Better Business Summer 2021 by Ashville Media Group

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 1

BUSINESS HIGH ENERGY BETTER BUSINESS SUMMER 2021

MEET IRELAND’S RENEWABLE ENERGY FIRMS

TAKE CARE SHINING A LIGHT ON THE WELLNESS INDUSTRY

A BREATH OF FRESH NAVIGATING THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION JOURNEY WITH

MARTIN WELLS

AT EIR BUSINESS AND EVROS

WHO WON WHAT AT THE 2021 SFA AWARDS

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BEST IN CLASS

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WELCOME SUMMER 2021

BUSINESS HIGH ENERGY BETTER BUSINESS SUMMER 2021

MEET IRELAND’S RENEWABLE ENERGY FIRMS

TAKE CARE SHINING A LIGHT ON THE WELLNESS INDUSTRY

A BREATH OF FRESH NAVIGATING THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION JOURNEY WITH

MARTIN WELLS

AT EIR BUSINESS AND EVROS

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

WHO WON WHAT AT THE 2021 SFA AWARDS

BEST IN CLASS

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On the cover: Martin Wells, Managing Director, eir Business and Evros Photography: Naoise Culhane

Editor: Denise Maguire Creative Director: Jane Matthews Designers: Alan McArthur Aine Duffy Design Assitant: James Moore Production Executive: Nicole Ennis Account Director: Shane Kelly 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 2021. 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.

There is a great buzz amongst the SFA team after our successful National Small Business Awards virtual gala ceremony and in seeing many of our members and the wider small business community begin to open again following the lifting of restrictions. I wish every business opening their doors to customers again and planning for the return to office the best of luck. In this edition, our sector spotlight examines the wellness sector and our health pages also look at health and wellbeing with a recap of the 7th National Workplace Wellbeing Day held in April. The HR pages provide guidance on the new Code of Practice on Right to Disconnect and shine a light on workplace stress. Elsewhere throughout these pages, you will meet entrepreneurs in the sustainable energy sector who are supporting our move towards a low carbon economy while Martin Wells, Managing Director at eir Business, sits down for a chat about the company’s growing business and plans for the future in our cover story. We recap on the National Small Business Awards 2021, where eight category winners and five emerging new businesses were announced. Topform Limited was awarded the Overall SFA National Small Business Award. Based in Gort, Co Galway since 1977 and employing 46 people, Topform Limited manufactures specialised laminate worktops in precision engineered work surfaces. 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

SFA | BETTER BUSINESS 1

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CONTENTS SUMMER 2021

04 10 14

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

And the winner is… Topform was named the overall winner at this year’s SFA National Small Business Awards.

Digital Technology Businesses that used digital tools during the pandemic saw bigger profits than those who didn’t.

16 19 22

Sector Spotlight We catch up with three small firms operating in the wellness and selfcare space.

Top Tips Gillian Horan explains why investing in your brand means investing in your people.

Cover Story eir Business and Evros MD Martin Wells talks about the unique range of telecoms and ICT solutions available from the company.

Entrepreneurs Renewables are set to play a major role in Ireland’s energy sector. We talk to three firms operating in this exciting space.

Trading Places Originally from France, Mathieu Teulier talks about life in Athenry and his career in the restaurant business.

Sustainability By implementing small changes, businesses can save money while making their operations greener.

The Big Read Irish Times columnist Patrick Freyne describes in hilarious detail all the stupid ideas he’s had so far in his life.

Arts and Culture Eleanor McEvoy chats about her new album and why A Woman’s Heart became the soundtrack for a changing Ireland.

Travel We take a look at some of the best outdoor activities in Ireland to enjoy this summer.

26 48 50

88 90 94

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Summer 2021  Contents

FROM TOP LEFT: Sarah Dullea, owner of ‘Sarah’s Art of Beauty’, on running a beauty business during the pandemic, page 16

// eir Business and Evros MD Martin Wells talks about offering small businesses the right kind of solutions, page 22 // BNRG Executive Director, David Maguire, on why solar is set to play a major role in Ireland’s energy sector, page 26 // Eleanor McEvoy talks to us about her new album, page 90

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Updates  News

LEOS NOW SUPPORTING OVER 7,500 SMALL BUSINESSES

BIG NEWS FOR SMALL BUSINESS

Local Enterprise Offices are now supporting 35,236 jobs across 7,529 companies, according to its 2020 annual results. 2020 saw the successful transition of 133 companies from the Local Enterprise Offices to Enterprise Ireland as they continue to scale and look to international markets. Supported by the Government, LEO-supported companies created 5,585 new jobs in 2020. Despite the new jobs created, there was a net jobs loss of 1,494 across the LEO portfolio of client companies in what was a challenging year for small businesses. The LEOs approved 13,091 Trading Online Vouchers to assist businesses get online to trade or improve their existing online offering. This was up over 950% from 1,218 in 2019 and proved to be a vital resource for many businesses in helping to reach their customers. The LEOs provided significant training and mentoring to small businesses in 2020 to help them navigate the particularly difficult trading environment created by Covid-19 and Brexit. In 2020, over €22 million was approved by Local Enterprise Offices to clients for projects across the year to help improve their businesses in a range of areas. This figure was up from €20 million in 2019 and is the largest amount of approved funding by the Local Enterprise Offices to small businesses to date.

IF YOUR BUSINESS HAS SOME NEWS TO SHARE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE FEATURED IN THE NEXT EDITION OF BETTER BUSINESS, CONTACT STEPHEN BROWNE ON (01) 6051530 OR STEPHEN.BROWNE@SFA.IE

CYBERSECURITY

SFA MEMBERS

Michael O’Hara, Group Managing Director, DataSolutions

DATASOLUTIONS GROWS CYBERSECURITY DIVISION REVENUE BY €7.5M DataSolutions, the specialised distributor of innovative IT and security solutions, has announced that its security division grew significantly in 2020, with revenue increasing by €7.5 million compared to the previous year. Growth was driven by increased demand for IT security solutions and new vendor partnerships. The new vendors which DataSolutions added were Neustar, D3 Security, ColorTokens, Ordr and Orca Security. These partnerships have expanded the company’s existing cybersecurity portfolio, which includes industry leaders such as Check Point and HPE Aruba and extended its ability to meet emerging security needs. For example, having Ordr as a vendor allows DataSolutions to offer IoT device security as one of its solutions. DataSolutions is dedicated to delivering specialised technical expertise and transformational technologies.

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News  Updates

FAMILY

TOP TWEETS @OrbidalGroup

We’re proud to partner with @SFA_Irl to launch a 3-part series “Bidding Strategies for Sustainable Growth” The first #webinar, “How to Deliver High Scoring Proposals”, takes place on 8th June at 11am. Register online today: bit.ly/3bXsV3s #TurningProcess IntoProgress.

ICONIC OFFICES LEADS THE WAY IN BLENDED WORKING

@GeoDirectory_ie

@DualtronIE

Our MD was part of this great panel this morning #BoostingBusiness Success @SFA_Irl #MentorsWork

@DaveByrne15

#Dualtron #DrivingDigital performance

According to flexible workspace provider Iconic Offices, the traditional workspace has been flipped on its head due to the pandemic, forcing many decision-makers to reassess the practicalities of owning or renting large offices. A Eurofound survey conducted in late 2020 found that Ireland has the secondhighest rate of working from home in the EU. More recently, a JLL report revealed that 50% of the workforce surveyed wanted to work both in the office and remotely. Flexible workspace is becoming the desired solution for multiple businesses, thanks to an ability to adapt as needed. Iconic believes in a holistic approach to accommodating a company’s specific needs by taking the concept of a ‘design-led’ space and expanding its meaning far beyond décor to adaptable working models; all backed by great customer service and human beings who care. Speaking about the current working situation, Iconic Offices CEO, Joe McGinley said: “The traditional office leasing market will always be an option for some more established businesses, but we are working closely with existing and new clients to provide more tailored solutions to help commerce progress.”

@SkillsDublin

A FREE online #Business conference brought by @SFA_Irl & @SkillnetIreland a focus us on #Supporting #Growth #Performance #People full detail here mentorswork.ie/ boosting-businesssuccess-conference-2021/

@TBFcentral

We have found the @SFA_Irl organisation a really helpful resource, always on hand with practical advice on HR etc. and really great for networking. They also have great training such as the new #MentorsWork programme via their

@SFASkillnet

@SFA_IRL

.IE DIGITAL TOWN AWARDS’ WINNERS ANNOUNCED The .IE Digital Town Awards mark the first phase of a €1 million investment to be delivered over the next four years to foster digital enhancement and adoption in Ireland’s towns as part of the overall .IE Digital Town programme. The .IE Digital Town programme, an initiative of the national registry for Ireland’s online identity, comprises three elements – the .IE Digital Town Awards, a new digital town ‘blueprint’ and a big data project. The .IE Digital Town Awards recognise local community initiatives that demonstrate an awareness, knowledge, use and understanding of digital in local and urban towns in Ireland for the betterment of citizens, services and communities. Winners of the .IE Digital Town Awards 2021, which shared a €100,000 prize fund, were announced at a virtual ceremony on 10 June. To learn more about the .IE Digital Town Awards’ winners and the overall .IE Digital Town programme, visit www.weare.ie/about-ie-digital-town

DATASOLUTIONS

Delighted to have our CEO, Dara Keogh, featured in the Better Business Spring Issue with a key nugget of advice for #SMEs. Check out what he has to say here issuu. com/ashvillemedia/docs/ bb_spring_2021_online_ edition/26 via @issuu #WednesdayMotivation

NEW MICROFINANCE IRELAND CEO APPOINTED

Des McCarthy has been appointed the new CEO of Microfinance Ireland (MFI). Mr McCarthy comes to the role with considerable experience in the banking and the not-for-profit sectors. His expertise in organisational transformation will be particularly important with increased demand for MFI standard, Covid and Brexit business loans and a much-increased loan book after the high demand of 2020 which saw over €27 million in lending. Better Business would like to take this opportunity to thank outgoing CEO Mr Garrett Stokes for his work over the last five years and for his dedication to Ireland’s small business community. DUFF & PHELPS UNIFIES THE FIRM UNDER THE KROLL NAME

Duff & Phelps, the world’s premier provider of services and digital products related to governance, risk and transparency, has recently announced plans to transition the company name to Kroll. The new name and logo represent the firm’s rich history and breadth of services, delivering transparency, trust and objectivity to clients. According to the company the Kroll ‘lens,’ the focal point of the new logo, represents the perspective it brings when helping to address its clients’ most complex challenges. Duff & Phelps was established in Ireland in July 2014 following its acquisition of the Restructuring & Insolvency and Property Asset Management business from RSM Farrell Grant Sparks. The Irish business, led by Managing Directors Anne O’Dwyer and Declan Taite, is a market leader in restructuring, valuation advisory, real estate advisory, business intelligence, cyber risk and compliance and regulatory consulting. SFA | BETTER BUSINESS 5

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Updates  News

COVID-19

SMALL BUSINESS COVID-19 SUPPORTS UPDATE

The Small Business Assistance Scheme for Covid (SBASC) is for businesses that are down 75% or more of turnover and are not eligible for CRSS or other sector specific grants. SBASC has now been extended to businesses operating from non-rateable premises to assist in defraying ongoing fixed costs. Such costs can include utilities, maintenance of equipment and mobile business, security, IT systems fees, storage, legal and accountancy and costs required to provide a safe working environment. Businesses will be asked to declare that they intend to resume trading in full once Government Covid restrictions are eased. Further details, including the go-live date for Phase 2, will be announced shortly. Those who applied under Phase 1 are still eligible to apply for a second payment of €4,000 if they continue to meet the criteria. Interested businesses should contact their Local Authority. Closing date for Phase 2 applications is the 21st of July. Additionally, the Micro Enterprise Assistance Scheme will be relaunched through Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) to help businesses, whose turnover is below €50,000, with fixed costs. The Scheme will provide assistance of up to €1,000 to businesses who meet the criteria and will be funded by up to €5m as part of the SBASC allocation.

L-R: Siobhan Dooley, Financial Controller FRS Network, Colin Donnery, General Manager FRS Recruitment, Hannah Wrixon, Founder of Get the Shifts and Peter Byrne, CEO FRS Network

FRS RECRUITMENT PURCHASES GET THE SHIFTS FRS Recruitment has completed the purchase of Clare-based, tech start-up Get the Shifts, the on-demand staffing platform. FRS will use the acquisition to further grow its market share of the temporary staffing market in Ireland and use the platform to expand into international markets. Previously dubbed the ‘Tinder for jobs’, Get the Shifts provides on demand temporary hospitality, retail and marketing personnel. The company delivers high quality, experienced staff to its clients for shifts, ranging from 1 to 500 staff at a time to some of Ireland’s best-known brands. Under the terms of the deal, Get the Shifts will become a division of FRS Recruitment, with Hannah Wrixon becoming General Manager of Get the Shifts. FRS Recruitment is one of the leading recruitment businesses operating in Ireland. It has 10 offices nationwide with locations in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Tipperary, Limerick, Kerry, Kilkenny, Offaly, Cavan and Roscommon. A 100% Irish business, FRS Recruitment is part of the FRS Network – the social enterprise co-operative. Further information is available on www.frsrecruitment.com

For further information on Government supports for Covid-19 impacted business, see enterprise.gov.ie/en/What-WeDo/Supports-for-SMEs/COVID19-supports/

COVID CONTACT THE DEPARTMENT OF ENTERPRISE, TRADE AND EMPLOYMENT BUSINESS SUPPORT CALL CENTRE FOR INFORMATION ON THE GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS AVAILABLE TO BUSINESSES AND ENTERPRISES AFFECTED BY COVID-19. TEL: +353 1 631 2002 OR EMAIL: INFOBUSINESSSUPPORT@ DBEI.GOV.IE

“Despite their size, small business is doing what it can to support employee wellbeing through bike to work schemes, healthy eating initiatives and organising walking clubs and exercise classes. Highlighting that effective wellbeing programmes don’t have to be costly” – encouraging small firms to participate in national Workplace Wellbeing Day. Sven Spollen-Behrens, Director, SFA

“This Bill will bring in efficient and timely restructuring for those companies worst hit by the devastation of Covid-19 and is a huge step forward in improving the business environment for entrepreneurs and small business owners” – speaking on the Companies (Small Company Administrative Rescue Process and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021. Elizabeth Bowen, SFA Senior Executive

“Reopening doesn’t mean this crisis is over for our smallest employers. These businesses are saddled with debt and will continue to experience financial difficulties. SFA welcomed the Tánaiste’s commitment to no cliff edge in financial supports” – speaking at the SFA National Council. Graham Byrne, SFA Chair

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News  Updates

Lambay Irish Whiskey has released its fourth Single Cask Strength Single Malt Cask 4613. Lambay Single Malt is a triple distilled malt whiskey, bourbon cask matured and finished in cognac casks close to the island’s shoreline, housed in the bonded warehouse called the Sea Cask Room. Unique and exclusive, the Single Cask Strength expression of Lambay Whiskey Single Malt is a pure taste of island life and Cask 4613 is the fourth cask release of 20 in this exclusive Premium Cask Program. The new whiskey is limited to just 400 bottles to be released on Lambay’s E-store (shop.lambaywhiskey.com) and markets such as Ireland and Europe. At least seven years old and full of rich wood and floral notes, the triple distillation of the Single Malt and long period of maturation in the cognac cask on Lambay Island makes for a surprising sweet long-lasting smooth finish, especially for this high strength whiskey.

COMPANIES ENCOURAGED TO START PLANNING FOR GREEN FUTURE NOW

NEW ROLE FOR HMI’S MARK TEEVAN Mark Teevan, a Director of Toyota Ireland for many years, has left the motor industry and joined a small UK based SME Advisory and Capital Finance firm called Prime Advantage Capital partners, becoming their first Partner in Ireland. He remains Chair of Hydrogen Mobility Ireland. PA-Capital Partners works with ambitious SMEs, from helping them develop growth plans to connecting them with investors, through to planning for exit. His focus sectors are mobility, new energy and sustainability as well as creating links between Irish and UK companies, markets and investors.

Irish manufacturing and exporting companies have an important role to play in reducing emissions and building a more sustainable future and Enterprise Ireland has a range of green supports to help them. The recently launched Climate Enterprise Action Fund includes three supports that companies supported by Enterprise Ireland can access to assist on their sustainability journey. These are: n Climate Action Voucher – a €1,800

grant to engage consultants to develop plans in areas such as resource efficiency and renewable energy.

n GreenStart – up to €5,000 to measure

carbon footprint and identify actions to reduce emissions and operate more sustainably.

n GreenPlus – grant funding of up to

50% to develop a multi-annual climate change plan aligned to international standards and frameworks.

Small firms looking for supports in this area should contact their Local Enterprise Office about ‘Green for Micro’. This programme is designed to provide small businesses with tailored expert advice on how to drive sustainability. Qualifying businesses will access two days of intensive mentoring including a sustainability audit and action plan, designed to help “green” your business.

CAMPAIGN

WHISHKEY

LAMBAY WHISKEY RELEASES CASK NR. 4613

IBEC LAUNCHES NEW CAMPAIGN SHOWCASING IRELAND’S EXPERIENCE ECONOMY

Ibec has launched a major new campaign to deliver a contemporary understanding of Ireland’s Experience Economy. The campaign outlines the policies needed to position the industry to overcome challenges posed by Covid and ultimately enable it to achieve its world class potential. The Experience Economy is a contemporary expression and recognition of what is a dynamic and substantial part of Ireland’s business model. It operates across multiple sectors such as hospitality, retail, travel, food, drink, tourism and entertainment, as well as encompassing organisations in the arts, cultural, sporting and heritage sectors. It extends far deeper than the surface of the traditional ‘front of house’ image, reaching into the wider supply chain that is embedded in communities across the island. Prior to Covid, over 330,000 people were either employed by or supported directly by demand from the industry. The industry spent almost €4 billion every year on purchases of goods and services pre-Covid, including over €1 billion in purchases from domestic food and drink suppliers. To support growth post-Covid, the sector will need to embrace technology and innovation to create new dynamic visitor experiences in line with changing landscape and consumer behaviour.

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

LET YOUR BUSINESS THRIVE WITH MENTORSWORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SMALL FIRMS ASSOCIATION (SFA), SKILLNET IRELAND RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THE EXPANSION OF ‘MENTORSWORK’, AN INITIATIVE AIMED AT HELPING IRISH SME BUSINESS OWNERS AND MANAGERS TO NAVIGATE CURRENT BUSINESS CHALLENGES AND PLAN FOR GROWTH

Paul Healy, CEO of Skillnet Ireland, Sonya MurphyLyons, Founder and Director of the Mezzo Music Academy, Sven Spollen-Behrens, SFA Director

he MentorsWork programme is designed to provide SMEs with the skills and supports to help their business thrive, by addressing the specific needs of the business. The programme connects business owners and managers with dedicated expert business mentors to address specific issues. This framework provides the basis of the initial SME Owner/Manager self-assessment, the required learning and development initiatives and the measures of success in improving overall SME productivity. The mentorship is essential to connecting each participant to upskilling interventions and to other participants within the programme. Mentoring plays a pivotal role in the development of the upskilling plan and ensures that milestones are achieved. Sonya Murphy-Lyons is the Founder and Director of the Mezzo Music Academy, a business founded 10 years ago with over 500 students and 30 teachers. She successfully completed the MentorsWork programme last year. “In order to survive and thrive during the pandemic, I had to quickly adjust

my business model and take Mezzo Music Academy online. Leading my team remotely and essentially running the business from my laptop was a new challenge, so I was delighted to participate in MentorsWork. I gained valuable insight into different aspects of business by attending the Masterclasses and Workshops and by accessing the vast resource library available. My mentor was wonderful and guided and encouraged me along the way. Having the opportunity to discuss ideas and challenges with a fellow entrepreneur was invaluable to me and the business,” Sonya said. MentorsWork is a flexible programme designed to provide the skills and supports that small business owner-managers need to improve and grow their business. The programme is fully subsidised by the Government of Ireland and offers integrated learning supports across four key pillars – People, Finance and Growth, Digitalisation and Automation and Business Processes. The programme connects business owners and managers with dedicated expert business mentors to address specific issues on a one-toone basis. MentorsWork also supports businesses to develop a six-month Strategic Business Improvement Plan. MentorsWork is a free, structured 12-week business-support programme, comprising an integrated approach of mentoring and targeted learning opportunities. The programme includes: n In-depth online competency assessment n One-to-one mentoring sessions n Unlimited access to peer-focused workshops n Unlimited access to expert-led masterclasses n Multiple licenses to a curated online learning platform. Further details on MentorsWork can be found at https://mentorswork.ie/. Apply today at www.mentorswork.ie

8 SFA | BETTER BUSINESS

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To help you meet your statutory obligations, the Ofﬁce of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE):  provides accurate and reliable information in a simpliﬁed format  promotes effective compliance and best practice

Are you a company director or company secretary?

 assists you make informed decisions by providing a FAQ section on our website with over 90 questions and answers  assists companies and their ofﬁcers understand their duties under company law by providing • a Single Guide for Companies • a suite of 7 detailed Information Books • a suite of 12 ‘Quick Guides’ written in Plain English

If so, you have statutory obligations under the Companies Act

Visit our website

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www.odce.ie

Ofﬁce of the Director of Corporate Enforcement 16 Parnell Square, Dublin 1, Ireland, D01 W5C2 | 01 858 5800 | info@odce.ie

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Events  SFA National Small Business Awards 2021

SMALL FIRMS – THE BACKBONE OF IRELAND’S ECONOMY

OVERALL WINNERS

TOPFORM WAS NAMED THE OVERALL WINNER AT THIS YEAR’S SFA NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS AWARDS

Graham Byrne, SFA Chairman presents the trophy for the Overall Winner of the SFA National Small Business of the Year 2021 to Paul Glynn of Topform along with SFA Director Sven Spollen-Behren

EMERGING NEW BUSINESS

roadcast live from a studio in Killashee Hotel and Spa, this year’s SFA National Small Business Awards celebrated the achievements of small businesses across Ireland, in what has been a year like no other. Forty finalists and five Emerging New Businesses were selected from hundreds of applications received for the 2021 programme. This is the 17th year of the Awards, which recognise the important and vital contributions of this sector to the Irish economy. Commenting on the event, SFA Director Sven Spollen-Behrens, said: “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 who, because of Covid 19, went through the 2021 Awards virtually. 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.” 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. This year’s overall winner was Gort-based company Topform. “Topform is a model company for indigenous businesses in Ireland. It is a strong profitable company that strives to be the best in its industry with a focus on continuous improvements. The company was the overall winner of the SFA National Business Awards in 2016 and has doubled its turnover since then. Topform’s intention for the next five years is to again double its turnover through organic growth,” said Graham Byrne, SFA Chair.

