InBUSINESS Q3 2012 by Ashville Media Group

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CONNECTING IRISH BUSINESS | Q3 2012

EASTERN STAR

Why businesses are entering the Indian arena InBusiness Q3 2012

THE DIGITAL AGE Improving the Irish broadband infrastructure

Watching the

WHEELS

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Carolan Lennon on how eMobile is reviving the Eircom brand

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Contents NEWS 05 12 14

Business news Movers & shakers Job creation

chambers ireland’s corporate social Responsibility awards 2012

REGULARS

stealing the March carolan lennon, Chief Commercial officer, consumer and small business with eircom, speaks to conor Forrest about finding her path in the business world and why eMobile has succeeded in reviving the eircom brand.

eastern star

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With Ireland’s permanent switch to digital television and the Government’s proposed high speed broadband plan, the country is set to move into a more digitalised age. This should lead to new opportunities for Irish business, as alyson Gray discovered.

chamber update

The last word With an unexpected turn of events concerning Dublin’s office vacancy rate, conor Forrest speaks to CBre’s Director of research, marie Hunt, on their reaction to the promising uptake and the state of affairs in Dublin's commercial leasing market.

western union

net Gain: connecting the country

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Food a long standing Japanese favourite, sushi has made the transition from streets of asia to the shops of Ireland. conor Forrest talks to some of the people involved about their experience in the Irish sushi business and its prospects for the future.

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Travel kirsty Tobin revisits the country of her childhood and takes a trip down memory lane.

News and opinion from Chambers Ireland, Ireland’s largest business network.

last year’s MeetWest was a major success in connecting businesses in the west of Ireland. dean van nguyen looks at what made the event so successful and previews MeetWest 2012.

Getting your Business online

Motoring Motoring editor Tony Toner climbed aboard Mercedes new alabama-made M-Class SUV.

In this edition of our ongoing series that aims to help companies establish themselves online, alyson Gray examines options for small businesses looking to expand their Internet presence.

as one of the world’s largest emerging economies, India presents massive opportunities for Irish firms, writes conor william o’Brien.

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a special supplement to mark this year’s CSr gala.

FEATURES

LIFESTYLE

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Gadgets By far the biggest gadget release this year was the iPhone 5 which met with the standard responses by die-hard fans. inBusiness looks at its release and a number of other products to whet your appetite.

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Managing Editor (Ashville Media Group): Ruairi Kavanagh Editorial Assistant (Chambers Ireland): Amy Woods Editorial Contributors: Conor Forrest, Colm Gorey, Alyson Gray, Florian Loup, Conor William O’Brien, Kirsty Tobin, Tony Toner Design and Layout: Michelle Martin, Maria O’Rourke Advert Design: Alan McArthur, Linda Kavanagh Photography: istockphoto Production Manager: Len Wilson Sales Director: Paul Clemenson Managing Director: Diarmaid Lennon Printed by: W & G Baird Published by: Ashville Media Group, Old Stone Building, Blackhall Green, Dublin 7 Tel: +353 1 432 2200, Fax: +353 1 676 7100, Email: info@ashville.com, Web: www.ashville.com On behalf of: Chambers Ireland, 17 Merrion Square, Dublin 2, Tel: +353 1 400 4300, Fax: +353 1 661 2811, Email: info@chambers.ie, Web: www.chambers.ie All articles © Ashville Media Group 2012. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher. Opinion and comments expressed herein are not necessarily those of Ashville Media or Chambers Ireland. ISSN 20093934_00_02

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CMY

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Expanding Abroad? Irish businesses in every sector are looking at overseas markets. The opportunities are obvious – the pitfalls sometimes hidden. Find out what you really need to know. Get your copy of our definitive guide – Expanding into BRICS available to download at kpmg.ie

© 2012 KPMG, an Irish partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. The KPMG name, logo and “cutting through complexity” are registered trademarks of KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.

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Business GadGets news

Business news a round up of all the latest news from the world of Irish business.

new m2m serviCe to ConneCt deviCes in ireland

Pictured left to right at the launch are Niall Barry, Team Hope Executive Director; Derek Browne Fast Fit Area Manager for North Dublin and Carol Hennessey, Team Hope National Manager of the Christmas Shoebox Appeal, with members of the Khulula Swaziland Children’s Choir.

CHristmas sHoeBoX aPPeal

orporate support for the 2012 Team Hope Christmas Shoebox Appeal is being led by AXA Insurance and First Stop/Fast Fit who between them have volunteered over 100 outlets nationwide as collection points. AXA Insurance has 43 branches throughout the country while First Stop/Fast Fit has 61 outlets and a large warehouse in Dublin. Shoeboxes filled for the appeal can be left at any of these locations by individuals, schools, businesses or community groups. Team Hope is aiming to deliver 195,000 shoeboxes from the island of Ireland into the hands of needy children in Africa, the

former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, whose families typically live on less than €1 per day. For many, it is the only Christmas present they will receive. The Shoebox Appeal was officially launched by the Khulula Swaziland Children’s Choir, a 20-strong group of African orphans, aged between 7 to 18 years old, who themselves have all benefited from the appeal in the past. Companies and organisations who wish to organise shoeboxes for the appeal should visit www.teamhope.ie or ring 01 294 0222. The closing date for receipt of Shoeboxes at AXA or First Stop/Fast Fit branches is 12th November.

elefónica Ireland has announced a partnership with Jasper Wireless to help Irish companies implement machine-to-machine [M2M] techonology. M2M, also referred to as the 'Internet of things’, allows machines or devices to talk to each other or to a company’s management system using the Telefónica-operated O2 mobile network. Early adopters of M2M include fleet management and transport companies that have installed M2M boxes in their vehicles to enable real time location updates. The partnership is part of a global M2M strategy supported by Telefónica Digital, Telefónica's new global business division, and has already been rolled out in Spain and the UK. "The Irish agreement sees Jasper expand its existing relationship with Telefónica," said Jasper's Executive Vice President of Worldwide Sales, Cindy Patterson, upon the announcement. "With our platform, Telefónica in Ireland can provide proper device partners with highly configurable M2M management solutions that can accelerate market entry of connected devices."

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Gadgets Business News

Dublin to Host 8th Forum of Cities against Poverty

ublin has been unveiled as the host city of the World Alliance of Cities against Poverty’s 8th forum that will take place on the 21st and 22nd of February. The World Alliance of Cities Against Poverty (WACAP) was first launched in 1996 as a global network of municipal governments. Its ambition is to address the challenges of urbanisation, to facilitate north-south and triangular cooperation, and to share knowledge of best practices. Each Forum attracts senior political leadership from cities as well as policy and technical specialists

with designated authority. Naoise Ó Muirí, Lord Mayor of Dublin, said his city is proud to host WACAP8 and is looking forward to receiving the delegates in February. “The International Forum and Expo will bring together key people to build solutions for the Millennium Development Goals and to address the global challenge of urban poverty,” he said. “Through a diverse range of speakers and sessions, the Forum will specifically examine ways in which technology can make our cities ‘smart, safe and sustainable”. UNDP Administrator Helen Clark

said more people now live in cities than in rural areas. The Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development estimates that by 2050, 70 per cent of the world population will live in cities. “Cities should offer social, economic and political opportunities for citizens to reach their full potential. WACAP is meant as a contribution, with our partners, to facilitate this process”. UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet said that no city could be considered safe, smart or sustainable unless half of its population – women and girls – could enjoy public spaces without the fear of violence. “Working with municipal leaders, WACAP8 can help ensure that women, youth and children are safe to fully enjoy the many opportunities that cities offer”.

DHL Flyers conquer the Four Peaks Challenge and raise over €7,000 for charity

HL Express once again supported ‘Global Volunteer Day’ as the Irish management team successfully undertook the gruelling Focus Ireland Four Peaks Challenge. All six members of the team climbed a staggering 11,937 feet as they battled the high winds and sheets of rain and travelled over 800 miles around Ireland over three days, raising over €7,000 for Focus Ireland, who provide housing and homeless services to young people, adults, children and families who are homeless or are vulnerable to homelessness. Mike Farrell, DHL Express Operations Director and team captain, said: “We were chatting about what we could do as a team to support Global Volunteer Day and really stretch ourselves in the process. When I suggested the Four Peaks Challenge to the rest of the team they came on board without hesitation and so the ‘DHL Flyers’ came into being. And from beginning to end it has been a hugely rewarding experience.” For the DHL Flyers, the challenge began ten-weeks prior to the main event, as Trevor Murphy, Head of Human Resources at DHL Express Ireland and one of the DHL Flyers devised a rigorous training schedule to ensure all

Left to right: Bernard McCarthy, Managing Director, DHL Express Ireland and DHL Flyer; Trevor Murphy, Head of Human Resources; Seán Moran, Same Day Director; Gerard Biggins, IT Director; Mike Farrell, Operations Director; Martin O’Toole, DHL Same Day and designated driver for the DHL Flyers; Alain Gelibert, Finance Director and Des Wall, DHL Express and designated driver for the DHL Flyers.

members were physically prepared for the challenge ahead but also to reduce the risk of injury. On the first day of the actual challenge, the team faced the 3,414 ft climb of Carrauntoohil in Co Kerry. Following the long drive to Co Mayo, day two saw the team embark on the 2,688 ft climb of Mweelrea. Day three proved to be the most challenging, as not only did the DHL Flyers conquer Slieve Donard in Co. Down which is 2,796 ft but they also faced the ﬁnal climb of Lugnaquilla in Co. Wicklow, which stands at an impressive 3,039 ft. Bernard McCarthy, Managing Director, DHL Express Ireland and a

member of the DHL Flyers said: “As the Irish Management Team we wanted to take on a challenge that supported our corporate “Global Volunteer Day” but that would also test us both physically and mentally. And of course to raise money for a great cause, so the Focus Ireland Four Peaks Challenge certainly ticked all the boxes”. McCarthy added “It’s fair to say that the DHL Flyers are no spring chickens but the support we received from staff, colleagues and customers was outstanding and helped us complete this most gruelling of challenges whilst raising over €7,000 for Focus Ireland in the process.”

6 Q3 2012 | InBusiness

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Look no further than The Panel. The Panel is a wholly Irish owned boutique recruitment consultancy. We are celebrating 25 years in business this year. Our Partners are both very wellknown and exceptionally well networked in their respective fields of expertise.

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Interim & Permanent

Executive Roles – IT/PMO/Project Managers

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Fergal Keys Partner E: fergalk@thepanel.com T: (01) 637 7060

Sarah Kelly Partner E: sarahk@thepanel.com T: (01) 637 7071

Interim & Permanent

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Business news

lero researCH Finds tHat Cloud ComPutinG Boosts innovation and CollaBoration

new report from Lero, Ireland’s National Software Engineering Research Centre, has revealed previously undocumented business benefits of implementing cloud computing, including increased innovation and collaboration. The study, which was carried out by Lero researchers at NUI Galway, also reports what it says is the first empirical evidence globally of the benefits of cloud computing. The cloud computing market, whereby business applications are accessed via the Internet rather than through on premise software or servers, is growing rapidly. According to Gartner, the worldwide market for public cloud services is expected to increase by 19 per cent to $109 billion in 2012. Ed Anderson, Gartner cloud forecaster, further predicts cloud computing will grow by over 100 per cent to be a $207 billion industry by 2016. In comparison the overall global IT market is forecast to grow at just 3 per cent. The Irish Government has identified cloud computing as one of the key sectors in its 2012 Action Plan for Jobs which is designed to create 100,000 jobs by 2016. Dr Kieran Conboy at the Cairnes School of Business in NUI Galway, who is leading the SFI funded Lero research commented, “Despite the huge growth in cloud computing, research to date has largely been based on anecdotal evidence. NUIG conducted an in-depth, evidence based study across a number of Irish based organisations to see if the perceived benefits stood up.” As well as supporting previous industry claims of cost and time benefits, the Lero research also found that cloud introduces a positive shift in the way companies interact with external sources such as customers and in the way employees communicate with each other. “This has the potential to leverage more innovation and collaboration along a company’s supply chain”, states the report.

Pictured at the launch of the Lero cloud research study were Dr Kieran Conboy and Dr. Lorraine Morgan, National University of Ireland Galway.

“The move away from perpetual capital expenditure to operational expenditure was also seen as a significant cost benefit of adopting cloud computing especially in the current economic environment where the Central Bank has highlighted the shortage of traditional loan finance for Irish business,” added Dr Lorraine Morgan, of NUI Galway. The Lero study found that cloud results in significant time savings in terms of implementation and once installed drives down administration cost. Two companies surveyed were able to implement applications within 24 hours compared to traditional IT systems implementation of up to six months or more. In another case administration time was cut by 65 per cent once the system was implemented. A critical finding of the research was that all too often, organisations view adoption in overly simple terms - either they should adopt the technology or not. Dr Conboy commented, “We found too many organisations were making the decision based on an initial ‘go’ or

‘no go’ basis and were failing to realise that various people and parts of that organisation were making different decisions - often with very negative consequences.” The research found very different results between those “who only dip a toe in the water” compared to those who actively promote routine use of cloud and deep integration of the technology with existing organisation activities and systems. Recognising the need to examine adoption of cloud technology at multiple levels, Dr Morgan added, “The tech sector has a history of hyping the next big thing. In the case of the cloud, our study suggests that many of the claims stand up. In view of this it is important to explore the barriers to more widespread adoption amongst business and this will be the subject of our follow up study.” Lero is a global leader in software research with members including NUI Galway, University of Limerick with partners in DCU, Dundalk Institute of Technology, UCD, and TCD.

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Business News

Two more Irish restaurants claim Michelin Star Much sought after award bestowed upon Dublin and Galway-based restaurants.

he Michelin Guide recently awarded much sought after Michelin stars to two Irish restaurants. Locks Brasserie in Dublin and Aniar in Galway received the good news early when the information leaked online on September 27th, a week before its expected release. Locks Brasseries is the first Dublin restaurant to be awarded the star in five years. According to its two owners, Sebastien Masi and Kirsten Batt, the honour came as a surprise. “We’ve never worked on getting the star,” explains Masi. “We were applying ourselves to constantly deliver excellent food. It was not something we had in mind when we opened the restaurant. It’s more like a reward – a tap on the back to say ‘well done, what you’re doing is great.” Masi and Batt originally met 16 years ago. Batt, from Bridgend in South Wales, became interested in catering working in a local hotel, later studying for a degree in this field. After completing her education, she was offered a position of restaurant supervisor in Herbert Park, a luxury 4 star hotel in Ballsbridge, Dublin.

In contrast, Masi quickly abandoned his textbooks in Clermont-Ferrand and started a culinary apprenticeship at the age of 15. From Jean-Marc Vindrie’s famous restaurants in Paris, working with three time Michelin star-winning chef M. Guy Savoie, Masi knocked about in the most prestigious French establishments before moving to Ireland where he cooked in Patrick Guilbaud’s (two Michelin star) kitchen. He climbed ladder in the Irish capital, becoming the head chef in the now sadly defunct Commons Restaurant in 1996. Four years later, at the age of 25 and 26, the couple opened their first restaurant, Pearl Brasserie on Merrion Street Upper, where Irish chef Conrad Gallagher once had Lloyd’s. Locks is their second establishment, opening in October 2010. Just like the Pearl Brasserie before, the restaurateurs decided to stress on simplicity with good food, nice surroundings and attentive staff. Opening a restaurant during the financial crisis was not an easy task, but the two restaurateurs benefited from lower prices compared to the previous

years, and from experience as they got to know the inner workings of the catering industry with their first restaurant. However, recession means less spending and less customers. Kirsten and Sebastien did not see that as an issue but rather as a challenge. While the restaurant endured a difficult first year, their second year was far better as they started to have a pool of regulars who helped spread the word. “It’s obviously a little bit harder to make it work but when you’re opening a business. You think long term, not just one or two years ahead, and you know that in the long run the recession will stop,” says Masi. “From the day we’ve opened, we’ve changed a lot of things. You need to follow the market, you need to adapt and understand what people want. It doesn’t matter how hard it is. You have to constantly rethink, make it happen and see further.” With their rise within the closed society of the Michelin-awarded restaurants came criticisms. Locks Brasserie breaks away with the conventions and the image of what a one star restaurant in Ireland should be. You won’t find linen, silver, carpet and sommeliers in Locks Brasserie, and Masi and Batt have absolutely no intention to change their service or their prices. “The first star is based on food only, the use of the best produce and balance of flavours and I think there is a misconception in the public opinion. We will progress foodwise, maybe hire a pastry chef to work on more petit fours and things like that but it will always be a pleasant and relaxed place you can go to. It will always be a very affordable Michelin star restaurant” explains Masi. Another star has been to Drigin Gaffey and JP McMahon’s Aniar Restaurant in Dominick Street, Galway. Opening Aniar just over a year ago, the duo can now claim ownership of the first Michelin star restaurant in Galway.

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Movers & Shakers

Movers & Shakers New appointments in the business community nationwide. held various senior sales and marketing positions within Starwood Hotels and Resorts and the Ovation/ MCI Group and holds a first class honours Masters in Business Administration from the UCD Smurfit School of Business. Commenting on the appointment, Charlie Sheil, General Manager of the Marker, said: “Having worked with some of the world’s leading hospitality companies I am confident that Roisin will help to establish The Marker as one of Dublin’s best known luxury hotels in Ireland and abroad.”

Sean Finlay – Geoscience Ireland

Roisin O'Sullivan

Roisin O’Sullivan – The Marker Hotel The Marker Hotel, opening in April 2013 in Grand Canal Square has appointed Roisin O’Sullivan as its new Director of Sales and Marketing. O’Sullivan has over ten years experience working in the hospitality industry. Most recently she held the position of Assistant Director of Sales at The Westin Dublin. Prior to this, she

Sean Finlay was appointed as Business Development Manager of Geoscience Ireland in August 2012. His appointment has been announced by the Geological Survey of Ireland who together with Enterprise Ireland support the Geoscience Ireland initiative. Sean Finlay is a professional geologist and chartered engineer with 40 years experience in mineral exploration, mining and infrastructure development. He has worked in base and precious metals development in Ireland, Canada, Ghana, Mali and the Former Soviet Union at project and board level for several public and private companies. He was until recently a director of TOBIN

consulting engineers, a multidisciplinary practice specialising in water services, environmental, civil and structural engineering in Ireland, Poland and the UK.

Joe Flaherty and Eimear Killian – Brasserie on the Corner Brasserie on the Corner in Galway City has just announced the appointments of Joe Flaherty as Head Chef and Eimear Killian as Restaurant Manager. Joining the Brasserie on the Corner team as Head Chef and having worked in the catering industry for over 20 years. Joe joined the team in mid-July having previously worked as Head Chef at Vina Mara Restaurant also located in Galway. Originally hailing from Connemara, Flaherty’s career began in Renvyle House and has worked in some of the most reviewed and highly recommended restaurants in the west, including Kirwan’s Lane, Nimmo’s Wine Bar and Ard Bia. Boasting a wealth of management experience in many established hotels throughout Ireland, Eimear Killian joins Brasserie on the Corner from the five star Glenlo Abbey Hotel, where she held the position of General Manager since 2006. Eimear holds a Diploma in Hotel Management from DIT and has held senior management roles

Looking to add to your management team? Look no further than The Panel. Accountancy • Financial Services • Insurance • Banking • Funds • Legal • IT

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Movers & Shakers for driving brand awareness and management of advertising, brand strategy, product communications, public relations, market research and CSR. Caroline has a bachelor of business studies in marketing management.

Joe Flaherty and Eimear Killian

in Ferrycarraig Hotel in Wexford, Bellbridge House Hotel, Clare and Jury’s in Dublin. Killian’s role involves overseeing the management of all aspects of Brasserie on the Corner.

Caroline Donnellan – KBC KBC Bank Ireland has appointed Caroline Donnellan as marketing manager. Caroline joins KBC Ireland from EBS, where she held the position of marketing communications manager with responsibility for managing EBS’s marketing and communications strategy and implementing a new customer engagement programme. She joins KBC with 10 years’ experience in financial services and is responsible

and Sydney with particular expertise in administrative law, clinical negligence, healthcare and product liability.

Benette van Dyk – Barclays Bank Ireland Barclays Bank Ireland has hired Benette van Dyk as a Director of Structured Trade and Sales Finance to provide increased support to Irish companies looking to trade internationally. Van Dyk formerly headed Trade Finance teams with The Standard Bank of South Africa and The FirstRand Group South Africa. She will be responsible for providing support to Barclays Bank Ireland’s clients looking to explore these opportunities, leveraging her knowledge of the African trading environment. Benette holds a B.Comm (Law), LLB and a Masters degree in International Trade from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Caroline Donnellan

David Harris – Ivor Fitpatrick & Company Solicitors The Partners of Ivor Fitzpatrick and Company have recently appointed David Harris as a Partner in their Civil Litigation Department. The firm which is located on St Stephen’s Green, Dublin say that their announcement reflects the firm’s continued commitment to clients and further development and promotion of exceptional legal talent. Harris is an experienced litigator having worked previously in London

Benette van Dyk

Tel: 01 637 7000 • www.thepanel.com

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Job Creation

Job Creation InBusiness highlights some of the companies that are expanding operations and generating new employment opportunities around the country. ELECTRONIC ARTS The American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games, Electronic Arts [EA], is to create an additional 300 jobs at its European Customer Experience Centre of Excellence in Galway less than a year after its opening. The famous company enjoys an international reputation thanks to big selling games such as Medal of Honor, The Sims and FIFA. EA will hire 300 agents to provide a multilingual costumer support in 16 languages. An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny has called the announcement, “A real endorsement of Ireland’s ability to meet the needs of leading multinational companies in the digital media space”.

will be for periods of three to four months and could possibly turn into permanent positions.

DELOITTE Accountancy firm Deloitte is looking for 200 graduates to fill temporary positions in 2013 and 2014. All departments are hiring including audit, tax, consulting, corporate finance and enterprise risk services. The contracts will be for an initial period of three and a half years in Dublin, Cork and Limerick. Deloitte also announces that a further 80 positions will be available for professionals in enterprise risk services, technology and management consulting.

HUBSPOT

MICROSOFT

The American all-in-one marketing software provider HubSpot has announced the opening of a European headquarters, scheduled for January 2013. As a result, the company have planned to hire 150 full-time employees in sales, marketing, account management and support by the end of 2015. HubSpot currently boasts nearly 8,000 customers in 56 countries and enjoys a 200 per cent growth per year. The company featured in Forbes’ 20 most promising companies in America and is ranked as the 8th fastest growing technology companies in the world on the Deloitte Fast 500.

The world’s largest software maker Microsoft is to expand its headquarters in Sandyford, Co Dublin and plans to recruit 100 people in areas such as

development, operations, sales and supply chain. The Sandyford branch already employs over 1,900 staff. “At a time of high unemployment the technology sector continues to offer great opportunities for people with the right skills”, said Joe French, Human Resources Manager at Microsoft Ireland.

NORTHERN TRUST The Chicago-based financial services company will create 400 new jobs in its offices at the National Technology Park in Limerick. The facility opened in 2006 and currently employs more than 300 staff. Northern Trust will be hiring over the next five years in traditional and hedge fund accounting, transfer agency, financial reporting, pricing, custody, private equity, alternative asset administration, client reporting, real estate administration, as well as roles supporting employee functions such as finance, IT, HR and training, and corporate services. “Today’s announcement that a worldleading financial services company is expanding its operations in the midwest with the creation of 400 new jobs is great news for Limerick and for Ireland. These are highly-skilled roles and the company will work with the University of Limerick and the Limerick Institute of Technology in filling them,” said the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Richard Bruton upon the announcement.

ARGOS Retail chain Argos wants to hire 670 temporary workers in its 40 stores. With the busy festive period coming, Argos is looking at employing in each of its stores, with the largest shops recruiting as many as 30 new staff. The contracts 14 Q3 2012 | InBusiness

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GettinG your Business online

To The neXt level w

hether you want to build a website for your firm or start your own online business, having a well-oiled Internet presence is key to the running of a successful company. For smaller companies, however, the prospect of competing with major online retailers can be daunting. Well fear not. There are plenty of free and low cost options available to help small businesses instantly begin generating online revenue.

openinG an online sToRe For anyone who wishes to sell their products online but has limited programming knowledge, websites such as Storenvy, District Lines and Etsy allow you to set up your own online store without having to hire a website

designer. These sites do most of the work for you so you don’t have to worry about getting codes completely wrong. Storenvy, District Lines and Etsy are three of many alternatives to using Amazon or eBay to sell you products. These websites allow you to display your stock well and are perfect for those looking to build a small start up business. Many of these sites also have other benefits such as allowing you to have a Facebook store or having ways that you can connect and chat with potential customers.

The saFesT way To pay PayPal is the online store’s best friend. It is essentially an Internet-based money transfer business that enables online customers and retailers to buy and sell goods. It allows any consumer with an email address to securely, conveniently

©Thinkstockphotos.com/Hemera

In this edition of our ongoing series that aims to help companies establish themselves online, Alyson Gray examines options for small businesses looking to expand their Internet presence.

and cost effectively send and receive payments online. Their network builds on the existing financial infrastructure of bank accounts and credit cards to create a global real-time payment solution. PayPal is suited for small businesses and online merchants and is a much easier and safer way for the customer to pay you for goods. PayPal means you don’t need to worry about receiving cheques, cash or other postal payments. So money can be paid immediately rather than having to wait for a customer to post a payment to you. There is less hassle involved as you don’t have to worry about payments getting lost in the post or customers forgetting to send it out. This option also gives your customer a certain level of security as PayPal is a recognisable name even if your company isn’t. While PayPal is free

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GettinG your Business online

for the customer to use it does charge the retailer for use of the facility but if it means you receive your payment safely and quickly it is certainly worth investing in. Of course you don’t need to use PayPal in order to sell your products. Many websites do offer their own shopping cart and payment abilities. This allows greater customisation and can potentially provide more product information.

The social neTwoRk Never underestimate the power of social networking sites as advertising tools for your business. Many store builder websites allow you to automatically connect with sites like Facebook or Twitter but if not it is worth setting up one to run alongside your store. Social networking sites allow you to connect with a range of customers and other companies which enables you to advertise your store for free. It offers you the opportunity to reach an audience you may not have been able to reach otherwise. While a Facebook page should never replace your actual website, it is an excellent option to run alongside it.

seTTinG up a weBsiTe FoR youR sMall Business A website is, of course, an excellent way to advertise your product, give more information and expand your customer base. But you don't have to break the bank to produce a slick, professional and easy to use site. Website generators like Volusion, Iconsites, IM Creator and WIX allow companies to set up a site with little fuss. Having a website is often the first point of call for people looking to find out more information about the company. While having a Facebook page is important it is crucial to have a credible website which customers can visit to find out more about your product or purchase your product. Making sure your website is appealing, clear and concise layout is vital and website creators like these will help you avhieve this. It can be intimidating when it comes to setting up a website so

these sites take away a lot of the initial difficulties. Most offer free website building but sometimes depending on what services you want to include a cost can apply. Start off with just a basic package until you find out exactly what your website can bring to your business and then add on extras afterwards if it will benefit the website and company. The extra footfall these services could bring to your business will be worth the charge. Most websites will allow you to set up your own domain, including your company name, making it easy to search and remember for customers. There are many benefits from having a website other than expanding your customer base. It allows your customers to find you easily providing you have up to date contact details or a map on your site. Unlike your business your

website is open 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, customers can find out information about your business any time they like rather than just when you’re open. If you have a frequently asked questions section it also acts as a useful tool for answering small questions customers may have that they may not want to come in and ask. Ultimately it can be used as a huge marketing tool particularly if it is used to its full advantage and alongside other social media networks. If you take advantage of website generators setting up your business online, setting up a website for your business should be relatively simple and relatively inexpensive. The benefits that can come from having your business online outweigh any hassle or costs that may apply.

why sell on sToRenvy?  NO FEES Unlike many other websites Storenvy is free. There are no monthly fees, no set up fees, no listing fees and no commission. There are the usual unavoidable PayPal fees, but it's still significantly cheaper than many other online store websites.  STORE BUILDER AND MARKET PLACE Storenvy is one of the only websites that allows you to build your store and has a marketplace. An online marketplace offers a one stop shop for businesses wanting to sell their products online. With Storenvy you don’t need to worry about generating traffic to your site as it is already there because your store is automatically part of a marketplace.  CONNECT THROUGH FACEBOOK You can use your Facebook account to set up Storenvy which allows all your updates to appear on your Facebook to your friends. This is an excellent way to promote your store and gain new customers. You can also sell products directly through your own Facebook store.  IT’S EASY You don’t need to be coding genius to set up a store. It requires no programming knowledge and has features both for complete beginners and experts.  INVENTORY TRACKING This allows your customers to see exactly what is in stock, from how many products are left and, in the case of clothing, what sizes are still available. This makes ordering easy and keeps things simple for you.  CUSTOMISE You can fully customise your page depending on what you are selling and your style. You can use there theme editor to change colours and backgrounds or make your store look however you like by diving into HTML/CSS.

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Cover Story | Carolan Lennon

Carolan Lennon, Chief Commercial Officer, consumer and small business with eircom, speaks to Conor Forrest about finding her path in the business world and why eMobile has succeeded in reviving the eircom brand.

STEALING

THE MARCH

ver the course of the last few years, eircom has experienced the threat faced by the fixed line industry with various mobile companies springing into life to serve a consumer population who have moved en masse towards mobile communications and with online Voice-Over Internet Protocol [VOIP]

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companies such as Skype offering free phone calls around the world. Add to this the debt restructuring and examinership eircom has had to endure and you have a recipe for destruction. Despite such troubles and amid fierce competition, eircom has renewed its relevance in today’s market – they have secured around €120 million worth of business this year, having outbid BT to win the C2K contract in Northern Ireland and winning contracts with AIB, the Convention Centre and NUI Galway, below the border. Though the life of Chief Commercial Officer at eircom these days can’t be anything other than extremely busy or downright stressful, over the phone Carolan Lennon is the voice of calm and control. "We've had a really strong year particularly selling postpay mobile into the eircom customer base." A lot of our customers are benefiting from the discount we give to eircom fixed customers who also choose eMobile as their mobile phone provider. There's been some strong year on year improvements in our brand scores. In partnership with Synchro Solutions we have rolled out almost thirty more stores so you will see eMobile much more in stores around the country. Launched on September 29th 2010, eMobile runs concurrently alongside eircom’s other mobile brand, Meteor, as part of a dual pronged effort to capture the mobile market. With a wide range of prepay, bill pay and broadband offers that match or better their nearest competitors, eMobile is suitable for both business and personal use.

SEARCHING FOR PASSION With a wealth of experience in the telecommunications and technology sectors, it’s not hard to see why Lennon was chosen by eircom to oversee their commercial ventures. Starting out, however, the telecommunications giant wasn’t exactly where the Dubliner saw herself in 2012. She had no background in business and instead had her start in the Information Technology arena. Headed off at 17 to UCD, cycling over from Coolock everyday, she studied computer science and maths.

“I felt that if I didn’t get some kind of qualification on the business side, it would be very difficult for me to pursue a business career and I had decided that was it, that was what I wanted to do. My background had been in the sciences and maths, so having bought my first apartment and with no money, I gave up my job and went back to do a full time MBA.” As the majority of us experience at such a young age, finding your path and passion for life is no easy thing. We all find ourselves considering both normal and outlandish careers in our youth, but the pressure the CAO places on Leaving Certificate students to decide on a career path before they leave school and head for college can often see them doing what they never really expected or wanted to do in the first place. Lennon was no exception. “At age 17 I didn’t know which way was up,” she explains with a laugh. “Also, it was the 1980s and there weren’t a lot of jobs. I enjoyed my first job in IT. A lot of graduate students were there at the time but I realised that I didn’t have a passion for it, so once I found what I did have a passion for, I pursued it.” As it turns out, Lennon’s passion lay outside of the world of IT and in the business sector. Having worked with a financial company for several years after leaving college, she saw the light as she began working in direct insurance. “I was involved from a technological point of view but it was the first big commercial project that I had done and I just loved it. I always wanted to know how many customers had bought it and so on. Until that, my background had been in maths, chemistry and all of that. I decided instead that I wanted to do business.”

GETTING IN THE DOOR For those with no experience of the business world other than a desire to enter it, getting started can be difficult, full of pitfalls and unseen holes all waiting to cause the entrant to stumble. Though some plough ahead with entrepreneurial spirit and make the

best of things, many others are opting instead to do a Masters in Business Administration [MBA] – perhaps the most recognisable business qualification on the planet. The MBA endured a downturn but is back on the agenda of business students once again despite a backlash from some sectors who argue that the qualification is useless. But the benefits are there, especially for those whose background is outside of the discipline. Alongside the traditional management skill set it offers, an MBA aids students in developing practical business expertise, fostering business connections for future reference as well as providing practical experience and methods for dealing with on-theground business problems. “They were less popular when I [studied for my MBA],” Lennon notes. “At the time, people didn’t really move around too much, they didn’t really, for example, go from IT to marketing or the commercial side of things.” Undeterred by the culture of that time, Lennon did exactly that and duly left her job and joined the full time MBA programme at Trinity College Dublin. She wasn’t disappointed. From the start, Lennon was positive that she had found the arena in which she wanted to spend the rest of her life and is full of praise and enthusiasm for what she learned at Trinity and the skills it equipped her with going forward. “As part of the course you take part in a company project for half of the year. You’re assigned to a company who has a particular challenge and you work with a team on that, then you come back with a proposal. Actually when I was there, the team I was with won the Q3 2012 | InBusiness 19

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Cover Story | Carolan Lennon

“When Vodafone bought Perlico I helped in the integration of services, so it’s great to come to eircom and use that experience with eMobile and Meteor as well." company project! The practicality of that really appealed to me because I had no business background and I really wanted to get stuck in.” And as for regrets, she has none. “I felt that if I didn’t get some kind of qualification on the business side, it would be very difficult for me to pursue a business career and I had decided that was it, that was what I wanted to do. My background had been in the sciences and maths, so having bought my first apartment and with no money, I gave up my job and went back to do a full time MBA".

