires you to train like an athlete.

Physically, you have to be very fit. Before each show, I do a half hour warm-up routine that involves stretching as well as actually playing drums. I think I’m the only musician in the show who’s on stage for the

entire two hours. It’s taxing on the body.”

Despite being part of Riverdance for 15 years and working on award-winning shows, Mark still gets nervous before a gig. “Being the Musical Director, there’s a lot of weight on your shoulders. Riverdance is a Grammy Award-winning album; it needs to be delivered to the highest quality every night.

So I do get nervous, but there’s a great team of people involved every single night that helps make sure we deliver the best possible show. Everyone, from the producers, wardrobe, lighting and sound to the truck drivers, electricians and carpenters.”

Mark takes inspiration from drummers like Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, John Bonham from Led Zeppelin and Larry Mullins from U2. The learning process never ends, says Mark, who also plays the bodhrán in Riverdance. “I also played the bodhrán in ‘Come from Away’ on the West End. When I started in Riverdance, I didn’t know how to play it. At that stage, I was a well-established percussionist and drummer so I thought, surely it can’t be that hard?! It was though. Now, it’s a huge part of the show; I go out into the audience and engage with them while playing the bodhrán. As an instrument, it’s really grown on me.” ‘Come from Away’, a musical telling the true story of the 7,000 air passengers who were grounded in Canada during the wake of 9/11, earned the show’s team four Olivier Awards, including one for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Music’.

“That was an amazing award to win as it recognised the band that worked so hard to help make it the success it was and still is today.” In-between shows, Mark is working on his own album and hopes to launch it sometime next year. The Riverdance juggernaut will continue its world tour for the next couple of years but the long-term plan for Mark and Caterina is to move back home to Ireland. “I think we’d like to move back to Monaghan. Caterina is from Spiddal, we’re both from small towns so we’ve managed to keep ourselves grounded, which can be difficult in a town like LA. We’ve got great friends; I hang out with Matt Sorum, the drummer in Guns N’ Roses a lot. He’s been a great mentor to me.”

Mark was a member of My Little Funhouse, an Irish rock group that rose to prominence in the early 1990’s. In 1992, the band toured with Guns N’ Roses. “Having a friend like Matt is so important in LA. It’s a jungle out there, a tough place to live. You have to make a real effort to keep it together and stay true to yourself because there’s a lot of bullshit over here.”

The Riverdance team have a motto – every show is like your first show.

Enthusiasm is fuelled by the audience, some of whom might have seen the show six times while for others, it’ll be their first time. “Riverdance has really changed over the years. Now, we’ve got 3D LED screens that really draw the audience into the show.

The reactions we get every night are just incredible. It’s a privilege to be part of it.”

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Travel  Ireland

REDISCOVER éire

home Holiday at

Ashford Castle

ASHFORD CASTLE, MAYO Located on the Wild Atlantic Way, Ashford Castle sits within a 350-acre estate. Upon arrival, younger guests receive a welcome gift, cookies and homemade apple juice. Each morning, guests can enjoy a walk with Irish Wolfhounds Cronan and Garvan and take part in activities including horse riding, ziplining, kayaking and a hawk walk at Ireland’s first school of falconry. Equestrian and clay pigeon experiences are currently available while Wizard School returns for a special Halloween break in October.

WHETHER IT’S A HOTEL IN CORK OR A CRUISE IN CARLINGFORD, IRELAND’S GOT IT ALL THIS SUMMER

www.ashfordcastle.com

The cost of living crisis might be hitting everyone’s pocket at the moment but according to the latest KBC Bank Ireland consumer sentiment index, Irish consumers aren’t being put off from planning a holiday this summer. The number of consumers planning to spend up to 10% more this year compared to 2021 has increased from 8% to 11%. Choosing to holiday in Ireland has come under fire in recent weeks due to high prices, but tourism bodies and travel experts recommend shopping around; there are plenty of good deals to be found. For this issue’s travel pages, we’ve rounded up some of the country’s best hotels and destinations that won’t blow the budget.

CORK INTERNATIONAL HOTEL, CORK Cork International Hotel is committed to sustainability; green initiatives include a rooftop garden where vegetables and herbs for the hotel’s kitchen are grown. One-night, two-night or three night breaks start from €189. An ASD-friendly hotel, the venue has introduced friendly sensory tools, offering a safe environment for families and children with autism.