The Emerging New Business Awards category, sponsored by .IE, was created to encourage emerging entrepreneurs to promote and grow their business. The 2021 winners are: ■ Learn Chinese Plus, Co Dublin ■ OSENG, Co Galway ■ The Agile Executive, Co Dublin ■ The Johnny Magory Company, Co Kildare ■ Wholesome Kitchen, Co Westmeath 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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SFA National Small Business Awards 2021  Events

SERVICES

Topform Limited, based in Gort, Co Galway since 1977, manufactures specialised laminate worktops in precision engineered work surfaces. Topform is passionate about kitchen worktops and produces some of Ireland’s best known kitchen worktops through its TopShape, TopPlus, TopContract and TopWood ranges. The company enjoys a majority share of the Irish market with its customised worktop solutions and also supplies components to the UK and Europe for the mobile leisure market – mobile homes, caravans and campervans.

With over 40 staﬀ, Whelehans Pharmacy operates two customer-led independent pharmacies in Mullingar; a traditional community pharmacy and another specifically catering for dispensing and delivering medication and providing services to residential care settings. Eamonn Brady has expanded the business in the retail area and a particular innovation is the inclusion of therapy rooms to extend into health, beauty and wellbeing clinics including physiotherapy, chiropody, audiology and other specialist health clinics, all run by registered professionals. Whelehans also oﬀers online services and a VideoDoc partnership.

Peter Lougheed, Small, Medium and Corporate Lead, Microsoft Ireland presents the Services Award to Eamonn Brady of Whelehans Pharmacy Athlone with SFA Director, Sven Spollen-Behrens and SFA Chairman Graham Byrne

David Curtin, .IE CEO, awards the Emerging New Business winners: Learn Chinese Plus, OSENG, The Agile Executive, The Johnny Magory Company and Wholesome Kitchen with SFA Director Sven Spollen-Behrens and SFA Chairman, Graham Byrne

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Events  SFA National Small Business Awards 2021

INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

When Bevcraft was founded in Mullingar in 2016 by Ciarán Gorman and Darren Fenton, there were only three craft breweries canning in Ireland compared to 80 today. The Group provides beverage canning solutions to ‘craft’ beverage producers and is now the largest craft can business in Europe with bases in Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands. Bevcraft now handles over 20,000,000 cans per annum.

Mags Brennan, Head of Business Banking Permanent tsb, presents the Innovator of the Year Award at the SFA National Small Business Awards 2021 to Ciarán Gorman of Bevcraft with SFA Director, Sven SpollenBehrens and SFA Chairman Graham Byrne

FOOD & DRINK Established in 1962, Goatsbridge Trout is the largest fresh water aquaculture business in Ireland. It is now run by Ger Kirwan and his wife Mag Kirwan where sustainability and innovation are at the heart of everything they do. The Trout Farm is a completely integrated business producing fish from the hatchery stage right up to market size of up to 2 kg +. It employs 27 people and produces in excess of 650 tons of freshwater rainbow trout annually on six sites.

Declan Coppinger, Finance Manager, Bord Bia, presents the Food and Drink Award to Mag & Ger Kirwan of Goatsbridge Trout with SFA Director, Sven Spollen-Behrens and SFA Chairman, Graham Byrne

Mezzo Music Academy is an award-winning music school in Dublin, with over 400 students and 30 teachers. Students are inspired and nurtured to love music for life. The academy provides music tuition for babies right up to adults in their 80’s and is renowned for its tailored private tuition and facilitation of all graded exams. Having pivoted the business online during the pandemic in 2020, Mezzo Music Academy recently launched its online lesson programme. This year it will replace the Academy’s successful summer camps.

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SFA National Small Business Awards 2021  Events

CATEGORY WINNERS Each category winner was presented with a trophy and free membership of the Small Firms Association for one year. > Manufacturing

(sponsored by NSAI)

Topform, Co Galway Highly Commended: Bevcraft Group, Co Westmeath > Food and Drink

(sponsored by Bord Bia)

Goatsbridge Trout, Co Kilkenny Highly Commended: Dromod Boxty, Co Leitrim > Services

(sponsored by Microsoft)

Whelehans Pharmacy, Co Westmeath > Outstanding Small Business

(sponsored by One4all Rewards)

Funky Monkey Foods, Dublin 15 Highly Commended: Miena’s Handmade Nougat, Co. Wicklow > Innovator of the Year

(sponsored by Permanent TSB)

Bevcraft Group, Co Westmeath > Exporter of the Year

(sponsored by Enterprise Ireland)

Kora Healthcare, Co. Dublin

COVID-19 SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD

> Sustainability

(sponsored by SBCI)

Atlantic Treasures, Co Donegal > Workplace Wellbeing (sponsored by DeCare)

Joanne Charles, Head of Commercial and Small Business at Cisco, presents the Covid 19 Special Recognition Award to Sonya Murphy-Lyons of Mezzo Music Academy with SFA Director, Sven SpollenBehrens and SFA Chairman Graham Byrne

M & C Hybrid Energy, Co. Cavan > One off Covid Award sponsored by Cisco Mezzo Music Academy, Dublin 6

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

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

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Technology  Digital Safety

A safety net DIGITAL

for businesses

BUSINESSES THAT USED DIGITAL TOOLS TO CHANGE HOW THEY FOUND CUSTOMERS, SOLD PRODUCTS AND OPERATED DURING THE PANDEMIC SAW BIGGER PROFITS THAN THOSE WHO DIDN’T

longside the public health crisis, the economic impact of the pandemic is being felt heavily around the world. As entrepreneurs, business leaders and Governments work to protect jobs and accelerate a return to prosperity in the long term, it’s clear that digital tools and skills are going to be more important than ever. A new report released by the Connected Commerce Council, funded by Google, shows how a “digital safety net” can serve as a support system for small businesses. The survey of more than 5,000 small businesses across Europe found that businesses that used digital tools to rapidly change how they find customers, sell products and operate reported 80% better sales during Covid-19 than those who didn’t and hired three times as many people. Without such tools, many would have gone out of business. From consulting with small businesses, the researchers identified a “stack” of digital tools — e-commerce, data analytics and talent management, cloud services and collaboration tools — that created significant revenue advantages for small businesses if they were being used prior to the pandemic. This showed that not only is digital driving revenue and jobs for these businesses, but also that Europe is missing out on significant untapped growth from businesses who are not yet convinced about the usefulness of digital tools.

What’s next It’s clear from this research that there is an opportunity to drive jobs and revenue for European small businesses. However, the research shows that governments and companies need to narrow the gap between the digitally advanced and uncertain, particularly for underrepresented groups. As new digital habits like online shopping and remote working are here to stay even after the pandemic, the research also highlights the risk of some small businesses falling further behind their competitors if they don’t increase their use of digital tools.

Digitally Empowered report by the Connected Commerce Council, funded by Google

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Digital Safety

Key stats at a glance THE IMPACT:

80%

of small businesses increased their use of digital tools during the pandemic

44%

had to adjust their business models Small businesses with a sophisticated use of digital tools fared nearly twice as better financially (80% better sales; 60% better revenue) during COVID-19, and hired over three times as many people

THE CHALLENGE:

90%

of small businesses were negatively impacted by the pandemic Digitally advanced small businesses are about 2.5X more likely to be led by someone under 45 years old versus a leader over 45. Female small business leaders face more than 10% greater revenue challenges than men if they don’t use digital tools, but conversely these tools help women more when deployed successfully

THE FUTURE

62%

of small businesses believe they will fully recover to pre-pandemic levels during the next year

50%

of small businesses plan to increase their use of digital tools

 Technology

GYM +COFFEE How a pandemic couldn’t stop one business from achieving record company sales The old saying “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life” may prompt an eye-roll these days. But for Diarmuid McSweeney, co-founder of apparel store Gym+Coffee, the well-travelled saying applies. “As a business owner I can feel quite passionate about it because it’s a mixture of my passions, my background in brand strategy, and the lifestyle I’m into,” says Diarmuid. But the pandemic presented McSweeney and his colleagues with a growing list of problems that passion alone couldn’t tackle. “Within six weeks of planning and setting our strategy for the year, it was completely thrown out the window.” So how did Gym+Coffee manage not only to adapt, but to thrive during a global pandemic, all the while keeping that passion burning? Before lockdown, Gym+Coffee’s Business Profile on Google wasn’t top of mind when it came to day-to-day operations. But after the company was forced to close its stores, ensuring its online presence was as strong as possible became a priority. “We’ve been surprised how effective the Business Profile has been, and how important that’s been to the customer on Google Maps and Search, who depends on that information,” explains Diarmuid. “Now that we’ve been using it we can see we’ve been getting massive results from it in terms of views and engagement when we post updates and photos. So, I think at a very basic level, claim that GMB profile yourself and keep it up to date.” With stores throughout the country closing, more and more people were shopping online. While this was hugely important for Gym+Coffee, keeping up with the unexpected demand online proved to be quite a challenge. “We did so well at the start of lockdown because

everybody was shopping online,” says Diarmuid. “While that’s great, it actually created a huge supply-chain problem. We thought we might have a demand issue, but we had a major supply issue, which took a lot of juggling.” And not only was there a challenge in meeting demand, there was also the reality of engaging with new customers. “Even though online shopping has been around for a while, in the last four months there’s been a type of customer who’s come online who’s completely new to the experience. That’s been really interesting and a great opportunity for us, but it also required us to rethink our strategy somewhat, and how we generally do things.” Lockdown has highlighted the potential of our online store even more, says Diarmuid. “It was the perfect storm for all businesses in terms of online sales — we made more sales than when our physical stores were open. But I think it showed what we can do and as soon as we focused purely online, using the right tools available to us like Google Analytics, we really started to tweak what you would consider the smaller, more detailed bits of business operations, that can have a massive impact.” The experience has made Diarmuid and co more passionate about what they do. “A huge part of our business growth in the coming years is to go international. A fundamental part of that will be using Google Tools to get visible in those markets. Without those tools, I’m not sure how we’d do that.”

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Sector Spotlight  Wellness

CARE TAKE

EMPLOYERS ARE PRIORITISING WELLNESS AND SELF-CARE AMONGST STAFF LIKE NEVER BEFORE. TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS THRIVING SECTOR, BETTER BUSINESS CAUGHT UP WITH THREE SMALL FIRMS OPERATING IN THE WELLNESS SPACE

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businesses begin to return to the office or move to a hybrid model of office/home working, employers are taking the wellbeing of staff and the importance of supporting employees back into the workplace very seriously. The growing focus on workplace wellbeing is evident in Ibec’s annual National Workplace Wellbeing Day, which took place this year on the 30th of April. Ireland was the first country in Europe to put in place a day devoted to workplace wellbeing. Never has embedding a sustainable approach to wellbeing been so important to organisations, says Ibec, as they support their staff through the pandemic and back into the workplace. Small businesses operating in this space may be benefitting from the emphasis being placed on wellness and self-care, but numerous

Wellness

 Sector Spotlight

private Facebook group with about 100 members. Even that one group has created a nice little community and has helped keep people going.” Alongside its regular physio services, Compass Physio also runs a separate coaching business. “Physiotherapists will see clients first thing in the morning and last thing at night. There’s a serious case of burnout happening among the profession; they get to 40 or 50 years of age and just give up. Our coaching service teaches physios how to set up their business properly, run it efficiently and profitably and keep it fresh. That side of the business is doing well and I think it’s because we’re viewed as authentic; we’re operating for over four years, we have three clinics and we’re about to open a fourth. We don’t just talk the talk, we walk the walk.” Covid has prompted people to take care of themselves, both physically and mentally, says Paddy. From exploring their local areas at the weekend to going out for a walk three times a week, self-care has become the norm rather than the exception. “As outdoor sports opens up, we’re also seeing more people picking up injuries but they’re quick to address the issue and come into us. Since Covid, I think people are more aware of their bodies and how to manage them.” Compass Physio opened its third clinic in Kilcock in January this year and intends to open a fourth in the near future. “The plan then would be to offer a suite of complementary services such as podiatry and occupational therapy. That would make us a one stop shop for health.” Skincare and beauty have always been strongly aligned with health and overall wellness. The idea that we need to look after and ‘treat’ ourselves, particularly as we emerge from Covid, has never been more pronounced. Sarah Dullea from Dunmanway in Co Cork opened her beauty salon, ‘Sarah’s Art of Beauty’, in November 2019. Back then all the signs were good; business

“ONLINE CONSULTATIONS WENT DOWN REALLY WELL WITH CLIENTS. OUR SERVICE OFFERING HAS IMPROVED AND I THINK OUR CLIENTS HAVE NOTICED THAT.” lockdowns have also created challenges. With three clinics around the country, Compass Physio wasn’t deemed an essential service during the first lockdown in 2020. “We were unable to operate during that first lockdown but following a discussion with the medical council, we were told we could open up. At that time, GP’s were overrun so it made sense to allow chartered physiotherapists to offer their services,” said Paddy Mulligan, Clinic Director and Chartered Physiotherapist at Compass Physio. Despite Covid, the business has grown over the past year and a half and that growth can be attributed to constant engagement with clients both online and through social media. “Online consultations went down really well with clients. Our service offering has improved and I think our clients have noticed that. My wife, who works in the practice, is a specialist paediatric physiotherapist, of which there are very few in the country so we’re offering clients something special. We also moved our pilates classes online; we have a

Patrick Mulligan, Aoife McCarthy and Colin Phillips, Compass Physio

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Sector Spotlight  Wellness

Sarah Dullea

was booming and the tills were ringing right up until January, traditionally a quiet month in beauty anyway. “Then, Covid hit and things went downhill from there. Since then, I’ve only been able to open sporadically during lockdowns. I opened up properly a couple of months ago and while it’s fantastic to be back, things are quite slow to pick up.” Sarah attributes this to clients’ reluctance to fully engage socially. “With the slow rollout of vaccines, I think people are still a bit wary of doing normal everyday things like getting their nails done or their eyebrows tinted. Also, people don’t really have the money right now.” Sarah’s salon is fully wheelchair accessible, as is the Crann Centre in Ovens, Co Cork where she rents the space. As a wheelchair user herself, she’s found that visiting salons in the past hasn’t always been a pleasant experience. “I’ve gone to salons for personal use and I’ve also worked in them and for the most part, I’ve found them a complete disaster. The therapists try their best but it just doesn’t work out and I’ve always felt like I was in the way. When wheelchair users come to my salon, they comment on how comfortable they feel.” Sarah’s career in beauty began at an early age. She can remember doing nails for children at birthday parties when she herself was in primary school. “Myself and my mam would team up; she would teach them how to make earrings and I would paint their nails.” A few days before her Leaving Cert was due to start, Sarah needed surgery. “It

was very bad timing! While I was in hospital, I decided to sign up for a beautician’s course to do nails and makeup. I ended up doing the full beautician course and haven’t looked back since.” Today, Sarah’s business is primed for success; an excellent location in the Crann Centre and a loyal clientele mean she’s well placed to offer her services as the economy starts to fully reopen. “It’s all about getting the word out there that the salon is open for business. I think the public may feel that my salon is only for people with disabilities, but it’s not, everyone is welcome.” Covid has afforded many people the time to stop and think about what they really want from life. After deciding it was time for a change, former beauty therapist

Noelle Roche

Noelle Roche began thinking about a career in coaching. After completing an eight-week intensive online course at Kingstown College, she set up a coaching service in July 2020. “For me, coaching is about giving people the opportunity to step out of their own way. So much goes on in our heads and we can bog ourselves down in day-to-day things instead of looking at what’s happening in a realistic way. With clients, I really enjoy bringing them to a place where they sit back and think, I made a big deal out of something that I could have dealt with differently, without bringing all that trauma with it.” A positive mindset is crucial for wellbeing, says Noelle. It’s the allimportant starting point and something that doesn’t come naturally to a lot of people. “It’s about finding that resilience so you can deal with what’s going on around you without falling asunder. I think that’s especially important now as we start to come out of the pandemic.” While Covid has resulted in less work for some, it has accelerated workloads for others. “So many people have been working 24/7 throughout Covid and I think many are at the point where they’re almost at burnout. Employers now have to examine how they interact with their employees and understand that if their staff are enjoying a good work life balance, productivity actually goes up.” A recent session with a young woman who had just changed her career is a good example of why it’s important to maintain a healthy work life balance. “She was only three weeks into her new job and straight back into working from 8.30am to 4.30pm, but not actually finishing until 6pm. We were having a conversation about boundaries and where the cut-off point should be. Was this temporary and if not, at what point is she allowed step back and say, I’ve given my job what it needs today? Taking that time for yourself is really important for positive wellbeing.” At the moment, Noelle is building up her client base by joining local networks and engaging with Kilkenny Chamber. “It’s an exciting time. I’ve taken myself out of my comfort zone and I’m practicing what I preach! I believe in myself and I trust in my own confidence to do this. It’s scary and challenging, but it’s important to put yourself out there.”

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Building a brand

 Tips

Gillian Horan author, educator and founder, The Pudding

d n a r b g n o r t s a g n i Build GILLIAN HORAN DESCRIBES HOW BUSINESSES CAN ELEVATE THEIR BRAND AND WHY INVESTING IN YOUR BRAND MEANS INVESTING IN YOUR PEOPLE

A strong brand is crucial in today’s marketplace. While all businesses have a brand in some capacity, it is no longer enough to simply state your mission and offer your services; you need to live your brand’s purpose inside and out. This is what it means to have a ‘strong brand’. We are now living in the era of the public and people are making discerning choices as to what brands they choose to invest in. Now, more than ever, people are looking to align with a brand’s values. There are many fantastic brands that struggle to succeed due to weak branding, or the inability to transparently communicate their brand purpose. For these businesses, my advice is steadfast: invest in your brand. Driving a strong brand – from a workforce, company culture and a commercial perspective – comes down to a multitude of machinery all working in sync, day-in-day-out. It is not something that can be invested in part-time; it is a commitment, but one that can reap many rewards.

Gillian Horan is an author, educator and founder of The Pudding – an independent Irish branding consultancy passionate about connecting people to purpose

1 2 3

BRAND PURPOSE My first tip for businesses looking to elevate their brand is to finesse what you do and why you do what you do. It sounds simple but this is one of the core-defining elements of any business. Once you can clearly state why it is that customers should choose your brand over others (i.e. what makes you unique), it will help focus your brand strategy.

THE DRIVERS OF YOUR BRAND One of the essential ways to invest in your brand is to invest in your people – the drivers of your brand. For your brand’s purpose to shine inside and out, you need to nurture your people. Their passion for your brand will drive your business to commercial success. A positive, inclusive and dynamic company culture is vital to the growth of every business.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION You can have an amazing brand and so much to offer potential customers but without effective communication, your efforts may fall flat. Investing in strategic communications and ensuring that your brand’s purpose is being well-represented are crucial. Another key element is being agile and adaptable to consumer trends and societal shifts, such as the pandemic. This is a vital component to a brand’s success.

Should your brand be struggling with its direction, or perhaps, its core pillars have shifted, another option is rebranding. This gives brands a clean slate and an opportunity to begin again. It’s important to note, however, rebrands do not have to be complete renewals; it is possible to rebrand just some elements (for example, a logo or messaging) to better align your brand with your vision and communicate succinctly to your audience.

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Advice  Wise Guys

WISE GUYS

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

Design and Digital Elaine Devereux Managing Director, Lucky Beard

Hire people better than yourself. Surround yourself with people that excel at what they do but are also special humans to share your days with. I got this advice when I was starting out at T-Mobile and since then have always sought out amazing talent. You are the sum of the five people closest to you, so make sure you choose your partners and colleagues wisely!

Goals Noel Quinn

Founder, The Bitsing Company - Dublin Some of the main problems that SMEs encounter are cashflow, strategy, planning, growth and client stability. My solution is BITSING, a methodology that’s been helping companies for more than 20 years to effectively use the answers and data that their company already has. You and your team need to commit one hour per working day to BITSING. You can still have fun! This works. Get it done.

Cybersecurity Andrea Manning Founder, CyberPie

Cybersecurity should never feel overwhelming. Schedule five minutes a week to tackle one small task. Do your updates or change that easy-toremember password, delete old emails or test your back-ups. Some of the simplest tasks are the most effective. Over time, these actions build and shore up your defences. Start today by making sure the password for your email account is unique and complex.

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

“Let us make our future now, and let us make our dreams tomorrow’s reality.”

Intercultural Communication Brigid Farrell Founder, AllTalk Training

When it comes to issues stemming from cultural differences, don’t be afraid to discuss them openly. Starting a conversation around the subject will ensure that all people involved gain a greater understanding for each other. This will help to avoid similar issues reoccurring as well as helping to build empathy and trust for stronger relationships into the future.

If you are a business leader

Compliance Carol Ann Casey

Founder, CA Compliance Limited It is important to watch the horizon whilst also overseeing the bottom line. Live with integrity and purpose – do the right things and do them right and then relationships and business will flow. People like to do business with people they like so smile and radiate a positive presence, especially as we embrace coming out of the pandemic’s restrictions.

Malala Yousafzai activist and youngest Nobel Prize laureate

Training Andrew Brownlee CEO, SOLAS

Nourish talent and have the right skills in place to drive your business now and into the future. Don’t underestimate the importance of continually updating your own skill set and that of your employees in order to remain agile and responsive to rapidly changing, cutting-edge technology and practice. Utilise the supports available from local ETBs and education providers to help you do this.

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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eir

Cover Story  eir

breath OF fresh

CONNECTIVITY, SECURITY AND DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION HAVE BECOME CRUCIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR IRISH BUSINESSES IN RECENT YEARS, EVEN MORE SO DURING THE PANDEMIC. THE RECENT MERGER OF EIR BUSINESS AND EVROS HAS CREATED A COMPANY THAT CAN PROVIDE INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS THESE STRATEGIC CONCERNS, ALLOWING BUSINESSES TO FOCUS ON THE FUTURE WITH CONFIDENCE.

aack in March, eir Business announced it had merged with Irish IT services provider Evros Technology Group, a company specialising in digital transformation, security, IT and cloud management. Thanks to eir’s expertise and unrivalled telecommunications heritage and Evros’ innovative cloud, security and managed services offering, the merger has created the number one telecommunication and ICT solutions provider in Ireland. Today, the new organisation is ideally positioned to provide SME customers with a whole host of new, innovative services in the IT solutions space. “Up to now, eir offered more traditional types of telecom services but thanks to the merger, we’ll be moving further into the cloud and security space. Having a wide, diverse portfolio of products is important and it enables us to help businesses on their digital journey in a cost-

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eir  Cover Story

Martin Wells, Managing Director, eir Business

Chris Bellew

“HAVING A WIDE, DIVERSE PORTFOLIO OF PRODUCTS IS IMPORTANT AND ENABLES US TO HELP BUSINESSES ON THEIR DIGITAL JOURNEY IN A COSTEFFICIENT AND TECH SMART WAY.”