SHAKY FOUNDATIONS Lennon’s first port of call following her MBA was with Church & General, though it only took a year before her premier foray into the world of telecommunications with a once familiar name, eircell, which was part of then state sponsored Telecom Éireann, established in 1983

by the Postal and Telecommunications Services Act. At that stage Irish telecommunications infrastructure was woefully underdeveloped and Telecom Éireann quickly embarked on a major upgrade. Digital technology swiftly replaced analogue while a fiber optic and digital microwave backbone was laid across the country. During the late 1980s, Telecom Éireann also upgraded the public payphone network across the country to use smart cards and their call card was one of the first of such chip based cards. As a result, by the early part of the 1990s, the Irish telecommunications network was among the most modern in the world at that time at a stage when mobile communication was beginning to blossom. Their mobile division began life in 1984 and commenced operations two years later as the mobile and broadcast division of Telecom Éireann. Usage in Ireland remained low until 1997 when

it was launched as a separate subsidiary, eircell Limited and introduced the popular prepay system, Ready to Go, which was immediately successful. From then, eircell’s main rival was Esat Digifone, a joint venture between Norwegian telecommunications provider Telenor and Denis O’Brien’s Esat Telecom. In 2000, when Vodafone made an offer for the subsidiary company, eircom accepted and eircell was demerged as a separate plc which was then acquired by Vodafone. Two years later it was rebranded as Vodafone Ireland. As Vodafone was gaining in strength with yet another addition to its worldwide empire, eircom was finding itself lagging behind. A recently released report has highlighted the 2001 sale of eircell as one of the factors behind the company’s downfall. According to the credit rating agency Moody’s, the slow descent into insolvency was one of the first of its kind in Europe and was caused, at least in part, by the lack of a mobile subsidiary, something most other incumbent telecommunication giants had, and which weakened eircom’s position. The drama began in 1995 as EU regulations stipulated increased commercial competition in the Republic

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Cover Story | Carolan Lennon

“Investment in the services it provides appears to be the way forward for the telecommunications provider and should they provide an all around communications service, covering both fixed and mobile lines, as well as broadband, their prospects are surely looking up." which forced the state to begin the journey down the road to privatisation. By 1999 the Government had ridded itself of virtually all of its shares in the telecoms giant and the new eircom plc was floated on the Irish, London and New York stock exchanges. Considered a stock market bubble, after the initial hype of eircom’s flotation dissipated the stock price fell rapidly. Small investors were angered at a lack of information and warning from the government concerning the risks of investing. The criticised privatisation of the former state sponsored company, the sale of the highly profitable eircell subsidiary, the passing of the company through several owners as well as the drop in the price of its stock following a second flotation in 2004 combined with a rise in mobile phone ownership to the point where some people own several mobile phones had done enough damage to the point where the state has had to re-enter the telecoms sector. Meanwhile, Carolan Lennon was steadily climbing the corporate ladder at Vodafone Ireland and gaining quite substantial experience for her future position at eMobile. In 2007, Vodafone bought Perlico which provides phone

and broadband services and brought Vodafone one step closer in their objective of being a full communications services provider in Ireland. “When Vodafone bought Perlico I helped in the integration of services, so it’s great to come to eircom and use that experience with the fixed and the mobile brands as well,” says Lennon, who held the posts of Marketing Director and then Consumer Director at Vodafone Ireland before her departure to eircom. eircom acquired Meteor in 2005 in an effort to re-establish themselves in the mobile market and established eMobile in 2010 which caters for residential and business customers. Mobile business now accounts for around 25 per cent of the eircom group’s revenues and Lennon has been involved in ensuring complete integration and provision of services, particularly with regard to eMobile as the relatively new ventures completes its takeoff and aims to establish itself as a serious competitor within the Irish market.

A Future To Look Forward To Despite some shaky foundations, looking ahead eircom and eMobile have a bright future in their sector, especially when considering their exit from the biggest examinership in the history of the state under its new guise of eircom Holdings Limited and with 40 per cent less debt. Ronan Kneafsey, director of eircom Business has said that

eMobile is on the cusp of a new business service aimed at creating the complete customer package. “There’s a lot of change going on within the business environment with a technological point of view,” he noted, speaking to The Irish Times. “Mobile is a critical element for us and we’re looking forward to challenging that mobile market, challenging the status quo and offering good value, choice and ultimately as well a converged proposition to other customers.” Investment in the services it provides appears to be the way forward for the telecommunications provider and should they provide an all around communications service, covering both fixed and mobile lines, as well as broadband, their prospects are surely looking up. And while until now its services were aimed more so towards SMEs, a push for the custom of Ireland’s resident major corporations would mark quite the achievement. “The nice thing about eMobile is it is quite unique,” adds Lennon. “It’s straightforward and pretty simple and it’s stolen the march on some of the other operators and gives customers what we know they’re looking for. We have a strong fixed customer base many of whom are looking to bundle a mobile service. That is where eMobile comes in. Because we’ve tapped into customer insights, it doesn’t matter what the competition sells. We’ve made a space for ourselves.”

Carolan Lennon Profile  Born and raised in Coolock, North Dublin City  Lennon attended University College Dublin, studying Computer Science and Maths  Worked with Church & General after graduation and held a number of different technology roles in Allianz  Found her passion lay in the business world and left her job, opting instead to pursue an MBA from Trinity College Dublin  Upon finishing her business studies, she joined eircom’s highly profitable eircell mobile division, and witnessed its transformation into Vodafone Ireland  At Vodafone, she took on a number of strategic marketing roles including Marketing Director before taking the position of Consumer Director, overseeing amongst other things, the takeover of Perlico  Recongnising her impressive experience, eircom snapped her up to run the fixed consumer business and the two mobile businesses eMobile and Meteor as Chief Commercial Officer.

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india

eastern star

as one of the world’s largest emerging economies, India presents massive opportunities for Irish firms, writes Conor William O’Brien.

hen talk abounds about superpowers that will dominate the political and business landscape of the future, most mentions will go to China, with its rapidly growing population and liberalising economy. However, those who look east would be foolish to ignore another emerging star on the Asian scene; the former crown jewel of the British Empire which looks set to shine again in the future, India. And Irish companies would do well to take note of the opportunities that this could afford them. Although the country undoubtedly faces severe problems with poverty and inequality, India’s potential as an economic powerhouse is almost limitless. With a population of 1.2 billion (and

growing), its universities yield more science and technology graduates than the US and Canada combined. India has undergone sustained growth in recent years, heralding the arrival of increased purchasing power amongst a rapidly growing middle class. This constitutes an immense market for Irish firms to tap into if they know how. India currently has a GDP growth of 7.5 per cent.

an iRish oppoRTuniTy At present, the main growth industries in India that could present an opportunity for Irish companies include construction, telecoms and IT. In addition, there are sectors in which Irish companies traditionally have lacked traction at home, including life sciences, another growing sector in India. Transport and traffic management

“India’s potential as an economic powerhouse is almost limitless. With a population of 1.2 billion (and growing), its universities yield more science and technology graduates than the US and Canada combined.”

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india

is yet another field. India’s roads remain notoriously dangerous, so there is plenty of scope for Irish entrepreneurs with expertise in these areas to cultivate their business there. Ireland possesses some significant advantages over other countries seeking to stake their claim on this massive market. Both countries share a history of colonialism and a common language, with English being the primary tongue of commerce throughout India. Irish missionaries have visited India for centuries, guaranteeing long-standing ties between the two nations which until now have not reaped substantial economic rewards. This is something that Enterprise Ireland has been trying to rectify in recent years, partaking in trade missions to the country (including one last year spearheaded by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton) and establishing bureaus in India to facilitate Irish companies in their efforts to enter a large and lucrative market. Recently, Indian interest in Ireland has been boosted by the shooting of Bollywood film Ek Tha Tiger in Dublin, which pumped over €1 million directly into the local economy. Released last August, the film features Bollywood stars Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif, and is expected to reach a worldwide audience of up to 100 million people. This has been touted by Tourism Ireland as a fantastic opportunity to promote Ireland as a potential destination for Indian tourists, another facet by which connections between the countries could be developed. As a market, India is not without challenges. Its distant location presents obvious logistical difficulties, but more significant still are the cultural differences and how these can manifest in the realm of business. For example, Indian culture often emphasises the establishment and maintenance of long-term relationships between buyer and seller, unlike Ireland where the transaction is often the be all and end all of interaction between company and customer. As such, excellent customer service is paramount for making a mark on the market. “It’s a long-term relationship,” says

Cathy Holahan, Export Market Adviser on India for Enterprise Ireland. “You can’t go in like in a Western economy and expect to do a deal. You need to spend time with the person. It’s different than China, where you talk general and then talk business after a while. It’s a matter of going back, organising and being seen to be a friend. It’ll take 12 to 18 months to get business and you need to do your research.” But as Holahan explains, Ireland’s friendly and hospitable reputation certainly helps in this regard. “Irish companies are perceived favourably. We’re seen as a country that’s very pro-partnership, which is important for building long-term relationships. Travel to the market is very important. It’s much easier for Irish people to do it than Americans or Japanese – we’re nearer. We’re Englishspeaking and we’ve got a shared history [of British colonialism] between the two countries. With the Bollywood film and a lot more Indians coming into Ireland there’s a lot more visibility. There’s great

potential for the Irish to exploit that. “We have an excellent team on the ground with the Department of Foreign Affairs, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland doing road shows around India, increasing Ireland’s profile and encouraging both investment and trade exporting of Irish companies to India, as well as helping Irish companies bridge the gap.”

closeR Ties The intricacies of the market dictate that potential entrants need to undertake substantial research, including first hand visits, in order to thoroughly assess potential expansion opportunities and plot a course of action that can often consume significant financial resources. Despite this, the opportunities for Irish companies are undeniable, and there are a number of ways by which they can ease entry into India. Both Enterprise Ireland and the Ireland India Business Association (IIBA) afford prospective firms a wealth of information on navigating the particular problems

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india

posed by India, as well as access to a myriad of business networks needed to thrive on the market. Another means by which Irish companies can foster closer ties with India is through the employment of Indian students, of whom there are currently around 1,000 in the country. “It might be a case that a company looking at the market could employ an Indian student to work with them for up to 20 hours a week, which they’re legally allowed to do under a student visa,” says Holahan. “That’s a person who can navigate the culture and potentially work for a year after they graduate, which is unique. We have a lot of students coming over here getting a good education who can also work with Irish industry. There are a lot of opportunities to bring those two groups together; students and companies.” Education is seen as a key enabler of development and has been afforded preferential status by the Indian government. Because of this, education can offer business a unique opportunity

“India is undergoing its own building boom at a time when Ireland’s construction industry has fallen into post-Tiger decline.” for expansion into one of the world’s major emerging markets. Many Indians increasingly recognise the value of allowing their children to pursue education overseas, a demographic that Ireland can certainly tap into. This is seen as so important that another Enterprise Ireland mission – spearheaded by government officials – is set to visit the country later this year in a bid to encourage more Indian students to take up study on these shores. Such is the perceived significance of this trend to future development that this year a new Ireland India Institute was opened in DCU with the intent of fostering future academic links and facilitating knowledge exchange between the two countries. In tandem with its immense potential and ambition – recently announcing

plans to launch a Mars orbiter by 2013 and manned space mission by 2016, guaranteeing its place among the annals of space exploration – India also faces monumental challenges, chiefly in the area of development; it is home to a massive and growing population with great income disparity and divide between the rural and urban communities. This has led the government to pursue monumental infrastructural investment to modernise and unite this vast nation. Because of this, India is undergoing its own building boom at a time when Ireland’s construction industry has fallen into post-Tiger decline. CRH is one example of an Irish company that has capitalised on this flourishing sector, and has targeted India as one of its core future markets. Specialising in the production of building materials, it entered the Indian market in 2008. In keeping with India’s business culture, cultivating strong partnerships with local businesses has been fundamental to its success there; this year, CRH was reported to be eying up a stake in the Jaypee Cement Corporation, an Indian firm with cement plants in the economically-powerful state of Gujarat. In 2011, the Irish company commanded a 50 per cent share of another plant in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Stakes of this magnitude in such a strong emerging market could yet prove prudent investments. Life sciences is another area with enticing scope for expansion. Pharmaceuticals – medical devices in particular – have substantial markets in India. Some Irish companies specialising in these areas already have a slice of this, with plentiful potential for future growth. In keeping with its investment in infrastructure, India has one of the highest growth rates in automobile purchases in the world, incurring a surge in demand for ticketing and parking solutions. Because of the erratic nature

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of its roads, India has one of the highest death rates for drivers anywhere. These sectors, however, do not monopolise the Irish presence in India, with consumer goods also making inroads. Kerry Group described its entrance into the Indian market as one of its highlights of 2011, a move which it believes could be of critical strategic importance over the coming years. Jacob Fruitfield has also made no secret of its intentions to expand its operations in India in the future. Elsewhere, the gargantuan and growing mobile phone sector has also seen in the influence of an Irish company in the form of The Now Factory, which now provides customer experience solutions to the Indian telecoms industry.

Irish Presence In total, there are currently over 40 Irish companies of varying size and specialty with a presence in India, and despite the cultural challenges, some of them can already boast phenomenal accomplishments. Not least of these is Daon, which is now a market leader in biometrics (identity protection) in India, having first entered the market around two and a half years ago, operating out of Bangalore. Daon has developed the innovative UID system for Indian citizens whereby a person’s biometric characteristics (fingerprints, irises etc.) are used to derive a unique identifying number. This is presently the largest identity programme in the world, and was developed in response to a massive gap in the market; in India, over 500 million people lack any form of verifiable identification. To date, Daon has provided UID for over 197 million Indians. “We were responding to an opportunity with the Ministry of Finance to provide an identity solution to verify the identity of taxpayers,” Chief Operating Officer of Daon, Tony Murphy, says of the company’s decision to enter the Indian market. “Then it got deferred through the launch of the Unique Identity Programme of India. We decided to pursue this because it was going to be a market-making programme in our industry; it was going to become the largest identity

India: The Lowdown  With just over 1.2 billion people, India is the second most populous country on the planet and the most populous democracy in the world.  The official languages are Hindi and English, with the latter serving largely as an official language. However, a myriad of other languages are spoken across the country.  India became independent from Britain in 1947, celebrating its independence on August 15th. Prior to this, it was widely considered the crown jewel of the British Empire.  The country is currently undergoing massive change. The poverty rate for both rural and urban communities has been steadily declining standing at 29.8 per cent in 2010, down from 37.2 per cent in 2005 – although it remains one of the most malnourished countries in the world. The urban population is growing rapidly, and an estimated 40 per cent of Indians will live in cities by 2030. Life expectancy at birth now stands at 65 years.  Amongst the main players in its economy is the agricultural sector, with India being the world’s largest producer of milk, spices and pulses on the planet as well as extensively cultivating wheat, rice and cotton.  However, the growth in manufacturing and services has detracted from the significance of agriculture to the economy, and the government now perceives these sectors as paramount to current and future development.  Arguably its most famous export and cultural staple is Bollywood, the world’s largest film industry.  Having initially been conceived as a socialist state following independence, the country began to open up to the outside world in the 1980s, and foreign investment has helped fuel its development ever since. It has become a popular choice for outsourcing, due to its large and increasingly educated workforce, and has made significant inroads in areas such as IT.

programme in the world. Being there already, we wanted to pursue this new ID programme.” Daon’s phenomenal ascendency in India has not been without adversity. On an industry-specific level, the scale of the population – while constituting a massive opportunity – also put strains on the company’s available resources. Health issues such as cataracts also posed a problem when collecting biometric information. Like many companies, it had to tailor its offerings to the specifics of the market in order to be successful, and developing longstanding relationships with stakeholders was fundamental to its success. “It certainly has not been without its challenges,” says Murphy. “There aren’t many instances where you have to scale a solution that’s going to fit over a billion people. It stretches your technology and your capabilities. Even though it’s a huge

market it’s also very competitive “We realised at a very early stage that we were going to have to establish a point-of-presence with a very strong team, and work the customer by being on the ground. That requires significant management commitment and adequate resources to manage a longterm sustainable business relationship in India. Most companies will just fly in and out, and that’s not part of the formula for success in the Indian market. You’ve got to be reaching out to them on a daily basis and helping to build up a trusted relationship. In India, they want an Indian solution to an Indian problem. “It’s certainly a market of huge growth potential, and for companies that are prepared to work at offering a tailored product or service offering then through the right partners they could develop a very nice business.” Q3 2012 | InBusiness 25

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McPhillips Management Services Email: frankmcphillips@eircom.net

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31/10/2012 10:55:38

MEETWEST 2012

Western Union

Last year’s MeetWest was a major success in connecting businesses in the west of Ireland. Dean Van Nguyen looks at what made the event so successful and previews MeetWest 2012.

The Meet.

etworking greases the wheels of commerce; all businesspeople know that. But with a rolodex of existing clients to look after, sometimes making a meaningful business connection can be easier in theory than in practice. In order to facilitate business-tobusiness networking in the west of Ireland, last year local councils, enterprise boards and chambers of commerce came together to form one, ultimate event. Dubbed ‘MeetWest’, this two day fiesta of workshops, lectures and meet ‘n’ greets was a big success, drawing in everyone from the region’s most influential businesspeople to young entrepreneurs fresh off launching their first SME.

Returning for its second year, MeetWest 2012 will take place on November 20th and 21st, with approximately 400 delegates scheduled to participate. This year the event moves from Galway to the Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone, Co Roscommon. Speaking at the launch, the Mayor of Roscommon Councillor Tom Crosby spoke of his delight that the country would be playing host. Also speaking at the launch, Galway County Manager Martina Moloney summed up the anticipation: “This event will provide businesses in the west with a great opportunity to generate new business and new business partnerships. The experiences of those who participated last year highlight the benefits that this

type of networking offers business. I would recommend to all businesses in the region to join in MeetWest 2012 and start doing new business.”

A GROUP EFFORT MeetWest represents a collaboration between Galway Chamber of Commerce, Roscommon County Council, Galway and Mayo County Councils, Galway City Council, the Enterprise Boards in Roscommon, Galway and Mayo and the Western Development Commission on MeetWest 2012. Other agencies like Enterprise Ireland, IDA, Udaras na Gaeltachta are also actively encouraging businesses to attend the event. The Galway Chamber perhaps play the most prominent role it MeetWest’s Q3 2012 | InBusiness 27

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MeetWest 2012

The launch of MeetWest 2012: Front left to right: Catherina Blewitt, IDA; Cllr Thomas Welby, Galway Mayor and Martina Moloney, Galway County Council. Back left to right: Liam Hanrahan, Galway City Council; Joe O'Neill, Galway City Manager; Breda Fox, CEO Galway City County Enterprise Board; Kieran Coyne Galway County Council and Michael Coyle, Galway Chamber of Commerce.

organisation. With a long history of connecting business and hosting networking events, they were approached by the coalition to take a lead role in making MeetWest happen. “It’s really about promoting business in the west,” says Sheila Byrnes of the Galway Chamber and MeetWest 2012’s project manager. “We’ve had companies that have signed up major contracts. Some have actually said ‘ok, now that I’ve sat and talked to some of the larger companies, maybe we’re not the right supplier for them’. But that’s useful information too because sometimes the hardest thing is to get to talk to the right person in a company.”

MeetWest 2012 Under Byrnes leadership, MeetWest 2012 looks set to top last year's event by recreating its successes and tightening up on areas that needed work. Day one begins with an introduction by Minister for Small Business, John Perry TD, and is followed by a series of talks, seminars and workshops. A new element to this year’s event is an Innovation Zone, organised by third level colleges the Institutes of Technology and NUI Galway. The Innovation Zone will take place throughout the day, highlighting companies who have benefited from the development of innovation by applying

creative solutions to add value to their products and services. But the meet that occurs on day two is what makes MeetWest particularly valuable. When companies register for the event through an online registration process at MeetWest.ie (the cost is €175 including VAT for one delegate, a price that covers the networking dinner, refreshments and lunch), they include all of the information necessary for the meet, including what kind of company they are and what partners they’re looking for. From that point the online catalogue opens, whereby everyone who has already registered can see the profiles of the other companies registered. They then choose 20 companies they would like to meet and a scheduled is drawn that will most benefit all participants. Byrnes believes it’s the meet that makes MeetWest a particularly useful event for local businesses. “Initially when we started to market it last year, the sense was very much that if you were going [into the meet] you were going looking for customers,” she says. “But what we found is that people found all sorts of

partners, so they either found customers, they found suppliers, they found partners – we had one company who actually set up a new business as a result of a meeting he had at MeetWest last year. One of the interesting people last year, he took his morning and requested to meet a number of banks. He felt it was a really efficient use of his time. Had he tried on any normal working day to meet four bank managers he wouldn’t have met them all.” These meets have led to very concrete results for many different firms. “We landed three key contracts as a direct result of attending MeetWest,” said Seamus Quinn from My IT Department, a company that provide IT support services to small and medium sized businesses throughout Ireland. “I urge all businesses in the region to attend MeetWest 2012. Its an opportunity to get out there, to meet your peers, to do business with over 300 people and to market yourself, your company and your product or service.”

Mutual benefits These tangible benefits that MeetWest has provided business are a result of the atmosphere created by the organisers. MeetWest can provide a lot of different things for a lot of different people, but at it’s most basic level, it’s a celebration of the entrepreneurial spirit and business savvy that prevalent in the west of Ireland. Byrnes sums it up best: “There was a real sense of energy and enthusiasm for doing business. I’m not aware of any other events like that in the west of Ireland whereby there was a sense of ‘Ok let’s all do something together, for each other, with each other and lets all benefit somehow’. We had over 90 per cent success rate in terms of people who said they’d go again and we’re seeing that this year in terms of the companies who have already registered are people who were there last year. I guess that’s testament to how successful they found it.”

"MeetWest 2012 looks set to top last year's event by recreating its successes and tightening up on areas that needed work."

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Digital Connections

Net Gain:

Connecting the Country

n an increasingly digital world, the Government has made some significant steps in ensuring Ireland does not fall behind the rest of Europe with a new plan that will ensure faster broadband connections throughout the country, and the shutdown of old, analogue television signals to come in-line with EU legislation that states all countries must switch to digital transmission by the end of this year. Presently, Ireland has one of the slowest broadband speeds in the western

world. Speeds here average at about 30mbps while in the US the standard rate is 100mbps (incidentally, we were the last to switch permanently over from analogue TV to digital as well). This puts the country’s business owners at a huge disadvantage. With the business world migrating more and more online, Ireland need to be able to keep up and higher speed broadband connections and the benefits which come from switching to digital should push us in the right direction.

The switch to digital On October 24th 2012 analogue signals switched over and those who hadn’t gone digital were left staring at blank screens. The digital switchover is headed by Saorview, an RTÉ-owned service that provides national digital television. Having a Saorview approved television or a Saorview box is one way viewers can now receive Irish channels RTE 1, RTE 2, TG4 and TV3. Customers who previously used a satellite or pay monthly subscription did not have to make a switch.

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Digital Connections

"The major benefits of Saorview are, of course, clearer picture and sound, with better coverage of national Irish TV channels." RTÉ and Saorview have been running an information campaign since May 2011 to inform the public about the switchover and what measures need to be taken to ensure they are prepared. The campaign has comprised of advertising on TV, online, in print, on the radio, as well as outdoor advertisement, public information messaging and an engagement with manufacturers and retailers. According to Saorview Press Officer Vivienne Flood, there is now, “a universal awareness of the Saorview brand and over 90 per cent awareness of analogue switch over”. The major benefits of Saorview are, of course, clearer picture and sound, with better coverage of national Irish TV channels. This is also the first time that as many as 98 per cent of the population will are able to receive Irish TV channels without a subscription charge. While Saorview may just seem like advancement in home entertainment, it actually does stand to benefit Ireland’s move into a new technological era as it frees up bandwidth which will allow more WiFi hotspots and 3G areas to expand. The expansion of 3G areas will allow Smart phone users to find a wireless Internet server in a greater number of areas. It will also make the allocation of broadband in rural areas more available and, thus, more accessible for businesses located outside of the city centre. “Digital signal takes up a much smaller bandwidth than the analogue service and the spectrum that is released as a result of the switch to digital will over time be made available for other uses such as improvements in telecommunications services such as broadband,” explains Flood. For example, in Dublin there will be approximately 180MHz of unused spectrum after the switch to digital, which is more than is currently allocated to the 3G services currently in place

in Ireland. Due to Ireland’s small population, we stand to gain much more from the switchover than other European countries. One of the main benefits of this is in WiFi and broadband connectivity. These new spots offer great possibilities for commercial opportunities and research. Businesses also potentially stand to benefit from the digital switchover by an improved telecommunications infrastructure and in particular the differences it will make for broadband.

National Broadband Plan The switch to digital television coincides with the Government’s announcement of their National

Broadband Plan, announced by Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte at the unveiling in Croke Park Conference Centre last August. The ambitious plan allocates €175 million of state funding to ensure 30 per cent of the population who currently cannot receive broadband can access a high speed connection. A further €175m will be spent on improving broadband services already in place around the country. The plan claims that by 2015, 50 per cent of the population will have speeds of 70 to 100 mbps, a second section will have speeds of 40mbps and a third group would have speeds of 30mbps. The Government plan to pay for this by leveraging investment from

What is Saorview? Saorview – meaning ‘freeview’ as Gaeilge – is a free digital television service received via an aerial, though it requires viewers to have a Saorview compatible TV or set top box that enables better picture and clearer sound than previous analogue receivers. 98 per cent of the country can receive coverage from Saorview. Saorview allows viewers to watch all the regular Irish channels, but also extras such as a range of radio stations, RTE One +1, RTE jr and RTE News Now. It also provides opportunities for broadcasters to offer more innovative broadcast services, including digital teletext and electronic programme guides. Speaking before the digital switchover, Enda Gallagher, press officer for the Department of Communications, Energy and National Resources, explained that Saorview provides benefits for telecommunications, viewers and businesses. “It represents a significant change in the quality of broadband services that will be available from mobile operators over the coming years,” said Gallagher. “The switch off of the analogue system – and its replacement by the digital service, Saorview – will free up valuable new spectrum that can be used for the provision of advanced mobile broadband services. In particular the spectrum freed up is planned for 4G broadband services.” According to Gallagher, there will also be additional benefits to the electronics industry: “The need to upgrade TV receivers has provided a boost in TV sales in Ireland at a time when this industry was suffering. In addition it has provided additional business for TV service installers. These benefits are being realised now.”

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Digital Connections

"Faster broadband would also allow new small companies to operate completely online which eliminates a huge number of overheads." both the private and public sectors – €175m will come from public funding and the other €175m will come from successful commercial bidders. The Government will work with a range of telecoms companies to ensure a nationwide roll out of fast broadband over the next few years. Even with high demand for broadband, Ireland is said to have approximately half the subscription rates to broadband packages as our EU counterparts such as Switzerland and The Netherlands. Low subscription rates are generally blamed on Ireland’s failure to secure high quality broadband and on alleged low demand due to low population density and it is assumed that if high speed broadband was available, subscription rates would soar. Ireland’s slow broadband makes it difficult for business to take advantage of online opportunities. It is also a disincentive for international companies to locate here. Despite this, Ireland is still European headquarters to some of the major players in the online sector, such as Google, Twitter and Facebook but the Government’s broadband initiative should propel Irish companies even further into online business. This announcement should also mean a growth in what businesses can do online. In a world where having a presence online is becoming more and more important, faster broadband is a very positive thing. Today it is necessary for every business to have active Facebook and Twitter accounts, a website and email contacts. Without these, businesses risk falling behind Social networking, for example, is mostly free and an excellent way to advertise and connect with your customer base. Faster broadband would also allow new small companies to operate completely online which eliminates a huge number of overheads. The introduction of high speed

An Online Playground The Internet – particularly high speed Internet – has become such an important tool in the last decade for business, and many companies worldwide have taken full advantage of the unlimited space the Internet makes. YouTube, in particular, has become a playground full of online entrepreneurs with YouTube’s Partner programme. Those who are part of this program can earn money through views and advertisements on their videos and many have made a living

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broadband would enable businesses to use all of these outlets with ease. Furthermore, the introduction of WiFi hotspots, 3G in all areas and even 4G in some, would allow people to use their Smartphones with ease for business on the go.

this way for the last number of years. Los Angeles-based production company Makers Studios have taken this idea a step further. Makers Studios deal solely with online talent from YouTube and have expanded their company from a small start up to a striving business which employs about 250 people and boasted 1.1 billion channel views in June 2012. They have been quoted as being to YouTube what United Artists was to early Hollywood. One of their most prominent YouTube personalities is Shay Carl Butler, talent and cofounder of Makers Studios. Butler is famous for his family’s daily vlog channel and his documented weight loss of over 100 pounds on his Shay Loss channel. He is a prime example of an online entrepreneur. Primarily through Google advertisement revenues and his involvement in Makers Studios, he has turned his hobby of creating YouTube videos into a full time job. Ireland has also seen this type of industry expand on a much smaller scale. Jonathan Saccone-Joly and his wife Anna run several YouTube channels, mainly Anna’s fashion and beauty channel, The Style Diet, and their

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Digital Connections

daily vlog channel, The Saccone-Joly’s, which sees Jonathan upload a 20 minute video of their lives each day. Their channels combined have nearly 170,000 subscribers and 30 million views. Jonathan, who describes his business as an online distributor for content, exports 90 per cent of their content online and therefore relies 100 per cent on broadband. Jonathan describes the current Internet speed in Ireland as a massive problem. “Since we live in Cork we don’t have coverage of fibre powered broadband. I have to go and rent a private satellite to try and receive decent enough internet to be able to do my job.” Saccone-Joly lives just outside the area in Cork that can receive broadband so it is hoped through the proposed high speed broadband plan that areas like his will receive higher speeds. “At the moment I have a line that is 40mbps download with zero congestion, but it is still not good enough,” he asserts. Indeed, not having high enough speed prevents Saccone-Joly from growing and developing his business in certain ways, such as being unable to transmit live shows for his viewers. Live shows are typically a great way to engage with the channels viewers and strengthen the online community and in turn increase views and subscriptions to his channel. Saccone-Joly also explains that he wishes to roll out more channels and improve what he already has. “I do want to grow this into something a lot bigger than what it is so the Internet is definitely a factor in that.” Saccone-Joly reaffirms what high speed broadband would mean for Irish businesses, particularly during times of economic struggles as working completely over the Internet means having very little overhead costs. “When I look at our business my overhead costs are zero, I don’t have to rent a premises and everyone I work

with is across the world so as long as I have an Internet connection that’s it. When you’re trying to keep revenue costs down, Internet is everything.” Saccone-Joly’s business turn over is into the mid six figures with his current Internet connection. “If I had access to a fibre line I could blow my business significantly and there are probably a lot of other SME companies that are also being halted by the fact that they can’t offer services because of the Internet.” Where the benefits of the switchover and high speed broadband will really

"For the advancement of Irish businesses, particularly small businesses the access to higher speed broadband is vital and the government’s proposed internet plan could change everything for them."

be felt is among the public with better television and Internet in their homes. High speed broadband in particular does have the potential to allow more people to work from home or start up businesses from home like SacconeJoly has. However we’ve heard these plans rehashed many times before so the jury is still out on whether this Government will actually deliver on their promises. Saccone-Joly emphasises this point and feels that the government need to properly put money aside and invest in this for businesses in Ireland. “They need to actually invest in the infrastructure and understand that in five years time that the return is going to be worth it.” For the advancement of Irish businesses, particularly small businesses the access to higher speed broadband is vital and the government’s proposed internet plan could change everything for them.

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chamber news

Chamber catch-up A round up of all the news and events from Chamber networks nationwide.

Chambers Ireland Appoint New President

Limerick Chamber Wednesday Business Launches Brochure to assist Start-ups

t the recent Chambers Ireland annual general meeting, Dónall Curtin was appointed the organisation’s president. Prior to this appointment, Curtin served as Chair of the board for the last two years. He is a partner in Byrne Curtin Kelly, one of Dublin’s leading accountancy practice’s, and is a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Ireland. He is also a member of the

Chartered Institute of Arbitrators with considerable experience in arbitration, mediation and dispute resolution. The AGM also saw the election of new members of the board Clive Bellows, Country Head Ireland, Northern Trust; Mary Rose Burke, Director of Pharmacy, Boots Ireland; Niall Feely, Managing Director, G4S and Kevin Murray, Chartered Engineer and Principal, Kevin J Murray and Co.