Cork International Hotel

KNOCK HOUSE HOTEL, MAYO

www.corkinternationalairporthotel.com

Knock House

Just five minutes from the grounds of Knock Shrine, Knock House Hotel is a great base for visiting all the sights and scenery the region has to offer. It’s also the nearest hotel to Ireland West Airport Knock and the Connaught GAA Centre of Excellence. For both domestic and international guests, it’s an ideal spot to base themselves while touring a different destination every day, minus the hassle of changing hotels. B&B rates start from as little as €79 pps. www.knockhousehotel.ie 58 SFA | BETTER BUSINESS

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Ireland

 Travel

Ashford Castle Gardens with Cronan and Garvan

OCEAN SANDS, ENNISCRONE, SLIGO

Ocean Sands Hotel

An acclaimed wedding venue, The Ocean Sands Hotel features an impressive bridal suite complete with sea view balcony.

The hotel recently introduced its new nine-course Chef ’s Signature Tasting Menu, created

by Executive Head Chef Marcin Szczodrowski. Kids won’t be bored; facilities include an outdoor playground, indoor play area and horseriding. Packages are tailored to families and couples looking for a beachfront escape. www.theoceansandshotel.ie SFA | BETTER BUSINESS 59

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Travel  Ireland

BALLYMALOE HOUSE, CORK Ballymaloe House is close to beautiful cliff walks and experiences such as The Titanic Experience in Cobh and the Ballymaloe Cookery School. An outdoor heated swimming pool, sand-pit by the front terrace, working farm and children’s treasure hunt will keep the kids entertained. A ‘Lazy Days at Ballymaloe’ package encourages guests to book on Sunday night for two nights at competitive rates.

VISIT

www.ballymaloe.ie

TAKE A CRUISE! Carlingford Lough Cruises is hosting a number of cruises this summer, from a local gin tasting cruise to ‘Ceilí on the Lough’. Trips include the Summer Gin Tasting cruise, which operates every weekend up to September 10th. The Sunset cruise and Lough & Lighthouse cruise are also back due to popular demand. www.carlingfordloghcruises.com

Ballymaloe House

LIMERICK STRAND HOTEL, LIMERICK

Limerick Strand Hotel

THE ROSS, KERRY The Ross, a family-owned, luxury boutique four-star hotel in Killarney town, has created The Pressure Drop, a two day experience that includes breakfast, a kayak trip, a mountain hike, a Vinyasa yoga class, use of hotel bicycles, spa treatments, gin tasting, dinner and cocktails on one evening in the Lane and a Ross Box for the trip home. Priced at €450 per person sharing.

The four star Limerick Strand Hotel Little Explorers’ two-night package offers exclusive discounts at visitor attractions in both Limerick city and along the Wild Atlantic Way, breakfast both mornings, plus children under 12 years dine for free! For the grownups, there’s 15% off at Niall Colgan Hairdressing and 10% off Namaste Skin Clinic & Urban Day Spa. Also included is a family take-out picnic lunch for all to enjoy on an outing day of choice.

VISIT THE ‘KAVANAGH COUNTY’ The new Patrick Kavanagh Visitor centre recently opened in Inniskeen, Co Monaghan.

Located in a deconsecrated church, the centre is dedicated to the life and works of the great poet and celebrates the different stages of his life. Patrick Kavanagh is buried in the adjoining churchyard, along with his wife Katherine, his brother Peter and his sisters Anne and Mary. www.patrickkavanaghcentre.com

www.strandlimerick.ie

The Ross Hotel

A ‘LANDSCAPE FOSSILISED’ Described by Seamus Heaney as a “landscape fossilised”, the Céide Fields is the most extensive Stone Age monument in the world.

Now, a new state-of-the-art visitor experience is telling the story of the unique Neolithic archaeological site that’s celebrated for its ancient field systems and habitations. www.heritageireland.ie/ places-to-visit/ceide-fields/

www.theross.ie 60 SFA | BETTER BUSINESS

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When a child loses their home, they lose their entire world.

There are almost 4,000 children homeless in Ireland.

Donate now.

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The Big Read  Putting the Rabbit in the Hat

Saturday, 1st June 1946, about 1.45 in the afternoon...

Throughout my childhood I’d hear it from my poor old ma. How my beginning was almost her end.