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efficient and tech smart way,” said Martin Wells, Managing Director, eir Business and Evros. “Our products are suitable for companies of all sizes – from the small firm that’s just starting out on its digital transformation journey to the large multinational with a broader range of needs.” In fact the size of your business doesn’t really matter, says Martin. “The demand is there, regardless of the size of the business. Just because you’re small doesn’t mean you’re not trying to get an edge or use technology to drive your business forward. I’ve found that sometimes small firms are actually more agile; they have the enthusiasm along with the ability and they just need a good partner to help bring that ambition to life.” The new organisation partners with all the key vendors in the IT and telecoms world, ensuring more choice for customers. “We think we’re the only provider in Ireland that can bring such a wide range of products to the market. We work with all the major providers such as Apple, Microsoft, Dell, HP, Cisco etc. We believe we can cover the needs of all small to medium businesses.” Finding out what a business actually needs is the first step towards providing a tailored solution to customers. “We run workshops to help ascertain what those needs are before any services are offered. A lot of that work is free of charge, which I think reinforces our commitment to really understanding the business need. We’re constantly engaged in developing and improving our customer service and with Evros on board, that high level of service is only set to improve. Evros has operations in Dublin, Cork, Waterford and also in New Zealand and that allows us to offer a full, 24/7 suite of care at a very high standard. We’re providing simple, innovative offerings, selected from the broadest portfolio and supported by high quality people.” Although a cost competitive offering is important, it’s not the main consideration for businesses today. “Cost efficiency is a constant. You must be able to offer customers a good value for money proposition, but cost isn’t the predominate concern. Getting your overall solution correct is essential and that includes service, account management and the innovation that runs throughout the products you’re offering. It’s about providing the right kind of solution backed up with the right service. In this type of space, you need to bring a lot more to the table than ‘we’re the cheapest’.” If ever there was a time that put technology through its paces, it’s been the past year and a half. Tech products and services were put to the test globally and for the most part, they came up trumps. Eir’s business customer service care team were also tasked with proving their worth. “That side of the business is of course a 24/7 operation so when working from home was enforced, those teams had to move from an office to a home scenario, more or less overnight. It was all managed seamlessly.” Covid accelerated the digital journey for a huge number of businesses, says Martin; now, it’s all about refining that technology. “I think most businesses were in a rush to get set up remotely and now having seen how the different products performed, they’re making firm choices about what is right for them in this new hybrid working world.” The economy is starting to open up but with a large number of businesses either still working from

Chris Bellew

Cover Story  eir

home or operating a hybrid model of home/office working, technology is playing a crucial role. A survey of 200 Irish businesses conducted by eir found that 21% were going to remain home working, 39% were opting for a hybrid model and 53% didn’t feel prepared for the future of working from home from an ICT perspective. “That’s a big problem but we’re in a position to help with that. Only 13% of those surveyed felt their digital journey or transformation was complete. A lot of our customers will be adapting to a hybrid model going forward and will have to figure out how to make that work. Businesses must meet the functional needs of their staff and customers. Products and services from eir can make that transition a smooth one.” In that mix of home and office working, IT security is

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eir  Cover Story

Alan Brown, Sales Director, Enterprise & Government; Caroline Godsil, Operations & HR Director; Martin Wells, Managing Director; and Pamela Farrell, Sales Director

also important. Before the merger, eir’s portfolio included a suite of security services; the partnership with Evros has strengthened that offering. “I think the cyber security agenda has been heightened substantially over the past year and a half. We pride ourselves on the quality of our people in the cyber security team. It’s evolving at such a rapid pace that you must have a very high level of expertise to meet the evolving needs of customers and manage what can be very serious attacks.” Security products include alerts, monitors and tracking services. A fully managed service is also available and is becoming an increasingly attractive option for security conscious businesses. “Efficient and reliable technology is crucial to businesses today, particularly since Covid. They must be able to keep things up and running 24/7 to really

high standards. For us, it’s not just a matter of building these systems and then monitoring them; we’re constantly looking to improve them. I think that’s what sets us apart from our competitors, that commitment to continual improvement. We’re finding more and more that customers are looking for managed services and we’re in a position to deliver them.” Continual investment in products, a commitment to customer service and the largest IT coverage in Ireland is making eir a one-stop-shop for small businesses. “The merger with Evros has enhanced our offering. We work with companies across every type of industry. We understand Irish businesses. Every day, through our innovative solutions, we’re helping to bring businesses to life and that’s what we’ll continue to do.” SFA | BETTER BUSINESS 25

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Entrepreneurs  Energy

ENE for

RG Y

e r u t u f the

RENEWABLES ARE SET TO PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN IRELAND’S ENERGY SECTOR. BETTER BUSINESS TALKS TO THREE FIRMS OPERATING IN THIS EXCITING SPACE

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Energy  Entrepreneurs

we’re to meet Ireland’s 2050 net-zero emissions targets, renewable energy will have to play a major role. Last year, the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill was published, emphasising a very clear need for the development of renewables and even before then, the government had signalled its commitment to alternative energy, pledging that 70% of its electricity would come from renewable sources by 2030. The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill legally requires the Government to adopt a carbon budget to achieve the national climate objective, resulting in sectoral emissions ceilings and related carbon budgets. All business, whether large or small, private or public, are expected to play their part in contributing towards a lower carbon economy. That may mean significant changes; strategies, policies, internal control and reporting systems may need to be revised. PwC Ireland has outlined five key actions businesses can take now if they want to achieve net-zero goals.

■ Establish your net-zero ambition

Each organisation should begin by establishing an ambition to achieve net-zero. It should use science-based targets and cover the full value chain. In setting that ambition, it is important to engage with stakeholders to establish what their needs are. A target date for achieving your climate goals should be set, no later than 2050. ■ Conduct a business risks and opportunities assessment

Climate change brings uncertainty. Companies need to consider and understand how their organisations will be impacted by diﬀerent future climate scenarios. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Task Force on Climate-Related Disclosures (TCFD) and the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi) provide frameworks to explore these diﬀerent scenarios. Companies can refine these scenarios when assessing their resilience and readiness against the impacts of climate change. ■ Setting climate targets and preparing the organisation for success

The first step to establishing net-zero commitments is to establish a carbon emissions baseline. A starting point is to understand the total emissions of the company. What are your largest emissions sources in terms of Scope 1, 2 and 3 as defined by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, Accounting and Reporting Standard? Once the baseline is established, companies should set science-based targets to decrease carbon emissions. Set long- and short-term targets and create achievable milestones for your net-zero journey. ■ Aligning strategy to net zero

Strategies should be reviewed to ensure their full alignment with your net-zero ambition. This will require decoupling the business from carbon intensive assets and activities. You need to move towards climate-related opportunities while at the same time ensuring sustainable growth. ■ Report and verify

Determine how best to report your performance against targets. Will your business utilise a reporting framework such as TCFD or Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)? How will you communicate with customers and stakeholders? How will you ensure the accuracy and credibility of your reporting?

ALL BUSINESS, WHETHER LARGE OR SMALL, PRIVATE OR PUBLIC, ARE EXPECTED TO PLAY THEIR PART IN CONTRIBUTING TOWARDS A LOWER CARBON ECONOMY.” SFA | BETTER BUSINESS 27

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Entrepreneurs  Energy

“THERE WAS AN IDEA THAT SOLAR WAS JUST SMALL-SCALE STUFF ON ROOFTOPS. THAT HAS PROVED NOT TO BE THE CASE. THE LAST ELECTRICITY AUCTION, WHICH WAS HELD LAST YEAR, CLEARLY SHOWED THAT MOST OF THE SUPPORTED PROJECTS WERE SOLAR.”

DAVID MAGUIRE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BNRG

DAVID MAGUIRE BNRG was established in 2007 by two men and a dog. Today, the solar energy specialist employs 37 people and that figure is about to jump to 40. BNRG develops and operates large-scale solar farms in the Republic, Europe, the US and Australia. Growth has been gradual and organic, says Founder and Executive Director David Maguire, although the development of projects at home has been slow. “Although we’ve got three projects under construction in Ireland now, we haven’t actually completed any major projects which is a result of Ireland’s regulatory framework.” BNRG began operating in the US market in 2016 and in the Irish market in 2015, yet the firm has only recently secured a route

to market in Ireland. “In the US, we have completed over $200 million of assets in that time. We’re only pouring concrete in Ireland today. It’s very disappointing.” An uneducated view about solar has led to its slow uptake in Ireland, says David. “There was an idea that solar was just small-scale stuff on rooftops. That has proved not to be the case. The last electricity auction, which was held last year, clearly showed that most of the supported projects were solar. A lot of reform is needed in Ireland and it takes years for that to happen.” BNRG entered the pandemic with a huge volume of activity. Although it has been difficult to maintain that level, the company is continuing to expand into new territories. Working remotely has been a challenge for staff, says David, and one that the company is taking steps to address. “Our younger staff in particular have found it difficult. You would think that working online from home would be reasonably easy for the younger generation, but it’s not. We’re looking at how best we can support our staff.” The biggest obstacle to growth is around supply chain constraints. “The cost of components has increased across the board by about a third. When you get a slight adjustment in pricing, it can really make a project go from being profitable to non-viable.” In recent years, solar has attracted more investment than any other form of electricity generation in Ireland. It’s the cheapest form of electricity generation on the planet, says David. “We’ve gone on a journey to win over the hearts and minds of the public and the politicians and today, we have broad support for the technology. Now we need the right regulatory framework to unlock that opportunity.”

28 SFA | BETTER BUSINESS

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Energy  Entrepreneurs

MICHEAL SMITH

In 2005 Micheal Smith, a plumber by trade, began investigating the potential of renewable products. It was an industry he had developed an interest in when he worked in the US. “The industry over there was more advanced so I was able to take a lot of ideas back to Ireland. When I returned though, the knowledge around renewables wasn’t really there so I went to Austria for seven months to do some training.” M&C Hybrid Energy began trading in 2008, providing consultations on all projects including examining energy usage, carbon emissions and energy bills, looking at the needs of the building and matching with best solutions including solar PV, thermal, heat pumps,

MICHEAL SMITH, MANAGING DIRECTOR, M&C HYBRID ENERGY

wood pellet stoves, LED lighting and mechanical heat recovery ventilation. When he came back from Austria, Micheal built his own carbon neutral energy efficient home. “Customers would ask me, do you have this product or that system installed in your own house. I wanted to be able to say yes and explain exactly how it worked. Since then, we have diversified in line with the market; we’ve gone from wood pellet to solar thermal, then to solar PV and right now, it’s all about heat pumps. Our main goal is to talk to people and help them understand the benefits of installing renewables. We consider every requirement that a customer might have, give them all the options and let them decide what they want. In Austria I learned that a product might be expensive the day you pay for it, but it’s what it costs you to run for the rest of its life that’s important. That’s something I also try to communicate to customers.” M&C Hybrid Energy, run by Micheal and his wife Carmel, can reduce a customer’s CO2 footprint per kilowatt hour used and lower their electric bills by up to 50%. The company works with domestic homeowners, commercial businesses, agricultural businesses, community organisations and local authorities. “I always say, anything from a hen house to a factory, we can help them to cut down on their bills.” Eight people are currently employed by the company and the plan is to take on more. 2020 has been the company’s busiest year since it began operating. “We obviously haven’t been able to complete all the work that came through last year so this year and 2022 will be focused on that. We’re very lucky in that we have two years’ work ahead of us.”

“OUR MAIN GOAL IS TO TALK TO PEOPLE AND HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THE BENEFITS OF INSTALLING RENEWABLES. WE CONSIDER EVERY REQUIREMENT THAT A CUSTOMER MIGHT HAVE, GIVE THEM ALL THE OPTIONS AND LET THEM DECIDE WHAT THEY WANT.” SFA | BETTER BUSINESS 29

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Entrepreneurs  Energy

MARK TEEVAN In 2019, a number of leading industrial companies formed a new organisation whose aim was to plan and deliver a coordinated approach to the deployment of hydrogen transport in Ireland. Hydrogen Mobility Ireland (HMI) wants to see the mass market introduction of Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs) into Ireland and believes there are significant opportunities for small businesses throughout this transition. “By the end of this decade, we would expect hydrogen to have become quite mainstream. To allow that to happen, a ‘hydrogen ecosystem’ will be required and we believe Ireland could be at the forefront of that. The opportunities for Ireland Inc and for Irish firms around hydrogen and its deployment are vast,” said HMI Chairperson, Mark Teevan. Hydrogen enables the integration of large amounts of renewable energy into the electricity grid. As outlined in the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill, Ireland is moving to renewables but the process is not without its challenges. “Hydrogen can act as a balancing agent; electricity can be turned into hydrogen through electrolysis and can then be stored. It’s a very versatile energy carrier that will facilitate this enormous transition to renewables. It’s widely accepted that transport will be the first use for hydrogen and therein lies the opportunity for Ireland.” In transport, there are three elements to the hydrogen chain; producing hydrogen in a green way, providing the refuelling and distribution system around the country and lastly, the vehicles themselves.

“Those three elements require significant work and investment and present opportunities in engineering, supply chain, facilities development etc. Our message to Irish companies is get on this now, understand it and the opportunities.” Skills development is also crucial for companies who want to benefit from the move to hydrogen. “The first hydrogen refuelling station on the island has been built in Belfast and my understanding is that almost all the people involved in putting it together came from Great Britain. Nobody on the island of Ireland had the required skills to make it happen. We need skills development to enable small Irish companies to get involved in the roll-out of hydrogen.” We’re at a relatively early stage, says Mark, so now’s the time to get involved. “It might be a good idea for small firms with complementary skills to collaborate with each other, to pool their skills to deliver some element of the value chain that’s going to be involved in hydrogen.”

“IT’S WIDELY ACCEPTED THAT TRANSPORT WILL BE THE FIRST USE FOR HYDROGEN AND THEREIN LIES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR IRELAND.”

30 SFA | BETTER BUSINESS

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Accountancy  Feature

Accountancy:

Strategic Advice CHALLENGING in TIMES

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Feature  Accountancy

IN A TIME OF CHALLENGE TO THE SURVIVAL OF BUSINESSES, AND AS WE LOOK TO REBUILDING THE ECONOMY, THE ROLE OF ACCOUNTANTS IS CRUCIAL, AND MORE STRATEGIC THAN EVER BEFORE.

the end of the day, business relies on the bottom line, and in times of crisis, businesses rely on their accountants. The past year-and-a-half has been challenging in the extreme, and while some have thrived, many sectors have struggled. Clever management of debt and cash flow could be the deciding factor between a business remaining viable or not. At this time, accountants are crucial allies to help businesses chart a path forward with strategic advice. As Áine Collins, President of CPA Ireland, notes, “It will still take businesses of all sizes time to recover from the disruptions created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The absolute imperative during this time is securing cash flow for businesses.” David Gleeson, Managing Partner of RBK concurs, stating, “The difference between those who survive and those who won’t is having the proper resources on their balance sheet, so they don’t run out of cash when they run into some headwinds.” Harry Goddard, CEO, Deloitte Ireland, advises, “It’s not about predicting what the next disruption will be; it’s about being as well prepared as possible for the disruptions that will inevitably come.” The role of the accountant is certainly becoming more strategic, and with this evolution, opportunities in the accounting profession are becoming broader and broader. As Barry Dempsey, Chief Executive of Chartered Accountants Ireland, points out, a training firm in Ireland today is as likely to be a Pharmaceutical company as one of the traditional ‘Big Four’ accountancy firms. With companies like Sage leveraging powerful cloud-based technologies and wiping out hours of manual administration, accountants are poised to play the strategic advisory role accountants are playing in many business, it’s certainly a challenging and fascinating time for the profession.

IN THIS FEATURE

CPA Ireland Providing members and students with the qualifications and support required to progress in their accountancy careers

Sage Ireland Barry Murphy, Managing Director, Sage Ireland, on supporting businesses to adapt and thrive throughout a challenging year.

45 RBK

RBK works with businesses, from start-up throughout the life cycle, offering a personal service and strategic advice. 34 SFA | BETTER BUSINESS

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CPA  Accountancy Report Partner Proﬁle

PROVIDING MEMBERS AND STUDENTS WITH THE QUALIFICATIONS AND SUPPORT REQUIRED TO PROGRESS IN THEIR ACCOUNTANCY CAREERS

Áine Collins, President, CPA Ireland

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Accountancy Report Partner Proﬁle  CPA

Why Choose CPA Ireland? RECOGNITION An internationally recognised qualification enables you to take advantage of global career opportunities.

OPPORTUNITY The career opportunities open to you with a CPA qualification are endless.

SUPPORT The CPA Ireland team are on hand to provide support and advice.

FLEXIBILITY Choose between options to study part-time or online, to work around your schedule.

RESOURCES Technical and business resources to stay up-to-date on the latest industry developments.

Strategic Support

ine Collins was elected as President of CPA Ireland in April 2021. She qualified as a CPA in 1996 and is Director of Blueprint Consultancy, providing financial and strategic business advice across several sectors. She has vast expertise and experience in the SME sector from start-ups to growing established businesses internationally, both organically and through mergers and acquisitions. Áine has held a variety of roles prior to her election at CPA Ireland. She has a passion for and track record of supporting businesses to meet the challenges and opportunities in managing and developing new business as well as supporting business owners and management teams with financial effectiveness and strategic focus. From 2011 to 2016, Áine was a Public Representative for the constituency of Cork North West and a Member of the Joint Committee for Jobs, Enterprise & Innovation, Member of the Committee of Public Accounts, and Chairperson on the SME group, contributing to the formation of Government policy in these areas. Q: What are the biggest challenges facing SMEs over the next 12 months? A: Over one million people get up each day and work in SMEs across the entire country. They have been the hardest hit by the pandemic, particularly in the hospitality and retail sectors. Thankfully we can now reasonably expect the next 12 months will be much better for most SMEs than the 12 we have just experienced, but it will still take SMEs in many sectors time and considerable hard work to recover from the disruptions created by the

Áine Collins, President of CPA Ireland, on the role of the accountancy profession in supporting Ireland’s recovery after the pandemic.

COVID-19 pandemic. The absolute imperative during this time is securing cash flow for businesses. There are many grants available for SMEs, including the Restart Grant and the Trading Online voucher scheme, which can provide valuable support as businesses reopen. Q: Are there reasons for SMEs to be optimistic as we emerge from the pandemic? A: I would say to any SME owner that the fundamentals that made their business a success won’t have gone away because of the pandemic. It is important not to forget that and to remain hopeful as you rebuild. Evidence suggests that we are emerging from restrictions for the final time. That will bring with it a wave of consumer demand. Many people fortunate enough to have maintained employment over the last year now have pent up savings. That should unleash a period of renewed economic growth and employment recovery, reasons for any business to be optimistic. But it’s clear SMEs that have suffered through the pandemic won’t see their challenges evaporate overnight. Many will have seen savings and contingency funds depleted and they will need support not just for 2021, but for a prolonged period of time. Q: How can the accountancy profession help an SME recover from the pandemic? A: The best piece of advice I could give to any SME planning its reopening is talk to an accountant. Your local CPA has a depth of knowledge and strategic expertise

36 SFA | BETTER BUSINESS

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CPA  Accountancy Report Partner Proﬁle TAKE YOUR BUSINESS

Anywhere with a CPA

As advisers to over 100,000 businesses in Ireland, CPAs provide accountancy and business advisory services for you to ‘Take your Business Anywhere’.

Áine Collins, President, CPA Ireland

that can be invaluable to you as you plan. This support could include helping you avail of the many government grants that are available, working with you to re-establish cashflow, lines of credit and supplier networks—areas which will be major challenges as the restrictions ease. Q: What do you envisage will be the biggest change in the postpandemic economy? A: The world of work has changed. There was an acceleration in remote working due to the pandemic. We now know that remote working is here to stay. SMEs typically were slower to facilitate remote work when compared with larger multinationals. From now, if you want to hire the best staff, businesses will need to offer flexibility where this is possible. This is a process that will need to be managed. The pandemic forced many businesses to commence a process of digital transformation. This was born out of necessity, but it shouldn’t cease just because the pandemic is over. SMEs need to challenge themselves to take advantage of technology. This can seem a daunting task, but at the end of the day it’s about doing it better or freeing up time, so you can focus on what you do best.

BUSINESS DIRECTION ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS CPAs provide SMEs not only with accountancy, tax and audit services but with advisory services on how SMEs can grow. One of the challenges faced by businesses in Ireland is the lack of resources and time to analyse the business environment and assess conditions affecting the achievement of business objectives. CPAs provide a range of business and strategic advisory services. With an innate understanding of the business environment and based on your company’s position, the advice offered can help you grow your businesses. CPAs also offer advisory services on funding and the identification of options to both sustain and analyse future growth opportunities leading to increased profits. Some CPA firms offer advisory services on HR and system processes to aid the internal analysis of an SME’s organisation. NAVIGATING YOUR BUSINESS FINANCES If you are having trouble navigating your business finances during the COVID-19 pandemic, CPAs are trusted financial advisors and advise over 100,000 businesses in Ireland in a range of industries.  RED TAPE AND LEGAL JARGON  The regulatory requirements around running a business are challenging for SMEs, especially those who don’t have the resources, be it financial or human, to cut through the red tape. CPAs provide accountancy and advisory services, simplifying the legal jargon and cutting through the red tape, so you and your staff have the time to focus on business growth. REGISTERED AUDITORS CPA firms are regulated to ensure their services are delivered to a high standard. CPA audit firms can add value to your statutory audit process, so you can trust in their ability to ensure your company is compliant. Please visit www.cpaireland.ie/findacpa to find your local CPA. SFA | BETTER BUSINESS 37

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Accountancy Report Partner Proﬁle  CPA

Data Analytics

C ore A

kills

Disruptive Technology

o u n ti n

Strategy & Leadership

Sustainability

Facing the Future of the Accountancy Profession CPA Ireland’s new syllabus is backed by thorough research and insights into the future needs of the profession.

n recent years, CPA Ireland undertook thorough and relevant research to gain insight into the future of the accountancy profession and most importantly understand the future needs of businesses and employers. In 2020 CPA Ireland launched a new syllabus ‘Ready to Face the Future of Accounting’. With the introduction of the new syllabus, CPA Ireland is ensuring that the knowledge and skills that our newly

qualified CPA accountants will bring to the market will help to shape the future of the profession and that CPA members will continue to be well-equipped, future fit and ready for the changing world of accountancy and the evolution of the profession. A range of post-qualification specialisms are also available including diplomas in Advanced VAT, Tax, Forensic Accounting, Data Analytics, US GAAP, Governance of Charitable Organisations and FRS102.