Chambers Ireland’s most recent National Advisory Board took place on Friday, September 14th. Pictured left to right are Donal Connell, An Post; Michael Crothers, Shell E+P Ireland; Ken Norgrove, Zurich General Insurance Ireland; Richard Bruton TD, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation; Ian Talbot, Chambers Ireland; Bernard Byrne, AIB; Dónall Curtin, President, Chambers Ireland; Seán Murphy, Chambers Ireland and Paul Mulvaney, ESB.

imerick Chamber Wednesday Business Group recently held the launch of their start-up brochure in the Carlton Castletroy Park Hotel. Deputy Kieran O’Donnell TD, Deputy Spokesperson on Enterprise, Trade & Innovation launched the brochure. The Brochure was sponsored by Dan Garry of Garry IT Solutions, Ballysimon. Dan Garry said that he is “delighted to sponsor the brochure and thinks that the brochure is an excellent initiative to help assist and support start-up businesses”. Dan has been a member of the Wednesday Business Group for the past two years. Deputy Kieran O’Donnell complimented the group and said that “in doing this brochure it will provide great assistance to start-up businesses”. Deputy O’Donnell stated that “the small business and the SME sector are critical to our recovery and that the people setting up new businesses and continuing businesses are creating employment and have to be supported in everything that they do”. Deputy O’Donnell announced that at the end of this month two of the government schemes dealing with credit to the small business sector will go live and come into operation, namely the €10 million micro finance scheme, which is for loans of up to €25,000 for businesses employing 10 people or less. The €150 million loan guarantee scheme deals with loans of a minimum of €1,000 and a maximum of €1mil. Deputy O’Donnell said that he looks “forward to the continued

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chamber news interaction between small business and the government towards people setting up in business and providing much needed employment”. The Wednesday Business Group offers a range of benefits, ensuring professional success as businesses increase their profile and gain exposure. It also provides a forum for sharing ideas, difficulties or success stories one might have in the daily running of a company. The Group

has a wide experience of start-ups in different sectors. The Wednesday Business Group provides a supportive business development environment, getting to know each other’s business, generating referrals and using their experience to help each other. It only takes one personal introduction or testimonial to attract that customer. Furthermore, businesses can increase their customer base, not only by 30 to 40 members, but also

the 300 plus contacts or sphere of influence that each member has. Meetings are held twice a month; Wednesdays, 11.45am – 1pm and the next meeting will be Wednesday 26th September in the Carlton Castletroy Park Hotel and guests are welcome to come along to our next meeting or another. Limerick Chamber guarantees that there is only one representative from each business field, this ensures exclusivity and quality referrals.

Newly Elected Chair of Cork Regional Chambers

Maura Hunter and Michael Walley.

t their recent Annual General Meeting, Cork Regional Chambers elected Maura Hunter of Mallow Chamber as Chair for the coming year. Speaking after her election, Hunter expressed her thanks to outgoing Chairman Michael Walley of Cobh & Harbour Chamber and to the chamber members for their nomination. “I am looking forward to my term of office as chair and to working with the other chambers in

the Cork region,” said Hunter. “The chamber movement is a powerful lobbying group and represents businesses in order to support their interests locally and nationally.” Hunter, of MH Designs Ltd, is a Director of the Mallow Chamber. She is also a member of the Traders Group in Mallow Chamber and is a committee member of the North Cork Business Alliance. The election of Honorary Officers

also included Aislinn Stanton, Cork Chamber, who was elected as Honorary Secretary and Jo English, Cobh & Harbour Chamber elected was Honorary Treasurer. The Cork Regional Chambers consists of Cork, Cobh & Harbour, Charleville, Clonakilty, Kanturk, Mallow and Midleton & Area. Representatives from these Chambers meet monthly to discuss and move forward issues of common interest in the region. Q3 2012 | InBusiness 37

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chamber news

Left to Right: Declan Dooley, President Galway Chamber; Michelle Murphy, President Galway BPW; Mayor of Galway Councillor Terry O’Flaherty and Carmen Taheny, National President BPW Ireland.

Galway Chamber Host Supporting Women Entrepreneurs Business and Mentoring Seminar

alway Chamber of Commerce in association with Business and Professional Women (BPW) hosted the Supporting Women Entrepreneurs Business and Mentoring Seminar in the Salthill Hotel, Galway on the 14th September 2012. The EU event featured one-to-one mentoring clinics where start-up female entrepreneurs or those with a business idea were able to get advice from experienced business women in specialist areas, such as finance, marketing, PR, writing

a business plan and more. There was also a key-note address from Clonakilty Black Pudding’s Colette Twomey, the award-winning female entrepreneur which was listened to avidly by over 130 attendees. In addition to the mentoring clinics, there was a panel discussions on the support and experiences of female entrepreneurs in different EU countries. The panel of leading entrepreneurs and public sector representatives included Tuulikki Juusela of Finland, Helen Milne

from The Woman’s Organisation in the UK; Gunilla Thorstensson from the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth; Anna Danti, Policy Officer, European Commission, DG Enterprise and Industry and Facilitator Olwen Dawe owner and principal consultant at Irish Business Intelligence from Finland, Sweden, UK and the European Commission. The findings of the panel discussion will feed into policy debate at EU level.

Dundalk Chamber Welcome The British Embassy

undalk Chamber hosted another very successful Embassy visit when The British Embassy came to Dundalk to meet local companies in order to forge business links. Mr Paul Caplis, Inward Investment Advisor UK Trade & Investment, British Embassy visited Dundalk recently for a series of one-to-one meetings with various companies from around the North-East. This is just one in a series of many visits which

Dundalk Chamber has organised. The meetings took place in Oriel Shared Services in the Finabair Business Park. Mr Caplis was delighted with the number and variety of contacts and was sure that the visit would enhance trade in both directions. Michael McCabe outlined the work of the Louth Economic Forum and the fact that one report would address the M1 corridor and not just Louth. Paddy Malone outlined the practical levels of

cooperation under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that were being achieved. The Chamber and their counterparts in Newry, Warrenpoint etc., plus the Local Authorities were working well together. It was hoped that this plus EU funding that has already been secured and was potentially available would develop the relationship further and enhance economic and social development on the ground.

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Chambers Ireland | Electric Ireland

An Electric Deal

for Chambers Ireland With the announcement of a 17 per cent discount for Chambers members, Conor Forrest speaks to John Cunningham of Electric Ireland to find out how and why the agreement has come about, and what it will mean for Chamber members.

©Thinkstockphotos.com/Digital Vision/PhotoDisc

hambers Ireland has announced that it is teaming up with Ireland’s leading energy provider, Electric Ireland, to offer Chambers members a discount on their electricity bills until November 2014. The offer is open to all current and new Chambers members, providing they sign up for the special offer by November 30th, 2012. Upon the announcement, Ian Talbot, Chief Executive of Chambers Ireland said, “We are delighted to have teamed up with Electric Ireland and be able to offer such a great discount to affiliated Chamber members. At a time when many businesses are struggling to pay their bills, anything we can do to ease cost burdens on our members is welcome.” Focused at smaller SME’s, Electric Ireland is offering a 17 per cent discount off their standard general purpose rate for two years. “Since the market was fully deregulated we’ve been looking at opportunities to work with the business community,” explains John Cunningham, SME business manager at Electric Ireland. “We have a lot of dealings with Chambers Ireland under many guises so it was only natural to look for synergies and ways of benefiting Chambers Ireland members and Electric Ireland. We’re looking to work with sustainable businesses and build long term relationships.” This is the first of this type of group deal Electric Ireland has agreed with the Irish business community and highlights their ambition to build long-term business relationships with companies for whom energy prices and energy efficiency are of major concern. “When we meet companies

now, we talk a lot about energy efficiency,” says Cunningham. “You could say that’s unusual, that a company who is trying to sell a product is also trying to reduce the usage of that product. But we need our customers to survive, and do as well as possible in these difficult times, so there’s no advantage just selling for the short term. You have to build a lasting relationship with each customer; you have to work with people.” These aren’t the first measures Electric Ireland has introduced as part of their effort in assisting Irish businesses save money. A number of online systems have been developed which help business owners and managers identify areas where savings can be achieved. These include Office Energy Expert and Energy Wizard and are available free of charge to Electric Ireland customers at www.electricireland.ie. “Technology has advanced over the last number of years,” explains Cunningham. “And while in the past it may have been expensive to invest in energy saving initiatives, nowadays businesses do not have to incur significant costs to reduce energy consumption. So we encourage all our customers, particularly Chambers Ireland members to reduce their energy costs. Energy costs are not set in stone and can be reduced.” Electric Ireland has moved quickly to allay any fears or doubts potential

customers might have in relation to deposits. “There is a view out there that big deposits are required,” Cunningham says. “But if a business’s credit rating is in order we don’t require a deposit. Some people have also questioned the two year contract element but that was intended to show our long-term commitment to our customer, we’re guaranteeing the 17 per cent discount for two year – there’s no hidden catches here.” Liam Molloy, General Manager at Electric Ireland adds, “We at Electric Ireland are committed to working with all our business customers to assist them in managing their energy costs in a variety of ways. This offer is part of this process and we look forward to working with Chambers members over the next two years.” Q3 2012 | InBusiness 41

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Chambers Ireland | ESB

App-solute Power ESB Networks’s Launch PowerCheck App

"PowerCheck provides real time information to customers regarding planned and unplanned power supply interruptions, including projected restoration times."

electronic rather than traditional media, and will benefit both business and domestic customers.

Announcing the launch, Paul Mulvaney, Distribution and Customer Service Manager with ESB Networks said: “Interruptions to power supplies are rare, but when they do occur, customers want to find out quickly and easily when the power will be restored in their area. We are still happy to hear from customers by phone, but PowerCheck provides an alternative for people who would prefer to access this information online or through their Smartphones. “Over the past decade, ESB has invested heavily in upgrading the Irish electricity network and we now have one of the most reliable and efficient systems in the world. Since 2001, we have succeeded in reducing unplanned outages by 62 per cent, with the average customer now experiencing just over an hour of lost supply per year as a result of network faults”.

SB Networks recently launched PowerCheck, a new app which provides real time information to customers regarding planned and unplanned power supply interruptions, including projected restoration times. The free app, which is accessible through Smartphones (iPhones and Android) and online, provides up to the minute information, identical to that available over the phone from ESB Networks’ Customer Care Centre. PowerCheck caters for the growing demand for information through

PowerCheck provides information on:  Local Area: The nearest substation to the location of the outage  Customers Affected: The number of customers without supply  Started: The time when the loss of supply was first reported  Interruption Type: Whether it is a Planned or a Fault interruption  Restore: The Estimated Restoration Time  Message: Further details that are available about the loss of supply

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Safetica | IB SURVEY

Data leaks can bankrupt your company Deliberate and unintended leaks of data spell trouble for businesses, but products such as Safetica can help to minimise the risk.

he management of every company should ask themselves the following questions: what is the value of the data that we keep in our company? What kind of loss can we expect if this information is lost or leaked to the public? Sadly enough, most companies ask themselves these questions only after a security breach has occurred and their data has leaked out of the company, no matter if it was caused on purpose (an employee with malicious motives) or as a result of negligence (loss of a portable device, lack of security). Calculating the cost of a data leak is a difficult process dependent on the line of business your company’s in, its geographic location, and its position in the market. What’s clear is that the costs may amount up to a significant percentage of the company’s value. This is particularly true in fields where information plays a pivotal role. If your company invests in the development of a new product and data leaks to a competitor, you can expect trouble with return on your investment. Additionally, some personal data is protected by law. Inspection of this data is additionally governed by authorities. Such an authority may charge companies that fail to meet the minimum personal data protection requirements with a substantial fine. An example of a huge loss arising from insufficient data security is the UK branch of the Zurich Insurance Group. The branch failed to protect the personal records of its 46,000 clients, which lead to its being fined some GBP2.25 million by the market regulator, not to mention a significant loss of clients who ceased to trust the company with their data. Whatever the main cause, a vital factor leading to irresponsible behavior with

data is the possibility of being able to do it. If employees become too unrestrained in their work with sensitive data and if they don’t feel that their behavior is being supervised, they will show risky behaviour or purposely break the rules.

Minimise the risk of data loss The management has a number of procedures at its disposal that can used to achieve at least a basic level of security against financial loss due to employee failure: g

H ave data security in your contract

When it comes to the security of sensitive data, you must first acknowledge that your company does process sensitive data and that this data must be protected. Employees must be made aware of the consequences that leakage of sensitive data may bear, such as the possibility of financial loss for the company, which may become grounds for layoffs. g

H ave policy limit use of company resources

The so-called acceptable use oolicy constitutes yet another kind of agreement between an employee and their employer. This agreement sets forth the limits on the use of resources that are provided by the employers to be used for both work-related and work-unrelated ends. The policy may prescribe what kind of employee behavior classifies as acceptable when it comes to the use of company computers, its software equipment, internet access, and other resources of the employer. Most often than not, the document imposes limits on the use of the internet and electronic mail.

“what is the value of the data that we keep in our company? ” g

S oftware saves time and prevents mishaps

Safetica data monitoring software can help with the day-to-day enforcement of security rules. It can monitor employee productivity, block out undesirable activities or prevent data loss. Moreover, in certain times it may represent the only feasible way to summon convincing evidence of a contractual breach during litigation procedures. www.safetica.ie Q3 2012 | InBusiness 43

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Building a Sustainable Future

CPRS00026

Irish Cement CEM II products are the first in the Irish Republic to be awarded the BES 6001 Environmental and Sustainability Standard.

For more details please visit our website www.irishcement.ie InBus_Autumn_1_78.indd 44

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O2, CSR Award Winner for Outstanding Achievement, 2012.

Inbusiness

The Burlington Hotel Thursday 27th September 2012

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csr awarDs 2012

The Importance of csr

hile the country begins to get itself back on track during these tough times, CSR is evolving at a rapid pace. Companies are now finding more inventive and innovative ways to engage in CSR. According to John Cunningham, Chair of this year’s CSR judging panel and Chair of the Immigrant Council of Ireland, each year there are new and exciting projects which push the traditional boundaries of CSR. “What’s amazing is not only the variety and number of companies that continue to

enter but the fact that every year the judges continue to be surprised at the changing approach to CSR,” he says. This year, to reflect these changes, the awards categories underwent a facelift of sorts. The most competitive category of Community was divided into three separate strands to reflect a more targeted approach to CSR – Partnership with Charity, Volunteering and Community Programme. In addition to the four core pillars of CSR strategy, a new area in the form of Communication has emerged.

Companies across Ireland have been implementing CSR strategies for years and while these awards go a long way to profile their efforts, companies are finding it more and more important to inform stakeholders of their CSR ethos. “In recent years, CSR has emerged as a more mainstream business activity with businesses embedding it into their company’s culture,” says Cunningham. “What is encouraging this year is that we received more first time entries than ever before. That goes to show the evolution of CSR and that more

©Thinkstockphotos.com/Hemera

Why is it so vital we recognise companies who standout in terms of their cSr practises?

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csr awarDs 2012 and more businesses are realising its importance every year. “This year’s applications highlight the great efforts companies go to in order to act responsibly and build strong, ethical relationships with customers, suppliers, the community and the environment around them.” While CSR continues to evolve on a national stage it has significant global implications too, says Cunningham. “No-one should underestimate how important it is for a company, particularly international companies, to be recognised via shortlisting for these awards.” “The importance of CSR can be seen in the Strategy for CSR 20112014, published late last year by the European Commission. This strategy also includes a new definition stating that enterprises “should have in place a process to integrate social, environmental, ethical and human rights concerns into their business operations and core strategy in close collaboration with their stakeholders”. “It is clear from this year’s applications that Irish companies are meeting and in many cases going beyond these standards,” asserts Cunningham. “CSR is something that the European Commission regard as being very important and Ireland has consistently delivered on this. The Irish Government also has an ongoing commitment to CSR and place great importance on the role it can play in our economic revival. “Ireland and Chambers Ireland have a sustainable structure in place that has begun to create a best practice in CSR and the CSR Awards. With the high number of new entries and the increasingly diverse nature of the projects, it is clear that CSR is taking its rightful place at the heart of Irish business.” According to Cunningham, not only does this have a significant impact on Irish business domestically but also internationally. “Ireland is now able to demonstrate that there are established CSR processes in place which gives us a competitive advantage when attracting business to Ireland. In the current climate, the strength of the impact that CSR has cannot be ignored.”

"cSr is something that the European commission regard as being very important and Ireland has consistently delivered on this.” the Pillars of Csr Community Community-based CSR projects, by their nature, are generally the most visible aspects of a company’s CSR activities. The projects depend on direct interaction between the company and the community, generating economic and social vibrancy in the locality. A company builds on this good will by using their grassroots knowledge of the issues facing those living in the surrounding area to deliver an effective community-focused CSR strategy. There are many different options open to a company that wants to engage in community-based CSR activities. Community is an always expanding area of CSR, evident in the fact that for this year’s awards we had to divide the community category into 3 strands – charity, volunteering and community programmes. Community CSR can range from sponsoring a local sports team, fundraising for charity or sharing the skills of your employees with the community.

environment Environmental and sustainability concerns have been at the forefront of public thinking in recent years. There is a growing awareness of the need to implement policies which enable sustainable development. Environment-based CSR projects go beyond the legislative obligations and promote greener economic growth. These projects may not garner the same amount of publicity as those with a community focus, however, many SMEs find they provide substantial financial benefits as well as improving the firm’s image as an environmentallyaware company.

marketPlaCe Marketplace CSR involves both a company’s customers and its suppliers. These types of projects are usually away from the public eye but show

the willingness of companies to go above and beyond the call of duty when dealing with their stakeholders. Companies have an interest in ensuring that their suppliers provide adequate pay and working conditions, conduct their business in a transparent manner and implement sustainable working practices. For customers, it is important for companies to implement responsible sales and marketing policies and to train their staff on how these policies can be achieved. Marketplace CSR helps businesses to nurture a corporate culture that values the needs, expectations and diversity of its customers.

workPlaCe Employees provide the know-how, productivity, customer service and creativity necessary for businesses to thrive. Employers should seek to put in place policies that promote the retention and development of their staff and nurture workplace environments that will attract recruits of the highest caliber. Workplace CSR programmes can affect many different areas of a company’s HR policy such as health and safety, work-life balance of employees, staff diversity and cultural awareness. A healthy balance between the work and non-work aspects of employees’ lives is essential in order to burn out and create a positive and productive working environment.

CommuniCation In recent times, communication of CSR initiatives has become more important. While many companies around the country have cross-pillar CSR policies in place, most of their activities are not known to their wider stakeholders. Communicating their CSR initiatives gives companies the chance to get across their way of thinking and highlight the excellent work they are doing in various areas of CSR.

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Complete

2012

CSR at ABBOTT IRELAND Shortlist *Winners in bold

Ronald McDonald House Rabobank Ireland - Partnership with

Cork and Dublin Simon Communities Vodafone Ireland Foundation - Answer

your true calling with the Vodafone World of Difference Programme

COMMUNITY – COMMUNITY PROGRAMME – LIC Bord na Móna - Abbyleix Bog

Restoration Project Croke Park Stadium - Croke Park

Community Fund Dublin Airport Authority - Community

Sponsorship Programme EirGrid - EirGrid and SONI Schools

Science Programme Ulster Bank - MoneySense for Schools

COMMUNITY – COMMUNITY PROGRAMME – MNC BT Ireland - BT Connected

Communities Covidien - Community Involvement

Programme

Minister Fergus O’Dowd

COMMUNICATION Abbot Ireland - Launch of Abbot

Ireland’s First Citizenship Report ARAMARK Ireland - Celebrate Irish Food Campaign Dell - Traditional and New Media to Drive Awareness and Support for Daffodil Day UPC - UPC Digital Inclusion Programme 2012 Vodafone Ireland Foundation - Talk, Listen, Change

COMMUNITY – PARTNERSHIP WITH CHARITY – LIC BWG Foods (Spar) - SPAR Charity

Program - 3Ts

Dublin Airport Authority - DAA Charity

of the Year Matheson Ormsby Prentice - The MOP

Giving Programme Permanent TSB - Foróige Youth

Citizenship Programme and Ireland’s Top Teen Awards

COMMUNITY – PARTNERSHIP WITH CHARITY – MNC Dell - DELLighted to Support Daffodil

Day IBM - IBM Centennial Grant - Cloud

based solution for Irish Cancer Society Marks and Spencer - 5 Peaks Challenge

2011 McDonald’s - McDonald’s and the

Microsoft Ireland - IT for Non-Profits O2 - Think Big Oracle - Sales Skills for Community &

Voluntary Sector Vodafone Ireland - Safety Net: Mobile

and Internet Safety

COMMUNITY – VOLUNTEERING – LIC ARAMARK Ireland - Building

Community Day - Ireland at Doras Buí Arthur Cox - Special Olympics Ireland

Volunteering Portmarnock Ground Force -

Portmarnock Ground Force Ulster Bank - We’re Local

COMMUNITY – VOLUNTEERING – MNC BT Ireland - BT Volunteers for Ireland

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csr awarDs 2012 shorTlIsT

Dell - Flower Power, People Power O2 - Think Big mentoring and

volunteering programme Rabobank Ireland - Community Leave Policy Savills - Making a Difference

environment – liC Croke Park Stadium - Greener. On and

off the pitch

agriculture and building skills to succeed in Malawi and Zambia Arthur Cox - Mwandi Project KPMG - Pathway to a better life

marketPlaCe IBM - Integrated Supply Chain and

Environmental Management System

of Airports Council International Europe - Airport Carbon Accreditation Programme Ecocem - Carbon Footprint Reduction Strategy Irish Cement Limited - Solid Recovered Fuel Use by Irish Cement Lagan Cement Ltd - Enabling Growth through Responsible Sustainable Development

sme Continuum - Digital Strategy for

Chernobyl Children’s International Peninsula Business Services Ireland Ltd - Changing the employment landscape The Bush Hotel - CSR at The Bush Hotel Three Q Recruitment - Three Q Recruitment and Jobcare - Working together for Dublin’s jobseekers

environment – mnC

workPlaCe

Abbott Ireland - Zero Waste to Landfill

Aviva Health / HP / Mater Private

Hospital - The Power of Pink

Initiative Citi - Project CEIST Intel Ireland - Reduce Our Energy

international Accenture - Developing conservation

The independent judging panel was made up of respected individuals working in various fields. The panel acted independently at all times. Judges did not participate in votes for categories affecting companies with which they are linked.

National Irish Bank - Financial Literacy

Programme

Dublin Airport Authority - Membership

JuDGinG Panel

KBC Bank Ireland - Employee

Wellbeing Programme KPMG - KPMG Business School Oracle Ireland - Oraclub - Sports and

Social Club for Oracle employees

John Cunningham, Chair, Immigrant

Council of Ireland. Laura Burke, Director General,

Environmental Protection Agency. Cathal Divilly, Managing Director, Great

Place to Work. Fergus Finlay, CEO, Barnardos. Deirdre Garvey, CEO, The Wheel. Brian Higgisson, Assistant Chief

Executive, Health and Safety Authority. Dermott Jewell, Chief Executive,

Consumer Association of Ireland. Padraig McKeon, Client Director, Drury

Communications. Seán McLaughlin, Assistant Principal

Ofﬁcer, Department of Environment, Community and Local Government. Martin Tobin, CEO, European Recycling Platform. John Trethowan, Board Member, Business in the Community Ireland.

O2, CSR Award Winner for Outstanding Achievement, 2012

The Corporate Social Responsibility Awards 2012 27th September, The Burlington Hotel, Dublin Q3 2012 | InBusiness 49

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csr awarDs 2012 | O2

leading from the front O2’s relentless cSr work has been rewarded by winning this year’s Outstanding achievement award.

O2, CSR Award Winner for Outstanding Achievement, 2012

2 is a big company with a heart to match. As vindication for the excellent work they’ve been doing in the realm of corporate social responsibility, the leading communications company captured this year’s Outstanding Achievement prize at the Chambers Ireland CSR Awards. It was an honour the firm were elated to receive. “We’re absolutely delighted,” said Diarmuid O’Neill, O2’s Head of Communications and CSR. “For us it represents the culmination of a lot of

hard work in corporate responsibility over the years, by everyone in the organisation.”

thinkinG BiG Central to O2’s current corporate social responsibility activity is Think Big, a social action programme it initially launched in 2010 in partnership with Headstrong, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health. Think Big enables young people to do projects in their community that make a difference to

theirs and to others’ mental health. “The issue of mental health has become very topical in recent years in Ireland,” says O’Neill. “So we feel it’s vitally important to do what we can, in partnership with Headstrong, to provide young people with the skills and resources to build their own confidence. All they need is the right support and encouragement to turn their ideas into reality. And that’s what Think Big is about.” How it works is this: Young people aged between 14 and 25 come up

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csr awarDs 2012 | O2 "We feel it’s vitally important to do what we can, in partnership with Headstrong, to provide young people with the skills and resources to build their own confidence. all they need is the right support and encouragement to turn their ideas into reality. and that's what think Big is about” with an idea for a project that will help make a difference to young peoples’ mental health in their local communities. They then submit their idea to www.o2thinkbig.ie. Once their idea is approved they receive funding and support from O2 and Headstrong. This includes mentoring by O2 employees and a full day’s training. The training day covers a range of skills like project planning and communications and helps young people to bring their ideas to life. They also receive a mobile phone and a Think Big starter pack. So far, the programme has been a huge success, with over 200 projects approved for funding, and almost 500 young people trained. Another key element of Think Big is that O2 employees are given the opportunity to become mentors to the young project owners. “Employees are genuinely interested in it. They get a chance to impart their business skills and support the young person in bringing their project to life. To date, over 150 O2 employees have signed up to become Think Big mentors, as have a range of well known celebrities in Ireland including sports stars Johnny Sexton and Donal Óg Cusack”, says O’Neill.

As well as having a large social action and community programme in place, O2 also has CSR programmes that cover marketplace and environmental initiatives. For instance in May this year O2 launched its Wayra initiative which is a new accelerator programme that provides funding and support for digital startup companies in Ireland. In addition, O2 also boasts a large environmental programme, promoting the use of less energy, waste management and reducing its overall carbon footprint. “We’ve seen some good gains here. We’ve managed to reduce the amount of energy used in our offices and stores by 44 per cent over the last 5 years and last year we reduced the waste we sent to landfill by 25 per cent,” says Jill Johnston, O2’s Corporate Responsibility Manager.

forwarD thinkinG Over the next 12 months O2 will continue to invest time and resources into building on their success. They also hope to inspire other companies to follow in their footsteps. “We’re members of the Chambers CSR Policy Council and Business In The Community and we work with these organisations to promote CSR whenever and wherever we can. In addition we produce an annual CSR report which gives further information on our initiatives and shows how we are measuring up against our CSR targets,” explains Johnston. Regardless of what happens over the next year, one thing’s clear: the latest recipients of the CSR Outstanding Achievement Award have no plans to rest on their laurels. “I think that the awards are very worthwhile,” says O’Neill. “They’re of huge importance and they really shine a positive spotlight on corporate responsibility. It’s an important function, and awards like this give credibility to something that companies need to take seriously. It has meant a huge amount to everybody in O2 and has made us want to work harder and achieve even more next year.”

a soliD ethos Key to O2’s successful CSR goals is the involvement of senior executives. Companies that run CSR programmes are not unusual, but embedding them into the business can be more difficult. At O2, the responsibility the company feels to the community it serves is stitched into its ethos, from board level down. “Our Directors are involved in the strategy, fully aware of what we do and actively participating in it as well,” says O’Neill.

Pictured at the recent launch of O2’s CSR report are (from R to L): Tina Roche (CEO Business in the Community), Tony Hanway (CEO Telefónica Ireland), and Maeve DeSay whose project Need a Hand received funding from the Think Big programme

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csr awarDs 2012 | IBM

winner: Ibm, excellence In community award “IBM strives to be a company that is essential, not only to our clients, shareholders and employees, but also to the world at large – by engaging the communities where we do business and by providing the leadership and tools to build a Smarter Planet. corporate citizenship is central to this vision.” – Peter O’neill, country General Manager, IBM Ireland In 2011, IBM awarded one of 11 Global Centennial Grants to the Irish Cancer Society for the automation of their Care to Drive programme. This grant included $75,000 and the skilled volunteer services of IBM Ireland employees who have developed a cloud-based solution for Care to Drive, a door-to-door, free transport service provided by the Irish Cancer Society for patients undergoing cancer treatment. The IBM volunteer solution will put the Irish Cancer Society first in the world with this type of solution, at the cutting edge of cancer care and allow the programme to grow significantly. At the Chambers Ireland CSR Awards 2012, this project won the Excellence in Community Award – Partnership with Charity. On Demand Community, IBM’s

volunteer and community service initiative supports IBM employees and retirees in their volunteering with schools and non-profit organisations. During IBM’s Centennial Celebration of Service in 2011, IBM employees and retirees developed 120 community partnerships with schools and nonprofit organisations, contributing over 15,000 hours to local communities resulting in grants ranging in value from $500 to $75,000 totaling over $250,000. In Ireland, 31 per cent of employees and 16 per cent of retirees participate in this programme.

marketPlaCe IBM has established a Social and Environmental Management System that oversees a set of internal processes supporting its supply chain's social and environmental programmes. In addition to establishing and communicating this management system internally, a set of requirements were distributed to IBM's suppliers for review, implementation and compliance. At the Chambers Ireland CSR Awards 2012, this project won the Excellence in Marketplace Award.

eDuCation Through STEM (Science Technology Engineering & Mathematics) outreach activities IBM Ireland employees reach approx. 14,000 primary and secondary school students each year, through hands-on workshops and events. Our KidSmart Early Learning programme places child friendly PCs loaded with award-winning educational software in primary schools. Since its inception in 1998, IBM has invested more than $133 million, donating more than 60,000 Young Explorers in 60 countries, reaching more than 105,000 teachers and serving 10.1 million students. In Ireland, over 900 Young Explorers have been donated to over 450 schools.

emPloyees IBM has a long history of commitment to diversity. As our workforce has become more diverse we have also adapted our workforce policies to be more flexible and inclusive, and increased our focus on work/life balance practices. In an increasingly global environment, our diversity policies and practices are helping IBM drive innovation and providing competitive advantage – enabling us to deliver the best results for our clients and our people. The IBM Diversity organisation brings together subjectmatter experts on diversity, along with workforce partners who have a deep understanding of business needs, to enhance the employee experience. IBM Ireland was awarded LGBT Employer of the Year 2011 at the Irish GALAs (Gay and Lesbian Awards).

©Thinkstockphotos.com/IStockPhoto.com

Communities

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csr awarDs 2012 | KBc BanK IrEland

kbc’s employee wellbeing Programme KBc Bank employees act as programme ambassadors to champion wellbeing initiatives.

BC Bank Ireland has always placed significant emphasis on its employee programmes and is proud of the collegiate atmosphere within the bank and of its reputation as an excellent employer. Energised and focused people are the secret of its success. Employees who believe in the company, understand their role in achieving the business goals and work in an environment which supports their professional development and personal needs are ultimately more committed to delivering the bank’s strategy for growing its business in Ireland. The financial services sector in Ireland has seen phenomenal change over the past four years, which has transformed the workplace for those employed in the industry. KBC Bank Ireland has viewed these changes as opportunities to improve employee relations and grow its business. In 2010, the bank initiated a new staff engagement programme to identify the pressure points and issues relating to wellbeing in the new workplace. This comprehensive programme was drawn up with employee input that took a holistic approach to employee wellbeing. The KBC Employee Wellbeing Programme focuses on helping employees achieve a work/life balance. Activities focus on four pillars: managing stress, exercise and nutrition for a healthy lifestyle, managing personal finances and sports and social.

• Healthy lifestyle activities include: weight watchers at work, seminars on performance nutrition, health checks at work by the Irish Heart Foundation and bodyfirm pilates.

• Managing stress activities include: expert talks on topics such as building mental resilience, positive parenting and managing stress. The bank also has a new hill walking club. • Managing personal ﬁnances includes: establishing a Christmas savings club, VHI information sessions and the launch of groupschemes.com. • Sports and social activities aim to create initiatives and events which have broad appeal, encouraging staff to take part in a range of activities. The Wellbeing Programme has been an overwhelming success as evidenced by the huge staff engagement in the activities. Over 76 Wellbeing events took place over 2011 and 2012. Importantly, a key driver in the success of the Employee Wellbeing Programme is that instead of taking a top-down approach where senior leaders would champion the programme, the bank decided initially that the best approach was to use employees as ‘programme ambassadors.’ Should an employee be interested in a particular activity, they are encouraged to champion it. Simple word of mouth and positive feedback about an activity inspires other employees to get involved. This contributes to the programme’s success as a whole and to individual successes for each employee.

In short, KBC Bank Ireland’s staff are the devisors of, participators in and champions of the Employee Wellbeing Programme. The programme is designed to help support KBC’s broader CSR plan, particularly with regard to fundraising for charity. Every year a ‘host’ charity is chosen by the bank and its employees. This charity benefits throughout the year from fundraising by bank employees through a variety of activities as well as through regular donation. Last year, over 30,000 was donated to Focus Ireland as a result. Many of the activities undertaken through the Employee Wellbeing Scheme are linked to these fundraising endeavours, thus resulting in another benefit to the bank and the wider community. Overall, the Employee Wellbeing Programme benefits all KBC’s key stakeholders, the community at large and the bank’s staff. It has resulted in an energised and focused team spirit which is critical to achieving the bank’s vision and is central to employees’ contentment and happiness. Q3 2012 | InBusiness 53

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csr awarDs 2012 | crOKE ParK

The sustainable stadium croke Park has embraced cSr through its sustainability efforts and the croke Park community Fund, as those involved tell InBusiness.

roke Park has been a leader in the green game since 2008 by taking a holistic, sustainable approach to stadium operations when the stadium developed and implemented a range of sustainability initiatives and projects. The initiatives have focused on the three key pillars of sustainability: environmental, social and economic. It became the first stadium in the world to achieve BS8901 sustainable event management certification and in addition to that, the ISO 14001 environmental management certification, in 2009. More recently, during May 2012 Croke Park became one of the first stadiums in the world to also achieve the newly released ISO 20121 sustainable event management certification, which is the standard that all venues involved in the London 2012 Olympic Games were required to meet. It’s something Tracy Bunyan, Events and Operations Executive who manages sustainability at Croke Park and submitted its CSR Awards application, is very proud of.