‘Putting the Rabbit in the Hat’ is published by Quercus

BRIAN COX’S RAGS-TO-RICHES AUTOBIOGRAPHY TRACES HIS LIFE STORY FROM HIS CHILDHOOD IN DUNDEE TO HIS EXTRAORDINARY CAREER ON BOTH SCREEN AND STAGE

You see, it was with considerable reluctance that I came into this vale of tears. There was no abseiling down Fallopio and into the light for me. I was going in the other direction, my wee hands clasping at the funiculus umbilicalis, wrapping the cord around my neck, while to make matters even more perilous and potentially fatal for at least one of the participants, my legs had joined the party too.

What’s that now? Something cold and metallic on my backside. These forceps are tugging me, dragging me, pulling me down, until out I come, arse first through a sea of red – farting and shitting my way into the world . . . ‘Molly has had a baby boy, a wee Gemini!’

h le down the

Rabbit

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Putting the Rabbit in the Hat  The Big Read

The cry was rallied throughout the nearest and dearest, including my Aunt Susie, who trilled, ‘I gotta a horse,’ as was her habit. And if that looks like a typo, I can assure you, it’s not. ‘I gotta a horse,’ was the catchphrase of Ras Prince Monolulu, a West Indian tipster who at the time was famous for espousing his spurious equine knowledge at racecourses up and down the country. (Monolulu, incidentally, died in 1965, when he was visited in hospital by legendary bon viveur Jeffrey Bernard. Bernard had brought with him a box of Black Magic and Monolulu choked to death on a strawberry cream.)

Susie was my dad’s sister, a larger-than-life personality. Her husband, the wee and wily bonnet-clad Geordie McWha (and it’s true, he was called McWha – I believe his Irish ancestors must have had an unpronounceable name and ended up with McWha) was her polar opposite, although he did once pour a bucket of water over Winston Churchill when Churchill was running for re-election as Dundee’s MP – a contest Churchill went on to lose, possibly as a result of the soaking.

‘He had it coming,’ Geordie would tell you if you asked him why he did it. Perhaps Aunt Susie had a bet on the election’s outcome, for both she and Geordie were inveterate punters, and Susie, whose own birthday was also 1st June, had decided my arrival was, ‘An omen, a blessing. A wee Gemini, just like me.’

‘Well . . . not quite like you, Susie,’ retorted Chic, my dad – Chic being short for Charles, especially in that part of the world. ‘Bugger off. Y’ken what I mean. I gotta a horse.’ She meant for that Wednesday’s Derby, of course. The horse? A grey. A rank outsider with the odds to match. She picked it for the name: Airborne. Gemini being an air sign.

Brian Cox

So, bets were laid. And Airborne did indeed win the 1946 Derby at fifty to one. But as small transient fortunes were made, the celebrations of my extended relations overshadowed the physical hell of my mother. Since the birth of my elder brother Charlie, she had suffered four or five miscarriages before I came along. Scarred inside and out, mentally and physically, she suffered alone in her hospital bed, and although nobody knew it at the time, she would never be the same again.

Nevertheless, she rallied enough to instruct my da to register the birth.

After some discussion around the issue of naming, my dad reluctantly agreed to my mother’s preferred suggestion and set off to the register office, not at all convinced by my intended name but with a task to complete nonetheless.

The story was told to me later by my gambling-mad Auntie Susie – how my dad found himself at the desk of an affable and, as it would turn out, somewhat presumptuous registrar. ‘And what would the wee man’s name be?’ asked the registrar. ‘Colin,’ replied my father, with ebbing confidence.

‘Colin?’ responded the registrar, pulling a face. ‘Really?’ ‘Aye . . .’ was my father’s shaky response. Still the same face. ‘Are you convinced?’ ‘Aye . . .’ my dad replied, not at all convincingly. ‘Och, I dinnae like that name,’ countered the registrar, shaking his head. ‘The laddie will get all that police emergency nonsense. “Calling all cars.” Colin all cars. Get it? Have you no got a better name than that?’ ‘Not really,’ was my father’s sheepish reply. ‘Well, to be frank, I’ve always had a hankering for the name Brian.’ ‘Och, that’s better, that’s much better. Oh, yeah. That’s a relief. Brian it is, then.’ The registrar made a note. ‘Now what about a middle name?’ ‘A middle name?’ My dad’s confidence had well and truly evaporated by now. ‘I really don’t know . . .’

‘Oh, he should have a middle name. He should certainly have a middle name,’ insisted the registrar, now firmly in his stride. ‘What about Donald?

Very popular. David? Douglas? Dominic? I know. I know. Denis.’