38 SFA | BETTER BUSINESS

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CPA  Accountancy Report Partner Proﬁle

Because of the ever-changing digital landscape that was amplified by the pandemic, CPA Ireland’s students can now sit exams remotely. As technological developments in artificial intelligence in the examination and assessment areas are continuing to emerge, CPA Ireland will continue to enhance its platforms ensuring that the online exam experience will be leading edge and built around the needs of our CPA students. TECHNOLOGY, AUTOMATION AND DATA ANALYTICS As automation and technology continue to drive changing business models, the role of accountants and auditors is rapidly evolving and adapting. The new CPA Ireland syllabus addresses the impact of emerging and disruptive technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and Fintech. The introduction of these topics across various subjects on the syllabus and through the introduction of a completely new elective subject at our final level— Data Analytics for Finance—allow CPA trainees bring the high-demand data analytics skills to the market, in conjunction with their professional accounting qualification. Newly qualified CPA Ireland accountants who take this elective will now have the opportunity to automatically be recognised as a Certified Business Data Analyst with the Analytics Institute of Ireland. SUSTAINABILITY AND A GREENER FUTURE Sustainability Reporting has been introduced on two subjects on the CPA Ireland syllabus; Advanced Financial Reporting, and Strategy and Leadership. It is our ambition that our students will be pioneers in the drive to increase sustainability reporting. EMBRACING REMOTE WORK The Government plans to introduce a right to request to work remotely in the coming months and a recent survey of our members found that their preferences are hybrid working models as that will best suit their business needs. Our research found that post-pandemic 76% of accountants intend to move to hybrid working model, with the sentiment largely geared towards

a three-day week in the office looking set to be the new normal. Out of those surveyed, 79% of respondents felt ready for the introduction of the new ‘right to work remotely’ legislation, planned for the autumn. CAREERS ADVISORY AND RECRUITMENT SERVICES To assist employers with their transition to remote working CPA Ireland will provide a number of supports to our members that will remain available in the longer term. Accountancy is on the critical skills list and the postCOVID-19 recovery will see the war for accountancy talent continue. CPA Ireland’s Career Service is working with remote working leaders and education partners to provide trainees with the skills and competencies required to work remotely, this includes IT skills for remote working, accountancy software packages, time management and communications, among other areas. They also offer advice and support around managing the performance of trainees, digital skills and how to supervise and mentor remotely. Finding the right accountancy talent will also become a massive challenge in the coming weeks and months. Re-hiring and upskilling will be key for businesses in the recovery process from the COVID-19 pandemic. CPA Ireland can support businesses in sourcing top trainee talent through a complimentary recruitment and advisory service. The advantages and benefits of this CPA support include: eliminating costly recruitment advertising; access to high calibre trainee talent; decreasing your time to hire; boosting your employer brand; access to a dedicated recruitment and careers team. In summary, as the profession looks to the future and as expectations change about what it means to be an ‘accountant’, at CPA Ireland through our syllabus and training regime for our students and members, we are ensuring that CPAs are equipped with the skills, behaviours and competencies required to be successful in the future business ecosystem.

76% of CPA accountants intend to move to a hybrid working model post-pandemic

days per week working in the office looks set to be the new normal

79%

feel ready for the new right to work remotely legislation due in the autumn

“As automation and technology continue to drive changing business models, the role of accountants and auditors is rapidly evolving and adapting. The new CPA Ireland syllabus addresses the impact of emerging and disruptive technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and Fintech. ” SFA | BETTER BUSINESS 39

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30/07/2021 14:56

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Sage Ireland  Accountancy Report Partner Profile

SURVIVE AND THRIVE BARRY MURPHY, MANAGING DIRECTOR, SAGE IRELAND, ON HELPING BUSINESSES TO ADAPT AND THRIVE THROUGHOUT A CHALLENGING YEAR. With 40 years of experience, Sage is the global market leader for technology that provides small and medium businesses with the visibility, flexibility and efficiency to manage finances, operations and people. Sage’s Dublin base has been supporting Irish firms for over 20 years, with over 30,000 customers benefitting from expert, native knowledge of Irish market conditions, compliance, and legislation.

Reaching Out

While the company has been celebrating turning 40, they recognise that the last year has been a particularly challenging one and have reached out to respond to customer needs in other ways too.

“We recognised that businesses were in uncharted territory and many were without revenue sources apart from the government supports. Therefore we implemented price freezes and payment holidays over the year,” notes Barry Murphy, Managing Director. “To help our customers prepare for Brexit we launched an online hub where they could find the latest information, guidance and deadlines. We also implemented new VAT functionality in our products so that our customers could be Brexit-ready. “We launched our Coronavirus Hub to give customers dedicated help and advice on the challenges they were facing in the past year. This

resource includes straightforward guides and webinars to help you get to grips with the financial support available from Irish government, as well as an interactive tool to help you identify the support you’re eligible for.”

Sage Marketplace

Sage Marketplace was launched in April, to help SMEs leverage technology and streamline their processes where possible. “By providing a platform for SMEs to improve productivity and efficiency, Sage’s aim is to ultimately help mitigate the impacts of the pandemic and help businesses survive and recover,” says Murphy. The marketplace gives access to a wealth of popular apps that link seamlessly to Sage Business Cloud solutions, enabling customers to benefit from bespoke industry and vertical tools to get paid faster, enjoy better control of their cashflow, and boost e-commerce.

Survive and Thrive

Barry Murphy, Managing Director, Sage Ireland

“We’re on a mission to help firms,” says Murphy. “We have solutions that grow with you. They are easy to use and can help save valuable time that you can spend on other areas of your business. AutoEntry is one of these solutions—it allows you to scan, email, or snap your receipts and expenses, wiping out hours of manual administration. “Bank Feeds is another—a secure online connection between accounting and your bank, it can automatically import transaction details from your bank account, meaning customers can quickly and easily keep track of the money going in and out of their business bank account. “We’ve worked hard here in Sage to provide the supports needed. It’s been really amazing to see how businesses have adapted, survived and even thrived in adversity.” SFA | BETTER BUSINESS 41

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Stay on it with Sage

Nail your new normal

Choose Sage business software and you choose the visibility, flexibility and efficiency to nail your numbers, boss operations and take great care of your team. As the global market leader in technology for small and medium-sized firms, we’re trusted by millions of customers worldwide to deliver the cloud control, connectivity and confidence that give them the edge.

Send and track invoices

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16/07/2021 29/06/2021 09:50 16:18

Sage Ireland  Accountancy Report Partner Profile

BROUGHT TO YOU BY SAGE: SHAKING UP THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS FOR BUSINESS GROWTH NEW BUSINESS FOXGLOVE COCKTAILS INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY AND GAINED ROOM TO GROW WITH SAGE ACCOUNTING. During the first lockdown, brother and sister team Rory and Tara Copplestone decided to set up their first business together, Foxglove Cocktails. The company operates through its online store, social media, partnerships with local businesses and at farmers’ markets around West Cork. At first Rory and Tara thought their company was too small to gain much value from a software solution such as Sage Accounting, but after initial conversations, saw that it is specifically designed to provide small businesses with the tools they need to accelerate growth. The duo realised Sage Accounting could provide Foxglove Cocktails with the ability to automate the processing of receipts, send and track invoices quickly and gain more visibility over its fledgling operations. “Before adopting Sage, I did everything in Excel,” says Rory. “But Sage has given me a lot more structure.” Neither Rory nor Tara had managed their own business before, so receiving tailored support was essential to get the most out of Sage Accounting. “It surprised me how easy it was to use,” says Rory. “Our dedicated business account manager has helped guide us from the start, and the Live Chat support online is great too.

Enhanced productivity

For a two-person team, time is a valuable business asset. “We only really have one day a week to handle financial admin,” says Tara. “Before Sage, it took me over three weeks to go through six months’ of receipts. Now, with AutoEntry, I just

Tara and Rory Copplestone, Foxglove Cocktails

take a photo and upload it to Sage every week using the app on my phone. The time we are saving is directly translating into more production and client time. It’s also allowing us to explore more ways that we can expand the business.”

Insights and efficiencies

Being able to keep track of payments, as well as automatically generate invoices has been another important benefit from an efficiency standpoint, and this feature has been useful in other ways too.

“The reminder emails for late payments helps remove the awkwardness and add more professionalism and formality to the way we communicate as a business,” says Tara. “For our clients, getting an email from Sage validates the communication a bit more.” The Sage Accounting dashboard also adds a level of visibility the team didn’t have before. “I love seeing the sales figures tick up,” says Rory. “Having the data all there acts as a motivator.” SFA | BETTER BUSINESS 43

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Accountancy Report Partner Profile  RBK

FROM START-UPS TO BUILDING SUCCESS RBK WORKS WITH BUSINESSES, FROM START-UP THROUGHOUT THE LIFE CYCLE, OFFERING A PERSONAL SERVICE AND STRATEGIC ADVICE. Founded over 60 years ago in Athlone, RBK is Ireland’s largest independently branded accounting firm and it now employs around 200 staff nationally, providing the full range of traditional accounting services and tax advisory’, along with complementary services including HR, payroll, back office bookkeeping, wealth management, and insolvency.

David Gleeson, Managing Partner, RBK

With a client roster including everything from small SMEs to multinationals across a wide range of industries, the firm has some specialised sectors it deals with, including credit unions, charities, and family business. “Owner-manager businesses are a big focus for us, working with them from infancy, right through the business cycle, developing their businesses, and

bringing on management teams,” says Managing Partner David Gleeson.

Services for SMEs

RBK’s specialists work with business owners to define their ultimate goals, be it succession planning to the next generation or selling the business: “We would mentor the business owner and work with the family. In that regard, our focus will be very much on the business owner, rather than just working on the business,” Gleeson affirms. “The way RBK operates is to offer a highly personalised service, focusing on you, the business owner and your family, what your objectives are, how your income is generated and how your wealth is managed and can be grown,” says Gleeson. “We work with you on where you want to be and identify what is required to bring the business to the next level.” Within the SME sector the firm works with, clients are assured that they

“OWNER-MANAGER BUSINESSES ARE A BIG FOCUS FOR US, WORKING WITH THEM FROM INFANCY, RIGHT THROUGH THE BUSINESS CYCLE, DEVELOPING THEIR BUSINESSES, AND BRINGING ON MANAGEMENT TEAMS.”

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RBK  Accountancy Report Partner Profile

will benefit from RBK’s vast wealth of experience when it comes to mentoring and business support. “With dedicated partners and teams working on SMEs, we take their financial management information, interpret it and give practical business advisory services. We sit down with clients a couple of times a year to review where they’re at in terms of their overall strategic plans,” notes Gleeson.

In-house Specialists

RBK’s SME AllServ solution bundles together tailored services to suit the unique demands, size and dynamic of their SME clients, with an offering that includes everything from accounting, payroll and technical support to corporate compliance and raising finance, tax and wealth management advice and, when necessary, assisting founders with an exit strategy. One service which Gleeson notes has been of particular interest to SME customers is the HR Helpdesk, an outsourced HR function which provides advice on legislative requirements and practical solutions for specific HR issues. For small businesses, access to a dedicated HR specialist can be invaluable, with any issues or challenges to be dealt with and navigating new legislation such as the temporary extension of immigration and international protection permissions, the right to disconnect and the upcoming right to request to work remotely, and new provisions around parent’s leave and adoptive leave. The firm is also responding to its clients needs with new services being offered, with growth in areas including Management Risk Strategy Services and VAT. A recent addition to the team is VAT Director Lorraine Morrison, an AITI Chartered Tax Advisor (CTA), who joined RBK in 2021 from a ‘Big Four’ firm, bringing with her 13 years of experience specialising in VAT. “With a dedicated team behind her, Morrison is leading on Irish VAT advice for Irish and international businesses,” Gleeson says. The remit of the VAT team covers all aspects of VAT including VAT implications of domestic and cross-border transactions for goods and services, VAT on property, VAT ruling submissions, identifying

“WE WORK WITH YOU WHERE YOU WANT TO BE AND IDENTIFY WHAT IS REQUIRED TO BRING THE BUSINESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL!” opportunities to maximise VAT recoveries, VAT reporting requirements and Revenue checks and audits.

Looking ahead

Looking ahead, Gleeson maintains that viability will be the discerning factor in deciding which companies recover in a post-COVID-19 world. “Many companies have survived the past year with government assistance, but when those grants taper off and cease, some will struggle. We need to look at identifying fundamental viability issues and engage in restructuring where possible to help some firms survive,” he states. “Clients in some sectors are operating on a low margin and the fundamentals of the business aren’t right. The difference

between those who survive and those who won’t is taking proactive steps to put the business on a better viability platform and improving their resources on their balance sheet, so they don’t run out of cash when they run into some headwinds.” For businesses that might be struggling at the moment, he advises them to reach out and get professional help and take advantage of the government supports on offer. “Cash is king, always was and always will be, so get your viability plan done. Be proactive, not reactive. Don’t wait; respond to whatever your changing circumstances are, and reach out to the likes of ourselves, we have plenty of experience and will be able to give you a steer through the crisis.”

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Chartered Accountants & Business Advisers

A Different Perspective....

Talk to the experts

There are many reasons why businesses experience challenges, either on a temporary or more sustained basis.

We have worked with many business owners and their stakeholders to provide clear and practical solutions.

Advert template.indd 1 Q2_V2.indd 1 250782_1C_RBK_JM_BB

David Gleeson, Managing Partner E: dgleeson@rbk.ie T: (01) 6440100 / (090) 6480600 W: rbk.ie

16/07/2021 28/06/2021 09:51 12:24

PKF  Accountancy Report Partner Profile

A LIFELINE FOR STRUGGLING SMES IT MAY NOT BE PERFECT BUT THE NEW RESTRUCTURING BILL FOR SMALL FIRMS SHOULD PROVIDE STRUGGLING BUSINESSES WITH MUCH-NEEDED SUPPORT, WRITES DECLAN DE LACY Is the current low rate of insolvencies similar to the sea retreating before a tsunami? This is the worst-case scenario envisaged by the European Systemic Risk Board in their recent paper on preventing corporate insolvencies. This scenario seems possible when the Central Bank reports that 16% of SMEs are in financial distress, and the Central Statistics Office reports that more than 16,000 businesses have had their entire staff on layoff since last April. In difficult times large businesses turn to examinership to write down debts and reduce rents. However legal and other costs make examinership inaccessible to SMEs. This inequality was recognised in 2012 in a report by the Company Law Review Group (“CLRG”). Governments since then have promised, but failed, to remedy the situation. Minister Robert Troy has sought to address this by publishing draft legislation to provide a bespoke rescue process for small companies in the form of the Small Companies Administrative Rescue Process (SCARP). The SCARP process is an out of court mechanism for SMEs to make compromises with their creditors and landlords. If at least one category of creditors agrees to the compromise, it can be made binding on them all. Crucially, the process includes provisions

to deal with onerous leases, albeit this will involve a relatively uncomplicated Court application. The legislation does not prescribe the types of compromise that are possible, but I expect most to involve debts being rescheduled or being written down to what would be paid in a liquidation. The real question to be asked now is will the SCARP process work for SMEs? The first challenge will be to persuade businesses to use it. Historically there hasn’t been a culture of corporate restructuring amongst SME’s. This is partly because there hasn’t been a formal structure within which restructuring could take place, and partly because business owners can be slow to recognise problems and prefer to keep them private. The new legislation will address the first problem. The second will only be solved by business owners recognising their difficulties and being willing to ask creditors for help. A similar issue existed when personal debt restructuring procedures were introduced in 2012 and it took several years for them to be widely used. The widespread problems facing SMEs means widespread liquidations will only be avoided if business owners quickly recognise the benefits of SCARP. The second challenge is that state bodies including Revenue can opt out

“CLEARLY SCARP WON’T BE A PANACEA FOR ALL DISTRESSED COMPANIES, HOWEVER FOR THOSE WHO NEED TO TRIM FIXED COSTS AND MANAGE LEGACY DEBTS IT MAY BE JUST THE TOOL TO ALLOW THEM AVOID LIQUIDATION.”

Declan de Lacy, FCA, insolvency practitioner, PKF O’Connor, Leddy & Holmes

of the SCARP process where there is a poor history of tax compliance. This is a major difference between SCARP and examinership but mirrors the new personal insolvency regime. Of course, businesses in distress usually have at least a recent history of poor tax compliance. Minister Troy has given assurances that Revenue will only opt out where the process is being abused. What they do remains to be seen, but SMEs can take comfort from Revenue having engaged with personal insolvency in a reasonable and practical way. The SCARP process is likely to become available to businesses just as the Government’s EWSS and CRSS supports taper off. Clearly SCARP won’t be a panacea for all distressed companies, however for those who need to trim fixed costs and manage legacy debts it may be just the tool to allow them avoid liquidation. Declan de Lacy FCA is an insolvency practitioner and leads the advisory and restructuring practice at PKF O’Connor, Leddy & Holmes

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Trading Places  Mathieu Teulier

ORIGINALLY FROM THE LOIRE VALLEY IN FRANCE, MATHIEU TEULIER TALKS TO BETTER BUSINESS ABOUT LIFE IN ATHENRY AND HIS CAREER IN THE HOTEL BUSINESS

Vive la

Athenry

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Mathieu Teulier

 Trading Places

For

almost 14 years, French native Mathieu Teulier has called Galway his home. Despite spending well over a decade in the West of Ireland, he still hasn’t come to terms with its erratic weather. “You never know what you can do. One day you might say, oh great it’s a lovely day, let’s bring the kids on a hike and an hour later, it’ll be lashing rain. Dependable weather is one thing I miss about France.” Mathieu settled in Ireland in 2008 after taking up a role as a waiter in The Twelve Hotel in Barna, Co Galway. He had previously spent a year and a half at Ashford Castle, before returning to France to take up another role. “The idea had been to live in Ireland for a while to learn English; to be a manager in France in the hospitality industry you must be fluent in English so I worked in Ashford Castle as a sommelier, which was an amazing experience. I was young and missing home, so I went back to France after a year and a half and stayed there for a couple of years. It was my wife, who was my girlfriend at the time, that brought me back to Ireland.” In France, hospitality staff will often work 40 hours a week. In Ireland, it’s 60 or 70. Holidays in France are also vastly different; workers will often get nine or 10 weeks holidays. “It’s definitely not the same in Ireland! But there’s a difference in pay, it’s much better in Ireland. When I returned to France after leaving Ashford Castle, I had €10,000 in my pocket but when I left a year and a half later, there was nothing left. I’m not a big spender by any means so I think that shows the discrepancy in wages between the two countries.” Mathieu now holds the role of Food, Beverage and Operations Manager at The Twelve. Thanks to a focus on seasonality and an emphasis on getting fresh produce from regional suppliers, the hotel’s two restaurants have garnered an excellent reputation in recent years. “Myself, the General Manager Fergus and our Head Chef Martin have been here almost since the hotel opened. We said from the start that we wanted to put a real effort into the food and drink offering and that’s what we’ve done.” The West restaurant has won numerous wine awards, along with ‘fine dining’ and ‘sustainable’ awards too. “It’s all about establishing relationships with regional suppliers to ensure freshness of produce. We’re very proud of the awards we have won, particularly the awards for sustainability as that’s something we’re very focused on.” Diners at the West are treated to a show, says Mathieu. “When you come to our restaurant, you’ll learn all about our producers and where we source our ingredients from. It’s the same for our wines. We always try to bring something new to our wine menu, something that no-one has heard of before. I try to avoid the big name wine suppliers; at the end of the day, you can find them anywhere. We offer customers something a bit more interesting.”

Mathieu Teulier

When Mathieu was eight years old, his mother asked him what he wanted to be when he was grown up. He replied, a barman. “I really wanted to be a barman, it was in my head from a very early age. In France, we start work very young so when I tried my hand at bar work at the age of 15, I changed my mind very quickly!” He trained as a waiter for four years before concentrating on wine for another year. “I learned a lot about wine in Ashford Castle and also in France when I went back. I’m passionate about good wine and love finding new, exciting variations for our guests.” Mathieu and his family live in Athenry, half an hour away from The Twelve. He and his wife, who is originally from Shanghai, have three children aged 11, 8 and 3. “I love the calmness and quiet of Athenry. I open my window and I can see land, cows, sheep and I’m happy with that. That’s really why we chose Athenry. My wife is from a massive city and I’m from a little village in the middle of nowhere so Athenry was a compromise! Galway city is so close that we have the best of both worlds.” Right now, Mathieu is busy at the hotel which has fully reopened (“we’re booked out until September”), but he would like to open his own business in the future. “My wife has been training at Shannon College so she’s getting familiar with the industry. I don’t think it would be a restaurant, maybe something a bit different. I feel very lucky to be where I am in life, but a change might also be a good thing.”

Say bonjour to Mathieu Teulier… BORN:

Loire Valley, France

LIVES:

Athenry, Co Galway

ROLE:

Food, Beverage and Operations Manager at The Twelve, Barna

FAVOURITE WINE: Chateau Margaux, 1982

FAVOURITE THING TO DO IN GALWAY: The Saturday Market and a Sunday morning walk on The Prom

FAVOURITE RESTAURANT:

Restaurant Paul Bocuse, France

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Feature  Sustainability

Coming

greener OUT

BY IMPLEMENTING A FEW SMALL CHANGES, BUSINESSES CAN SAVE MONEY WHILE MAKING THEIR OPERATIONS MORE SUSTAINABLE, WRITES RAQUEL NOBOA, SUSTAINABILITY EXPERT AND FOUNDER OF FIFTY SHADES GREENER As the Emerald Isle prepares to reopen to visitors from home and abroad, it’s thankfully opening a shade greener. After months of restrictions and lockdowns, life across Ireland is finally starting up again. Many businesses are reopening their doors, rehiring staff and preparing to welcome customers back and for many, they are making small changes that will make their operations more sustainable and cost effective. The hospitality and travel sectors in Ireland were hit hard over the past year, but many businesses saw the downtime as an opportunity to improve their green efforts. Over the past six months, Fifty Shades Greener has been working with more than 150 businesses across Ireland, training them on how to be more environmentally friendly and more carbon neutral. As a result, they will save an average of 30% on their energy, water and waste bills when they reopen. This training comes at no extra cost for anyone in the hospitality or tourism industry as the Fifty Shades Greener business programme is subsidised by State funding from the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board and SOLAS. Fifty Shades Greener has been working with hotels and restaurants including TV chef Kevin Dundon’s Dunbrody House, tourist attractions like the Cliffs of Moher and even the team at Croke Park, plus several universities and training colleges, showing them how to make small costless changes to save big time. They have been learning simple steps to help reduce carbon emissions and cut operating costs by €10,000 - €60,000 per year on average, by lowering energy and water use and waste generation.

How businesses can save money Many people falsely believe you need to invest a lot of money to make businesses greener, but it’s possible to make significant savings by making small behavioural changes. Savvy businesses are starting to become aware of this, not just in the hospitality sector, but across the board.

Learn how to measure your impact We keep hearing we need to reduce our carbon emission but to do this, we need to be able to measure our businesses’ outputs. It’s actually easier than many think and we’ve been working towards ensuring it’s included in curriculums in schools across Ireland so it becomes second nature to the next generation. First, start by looking at your energy, waste and water usage. All the information you need is in your utility bills. Take your time analysing them every month and looking at your consumption. Remember – if you don’t measure something, you can’t manage it. The second step is to spend time observing your building and your current systems and processes for the use of energy, water and waste production. When and where are you using energy and water? Where and what type of waste are you producing?

Change team behaviour It’s surprising how impactful simple behavioural changes such as turning on equipment only when needed, reducing food waste or setting heating systems on timers can have. Even simple things like ensuring all staff turn off lights in unused rooms can save potentially thousands of Euros every year.

Set out clear targets and KPIs Raquel Noboa, sustainability expert and founder of Fifty Shades Greener

We also encourage businesses to be transparent about their efforts, setting out clear goals and targets. Having a clear action plan with published green KPIs online is important so customers, team members and stakeholders know the plans to reduce carbon emissions and can hold them accountable.