The aim of the ‘Greener. On and Off the Pitch’ sustainability project is to build on the earlier Cúl Green project to minimise the environmental impact of events both on and off the field at Croke Park, encourage the environmentally responsible development and staging of events and raise awareness amongst stakeholders, contractors and staff to carry out their work at the stadium in a sustainable manner. It focuses on key areas such as:  Maintaining position as one of the most sustainable sports venues in the world by a collaborative approach with key stakeholders involved in our games.  Increasing recycling with a focus on achieving zero landfill by 2014  Continuing to reduce electricity, gas and water consumption  Developing effective and consistent communication tools to communicate the sustainability message to staff, stakeholders, patrons and the public.

Ger Dorgan, CLO at Croke Park presents Principal Catherine Groves of Central Model Infants’ School with a cheque from the Croke Park Community Fund.

‘Greener. On and Off the Pitch’ has been developed and implemented in conjunction with key stakeholders who are represented on the stadium’s environmental and sustainability management group and play a key role in setting the stadium’s sustainability goals and objectives. It’s making an impact: for

example, the Croke Park team have succeeded in reducing their usage of gas by 29 per cent, electricity by 31 per cent and water by 28 per cent, and recycled or composted 62 per cent of their waste since 2008.

Croke Park Community funD The Croke Park Community Fund is another innovative CSR project. It’s run on an annual basis and supports projects within a 1.5km radius of the stadium. “We’ve allocated over 300,000 to over 100 projects since its inception three years ago,” explains Ger Dorgan, Croke Park’s Community Liaison Officer. The intention is to assist the widest number of suitable projects within the area. “The variety of projects supported is very large and is a testament to the many local groups working for their community.” Every day, Dorgan sees the Croke Park Community Fund benefitting school and education initiatives, facilities and services for local people, residents’ groups like September’s Phizzfest in local Phibsborough. “One of the main things that I am involved in, and it’s very important, is to get information out to the community on Croke Park matters,” he says, through measures such as newsletters, e-zines and his community call campaign. “It’s proactive, and we pick up a lot more feedback related to the stadium on these calls. We discuss any issues that are raised internally and I work closely with the Gardaí and Dublin City Council on local stadium related issues. I’m also in regular contact with residents’ groups and public representatives.” To ﬁnd out more about these CSR initiatives, go to www.crokepark.ie.

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P530

Greener. On and off the pitch.

If you are in the business of winning, Croke Park is the place for your next conference or event. The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first stadium to achieve the ISO 20121 Events Sustainability Management System International Standard. Croke Park is a venue with world-class conference suites and boardrooms in a legendary environment. Better business in a better environment.

Nominated for Chambers Ireland Corporate Social Responsibility Awards:

Excellence in Environment Excellence in Community

Phone our conference team on 01 819 2300 or email: events@crokepark.ie

P5302C00665_CrokePark_A4*.indd 1 InBus_Autumn_1_78.indd 55

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CSR AWARDS 2012 | PIETA HOUSE

Confronting Suicide Through Support Pieta House works with the business community to take on the problem of suicide and self harm, as founder Joan Freeman tells InBusiness.

he stigma of suicide and self harm is slowly receding, but there is much more to do: although more people than ever before are talking openly about this most tragic of social issues, the statistics make for grim reading and support services are dangerously thin on the ground. Step forward Pieta House. Founded nearly seven years ago by psychologist Joan Freeman, her initiative has grown to the point where last year 2,000 people were seen. The figures are up 40 per cent this year already. “We look after people who are suicidal or who self harm. That’s all we do – we provide no therapy other than for those who are in acute distress. It’s one-to-one, face-to-face counselling, a solution-focused approach,” she says. Their services are free of charge. Freeman started Pieta House in the realisation that if someone was suicidal

or self-harming they would be sent immediately to their GP or to A&E. “It’s not a solution: people who are suicidal are not sick, they’re just very distressed,” she says. Tackling male suicide needs to be the priority now, and she is hoping to run a campaign on it in the coming months. She cites new preliminary figures from the CSO: 525 deaths last year, and 485 were men. “They’re only preliminary; you can be sure that the numbers are going to be much higher than that. We’re talking about at least ten people every single week who take their lives, and if that was compared to road accidents there would be an uproar and outrage. Nobody is shouting about this at all.” Pieta House now has five centres: four in Dublin, one in Limerick and by the end of the year centres will be open in Galway and Roscrea; by spring in Cork and Kerry. 100 paid therapists are on the books. When Freeman speaks to businesses she makes the point that Pieta House should be looked on as a business, not a charity. “We create employment; we put money in the government’s coffers. We should be seen as a crucial element in the social aspect of this country: without it there would be no service; the HSE certainly aren’t providing it. We’re set up like any other business: our turnover this year will be over 2 million. “Businesses shouldn’t be thinking of donating, they should be thinking of investing. By investing in Pieta House, they’re investing in their own future: not only could their employees find themselves in trouble, but also their families. Now they’ll know that there’s somewhere they can go.” A workplace initiative known as ‘Mind

Your Buddy’ is one way businesses can help to engage with the issue. “It’s encouraging peers to look out for each other,” says Freeman. Pieta House trains staff to be designated contact people, the person to whom employees can go if they know their colleague is in trouble. Another aspect of Pieta House’s work is that for employees who have suffered a suicide in their family, going back to work is horrendous and easing their path back to work is to the benefit of employee and employer alike. “We see ourselves as an investment and an important part of every single organisation’s life. Once a company stops being afraid of looking at suicide, then it means that something positive can be done. The employees themselves appreciate when a company takes on someone like us, because it means that the company cares about the employee,” says Freeman.

56 Q3 2012 | InBusiness

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Urgent Suicide Help?

Feeling suicidal?

Are you self harming?

Worried about someone?

Help is available. You do deserve it. You are important.

Preventing Self-Harm & Suicide Pieta House is a non-profit organisation providing a free-of-charge, specialised treatment programme for people who have attempted suicide and survived, people who have a strong urge to take their lives and also people who selfharm. We can help companies tackle the problem of suicide, by providing inhouse training and having a designated therapist and referral pathway for your employees and their families.

INVEST IN PIETA HOUSE ONE DAY YOU MAY NEED US CONTACT US: ONLINE: www.pieta.ie BY PHONE: (01) 6010000 BY POST:

Pieta House, Lucan Road, Lucan, Co. Dublin

Charity No: CHY 16913

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csr awarDs 2012 | St MIcHaEl'S HOUSE

Providing key services St Michael’s House promotes individualised supports for people with intellectual disabilities.

t Michael’s House is Dublin’s largest provider of services for people with intellectual disabilities and their families. Residential services are provided to 450 people and day services support 1,660 individuals in a large number of centres and community locations in Dublin city and county, extending to Navan, County Meath. Services are delivered to respond to the needs, goals and wishes of individual service users and include clinical, educational, vocational, employment, residential, respite, social and recreational supports. Since 2008, St Michael’s House has had substantial cuts made to its budget and workforce. No additional funding has been made available to develop services to meet the growing demand for both day and residential places. On average, the organisation receives six new referrals each month and has the largest

residential waiting list nationally. Patricia Doherty, Chief Executive Officer explained: “the key challenge facing the organisation is to protect existing services and to develop new services from within our current resources. The only alternative to doing this is to close services and place people on a waiting list. “Thankfully, we have a very committed and dedicated work force and to date have not had to significantly curtail any services. In fact, we are now providing day places for 164 more and respite and residential places for 48 more people than in 2008. This has been achieved through an organisation-wide programme of service efficiencies and through the implementation of the organisation’s Croke Park Agreement.” St Michael’s House is the first health service provider nationally to register a comprehensive agreement with the implementation body.

Fundraising is a vital source of revenue for St Michael’s House, and Doherty explained that the organisation is very appreciative of the support that donors and volunteers give to their service users and programmes. St Michael’s House Corporate Volunteer Programme offers a unique opportunity for companies to encourage their staff to volunteer. Due to the community-based nature of the organisation and wide variety of services, volunteer groups of all sizes can agree a convenient location and identify tasks to suit all skills and interests. Since 2008, over 3,000 staff from 42 companies have participated in the programme. The tasks completed include painting and decorating, gardening, painting a mural and assisting in sports and recreational activities. For further information about this programme or fundraising events, contact Barbara Wiseman, Head of Fundraising. See www.smh.ie, call (01) 884 0345 or email fundraising@smh.ie

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csr awarDs 2012 | accEntUrE

corporate citizenship at accenture With initiatives such as Skills to Succeed and the accenture Foundations, cSr and corporate citizenship are high on accenture’s agenda as they tell inBusiness.

mploying over 1,250 people in Ireland, Accenture is the country’s largest management consulting, technology and outsourcing company. Our business is an integral part of Accenture’s global network of 250,000 employees operating in over 120 countries around the world. At Accenture, we work with some of Ireland’s largest public and private sector organisations and have been successfully doing so for the past 30 years. We focus on improving business performance and economic indicators by implementing people (behaviour, skills and capabilities), process (simplification and efficiency maximisation) and technology (proven and leading edge) improvements. In 2009, Accenture developed and launched a new corporate citizenship initiative, Skills to Succeed, which focuses on building skills that enable people

around the world to participate in and contribute to the economy. By 2015, Skills to Succeed initiatives will equip 250,000 people around the world with the skills to get a job or build a business. By the end of fiscal 2011, the company had equipped more than 160,000 people – nearly two thirds of our goal of 250,000 people – with workplace and entrepreneurial skills. Additionally, Accenture and the Accenture Foundations will contribute more than US$100 million by the end of 2013 – in global and local giving, as well as pro bono contributions of time and Accenture employee skills – to support our corporate citizenship efforts. To contribute to the global Skills to Succeed target Accenture Ireland will continue to work with a number of strategic partners that share its skillsbuilding goals. Some of the organisations with whom Accenture collaborate in

Mark Ryan, Accenture Country Managing Director; David Regan, Accenture Senior Executive; Dearbhla Kelly, Accenture Corporate Citizenship Manager and Tom Arnold, CEO of Concern Worldwide with lead farmer Chimalizeni Kamgoza and his family Patuma (53), Joyce and Jesika (6) at Chitukula village, Lilongwe District, Malawi.

Doris Malinga showing Tom Arnold, CEO of Concern Worldwide and Mark Ryan, Accenture Country Managing Director her plot of land which she farmed using the conservation agriculture method. Dwerog Field, Kabudula, Lilongwe District, Malawi.

Ireland include Concern Worldwide, Jobcare, Junior Achievement, the Trinity Access Programme, Fast Track to IT and the Washington Ireland Programme. With the company’s pro bono projects, Accenture offers its strategic Skills to Succeed partners access to core services through pro bono consulting, supporting them to build capabilities or to achieve organisational efficiencies. One example of various initiatives Accenture employees can get involved in is the UK and Ireland flagship volunteering programme Accenture business class, an innovative volunteering programme focused on sharing Accenture’s professional skills with the

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csr awarDs 2012 | accEntUrE

Accenture, CSR Award Winner for International CSR. From left to right: David Regan. Senior Executive, Accenture; Minister Fergus O’Dowd TD, Minister of State for the NewEra project, Dearbhla Kelly, Head of Corporate Citizenship, Accenture; Derval O’Brien, Corporate Fundraising Manager, Concern and Ian Talbot, CEO, Chambers Ireland.

community sector. This programme offers free of charge skills-building sessions to the community organisations that Accenture works with and the people they serve. By sharing core skills and expertise, the company helps others to develop their skills and strive for high performance in their own organisations.

Csr awarD In this year’s CSR awards, Accenture won an award in the category of Excellence in International CSR for their partnership with Concern Worldwide. We feel very privileged to have received this award for our partnership with Concern. In 2010, Accenture Foundations awarded $1.5m to Concern Worldwide to fund the development of conservation farming

programmes in Zambia and Malawi. The grant will be used to train 6,400 farmers in conservation agriculture techniques. Local trainers will provide participating farmers with the skills necessary to attain food security and harvest surplus produce. This award further demonstrates to our employees that corporate citizenship is at the heart of Accenture’s business both in terms of community investment and growing our business sustainably. To celebrate the success of this project and to witness first-hand the impact of the Accenture Global Giving Grant, Mark Ryan, Accenture Country Managing Director; David Regan, Accenture Senior Executive and Dearbhla Kelly, Accenture Corporate Citizenship Manager visited a

Farmers Chrisy Kayamba and Mary Austia pounding corn in the Mankhwazi Village, Nkhotakota District, Malawi.

number of participating farms in Malawi with Tom Arnold, CEO of Concern. To coincide with the visit, a group of Accenture volunteers also travelled to Malawi to participate in a 215km cycle raising �45,000 for an education project in Malawi. Accenture will build on this helping the communities in which we work. Accenture’s global corporate citizenship goal is to equip 250,000 people around the world with the skills required to get a job or build a business by 2015. Mark Ryan notes: “Given the high level of unemployment and the widening of skills gaps, one of the primary challenges for today’s and tomorrow’s economies is equipping people with the right skills to participate in and contribute to the economy. That’s exactly what Accenture focuses on through Skills to Succeed. The business case for corporate citizenship and CSR programmes is stronger than ever. Corporate citizenship is a catalyst for engaging more deeply with our employees and the community and allows us to explore new opportunities to collaborate with our clients. Corporate citizenship has always been an integral part of Accenture’s business and will continue to play a big role in the company’s wider reputation.” Read more about Accenture’s Skills to Succeed programme at www.accenture.com/skillstosucceed. Q3 2012 | InBusiness 61

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csr awarDs 2012 | UlStEr BanK

banking on responsibility Ulster Bank has committed significant investment to develop the largest online financial education resource available to Irish schools, as inBusiness discovered.

our years on since its inception and Ulster Bank’s MoneySense programme is going from strength-to-strength. Now in use by 50 per cent of secondary schools islandwide, the idea behind the initiative is to tackle the issue of low financial literacy by offering a free online education resource for teachers and students. Ulster Bank has committed significant investment to develop the largest online financial education resource available to Irish schools. Teachers can use it independently or get support from one of Ulster Bank’s 200 trained volunteers to deliver finance and enterprise sessions in the classroom. Packed with over 30 hours of stimulating activities, MoneySense covers banking, borrowing, saving, planning for the future, starting a business and succeeding in the world of work. Ulster Bank believes its support for financial education is helping to change young people’s attitude to money. “If we invest now in financial education and support schools in delivering it, the impact will be felt in the next generation of financially literate adults,” says Pauline McKiernan, Ulster Bank’s Community Affairs Manager. “Using our knowledge of banking and business, it makes sense to support schools to achieve these aims – it’s the classic virtuous circle of good for society, good for the economy and good for our business as well”.

a new solution for teaChers anD stuDents MoneySense offers a radical new solution to the traditional textbook approach to learning. Its online rich-media content speaks to the iPad generation. Videos, case studies, age-relevant interactive

tools and quizzes bring finance to life in a way that’s not been harnessed up to now. “We know that finance and business can be boring topics for students” says McKiernan. “Now that schools are better equipped with ICT facilities, whiteboards, broadband etc teachers are keen to harness that technology and really use it to stimulate young people’s interest in money and business.” She continues: “We’ve seen a real upsurge in interest in enterprise learning recently. Programmes like the Student Enterprise Awards and Get Up and Go are becoming the enterprise equivalent of the BT Young Scientist and Technology exhibition. Teachers can see the benefits of running enterprise days in the

Blanchardstown, regularly uses this programme. “What I’ve noticed is that students who’ve had these sessions are already streets ahead in their thinking,” says White. “It’s active hands-on learning at its best.”

ulster Bank moneysense volunteers It’s no coincidence that Ulster Bank also won the CSR Community Volunteering – LIC award this year. At the heart of the MoneySense programme is the involvement of the bank’s employees in delivering lessons alongside teachers in the classroom. “It’s all about harnessing our people’s knowledge and skills and passing those on to teachers and

"Packed with over 30 hours of stimulating activities, MoneySense covers banking, borrowing, saving, planning for the future, starting a business and succeeding in the world of work." classroom to spark students’ interest in business. We’re responding to that by training a number of volunteers to deliver the ‘You’re in Business’ module which uses a blend of online learning and team-based classroom activities to start students on the enterprise journey. They set up a coffee shop business, and elect team members to take on the roles of finance, marketing, and sales for the business. It is absolutely amazing what they learn in a half-day session, and students get an enormous confidence boost from presenting their final business plans in the Dragons Den sessions”. Eamonn White, a Business Studies teacher at Riversdale Community College,

students,” says McKiernan. “We’ve seen a real uplift in the numbers of teachers asking for volunteer support and we put a lot of emphasis on training our volunteers to understand how to support teachers and students”. To date the reach and scale of the programme is significant: more than 800 teachers use the programme regularly, reaching more than 26,000 students in 503 post primary schools, with over 500 lessons delivered by the Bank’s MoneySense volunteers. Ulster Bank’s aim is that by 2015, 90 per cent of schools will be using MoneySense as their programme of choice for teaching finance and enterprise.

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csr awarDs 2012 | UlStEr BanK

Ulster Bank, CSR Award Winner for Community – Volunteering (LIC). From right to left: Ian Talbot, CEO, Chambers Ireland; Fergal FitzGerald, Community Investment Manager, Ulster Bank; Pauline McKiernan, Community Affairs Manager, Ulster Bank and Fergus O’Dowd TD.

Banks neeD to suPPort loCal Communities MoneySense is part of the bank’s wider strategy to support local communities throughout Ireland. The bank offers a focused set of schemes designed to engage its employees and make a difference to charities and community organisations throughout Ireland. Centred on the theme of ‘We’re Local’, the schemes combine charitable giving and employee volunteering to support good causes that matter to its staff and local communities. ‘Give a Day’ encourages staff to spend at least one day per year to volunteer or fundraise for a local good cause. MoneySense volunteers can volunteer up to 30 hours each year supporting schools. Community cash back awards allow every staff member to claim €250 per year towards their

"MoneySense is part of the bank’s wider strategy to support local communities throughout Ireland. the bank offers a focused set of schemes designed to engage its employees and make a difference to local communities throughout Ireland." preferred charity if they raise €250 for the charity through fundraising. The Bank’s Payroll Giving schemes matches the donations employees make to charity through payroll. Staff have the option to donate either directly to a charity of their choice, or to the Staff Charity Fund – a pooled fund that meets quarterly and makes lump sum donations to good causes throughout Ireland. ‘Community Stars’ is a reward programme that recognises employees as outstanding local community

ambassadors. Awards range from €100 to €2,500, with funds donated to the charity concerned. At a time when smaller charities, schools and community services need urgent support, the ‘We’re Local’ programme offers flexible financial support and a pool of willing volunteers. In 2011, the programme resulted in Ulster Bank donating over €800,000 in funds and 15,900 hours of volunteer time to over 2,800 charities and voluntary organisations throughout Ireland. Q3 2012 | InBusiness 63

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I was told my brain aneurysm was untreatable.

NOT ANYMORE. The Covidien embolization device can prevent the rupture of an otherwise untreatable aneurysm by diverting blood flow from the brain aneurysm itself. For some patients, this device is literally the difference between life and death. Part of Covidien’s suite of vascular products, our embolization device is just one example of how we are collaborating with healthcare professionals to solve medical issues to help improve patient care and safety. At Covidien, we’re not just committed to medical innovation — we’re committed to making a difference in patients’ lives. See how at covidien.com

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7 AM

csr awarDs 2012 | cOVIdIEn

Involving the communities covidien have proven once again they are dedicated to helping communities develop after they won the community Involvement Programme at this year’s cSr awards.

s a manufacturer of a diverse range of industry-leading product lines, Covidien is in a unique position to improve and sustain healthcare by identifying community needs and establishing charitable partnerships to make a greater impact. COVIDIEN CARES is a global giving and community outreach programme promoting health and well-being and working side by side with the people and communities they serve. By making grants, donating products and supporting volunteerism, COVIDIEN CARES and its initiatives seek to improve the quality of people’s lives. The COVIDIEN CARES programme encourages employees to donate time and fundraise for causes in the communities across Ireland where Covidien operates. The programme enables employees to identify organisations they want to support. The main objectives for the Community Involvement Programme are to provide employees an opportunity to help the organisations that are important to their communities as well as raise funds money for those organisations. As part of their CSR work, Covidien have an employee Community Liaison network that diligently works to establish local partnerships, encourage employee engagement in the community and promote Covidien’s philanthropic programme. In addition to a community liaison, each of the Irish facilities have employee-run charity committees that meet regularly to plan employee volunteering projects, respond to local issues and make suggestions to improve the COVIDIEN CARES programme.

suPPortinG those that neeD it Covidien are one of the world’s leading companies in providing healthcare and has always been committed to

contributing to the availability of quality, affordable healthcare in the communities by helping to fund programmes that provide care and treatment to people in need. With support from their senior leadership team and board of directors, corporate philanthropy and community outreach initiatives at Covidien reflect the range of their businesses and key objectives. Through their philanthropic programme – COVIDIEN CARES – the company collaborates with important local organisations to make a greater impact by helping to improve access to quality, affordable healthcare, as well as to provide resources for research and treatment of specific diseases and chronic illness.

GettinG staff involveD Alma Byrne is the European Government Affairs Manager at Covidien and believes the input from their staff is really making a difference to these communities: “With 43,000 employees worldwide in more than 65 countries, Covidien has the capacity and resources to improve care and treatment of people in underserved communities through employee engagement and local grant funding. “Covidien actively encourages its employees to volunteer in their local communities through team-based volunteer activities with organisations such as local health centres, hospices and food pantries in Covidien communities worldwide. In addition, Covidien has a Volunteer Incentive Programme that recognises the generosity employees

demonstrate worldwide by awarding up to $1,000 to non-profit organisations where Covidien employees volunteer their time. More than 185 employees have been recognised since its inception. Last year in Ireland, the employees held 22 volunteering and fundraising events. Personally, I enjoyed being involved in the clean up and redecoration of The Red Door School in Monkstown, a special school for children with autism and complex needs. The volunteering day had a brilliant atmosphere with the employee group motivated to do a great job to surprise the kids!” The feedback from the communities that Covidien work with has been very positive and the involvement of large numbers of employees has helped bring new focus and support to the groups in local communities. The company has forged a number of close relationships in Ireland that have helped them develop partnerships in philanthropy. Alma Byrne is certain that they will continue to create new partnerships and to expand wellestablished collaborations. Q3 2012 | InBusiness 65

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csr awarDs 2012 | cItI

csr innovations citi’s cSr innovations have seen them win in the ‘Environment – Mnc’ category at the chambers Ireland corporate Social responsibility awards 2012.

hen it comes to environmental preservation, many companies strive to reduce the level of waste generated by their products. Citi, on the other hand, has demonstrated eloquently that firms who produce intangible goods can also be environmentally savvy. Perhaps that’s why they took home the ‘Environment – MNC’ prize at this year’s Chambers Ireland Corporate Social Responsibility Awards. They were rewarded for Project Ceist, an approach which reflects a genuine commitment to sustainability and prompts us to ask questions of ourselves, dig deeper and enhance our work practices such that we further reduce our impact on the environment. They have succeeded and reduced costs in doing so, but it is not just about the energy and it is not just about saving money. Citi is taking a multidirectional approach to being green and is embracing all the wider reaching social aspects as well. It is as much about doing what is right for society now and for the generations to follow. The objectives for Project CAB include support and involvement for its entire staff, providing a cleaner and healthier work environment for employees and a cleaner environment for society as a whole, set a real, positive example for employees which boosts morale and makes Citi a better place to work in. Finally, improving efficiency and potentially lowering energy utilisation does reduces costs and makes Citi more competitive, safeguarding jobs. It was an approach much in evidence when Citi spoke to InBusiness before the awards. “Back in 2006 we realised that our energy consumption and carbon emissions could be reduced,” Paul Boylan, Citi’s Head of Corporate Realty Services said. “We started looking at our environmental impact at a time when

not everybody was thinking about sustainability. But we took a proactive approach, and in 2006 started focusing directly on our environmental performance.” This involved a thorough assessment of Citi’s carbon footprint and evaluating every possible avenue by which the company could reduce it. The company commenced with its daily operations, taking simple measures such as streamlining its air conditioning (the air pumped through its premises is now many times cleaner than that outside) and switching off lights wherever possible. What followed has been an exemplary enterprise in environmental CSR. “We started looking ever closer at our facilities equipment and operating strategies,” claims Boylan. “Year on year we increased the reductions.”

aBove anD BeyonD But the company’s efforts have extended beyond the realms of cutting and efficiency improvements to permeate the culture of the organisation and instill an environmentally-aware mindset within its 2,200 strong workforce.

“The culture here that we’re trying to develop is one where we encourage employees to adopt sustainability in the home, so everybody benefits in the end,” says Boylan. “I believe in raising awareness with employees as and when they require it. I like to bring them around the building to show them what goes on behind the scenes and give them an understanding of how we manage our energy and our waste. We’re taking a very broad approach on any elements that effect the environment. It’s a combined effort, and is celebrated as that. Everybody contributes to our success and that’s a major motivating factor.”

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continuing to build a better Ireland

Images, clockwise from top left: PďŹ zer, Engineering Building - NUI Galway, CWU HQ , River Suir Bridge

www.bamcontractors.ie

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Cork Institute Of Technology | IB SURVEY

CPA Announce Partnership With CIT The Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Ireland (CPA) is delighted to announce the commencement of an accountancy internship programme with the School of Business at Cork Institute of Technology (CIT).

he programme provides internship placements with CPA members and local industry for students attending CIT. Commenting on the initiative, Joe Aherne, CPA Vice President said, “The internship programme will further strengthen links between CIT and CPA members in the region. It will effectively bridge the gap between study and the professional world as students adapt their learning to the marketplace and get a taste of what a career in accountancy could involve. It will also serve to introduce students to the CPA qualification and the diverse range of roles fulfilled by our members”. Gerard O’Donovan, Head of School of Business at CIT said, “This programme will allow students an opportunity to

gain practical accounting experience in industry. Better prepared students are more desirable to employers and are better able to meet today’s challenging work environment. This programme provides a great opportunity for students to gain self confidence, work in a team environment and increase their accounting skill-set. Graduates can hit the ground running and this improves significantly the level of job and salary offers they get upon graduation”. Interns will be in the third year of their four-year Bachelor of Business in Accounting (Honours). This programme of study has a strong focus on accountancy-related disciplines and students have a good understanding of accounting and business processes,

possessing a wide range of fundamental skills in financial and management accounting, taxation, auditing and financial management. By choosing the relevant electives, graduates are exempt from all levels of CPA up to Professional Two stage. The placement will involve a mentoring role performed by the host company coupled with monitoring carried out by CIT academic staff. Commencing in June 2013, CIT students are available to take on a 12-week internship fulfilling a range of roles in the accountancy area in both practice and industry. All students selected are interviewed by CIT to ensure that participating organisations are matched with a suitable student that meets their particular organisational needs.

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Games

ehealth

Food Consumer products

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Medical Devices

01/11/2012 11:30:12

East Region Working Group for Major Emergency Management Dublin City Council, on behalf of the East Region Working Group, is pleased to announce the launch of a new e-learning training programme for Major Emergency Management funded by the Department of Environment, Community & Local Government. The East Region local authorities, An Garda SĂochĂĄna and the Health Services Executive, are working together to protect our communities.

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flooding | IB SURVEY

A Strategic Response: Flood Risk Management With weather systems unpredictable and more increasingly volatile, the need to plan for the reality of flooding is more apparent then ever before. In this special report, InBusiness speaks to some of those involved in planning for flood events and flood risk management.

he reality is that extreme weather events are now the norm and the past can no longer be looked upon as a guide to the future,â&#x20AC;? says Tom Leahy, Executive Manager (Engineering) with Dublin City Council. With extreme events now the norm, the need for communities and businesses to be aware of the potential impact and real impact of flooding is very important. The Irish climate,

coupled with the topography of Ireland, seamed with lakes and rivers, plains and mountain ranges, makes for a unique environment when it comes to flood planning and risk management. In the case of Dublin, extreme flooding events were seen recently in October 2011 and Cork also suffered two major flooding incidences in 2011 and another one recently in October 2012. The preparation of cities to deal with floods

and the plans in place to implement a response are constantly under scrutiny, and the reality is that over recent years, there is a far greater cohesion in terms of flood preparation and planning. Nationally, Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management Plans (CFRAM) are being implemented within at-risk areas as identified in the 2004 National Flood Policy Review. In the case of the capital city, the major floods Q3 2012 | InBusiness 71

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About FRC FRC stands for ‘FloodResilienCity’. It is an EU-funded project which enables responsible public authorities in eight cities in North West Europe to better cope with floods in urban areas. This will be done through a combination of transnational cooperation and regional investments.

Aim of the Project The FloodResilienCity project aims at integrating the increasing demand for more houses and other buildings in urban areas with the increasing need for more and better flood risk management in North West European cities along rivers.

Regional Projects The FloodResilienCity regional projects are located in eight cities along rivers in North West Europe: Bradford (UK), Brussels (BE), Dublin (IR), Leuven (BE), Mainz (DE), Nijmegen, Orléans (FR) and Paris (FR). Technical support is provided by the Universities of Sheffield & Paris. Dublin City Council FRC Office: Block 1, Floor 5, Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8 Tel: 01 222 4270 | Email: frc@dublincity.ie | See: www.floodresiliencity.eu

Dublin City Council FloodResilienCity Project working to Protect our City from Flooding

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flooding | IB SURVEY

in flood awareness and preparation to effective partnership with other regional and national organisations.

South Dublin County Council

(coastal river and extreme rain) in 2002 were instrumental in the creation of the Dublin Flood Initiative (DFI), which is now part of an international network of flood prevention strategies. “What happened in the city in 2002 could best be described as a wake-up call for the City,” adds Tom Leahy. “In February of that year we saw first-hand how exposed the city was to flooding events. Prior to that there had not been serious flooding and the threat level was seen as low. The major threat we have, pluvial flooding, was not recognised as such and historic events such as Hurricane ‘Charlie’ in 1986. Weather patterns changes and future climate changes were not identified as major risks.” In 2002, torrential rainfall caused the Tolka River to burst its banks, torrential rainfall caused pluvial flooding in the north of the city and at Clontarf a coastal surge saw the coast road submerged in water. “There were more than 1000 homes flooded and the Metropolitan Major Emergency Plan was implemented to counteract it. In the wake of what happened, there was a realisation that a far more structured approach to both flood defences and flood prevention was required. The led to Tom establishing the Dublin Flood Initiative (DFI).” Dublin is exposed to five distinct flooding risks, each posing a different series of threats. The purpose of the DFI is to understand these risks and oput

in place a mitigation and adaptation strategy. Over-ground rivers such as the Liffey, Tolka and Dodder present their own challenges as do rivers such as the Poddle and the Camac. In addition to the threats of coastal flooding, tidal surges and pluvial or ‘monster’ rain there are also a sequence of other events that the DFI works to counteract. These include dam breaks and infrastructural failures, for example. “With the DFI, what we have is a plan with which to address weaknesses and proactively prepare and formulate a response for flood events in the city,” explains Tom. “Working with local communities is vital in this process and a new flood resilience forum, coupled with a number of pilot local community flood resilience groups has just been set-up as part of the EU funded FloodResilienCity (FRC) initiative.” The success of the DFI depends on the participation of all its stakeholders, from community based resilience groups, to the business community being active

Dermot Finch is a Senior Engineer with South Dublin County Council (SDCC) and has been involved with the Council in flood prevention since 2208, having joined the Council in 2004. “In the Dublin area we would be one of the major stakeholders in the CFRAMS programme, which identifies elements that need to be put in place in areas at risk of flood,” he explains. “The major flood threats in the SDCC area, in addition to pluvial flooding, would be rivers such as the Dodder. We have examined flood maps and identified flood prone areas, where the Dodder has breached its banks in the past and the Council has carried out work in certain areas where there is a threat.” Underground threats in the SDCC area include the Poddle, but SDCC are able to counteract threats by diverting the Poddle through a specially constructed tunnel where necessary to reduce potential flood flow through threatened areas. “Without doubt the biggest threat for us is highintensity rainfall, which we are seeing more and more of,” adds Dermot. “We can only plan so much for what such rainfall can bring in terms of flooding, then you’re into response mode,” he explains. “The old tactic of the Council supplying sandbags is just not logistically possible any more so we need to be smarter in how we plan for dealing with flood events. For example in 2000, Lucan was very badly flooded by the narrow but fast flowing Griffeen stream which runs through the heart of the village. SDCC since carried out extensive work on the banks and course of the stream and there has not been a serious flooding incident

"The success of the DFI depends on the participation of all its stakeholders, from community based resilience groups, to the business community being active in flood awareness and preparation to effective partnership with other regional and national organisations." Q3 2012 | InBusiness 73

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flooding | IB SURVEY

Office Of Public Works

Tom Leahy, Engineering Executive Manager, Dublin City Council.

in the village since. “Then in October 2011, wide areas within SDCC’s region were affected by pluvial flooding. We had severe flooding incidents in places such as Clondalkin, Tallaght, Whitehall Road and Brittas,” Dermot adds. In the wake of the 2011 flooding, SDCC carried out a series of flood prevention measures with the support of the Office of Public Works (OPW).