Who knows why the registrar should have been so obsessed with the letter D. Either way, my dad, now on the edge of hysteria, agreed. ‘Yes indeed, let it be Denis. Let it be Denis.’ Thus I was registered Brian Denis Cox. Later, my dad confided to my aunt. ‘Susie, I couldn’t wait to get out of that bloody registrar’s office. It was like being cross-examined by the Gestapo.’

Nothing is recorded as to my mother’s reaction to the name change.

I suspect given how ill she was that all questions and decisions were subsumed in a morphine haze. Meantime, I had joined ‘Clan Cox’: generation after generation of dislocated Mick-Macks besieged by the forces of tribalism and the Catholic faith. Acceptance without question, that was us. I call it ‘conditioned ignorance’.

Not that I knew any different back then, of course. My world was my father, Chic, my mother, Mary Ann (also known as Molly) née McCann (and affiliated with the Clan McCann), and my siblings in descending age order: Bette, May, Irene and Charlie. Together we lived at our house at 19 Brown Constable Street in Dundee. I call it our house, as in our ‘hoose’, which is a very Scottish expression. You talk about your ‘hoose’, but your ‘hoose’ could just be two rooms, and that’s precisely what we had at Brown Constable Street. My elder sisters would end up moving out and going to live with their respective husbands, but for a while there were all seven of us in that two-bedroom flat. Bette, May and Irene all shared the bed settee in one room (and in order to sleep, May would sing to her sisters at Bette’s insistence); my father and mother in the small bedroom, and my brother Charlie and me in the bed-alcove in the living room. I slept with wet cloths on my feet as a result of terrible ankle problems I suffered during childhood.

Just growing pains, I think, since they didn’t last long, but in the meantime, the cloths did a grand job of soothing me to sleep.

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Profile  Time for a Brew

A

DAY

LIFE in the

6.00AM I kick off each day with 15 minutes of qi gong, otherwise I’m too stiff to get through the day! Some evenings I make sourdough bread, so when I get downstairs I’ll switch on the oven and make myself a pot of tea; I drink my tea from a china cup and saucer because that’s the civilised way of consuming tea. 6.30AM It’s time for some admin in the office. That part of the job is always a challenge, so it’s good to get it out of the way. 8AM I’ll have breakfast with a couple of the kids who’ll have collected fresh eggs from our hens so we can enjoy poached eggs on fresh sourdough, along with another pot of tea. I could give up beer if I had to, but I could never give up my beloved pot of tea. 8.45AM I’ll drop off deliveries en route to the brewery.

John will have arrived already to print the online orders for the day. 10.15AM It’s the day before brew day, so the mill needs to be set up for the next day, which involves bringing an antique tractor into position and hooking it up to the mill. We do things old school here! Milling is only done the day before brewing so the grain is fresh. 12.30PM We stop for a quick lunch before heading back out to the yard.

1PM It takes about two hours to set up all of the hoses, filter assemblies, plate cooler and pumps that are needed for the following day’s brew. 3PM It’s time for bottle trials, which is how we determine if a beer is ready for packaging. No beer is packaged for sale unless it’s gone through this process.

5PM We stop for a well-earned beer! The heat needs to be turned on before we leave; we need 1000 litres of boiling water ready for the following morning, along with 500 litres of water at 60 degrees. 6.45PM I arrive home, it’s my wife’s turn to make dinner. She does most of the marketing and most of the deliveries. We try not to talk about the brewery at dinner but it’s difficult! 11PM I’m up for 5am the next morning for brew day so I try to get an early night.

CILLIAN Ó MÓRÁIN AT MESCAN BREWERY DESCRIBES WHAT GOES ON BEHIND THE SCENES BEFORE BREW DAY AT THE WESTPORT BUSINESS

Cillian Ó Móráin and Bart Adons, Mescan Brewery

“WE DO THINGS OLD SCHOOL HERE! MILLING IS ONLY DONE THE DAY BEFORE BREWING SO THE GRAIN IS FRESH.”

WWW.MESCANBREWERY.COM

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Support local to lift us all

AllAll Rise Rise ChampionGreen.ie

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www.microfinanceireland.ie

“MFI gave me the confidence and the springboard to grow my business.”

Joe Phelan, K2 Alpacas

Need help to finance your business?

MFI are now offering a lower rate of 5.5% APR on all new loans.

Microfinance Ireland benefits from a guarantee funded by the EU under the Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI).

MFI also benefits from the support by the EGF Guarantee Instrument, implemented by the European Investment Fund with the financial backing of the member states contributing to the EGF. Microfinance Ireland (MFI) has been supported with funding from the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI)

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