Appoint a Green Manager In the next five years, we will see many businesses bringing on dedicated “Green Managers” who will be responsible for setting out KPIs and ensuring the business is working towards achieving its green aims. If your business is not in a position to bring on a dedicated Green Manager just yet, appoint a team member to be responsible and allow them a half day a week to drive your green efforts forward. Now’s the time to ensure your business is leading the way to a greener Ireland. Not only is it better for the country and the world, it’s also better for our pockets too! For more information, go to www.fiftyshadesgreener.ie

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Light Shining a on

EMPLOYEE WELLBEING IN LIGHT OF COVID AND ITS IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH, A LARGE NUMBER OF COMPANIES ENGAGED IN THIS YEAR’S NATIONAL WORKPLACE WELLBEING DAY Ibec hosted the annual National Workplace Wellbeing Day on Friday 30th April. The day, now in its seventh year, is designed to shine a spotlight on the important issue of health and wellbeing in the workplace. We estimate that around 1000 companies participated in the virtual campaign this year. The hashtag #workwell21 trended #1 on Twitter thanks to significant social media activity by the participating companies and partners on the day. The sheer variety amongst the hundreds of organisations pledging their participation to employee wellbeing was encouraging and representative of the widespread support of the business community for employee health and wellbeing. As we continue to navigate through Covidinduced disruption to our working lives, where many have experienced an extended period of home working and isolation for over a year, it is as important as ever that we are looking out for our own mental and physical wellbeing, as well as those of our colleagues. We urged employers to focus on several key themes for 2021 that aimed to capture the unique challenges faced by employees as a result of the pandemic.

Wellbeing Health  Health

This year saw companies engage in a range of activities falling under the suggested themes. It is amazing how wellbeing activities translate to a virtual environment, with many companies running a ‘wellbeing week’ for staff which allowed them to pick and choose relevant activities at times that suited them. In exchange for a donation on behalf of the business GOAL ran a wellbeing week for businesses to get involved with, thereby cementing the link between wellbeing and CSR. We also saw some companies taking the opportunity to launch newly established Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) for staff. The past year and a half have allowed businesses time to refocus on their wellbeing efforts. Supporting the fundamental wellbeing needs of employees should be core to every business strategy, no matter the size, with an emphasis on getting the basics right as a starting point. Ultimately, wellbeing is an ongoing strategic objective for companies. There’s great value in putting a spotlight on wellbeing (e.g. on National Workplace Wellbeing Day) if the support remains for employees throughout the year. A plan that adapts to the changing needs of your employees is favourable to a onesize-fits-all approach to wellbeing. It’s important to communicate with employees to establish what their current pain-points are (e.g. lack of social connection or bad habits formed around diet/exercise) and target activities towards supporting those areas. The benefits of a successful workplace wellbeing programme have been well-documented and begin with improved employee health, which can help with increased retention levels and higher levels of both engagement and productivity. To find out more about the campaign and Ibec’s Corporate Wellbeing offering, visit: www.ibec.ie/employer-hub/ corporate-wellness

FOCUS AREAS FOR 2021 n Social connection n Mental health n Physical wellbeing

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SFA HR  Right to Disconnect and Workplace Stress

IRELAND PUBLISHES NEW CODE OF PRACTICE ON THE “RIGHT TO DISCONNECT”

THE

right TO

Switch OFF

Following a public consultation by the Workplace Relations Commission which concluded in January 2021, the new Code of Practice relating to ‘Right to Disconnect’ has come into effect, applying to all types of employment, whether you are working remotely or not. The code sets out guidance for employees and employers regarding best practice and approaches to employee disengagement outside normal working hours. It focuses on best practice instead of applying further legislation, as the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 already provides a very effective and defined entitlement to disconnect. While failure to follow a code prepared under the Workplace Relations Act 2015 is not an offence, the law provides that in any proceedings before a court, the Labour Court or the WRC, a code of practice shall be admissible in evidence. Under the Right to Disconnect, employees are now entitled to switch off from work and not engage in digitally enabled communications outside of their normal hours, including not having to respond immediately to work-related emails, telephone calls or other messages. There are three rights enshrined in the Code: ■ The right of an employee to not have to

routinely perform work outside their normal working hours ■ The right not to be penalised for refusing

to attend to work matters outside of normal working hours ■ The duty to respect another person’s right to

disconnect (for example, by not routinely emailing or calling outside normal working hours).

In light of this code, employers are advised to address this issue by reviewing current policies and practices to ensure they are compliant. To learn more about the Code, you can contact Emma Crowley, HR Executive, Small Firms Association at emma.crowley@sfa.ie

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Right to Disconnect and Workplace Stress  SFA HR

STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE

While some workplace stress is normal, excessive stress can have serious repercussions for the individual and the company. For modern workplaces, characterised by Covid-19 lockdowns, staff layoffs and short time working hours, success depends on an individual’s capacity to cope and even thrive when faced with pressure. Resilience is a skill which can be learned, practiced and successfully performed to enable a person to bounce back from setbacks. It has been shown to positively influence work satisfaction and engagement, as well as overall well-being. There is even evidence that resilience can help protect us from physical illness. Taking steps to build resilience and manage stress can mean the difference between success and failure at work.

Identify Source of Stress

Stress

Some of the common issues in the workplace that bring on additional stress arise from people mixing up bullying with jokes, not knowing how to cope with ‘difficult’ people and not knowing how to say ‘no’. Employers should ensure employees are educated on what bullying is, how to raise it and resolve it. Otherwise, failure to identify bullying as a problem can cause additional stress among employees, resulting in absenteeism, low productivity, bad morale, poor attitudes and possible disputes.

Most forms of stress that we suffer from are caused by stressors that gradually push us beyond our capacity to cope comfortably. Working environments are certainly typified by stress and it is also impacted from our daily and social lives. Although we cannot eliminate stress, we can learn how to recognise and cope with it more effectively. It can have a major effect on ability, performance, confidence, energy levels and quality of life. Stress cannot be avoided but it can be managed.

The big barrier for people dealing with stress and anxiety in organisations is fear and the worst thing to do is to ignore the signs. Employees should be asking themselves the following questions: Is there increasing and conflicting pressure? Can you control this additional pressure? Is there support available from colleagues and/or manager? If employees answer yes to these questions, it will show that the company is contributing to their stress levels. It is imperative that employers put an action plan in place or seek advice from SFA to address any issues that exist.

Respond

As an employer what can I do to reduce stress in the workplace? Maximise communication and consultation, especially at difficult times or times of change Make training a priority and ensure they are job-related Promote regular two-way feedback with employees Provide good working conditions – adequate space, minimum noise levels, controlled heating, natural light and ventilation Alternative rewarding and unrewarding work Ensure fair distribution of work Encourage good staff networks During these challenging times, it is important that employers observe their employees’ mood rather than solely checking their work performance, productivity, or task management. Simple ways to achieve this are to have more one-on-one meetings with team members, increase the frequency of your communication, ask open-ended questions that invite people to engage and show empathy whenever possible.

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SFA Policy  Restructuring and Remote Working

A LIFEBUOY FOR SMALL BUSINESS A NEW BILL SEEKS TO PROVIDE SMALL FIRMS WITH A NEW RESTRUCTURING PROCESS THAT WOULD BE COMPARABLE TO EXAMINERSHIP, BUT LESS COSTLY AND MORE EFFICIENT The Small Company Administrative Rescue Process and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2021 provides for a stand-alone rescue framework for small and micro companies. It seeks to mirror key elements of examinership in an administrative context, thereby reducing court oversight and resulting in efficiencies and lower comparable costs. It has limited court involvement where creditors are engaged in the process and positively disposed to a rescue plan. The Bill has come about following a call for submissions on a potential new restructuring process suitable for the rescue of small companies. The SFA submitted a response to this consultation written by SFA member Declan de Lacy, an insolvency expert from PKF O’Connor, Leddy & Holmes.

THE MAIN PROVISIONS OF THE BILL CAN BE BROADLY SUMMARISED AS FOLLOWS: ■ Available to small and micro companies (as defined by the Companies Act 2014) ■ Commenced by resolution of directors rather than by application to Court ■ An insolvency practitioner (who must be qualified to act as liquidator under the

Companies Act) is appointed by the company to begin engagement with creditors and prepare a rescue plan. The rescue plan must satisfy the ‘best interest of creditors’ test and provide each creditor with a better outcome than a liquidation. In addition to this, no creditor may be unfairly prejudiced by the plan. This is in keeping with established principles under examinership ■ Creditors are invited to vote on the rescue plan by day 42 of the insolvency

practitioner’s appointment. The proceedings in relation to the required meetings of creditors are in keeping with existing provisions of the Companies Act ■ The rescue plan is approved without the requirement for Court approval, provided

that a majority in value of an impaired class of creditors vote in favour of the proposal and no creditor raises an objection to the plan within the 21-day cooling off period which follows the vote. The approval mechanism is drawn from examinership and provides for a cross class cram down. This means that where one class of impaired creditor votes in favour of the plan, this decision can then be imposed on all classes of creditors ■ Where an objection to the rescue plan is raised, there is an automatic obligation

on the company to seek the Court’s approval. This acts as a safeguard for creditors ■ Concluded within a shorter period than examinership (examinerships can

currently run for up to 150 days, SCARP seeks to arrive at a conclusion within 70 days, subject to extension where necessary for Court applications) ■ Has safeguards against irresponsible and dishonest director behaviour. Company

directors will be subject to the existing restriction and disqualification regime provided for under the Companies Act. The Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) also has a suite of powers to examine books and investigate, as appropriate, in line with that which is provided for in relation to liquidations, receiverships and examinerships ■ Provides that State creditors, the Department of Social Protection and the Revenue

Commissioners may be excludable from the process only on limited and specified grounds, for example if there is cause for concern that a company is abusing the process for the purposes of tax avoidance ■ Includes repudiation. Repudiation is a legal mechanism which allows the Court to

set aside onerous contracts in examinership.

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Restructuring and Remote Working

SCARP also incorporates sufficient safeguards for the protection of creditors: ■ As there is no automatic stay on proceedings,

creditors are not impaired by virtue of entry to the process ■ Creditors

are afforded an opportunity to provide input to the process advisor (insolvency practitioner) upon his or her appointment to disclose any facts they consider material to the process

■ There are various enforcement provisions

in relation to failure to comply with filing, notice and information obligations ■ The process advisor will be subject to the

same reporting requirements as a liquidator ■ The current requirements in respect of

restriction applications will also apply. Drafting of the Bill has now commenced and the SFA will continue to update members and the small business community on its development.

 SFA Policy

Consultation on the Right to Request Remote Working The SFA made a submission to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment Public Consultation on the proposal to legislate to provide employees the right to request remote work. The SFA and the Irish small business community work very hard to promote, support and adopt new working practices that ensure flexibility for both employers and workers. Nevertheless, feedback from our members shows that currently small business owners do not support the proposal to legislate for the right to request remote working. Small business owners believe that requests for remote working need to remain voluntary. SFA members are of the view that company level actions tend to be more effective, as they are tailored to the needs of the business and its employees. Therefore, individual company-level agreements between employers and workers should be used first to promote and manage requests for remote working. As an alternative to legislation, we would like to see the introduction of new guidance and templates and training for small business owners on the long-term management of remote working. These measures will safeguard both employers and employees as they adopt new working practices and ensure flexibility both for employers and workers, which is a more appropriate mechanism to further remote working than legislation. According to a recent survey conducted by Ibec, Covid has accelerated the trends towards more flexible and remote working, with four out of five respondent companies stating that they will operate a hybrid model of remote and onsite work to a degree when their offices reopen. Out of the organisations that responded, 20% expected employees to work three days onsite, with an additional 13% expecting staff to be onsite for two days each week. Ibec stated that organisations see more collaborative and face-to-face work activities taking place onsite, with more administrative, routine or individually focused tasks taking place in remote settings. Employers are considering investment in IT, software and physical spaces to promote collaboration among employees on and off site.

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Expert Tips  InterTradeIreland

n Wi o t How n i s s e n i s u B w e N d n a l e Ir n r e h t r o N

ANNE-MARIE MCATEER, PROJECT MANAGER WITH INTERTRADEIRELAND’S ACUMEN PROGRAMME, EXPLAINS HOW TO APPROACH EXPORTING TO NORTHERN IRELAND, AND HOW INTERTRADEIRELAND CAN SUPPORT YOUR BUSINESS.

Cross-border trade is a significant slice of the economy and it’s been remarkably robust, growing to a record high of €7.4 billion. Is it time for you to start thinking about the opportunities for growth in Northern Ireland? Here at InterTradeIreland we have over twenty years of experience helping firms in Ireland win new business in Northern Ireland and viceversa. We have a number of funded supports and programmes in place to make your export journey as straightforward as possible. In fact, we have already helped thousands of businesses to take the first step. Here are some tips to get you started. Most of these will apply to any export market, but really, Northern Ireland is the obvious place to start, you’ll soon see why:

1 2

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

It is always recommended to research and spend time in your target market place. This will help you to identify potential customers and sales/distribution channels as well as check out competitors. Northern Ireland is the geographically closest market to Ireland and there is no language barrier. If you want to start your export journey, it is one of the easiest places to grow your business, particularly as there are no travel restrictions in place.

HARD QUESTIONS

In order to understand your brand and skills, asking yourself hard questions at the start makes things easier in the long run. In business, like in life, it is important that you understand your strengths and weaknesses. If you are in a good position in your home market, chances are you know what your value proposition is—what sets you apart from your nearest competitors. It is the same with growing your business in Northern Ireland. What are you offering that makes your product/ service stand out? Also, what are your weak points? For example, do you have the skills and resources in place to grow? Is your price point achievable in the new market?

SET TARGETS

Of course, it is important to set goals, but strike the balance between ambitious and achievable. A formal market entry plan will establish your date of readiness. It should identify priorities and will give you the opportunity to test likely outcomes, before serious money and resources are committed.

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InterTradeIreland

4 5

MARKET RESEARCH

Engage an experienced market research consultant based in the target marketplace—they can assemble facts and figures and reach sources more quickly than you may do yourself. An independent professional can also provide realistic feedback on the opportunities and challenges. InterTradeIreland’s Elevate programme offers a number of tailored supports to help you with this research, with funding of up to €5,700.

CONTACT INTERTRADEIRELAND

At InterTradeIreland, we have over two decades of experience in trading cross-border. We know both the marketplace in Ireland and Northern Ireland and to date, have assisted over 42,000 businesses. We have a number of supports in place, including funding for a sales person in Northern Ireland via our Acumen programme. We are an approachable organisation and are here to help businesses in Ireland explore a new cross-border market. It is what we do.

 Expert Tips

WHY NOT?

Ask yourself: what is stopping me? We understand that initially taking the first steps into a new market may sound daunting, but it really does not have to be. If you have a viable business in your home market, you should ask yourself why you are not considering expanding into Northern Ireland? Chances are if your product/service is successful in Ireland, it may well be successful in Northern Ireland. Plus, for many firms, taking the first steps onto the export ladder in Northern Ireland builds their confidence and leads them to export success further afield.

Case Study: TanOrganic Or ga nic

Irish self-tanning brand, TanOrganic is now stocked on the shelves of Boots pharmacies across Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with the assistance of InterTradeIreland. Founder Noelle O’Connor said, “InterTradeIreland’s Acumen programme, with its expertise in cross-border sales, helped us to fill a crucial role in business development focused on Northern Ireland.” an “This meant we have been able to really drive and grow our distribution with key ,T r e retail accounts in the North. It has been a gateway into the rest of the United Kingdom for nd Fou r , o us.” TanOrganic was set up by Noelle in 2010. The former beauty therapist, based in Swords, n n Noelle O’Co collaborated with cosmetic scientists from Ireland and the US, to develop one of the world’s first 100 per cent organic self-tanning solutions. Anne-Marie McAteer, Project Manager for InterTradeIreland’s Acumen programme explained, “Noelle is a great example of an entrepreneur who can spot opportunity and forecast trends. InterTradeIreland is here to support companies that have a strong offering and want to tap into a new market just across the border – like Tan Organic. The Acumen programme can even help fund a sales person in Northern Ireland.” Noelle added, “The second half of 2021 is set to be a big. We’re a pioneering beauty brand made from the highest quality organic and active ingredients. We have a new purpose and will be removing 1lb of plastic from the ocean for every bottle we sell. We’re excited about what’s to come’’.

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Partner Profile  SOLAS

DEVELOPING LEADERS FOR HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM NEW SUBSIDISED PROGRAMMES ARE PROVIDING TRAINING IN SKILLS CRITICAL TO REBUILD THE HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM SECTOR. In February 2021, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris TD, launched two national upskilling programmes for employees in the hospitality and tourism sector. Developed by SOLAS and the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) in consultation with the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF), Failte Ireland and the Regional Skills Fora (RSF), the Developing Leaders for Hospitality and Tourism programmes will provide highly subsidised upskilling opportunities, delivering critical team leadership and supervisory management skills to enable business recovery and growth. Programme content includes operational

L-R Simon Harris, Elaina Fitzgerald Kane, Tim Fenn, Andrew Brownlee, Niall Collins skills, people management, finance, sustainability, and digital skills. Speaking about the initiative, Minister Harris said: “COVID-19 has hit the hospitality and tourism sectors, and those working in them, extremely hard. These two programmes offer an opportunity

for employees and employers to upskill and will help staff deal with the new business environment, its challenges and opportunities.” As restrictions ease and the hospitality and tourism sector re-opens, employees can continue to engage in these training programmes. Delivery is flexible to suit both business and employee needs and is online with tutor support or when feasible, a blend of online and in-person training. Training is paused over the summer months and will resume at the end of the busy season. Employers interested in learning more can find details for their local ETB at www.skillstoadvance.ie.

Official Irish Labels For a

Uniquely Irish Recycling System For the

Conscious Irish Consumer Help your customers help the environment Apply for your free Irish Recycling Labels now

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Back Back to Business  Feature

Getting

Back TO BUSINESS

THE ROADMAP TO RECOVERY MAY BE LONG, AND AT TIMES PAINFUL, BUT WITH THE RIGHT ADVICE AND RESTRUCTURING, VIABLE BUSINESSES WILL MAKE IT.

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Back to Business  Feature

many businesses prepare to emerge from a period of flux and uncertainty, with breaks in trading and resultant financial pressures, the right advice and access to supports will make the difference between pulling themselves out of the quicksand or drowning in it. Careful planning around stock, revenue, cash flow, rent and staffing will be important to ensure that reopening runs smoothly. For those in the hospitality sector, the blows have been hard. Many businesses have been slow to reopen until they have more certainty and gave careful consideration before getting ahead of themselves. The inevitable tapering off of Government supports will have to be taken into account in roadmaps for going forward. Yet much has been done in terms of supporting viable businesses, from the work of the Credit Review Office, to Restructuring and Insolvency Ireland (RII), advocating for a new out-of-court rescue process which will provide an alternative to examinership and allow companies to remain trading. Mark Woodcock, Chairman of RII, says the Summary Rescue Process (SRP) has been “specifically drafted to help as many companies as possible to survive the COVIDS-19 restrictions and trade into the future”. Insolvency practitioner PJ Lynch welcomes the new bill, saying, ““In introducing SRP, the Department [of Enterprise, Trade and Employment] have acknowledged that small companies have challenges in availing of the State’s most common and most expensive rescue package, examinership, which poses a significant barrier to access due to its affordability.”

IN THIS FEATURE

Credit Review Credit Review is the friendly face of finance, supporting small businesses to appeal credit refusals from their banks and offer practical financial advice.

PJ Lynch The introduction of the new Summary Rescue Process will provide a less expensive alternative to examinership and help viable companies to survive, says insolvency specialist PJ Lynch.

Restructuring & Insolvency Ireland With cross-faculty collaboration, and an agile approach to meeting executive learning needs, Trinity Business School is equipping leaders to deal with the everincreasing challenges of the modern business landscape.

66 Solas

The Further Education and Training sector and SOLAS are providing accessible education targeted to the needs of the SME sector.

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Back to Business Partner Profile  Credit Review

ON THE FRONTLINE OF SME FINANCING CREDIT REVIEW IS THE FRIENDLY FACE OF FINANCE, SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES TO APPEAL CREDIT REFUSALS FROM THEIR BANKS AND IDENTIFY PRACTICAL CREDIT OPTIONS. “Not just a faceless government agency,” is how Catherine Collins hopes that people see the Credit Review. “We are friendly and approachable.” It’s an attitude that is welcoming to stressed out business owners who may feel like they are at the end of their tether. Credit Review’s role is to provide a simple, effective and affordable appeals process for SME and farm businesses who have either been refused credit, or have had existing facilities up to a value of €3m reduced or withdrawn, from the four main banks in Ireland (AIB, Bank of Ireland, PTSB and Ulster Bank). “Most importantly with the impact of the pandemic, Credit Review can also review restructuring proposals, whether the restructuring has been sought by the borrower or the bank.”

Accessible Service

Credit Review appeals are successful in 90% of the cases it supports, resulting in SME and farm businesses receiving a lending/credit solution from their Bank. The Credit Review team includes a panel of expert professionals with frontline SME and farming finance experience. The majority of cases are handled for a fee for just €100. Larger value cases are charged more, up to a maximum of €250. Collins elaborates on the process: “When an SME or farm applies to Credit

Catherine Collins, Deputy Head, Credit Review

Review, a Reviewer is assigned to work with the borrower to understand their business and to consider and address the issues highlighted by the bank. Our Reviewers are professional credit experts who know and understand the banking sector and how it works. They also understand what it takes to run a successful business; and are independent of the banking sector.

360 View

“The Reviewer contacts the borrower to discuss the case and better understand the business – looking at its track record, existing debts, future potential, management and markets, as well as the

reason for the new credit application or restructuring request.” The bank is also asked to provide details on how it views the business and why it has refused to lend. The Reviewer then forms an opinion as to whether the business is viable and if it will make enough cash to pay back the loan. “The aim is always to achieve successful outcomes for the business owners,” Collins underlines. “In most cases that come to Credit Review, we are able to identify credit solutions that work for both the business and the bank. Where the Reviewer is unable to recommend the credit facility requested, we will suggest a roadmap to make future bank applications more likely to succeed, and highlight other supports available,” she notes. Credit Review has a strong client focus and aims to be as responsive as possible to the needs of users. “Our helpline responds to calls promptly and can sometimes solve issues without the need for formal appeals. Our Reviewers are happy to discuss cases with applicants at a time that suits them, often outside of traditional business hours.” Contact the Credit Review Helpline at 087 121 7244 or Freephone 1850 211 789.

“WE ARE ABLE TO IDENTIFY CREDIT SOLUTIONS THAT WORK FOR BOTH THE BUSINESS AND THE BANK. WHERE THE REVIEWER IS UNABLE TO RECOMMEND THE CREDIT FACILITY REQUESTED, WE WILL SUGGEST A ROADMAP TO MAKE FUTURE BANK APPLICATIONS MORE LIKELY TO SUCCEED, AND HIGHLIGHT OTHER SUPPORTS AVAILABLE.” 62 SFA | BETTER BUSINESS

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PJ Lynch  Back to Business Partner Profile

TO THE RESCUE THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW SUMMARY RESCUE PROCESS WILL PROVIDE A LESS EXPENSIVE ALTERNATIVE TO EXAMINERSHIP AND HELP VIABLE COMPANIES TO SURVIVE, SAYS LICENSED INSOLVENCY PRACTITIONER PJ LYNCH. “Despite the raising of restrictions, COVID-19 continues to disrupt economic activity which may eventually lead to an increased number of companies in financial distress having to cease trading and be correctly wound up,” says PJ Lynch, of PJ Lynch and Company, licensed insolvency practitioner. “However, there will also be companies which are reasonably viable and as such are capable of being rescued and allowed to continue to trade successfully.”