“The OPW is the lead agency in terms of flood risk management,” explains Tony Smyth, Director of Engineering Services with the Office. “There has been a significant change in terms of how we prepare for and deal with flooding and flood risk. In the past we were reactive to flood events. However many serious flooding events over the 1990s and early 2000s contributed contributed to a change of mindset in this regard.” In 2004, the recommendations of the Report of the Flood Policy Review Group stated that future flood management policy in Ireland would be to ‘minimise the national level of exposure to flood damages through the identification and management of existing, and particularly potential future, flood risks in an integrated, proactive and river basin based manner. In addition the core OPW responsibilities of developing and implementing flood risk management policy, they also deliver a number of works programmes such as the CFRAM programme and capital works and maintenance programmes, and assisting local authorities in addressing flooding risks. Since 2009, the OPW has approved over €25 million in funding for more

than 350 flood related projects around the country. Tony adds that the OPW has been at the forefront of flood prevention schemes since the mid-nineties and through the years of the ‘Celtic Tiger’ economy, pressures of over-development, in addition to climate change and changes in weather pattern, meant that the country was posed with a host of new flooding threats. “Dealing with flooding in a reactive way, while continuing with development of land on traditional flood plains continued has without doubt created a new array of flood related risks. We’ve counteracted that now to a certain extent with the recently published guidelines on The Planning System and Flood Risk Management. Obviously with the current economic climate, there is not much development going on, but any construction in areas with a flooding history is subject to quite a complex public consultation process between a Steering Group and the relevant representatives from local authorities.” Currently, the OPW are engaging in works in known floodprone towns such as Fermoy, Clonmel and Mallow. But they are concerned with the long-term view in terms of flood planning. “While we are the lead

Tony Smyth, OPW.

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South Dublin County Council

Sustaining and Developing Business ‘Maximising business development and local employment through strategic decisions and actions plans at National, Council and Local Level’. Email:

info@sdublincoco.ie

Web:

www.sdcc.ie

facebook.com/SouthDublinCountyCouncil

twitter.com/sdublincoco

SMS:

51678

Tel:

01 414 9000

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Flood Risk Management The Office of Public Works is the lead agency for flood risk management in Ireland and delivers services in the following key areas: •S trategic planning to manage flood risk into the future - CFRAM programme and Irish Coastal Protection Strategic Studies. • A programme of Capital Investment in flood relief works in partnership with Local Authorities. •P rogrammed maintenance of completed arterial drainage and urban flood relief schemes.

For further information go to www.opw.ie

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•H ydrometric data collection to improve water level flow estimation. •P ublic awareness measures - how to plan, prepare and protect against flood risk. • Commissioning research into flood risk management issues.

01/11/2012 11:31:03

flooding | IB SURVEY

agency in flood risk management, we are not the primary response agency when it comes to dealing with flood events. We do have a capability to assist and respond in terms of engineering works, but that is not our main role. We work with the local authority in terms of flood planning, working within the built environment. We also provide funding to local authorities to carry out necessary projects in this respect in their areas.” Like Tom Leahy in DCC and Dermot Finch in SDCC, Smyth cites pluvial rain as the prime threat for flood events. “The frequency and intensity of the rain which we are regularly experiencing now makes it extremely dangerous in terms of causing flooding. As part of the CFRAMS project, we are carrying out surveys which will allows us generate models of how flooding can affect various areas. This will be of massive benefit when it comes to making decisions relating to planning and development. Some of these maps are already complete and can be viewed at www.floodmaps.ie.”

FRC Initiative In European terms, the FRC initiative represents a cross-pollination of active flood prevention and defence strategies which member cities can share amongst themselves. The member cities of the FloodResilienCity project are Dublin, Bradford, Paris and Orleans in France, Mainz in Germany, Nijmegen in Holland and Brussels and Leuven in Belgium. Some of the plans which the participant cities are pursuing are extensive. The Dutch city of Nijmegen has long been prone to flooding by the river Waal, with a quarter of a million people evacuated in 1995 for example. In order to give more ‘room for the river’ and avoid future flooding, the dike on the river Waal will be moved 350 meters land inwards, creating an island in the middle of the river. It is the first time a new dike is created in an existing urban area in the Netherlands and the city of Nijmegen has decided to use this measure to create a space for recreation, nature and urban development. “The FRC partnership works as an international learning and action alliance,” explains Tom Leahy. “ Most of the partners are operational organisations, but there are two academic

"The FRC partnership works as an international learning and action alliance" organisations in Bradford and Paris which have integrative roles within the project.” As part of the Pluvial Flood Risk Management for Dublin. the FRC Dublin project aims at ‘integrating the increasing demand for more houses and other buildings in urban areas with the increasing need for more and better flood risk management measures’ in cities along rivers, such as Dublin.

preparation and planning Tom Leahy in DCC, Dermot Finch in SDCC and Tony Smyth in the OPW all stress the importance of doing what is possible to mitigate against the effects of flooding by working within the existing built environment. With this in mind, the philosophy of sustainable urban drainage represents a practical method of dealing with water in the event of flooding. The principle is to aim to replicate the natural drainage which would have occurred prior to development. As of yet there is no regulation regarding the paving over of gardens in the city, paving acts as a willing causeway for the water and can exacerbate cases of flooding as has happened in recent years in the Donnycarney area of the city. “Paving discharges large volumes of storm water into drainage systems that were never constructed to deal with such volumes of water,” Leahy explains. Much of the subterranean drainage system in the City dates from the middle of the 19th century. Steps to modify the built environment include the introduction of porous paving which allows rainwater or snowmelt to pass through it into the soil. “Facilitating natural drainage is a very important and basic measure when it comes to dealing with floodwater,” says Dermot Finch. “We would be very active working within the built environment to create a landscape that would allow water to pass into the ground or away from where it can do most damage.” In the case of cities, the structure of older houses has also exacerbated the possibility of flooding. In Dublin alone there are approximately 18,000 garden flat properties and many, many more

low threshold access properties, all of which combines to create a flood risk environment. The methodology of establishing exactly what impact flooding may have in any particular event under the DFI is based upon four key mitigation measures; Source, Pathway, Receptor and Consequence. Tom Leahy explains; “When we use this model in terms of the flooding which occurred in October 2011, you can see that the source was pluvial rainfall, which exceeded sewer capacity and then combined with high river flow and high tide to create a ‘tidelock’ effect. The pathway was a breach of walls, overflow from the sewers, manhole covers lifted, flow of water along roads and pooling of water in low areas and blocked gulleys and culverts. The receptor was unfortunately houses, businesses, basements, car parks and other infrastructural elements and of course the consequence was loss of life, injury, loss of business and damage to property.” Cities such as Dublin are without doubt better prepared as a result of initiatives such as the DFI, and nationally the whole issue of flooding is being analysed in a much more proactive, holistic and long term manner as a result of schemes such as CFRAMS and other initiatives under the guidance of the OPW. But while national, regional and local authorities are contributing to the campaign to prepare and respond to flooding events, there is plenty that the general public and business community on the ground can do. “Like any response agency, Dublin City Council cannot be everywhere at once to deal with the impact of flooding. I remember one major hotel kept calling us out when their drain was blocked following major rainfall. I explained to the manager that it would make a lot more sense if we showed them how to unblock their own drains. Measures like that, when taken in the context of the entire city, mean a lot because you then have a top down, or bottom-up, response to the problem. Everyone can be affected by flooding so everyone needs to be involved in working to counteract it.”

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CLEARY’S LOSS ASSESSORS | IB SURVEY

UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM Flooding has been and will be a problem forever. Some of the ﬂood events experienced in Ireland over recent years have been completely predictable, others are unbelievable.

nsurers have long been aware of the risks of flooding and, as the risks increase, this is reflected in insurers either removing cover from these areas or increasing policy excesses or premiums. Flooding is a nightmare for residents and property owners. The drying out process alone may take weeks. Cleaning up the debris and removing the dirt and in many cases sewage is all part of the event and clearly making the whole experience very

uncomfortable and expensive. In Ireland in the past three years alone, we have had some particularly serious events. Everyone will remember the major floods of autumn 2009 when we had major disruption throughout the country for months. In Dublin in October 2011 more serious flooding and, of course, the two tragic cases of people actually dying that day. One might think this is a 50 year event but the same thing happened in

“FLOODING IS A NIGHTMARE FOR RESIDENTS AND PROPERTY OWNERS. THE DRYING OUT PROCESS ALONE MAY TAKE WEEKS. ”

Cork city and county in June 2012. Insurers and Loss Assessors and Loss Adjusters are immediately under pressure to respond to these events which people think may only take a few days to sort out. Cleary’s Loss Assessors had teams of people working in all of these events and fully understand the difficulties in the aftermath of flooding.Much of the problem is caused by the reluctance of insurers to allow works to proceed or costs incurred until a clear picture of the ‘entire’ repair is available. Property owners currently do not have access to bank loans which brings another dimension to the process and prevents people who may otherwise have the ability to carry out works themselves to have an added dependence upon insurers.

EXPERIENCE MATTERS | CALL US NOW 1850 28 1850 Let Clearys, one of Ireland’s largest and most experienced team of Loss Assessors take the stress of dealing with your insurance claim. Our team of professional, full-time Loss Assessors, Quantity Surveyors & Negotiators will assess, compile and negotiate your claim to settlement. With over 30 years experience, we are firmly established as a market leader with thousands of satisfied customers. We will ensure that you get the best possible settlement within the terms of your policy. We bring settlement to a speedy and cost effective conclusion on your behalf. At Clearys, our mission is simple: to extend our position as the most trusted Loss Assessor and Insurance Specialist to the Irish marketplace.

Tel: 1850 28 1850

Email: info@clearys.ie

Web: www.clearys.ie

Regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

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Ordnance Survey Ireland | FLOODING

The Bigger Picture Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSi) established in 1824, provides national geographic and geodetic information to all relevant bodies in Ireland. Their services also can help with flooding prevention as it becomes an increasing problem throughout Ireland.

ony Murphy of OSi explains how using mapping, imagery and elevation information can assist when making key decisions around flooding. About 20 per cent of the country including all cities and towns is covered with OSi LIDAR (light detection and ranging) data. The use of the data in a Geographical Information System (GIS) leads to informed decisions being made. “Organisations can use OSi information with their own data, allowing them to analyse where a river bank is, what the relevant heights of the surrounding land is and what areas will be affected if a river bursts its banks” he says, “this analysis then allows flood defences to be put in to prevent flooding and damage.” OSi’s involvement in flood response is mainly in providing mapping, LIDAR and aerial imagery data to councils, other public bodies and consultancy businesses. Councils use this data alongside their own data in software packages and it allows them to see what areas need to be looked at and where attention needs to be paid. “OSi have the highest resolution and the best mapping that’s available in the state” says Murphy. “We would see our organisation as an enabler.” Murphy explains that in places which have had recent experiences of severe flooding like Cork the data and particularly high resolution elevation data can be extremely useful for future flooding prevention. OSi provides mapping both in physical forms and online. Their online mapping system is called MapGenie, it is a web service which allows organisations to access up to date online mapping and then use it in their GIS packages. The data can be used with any types of software packages which allow organisations to

easily use it to do their analysis. Future projects for OSi include their PRIME2 project which is a newly developed spatial data storage model that allows information, in relation to digital reference mapping to be stored and managed effectively. “PRIME2 will allow us to extract Tony Murphy, OSI. different layers of mapping, for instance an organisation will be able to come to us and say they just want river mapping and it allows just that information to be given” says Murphy. The project will also allow OSi to store third party data sets which is a role they could see themselves advancing in the near future. The project which commenced April 2011 will come in to fruition in March 2013. OSi and mapping can be of great benefit for flood prevention but organisations use their services for many other projects. Where location is a factor then OSi is the organisation that can help. Digital mapping in particular allows businesses to see where their customers, resources and competitors are and how to target them. Murphy explains that OSi is particularly focused on digital mapping which makes up a significant amount of their revenue. “If you look at where technology has gone, organisations and people use their smart phones constantly for business and pleasure and are always using these devices to figure out where they want to

go, how to get there and what is around them when they reach their preferred location, we can provide the data that will enable that” he says, “the way we’re doing it now is very much the way the world wants to go where everything is available online.”

“Organisations can use OSi information with their own data, allowing them to analyse where a river bank is, what the relevant heights of the surrounding land is” Q2 3012 | InBusiness 79

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COMMERCIAL | INDUSTRIAL | RESIDENTIAL PUBLIC BUILDINGS | SPORTS GROUNDS

We will measure your doorway/s, manufacture your barrier and fit your barrier. We also offer a supply-only service. Your barrier can be delivered to you anywhere in Ireland if you wish to fit the barrier yourself. We will supply you with step by step fitting instruction manual.

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clean haBiT | IB SURVEY

keePing iT clean Clean Habit has a strong track record in contract cleaning, with a strong focus on health and safety compliance.

n today’s environment of tightly controlled legislation on hygiene, health and safety regulations, the need for a fully integrated clean action programme is no longer a luxury – it’s a necessity.

professional and thoroughly personal service, enables us to transform any establishment – whether industrial, educational, commercial or retail. Clean Habit is the perfect partner for all your cleaning needs.

Clean Habit serves clients throughout the west of Ireland. Established since 1983 and with a workforce of around 100 personnel and nearly three decades of outstanding achievement, Clean Habit has earned an infallible reputation for dependability, innovation and the highest standards in the cleaning industry. Our expertise in the field of industrial cleaning, combined with our

• Cleaning Consultancy • Office Cleaning • Computer Hardware • Washroom Consumables & Sanitary Ware • Window Cleaning • Carpet Cleaning • Industrial and Factory Cleaning • Cleanroom Environments • Refuse Management & Skip Hire • Mat Hire

Embedding the Practice of Mediation in Organisations Mediation is increasingly being recognised as a preferred and effective approach to resolving interpersonal differences, conflicts and disputes, especially at an early stage. It is particularly beneficial in restoring and ensuring good working relationships between disputing parties into the future.

AN FORAS RIARACHÁIN

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The IPA is recognised as a key provider of services in the area of mediation and conflict resolution. Our services include: n Working with organisations to promote and develop the practice of mediation; n T raining professional mediators as well as those interested in using a mediation approach

to enhance communication/management skills; n Providing a mediation case work/coaching service to our clients.

Our Certified Mediation Training Programme is intensive and practical, providing participants with a comprehensive understanding of mediation and expertise in mediation skills for the management of workplace/organisational and other conflicts and disputes. For those wishing to practise as Professional Mediators, this generic 60-hour programme is accredited by the Mediators’ Institute of Ireland (MII) and, following successful completion of a separate assessment (by an independent MII-approved Assessor), leads to ‘Certified Member‘ status of the MII.* Certified Mediation Training Programmes will be offered in September and October 2012. Training is delivered in 3 x 2-day modules over a three-month period. For further information on our suite of Mediation services or for details of our Mediation Training Programmes, please contact: Central Bookings Office | Training and Development Division Institute of Public Administration | 57-61 Lansdowne Road, Dublin 4 Tel: 01 240 3666 | Email: training@ipa.ie | Web: www.ipa.ie

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* See brochure for full details.

01/11/2012 11:51:48

Barringtons Hospital

Barringtons Hospital is Limericks only private hospital and has been proudly caring for patients in the Mid West region for over 20 years. We are the first stand-alone ambulatory day care surgical unit in the country with elective over night care. In 2009 Barringtons Hospital was awarded the Joint Commission International Accreditation standard which ensures a high level of patient care and comfort is afforded to all patients attending the hospital. This Accreditation status was reaffirmed in June 2012 after a three day survey by International JCI Surveyors. This strengthens the hospitals commitment to a high standard of quality and patient care. Barringtons Hospital offers patient care in a number of specialties which include: Audiology, Cardiology, Dermatology, EEG Department, ENT Head & Neck, General Surgery, Gastroenterology, Gynaecology, Hand Surgery, Neurology, Nutrition & Dietetics, Oral/Maxillofacial, Orthopaedic, Ophthalmology, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Pain Medicine, Urology and Vascular.

Tel: 061 490500 | Fax: 061 312939 Email : info@bhl.ie | www.barringtonshospital.com InBus_Autumn_79-144.indd 82

01/11/2012 11:51:52

Big Red Cloud | IB SURVEY

Time to board the Big Red Cloud The power of cloud computing can be used to make accounting software simple and accessible, and the result is the Big Red Cloud.

MEs are getting a unique chance to grow and expand their business with cloud computing, an emerging computing technology using the Internet and central remote servers to maintain data and applications. Software as a service (SaaS) is giving business the flexibility to pick and choose applications – from basic email to whole disk encryption – without requiring an extensive IT department, and the option to roll out more services as and when they are needed. What’s more, with the services being hosted offsite there is no need for additional hardware investment, and maintenance fees are low to non-existent. In a cloud computing system, there’s a significant workload shift. Local computers no longer have to do all the heavy lifting when it comes to running applications. The network of computers that make up the cloud handles them instead. Hardware and software demands on the user’s side decrease. The only thing the user’s computer needs to be able to run is the cloud computing system’s interface software, which can be as simple as a web browser, and the cloud’s network takes care of the rest. There’s a good possibility that you have already used some form of cloud computing. If you have and e-mail account with a web-based e-mail service like Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail or Gmail, then you’ve had some experience with cloud computing. Instead of running an email programme on your computer, you log in to a web email account remotely. The software and storage for your account doesn’t exist on your computer – it’s on the service’s computer cloud. One such cloud application is Big Red Cloud – The new big red cloud application is designed to make your

Paul Rellis, Managing Director, Microsoft Ireland and Marc O’Dwyer, CEO, Big Red Book.

"Simple and easy to use online accounting software at an affordable price” is the value proposition from Big Red Cloud, and at e25 plus VAT per month it really is excellent value and a must-have for any business." accounts even easier to manage and more mobile than ever. You can now log on and view your accounts from anywhere and almost any device. This simple and easy to use software will allow you to manage invoicing, purchases and VAT at the click of a button and will produce a full trading, profit and loss and balance sheet. No more fuss or expense to add users to your Big Red Cloud accounts – simply click ‘add user’! You don’t even need to tell them, as they will get an email notifying them that they have been added. Big red cloud is hosted on Microsoft’s platform as a service called

Windows Azure. Windows Azure is a comprehensive set of storage, computing and networking infrastructure utilising the Microsoft Azure cloud. Big Red Cloud provides the software for customers to manage their own data. Even though you upload your data onto our service, you retain the ownership of that data and are responsible for its accuracy. “Simple and easy to use online accounting software at an affordable price” is the value proposition from Big Red Cloud, and at a25 plus VAT per month it really is excellent value and a must-have for any business. For a free trial, log on to www.bigredcloud.com today. Q3 2012 | InBusiness 83

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DataCentres Ireland | IB SURVEY

Bright future for datacentres The DataCentres Ireland (DCI) conference and exhibition is free to attend, takes place on November 20th to 21st and will be providing visitors with the chance to meet and exchange ideas with some of the leading figures in data infrastructure, services and solutions.

our business depends on electronic data – and the amount you’re dealing with is growing exponentially. More data means more power, more cooling, more security issues and more demands on the infrastructure – all of which means more cost. The challenges for those responsible are to manage costs and improve efficiency – without compromising resilience, robustness, speed or security, whether it’s in an individual server room, small datacentre or mega-shed. DataCentres Ireland is a brand-new event dedicated to helping people meet these challenges and will address every aspect of planning, designing and operating your datacentre, server room, storage facility or solution. The DCI conference is your opportunity to hear the latest in ideas, best practice and case studies presented by leading industry experts, and take part in facilitated discussions. The only event of its kind in Ireland, the DataCentres Ireland exhibition provides a showcase for new products, services and solutions that can help companies achieve their goals. It’s a chance to make contacts, learn from

peers and discuss infrastructure and management issues face-to-face. As well as addressing local needs, Datacentres Ireland will also highlight the opportunities that Ireland has to offer international organisations. Hugh Robinson, Exhibition Director for StepEx, the organiser of DataCentres Ireland, believes Ireland is in a fantastic position for growth in this sector and sees this event as a further means of developing it: “Ireland punches above its weight in terms of the number of international datacentres located in the country” – and with the active involvement of the Irish Development Authority (IDA) and Enterprise Ireland, he is expecting this number to grow as the Irish offering becomes better known around the world. “DataCentres Ireland has been developed with the help of companies based in Ireland and it aims to give those challenged with managing and delivering their organisations’ data storage solution. The information they require to make more informed choices given their particular circumstances. Data effectively costs… and with energy costs rising, relatively small datacentres need to run more effectively and more

"But what is it that Ireland offers companies and organisations abroad that will encourage them to establish datacentres here? One of the biggest contributing factors to Ireland’s competitive advantage is its push towards greener energy and technologies"

efficiently. Whether the right solution for your organisation is internal or involves outsourcing some or all of your datacentre and data storage requirements DataCentres Ireland is where you can meet those people who can assist you and learn through the conference and shared experience of peers and industry leaders.”

Ireland’s ability to grow But what is it that Ireland offers companies and organisations abroad that will encourage them to establish datacentres here? One of the biggest contributing factors to Ireland’s competitive advantage is its push towards greener energy and technologies. Given the amount of power consumed by datacentres, access to Ireland’s greener forms of energy will enhance the country’s appeal. There will be a number of experienced and informative speakers on show from across the data centre sector to answer visitor questions and advise them on the next steps to take in an exciting and rapidly expanding industry. However, it is much more than just listening, according to Hugh Robinson: “Exhibitions and conferences are networking opportunities as well as a platform to source and procure products and services. I would suggest talking to everyone, as it’s about learning and gathering the knowledge to make better, and more informed decisions.” Datacentres Ireland is free to attend. For more information and online registration visit: www.datacentres-ireland.com/ register.asp.

84 Q3 2012 | InBusiness

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Pensions | IB SURVEY

Act Now To Stop Pensions Time Bomb 67 per cent of Irish people surveyed have a pension but 1/5 of these have reduced or stopped contributions.

ore than a third (34 per cent) of people without a pension have not thought about funding their retirement, according to Friends First. • 67 per cent of Irish people surveyed have a pension • One in five of those with a pension have reduced or stopped contributing to it • 15 per cent of people with a pension have changed where their pension is invested over the past year • More than a third (34 per cent) of people without a pension have not thought about how they are going to fund their retirement • 21 per cent of people are currently unable to meet their monthly financial commitments • Over half of participants surveyed feel less optimistic about their personal finances for 2013, compared to 2012. Two thirds (67 per cent) of people surveyed in the Friends First annual pension survey report that they have a pension – however, the current tough financial climate is forcing people to reduce or pause pension contributions because of changed financial circumstances, as household budgets are cut or under pressure. The result of this is that even with pension provision in place, there may not be sufficient funding to provide an adequate standard of living on retirement. One in five people surveyed who stated they have a pension have reduced the amount they contribute to this in the last year. 40 per cent of this segment have stopped contributing to their pension altogether – that’s just under 10 per cent of the total number of people surveyed. The percentage of people who have reduced their pension contribution in the last year is in line with 2010 (19

per cent) compared with 2011 when more than a quarter (26 per cent) of people with a pension had reduced their pension contribution. Commenting on the findings, Simon Hoffman, Business Development Director, Friends First, said: “This research suggests that we are working our way towards a pensions time bomb. Financial pressures on Irish families continue to hamper people’s ability to save and meet their monthly commitments. With a new property tax on the way, householders are going to be faced with an additional financial challenge at a time when they cannot take much more. As a result, more and more people will become reliant on the State pension for their retirement income. However, recent reports show that the State simply cannot take any additional strain as it already faces a a324 billion pensions shortfall.” The survey also found that consumers are starting to take more control and become more educated when dealing with their retirement provision. 15 per cent of people with a pension have changed where their pension is invested over the past year, with 49 per cent of these changing the type of product that their pension is invested in. A further 26 per cent have switched to a new broker or financial advisor. “We feel that consumers must face up to the stark consequences of not funding privately for their retirement and take action to ensure they make appropriate provisions. Consumers can take greater control of their pension provision by pro-actively seeking the right information and advice from those advisors who offer specialist pension advice. The survey certainly shows a move towards this approach and from our own experience, we are seeing

Simon Hoffman, Business Development Director, Friends First.

investment choices trending away from the traditional equity heavy managed pension funds to more secure and lower risk options”, Hoffman continued. 17 per cent of participants said that their employer had changed their pension plan in the last twelve months, 32 per cent of which said that their employer has reduced contributions. Almost half of participants who have a pension (47 per cent) had a defined contribution pension. More than a quarter (25 per cent) had a defined benefit pension while less than a quarter (24 per cent) had a personal pension. 28 per cent of people with a pension do not know how much they contribute from their salary annually. Given the recent Pension Board Annual Report (June 2012) conclusions that as many as 80 per cent of defined benefit schemes are in deficit and in a number of cases, the deficit is substantial, it is vitally important that those consumers relying on this avenue for funding become educated in respect to their scheme and make provision for any deficit. Q3 2012 | InBusiness 85

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The Kemmy Business School at the University of Limerick is celebrating 25 years of its prestigious Corporate MBA Programme.

Course Structure & Delivery

Corporate MBA

Who should Apply for 2013/14

The Corporate MBA at the Kemmy Business School is now offering 2 streams:

â&#x20AC;˘ Business Management â&#x20AC;˘ Aviation Management - The Business Management stream focuses on 5 learning themes: Internationalisation, Managerial Vision and Competencies, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Strategic Thinking and Leadership.

Modular over two years it includes a foundation workshop, an international workshop, on-campus attendance three days per month for eight months, summer schools and a dissertation. Suitably qualified candidates who have significant management responsibilities and whose careers are developing towards middle or senior management in industry, business, public sector organisations or the aviation industry.

Full details of the programme are available at www.ul.ie/business or from the Course Director email: siobhan.tiernan@ul.ie

- The Aviation Management stream focuses on the application of modern corporate management principles to decision making in the aviation sector.

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Kemmy Business School | IB SURVEY

Centre Of Excellence

The Kemmy Business School (KBS) building has been a centre of excellence for over 30 years and has been teaching its flagship MBA programme for over 25 of those years. InBusiness speaks to the Dean of the School, Dr Philip O’Regan and some of the companies who have fostered a close working relationship with the school.

he first business school in Ireland to have a custom designed virtual trading floor, the school was named after Jim Kemmy, a no-nonsense socialist politician from Limerick city. “The business school has been in existence since the beginning of the university,” says Dr O’Regan. “In over 30 years it has grown from a modest intake of students to the point today when we have in excess of 2500 undergrad

and post grad students. Calling it the Kemmy School is something we find very appropriate. Jim Kemmy’s emphasis would have been on the issue of ethical business and the term he would have used was ‘business in society’, accepting that business has to be profitable but that it also has a role in society.” Dr O’Regan believes that this more pragmatic view suits today’s economic environment in which businesses have to

exist in a far more precarious world. Today, the school offers a wide variety of business programmes for the entrepreneurs of tomorrow, particularly in the post-grad sector, targeting “niche demand areas of national significance. For example, we have a masters in financial services which won the 2011 Best Graduate Programme award from gradireland. Our strategy is in keeping with the broader international thrust in business schools to move from undergrad education to post graduate,” Dr O’Regan explains. One of the big selling points Dr O’Regan and the Kemmy Business School can draw on is what he calls the ‘UL edge.’ “One of the strongest aspects about UL in general is that we have a much higher employment rate for graduates than average. I think this year we’re about 16 per cent ahead of the national average. That’s a huge selling point.” The KBS holds the title of ‘full service business school', offering qualifications ranging from Q3 2012 | InBusiness 87

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Kemmy Business School | IB SURVEY

undergraduate to masters and PHDs. Clearly the ‘UL edge’ has something going for it. Beside Irish students, people are homing in from around the globe to take advantage of what the KBS has to offer. “We’d have a large international student population,” says Dr O’Regan. “Brazil, India, China would be well represented, with also a lot of continental European students.” Internationalisation, he maintains, is one of the biggest items on business school’s agenda in an attempt to not only banish ‘insular’ outlooks but also to ensure there is a good cultural mix on campus and welcome the different perspectives and the richer academic culture which overseas students bring to the table. “In my time as Dean we’ve placed a particular emphasis on southeast Asia. It’s an area of the world with huge levels of activity, with huge interest in western education and in partnership with universities.” Following

"We’re careful to emphasise the phrase ‘business in society,’ there are new regulatory standards that businesses need to perform to. We need to learn things from the last few years and among them are the need for better governance structure and a much better regulatory environment." on from these aims, the school has established solid links with the east, having signed a partnership agreement with the prestigious Remnin University in Beijing, the Hong Kong Baptist University and several others, while a scholarship scheme has been firmly established allowing Kemmy Business School students to take on placements in universities further afield. Without doubt, the school’s flagship programme is its Corporate MBA, geared towards either public or private personnel with either significant

management responsibilities or careers which are geared towards senior management. Having been at the University of Limerick around 20 years now, the MBA predates Dr O’Regan’s time at the school. “Our first intake was in 1984,” he says. “It initially started under the direction of Professor Roy Hayhurst and was developed in unison with local business and industry leaders. It was a standard MBA product of the time – management strategy, finance, organisational behaviour, HR and marketing. 25 years later it has

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Kemmy Business School | IB SURVEY

graduated in excess of 700 students,” he explains. As would be expected of a programme nearly 30 years old, UL’s MBA has been consistently revised and updated, keeping the programme fresh and current. Those who seek such qualifications typically have experience and expertise in a particular field and are seeking management roles that require engagement with other disciplines. “What you’re getting out of the MBA is a qualification geared to meet the career needs and ambitions of the applicants,” he says. “You’re looking at people at a particular stage of their careers who know they need more expert input in a variety of areas. What the MBA is trying to do is introduce them to different ways of thinking about work challenges.” Some of its popularity can be attributed to the way KBS has structured the

"Without doubt, the school’s flagship programme is its Corporate MBA, geared towards either public or private personnel with either significant management responsibilities or careers which are geared towards senior management."

programme’s delivery which allows both student and employer to plan ahead. “Students are taught on a block release basis, which means that students are on campus for three days every month for nine months a year. It’s a two year programme and the structure means the companies can plan ahead, know when the employees are out of their work environment, and it’s a very discreet period of time. It’s easily managed by students and that’s very attractive for employers.” Graduating from the KBS MBA Programme is by no means easy, but the rewards are there for those who succeed. The MBA had been long viewed as a golden ticket for those who put in the effort, guaranteeing a good salary and job security, particularly with US and EU multinationals. During more stable times, people choose to pursue MBAs to either change or advance much further in their chosen career, though this has somewhat changed with the current global downturn. Now applicants need to give themselves an advantage when going for jobs, build contacts in the business world and give themselves a distinctive selling point with enhanced

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Font used before outlining; Garamond 3 Ltd Std; Size: 109, Tracking: -51 (around the tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s was -69 plus some editing using a stroke)

Best Workplaces 2012 Ireland in association with

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Kemmy Business School | IB SURVEY

"The MBA had been long viewed as a golden ticket for those who put in the effort, guaranteeing a good salary and job security, particularly with US and EU multinationals." managerial skills and more rounded expertise in business. In recent times the MBA has evolved, with organisations outside of the established educational institutions offering the qualification, as long distance and part time courses garner support from those already in the workplace or unwilling to travel any great distance. Dr O’Regan believes that issues of quality will increasingly come to the fore. “I think that we would distinguish ourselves from a lot of the other MBA providers on the basis of pedigree, secondly on the quality of the faculty. We make sure that the people delivering our MBA have industry experience, that they have a really extensive knowledge of the area they’re lecturing on and we would also have all of the support structures that an MBA needs. There’s something unique about the on-site classroom where the dynamic depends on interaction between students and lecturers. That’s hard to replicate in distance learning environments. There’s a way in which the MBA needs to be taught and that’s what we offer. It is a premium product supported by premium resources.” At undergraduate level KBS also works in tandem with the university’s active co-operative education centre on campus, which allows students a chance to experience a real work environment before they graduate. This system attracts companies who can take advantage of the cooperative education system in particular and use it as a good time to get to know the student and their capabilities. This programme proves beneficial as it allows students to gain experience in a real work environment over an eight month basis.

ULEARNING AT UL Tecnotree’s Bernard Mulcahy explains why career upskilling is the way to go. Here in Ireland, Tecnotree is a subsidiary company of a Finnish multinational of the same name. “What we are is a global provider of a broad range of telecom IT solutions focused on charging, billing, customer care, messaging and content services,” explains European Quality Systems manager Bernard Mulcahy. “Operations in Shannon commenced in 1991 and we focus on billing software and delivery of systems to over 100 communications operators globally.” Mulcahy’s role as official quality systems manager is a relatively recent one. Up until 2005 he had been doing the job in an unofficial capacity for several years. “As you progress through life, it becomes clear that you need to upskill,” he says. “I had been doing some of the work informally for many years. In 2005 I was taking on more and more of it so it became clear that I needed to do some training for myself so by going to UL and initially doing a higher diploma in Lean systems which is an area of quality, and the going onto a masters in strategic quality, it gave me the skills to perform the role.” Running alongside UL’s Kemmy Business School in providing people in business with the necessary qualifications to succeed and grow, and based at the University of Limerick, is the UL ULearning Skillnet initiative, whose mission it is to ‘sustain employability of technological graduates while fuelling the knowledge economy through continued technical professional education.’ And having gone through the ropes already with a Masters in Strategic Quality Management, Mulcahy is back once more to oversee the delivery of specialist courses as a member of the Skillnet steering committee. Upskilling later on in life to meet the continually evolving demands of your career is a common event Mulcahy believes, and one which is highly beneficial for progression. “That’s a common theme for people in industry. You start out in one area and you begin to move and you need to do a continual professional development to ensure that you have the skills you need.”