Examinership

Traditionally, companies in this situation would undergo the process of examinership, whereby the company may restructure and protect their assets, with the approval of the Courts. “Examinership

was first introduced in Ireland in the early 1990’s when the Government rushed through legislation known as the Companies (Amendment) Act 1990,” explains Lynch. “The Act gave companies who were about slip into insolvency an opportunity to restructure and survive. Expensive though it is, examinership provides a lifeline for companies, who otherwise would have gone into liquidation, to trade out of its difficulties and continue in business.” The updated Companies Act 2014 allowed new legislation to be introduced which allowed examinerships applications to be taken before the Circuit Court to provide cost reduction for smaller businesses, however, Lynch notes that companies were slow to avail of the process.

“SMALL COMPANIES HAVE CHALLENGES IN AVAILING OF THE STATE’S MOST COMMON AND MOST EXPENSIVE RESCUE PACKAGE, EXAMINERSHIP, WHICH POSES A SIGNIFICANT BARRIER TO ACCESS DUE TO ITS AFFORDABILITY.” PJ Lynch, founder, PJ Lynch and Company

A New Alternative

With the inordinate number of businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government has acted to bring in a new restructuring process suitable for small companies. “The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, in their efforts to support small businesses, are introducing a rescue package known as Summary Rescue Process (SRP),” Lynch elaborates. “In introducing SRP, the Department have acknowledged that small companies have challenges in availing of the State’s most common and most expensive rescue package, examinership, which poses a significant barrier to access due to its affordability.” According to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, small companies employ in the region of 788,000 people across the country and with the significant contribution to the economy this makes, it is in the country’s economic interest that those companies which are fundamentally viable have an opportunity to restructure and access an appropriate rescue process. The SRP will be a standalone process, distinct from examinership, but which mirrors some aspects of it. It is envisaged that the SRP will reduce the associated costs and regulatory burden for small companies, while also maintaining appropriate safeguards for creditors, resulting in a more accessible process and greater uptake. The new framework will be tailored to the needs of micro businesses employing fewer than 10 and small companies with a work force of not more than 50 and a turnover of €12m a year. For more information, contact PJ Lynch on info@pjlynchco.ie SFA | BETTER BUSINESS 63

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Back to Business Partner Profile  Restructuring & Insolvency Ireland

RESTRUCTURE DEBTS, AND REMAIN TRADING AS AN EXPERIENCED INSOLVENCY PRACTITIONER AND CHAIR OF RESTRUCTURING & INSOLVENCY IRELAND, MARK WOODCOCK IS HOPEFUL THE SUMMARY RESCUE PROCESS WILL BE BENEFICIAL TO BUSINESSES, CREDITORS AND THE ECONOMY AS A WHOLE. Mark Woodcock is a partner in Fieldfisher Ireland, heading up the insolvency and restructuring department. With 20 years experience as an insolvency practitioner, he has acted on many of Ireland’s most high profile liquidations, receiverships and examinerships of recent years. He is also Chair of Restructuring & Insolvency Ireland (RII), formerly known as ISIP. The organisation was originally formed in 2004. Woodcock explains, “Given how closely accountants, solicitors and barristers have always worked together in the three principle insolvency procedures of receivership, liquidation and examinership, it was considered beneficial for the insolvency community as a whole for there to be an organisation or society of practitioners to ensure a consistent approach between the three professions. It was a super initiative and the society has grown from a relatively small membership of about 50 practitioners to the current organisation of over 300.”

Submissions to Government At the moment the key area of RII’s focus is to ensure that the Summary Rescue Process (SRP) is as user-friendly as possible. “We have a former Chairman of RII as our personal representative on the insolvency sub committee of the Company Law Reform Group (CLRG) which was asked to assist with the drafting of the SRP,” Woodcock notes. “In addition to his role on the CLRG, we

also made formal submissions to the CLRG and separately to the Minister for Trade in relation to earlier drafts of the SRP draft legislation.” The RII is currently preparing further submissions on the recently published SRP bill to ensure that it can have the best practical application for practitioners. Woodcock elaborates: “The process envisages an out-of-court rescue process (like an informal examinership) whereby companies appoint an insolvency practitioner to restructure the company’s debts while the company remains trading. The lack of court involvement is to avoid the expense associated with examinerships and should be concluded in 70 days (rather than the 150 days available in examinership).”

SRP Process

The RII welcomes the introduction of SRP as providing a simpler process that is ultimately more beneficial to all parties concerned. “The insolvency practitioner will draw up a scheme of arrangement whereby all creditors will get more of their debt returned to them than they would if the company was to go into liquidation, which is what is likely to happen if the creditors do not accept the scheme. Consequently there is no prejudice to any class of creditors and the company should survive, which will hopefully benefit all employees of the company and the economy as a whole.”

Mark Woodcock, Chair, Restructuring & Insolvency Ireland

The process is available to any company with a turnover of less than €12m, a balance sheet of less than €6 million and less than 50 employees and so will apply to almost 95% of companies in the State. “The bill currently before the Dáil is the fruits of many months work by all the stakeholder groups and is specifically drafted to help as many companies as possible to survive the COVIDS-19 restrictions and trade into the future. We are all very excited to see it used for the benefit of as many businesses as possible.”

“THE PROCESS ENVISAGES AN OUT-OF-COURT RESCUE PROCESS (LIKE AN INFORMAL EXAMINERSHIP) WHEREBY COMPANIES APPOINT AN INSOLVENCY PRACTITIONER TO RESTRUCTURE THE COMPANY’S DEBTS WHILE THE COMPANY REMAINS TRADING.” 64 SFA | BETTER BUSINESS

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Expertise in Challenging Times

Restructuring & Insolvency Ireland (formerly the Irish Society of Insolvency Practitioners), an organisation comprising

Business water charges are changing

of accountants and solicitors working in the insolvency profession in Ireland, was established in 2004. From a small beginning membership has grown to several hundred. RII has a number of objectives, including: • Providing a forum for consideration and discussion of Insolvency matters. • Promoting best practice in the area of Insolvency. • Liaising with Government agencies and making recommendations on legislative reform governing Insolvency.

In line with direction from the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, Irish Water’s new business charges framework for customers goes live on the 1st October 2021.

A core principle of this new framework is to ensure that a national set of charges will be transparent, cost-reflective, and equitable for all of our business customers.

We will write to all customers in the coming weeks to explain what the changes mean for them.

Irish Water would like to ensure that all of our customers are clear on how they will be impacted. Customers can find out by using our online calculator at www.water.ie/business/

Businesses can also access training on how to lower water consumption and reduce operating costs while protecting the environment at www.water.ie/conservation/business/

• Promoting the study and learning of Insolvency practice.

For more information about

Safeguarding our water for our future.

what we do, please go to our website www.rii.ie

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Back to Business Partner Profile  SOLAS

PATHWAYS TO LEARNING THE FURTHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING SECTOR AND SOLAS ARE PROVIDING ACCESSIBLE EDUCATION TARGETED TO THE NEEDS OF THE SME SECTOR. As Ireland emerges from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Further Education and Training (FET) sector can provide support to employers and businesses through SOLAS and Education and Training Boards nationwide. The current five-year strategy, ‘Future FET: Transforming Learning’, is built around three key strategic priorities—building skills, creating pathways and fostering inclusion. The strategy aims to build local FET structures to be a key resource for employers, helping them to understand their future skills needs requirements and provide both a pipeline of skilled and talented employees in the locality as well as providing much of the upskilling, professional and management development support required by existing employees.

Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship offers employers the opportunity to grow their business with talented, loyal employees. In 2020 there were over 17,000 apprentices completing training, on over 60 different programmes that included tech, property services, biopharma, engineering, construction, logistics and finance. The benefits for employers who employ apprentices are multiple, improving diversity of the talent pool, competitive advantage through bespoke skills development and a consistent pipeline of motivated, highly skilled employees. International research demonstrates that apprentices are more loyal to employers who have invested in

their training, improving retention rates. In June 2021, it was announced that the Apprentice Employer Incentivisation Scheme is being extended until the end of 2021. The Scheme provides financial support for apprenticeship employers who take on apprentices. Apprenticeship employers are eligible for a €3,000 payment for each new apprentice who is registered before 31 December 2021; €2,000 per apprentice is payable at the point of registration with a further €1,000 payable in 2022 for each eligible apprentice retained. For more see www.apprenticeship.ie

Skills to Advance

A Government of Ireland initiative, delivered by SOLAS and the Education and Training Boards, Skills to Advance has been established to enable targeted support for specific groups in the Irish workforce and to meet the challenges of rapid technological advances and the changing work environment. It offers upskilling and reskilling opportunities to employees and SMEs. Skills to Advance can assist SMEs in identifying their

training needs and provide accessible training opportunities, which fit in and around their business and work schedules. Skills to Advance is currently developing a range of new training initiatives to support employees and employers in areas including hospitality, tourism, leadership and management. For more see ww.solas.ie/programmes/ skills-to-advance

eCollege

In response to the onset of the pandemic, SOLAS’ online learning platform, eCollege, with its large portfolio of online courses was opened up, free of charge, to everybody in the country. There has already been a great response to this with over 30,000 people registering for courses last year. eCollege is also a vital resource for employers, and later this year there are plans to increase the portfolio of upskilling courses that will help employers respond to digital transformation, as well as the current crisis. For more see www.ecollege.ie

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Executive Executive Education  Feature

New World, New Wisdom SFA SFA || BETTER BETTER BUSINESS 67

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Feature  Executive Education

the challenges of leadership evolve, to take in pressing problems of climate change, the curveballs created by the global pandemic, and the new ways of working in remote and hybrid models, executive education is responding. TU Dublin has set out an ambitious vision to ‘create a better world, together’, with a strategy aligning to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and a focus on sustainability across topics right across the board, from supply chains to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). Trinity Business School is drawing on TCD’s internal and global network to deep dive into solutions to climate change, with collaborations across schools of Natural Sciences and Psychology to create courses aimed at rewiring businesses to more sustainable models. Furthermore, a new model of micro-credentials being piloted in Trinity Business School will offer busy executives the options to build up credits, picking and choosing from a range of short courses to suit their needs. American College Dublin has also moved to offer more flexible options to students, with rolling starts to courses, rather than the traditional academic year. New ways of working and new pressures require measured responses, and Colm Murphy, Head of Coaching Programmes at UCD Smurfit Executive Development, advises on how leaders can best equip themselves, taking space to reflect and grow a network of supportive peers in executive education. Graduates of the NUI Galway MBA echo the importance of the network they gained during their studies, while those from a technical background underline the importance of learning the language of business and finance to work cross-functionally, and to bring their careers to the next level.

IN THIS FEATURE

AS THE CHALLENGES OF LEADERSHIP EVOLVE, EXECUTIVE EDUCATION OFFERS SPACE FOR REFLECTION, GROWTH AND LEARNING.

American College Dublin As a small, nimble institution, American College Dublin is uniquely placed to respond to the needs of its students with flexibility.

UCD Smurfit Executive Development Colm Murphy, Head of Coaching Programmes at UCD Smurfit Executive Development, explains how their offering can equip leaders to deal with the biggest challenges of moving to a hybrid work model.

Trinity Business School With cross-faculty collaboration, and an agile approach to meeting executive learning needs, Trinity Business School is equipping leaders to deal with the everincreasing challenges of the modern business landscape.

TU Dublin As we rebuild the economy, TU Dublin sets out an ambitious vision to create a better world, together.

NUI Galway MBA Graduates of the NUI Galway MBA describe how it has accelerated their career progression and leadership potential.

King’s Inns A practical understanding of domestic and EU legislation is invaluable across all sectors; King’s Inns offers a broad range of advanced Diploma courses catering to business professionals.

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American College Dublin  Education Partner Profile

AGILE RESPONSIVE EDUCATION AS A SMALL, NIMBLE INSTITUTION, AMERICAN COLLEGE DUBLIN IS UNIQUELY PLACED TO RESPOND TO THE NEEDS OF ITS STUDENTS WITH FLEXIBILITY. With a background in technology, Rowland Crawte, Director of Administration at American College Dublin, may have been more prepared than most for the challenges of transitioning education online during the pandemic. In fact, preparations had already been underway for some innovative ways of delivering courses. “We did have plans anyway, to apply to our American accreditation body for accreditation to deliver courses online, before the pandemic,” he reveals. With a different set of rules applying from the US college accreditation system, American College Dublin is uniquely placed to formulate flexible education models that are quite different to anything in the domestic market. “What we’ve found is that it’s not always suitable for people to start at a certain time of year, so it’s good to have a rolling start for some of these courses,” Crawte notes. With the global population now adjusted to operating in the digital world, it opens up new opportunities for flexible education models. “It can be done, where you do have that one-way delivery, and then maybe

Engagement

Rowland Crawte, Director of Administration, American College Dublin you have a weekend on site or a couple of meetings a week where you have that tutorial conversational element to it.” American College Dublin is already offering one of its courses fully online, with three cohorts already having started. “It was already in mind to do this, but what was on a two-year horizon planning-wise then got condensed down to six months due to the pandemic.”

“WHAT WE’VE FOUND IS THAT IT’S NOT ALWAYS SUITABLE FOR PEOPLE TO START AT A CERTAIN TIME OF YEAR, SO IT’S GOOD TO HAVE A ROLLING START FOR SOME OF THESE COURSES. ”

With a digital-focus here to stay, Crawte says the learnings around best practice continue. “We’ve implemented a lot of things that we didn’t know we’d have to implement, just through being forced to do, and it helped us to understand things that we maybe didn’t realise beforehand.” One experiment was refining their policy around whether to have students’ cameras on during Zoom classes. “At first we didn’t enforce cameras being on, but what we found was that people’s grades started to dip off, and people’s attendance started to dip off. We had to do a complete 180 turnaround where we said you need to have a reason not to have your camera turned on. Things like that were very useful for us to have tested the waters with when submitting our application for accreditation to do online delivery. You know what works and what doesn’t work and how best to approach it.”

Agile Response

With a global network of students, responding to their needs with agility has been crucial to American College Dublin’s operations, including allowing students to pay tuition fees by monthly payments rather than per semester— it’s all about making education accessible. This September the next challenge will be welcoming students back, while remaining accessible to those who wish to continue remotely (made possible by the US accreditation which does not require residence in Ireland for an award). With the technology already in place, American College Dublin is ready with a flexible approach. For more information see iamu.edu SFA | BETTER BUSINESS 69

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CHANGE

STARTS HERE DRIVE YOUR CAREER FORWARD AND ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS IN AN INSPIRING LEARNING ENVIRONMENT As Ireland’s premier provider of executive development open programmes, we can help you master the right skills for the most complex global business challenges with our unique and flexible MSc in Business (Leadership & Management Practice) pathway. If you are an experienced professional who wants to continue in your chosen career while undertaking part-time study, then our flexible MSc pathway option will offer you the very best learning experience and a world-class qualification. Our MSc in Business (Leadership & Management Practice) is based on a framework of selected diploma programmes. By completing any three of the diplomas below, you will receive the qualification of MSc Business (Leadership & Management Practice) accredited and awarded by UCD.

DIPLOMA IN CORPORATE GOVERNANCE 6th September 2021

DIPLOMA IN BUSINESS & EXECUTIVE COACHING 19th October 2021

DIPLOMA IN ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE & TRANSFORMATION 28th October 2021

DIPLOMA IN ADVANCED MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE 4th November 2021

DIPLOMA IN LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT 18th November 2021

HOW DO I FIND OUT MORE? For further information, please contact Caroline Kinsella on (01) 716 8050 or email caroline.kinsella@ucd.ie

DIPLOMA IN HIGH PERFORMANCE SALES & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT 18th November 2021

DIPLOMA IN STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT & INNOVATION 25th November 2021

Executive Education Ranking 2020

DIPLOMA IN BUSINESS FINANCE 25th November 2021

www.smurfitschool.ie/executivedevelopment

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UCD Smurfit Executive Development  Education Partner Profile

READY FOR RESILIENCE COLM MURPHY, HEAD OF COACHING PROGRAMMES AT UCD SMURFIT EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT, EXPLAINS HOW THEIR OFFERING CAN EQUIP BUSINESS OWNERS TO STAY RESILIENT AND ENERGISED THROUGH UNCERTAINTY. As we navigate through ongoing uncertainty, staying resilient and energised can be challenging for business owners. Our offering at UCD Smurfit Executive Development includes a number of courses which are particularly relevant to these challenges: the Diploma in Business & Executive Coaching and Diploma in Leadership Development offer business owners space to reflect and grow their skills, bringing about a renewed sense of leadership empowerment and purpose.

leaders to develop an awareness, build some rhythm into how you work, and take pauses—it is ultimately a more sustainable way to operate.

Energising

Uncertain Environment

There is a famous acronym used by the US Military: VUCA. It stands for Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous— and it could equally be used to describe the last 18 months, and probably the next couple of years. In order to work through this, futurist and author Bob Johansen suggests we counteract the environmental situation by leading with Vision, Understanding, Clarity and Agility. Our Diploma programmes are incredibly experiential and reflective. Participants get better clarity about what they want to achieve, how they want to lead and how to be more authentic as a leader, helping them to lead through these VUCA times.

Off the Treadmill

In my experience, when I am coaching entrepreneurs and small business owners, they spend a lot of time working in the business as opposed to on the business—getting sucked into the urgent, task-focused operational side of things. These programmes offer the space to think, and to make the shift from reacting to being more strategic. Participating in an executive development course at UCD Smurfit

Colm Murphy, Head of Coaching Programmes, UCD Smurfit Executive Development

Many organisations are looking at well-being and mindfulness is becoming an incredibly popular practice. When I think about this idea of energy, what I look at is how do we as entrepreneurs or small business owners maintain our energy? When we’re in a hurry it’s very hard to delegate well. In tandem with being clear on what you expect and what the next steps are, there has to be a mechanism to check in or give feedback, because not everyone will get it right first time. The author and coach Marshall Goldsmith suggests the best way to delegate is to go to your team and say ‘What do you see me doing that you think you should be doing?’

“CEOS OFTEN FEEL GUILT WHEN THEY ARE NOT OPERATING AT A FRANTIC PACE. IF WE’RE SPRINTING REALLY FAST WE CAN GET KNOCKED OFF BALANCE VERY EASILY BY CHALLENGES.” School of Business gives you a chance to step off the treadmill. CEOs often feel guilt when they are not operating at a frantic pace. If we’re sprinting really fast we can get knocked off balance very easily by challenges. If we are grounded, moving at a steady pace, we can brace ourselves for impact and be more resilient. Instead of constantly sprinting I encourage

For a small business owner, our programmes offer the chance for reflection, networking and building a peer support group which is not only taking away the loneliness but also challenging the perception that there’s only one way of doing things. For more information see www.smurfitschool.ie/executivedevelopment SFA | BETTER BUSINESS 71

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Education Partner Profile  Trinity Business School

THE CHALLENGES OF OUR TIMES WITH CROSS-FACULTY COLLABORATION, AND AN AGILE APPROACH TO MEETING EXECUTIVE LEARNING NEEDS, TRINITY BUSINESS SCHOOL IS EQUIPPING LEADERS TO DEAL WITH THE EVER-INCREASING CHALLENGES OF THE MODERN BUSINESS LANDSCAPE. Executive education is aligning with the challenges facing organisations today, developing leaders who are prepared for cultural and organisational change. Personal development and building leadership character is something that is woven into all of the programmes at Trinity Executive Education, according to Michael Flynn, Director of Executive Education, Trinity Business School. One of the key factors that sets their offering apart is the school’s location within the Trinity College campus: “By being a part of this bigger community, we’re able to draw upon not just the best research and thought leadership from the school itself and from our amazing faculty, but also from across the wider university community, as well as TCD’s network of subject matter experts and academic thought leaders from right across the world.” With TripleAccreditation status, Trinity Business School is among the top 0.6% of business schools worldwide.

Be the Change

A key area of collaboration is with the School of Natural Sciences, around the topic of climate action. Flynn states, “I would argue personally that climate action is the single most important issue facing businesses today. “The school has, as a part of its own strategy, a really proactive approach to climate action. It’s very clear to us now that business as usual is not good enough. We 72 SFA | BETTER BUSINESS

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Trinity Business School

need to be facilitators and proactive creators of momentum when it comes to climate change, climate action and climate adaption.” In order to create an ethos of responsible leadership and strategies focused particularly on climate action, the School has called upon its colleagues in the School of Natural Sciences. “They have been absolutely wonderful in assisting to tease out the push towards carbon neutrality and rewiring business models,” Flynn notes. In another example of collaboration, the newly-launched Postgraduate Certificate in Sustainable Development for Business includes modules which have been developed in tandem with the School of Natural Sciences

and the School of Psychology, which will be delivering an insightful module on ‘Rewiring Your Business Approach’. “This will be a really important tool for businesses to look at how they can reconfigure and move forward towards carbon neutrality,” says Flynn.

Human Futures

The Trinity Centre for Digital Business and Analytics also sits within Trinity Business School and works closely with the executive education on a range of specialised open enrolment programmes and customised programmes in the areas of digital transformation, big data and business analytics. “Our approach is that digital transformation is essentially change management on steroids. It happens really fast and and you can’t let up because it’s a route to competitive advantage. You need to be constantly moving your digital transformation in the direction of contemporary excellence, connecting big data and strategy. “When we talk about transformation,

Trinity College Dublin

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Trinity Business School  Education Partner Profile

be it digital or ecological, what we’re really talking about is the concept of change management and organisational evolution—hence that word ‘transformation’. Digital has been very much at at the heart of change management for the last decade but we’re now moving towards a more holistic approach to transformation of a business,” Flynn states. “Digital plays a role but it’s also about what we term ‘Human Futures’—how people work together, how we redefine productivity, how we work across distributed workforces and so on. “This all comes together in a way where we’re listening our footprint on the planet and we’re moving towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as part of our business model.”

Human Rights

Trinity Executive Education works closely with the Trinity Centre for Social Innovation, a research centre within the Trinity Business School that focuses on issues including climate action, diversity and human rights. A recent research report by the Centre looked at where the Irish business community stands in relation to internationally agreed goals for human rights and and commitment to meeting those goals. “It was the start of a very robust conversation, that’s been going on for much of the last 12 months, around how Irish businesses, facilitated by organisations such as ourselves, can move towards a better approach to human rights, equality access and diversity,” says Flynn. A new short course under the Executive Education umbrella speaks to this, with Flynn describing it as created to “assist organisations in creating a culture and systems that are more amenable towards diversity and accessibility and mindful of human rights”. Along with cultural and societal demands for corporate responsibility, he notes that, “The European Union is in the process of finalising new legislation and EU directives that are coming down the line will make it mandatory for all organisations above a certain size to meet minimum levels of competency and excellence in human rights.”