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Kemmy Business School | IB SURVEY

“The co-op placement scheme is one of the biggest of its kind in Europe,” Dr O’Regan adds. “Students get work placements and that makes them very attractive to potential employers, it means they can apply for positions with eight months of real work experience behind them.” Looking to the future, perhaps one of the biggest challenges facing KBS involves dealing with students who are only commencing their university educations and are well aware of the tough economic environment which awaits them. “It’s a complete change from six or seven years ago,” Philip O’Regan agrees. “I think we’re upfront with students and they know it’s a changed environment. We’ve adapted to that, we’ve brought in new courses, we’ve brought in options that are even more attractive to the market and that brings us back to the UL edge.” Also featuring in the ‘UL edge’ is the subsidiary company of the University Campus Life Services, which is responsible for managing many of the amenities that contribute to campus life including accommodation, catering, retail services and more recently has taken on responsibility for the University Concert Hall. Linda Stevens, Executive Director of Campus Life Services explains that their involvement is not limited to the academic year as the summer period is an essential time to generate additional revenues to

"At UL we have been building our engagements with the city very considerably in recent years, we take seriously our responsibility to promote economic, educational, social and cultural development in Limerick." ensure that all of the facilities managed by Campus Life Services remain self funded. Hosting conferences and events has proved an excellent use of Campus facilities. “We are ideally suited for corporate, association and academic meetings and conferences of all sizes., up to 1000 people.” University campous is an excellent resource for conferences, training and meetimgs of all sizes. The summer 2013 calendar is already being marketed. “W0e are offering free meeting facilities for up to 350 peo0000000ple if they avail of our residential accommodations.” The accommodations consist of 1500 en suite rooms in 6 bedroom apartments in attractive river side villages. Continental breakfast is available for delivery as well as a daily cleaning service. at very competitive rates with no transfer costs for moving participants from hotels to Campus.” For companies wishing to host team building events, there is excellent choice “As well as indoor courts, outdoor pitches and a 50m pool, we have a water sport and team challenge activity centre 15km away on Lough Derg

where we can arrange team challenges or windsurfing, kayaking and sailing.” There is also a wide range of social facilities on campus. “We have four club bar restaurants and professional catering companies on campus and we are able to organise a variety of social programmes, from corporate dinners to relaxed barbeques with live bands or traditional music. We have access to a broad range of entertainment due to our links with the University Concert Hall and the Irish World Academy on campus, which is a centre of teaching and research for world music and dance.” These services, and the campus, play a huge part in life both in UL and in Limerick city. Speaking at an event during the summer, UL President Don Barry celebrated the close ties between the two. “At UL we have been building our engagements with the city very considerably in recent years, we take seriously our responsibility to promote economic, educational, social and cultural development in Limerick. We recognise the mutual benefit that flows from engagement between Limerick City and UL. We believe that Limerick is our city and we are Limerick’s university. We see ourselves as being in the city and of the city.” With around 12,000 students in the city each semester, local businesses in Castletroy and as well as further afield in the city centre depend quite a lot on the student population for a great deal of their trade while the university maintains links on behalf of their students and graduates. “We’ve a strong relationship with businesses in the city because those businesses are employers of a huge percentage of our graduates,” Dr O’Regan concludes, “we’ve a strong relationship with Limerick Chamber of Commerce, we would see ourselves as having very strong local and regional responsibilities and ties and we’re very proud of that.”

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Office Equipment

Office Furniture

Stationery

Computer Supplies

Bizcom & John Donavan would like to congratulate the Kemmy Business School, UL, on their 25th Anniversary of the MBA Program.

T: 061 327 555 | www.bizcom.ie

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KBS | IB SURVEY

Partnership & Success Gearoid Costelloe, Grant Thornton’s Limerick partner in charge discusses their relationship with University of Limerick’s Kemmy Business School, writes Alyson Gray.

he Grant Thornton office in Limerick provides opportunities for graduates from the University of Limerick’s Kemmy Business School. Gearoid Costelloe, the firm’s Limerick partner in charge explains that the 2013 graduate intake for the Limerick offices will be 12 while the graduate intake in Dublin will be 40. “The firm has a very strong ethos of investing in talent and striving for technical excellence in all practice areas, it is very encouraging in the current climate to be able to increase our graduate intakes and it is an indication of our commitment to maintaining a strong team for the future.” Costelloe, who qualified in 1982, joined Grant Thornton in 1995 as a partner, having previously worked at partner level with a Big Four firm. He is the corporate finance partner and heads the corporate recovery department. Costelloe explains that their experience with the school has been very good and the school has a strong track record of producing high quality graduates who go on to be very successful; The combination of a strong academic teaching from UL and the training with Grant Thornton is a very good package “because of this our US and Australian firms look for people who have trained with us and if and when they return from abroad they are a very marketable commodity”. Costelloe says that a key ingredient for them is the cooperative education system which allows students to experience a real work environment for an eight month period before graduating. “This is a key ingredient for us, the student has the opportunity to get an insight into our culture and goals and we get an opportunity to do likewise” he explains. Many students who were involved in this process get

the offer of a training contract upon graduation, “this is something that has worked well for us”, says Costelloe, “it’s a great model, and it works well for us and for the student.” The Limerick office of Grant Thornton consists of 90 people. A key part of their set up is that the teams are split into specialist areas. Costelloe comments that this is also important and beneficial to the students coming in. “Students would generally go into the audit or financial services divisions and then tend to migrate into the more specialist departments like Corporate Restructuring or Taxation.” Students can also get the opportunity to work with many different industries, such as the food or motor sectors. “It produces a very well rounded student because

they come out of UL with the primary academic qualifications and then go on to gain valuable experience in our firm” he says, “usually then they find a niche and sometimes they continue with us after qualifying and progress on to the management team.” With the opening of many financial services companies in Limerick, the city is becoming important for business in Ireland. Costelloe agrees with this and says that UL and the Kemmy Business School in particular are the bright lights on the horizon; “the relationship between us allows people to come to us and gain excellent experience along with their academic training” he says, “it is becoming a bit of a lightning rod for attracting talented people.”

" This is a key ingredient for us, the student has the opportunity to get an insight into our culture and goals and we get an opportunity to do likewise"

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The University of Limerick is committed to helping individuals meet professional and personal goals by providing them with face-to-face and online credited programs that are relevant to enterprise skills needs. These programs are developed by working closely with industry to ensure that they are tailored to the needs of the organisation and individual. Our courses are ideal for busy professionals—all are delivered in a flexible mode. Included in our professional development programmes are: • Masters in Business Administration (Block Release)

• MSc in Technology Management (Distance Learning)

• MSc in Project and Programme Management (Online)

• MSc in Lean Sigma Systems (Distance Learning)

More information on the range of courses can be found at: www.ul.ie/industry-business/professional-development/ or use the QR code to access part-time course brochure. For queries on courses or to discuss how UL can assist your company design a professional development programme contact Michael Hennessy: T: +353 61 203360 E: ulearning@ul.ie

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Kemmy Business School | IB SURVEY

GETTING THE RIGHT PEOPLE Following the recent jobs announcement by PwC and UL's Kemmy Business School 25 year celebration, Conor Forrest talks to PwC partner Ken Johnson about the services the firm provides, the qualities they are looking for in their graduate applicants and how Kemmy Business School gives its students a certain edge.

e all know that positions are hard to come by these days, and each announcement from companies looking to expand their workforce is accompanied by sufficiently excited fanfare. The same can be said of the reaction that greeted PwC and news that 280 new jobs will be created around the country by Ireland’s largest accountancy firm, which provides business and tax advice to over twothirds of Irish businesses. The firm is the 2012 gradIreland Most Popular Accountancy/Professional Services Recruiter. As a business offering a high quality service, PwC is determined to secure the best and brightest graduates – and for that reason in particular, they have developed a strong relationship with the University of Limerick’s Kemmy Business School. In fact, they're full of praise for KBS, both in relation to the standards of the graduates it produces and the methods of teaching used in the school. “Our links with the universities are very important to ensure we attract the brightest and best of the graduates coming out of those colleges,” says Ken Johnson, Audit Partner with PwC and who lead’s the firm’s Mid West practice covering both Galway and Limerick. “The University of Limerick is one of those important universities. A good proportion of our annual graduate intake here locally comes from the Kemmy Business School.” Johnson and PwC look for graduates who are not only academically strong but are able to demonstrate a broader base of experience and a broader skill set encompassing communication, teamwork and leadership skills. “We have found that the quality of the

graduate from the KBS is very strong,” he acknowledges. “I think one of the things that is a big differentiator is their co-op placement programme. As part of your four years at the KBS, you spend one of those being placed out in the industry and that makes a big difference in terms of the graduate you get. UL graduates perform well in the professional accounting exams. The CAP 2 exams results were out recently and it is interesting to see that the UL graduates across the firm, not just here in Limerick, performed well above the average.. I’m not an academic,” he Ken Johnson, PwC. concedes, “but from the outside looking in, it appears the that provides a wide range of support course curriculum they’ve put in place, to businesses in the region l, including a strikes the right balance in terms of the very experienced corporate restructuring academic element and nurturing the team.” And both he and PwC recognise competency-based approach.” the additional advantages to building a PwC has a strong presence in the healthy relationship with KBS and the Limerick area, as a result of the high University of Limerick as a whole. “Like number of graduates exiting the local many businesses here, we’re very keen campus. “We have an office in Galway to see the university grow and thrive and here in Limerick – we’ve about 90 and produce quality graduates who are people based in the region,” Johnson essential in attracting more investment explains. “Our service offering cuts into the region. For us as a business, across audit and assurance and we have leaving aside our graduate and training strong tax team; both tax compliance needs, we're very supportive of KBS and tax planning for indigenous and and the University as a key driver for multinational companies,” says Johnson. the future investment and economic “We also have a growing advisory service development of the region.”

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cerberussecurity P.J. Fitzgerald Insurance Brokers is an independent, proprietor run insurance brokerage dealing with over 60 different insurance companies/underwriters. We have over 30 years of experience in providing the best and most effective products for our clients. Our Services: • New insurance advice for “start up businesses“ • Access to a wide variety of professional indemnity insurance underwriters • Life assurance cover • Income protection cover • Personal retirement a/cs • Investments • Commercial property • Liability insurance • Motor ﬂeet insurance

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Gadgets | IB SURVEY Cerberus security

Secure with Cerberus Cerberus Security is a leading private security provider based in Cork. We are the field leaders in the training and provision of door supervisory personnel to the licensed trade.

erberus Security provides the following services:

T RADITIONAL STATIC GUARDS We provide traditional static guards to the public and private sector – each guard is trained in-house by Cerberus Security, regardless of previous experience, guaranteeing unrivalled service and courtesy. Larger facilities can avail of our ‘Guard Tour’ system which may be implemented guaranteeing our client the knowledge and proof that the job is being done. These systems can be tailored for clients who do not require full time security, but only mobile checks and emergency response. g

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circle vOlunTary hOuSing aSSOciaTiOn | IB SURVEY

making a difference The Circle Voluntary Housing Association aims to address social housing need, owning and managing over 600 homes in the Greater Dublin area.

stablished in 2003, Circle Voluntary Housing Association is an autonomous Irish voluntary housing association with approved status from the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (DECLG). It has charitable status from the Revenue Commissioners. There are eight board directors with experience of working both in the private and public sector. They have a wide range of expertise in areas such as housing policy and development, housing management, treasury management, finance and human resources. Circle VHA’s vision is that of ‘Making a difference by providing quality homes for people in housing need’. Our mission is to deliver quality homes and services in partnership with our tenants and local services to create sustainable communities. We commenced the delivery of housing to our first tenants in 2006 and we currently own and manage over 600 properties in the Greater Dublin area. We work in partnership with local authorities both to procure properties and address social housing need. A significant number of the schemes that we own or manage have been procured via Part V of the 2002 Planning and Development Act which enabled the provision of social and affordable housing in private development schemes. Our schemes, located in 20 different estates, range from large scale provision of over 50 units to smaller scale provision of under 20 units and individual dispersed units. We aspire to work in partnership with our tenants and to deliver a quality housing management service. We undertook a tenant satisfaction survey in 2011 and the overall tenant satisfaction rate with the quality of the homes and our housing management services was over 90 per cent. In 2011 we commenced the management of Sean Treacy House, a Dublin City Council regenerated scheme

Minister Jan O’Sullivan and Lord Mayor Andrew Montague at the ofﬁcial opening of the Sean Treacy House Scheme in Dublin, managed by Circle Voluntary Housing Association, May 23rd.

of 53 units of accommodation in Dublin 1. This quality designed scheme won the ICSH Community Housing Award in 2011 both for the quality design and the management of the scheme. In this scheme we provide both social housing management and facilities services for the scheme in an integrated way and work closely with the tenants living there. We are in discussions with Dublin City Council regarding the proposed management of other regenerated schemes in the city. The challenges for Circle VHA and the sector are considerable. The sector previously has relied upon 100 per cent capital grant funding to acquire or construct properties. The capital funding programme is effectively no longer available. DECLG policy has changed from a capital funding to a revenue based funding to acquire new properties. This affords some possibility of procuring properties for leasing on a 10 to 20 year basis. To enable the acquisition of properties DECLG has a revenue funding policy to repay the loans secured from a

financial institution. Other EU countries have made the change from a 100 per cent capital grant policy to a mix of capital grant and private finance.

a CHallengIng SeCTor The challenges are particular to the inadequate ratio of capital grant which is less than 30 per cent; in the EU countries the capital grant ratio is above this level and has reduced gradually from the 100 per cent level. The other difficulties relate to the available loan term period and interest rates available from financial institutions. The current DECLG could work more effectively if there were some adjustments to it, such as increasing the grant ratio level. Circle VHA is engaged in trying to buy properties via the private finance model as there are some opportunities with the sale of distressed assets. The scale of social housing need has increased greatly and we wish to respond to this via leasing, managing for local authorities and buying properties in 2013.

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for people in housing need Circle VHAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission is to deliver quality homes and services in partnership with our tenants and local services to create sustainable communities

Circle VHA has approved status from the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government and is a member of the Irish Council for Social Housing. Supported by Circle Anglia Housing Group 3 Castle Street, Dublin 2. Email: info@circlevha.ie

Phone no. 01-4072110 / 2112 Fax no. 01-4792356

www.circlevha.ie

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ADR | IB SURVEY

Resolving difficult disputes InBusiness hears from some of Ireland’s leading alternative dispute resolution (ADR) practitioners.

ccording to Dermot McEvoy, a partner in Eversheds law firm Dublin and recognised as a leading Irish mediator in the International Who’s Who of Commercial Mediation 2012, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is frequently a better option for combatants than court. This is the widely held view across leading practitioners in the ADR sector in Ireland; indeed, this form of dispute resolution is experiencing continued growth and prominence notwithstanding Ireland’s continuing economic woes. Mediation is an increasingly viable and successful alternative to the traditional litigation route and is one of the many services offered by Eversheds dispute resolution team in Dublin. McEvoy explains that mediation tends to have more success because there is an independent person present. “Mediation means there is someone listening to the story who has no axe to grind, which often helps the case resolve itself,” he says. Among many other benefits, it offers a quiet, confidential place for people to speak openly and frankly about the real issues – which opportunity does not always present itself in a court environment. But the biggest advantage of using mediation, McEvoy says, is that it allows people to remain in business together after resolution. “If you can negotiate an out and you can arrive at the solution yourself, then you’ve proven that you can still do business, which is a huge asset to have.” Furthermore, using ADR is considerably cheaper than going through the courts; McEvoy insists. However

agreement a rule of court – a significant milestone in itself.

Friarylaw

Dermot McEvoy, a partner in Eversheds, Dublin.

he says it is all about timing – and mediation is at its most effective stage before trial, but can still work during a hearing. To this end, he references the high-profile pyrite litigation which settled well into 100 days of trial! The Irish Commercial Mediation Association, of which McEvoy is a council member, will be hosting their tenth annual conference in March 2013 to discuss the role of mediation a decade on. McEvoy explains that over the past ten years, the judiciary has become an active supporter of mediation – particularly with the advent of a mediation bill 2012 and other recent legislation incorporating mediation into the court system. As recently as October 15th, the Rules of the Superior Courts were amended to enable parties who have agreed a settlement through mediation to apply to the Master of the High Court for an order making the

"Mediation means there is someone listening to the story who has no axe to grind, which often helps the case resolve itself"

Friarylaw ADR, a full-service mediation service provider, is the leading mediation trainer and accrediting body in Ireland. It is accredited under the Civil Liability and Courts Act, 2004, and under the MultiUnit Developments Act, 2011. Most recently, Friarylaw became a qualifying assessment programme for awarding IMI certification to experienced mediators in Ireland. The International Mediation Institute (IMI) in Den Haag is the only organisation in the world to transcend local jurisdictions to develop global, professional standards for experienced mediators in dispute resolution. With the imminent passage of the Mediation Bill 2012 and the Personal Insolvency Bill 2012 expected, mediation will become a prominent option for resolving disputes. The bills reflect a paradigm shift to more timely and costefficient out-of-court dispute resolution. They will place mediation on an equal footing with litigation and greatly enhance access to justice for businesses and citizens. For example, the Mediation Bill will, inter alia, allow parties to stay the statute of limitations while they attempt mediation. Also, any agreement reached by the parties during mediation will be binding and legally enforceable, which is quite important. To provide real options for debtors, the Personal Insolvency Bill will, inter alia, create an out-of-court mechanism for individuals and their creditors to pursue sensible and equitable solutions with a collective and mutual eye towards maintaining relationships in the future. Friarylaw ADR is passionate about helping businesses improve their dispute resolution culture through ADR training as well as dispute management

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International strength in your backyard

Trust Eversheds for world-class legal advice Based in the heart of Dublinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business district, Eversheds offers you a world class legal service. Quality advice is provided to the private and public sectors, both regionally and internationally, with immediate access to our experts around the globe.

Alan Murphy Managing Partner +353 1 6644 289 alanmurphy@eversheds.ie

Our genuinely progressive approach delivers predictable costs, timescales and outcomes. You keep control of your budget and we add real value. From household names to local start-ups, Eversheds has the strength you need.

www.eversheds.ie

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ADR | IB SURVEY consultancy. Friarylaw-trained alumni include many leading stakeholders in Irish dispute resolution, including the Minister for Justice Alan Shatter. Friarylaw also offers a mediation case management service where it case manages and administers disputes throughout the mediation process, allowing the parties and mediator to focus solely on resolving disputes. Upon a mediation referral, Friarylaw undertakes to manage and organise all the detail for a successful mediation. In the context of a commercial dispute this might involve, for example, liaising with a bank and a borrower, agreeing a suitable mediator from our panel and, in the majority of disputes, quickly proceeding to a time and cost efficient, legally binding outcome.

Strategic Dispute Resolution Recently recommended in the International Who’s Who of Commercial Mediation 2012, Caroline Preston became an accredited mediator in 2002 and was one of the first to be accredited by the Centre for External Dispute Resolution (CEDR). In 2008 she retired as a partner from A&L Goodbody and was awarded a post-graduate diploma in conflict and dispute resolution studies at Trinity College Dublin. Preston is a strong advocate of the process, and she believes that good mediation is the most effective and practical way to resolve difficulties between parties and bring financial and emotional closure.

"Most importantly, perhaps, mediation gives an opportunity to save the dispute before it becomes so entrenched the relationships are damaged forever."

Caroline Preston, Strategic Dispute Resolution.

“Most importantly, perhaps, mediation gives an opportunity to save the dispute before it becomes so entrenched the relationships are damaged forever,” she says, and mediation is the most effective way of achieving a resolution whilst maintaining good working relations. Preston is a passionate believer in the power of mediation – “it is a more sensible, less stressful and much less expensive option,” she says.

The Closet Purpose-Built Student Accommodation with Direct Access to CIT • Direct Walkway to CIT • On-Campus Parking • Direct Broadband Internet Connection to CIT • 24 Hour CCTV Security System • City Centre Bus Route • 24 Hour Professional Office Staff

Accommodation Prices from a49 per week in academic year 2012/’13

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The Pensions Board | IB SURVEY

Providing for retirement Amidst longer life expectancy and changes in the State pension age, the Pensions board offers advice on how to ensure an income in retirement.

ave you ever considered what kind of lifestyle you would like in retirement? According to David Malone, Head of Information at the Pensions Board, “our consumer market research shows that the majority of people, seven out of 10, say that the current State pension of a230.30 per week wouldn’t meet all their needs in retirement – would it meet all your needs? To get an approximate idea of how much you should be saving to meet your expectations in retirement you can run the Pension Calculators on www. pensionsboard.ie. You can also log onto and use the personal budget planner on the National Consumer Agency website www. nca.ie which will help you work out how much you could be saving for retirement.

Pensions at Work By law, an employer must provide all employees with access to a personal retirement savings account (PRSA) where there is no company pension scheme or where there is a company scheme but not all members can fully access it. In addition, employees are legally entitled to information about their employer’s pension scheme or a PRSA. It is also important to be aware that new legislation has been introduced that will gradually increase the qualifying age for the State pension. For further information about your pension options log on to The Pensions Board website: www.pensionsboard.ie.

David Malone, Head of Information, The Pensions Board.

ENGAGE WITH YOUR

Pension calculators

Information booklets

Pension checklists

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TRUstee decisions | IB SURVEY

Trustees: the need for independence

Experience, expertise and independence are vital when dealing with advisors, writes James Kavanagh, Managing Director, Trustee Decisions.

rustees of pension schemes have been subject to statutory and regulatory control since the enactment of the Pensions Act 1990. Since this time, there has been further legislation enacted to support trustees and to enhance the compliant operations of such pension schemes – but there have many calls by professional bodies and Government for better-run pension schemes, particularly around the area of communication, governance and investments.

A fresh look Trustee boards, whether as a board or individual trustees, should take a ‘clean sheet of paper’ to the job at hand, challenging how they operate and

identifying a modus operandi which aims to achieve a higher standard of duty of care. Being a trustee is an onerous task and conflicts of interest should be managed. Trustees have a fiduciary duty to look after the assets of a pension scheme as if they are their own. This requires time, effort and patience. Trustees should have a means of monitoring their advisers, ensuring, at the very least, that there is no asymmetry of information, there are clear objectives, and conflicts of interests are identified and managed. It also means trustees engage with their advisers and challenge their propositions as well as ensuring there is a clear process with regard to all the tasks at hand. It is not simply about ‘ticking the boxes’ of the regulator

or revenue authorities, it is aiming to meet, if not excel, best practice. This will hopefully include better engagement with members whilst also supporting the sponsoring employer spend. Trustees are responsible for ensuring that their scheme is adequately funded and for investing vast sums of money. Therefore, it is vital that they are cognisant of regulatory requirements and investment markets while understanding how to balance risk with expected returns. Trustees need to mandate their advisers with clear unambiguous objectives and ensure they operate unhindered by any conflict of interest. For more information, email james. kavanagh@trusteedecisions.com.

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01/11/2012 11:55:40

Waterford Harley-Davidson | IB SURVEY

Going the whole hog

Waterford’s Harley-Davidson dealership is going from strength to strength, as owner Lenny Burns tells InBusiness.

arley-Davidson is without doubt the most iconic motorcycle on the market. Riding the open road on a Harley-Davidson represents freedom and adventure like no other, and it is this which really gives HarleyDavidson the edge over its competitors. The Waterford Harley-Davidson dealership is the longest established Harley dealer in Ireland. Dealer Principal Lenny Burns was proud to celebrate their eighth birthday as an official Harley-Davidson authorised dealer this year. However, Lenny and his team have been in the business of Harleys since 1987. They began as a custom HarleyDavidson® store where they concentrated on building and customising motorcycles for their customers. Like every authorised Harley-Davidson

dealership worldwide, the Waterford store runs the local chapter of H.O.G – Harley Owners Group – which allows for Harley owners to get together with like-minded enthusiasts and to partake in organised outings. It is certainly a highly recommended outlet for any stressed professional and offers a one million strong networking group, which arguably beats a four ball! Another distinguishing feature of Harley-Davidson is their customer care. It goes far beyond that of the normal motor manufacturer. They are aware that the customer is buying much more than just a bike, they are buying a brand and all that comes with this. The Waterford dealership prides itself as operating, not just as a point of sale but, also as a supportive outlet where queries

can be answered and ideas past around. The dealership sells an excellent array of Harley accessories and offers a full range of biker apparel. It stocks men’s, ladies’ and kids’ fashions. Harley really values customer relations and this is reflected in the customer retention rate. Harley-Davidson has the best retention rate of all motorcycle manufacturers, a fact which can be attested to by the one million members of H.O.G.

Pensions Ombudsman | IB SURVEY

Resolving pension disputes Pensions Ombudsman Paul Kenny offers assistance when pension arrangements go wrong, as he tells InBusiness.

aul Kenny’s role as Pensions Ombudsman is to take complaints about occupational pension schemes and personal retirement savings accounts. “Our philosophy is for a quick and amicable resolution to all disputes which fall within our jurisdiction,” he explains. Once a complaint has been made, the first thing he does is examine it to see if it falls within the remit of his office. The most common complaints are about delays in making payment and miscalculation of benefits. Disputes about what elements of pay should be taken into account for pension purposes are also common. Very often, a complainant’s first point of contact is through the website, www.pensionsombudsman.ie. “One

basic piece of advice is to engage and not ignore the complaint. Being proactive is the first step in coming to a satisfactory resolution. Engage with the complaint and it will be sorted out as quickly and easily as possible,” he says. His office is very much aware of the problems facing small businesses today, particularly those in the construction industry – and as such, it is advisable for payment plans to be set up. Most schemes are very willing to help put such plans in place. “The advice is to start contributing as early as possible, as the earliest contributions you make are the ones that work the hardest.” www.pensionsombudsman.ie

Paul Kenny, Pensions Ombudsman.

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Pensions, Investments & Advisory Services

Move your corporate pension scheme in the right direction

Implement tailored investment strategies to suit your employeesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; individual retirement goals

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Eliminate legal issues and gaps in your pension scheme structure or trustee arrangements

For a free evaluation contact IFG Corporate Pensions by phone on (01) 277 1800 or visit www.ifg.ie for more details.

IFG Corporate Pensions provides its services through IFG Pensco Limited, t/a IFG Pensco, and Planlife Advisory Services Limited, t/a IFG Financial Services, both regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. An IFG Group plc company.

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The Revenue Commissioners | IB SURVEY

That time of year again InBusiness hears from recently appointed Collector-General Michael Gladney about what you should know about the tax deadline.

or many, the pay and file tax deadline fills self-employed or owners of SMEs with dread as they rush through their annual returns right up until the last minute. This is why it is so important to make sure that anyone working out their taxes should leave themselves plenty of time to make sure everything is in order. This year, the pay and file deadline for self-assessed customers for the 2011 income tax return (Form 11) was October 31st 2012. For those who file and pay using Revenue’s On-Line System (ROS), the due date is extended to Thursday, November 15th. To qualify for the extension, customers must both pay and file through ROS: file the income tax return for 2011; pay income tax balance due for 2011 and pay preliminary tax for 2012. With the extension of mandatory e-filing, many customers are now obliged to file and pay via ROS. For example, since June 1st 2011, all companies are required to file and pay via ROS.

Getting registered with ROS With the ability to send your tax returns in an instant online, getting registered for ROS is highly recommended to ease any fears a person may have of their posted tax returns not reaching the Revenue Commissioners in time. Revenue has also greatly improved their ROS capability this year, making it easier and less costly to comply. The enhanced version of ROS e-registration delivers improved functionality and ease of usage. The introduction of e-RCT has reduced opportunities for fraud while reducing the administrative burden both for

businesses and for Revenue. These enhancements have contributed to Revenue achieving a 25 per cent reduction in the administrative burden of tax regulation.

New appointment Revenue has also seen major change, with the appointment of Carlow native Michael Gladney as the new CollectorGeneral for Revenue and will now put his 18 years previous experience there to good use. He will be entering a time when, despite Ireland’s current financial state, collected tax revenue is performing optimally. The tax take to the end of August 2012 shows a surplus over target of approximately €300 million. Tax returns filing and payments compliance is performing very well and holding at the high percentage rates of previous years right across their case range. Given Ireland’s financial situation, Gladney says that Revenue understands the importance of working with companies in financial struggles to help them through paying their taxes. That is why he advises people that Revenue will try to assist taxpayers in any way possible: “It is critical that businesses or individuals that are experiencing payment difficulties engage with Revenue in a realistic way at the earliest opportunity,” he says. “We are committed to engaging with viable businesses and taxpayers who want to pay their taxes but can’t in the short term and it is far easier to agree

Michael Gladney, Collector-General, The Revenue Commissioners.

a mutually satisfactory arrangement where there is early contact rather than waiting until it is too late to avoid collection recovery activity. “One must understand, notwithstanding the current economic environment, that any delay in the collection of revenues due, impacts on the level and timeliness of the financial resources available to the Government and adds to Government borrowing and public debt. Late or non-payment of tax is a serious issue, and while Revenue is always willing to engage with businesses experiencing temporary cashflow difficulties where they present viable payment options to us, we must fulfil our statutory role in collecting taxes as they fall due,” he says.

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Brothers of Charity | IB SURVEY

Supporting those with intellectual disabilities The Brothers of Charity Services Limerick offers support to those with intellectual disabilities â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and has just joined the local Chamber of Commerce, writes Norma Bagge, Director of Services.

he Brothers of Charity Services Ireland provide services to over 6,000 people with an intellectual disability, and employ over 3,500 staff. As a Section 38 agency, we are funded by the HSE. Like all companies, we are operating in a very difficult and challenging environment where budgets are being squeezed and services are under threat. We are committed to our mission and ethos in trying to ensure that we maintain the services people require while recognising that the model of service must change and adapt if we are to continue to provide high quality, sustainable services into the future. The mission statement of the Brothers of Charity Services looks to support the person with an intellectual disability to become a full citizen of this State, enjoying the rights and taking the responsibilities that are experienced by the wider population. The Brothers of Charity Services was established in Limerick in 1973 and was developed to provide early assessment and diagnosis of children, along with providing adult day and residential services for those with intellectual disabilities. In many ways, we took responsibility for the person and provided for all their needs. In more recent times, guided by our mission statement and in line with universally changing expectations, we recognise that our services must be more integrated into the wider community,

thereby giving the person with an intellectual disability the opportunity to experience and develop in a more diverse and inclusive environment. In our residential services, we are moving away from congregatedtype settings where large groups of people with an intellectual disability live together, towards working with housing associations to access suitable accommodation in the community, thereby giving the person with an intellectual disability the opportunity to integrate into a normal way of life. In our day services we are working towards reducing the numbers of people attending centres owned by the Brothers of Charity Services and identifying alternative facilities, e.g. resource centres in communities that we can use to enable those with intellectual disabilities to be more visible, to develop their full potential, benefit from working with others, contribute to society and enrich the lives of those with whom they work. It is, however, in the area of work placement and sourcing job opportunities that we struggle. Many of the people who attend our services have skills and talents that businesses would value. After initial mentoring, some of our men and women have already successfully moved into gainful employment with the support of our staff. The Brothers of Charity Services Limerick decided to join the Limerick

"In more recent times, guided by our mission statement and in line with universally changing expectations, we recognise that our services must be more integrated into the wider community"

Norma Bagge, Director of Services, Brothers of Charity Services Limerick.

Chamber of Commerce as we recognise the importance of building relationships with the business community, being proactive in harnessing the opportunities that exist for finding meaningful jobs and work experiences for the people who attend our services. As a new member of the Chamber of Commerce, we are looking to the corporate and business coommunity for support and would be extremely interested in having a conversation with companies in the Limerick area as to how we can work together and progress to create actual work opportunities. For more information, call 061 487081 or visit www.brothersofcharity.ie.

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Fleishman-Hillard | IB SURVEY

Crisis: The Power of Language A company’s public response to a crisis can make or break its reputation, but careful preparation and a clear strategy can make the difference, explains James Dunny, Head of Issues and Crisis Management at Fleishman-Hillard Dublin. The great enemy of clear language is insincerity. When there is a gap between one’s real and one’s declared aims, one turns as it were instinctively to long words and exhausted idioms, like a cuttlefish spurting out ink. George Orwell, Politics and the English Language, 1946

ords are powerful and can be very damaging when used carelessly. They have the power to evoke potent emotions and they can help inspire, encourage and motivate people. They can transform the world that we live in and in a crisis they can be your strongest allies or your most damaging adversary. One should always be very careful when using words – but this is especially so in the midst of a crisis. Who can forget when, during the middle of the largest oil spill in US history, the Chief Executive of BP, Tony Hayward, said “I’d like my life back”? When a crisis breaks a company needs to be particularly careful in framing its response. While attempting to assert control it also needs to be aware of the implications of the response and what it may mean in the future. Framed properly, a trained spokesperson can use their language to calm nerves in a very anxious time and can give the impression that the company is in control and working hard to resolve the crisis. However, there are always a number of questions that need to be answered when preparing this initial response. Can the

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company accept responsibility? Should you apologise for what happened? Should the statement contain emotion or should it just outline the facts in a cold and matter-of-fact manner? These questions can be addressed a long time before the specific crisis ever arises and therefore eliminate potential catastrophic roadblocks. When writing a crisis manual a number of legally approved draft statements should be prepared. Having these to hand will allow you to respond quickly and effectively. Valuable time can be lost if the initial response statement has to be sent for legal approval. Unnecessary delays have to be avoided. Having a debate during a crisis on the merits and implications of issuing an apology or sympathising with the family in the event of a death can waste valuable time. These debates should take place before a crisis ever arises and therefore ensure that a response can be issued in a timely and effective manner. However, the language in all crisis communications materials should be carefully managed and reviewed. For example, has the media spokesperson been selected and trained correctly? (Body language can be just as important as what the person says.) Be conscious of your medium. An email to your employees may require different language to any engagement on social media. • J argon – has all jargon and academic language been removed and adapted? The language should be simple and self-explanatory.

James Dunny, Head of Issues & Crisis Management at FleishmanHillard Dublin.

• Respect – are the communication materials respectful of all audiences including stakeholders, employees, media and the general public? • Text – are words the best method to explain what happened? It may be useful to have a graphic designer/ photographer/videographer available to allow you to communicate clearly what happened in a simple and logical way. • Social media – can your press release be converted into 140 characters or less (Twitter)? Unlikely – prepare alternative strategies to allow you to engage via the social media channels. A serious crisis can destroy companies and/or individuals – however, proper preparation combined with an appropriate response can actually help improve the reputation of both. Language is a powerful weapon and should be treated as such in all communications.

01/11/2012 11:56:01

Home Instead Senior Care | IB SURVEY

Caring for Seniors Home Instead Senior Care provides a holistic service for older people that cares for not just their physical needs but also their social, psychological and spiritual needs.

ome Instead Senior Care was founded in Nebraska with a mission to enhance the lives of older people. The master franchise rights for Home Instead Senior Care in Ireland were acquired by Ed Murphy and Michael Kearney in March 2005. Since setting up in Ireland, strong relationships have been developed with the Department of Health and the HSE: they trust Home Instead Senior Care to take a personal and holistic interest in people’s lives. This is done by developing a close partnership with their clients and families to help transform their lives. Home Instead Senior Care has a rigorous caregiver recruitment process including Garda vetting, training and supervision, with each caregiver specifically matched to like-minded clients. Home Instead Senior Care in Ireland has five offices in Dublin as well as offices covering Galway, Cork, Wicklow, Wexford, Kerry, Donegal, Waterford, Tipperary, Limerick, Louth, Westmeath, Offaly, Longford and Kildare. All offices are locally-owned and run by people from each community who are committed to and take responsibility for providing the most trusted, personalised and professional care to older people in their own community. Having won multiple awards for quality, systems and service, having delivered 3.5 million hours of care to the HSE in the last seven years, Home Instead Senior Care continues to provide extensive levels of care hours through each of their local offices to the HSE local health organisations.

All Home Instead Senior Care offices nationwide were approved by the recent HSE tender based on their high standards and professional infrastructure. Approval in 32 LHO areas in Ireland is certainly testimony to their mission to enhance the lives of older people, enabling them to live happy, healthy and independent lives in their home for longer than otherwise possible. To help people maintain independence, Home Instead Senior Care provides a range of home care services, tailored to the individual’s needs and preferences. These services range from companionship to post-hospital care, to palliative care through to care for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementia, disabilities and chronic health conditions.

Community Resource Home Instead Senior Care’s holistic approach to care in the community has led them to develop a number of guides, education evenings, training and booklets to support older people, their families and people in the community who also assist and support older people. For instance, Home Instead Senior

"To help people maintain independence, Home Instead Senior Care provides a range of home care services, tailored to the individual’s needs and preferences."

Care brings out an annual Irish Pensioners Handbook with local directories, older persons’ organisations and old age pensioner entitlements. Recently they also continued to extend their education reach to run a number of workshops across the country for family members caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or other dementia.

Affordable Peace of Mind Home Instead Senior Care offers an affordable service for many people that enables them to have peace of mind during a worrying and stressful time. Tax relief of up to 41 per cent is available towards the cost of home care. The pressures of modern family life do not lend themselves to providing the necessary support from family alone. This is where home care from Home Instead Senior Care is a highly effective service, enabling older adults to remain at home, happier and healthier, reducing the pressure on expensive nursing homes and hospital beds. To find out more about your local Home Instead Senior Care contact 1890 930 013 or visit www.homeinstead.ie

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ipa diary | IB SURVEY

IPAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S 2013 Administration Yearbook & Diary

ÂŠThinkstockphotos.com/IStockPhoto.com

The Administration Yearbook & Diary, popularly known as the IPA Diary, is regarded as Ireland's most comprehensive directory and database on public and private organisations.

pproximately 9,000 organisations are included in the 2013 edition, including trade and professional organisations, government departments, local authorities, semi state agencies, voluntary agencies, merchant banks, advertising agencies, third level institutions,

"Approximately 9,000 organisations are included in the 2013 edition, including trade and professional organisations, government departments, local authorities, semi state agencies, voluntary agencies, merchant banks, advertising agencies, third level institutions, independent radio stations, the media and EU institutions."

independent radio stations, the media and EU institutions. The Administration Yearbook & Diary is in its 47th year and is going from strength to strength. It is an excellent example of the good work the public service can do both for citizen information and commercially in publishing terms. Even after 47 years it still remains a superb point of reference for anyone involved in public service, in business or in the media, who need to know and keep abreast of what is happening in our economic and political system. In a time when we have availability of high-tech databases it says a lot for the high regard in which the Administration Yearbook & Diary is held that it is still so sought after and considered to be a must-have in business circles. Each year the entire contents of the Yearbook are reviewed, the information is updated and new features are added. The 2013 Yearbook includes sections that covers statistics on various topics including Irelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population, labour, trade, public finances, social welfare, justice, health and education. In addition there are wide ranging sections giving general information on Ireland and an international information section. The 47th edition will be available from the December 1st 2012, or preorder online at www.ipa.ie or contact our sales office on (01) 240 3600.

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Epson | IB SURVEY

Inkjet Versus Laser The difference between inkjet and laser printers used to be clear cut – but that’s no longer the case thanks to the Epson Workforce Pro.

istorically, inkjet and laser printers have been viewed as performing different roles for different markets. • Inkjet = consumer; lower cost. • Laser = business; quality, reliability, high print runs, speed – but expensive to run and high power output. Developments and refinements in inkjet technology over the years have meant a shift in these habits and markets. Lines are now beginning to be blurred and while inkjet is still the technology of choice for home printing, more and more businesses are starting to see the real benefits and potential that inkjet printers can deliver. The benefits our business inkjets can deliver are:

Energy Consumption • Epson’s Workforce Pro range of printers can deliver up to 80 per cent less power consumption than its laser rivals. Colour lasers can use up to 1,000 watts when the fuser is working whereas Epson’s inkjets will get up to 26 watts max. • Colour lasers use more power on standby – inkjets are a cold technology so require no heating.

Cost to run • The cost of inks and the cost per page is now vastly improved. In fact, Epson can deliver 50 per cent lower cost per page. • Further cost savings are delivered by a super-fast automatic double-sided printing function, reducing paper usage. • Businesses benefit from lower ink costs with a choice of high-yield cartridges of up to 3,400 pages while a print resolution

of 4800x1200 dpi – much higher than comparative lasers for clearer text and sharper images.

Speed • Inkjets have gone a long way to dispelling the myth that they are the slower alternative to lasers. This is not the case. Because there is no fuser to heat up, they can start printing pretty much immediately after they’ve been switched on – almost as quickly as it takes the PC to process the information. Epson’s Workforce printers can deliver the first page in less than seven seconds, an improvement on most lasers, which can take up to 12 seconds. When we speedtested against 20 page per minute lasers, we found that the business inkjets were quicker to print out four pages.

Your business needs With improvements in inkjet technologies, the definition of roles of lasers and inkjets is now not as clear cut as they once were. We’re not likely to see consumers using laser printers in their homes any time soon but small to medium sized businesses need to ask themselves if they are using the right printer for their business needs. To help decide, Epson has developed a cost saving calculator at http://assets.epson-europe. com/gb/en/tco/index.html Inket printers offer high quality output, durability and cost and energy efficiency for small to medium sized businesses. They boast laser-like looks and performance, reliability, a 50 per cent lower cost per page than competitive lasers – and are a genuine alternative to laser products.

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Education | IB SURVEY

Education: fuelling the Future With aspirations for Ireland’s recovery inexorably entwined with the muchtouted ‘knowledge’ economy, education is fundamental for many sectors, and – as Conor William O’Brien found out – business is no different.

huge emphasis is being placed upon education in modern Ireland. We currently send more school leavers to universities than almost any of our European partners, and the Government plans to further increase this number over the coming years despite the stretched resources of our third level education system. However, with the economy still fragile it is more important than ever for businesses to reap a tangible benefit from the education that their workforce has received. This being the case, business schools nationwide are attempting to offer a wide suite of courses to current and future business leaders. NUI Galway is a case in point. Its business school – the JE Cairnes School of Business and Economics, headed by Dr. Emer Mulligan – currently caters for around 2,000 students studying a catalogue of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. “The more businesses start to see and understand what we do, the more they start to really grasp the potential we have here to make a real difference and impact in terms of economic recovery and sustainability,” she tells InBusiness. The school prides itself on its international outlook, which runs in tandem with broader Irish aspirations for an export-aided recovery. It also strives to imbue its graduates with transferrable skills applicable to any profession, thus increasing their future employability, aided by a greater emphasis on modes of delivery which has facilitated the growth of part-time and blended learning. To further increase the relevance of its courses, the school has cultivated relationships and partnerships with both industrial and public sector partners

in an attempt to ensure that its programmes remain up to date with the requirements of both. “What you get in here is a wonderful mix of academia, application within industry and public policy impact,” says Mulligan, who maintains that this differentiates the school from its counterparts across the country, desirable not only Dr. Emer Mulligan, Head of the JE Cairnes School of for attracting Business and Economics NUI Galway. students but for prohibiting the emergence of ubiquity and prevent Irish colleges churning out Another mechanism of delivery identical graduates. is executive education programmes at graduate level business schools, “I think it’s important that business typically aimed at chief executives and schools in Ireland and abroad don’t all other top managers or entrepreneurs. seek to become the same. Sometimes in While Mulligan is insistent about the the rush to deal with what’s happening importance of this, she recognises in the outside world, focus on how crucial it is to register a return differentiation can be lost.” at a paradoxical time of tight budgets The school actively participates in the contrasted by high expectations, believing Springboard Initiative to get people back that many companies are looking for to work through various areas deemed important by the government as potential customised executive education courses to reflect and remedy their particular skill areas for growth in employment. and knowledge deficiencies. The Springboard programmes in the “These companies need a return on Business School at NUIG are in the investment,” she says. “It doesn’t come areas of international financial markets, cheap. It has to feature something that’s ebusiness, and international selling and export management, the last of transferrable to the workplace. Through which allows students to avail of an the delivery of executive education, we international internship to further must contribute to real world solutions ornament their learning. for these companies. Q3 2012 | InBusiness 119

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uPc | IB SURVEY

Partnering with the Best UPC’s investment in next generation broadband means the very best for its SME and multinational customers, as they tell Inbusiness.

PC is Ireland’s leading digital communications and entertainment innovator. Our business division provides tailor-made telecoms services to meet the needs of all businesses, from SMEs to multinationals, and services both the public and private sector. UPC’s business is committed to supporting the communication and entertainment needs of business customers.

bUIldIng For THe FUTUre We’re constantly innovating and pushing the barriers for our business community. Recently, UPC introduced a bulk texting service to enable businesses communicate faster and more cost effectively. But we didn’t stop there. We also made sure that access to our Next Generation Network is available to small and large sized enterprises. Liosbán Industrial Estate in Galway is the latest customer to join us, and now avails of our superfast 100Mb broadband service to cater for their current and future business requirements. UPC has also partnered with Microsoft to implement any planned moves to cloud. In addition, our scalable, cuttingedge infrastructure ensures that we are well placed to react speedily to our business clients and their expansion plans as they arise.

oUr perForManCe UPC’s Business Services division produced a strong set of second quarter results across its product set for high speed internet access, data point-topoint connections and voice services to SoHo, SME, MLE, wholesale and public sector markets. Four new bundles were launched to the SoHo and SME market, including an entry level 30Mb broadband and a top tier 100Mb broadband bundle. These bundles included voice services with no line rental and a licence for Microsoft Office 365. UPC Business Services continues to win large contracts in the MLE and public sector markets and continues to carry large volumes of voice traffic for major international telecoms operators.

In oUr CoMMUnITIeS Digital technology drives the modern world: fact. Regardless of culture or country, the television, telephone and internet unites and connects people. Our business connects thousands of

customers to the digital world. Therefore, building digital confidence and inclusion is at the heart of our corporate responsibility strategy. In Ireland, for the past five years UPC has been actively involved in Safer Internet Day. This year, the company launched the UPC Magic Desktop, an innovative piece of software which will help parents by encouraging children to play and learn in a safe computing environment. We also introduced Internet Buttons, which is designed to simplify internet access for digital novices. In September, UPC was shortlisted in the ninth annual Chambers Ireland Corporate Social Responsibility Awards and at the same time its parent company, Liberty Global announced its inclusion on both the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America indexes. To find out more about our business, check us out under www.upc.ie or follow us on twitter under @WeAreUPC_IE

"Our business division provides tailor-made telecoms services to meet the needs of all businesses from SMEs to multinationals"

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IFG Corporate Pensions | IB SURVEY

Active Lifestyling: High-Performance Pensions IFG’s new Active Lifestyling portfolio is set to far outperform the average Irish pension fund according to Samantha McConnell, CIO.

arlier this year, IFG Corporate Pensions announced the launch of a global best-of-breed active manager pension portfolio that is set to deliver where the majority of domestic Irish active fund managers have failed on a consistent basis. Its new Active Lifestyling portfolio boasts genuine global high performance net of all fees and is supported with a unique optimal asset allocation system that is not rivaled on the Irish market. Due to the continued underperformance of active managers in the domestic market, IFG Corporate Pensions set out to source the best global managers in each asset class to populate its asset allocation model for a high performing new portfolio. IFG have partnered with Jefferies, world leaders in investment manager research, employing 150 investment professionals across the globe to identify the ‘best in class’ international active fund managers. The result is a pensions solution whose backtested results far outperform the performance of Irish fund managers over the past five years. Speaking at the launch, Samantha McConnell, CIO said: “The small relative size of the Irish pension market and the small average size of pension schemes here, particularly in the defined contribution market, has meant that members have not been able to access world class managers. The overall investment performance of the majority of active pension asset

"We strongly believe there is now a gap in the market for a highperforming active managed option"

managers in Ireland has directly impacted the sector as a whole and has led to an undermining in consumer confidence in the pensions industry. “We strongly believe there is now a gap in the market for a high-performing active managed option; that is why we developed our new Active Lifestyling offering. We examined the performance of the average Irish managed fund over the past five years, and compared it with what would have been achieved by the IFG Active Lifestyling offering. Net of all fees, the Active Lifestyling portfolio outperformed the average Irish manager by 42 per cent over just five years.” IFG based the comparison on the ten-year balanced portfolio (member aged 55, with ten years to retirement and balanced attitude to risk), which has a similar asset allocation to the average managed fund in Ireland. In 2009, IFG created a best-of-breed passive lifestyling pension investment option which has enjoyed strong uptake with its corporate clients and has shown robust performance since its inception. To support their lifestyling models, IFG have partnered with Barrie and Hibbert, who provide a worldclass stochastic risk modelling solution to create the optimal asset allocation throughout the working life of an individual. These pension solutions firmly addresses the consistent underperformance by the Irish active managers and

Samantha McConnell, CIO, IFG Corporate Pensions.

represent a key differentiator for IFG. “To achieve the best performance, you need the best managers in each asset category coupled with the ideal asset allocation given your age and appetite for risk, so we simply identified the world’s best in each area and hired them,” said McConnell. “Seems pretty straightforward, doesn’t it?”

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DHL | IB SURVEY

Delivering on Exports DHL Ireland’s Managing Director Bernard McCarthy tells InBusiness how his company is facilitating Ireland’s growth in export trade and international business.

ith the domestic economy stagnant and offering few opportunities to grow one’s business, many Irish firms are turning their attentions overseas: exporting, and the fabled export-led recovery, are high on the agenda at present. But for many firms, both established and new to this game, the practicalities of international trade cannot be tackled alone. Time was when brokers, agents and a variety of middlemen had to be engaged in order to handle unfamiliar markets, with their customs, tax, legal and language differences. According to Bernard McCarthy, Managing Director

of DHL Express Ireland, a much more elegant solution is available: his company can partner with yours in order to access these new opportunities. Not only that, but Ireland itself is well-positioned to exploit international trade: whether at multinational or SME level, it’s a good base from which to do business. “DHL is all about simplifying,” explains McCarthy. From Dublin, he has worked at DHL for the past 25 years, joining the organisation in a junior administrative role, working his way up through sales and operations – and ultimately becoming managing director in 2002. The company has been a familiar name as a global leader in the international express and logistics industry for over 40 years, and now has international express shipping to 220-plus countries and territories worldwide. Its Irish operation was established in 1979 and grew significantly throughout the Celtic Tiger period. Nowadays, there are three DHL divisions operating in Ireland: DHL Global Forwarding, which predominantly works with heavier air, road and ocean freight, DHL Supply Chain, which provides contract logistics and warehousing services, and DHL

Express – the responsibility of one Bernard McCarthy.

International trade It is his company’s role in facilitating exports and international trade that McCarthy is keen to emphasise: DHL helps companies to deliver their products efficiently, particularly helpful for newly-established or less experienced firms. “We hold their hands through the early stages, which is especially important for companies new to exporting. Understanding customs requirements when exporting outside the EU is essential as companies sometimes get into that without really understanding what it’s all about,” he says. “We use our experience to help them navigate those issues and point out the major pitfalls which can occur.” McCarthy explains that to continue to build strength in Ireland’s export market, we need to convince multinational companies with interests in markets in EMEA, USA or Asia Pacific that they can service these markets effectively out of Ireland. “There is still a naïve view that you need to be based in mainland Europe in order to service these markets. But the reality is that Ireland’s transport infrastructure is such that these markets can be serviced just as effectively from Dublin, Cork, Galway or anywhere on the island of Ireland. “We have customers in the west of Ireland who are competing head-on with indigenous companies in Benelux and Germany. These Irish companies can accept orders from their customers across Europe up to 4pm in the afternoon, ship directly from Galway with DHL and have them delivered across Europe the next morning.” Asian markets – and in particular China and India, so the story goes

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DHL | IB SURVEY – are growing markets to which attention must be paid. McCarthy agrees, but believes Ireland is still too under-penetrated in this area. He says that currently, only four per cent of our exports go to the so-called BRIC markets, in comparison to our European counterparts whose export shares are around 20 per cent. In fact, DHL has seen a greater growth in inbound volume from China rather than outbound, with Irish companies sourcing products and materials from China. Ultimately, Ireland is not growing at the same rate as other EU countries in terms of exports to these high growth economies. “Breaking that sort of market is more talk than action right now,” he argues. “Companies just need to grasp the nettle and get serious about this, as there are plenty of good examples of companies who have done well in those markets and others clearly need to follow. Whatever the barriers being experienced by exporters in entering these markets, transportation should not be one of them.”

Close partnership The DHL approach is to work closely with their customers, whether they are multinationals or local SMEs. For example, multi-product orders which may involve goods from a third country can be handled locally and conveniently. McCarthy explains: “If an Irish company is able to fulfil 80 per cent of an export order from stock in Ireland, but needs to source further product or parts elsewhere to complete the order, DHL can support this process. The main portion of the order can ship directly out of Ireland, with the balance being shipped from a third country direct to the ultimate customer. This may be coming out of China or Malaysia, so there’s no point in importing into Ireland just to ship it out again. Irish companies are managing complex supply-chain solutions in this manner which is really adding value to their local operations and supporting profitable revenue streams.” His company also offers a duties and taxes paid (DTP) service which incorporates all destination customs duties and taxes being billed to and paid by the exporter in Ireland. “This service enables the local Irish customer

DHL Express Hub, Dublin.

(the exporter) to have full control and visibility on the total transaction costs. They can then bill their ultimate customer the all inclusive amount for the goods and/or services being provided.” Having full visibility and understanding of the total cost of the transaction allows the exporter to sell with confidence and credibility to their export customers. It means no nasty surprises for either party and simplifies the export sales process. “It is these kind of services that really add-value to exporters and facilitates them in expanding their export customer base, opening new export markets and ultimately to achieve repeat orders which helps them to grow their business,” he says. Middlemen can now be cut out when a company moves to export its goods. “It is surprising how many companies will still pay for brokers elsewhere when we’ll provide an all-inclusive door-todoor service for you,” he says. “We’ll quote you a price and that will be it. We’re the logistics experts so we’ll give you the peace of mind to concentrate on managing your customers and winning new orders.”

The Irish setup Amidst all of this activity, DHL Express employs 340 people in Ireland directly, with a further 200 dedicated contractors. The main head office and operational hub is located close to Dublin Airport, with the customer service team located in Swords, County Dublin. Furthermore, there are three other main facilities in Cork, Shannon and Dublin city centre. Three dedicated aircraft operate into and out of Ireland daily, servicing the express delivery

and transport requirements of businesses and consumers across the country. “We operate an Airbus A-300 which flies into and out of Dublin and a Boeing 757 into and out of Shannon each day. We also fly a dedicated feeder aircraft out of Dublin each evening to support our Express service into the USA. This enables us to provide overnight delivery from Ireland into all main centres right across America. Our air network and carrying capacity into and out of Ireland is unmatched by any air express operator,” says McCarthy, “and as such it is an important part of Ireland’s national transport infrastructure.” DHL is also a familiar name from its sponsorship of sport in Ireland, in the form of the IRFU, the FAI and Bohemian Football Club, and was involved in moving the Irish football kit for the European Championships in June. “We moved 16 tonnes of material for the championship and it went very well,” says McCarthy – though the results on the pitch were perhaps more forgettable. According to McCarthy, the future for his company is in continuing to grow and build on the progress achieved in recent years. “We’re very much focused on continuing to do a great job for our customers,” he says. “We want to have motivated employees, delivering great service quality to maintain long-term customer relationships. If we can achieve that, the financial results should follow.” And given the much-improved results posted by DHL in 2011, it is clear that when a business focuses on excellent service and customer loyalty, then profit will follow. Q3 2012 | InBusiness 123

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KPMG | IB SURVEY

R&D Tax Credit Revenue Audits There has been a noticeable increase in Revenue audits of R&D tax credit claims in recent years – so much so that we are now finding that it’s a case of when a company will be audited rather than if, according to Ken Hardy, Tax Partner with KPMG in Ireland. face repayment of part or all of the credit. In addition, Revenue in most cases seeks interest, sometimes penalties and, in extreme cases, threatens publication. g

Ken Hardy is a Tax Partner with KPMG in Ireland. g

I have received my credit/

cash refund, why does an R&D tax credit audit matter?

Claimants often mistakenly believe that once the credit has been deducted from the corporation tax liability in their notice of assessment, or once they have received the corresponding cash payment, their claim has been “accepted” by Revenue. This is not the case. A claim is generally not “accepted” by Revenue until it has been the subject of a Revenue audit, which can occur up to four years after the return has been made. g

Why should I be concerned

about an audit?

We have found that Revenue is taking an increasingly rigorous approach with respect to issues arising from audits of claims. To the extent that your claim is found to be overstated (whether the error is innocent or otherwise) or you have insufficient documentation to substantiate either the activities carried out or the expenditure incurred, you will

W hat does an audit involve?

An R&D tax credit audit is different to other tax audits in that it generally involves a thor¬ough review of the claim from a scientific/technological perspective by a Revenue-appointed technical expert, in addition to examination from a financial and tax technical perspective by a Revenue inspector. This combined effort will determine if the claim satisfies two essential tests: the science test and the accounting test. Claimants must ensure that they maintain records to satisfy both of the above tests. This requirement applies equally to the base year (2003) as to the period for which they are claiming. In the event of a claim being selected for examination by Revenue, records for the base year must be available for inspection. g

W ho is the technical expert?

In order to determine whether the company meets the requirements of the science test, Revenue normally requires the assistance of qualified individuals with specialised knowledge in the relevant field of science or technology. The appointed individual advises Revenue whether, in his or her opinion, the activities examined constitute R&D as defined in the guidelines. The company may object to the use of that particular expert where it can demonstrate a genuine conflict of interest.

Ho w should I prepare for an audit?

The best way to prepare for a Revenue audit is to ensure that your claim satisfies the relevant legislation before filing. In particular, retaining sufficient documentation to pass the science and accounting tests is a fundamental requirement. If your claim has already been submitted, it is crucial that you review whether it is likely that the claim would meet Revenue’s requirements under audit and consider if appropriate action should be taken. In this regard it is advisable to seek proper tax advice from an R&D tax credit specialist – it is a tax credit after all!

E xpect an audit Due to Revenue’s extensive audit programme, we are of the view that all taxpayers claiming the R&D tax credit should expect a Revenue audit of their claim as a matter of course. If you have made a claim for an R&D tax credit or are considering making one, expect that it will be audited and ensure that you are best prepared to defend it. Be aware of the consequences of getting it wrong, and ensure you take the necessary steps to mitigate the risk of errors by undertaking sufficient due diligence when preparing the claim. Equally, make sure that you claim everything to which you are properly entitled. KPMG will launch an online Revenue audit assessor in autumn 2012 to help companies determine how well positioned they are in the expectation of a Revenue audit of their R&D tax credit claim. For more information, see www.kpmg.ie/auditassessor. g

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ESET Ireland | IB SURVEY

The cloud for SMBs: 7 tips for safer cloud computing Urban Schrott of ESET Ireland offers some advice on safely working with the cloud. backups? If you take a few minutes and see that your data is duplicated and you can still retrieve it, you’ll be miles ahead in confidence and know that if something bad really did happen, you’d be protected. g

Check the fine print for

your cloud

he cloud concept, a flexible virtual machine (VM)-based system that allows rapid expansion and dedicated functionality without hiring new staff, has taken the business world by storm. Let’s cover a few of the things you should check into before trusting your data to the cloud. g

Know your cloud provider

It’s important to check the credentials of your chosen provider to know what you’re getting – and not getting. If a firm has a commitment to security and a history of executing security on their more traditional servers, it stands to reason that they’ll merge that commitment with their cloud-based offerings as well. It takes work to get security right, and work translates into experts and quality hardware, neither of which are free. efine your business need D Make sure you can clearly articulate a good business fit for a cloud setup. If you want very fast low-latency communication between your office and the cloud, you may be in for an unpleasant surprise. While storing files might work well for the cloud, database queries from your in-house staff to the cloud can seem like adding light years g

to your business process response times. Consider whether or not you would be better served by a local server dishing up virtual machines. g

The terms and conditions of your cloud agreement should be read very carefully. Consider these examples from the Amazon Cloud Drive terms of use, which are not that unusual in the cloud business: 5.2: Our Right to Access Your Files. You give us the right to access, retain, use and disclose your account information and Your Files…

Encrypt your bits

and bytes

Both at rest and in transit, encrypt as much of your cloud data and traffic as you can get away with. It adds a layer of complexity and a little processing overhead, but the peace of mind will be worth it in the end. And, of course, test the setup before you go putting the ‘crown jewels’ out there in the ether. gM anage your cloud access Because putting your data and/or processing in the cloud means it is one step removed from your physical control, and because cloud content can often add up to a lot of valuable intellectual property and sensitive information, you need to make sure you control who can access it. It’s a good idea to limit access to specific individuals that need access, not just leave the connection open for everyone to use.

ackup your cloud data B Depending on your use case, you may be backing up data to the cloud, or using it for any number of other processes. But here’s the kicker: have you checked and tried to restore your data from the g

5.3: Security. We do not guarantee that Your Files will not be subject to misappropriation, loss or damage and we will not be liable if they are… Will that work for you? Can you get your cloud vendor to change their standard terms and conditions to get your business? These are important questions you need to ponder on your path to the cloud. g

Remember, viruses can

live in clouds

Recent news that the malware known as Crisis has been infecting VMware virtual machines reminds us that the cloud does not possess special immunity from malware (ESET antivirus products detect and defend from Crisis). The fact remains that moving to the cloud does not end the need for antivirus protection; and you still need strong endpoint security on those devices that are permitted access to your cloud. www.eset.ie Q3 2012 | InBusiness 125

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MOTORING

High Class M–Class Motoring Editor Tony Toner climbed aboard Mercedes new Alabama-made M-Class SUV.

alking towards Mercedes’ latest Alabama built M-Class, I liked its chunky stance and rounded profile. Looking smaller than it actually is, the M-Class whispers its presence, whereas others in this luxury SUV segment tend to chat at a higher frequency. Having sampled the previous two incarnations, I was looking forward to seeing if this high-rise Star Car was going to continue the improvement of the Mk2 on the original, particularly in its road performance. Power for my test car, the ML250 BlueTEC, was via Mercedes 2,143cc, 4-cylinder CDI, 200bhp unit, which when placed against hauling its two tonne mass might have you concerned just a tad. But rest assured, this is a very decent match. Running through their 7G-Tronic auto-box, I found it easy company, with enough enthusiasm to dispense with large amounts of tarmac, all the while being fuel frugal though with an annual road tax demand of €481 the ends of your mouth will curl up every time – at least pre our next Budget. Tekkies will revel in the knowledge that Mercedes have added a urea solution called AdBlue, which is injected into the exhaust gas to cut NOx emissions by up to 80 per cent. With prices starting at €71,060, my car came with AMG Sports Pack, leather

seats, media interface, heated front seats, metallic paint and very nice ambient lighting. These extras pushed it to €85,220, but all adds to the M-Class's plush, welcoming allure, where fit and finish is excellent, creating a space that is always welcoming. Multi-adjustable front seats ensure driver and passenger can choose their optimum position and, as with all highrise SUV’s, the lofty driving position is very assuring. All switches and buttons are akin to other Mercedes siblings, save for the gear selector, which operates via a column-mounted lever on the right side of the steering wheel. Wearing 255.50 x 19” tyres (17” are standard), my M-Class ran quietly on the road. There is also the choice to go for 21” should you feel the need to alter altitude and attitude. Additional engine choices are the ML350, 3.0 litre V6 CDI, and the petrol fuelled ML350, 3.5 litre V6, with the eye-watering ML63 AMG V8, a 5.5 litre 410bhp licence evaporator. As with all SUVs, the driver is required to adjust their driving to suit the individual dynamics of their chosen

one. Those who attack their favourite set of bends as if they are in a GTi will find that the ML’s forward propulsion is not matched by a willingness to stay on line or respond to directional changes without protest. Body roll is well controlled as long as you are smooth in and smooth out, and in keeping with its luxury lineage, serenity will prevail. Driver and passenger space have been improved, with luggage volume increased to 2010 litres of ceiling to floor space available with the rear seat folded. Buyers of the ML can avail of a host of electronic wizardry from Automatic Curve System, Airmatic suspension pack, Active Blind Spot Assist, Active Lane Keeping Assist, Distronic Plus and a whole plethora of others as desired. In standard format the ML is a very capable vehicle and given the 3 to 4 year change pattern of most buyers, the residual of the standard should be the best option. Allied to great build, very decent driving dynamics and an average fuel readout of 7.7litres/100km, this new ML is very good company indeed.

"Allied to great build, very decent driving dynamics and an average fuel readout of 7.7litres/100km, this new ML is very good company indeed." Q3 2012 | InBusiness 127

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mOTOring

3-Pot Purrfection

The new Ford Focus gets a power boost.

ou love your 1.6 litre petrol Focus. You like the smoothness, the power delivery, and the midrange overtaking power. Imagine now when you go into your friendly Ford centre and you are told that your 1.6 is being replaced by a turbocharged, direct injected unit with independent variable cam timing. Saliva builds in your mouth, your eyes twinkle uncontrollably and you endeavour to keep some level of decorum – no point giving the sales person a clear shot! And then you are told that your replacement engine is not only a 1.0 litre unit, but that it has only

3-cylinders. It might be enough to get you walking towards the exit, except that any sales person worth wearing the blue oval will very probably have you in the car and on the road before he tells you. Straight up – I have loved the Focus since I drove the first model in northern France in 1998. With many motoring journos present, we all looked at each other and said, “Is this as good as we think it is?” 14 years on and the Focus still possesses the chassis and driving dynamics to dominate its segment, and the build and competency of the Focus is a virtual given. So why risk putting

this mite of a petrol engine into an established driveway success? Having driven other 3-cylinder cars, none of which were affixed to something as substantial as the weighty Focus, I was more than intrigued at the prospect of how something so mighty would propel the Focus. Coming in two outputs, Ford’s EcoBoost 1.0litre offers, 100 and 125bhp, my test car being the former running through a 5-speed manual gearbox. Sitting in Band A and wearing the Edge Pack , it also came with 16” Alloys, front fog lights, rear privacy glass and Bluetooth & USB

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motoring connectivity at an extra cost of €820, giving it a total price of €22,485. With external and internal offerings the same as the normal Focus range, the 1.0 litre Ecoboost has all the trappings to succeed – if the engine can deliver. Due to taxation and economy factors, our drive to diesel now accounts for the vast majority of sales in all bar the city-car and small family hatch segments, albeit many drivers don’t cover the ‘calculated’ annual mileage necessary to redeem the initial outlay on their purchase. Add in service costs and the perceived savings over the term of ownership when weighted against a petrol alternative can simply not stack up. Hence, Ford’s innovative enticement. Firing up the engine, it’s amazing how quiet it is – an aspect prevalent throughout the drive. Driving off and there is sufficient power available for my city safari, no indication of wheezing, lack of oomph or that all

"Throughout my drive with the EcoBoost, I had numerous titters at how something so diminutive could be so easy to live with. Ford’s engineers have certainly come up on the technological trumps with an engine that feels so at home in the Focus." propulsion was via its impish 3-pot. Outside the city, there is the need to rev it to get to the desired road speed, particularly on joining motorways. The joy of it is in the torque it delivers, where at low speed in a high gear, it pulls up the speed range seamlessly – all the while there’s me thinking, ‘It shouldn’t really be able to do this’. But it does. I found myself having to reprogramme my driving style to get the best out of the engine due to its power delivery. If I treated it like the revvy unit it can be I got a fuel consumption reading of circa eight litres/100kms,

whereas if I drove it to its design capability, I seen the consumption fall to just below 6 litres/100kms and I was making very decent progress all the while. Throughout my drive with the EcoBoost, I had numerous titters at how something so diminutive could be so easy to live with. Ford’s engineers have certainly come up on the technological trumps with an engine that feels so at home in the Focus. Such is their belief that this engine will also be housed within the even heavier C-Max and the new Mondeo, due here in 2013. Now that is confidence.