Trinity Business School

Micro-credentials An exciting new development in corporate learner-focused education. “Working in a global context, what we’ve found through our partnerships with organisations is that there’s a need for a more agile and a more flexible approach to executive development,” states Michael Flynn, Director of Executive Education, Trinity Business School. To respond to this need, in September of this year Trinity Business School is rolling out a suite of carefully crafted microcredential (MC) courses across key areas of leadership and management. The business school is one of four schools within TCD involved, with TCD one of the lead institutions in a national micro-credentialing pilot program under the HCI Human Capital Initiative, a government-supported initiative to create agile skill sets in the workforce of the future. These open enrolment courses will allow participants to undertake short courses in a truly innovative and flexible way, receiving 5 ECTS credits for each, which can be stacked towards a future award, be that Certificate (30 credits), Diploma (60 credits) or Masters (90 credits). The initial offering will see eight different courses, rising to at least 20 different options within 12 months. Flynn states, “Participants will synthesise the coursework back in their organisations. The workload is very much actionfocused learning. Everything on these short courses is designed to be impactful and applicable to the organisation that you are working in.”

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TU Dublin Graduate Business School

Infinite Possibilities

TU Dublin Graduate Business School is an internationally accredited, award winning business school. Our 30 plus programmes are designed in partnership with business and are proven to drive impact at both an individual and organisational level. We foster a dynamic and exciting learning environment, where our learners engage with expert faculty, peers from a variety of sectors and distinguished alumni. Join us and begin your journey towards personal transformation and career growth!

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TU Dublin  Education Partner Profile

REBUILDING A SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY – THE ROLE OF EDUCATION AS WE REBUILD THE ECONOMY, TU DUBLIN SETS OUT AN AMBITIOUS VISION TO CREATE A BETTER WORLD, TOGETHER. As we rebuild the Irish economy there is an opportunity to do so in a sustainable manner, that is to say in a stronger, fairer and more ecological way, that aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a charter of 17 interconnected objectives that have been designed to create a better world for all, by 2030. The achievement of the SDGs require all sectors of the economy and society to work together and educational providers play an important role in this regard. In an Irish context, TU Dublin has set out an ambitious vision to ‘create a better world, together’. The University developed its strategy for 2030 through the lens of the UN SDGs. The strategy focuses on three pillars of People, Planet and Partnership. Underpinned by SDG4 ‘Quality Education’, these three pillars

Dr. Colin Hughes, Head of the Graduate Business School, TU Dublin

inform the University’s approach to educational, research and engagement activities, ensuring TU Dublin delivers real change, innovation and impact for society.

Sustainability Focus

Within the College of Business at TU Dublin there has been a strong focus on sustainability and its role in business in recent years. Commenting on this work, Dr. Colin Hughes, Head of the Graduate Business School, notes that, “We are in a position to add value to organisations and society by taking a leadership position with regard to sustainability. We are signatories to UN PRME and our recent PRME Progress Report captures the hard work and innovation among our students and staff in making progress on the SDGs.” TU Dublin business students, from undergraduates to executive learners,

have been increasingly focusing on sustainability in recent years, across various topics from sustainable supply chains to consumption; circular economy; environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) and equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). They are completing impactful projects and engaging with experts from within the college and externally to understand the challenges and opportunities we face as a society.

Impact Focus

Dr. Lucia Walsh who leads modules on entrepreneurship and marketing notes: “We incorporate sustainability sustainability debates within all of our topics rather than as an add-on. As part of a TU Dublin-wide project over 1,000 business students have engaged with a sustainability literacy test called Sulitest and reflected on the key issues and their implications for their academic, personal and professional lives. Our executive MBAs, who are leaders in every sector, also engage with experts in sustainability and business and work with clients on their enterprise sustainability challenges.” According to Dr. Hughes, TU Dublin is committed to ensuring that graduates are capable and motivated to drive change for a better world. Along with a range of exciting new sustainability modules, the College of Business has developed a new Postgraduate Certificate in Sustainability Leadership which will launch in September and a new seminar series, ConnectED-Planet, which will feature a wide array of expert speakers and is open to the public. See www.tudublin.ie/pgbusiness/ connected-business-seminar-series SFA | BETTER BUSINESS 75

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NUI Galway MBA Developing Globally Talented Leaders of Vision, with Regional Edge

We define our NUI Galway MBA regional edge as: ‘The unique synergy of NUI Galway expertise, delivery and focus combined with exceptional regional business enterprise and talent’. We distinguish our MBA by offering an integrated learning experience characterised by our distinctive focus pillars of: • Transformational Leadership • Innovating Success • Business for Society

Key Features • New Hybrid Delivery Model • Innovative Curriculum of Immediate Value • Personal Development Journey in Leadership Transformation • Dynamic Peer-to-Peer Learning Environment • Led by Subject Matter Experts • MBA Guest Speakers and Masterclasses • International Leadership Gateway

Learn More: nuigalway.ie/mba

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NUI Galway  Education Partner Profile

POSITION YOURSELF FOR SUCCESS GRADUATES OF THE NUI GALWAY MBA DESCRIBE HOW IT HAS ACCELERATED THEIR CAREER PROGRESSION AND LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL Driven by experienced, passionate and dedicated faculty, the NUI Galway MBA integrates an academically rigorous and challenging real-world business education with industry engagement and global learning. Our MBA provides you with the knowledge, transferable skills and confidence required to lead innovative success. As we soon celebrate 50 years of experience in MBA provision, and we are accredited by the global Association of MBAs (AMBA) choosing NUI Galway is a smart decision.

New Perspectives

For Deepak Jain, an Engineering Manager with Intel, the vertical leadership was one of the key points that attracted him to the MBA programme. “We had a great module where we did surveys to see what our blind spots were. I had honest interactions with my team and worked with a coach to address those issues. The way it was set up gave me time to work on the elements where I could improve.” Despite finishing the second year of the programme online during the pandemic, he credits the programme directors with helping students adapt to the challenge, and recreating the vital networking opportunities so crucial to MBA learning. Áine Ní Chualáin, Senior Director, R&D Counsel at Alkermes graduated from the NUI Galway MBA in 2018 and has since been promoted twice internally. As an in-house

legal advisor, she says that “one of the most significant benefits of the MBA has been the method of engagement with the business. At times the MBA requires broad engagement across many disciplines and at other times demands deep understanding of specific area. The MBA experience provided me with the skills and confidence to communicate cross-functionally from a business perspective, not just a technical legal perspective, which has been transformative for my career.

Áine Ní Chualáin

Beyond Expectations

“I had a pretty good idea about what kind of return on investment I wanted to get from the MBA when it came to my career development: I wanted a role that was more strategic, one or two levels higher within the organisation, and with more of a global focus,” says Ross Doherty, Strategy Principal at SAP and MBA class of 2019. Coming from an IT background, his key areas of focus were broadening his understanding of business, building leadership and interpersonal skills, and improving his understanding of finance and economics. “Looking back, it definitely fulfilled that, beyond my expectations. In fact, about six months after graduation, I found the dream role for me, and was successful in getting it. The areas I developed on the MBA were critical for me to do my current job.” Given the financial, academic and personal commitments required, pursuing

“BEING ABLE TO WORK CROSSFUNCTIONALLY AND BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE FROM A BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE, NOT JUST FROM A TECHNICAL PERSPECTIVE, HAS REALLY CHANGED MY APPROACH TO MY WORK.”

Deepak Jain

Ross Doherty

an MBA is an important decision. The NUI Galway MBA provides a proven, excellent return on investment resulting in a personal platform that will position you for accelerated career success. Developing globally talented leaders of vision with regional edge is our mission and we deliver. Choosing to undertake an MBA is a big decision, we understand that and we are here to help. Visit nuigalway.ie/mba or contact us at mba@nuigalway.ie for more information. SFA | BETTER BUSINESS 77

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Early morning, evening, or weekend classes Small group teaching Courses available to study online Open to lawyers and non-legal professionals Applications taken from April

BUSINESS AND THE LAW - DEVELOP A PRACTICAL UNDERSTANDING Law is for everyone. Amidst growing complexity, businesses now face unprecedented challenges in today’s market. To stay competitive, a practical understanding of the relevant domestic and EU legislation is essential.

Professional Development Courses (Advanced Diplomas) · Law and Education

· Public Procurement Law

· Lawyer-Linguistics and Legal Translation

· Social Media and Media Law

· Legal Translation

· Mediation new course

· Legal Practice through Irish

· Legal Innovation and Technology new course

· Corporate, White-Collar and Regulatory Crime

· Applied Employment Law

· Legislative Drafting

· Planning and Environmental Law · Data Protection Law · Quasi-Judicial Decision-Making · Medical Law · Immigration and Asylum Law King’s Inns is an independent educational institution renowned for professional legal education and training. The School of Law offers accessible part-time courses in specialist areas of the law.

@kingsinns

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Henrietta Street Dublin D01 KF59

Early morning, evening, or weekend classes Courses available to study online Open to lawyers and non-legal professionals.

Now taking applications for 2021 / 2022 Early applications advised as places are limited on some courses.

Learn more at:

kingsinns.ie/advanceddiplomas

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King’s Inns  Education Partner Profile

LAW FOR EVERYONE A PRACTICAL UNDERSTANDING OF DOMESTIC AND EU LEGISLATION IS INVALUABLE ACROSS ALL SECTORS; KING’S INNS OFFERS A BROAD RANGE OF ADVANCED DIPLOMA COURSES CATERING TO BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS. “Law should not just be left to lawyers to understand. It is a fundamental part of any business practice today,” states Dr Eimear Brown, Dean of the KIng’s Inns School of Law. “Law affects everyone and every aspect of life.” Established in 1541 as the training institution for barristers, King’s Inns today offers a broad range of highly sought after legal courses which are open to non-legal professionals and cater to the contemporary businessperson, assisting them in understanding and navigating the current legal issues that affect their day-to-day operations. “Amidst growing complexity, businesses now face unprecedented challenges in today’s market; to stay competitive, a practical understanding of the relevant domestic and EU legislation is essential.”

All Walks of Life

“Law is for everyone and the people who undertake our professional development courses are mostly nonlegal professionals,” notes Dr Brown. “They can be HR professionals, data protection officers, planners, architects, engineers, IT people, communication and marketing people, teachers, accountants, self-employed people, directors from small and big companies. Our students come from all walks of life, living across Ireland and beyond, ranging in age from

early twenties to over seventies.” Professional development courses on offer for the coming semester include topics such as Data Protection Law, Public Procurement Law and Social Media and Media Law. “Some advanced diploma courses are of importance regardless of the sector concerned. After all, Data Protection Law and Applied Employment Law are areas that affect almost every business,” says Dr Brown. “Social Media and Media Law is of increasing general importance in a society where nearly every business relies upon media for some aspect of its business, whether that be promotion or customer service or the direct provision of services.”

“AMIDST GROWING COMPLEXITY, BUSINESSES NOW FACE UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES IN TODAY’S MARKET; TO STAY COMPETITIVE, A PRACTICAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE RELEVANT DOMESTIC AND EU LEGISLATION IS ESSENTIAL.”

Accessible Learning

King’s Inns has been at the forefront of digital learning, and prioritises ease of accessibility to its courses, which are currently offered through an easy-tonavigate online platform. For the selfemployed or small business owner, it is possible to look for financial support from Skillnet to fund a course. Many of the Advanced Diploma courses at King’s Inns are designed with busy schedules in mind and offer classes either early in the morning, in the evenings or at weekends, with sessions recorded for those unable to attend live. However, Dr Brown underlines that as soon as it is possible, the team hope to welcome students back on site. “King’s Inns is built on networking and engagement with your peers. Hopefully next academic year, we will invite students on the professional courses back in for social events, fireside chats and talks.” For more information see www.kingsinns.ie SFA | BETTER BUSINESS 79

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16/07/2021 10:31

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

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FIND OUT MORE: corporate.decare.ie

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

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25/06/2021 12/05/2021 10:19 11:59

DeCare Dental Insurance Ireland Ltd  Partner Profile

BRUSHING UP ON YOUR BENEFITS MANY HAVE SIGHT BUT FEW HAVE VISION WRITES DAVID CASEY, HEALTH PROMOTION MANAGER AT DECARE DENTAL How can dental and optical benefits have a positive impact on an employee’s overall health? Oral diseases are among the most common diseases in the world. The Global Burden of Disease Study 2016 estimated that oral diseases affected half of the world’s population (3.58 billion people). It also stated that ‘there is a direct correlation between dental health and overall health’. Our eyes have been named the window to the soul and our mouth is regarded as the gateway to the body. By addressing the oral and optical health and wellbeing of employees, an organisation can demonstrate its commitment to a healthy working environment and in turn, make a worthwhile and lasting contribution to society. An ageing population is one of the success stories of modern society. Medical advances, improved diet and living conditions and better healthcare have resulted in the rapid growth of older people. People are entering the so called ‘silver circle’ at 55 and keeping and retaining their teeth for longer. As a result, teeth require more maintenance. Also at around the age of 40, most people begin to experience a condition called presbyopia. Presbyopia, or the ‘hardening of your eyes’ lenses, makes it harder for you to focus on objects that are too close. We require attention to optical and dental health as we age across the life course. Ageing adults tend to require increasingly complex dental treatments and are often more prone to contracting certain diseases and sometimes find it challenging to keep up with daily oral health practices. When problems occur in the mouth, they can cause difficulty chewing, swallowing, speaking and smiling. These are basic functions which can affect both physical and social wellbeing. Medications prescribed for

David Casey, Wellness Health Promotion Manager, Decare other diseases can adversely affect a person’s oral and optical health and a decline in oral health can worsen existing conditions (such as diabetes), or even cause systemic inflammation. Dental and optical benefits and employee wellness are very much linked. Optical and oral are also closely linked. The mouth, head and neck connection are all connected through the trigeminal facial nerve. Its three divisions reach to the eye and our upper and lower jaws. The human eyes are among the smallest organs in the entire body. They are, however, two of the most important organs to many people, since sight is the sense that humans tend to rely on most. Most dental cover promotes preventive care and good oral health habits, which improve an employee’s overall health. By investing in employee health through offering dental coverage, a company can improve employee productivity and reduce costs associated with dental or health care over a life course. Regular preventive dental exams, provided through dental insurance, can reduce lost working hours by identifying and treating problems earlier, while visits to the dentist can help prevent, detect and manage disease. By

offering optical and dental insurance, a company is more likely to have healthier employees who are in a stronger position to make a significant contribution while they are at work. It ensures that your employees remain healthy and provide your company with the best they have to offer. Regular optical and oral health exams can help detect dental or medical conditions before they become serious and more time-consuming to treat. Studies show that people with insurance are more inclined to visit the dentist regularly than those without cover. Providing insurance isn’t just an incentive run by an organisation to appear more attractive to employees. It can actually have a beneficial and longstanding impact on an employee’s overall health and quality of living over a lifetime. By offering benefits, a company is proving its commitment to the health of its employees. It is also investing in them as the future of the business. By creating this culture, an organisation can enhance its capabilities in recruiting and retaining the best talent. Making oral and optical health and wellbeing an important part of your company’s working environment can make employees feel valued and satisfied. They play an instrumental role in keeping the workplace culture alive and thriving through regular interactions with coworkers and management. DeCare is proud and committed to play a critical role in this development as the only dedicated dental, optical and wellness specialist provider in Ireland. At DeCare, we underpin all our benefit offerings with a full range of workplace wellbeing programs helping to change lives in workplaces, families and the wider society. Thinking dental, vision and wellbeing? Think DeCare. Find out more at www.decaredental.ie

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Partner Profile  Knowledge Transfer Ireland

HELPING FIRMS ON THEIR R&D JOURNEY KTI’S NEW DIRECTORY FOR RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT & INNOVATION HELPS COMPANIES TAP INTO THE €1BN R&D RESOURCE AVAILABLE FROM THIRD LEVEL

Building on the previous edition, the new national ‘Directory of Research, Development & Innovation Supports for Enterprise’ from Knowledge Transfer Ireland (KTI) is a go to for companies that are interested in tapping into the extensive research and innovation resources available to them from third level institutions. The directory contains practical and concise information on just how firms can find out about the various State research centres, technology gateways, government agencies and financial supports that are available to them on their R&D journey. As a resource for companies that want to grow their business, adapt and innovate, KTI’s new report is invaluable. According to recent research from KTI, there has been a steady increase in companies involved in research collaboration in recent years. At the end of 2019, there were 2,168 collaborative research projects ongoing between businesses in Ireland and third level and State research bodies, a 76% increase since 2015. “Companies of all sizes, across all sectors that are interested in getting involved in research, development and innovation should read this report,” said Alison Campbell, Director, KTI. “There’s a wealth of potential in our higher education institutes and research centres. Increased collaboration across enterprise and academia can

Alison Campbell, Director, KTI

deliver results today, while acting as a magnet for future investment. The ways in which companies can access the relevant information to make those collaborations a reality is outlined in detail in the new report,” she continued. The report has been designed to help all companies, from local SMEs to multinationals, get the best from the firstclass research and talent available in Ireland. Whether a company is seeking a short solution-driven project, a longer investigative study or simply looking for technical advice, there are resources available to assist. Those resources are extremely varied,

says Alison. “They include anything from a short, problem-solving €5,000 innovation voucher that can be spent with any research provider, all the way through to getting involved on a more fundamental level with perhaps a Science Foundation Ireland programme. The range of opportunities are endless.” Along with a comprehensive breakdown of research and development funding supports available to businesses, the Directory also includes profiles of over 50 research providers including Higher Education Institutes and research centres with which companies of all sizes can connect to advance their R&D goals.

KTI’s new Directory – what you need to know • Publicly funded research, particularly for third level, is very open and accessible for business who want to innovate through R&D • A wide-ranging suite of State supports are available to companies of all sizes and across all sectors to make that process easier Businesses who want to start their R&D journey should check out the KTI website (www.knowledgetransferireland.com) and access the new directory, along with the wider range of resources also available on the site

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21/07/2021 14:04

Credit Review  Partner Profile

CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUE AS LOCKDOWN RESTRICTIONS EASE, AND SME OWNERS PLAN FOR RECOVERY AND GROWTH, CREDIT REVIEW CAN HELP. With lockdown restrictions starting to ease, SME business owners are now planning for recovery and growth and making changes to their business to adjust to the ‘new normal’. Some businesses will need external funding in the form of credit facilities from their bank. In order to improve your chances of making a successful credit application, you should have a business plan, and provide trading records, management accounts showing recent financial performance since your last set of accounts, and creditable cash flow projections. If your financial accounts for the past three years show the business was profitable and viable pre-COVID-19, you will get a much better hearing from

the bank. More detailed information is available in the information note ‘How to Apply for a Loan’ which can be found at www.creditreview.ie in the ‘Resources’ section. It is also important to keep a clean credit record—a bad credit rating can mean a credit refusal, even if the business can demonstrate ability to repay the loan. Check yours on www. centralcreditregister.ie The key message to businesses seeking credit is to be a prepared borrower, aware of financial and funding options available, with a clear business plan, up-to-date financial information and realistic assumptions based on the new realities of the world we are in now.

Catherine Collins, Deputy Head, Credit Review

If you are refused business credit by your bank, Credit Review can help. For more information on our independent appeals process, visit www.creditreview.ie or call 087 121 7244.

Credit where it’s due during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Considering your credit needs during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic? Need to restructure your existing credit facilities? Established by the Minister for Finance, we are here to help. Call our helpline on 087 121 7244 or visit creditreview.ie

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16/07/2021 10:36

Partner Profile  One4All

THE POWER OF THANK YOU EIMEAR REDMOND, SALES MANAGER FOR ONE4ALL REWARDS, ON HOW THEIR RESEARCH SHOWS RECOGNITION AND REWARDS ARE KEY TO WORKFORCE MOTIVATION. One4all conducted a study focused on the power of ‘Thank You’ and the impact these words have on attitudes and emotions. Findings from this research suggest COVID-19 has transformed our outlook for the better, as 32% of those surveyed stated they now understand that showing their appreciation to someone can have great impact, while 29% are more thankful now for what other people do than they were pre-pandemic1. Another One4all study focused on the power that gratitude holds in the workplace. This research found that

68% of respondents would be loyal to their employer if they were regularly thanked for their efforts with 34% stating that they would be unlikely to leave a position where they were shown regular appreciation and praise. A further 71% of employees surveyed stated that they would even sacrifice a higher wage if it meant they could work for an employer that regularly expressed gratitude2.

Employee Motivation

Eimear Redmond, Sales Manager for One4all Rewards, says, “It’s apparent

One4all’s Award-Winning Digital Gift Card Recognised for their innovation and adaption in the online marketing space, One4all were recently crowned the winners of the Online Channel Marketing Award at this year’s All Ireland Marketing Awards ceremony. The One4all Digital Gift Card was recognised for being the first of its kind in digital gifting, achieving shortlist status in both the Online Channel Marketing and Digital Marketing Campaign categories. The news comes after the One4all Digital Gift Card won the award for Best New Product, Service or Innovation at the GCVA Awards in November 2020, achieving highly commended status for both Best Lockdown Team and Best COVID Response Initiative at the event. The product was also shortlisted for Best Initiative in Digital Payments at the Card and Payment Awards in April 2021. In addition to its technological advancements, the One4all Digital Gift Card is favoured by customers as an eco-friendly alternative to plastic gift cards, with many choosing to include a video message since the rise in remote working and virtual celebrations. One4all are dedicated to continuously improving their product through conducting regular customer surveys and investing in product development and have most recently launched their new app with additional features to make it even more interactive, user-friendly, and innovative than ever before. Available to download now on Google Play and the App Store.

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16/07/2021 10:37

One4All  Partner Profile

consistent and proactive recognition and rewards motivates a workforce.” However, while working remotely, many workers have faced new challenges on top of their normal workload and are prone to feel more overwhelmed without a routine where there is no clear divide between work and home life. Redmond continues, “In a digital age where people are being forced to adapt to rapidly changing working environments due to the pandemic, now more than ever, it’s vital to encourage and acknowledge employees’ efforts and commitment. Acknowledging a team’s achievements helps boost productivity and contributes to company success.”

Contactless Future

One4all Rewards have a digital offering which is aligned to the way people live now: contactless payments are at an alltime high, with RTE reporting recently that 1.6 million contactless payments were made every day in February 2021. A One4all Digital Gift Card is the perfect rewards solution as it integrates contactless delivery and contactless payment both in-store and online. It can be gifted virtually, sent directly to the recipient via SMS or email. Redmond suggests, “One4all Digital is the perfect solution to instantly recognise your staff and motivate them, anywhere and anytime. Personalise your

“A ONE4ALL DIGITAL GIFT CARD IS THE PERFECT REWARDS SOLUTION AS IT INTEGRATES CONTACTLESS DELIVERY AND CONTACTLESS PAYMENT BOTH IN-STORE AND ONLINE.”

digital card with imagery or video and give staff the choice and flexibility to spend their gift card in store or online.” Beyond employee appreciation and recognition, employees can benefit from digital rewards due to an engaging personalised delivery and ease of use as they can use their One4all Digital Gift Card to purchase goods and services from their phone at over 11,000 locations nationwide. All card details are stored securely on their personal account meaning the card cannot be lost or stolen and can be accessed at any time. If your business is looking to optimise its rewards solution, contact the One4All corporate sales team by email corpsales@one4all.ie or visit one4allrewards.ie/digital 1 One4all survey based on sample size of 2,013 in August 2020. 2 One4all survey based on sample size of 1,000 employees in July 2018.

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19/07/2021 10:31

NSAI.ie/COVID-19

Here to help.

Resources from the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) are here to help your organisation through the COVID-19 pandemic, including: Workplace Protection and Improvement Guide Consolidating the practical advice available on protecting employees and the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. Retail Protection and Improvement Guide The retailer’s one-stop-shop guide to preventing, mitigating and recovering from the spread of illness. Shopping Centre Recovery and Protection Guide Guidelines for shopping centres restoring business operations following a closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Guidance on Manufacturing and Importing PPE and Medical Devices To ensure compliance with the EU legal framework during the COVID-19 pandemic. SWiFT 19:2020 Barrier Masks for consumers - requirements A consensus-based specification for non-medical and non-PPE masks (barrier masks) for the general public. Medical Equipment Standards The COVID-19 Response Package provides access to a set of Medical Supplies Standards at no cost.

1 Swift Square, Northwood, Santry, Dublin 9, D09 A0E4 + 353 1 807 3800 NSAI and the NSAI logo are registered trademarks of NSAI.

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16/07/2021 12/05/2021 10:01 12:02

NSAI  Partner Profile

NSAI COVID GUIDES NSAI IS OFFERING FREE GUIDES TO BUSINESSES TO HELP THEM NAVIGATE THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS AS THE COUNTRY GRADUALLY REOPENS The NSAI Retail Protection and Improvement Guide contains the latest information on best practices and process changes to be implemented by firms to protect their people, their premises and the general public so they can continue to operate safely. Our Retail Protection and Improvement Guide specifies requirements to implement, maintain and improve a retailer’s ability to protect against, prepare for, respond to and recover from Covid-19 related disruptions when they arise. The Covid-19 Shopping Centre Recovery and Protection Guide addresses risks to workers and the public and will help business owners implement the mandatory Return to Work Safely Protocol that applies to all workplaces across the economy. These guides were first launched in April 2020 during the midst of the first lockdown of the Covid pandemic and were aimed at helping workplaces and

“OUR RETAIL PROTECTION AND IMPROVEMENT GUIDE SPECIFIES REQUIREMENTS TO IMPLEMENT, MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE A RETAILER’S ABILITY TO PROTECT AGAINST, PREPARE FOR, RESPOND TO AND RECOVER FROM COVID-19 RELATED DISRUPTIONS WHEN THEY ARISE.” retail outlets navigate the new trading reality. These guides have been continually updated throughout the pandemic to reflect the latest advice coming from Government. The purpose of these business guides was to offer a significant resource for retailers, suppliers/ distributors and their employees; for the essential retail outlets that remained open to the public and those retailers who can offer online

NSAI’s Covid-19 guides are full of practical information to help businesses navigate Covid-19. Credit: Shutterstock

ordering, along with delivery services within the public health guidelines that have been issued. NSAI has received positive feedback on these guides across different sectors and industries as they reflect the latest advice and stipulations. Feedback from users has described the documents as “useful in all forms of guidance” relating to operating a business, offering an “easy to read and navigate” guide. The documents have also been described as “hugely helpful in an easy to follow format” by retailers. The document can also be used to help, maintain and improve a shopping centre’s ability to protect against, prepare for, respond to and recover from Covid-19 related disruptions. These measures will help business owners to identify ways of operating which will ensure they can continue to operate safely. They can use these guidelines to assist them in taking the necessary steps, whether they are defending against a spread of the virus, managing exposure to it, or are trying to recover from an outbreak. To download the NSAI’s free Covid-19 business guides please visit www.nsai.ie/covid-19/ SFA | BETTER BUSINESS 87

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16/07/2021 10:41

The Big Read  Ok Let’s Do Your Stupid Idea

It’s the

IN HIS FIRST COLLECTION OF ESSAYS, IRISH TIMES COLUMNIST PATRICK FREYNE DESCRIBES IN HILARIOUS DETAIL ALL THE STUPID IDEAS HE’S HAD SO FAR IN HIS LIFE

Life Military

FOR ME

‘Ok, Let’s Do Your Stupid Idea’ is published by Penguin and available in all good bookshops

‘Every man thinks meanly of himself for not having been a soldier.’ – SAMUEL JOHNSON

88 SFA | BETTER BUSINESS

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Patrick Freyne

When I was twelve years old, my army man father brought me on what I took to be a bonding father/son camping trip in a stretch of the Wicklow mountains. My mother drove us to the edge of civilization, where we got out of the car and walked up a dirt track. Along the way, my father cut and carved two walking sticks out of blackthorn branches and, after a few hours of walking, we camped in the shade of a wood by what I can only describe as a babbling brook, because it was a brook and it babbled. It was idyllic, really. We ate army rations of sausages and beans from little foil tins heated over a campfire and, from time to time, I spoke coordinates that my father called out to me into a little walkie-talkie. Around twenty years later, the family was waxing nostalgic about this over after-dinner drinks. ‘Why did we have a walkie-talkie?’ I asked. It was a strange part of the memory that never quite made sense. ‘Well,’ said my father. ‘We needed it to keep in touch with the rest of the men.’ ‘The rest of the men?’ I said. ‘I don’t understand.’ ‘You see, there were rumours of an IRA training camp in the mountains and the Rangers had been asked to investigate,’ said my father. The Rangers, by the way, were a crack commando squad and my dad was, at this time, their commanding officer. ‘Right,’ I said. ‘I figured the terrorists would have their eyes peeled for guards and soldiers.’ ‘Sure.’

Chris Maddaloni

Ok Let’s Do Your Stupid Idea  The Big Read

‘But if they saw a man and a child, they’d think it was just a father and son on a camping trip.’ ‘I thought we were a father and son on a camping trip.’ ‘Oh no,’ said my father. ‘That was just a cover.’ ‘A cover?’ ‘Well, you were really my son,’ admitted my father. ‘I’m glad to hear it,’ I said. ‘But we weren’t purely on a father-and-son camping trip,’ he said. ‘No,’ I said, a little bitterly, ‘apparently we were tracking terrorists.’ My father nodded happily. ‘Was it not a bit dangerous?’ asked my wife. ‘What if you’d actually run into trouble?’ ‘Oh, we were fine,’ said my father. ‘I was armed.’ ‘You had a gun?!’ I said. Again, my father nodded happily. ‘In a shoulder holster.’ ‘What type of gun?’ asked my wife, whose hippy parents wouldn’t let her play with toy guns and who will certainly, as a consequence, end up killing someone with a gun. I didn’t wait for an answer. ‘I could have been killed!’ I cried. ‘But nothing happened,’ said my wife, and, looking at my father, ‘Right?’ ‘Nothing happened,’ said my father, but he had a mysterious look on his face that led me to picture him drowning an IRA man in the brook as twelve-year-old me slept soundly nearby. I wouldn’t put it past him. ‘I’d like to say,’ said my mother, ‘that I had no idea this was going on.’ For a while there my siblings and I called my mother Carmella, after Carmella Soprano. She often, in retrospect, turns out conveniently not to have had any idea what was going on when we were younger. In reality, I suspect that, like Carmella Soprano, she could quite capably run my father’s enterprises if left to her own devices. In this instance – child-inclusive counterterrorism – she was probably pleased to have a quiet house for the weekend and thought the off-chance her son might be involved in a paramilitary gunfight was a risk worth taking. Childcare standards were different in the 1980s, as people repeatedly remind me. There was no helicopter parenting back then, unless my father was planning to call in a helicopter gunship for back-up. But no, apparently, the Ranger wing didn’t have access to a helicopter gunship at this time. I asked. SFA | BETTER BUSINESS 89

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15/07/2021 15:52

Arts and Culture  Eleanor McEvoy

ELEANOR MCEVOY CHATS TO BETTER BUSINESS ABOUT HER NEW ALBUM, ‘GIMME SOME WINE’ AND WHY A WOMAN’S HEART BECAME THE SOUNDTRACK FOR A CHANGING IRELAND

IN VINO

veritas H

ow do you shoot a music video when you’re in level 5 lockdown and you’ve got no budget? That’s the question Eleanor McEvoy found herself asking earlier this year when her Australian distributors requested a video for her new single, ‘Almost Beautiful’. The answer came during her daily walk around Dublin with two of her friends, one of whom is a photographer.

“Every day, we would pass the statues that are dotted around the city and I thought, what if the video was all about the female statues that we pass every morning? Turns out, there are only four female statues in Dublin. The Veronica Guerin one is a bust, another two are amongst other statues and the only female on her own is Countess Markievicz. 90 SFA | BETTER BUSINESS

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Eleanor McEvoy

“SLEEPING IN THE SAME BED EVERY NIGHT IS A LUXURY. NINE WEEKS INTO LOCKDOWN, I LOOKED AT MY DIARY TO SEE HOW LONG IT HAD BEEN SINCE I’D SLEPT FOR SO LONG IN THE SAME BED; IT HAD BEEN 30 YEARS.”

 Arts and Culture

We ended up having to use statues of fictional characters such as the Molly Malone as well,” says Eleanor. Over two days, Eleanor and her photographer friend Scott Hayes went around the city taking pictures, which were subsequently used for the video. “It was a lesson in how to get the best out of a situation. I’m a huge fan of Picasso and it always fascinated me that in 1905 or so, he decided to only paint in blue. Why would a painter decide to use just one colour? As a painter, the most important tool in your toolbox is colour and yet his paintings from that period are some of my favourite.” ‘Almost Beautiful’ is taken from Eleanor’s new album, ‘Gimme some Wine’ which won’t be released until tour dates can be confirmed. The album’s title sums up a year filled with cancelled gigs and uncertainty. “The last gig I did was in Melbourne. I had to cancel the rest of the tour the next day. Up until that point, I had never cancelled a gig in my life. Financially, it was catastrophic and quite a stressful time.” Eleanor came home to Dublin, opened a bottle of wine and decided to try and make the best of it. “I thought shag it, I may as well enjoy the time off. Aside from the shock of having to cancel gigs, there was a slight bit of elation there too. Sleeping in the same bed every night is such a luxury for me. Nine weeks into it I looked at my diary to see how long it had been since I’d slept for so long in the same bed; it had been 30 years.” Reflections on the past and hopes for the future are two of the themes interwoven throughout ‘Gimme some Wine’. “I think Covid has made us all think about what has changed in our lives and how we want to live going forward. The other theme is about being back in Dublin again. I lived in Wexford for years but the end of a relationship brought me back to the city and I’m loving it.” Writing has always been Eleanor’s passion but for the first time in her life, she felt stymied by the weight of expectation. “I’ve never had any issues around writing, but a slight element of anxiety crept in when I returned to Dublin. I couldn’t create for a while, which is something that has never happened to me. I think I felt crippled by the idea that if I write something now, it has to be really profound because we’re in a global pandemic.” Once that sense of anxiety abated, Eleanor had to get to grips with recording an album remotely for the first time in her career. “I’ve always been in a studio with a band and recorded an album live the old-fashioned way, sometimes on 2 inch tape. This was a big shift for me, but actually it was great.” For the most part, Irish musicians were used for the recording, along with a musician from St Petersburg who played Russian accordian on some tracks. The track ‘Gimme some Wine’ had been written previously but was included as it seemed “so bloody apt”. Covid has allowed Eleanor to be creative in a slightly different way. Included on the album is a song with Paul Brady, recorded on Zoom and which Brady himself produced. “He tore apart the way I was singing the song and brought some particular insights which ended up affecting the other songs on the album. I had the time to let SFA | BETTER BUSINESS 91

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Arts and Culture  Eleanor McEvoy

that happen, which isn’t normally the way it goes. I typically do things very fast and always have projects on the go, so it was great to have that extra time with this one.” Not living out of a suitcase has allowed a calmness to descend, she says. “I’m only realising now how much of my life I’ve lived in confusion. I don’t wake up in the middle of the night anymore and go to the plug socket to figure out where I am. I know which continent I’m in. I’ll never go back to what I was doing, to that madness.” When life returns to normality and you’re on the road, how can it be avoided? By spacing out tours a bit more, she replies. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I used to have four suitcases packed all the time and sometimes I wouldn’t even get back to the house, someone would come out to the airport and meet me with a fresh suitcase. I think if you’re doing that, you’re running away from something.” Eleanor’s career has brought her around the world but before she became successful, she moved to New York after college. The intention was to get a job but when that didn’t happen, she tried busking. “New York was a dangerous place back then, this was before Giuliani. One day, I had a dollar to get into Manhattan but no money to get home so I brought the violin with me. The money started to come in a bit so I stuck with the busking for a while.” Jobs in a music shop and a delivery restaurant followed but for the most part, it wasn’t an enjoyable experience. Going back with a record deal was infinitely better, she says. “I remember being up in Columbia Records in the Sony music building on Madison Avenue and we were about to order some food. I was handed some menus and one of them was for Piatti Pronti, the restaurant I used to work in. I asked if I could phone in the order and it felt so good to be in that position, to actually have enough money to place an order! It certainly wouldn’t have happened in the old days.” It would be impossible to chat with Eleanor McEvoy and not mention A Woman’s Heart, a song she wrote in her early 20’s. The subsequent album was released in July 1992 and went on to break the record as the best-selling Irish album of all time in the Irish charts. I ask her, when someone wants to talk about A Woman’s Heart, do you ever think, oh not this again? “I think I did go through a phase

Eleanor McEvoy

of that around 1996. The success of the album was quite overwhelming, especially in Ireland. Once I’ve done something, I’m always keen to move onto something new and it’s not that I don’t like the song, I do and I’m very proud of it but there was a part of me that wanted to just get on with things.” At the 20th anniversary gigs in the Olympia, Eleanor realised just how much of a phenomenon A Woman’s Heart is. “Everyone was singing it back to us and I thought, this is 20 years on, this isn’t normal. Now, I can see that it was the soundtrack to the changes that needed to happen in Ireland around that time.” People often mistakenly think that with A Woman’s Heart, Eleanor was commenting on society’s treatment of women and the hold that the church still had on the country. “I feel a bit guilty because I think people thought I was this great feminist leader but to my shame, I was very slow to question things. In the documentary about A Woman’s Heart that aired last year, someone made a comment about Mary Robinson standing with all the men in suits behind her. How did we not see how messed up that was? I’d love to say that the song was inspired by something like that, but I can’t. I was low, I didn’t know why but I knew it wasn’t right and I knew that women feel low in a different way to how men feel low. Now I look back and go of course we felt bloody low, can you believe how we were living and we didn’t even see it?” The song also became an anthem during the abortion referendum in 2018. “The full significance of the vote only hit me in the last couple of months when my daughter said to me, can you imagine the plight that some women would be in right now? In lockdown and not being able to travel? I think as a society, we should be so grateful to the people that campaigned and had those sometimes very difficult conversations.” Right now, Eleanor has a German tour booked for October and November and she’s hoping to bring ‘Gimme some Wine’ around Ireland as soon as possible. This time around, touring will be a bit different. “There won’t be that sense of chaos to it. I’m looking forward to getting back on the road but it was great to be able to be creative during lockdown. What a privilege.”

92 SFA | BETTER BUSINESS

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60% agree the ofﬁce experience is changed forever

Read the Hybrid Working: Future Proofing Irish Business report; based on a national survey of business leaders in association with Behaviour & Attitudes.

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16/07/2021 11/06/2021 11:42 12:00

Travel  The Great Outdoors

REDISCOVER éire

The Great

Outdoors IRELAND HAS PLENTY TO OFFER ADVENTURE SEEKERS THIS SUMMER. BETTER BUSINESS TAKES A LOOK AT SOME OF THE BEST OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY

Castlecomer Discovery Park

ADVENTURE PARK SkyPark, Carlingford, Co Louth

DISCOVERY PARK CASTLECOMER DISCOVERY PARK, CO KILKENNY This wonderful 80 acre discovery park and visitor centre is a place to escape and reconnect with nature and discover more about our coalmining heritage and contemporary craft. The Park offers a wide range of fun, challenging and exhilarating activities that can be enjoyed on your own, as a couple, together as a family or as a group of friends, colleagues, teammates, classmates or scouts group etc. W: www.discoverypark.ie

SkyPark express train

SkyPark wooden maze

SkyPark Adventure Park has over 20 outdoor adventure activities for people of all ages to take part in, including aerial adventure, footgolf, minigolf, archery, mini jeeps and the SkyPark express train. Activity combo passes are great value and mean families can stay for a full day of activities and bring a picnic or enjoy the Park’s new hot food menu. Or even better – turn it into an Adventure Staycation with accommodation in Carlingford Adventure Centre. The Park has also just opened its newest adventure activity – the Ireland’s Ancient East Maze. The 776m2 wooden maze is suitable for all ages and abilities and the route can be altered via movable gates meaning there are lots of solutions, so people can return numerous times. Maze adventurers are tasked with finding 10 attraction points within the maze featuring locations like Glendalough, Blarney Castle and Bru Na Boinne. And as if that’s not enough, people can also enjoy watching people zipline overhead! W: www.skypark.ie

94 SFA | BETTER BUSINESS

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15/07/2021 16:03

The Great Outdoors  Travel

Fa ey us Ca

,C oM

eat

FARM CAUSEY FARM, CO MEATH

Cape Clear Island

CAMPING CAPE CLEAR ISLAND Glamping on Cape Clear Island is a unique way to leave the mainland and your worries behind. Cape is a pretty special place for your holiday; it’s Ireland’s most southerly Irish speaking inhabited island, situated some eight miles off the coast of West Cork. Take the 45 minute ferry trip from Baltimore and relax amongst the romantic scenery, while absorbing the tranquil beauty of the island with its rolling hills and shimmering harbours. Visitors can choose to stay in a luxury yurt, a bell tent or alternatively, you can just bring your own tent.

Mizen Head

Causey Farm in Meath is a working and activity based farm with a variety of activity programmes for both children and adults throughout the year, as well as a host of seasonal events. This summer, the Farm is holding its Ice Cream Adventure event featuring challenges, a Story Time Willow Walk, potatoes to dig, games, trails, giant bubbles and art installations, not to mention a scoop of delicious ice cream from the Ice Creamery. W: www.causey.ie

ISLAND MIZEN HEAD Mizen Head is Ireland’s most south-westerly point on the Wild Atlantic Way and one of the most spectacular headlands on Ireland’s Atlantic seaboard. Visitors to Mizen will find an abundance of history and an intriguing human story. The location’s strategic geography made it a significant site for transatlantic shipping and communication and gave many an Irish emigrant their final glimpse of home as they departed for a new life half a world away. That story is told through exhibits and displays at Mizen Head Visitor Centre and Mizen Head Signal Station. Mizen’s magnificent footbridge provides access to a lighthouse at the tip of Mizen Head and was constructed in 2009 and 2010 to replace an older bridge which had existed for almost a century. SFA | BETTER BUSINESS 95

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Profile  A Day in the Life

DAY

LIFE in the

6AM We’ve got three boys aged 4, 5 and 6 so I’m up early every morning, including weekends. I’ll probably have the opposite problem in a few years’ time when I’m trying to get them out of bed! I try to start the day with some mindfulness exercises but that usually goes out the window so it’s breakfast and out to school. 9.30AM I’m the only one working in the office at the moment, so there’s no issue with social distancing. I usually start the day by reviewing the previous day’s activity. I’m part of a management team with two other directors, so we would normally have a call in the morning too. Myself and my business partners (Jamie Groom and Mark Loughnane) set up Yala to provide a different kind of recruitment service that’s based on a monthly subscription model as opposed to a placement fee model. Our customers, who are mostly SMEs, use us as we provide a ‘rent a recruiter’ service for companies that don’t have talent acquisition or internal recruitment teams. We also have a branding platform where we create video content, particularly for SMEs to help them compete for staff more effectively. 11AM We still have an involvement with our business in the Middle East. Given the time difference, I would usually have one or two calls scheduled either with our team over there or directly with clients. 1PM If I have no meetings, I usually try and get an in-office workout done and grab some lunch. 2PM Afternoons are spent on client presentations. We recently won a number of large public tenders so that would involve some management as well. I’m involved in a number of groups including the National Recruitment Federation and I’m on the board of a steering group for the SFA, which mainly involves overseeing MentorsWork, the Association’s free 12week business support programme. 6PM I aim to be home by about 6.30pm to do the bedtime routine. The kids go to bed at about 7.30pm and after that, it’s dinner and a catch-up with my wife Ciara. As we’re up so early, bedtime is usually 9.30pm. WWW.YALA.IE

WITH THREE YOUNG BOYS AND A THRIVING RECRUITMENT BUSINESS, LIFE IS HECTIC BUT REWARDING FOR YALA MD BARRY PROST

Barry Prost, MD, Yala

“OUR CUSTOMERS, WHO ARE MOSTLY SMES, USE US AS WE PROVIDE A ‘RENT A RECRUITER’ SERVICE FOR COMPANIES THAT DON’T HAVE TALENT ACQUISITION OR INTERNAL RECRUITMENT TEAMS.”

96 SFA | BETTER BUSINESS

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15/07/2021 16:09

Skills to Advance Make skills work for you

Developing Leaders for Hospitality and Tourism Boost the retention and development of key talent Avail of highly subsidised training for enterprise Contact your local Education and Training Board or visit skillstoadvance.ie

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25/06/2021 01/06/2021 10:22 15:51

COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme

• •• •

Key features of the Covid-19 Scheme Loans from €10,000 to a maximum of €1,000,000 per borrower; Terms of between 3 months up to 5.5 years; Loans unsecured up to €250,000 (unless it is a requirement of the product feature, e.g. asset finance, invoice discount facilities); The Scheme permits the refinance and rollover of debt incurred as a result of Covid-19 (e.g. Covid-19 related expenses that were initially funded through short term/temporary facilities such as overdrafts); Loans will be available up to the end of 2021.

• Loans can be used for • Scheme costs •

Working capital or investment requirements.

The interest rate applicable to the loan will be determined by the participating lender. In addition, the participating lender will collect a premium which is payable to the Government of Ireland.

Who can apply?

• • •

To be eligible a borrower must

• •

Be a viable business with up to 499 employees (Micro, SME or small Mid-Cap enterprise), including Primary producers (Agriculture/Fishing); Have or expect to have a reduction of minimum 15% in the turnover or profitability as a result of Covid-19; Meet the eligibility criteria.

How do I apply?

The Covid-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme is available trough a wide range of lenders (banks, credit unions and non-bank finance providers). The updated list of the Scheme providers is available on the SBCI website www.sbci.gov.ie

For further queries on the Covid-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme, please visit www.sbci.gov.ie or call 1800 804 482.

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16/07/2021 12/05/2021 10:02 12:39