Sweet cee’d from KIA

easuring distances is a common trait among motorists. When it’s applied to how far manufacturers have come with their design, technology and fit for function, KIA are right up there. Only those living in total isolation would fail to notice the huge presence KIA now have in the nation’s driveways – their objective of gaining a 5 per cent market share very achievable. No denying, they are one of my favourite brands, with a great range of cars offering good driving dynamics coupled to seriously good bang for your buck. Their RIO wears the Continental 2012 Irish Car of the Year title as voted by the Irish Motoring Writers Association, and last year they gave us the new second generation cee’d, their 5-door hatch competitor to the Focus, Golf, Astra and Corolla.

Now for those seeking more space, KIA have their very purposeful cee’d SW. Coming in two specifications 1,500 apart – TX and EX – the SW carries a substantial range of standard equipment including air-conditioning and for the tekkies, double power sockets plus USB and mini-jack audio socket. Features on the TX include; Bluetooth, audio remote controls, air conditioning, trip computer, electric mirrors and six speed transmission. Hop to the EX and you get 16” alloys, cruise control, flex steering system, electric windows all round, front fog lights, LED lights front and rear, leather covered steering wheel and rear parking sensors. The cee’d also carries a 5 star NCAP rating, with six airbags, front, front-side and full-length curtain are standard, as are collapsible headlamps, a stiffer

lower bumper lip, and shockabsorbing structures in the hood. The obvious benefit and attraction of the SW is space. Like many such offerings from other manufacturers, KIA’s SW is an ideal family car, their everyday practicality a joy to anyone hauling offspring to and from shops, schools and sporting clubs. With close to 40 per cent increase in cargo capacity over the 5-door hatchback, it has 528 litres against 380 litres with the rear seats upright. When folded down this rises by 25 per cent to provide 1,642 litres. The new tailgate rises to 1,888 mm to allow easy, unimpeded access to the cargo bay. Living with the SW should be stress-free. It drives well, the 1.6 litre giving those with higher annual mileage easier passage. Fit and finish is very good and when walking to it, owners will delight in their choice.

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motoring

December Date for New VW Golf The latest incartation of an old favourite hits the market this Christmas.

ue to hit our streets in December, VW’s latest generation Golf will demand €19,995 to share the company of the introductory three door, four cylinder, 1.2-litre 85bhp TSI, Trendline model. Those who delight in diesel can opt to spend €22,695 for the 105bhp 1.6-litre TDI model, with CO2 emissions of 99g/km. This all-new Golf will be available with three petrol and two diesel options on offer and in three trim levels: Trendline, Comfortline and Highline (the GTD, GTI and BlueMotion models joining the line-up in 2013). All engines, petrol and diesel, come with Stop/Start and battery regeneration. The 1.2-litre TSI unit comes in 85 and 105 bhp, with an all-new 1.4-litre TSI 140 bhp, 109g/

km CO2 engine. Designed with VW’s ‘Active Cylinder Technology’, which deactivates the two central cylinders under light load, it promises to be 23 per cent more efficient than the engine it replaces in the previous Golf. Two diesel engines will be available at launch; a 1.6-litre TDI 105 bhp and a new 2.0-litre TDI 150 bhp unit, both with the latest common rail diesel technology. A 90bhp diesel will follow in Quarter two of 2013. Depending on engine power and torque, gearboxes will be a mix of five and six-speed manuals, and six and seven-speed DSG units. Seven airbags are standard fare, including a driver’s knee airbag, five three-point seatbelts, ABS with ESP, XDS electronic differential lock, plus Isofix preparation for two rear child seats.

On Trendline models, owners get as standard; Composition Media system, which includes a 5-inch colour touchscreen, FM/AM radio, (MP3 compatible), with eight speakers (front and rear) and a CD drive. ‘Climatic’ semi-automatic air conditioning and an electronic parking brake are also standard. Sitting on 15” Lyon alloy wheels, the Comfortline trim provides cruise control, Bluetooth phone connectivity, radio composition media, with a 5.8 inch touch screen display which responds to wiping and zooming gestures, with access to ‘Phone’ and ‘Voice’ commands. USB and aux-in interfaces are integrated into a separate compartment in the centre console. Visually distinctive on approach via its 16” Dover alloys, the Highline trim also provides front fog lights, deep red tail-light clusters, a black radiator grille with chrome mouldings and electrically folding exterior mirrors. Internally the driver gets a three spoke leather multifunction steering wheel.. Optional equipment includes high beam assist, lane assist, park assist, ACC adaptive cruise control and a rear-view camera. Drivers can also select from a choice of alternative alloy wheels up to 18 inches in diameter, bi-xenon headlights, ‘Vienna’ leather upholstery (optionally with 12-way electrically adjustable front seats), 2-Zone climate control, the Discover Pro navigation system with 8-inch colour touchscreen, keyless entry and a panoramic sunroof. VW Bank promise attractive finance rates, with Hire Purchase rates of 4.9 per cent available on new Golf and PCP (Personal Contract Plan) rates from €239 per month including delivery charges.

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Communication Solutions For Education Gadgets

NextiraOne utilises Alcatel-Lucent technology to provide all the elements required for an effective, integrated communications network for educational organisations. These communications solutions are designed from extensive experience working closely with education sector customers worldwide, and are based on advanced e-business and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technologies. Solutions vary from: IP Telephony, LAN Switching, Wireless Networks to Applications like Network Access Control, to ensure students can only access content they are allowed to, as well as checking the devices are up to date and meet minimum security requirements. In Collaboration Solutions the Interactive Whiteboardscan be integrated into multi party voice and web conferences. With increasing funding and budget cuts, educational institutes are faced with the challenge of balancing the need to attract and retain students/professors with next generation applications and the need to control cost. By leveraging today’s communication networks, Primary, Secondary and Third Level education institutes can improve the teaching and learning experience and boost staff and student productivity. A converged network from Alcatel-Lucent combines voice, data and video on one single network, creates a secure and reliable backbone for new IP-based services, while leveraging the existing infrastructure, thus significantly reduce telecommunications expenses.

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fOOd

raw Talent A long standing Japanese favourite, sushi has made the transition from streets of Asia to the shops of Ireland. Conor Forrest talks to some of the people involved about their experience in the Irish sushi business and its prospects for the future.

usashi noodle and sushi bar is a slice of a different life in a busy and bustling Dublin city. While outside the traffic rages and people scurry from home to work and back again, the atmosphere inside this traditional sushi bar is a welcome change. The lighting is dimmed; the seats are plush, padded stools facing a long wooden bench lining the wall, the dĂŠcor unmistakably South East Asian in its outlook. Newcomers fumble and old hands snatch with black

chopsticks at red plates filled with exotic food. A remnant of a Celtic Tiger culture in its death throes; when we all enjoyed life and the trappings of money, when our tastes knew no bounds. Certainly not something you might have seen in Ireland 20 years ago. Because when you think of Ireland, historically, and the food that its people might enjoy, several fairly stereotypical items may spring to mind. Potatoes, of course. Bacon and cabbage, perhaps.

Typical Irish fare cooked and enjoyed by generations of Irish mammies and children. And fish? Why not? Many of us, particularly those from an older generation, might like a bit of fish every Friday because the Catholic Church once said we shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really be eating other meat on those particular days, and habits often tend to die hard in Ireland. Still, the fish was at least cooked; certainly not raw. But in recent years Ireland has discovered or perhaps rediscovered its love for less traditional grub and so a great deal of artisan and similar food establishments have popped onto the scene, along with a taste for the finer foods from further afield. Waterford is one such place which combines tradition and imports, and, in particular, is home to several types of bacon and various other Irish delicacies, as well as a very successful sushi business which has been operating out of the south east over the past two years, going from strength to Q2 3012 | InBusiness 133

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Food

flavoring,” Finding a reference to its first introduction to Ireland is another matter, more than likely a result of acquired tiger tastes. Regardless, it made the journey to these shores.

Glorious Sushi

Glorious Sushi founder Tetyana Zhemerdyey.

strength. As the blurb on their county council’s website states, “Waterford prides itself on its quality and innovative food culture, which combines the best of traditional fresh produce with the newer tastes of the international palate.”

Common Origins Sushi’s origins are humble. It began as food sold on the side of the street, mostly to the working class of Japan. Modern sushi; that which appears as raw fish served up alongside vinegared rice, began in Tokyo, known in 1824 as Edo. The son of a greengrocer, Yohei Hanaya changed jobs several times before

creating his nigiri (meaning squeezed) sushi, and started selling it from a box carted around on his back, before graduating to the more prestigious street-side stall. For a long time the street snack was the provenance of Asia though over the course of the past century it has snuck into western plates and mouths, especially in the last decade, through an eclectic mix of globalisation and female emancipation. In the west, the second edition of the Oxford English Dictionary notes the earliest mention of sushi in the west in an 1893 book called A Japanese Interior, which mentions “a roll of cold rice with fish, sea-weed, or some other

And not just any old sushi. This is award winning sushi. Like the Bord Bia Quality Assurance mark which ensures you get only the best quality food sitting on your plate, getting the stamp of approval from Blas na hÉireann, the taste of Ireland, is a celebration of, and a reward for, the best tasting Irish food and drink products. Enter Tetyana Zhemerdyey and her company, Glorious Sushi, established in 2011 and already a gold winner. “The most memorable time in the as yet short life of my company is receiving gold in Blas na hÉireann,” says Zhemerdyey. “This made me really proud of my company and of what I’m doing. This competition gave [me] an extra reassurance and made me want to continue my business with an even greater belief that my company will soon expand.” Zhemerdyey first became interested in sushi 20 years ago in her native Ukraine and, upon moving to Waterford, she began to investigate establishing her own business in a city without a sushi trade. In Japan, using the freshest ingredients prepared in the time-honoured way is essential to capturing the best tasting sushi possible with high quality rice much preferred and the freshest fish possible essential. Zhemerdyey uses a blend of Japanese techniques combined with the freshest of the local catch. “All of my ingredients, whether it’s vegetables or fish, come from local suppliers. My fish and other seafood come from a Waterford based company. By using local ingredients I make sure that all of my sushi are always fresh, good to taste and most important, healthy.”

Debate Over Safety Debate has raged over the past number of years concerning the safety of eating sushi in any great quantity. Professor David Carpenter of the University of Albany in New York once famously said, “If you eat a meal of salmon sushi more than twice a year, you will

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Food

"Anyone who eats sushi and any other seafood in moderation will feel the healthy benefits of consuming Omega-3 fatty acids." increase your risk of cancer”, which wouldn’t do much to inspire one to try out the Japanese favourite. To be fair, some sushi meals have been found to contain up to 400 calories and around two grams of salt, and levels of mercury present in tuna and other similar fish have been of concern. But in reality, anyone who eats sushi and any other seafood in moderation will feel the healthy benefits of consuming Omega-3 fatty acids. Dr James McIntosh works for safefood and accentuates the positives. “Let’s look at what’s good in this: we would be encouraging people to increase their intake of fish. Fish – particularly oily fish – is good for heart health and we would be pushing this message. When it comes to sushi, you have to look at the waters it comes from. Around these parts, our waters are pretty safe and are regularly monitored.” And as he points out, there are safeguards in place when it comes to preparing the food. “It must be frozen for at least 24 hours before serving and at a temperature designed to eliminate anything untoward that may be in the fish”.

we were stocking the product on a daily basis, while maintaining the weekly stall. Now Glorious Sushi is an established and popular product range for us. Tetyana's commitment to quality and innovation has ensured that sales have maintained good levels. We continue to have her instore every four to six weeks to support the product.” And Glorious Sushi isn’t the only company to experience plenty of growth in this particular sector or at least piggyback on the delicious trend. Outside of the various restaurants and sushi bars that tend to dot the capital, or at least the country’s cities, sushi is also readily available in packaged form in the shops, despite snobbish opinions regarding the time it should spend in a fridge (none, apparently). And it is in this little niche that companies like

Glorious Sushi and Oishii Sushi from Bray, Co. Wicklow fit in. Zhemerdyey currently supplies high quality sushi to a variety of grocery and supermarket stores, while Ciara Troy of Oishii Sushi has experienced increased success in the Irish market having branched out with Tesco since 2009. The interest in sushi from the consumer is there, all that is needed now are suppliers based around the country. “We had been searching for a few years for a good supplier,” noted Kevin Jephson, also with Ardkeen Food Store. “However most are in and around Dublin and we were not happy that the product would arrive reliably and fresh enough.” We might have lost our taste for the more expensive things in life, but food doesn’t seem to be one of them. “With every day more and more people try sushi in Ireland,” says Zhemerdyey. “After a while they love it and sushi slowly starts to substitute everyday foods like sandwiches. With people like this the market for sushi keeps expanding bit by bit.”

A Trade At Risk? So does that mean that with all of its supposed inherent dangers, the sushi trade in Ireland is best left alone? Not a hope. Colin Jephson, Director of Ardkeen Quality Food Store in Waterford, and one of several of Zhemerdyey’s stockists around Ireland, noticed an immediate surge in interest. “Having seen the quality of her product we were keen to see if our customers would take to Glorious Sushi. We were also aware that although our customers would be curious, many would not have tried sushi before and may be wary of it.” Rather than stocking the sushi on their shelves, Ardkeen tried a different approach, inviting Zhemerdyey to set up a market style stand in their shop once a week. “After a few weeks sales had reached encouraging levels. Soon Q3 2012 | InBusiness 135

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Travel

Gamble on Gambia Kirsty Tobin revisits the country of her childhood and takes a trip down memory lane.

ambia has had more bad press than good over the last few years. One stand-out moment was President Yahya Jammeh’s insistence, in 2007, that he had cured Aids and his subsequent refusal to, well… prove it. But, luckily for Gambia’s tourism industry, the small West African country has a lot more to offer than its politics. As a child, I lived in Africa for four years. I haven’t returned since leaving, aged ten, to come back to Ireland for school. It’s been 13 years. From the moment the cabin crew opens the doors at the end of the flight, you're hit in the face by a very familiar wall of heat. The walk to the airport buses, unlike in Ireland, is dry, warm and starts the holiday off just right. There’s something else, something that’s intrinsically Africa. It’s a sense of belonging. I’ve talked to other people about this, so I know it’s not just sentimentality. Once you’ve been to Africa, you realise that nowhere else feels quite as right. You feel at home.

The Familiar For such a small country, Gambia packs quite a punch. Its laid-back attitude and the friendly welcome make you feel instantly at home. The huge range of activities – from wildlife reserves, to boat trips, to museums, to simply relaxing on the beach – means that from the moment you land here to the moment you leave you are never bored, and never starved for something to do. I spent much of my childhood on beaches. We lived within walking distance of the Atlantic Ocean, so weekends and days off were spent splashing in the waves and venturing along the coast. One favourite stroll was from Leybato (about 3km from Bakau village) to Kololi Beach. The walk won't seem so long as I remember, but the feeling of sand between your toes and the gentle warmth of the waves lapping at your ankles – that’s something that hasn’t changed in the slightest. Nor have the bumsters. Be prepared to be

approached by locals selling anything and everything from inside their jackets. The views along this stretch are stunning, though, with red cliffs giving way to inlets and waving palms, and they more than make up for the occasional intrusion into your personal space. When travelling with children, bear in mind that walking along this coastline involves the fording of Kotu Stream. Kotu is usually passable but it can be challenging, particularly at high tide. If you decide to make the trek anyway, reward the little ones with a sundae at Luigi’s, just off Kololi Beach. The pizzas are incredible there. I have been craving one for the last 13 years, and they don’t disappoint. The beaches around the touristy areas are great. Gambia has a healthy tourism sector, but not on the level of the European resort towns. So, regardless of whether you go during the ‘busy season’ or not, you’re sure to find a spot on a not-too-crowded beach. However,

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Travel

"Boat trips up-river, and through the mangrove swamps that populate much of the Gambian river lands, are available through the Camp and operate out of nearby Kwinella." if you’re looking for something a little more secluded, the beaches further down the coast see less foot traffic and are more reminiscent of what one would expect from Africa: hammocks slung between palm trees, coconuts littering the sand, open-sided beachfront bars… and, blessedly, fewer bumsters than on the more popular beaches up north. In the village of Bakau you return to another highlight of my childhood – Kachically Crocodile Pool. The sacred space is revered by locals and it is believed that the waters here improve fertility and have healing powers. Yet the clue to the real draw of Kachikally is in its name… crocodiles. There are dozens at the pool and they pose no threat to the hordes of visitors. They have truly become used to people. The most famous crocodile, Charlie, is tame enough to pet. There is also a museum on site in which you will find a broader explanation of how and why the pool earned its healing reputation. You take a jaunt up-river and stop at Tendaba Camp – somewhere I frequented a lot as a child. Tendaba is right on the river. A pier stretches out into the ponderous waters and is an ideal vantage point for watching the sunsets that Gambia is famous for. Lodging here consists of individual cabins that can accommodate a family or a couple. Western cuisine often appears in the Camp’s restaurant, but always with a Gambian twist. Bush pig is hugely popular at the Camp and will be seen on the menu most evenings. Boat trips up-river, and through the mangrove swamps that populate much of the Gambian river lands, are available through the Camp and operate out of nearby Kwinella. Returning to the coast, you explore the cities, towns and villages of my childhood: the hustle, bustle and constant traffic jam that is Serrekunda, the quiet excitement of haggling over fruit and trinkets at the markets in

Bakau (a great spot for souvenirs, and gifts for family and friends), the mix of Western and local architecture that characterises much of post-colonial Africa and which is very much in evidence in Banjul.

A New Approach For much of the trip you're retreading old footsteps, returning to my former stomping grounds and old favourites. But, eventually, the ‘former stomping grounds’ of a ten year old, while exciting and nostalgia-inducing, aren’t enough to fill your time, and you decide to explore some of those places I had never quite made it to as a child. Top of my list is James Island (now named Kunta Kinteh Island in homage to the fictional slave immortalised in Alex Haley’s sprawling saga Roots). The island was used in the ivory and gold trade and,

later, as an integral cog in the slavery machine. Found in the very mouth of the River Gambia, it is an essential port of call for anyone with an interest in the history of Africa’s slave trade. It retains vestiges of that trade, with the ruins of colonial buildings and slave holdings scattered about the island. Also included in tours are visits to the villages of Juffureh and Albreda. And, for those of you who are less than enthusiastic about history, the journey out to the island, in itself, makes the excursion worth it. Trips operate out of Banjul and, if you’re lucky, you might spot some dolphins playing around the boat. I try my hand at Ida’s Cooking Course. Ida opens her home in Brufut to visitors, provides them with traditional African dress for the afternoon, and takes them through the entire process of preparing a Gambian meal – like domoda or benechin – all the way from obtaining fresh ingredients right through to sitting down with her family to enjoy what they’ve prepared. This day proves to be one of the favourites of the trip. The warm welcome given by Ida and her family makes anything otherwise impossible.

GETTING THERE

ACCOMMODATION

There are no direct flights from Ireland to the Gambia. Chartered flights operate out of Gatwick and vary in price, but a good guideline is €500 one way. For more information, log on to www.gambia.co.uk/Docs/ Travel-Info/Flight-Information/ Default.aspx

There is a wide range of accommodation available in the Gambia to suit a range of budgets. The secluded Coco Ocean Spa Resort is the epitome of elegance and is an ideal spot for a relaxing and romantic getaway, the five-star Kairaba Hotel offers beach front luxury and sits in the heart of the tourist district, while African Village Hotel in Bakau provides a cheaper alternative and more of a local feel.

GETTING AROUND Gambia is a relatively easy (and cheap!) country to navigate. The majority of locals Gambians speak English. Taxis are plentiful, and buses (Bush Taxis) do travel up-river. Hiring a car can be expensive, but it may be worth it for trips to Basse or Tendaba. Taxis can cost as little as 6 Dalasi (20c) per trip as long as you don’t mind sharing, but bear in mind that drivers will most likely charge you extra if you’re getting dropped to one of the resorts.

ACTIVITES For more information on the many activities available in the Gambia, log on to www.gambia.co.uk

MEDICAL ADVICE At the very minimum, you will need anti-malarials, but speak to your doctor before travelling, as inoculations may be recommended.

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Gadgets

Phones, tablets and automobiles By far the biggest gadget release this year was the iPhone 5 which met with the standard responses by die-hard fans. InBusiness looks at its release and a number of other products to whet your appetite.

IPHONE 5 We all know what to expect from the yearly iPhone release. Hundreds of thousands of people will queue for hours outside stores in order to be the first, or one of the first, to get their hands on the latest version. So what can one expect from this year’s edition? First off, the typical modifications have been made. It is now the thinnest smartphone in the world with a 7.6 mm anodised aluminium body that is 18 per cent thinner and 20 per cent lighter than the iPhone 4S; it boasts a new 4-inch retina display which delivers more pixels than the iPhone 4S and the new A6 chip, which promises ultrafast wireless and longer battery life. But the biggest selling point, according to Apple, has been the launch of their new operating system iOS 6. Apple claims that it is the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 new user features such as their all new Maps app with Apple-designed cartography, turn-by-turn navigation and ‘Flyover’ view. There is also Facebook integration for Contacts and Calendar, with the ability to post directly from Notification Center; Passbook. Siri, the voice-recognition software which was the darling-child of the 4S, returns with new features including support for more languages, easy access to sports scores, restaurant recommendations and movie listings. Siri now also supports Facebook-enabled apps like Photos, Safari and Maps; and Shared Photo Streams via iCloud. Unsurprisingly, the A6 chip has also significantly boosted the phone’s web performance. The iPhone 5 supports ultrafast wireless standards including LTE and DC-HSDPA, so you can browse, download and stream content at a much faster rate and features dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi support for a wireless experience up to 150 Mbps.

Sony Personal 3D Viewer Films 30 years ago had visions of people of our time all wearing virtual reality helmets and living out our experiences in the digital world. While there have been some attempts made to see this come into fruition, many have been huge clunky devices that make the user look like Gort from The Day the Earth Stood Still. Now, however, Sony have released a stylish visual kit that aims to revolutionise the way people play video games or watch movies. Fitting comfortably over your head and weighing only 330g, the Personal 3D Viewer features a high definition 2D and 3D personal display. The twin Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) screens display vivid, super-sharp images (with zero cross-talk interference) to provide an immersive personal experience. The audio technology is also excellent with a 5.1 surround sound creating a 360º natural sound field, just. There’s also harmonic equaliser technology built in, which restores audio compression losses in the digital waveform for a fuller, more spacious sound. Prices will range from approximately €1,000 available online.

There are three versions – 16GB, 32GB and 64GB – and prices start from €149

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Gadgets

INSTANTLAB If you prefer a cassette player to an iPod, or floppy disk to USB sticks, then the InstantLab by Impossible is the gadget for you. With the camera software in the iPhone, this device turns digital iPhone images into real instant Polaroid photos. Aesthetically the InstantLab resembles the towered structure of the earliest cameras and, thankfully, is fully collapsible to a smaller size if needed. The device is very easy to use for people familiar with the iPhone. Just select an image from the Instant Lab app, place the iPhone in the cradle and slide open the shutter on the base. A signal tells you when the exposure is finished. Close the shutter, push the button and the Instant Lab ejects your photo, ready to develop in the palm of your hand, all in the space of a few minutes. Collapse the tower and the Instant Lab is fully portable and ready to go wherever your heart desires. Now, with the new PX 70 and PX 680 Color Protection film, Impossible greatly improved the ease of handling and image quality. An innovative color protection formula improves the opacification process, finally allowing for easy shooting without the need for immediate shielding of the photos. The new films also deliver a never beforeseen color saturation, a completely new level of detail and sharpness and overall stunning image quality to bring back a real retro feel.

Kymera Wand A new product on the market is a must-have for any Harry Potter fan, big or small, looking to add a bit of magic to your household appliances. Developed over the last two years, the Kymera Wand is the latest consumer electronics gadget to employ emerging motion detection technology to give the user a unique and more intuitive user interface. Technically the Kymera Wand is a universal remote control, but as Chris Barnardo, one of its inventors, explains, that that was not what was originally intended by the design: “Essentially we set out to design a magic wand that uses modern remote control technology to give the user a magical experience.” The wand understands 13 different movement ‘gestures’, each of which can learn and replay the remote control function from any button on almost any existing infra-red (IR) remote control. All of which means that the Kymera Wand can be used not just for changing channels on your TV but for controlling hi-fis, DVD players, settop boxes, iPod docks, Apple Macs and even remote-controlled light switches and curtains for example. Prices start from €68 online.

Prices for the basic model start at $199 online and range up to $2,000 for the deluxe model.

Soundwagon With vinyl records coming back in fashion, the Soundwagon offers people the chance to hear records old or new with the world’s smallest record player. While it has been in existence since 2001 in Japan, it is now available worldwide to the delight of peculiar gadget collectors. Fitting into the palm of your hand the small Volkswagen bus can be placed on any 33 1/3 rpm vinyl and will spin around the grooves and play the record seamlessly. The Soundwagon can be purchased online for $99. Q3 2012 | InBusiness 139

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crOSSwOrd

The inBusiness Boss-word! Please send completed entries to InBusiness Magazine, Ashville Media Group, Old Stone Building, Blackhall Green, Dublin 7 to arrive no later than November 30th 2012. The first correct entry drawn will win a fabulous hamper courtesy of Hampers & Co.

ACROSS

DOWN

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1. Easy or pleasant (1,4,2,3,4) 2. Pub (6) 5. Overabundance (8) 6. Culture and fashion publication (6, 4) 7. Those born in the west postâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;World War II (10, 1) 8. Charmingly strange (6) 11. The commercial organisation or visits to places of interest (7) 12. Vote into office (5) 13. Allegations that further oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cause or damage an opposing cause (10) 19. Change direction (4)

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Register365 | IB SURVEY

The name game Sally Tomkotowicz, Marketing Manager with Register365, offers businesses some helpful advice in relation to choosing the right domain name and protecting your online brand.

o, you have a great business idea; you know what you want to sell and how you want to sell it. If you are savvy your business plan will include an online component because in today’s world, being online is a must. In fact, the internet could even be your greatest ally. You may already have a website designed in your head right down to the colour and the layout, however many SMEs don’t consider one of the most important elements – choosing the right domain name. This may seem a relatively simple decision but it is of vital importance, particularly if the website is the public face of your business, and there are many reasons to tread carefully when choosing a domain name. Relevancy is extremely important, so consider what key terms people would enter when making a search for your service online. Incorporating these kinds of words into your domain name will help to optimise your site for search engine rankings, and keeping your website near the top of the results pages will drive more traffic to your site.

Maximising your chances Don’t assume your perfect domain name will be immediately available, since it may have already been registered by someone else. One simple way to maximise your chances of finding a suitable domain name is to write down ten adjectives which best define your business and then combine them with your product name or the content of your website. Once you have completed this exercise, review the potential results and decide which one you feel has the biggest impact. It is also worth bearing in mind that there may be legal ramifications for choosing the wrong domain name, so

do some research before registering. Make sure you are covered on two key legal issues; firstly that you aren’t infringing another business’s copyright and secondly that you are able to secure the relevant extensions to protect against (potentially damaging) illegitimate third party use.

Extending your image The extensions you choose are as significant as the domain name itself since they clarify the markets in which your company operates and what type of business you do. If you intend to target a Sally Tomkotowicz, Marketing Manager with Register365. global market from the outset or in the Alternatively you could choose a domain longer term it is advisable to secure a name that specifically reflects the nature .com extension. If you are looking to of your business, for example .biz for show off your Irish roots, it is best done business content, .org for a charity or with a .ie domain which has restrictions .pro for qualified professionals in place that give the assurance that Follow these simple rules to get the most out of your domain name before a website has Irish connections. This you make any registrations. Ultimately allows you to maximise marketing efforts in Ireland and to get ranked more your domain name choice is one of the highly in google.ie and other Irish search most important decisions you will make when setting up a company as once it is engines. Alternatively if you’re targeting registered, it is very difficult to change! Europe, the .eu domain is advisable.

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The laST wOrd

The misinformation effect With an unexpected turn of events concerning Dublin’s office vacancy rate, Conor Forrest speaks to CBRE’s Director of Research, Marie Hunt, on their reaction to the promising uptake and the state of affairs in Dublin's commercial leasing market.

ith a great deal of office requirements being put on hold by the capital’s corporate occupier market – as a result of global economic uncertainty – the statisticians could be forgiven for thinking at the beginning of 2012 that annual uptake would barely reach the 100,000 square metre mark. Despite this forecast, CBRE, one of Ireland’s biggest property consultancies, are reporting news of a more positive nature. In the first three quarters of the year the total volume of office lettings stands at just over 86,000 square metres and an end of year figure in the region of 110,000 seems the most likely result – impressive when considering both the domestic and international backdrop and the fact that the long term average figure for the city stands at an average of 150,000 square metres. Extracting the figures from the

raw data falls to Marie Hunt, head of the research team at CBRE Group in Ireland. “We would focus on every kind of property other than residential,” she explains. “It’s a full service business so we do everything from valuing the properties to fitting them out to letting them to selling them.” Her own role involves digging through the data, searching for the trends. “What we do is compile stats on all the different trends that are going on in varying sectors of the market and we produce a lot of market publications, speak at a lot of events to inform investors and occupiers about Ireland and the market here.” Current vacancy rates in Dublin stand at 22.1 per cent, a rate which has surprised many. “It’s been holding up quite well,” Hunt says. “It’s surprising because that’s the first thing you’d think would take a hit when the economy

"We track the rents on a quarterly basis and from 2007 onwards they fell from the peak of the market. But for the last three quarters we haven’t been adjusting that rate, it’s stayed flat."

Marie Hunt.

slowed down but they actually held up quite well. They’re driven by two things – you still have the 12.5 per cent corporate tax rate and you still have FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) announcements. These companies coming in need somewhere to occupy. The second thing, concerning the indigenous occupiers is that rents have fallen 50 per cent from peak and they don’t have to sign 20 and 25 year leases with upwards only rent reviews. The tenant is really calling the shots.” Despite some surprise regarding the Q3 2012 | InBusiness 143

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The Last Word vacancy rate in the city and surrounding suburbs, many of Hunt and her research team’s predictions have come true, including the stabilising of prime rents, a notable increase in the volume of transactions in investment, hotel and development sites and a new trend for the Irish market in the form of an increase in the sale of residential investment portfolios from overseas investors. “It’s not exactly positive news,” she cautions. “But what we anticipated is coming true. Transactional activity year on year is certainly up. Also NAMA were in the set up phase of getting all of their procedures in place and they’re beginning to start selling. The non-Irish banks are also very aggressively selling their Irish product. Definitely you see a lot more properties coming for sale and that’s only starting to become evident now, it’s taking six or nine months for deals to close in some cases. There were only a handful of investment deals done last year and there are 18 of over one million in value done this year. Relative to 2006 and 2007 it doesn’t look great but year on year there’s been a rapid improvement.” In particular it appears that prime rents across the city are stabilising. “We track the rents on a quarterly basis and from 2007 onwards they fell from the peak of the market. But for the last three quarters we haven’t been adjusting that rate, it’s stayed flat.” The downside to lower vacancy rates is that Dublin is left somewhat short on stock. “If the FDI requirements keep coming in, we haven’t got an awful lot of stock left to cater for them if they want to be in Dublin 2/4. What the IDA are getting a bit worried about is that there’s nothing under construction.” However constructing new office buildings to make up for any shortage simply isn’t an option at present. “You’re at that point in the cycle where you could say ‘maybe if we get on site now and started developing we’d time it perfectly,” says Hunt. “But you won’t get the funding to build an office building and even if you did, the rents you’d be achieving wouldn’t make the model work.” And for foreign companies coming into Dublin searching for office space, the official rates don’t exactly tell the full story, leading to some confusion. In Dublin, everything which is marketed

"If you have a 50,000 square requirement and you arrive in Dublin and see a 22 per cent vacancy rate, you presume that the world is your oyster. But when you narrow it down and start to look at specific locations and you want something quite modern, you’ll struggle." as being available to let is marked as vacant. Hunt gives the example of a company whose building has one floor too many which they want to offload or sub-let. And because that floor is marketed as to let, it’s counted as vacant even though it isn’t really. “That wouldn’t be the case in Europe,” she explains. “It would be literally anything that’s sitting vacant and empty. We tend to call it ‘availability’ rather than ‘vacancy.’ The second thing would be that a lot of older quality buildings are on our list every single quarter, they’re never let yet they’re counted again and again.” This discrepancy is what can lead to confusion from overseas companies searching for space in the City. “If you have a 50,000 square requirement and you arrive in Dublin and see a 22 per cent vacancy rate, you presume that the world is your oyster. But when you narrow it down and start to look at specific locations and you want something quite modern, you’ll struggle.”

Looking to the near future, Hunt is cautious yet carefully positive. “It depends on which sector you’re talking about. With investment I’d certainly be more positive,” she states. “I think there’s going to be more transactions coming down the line. In terms of the office or occupier market, I think it’s probably more of the same. There’s a lot of international interest, particularly for prime investment products. The crux for our offices is the 12.5 per cent tax rate. The other thing is looming is the Financials Transactions Tax. If that comes in, it would be more advantageous for financial companies to relocate to the UK. But the biggest threat is always the corporate tax. There are some corporations out there that desperately want to move but they’re just hesitant to enact that at the minute. The pent up demand is there and I think if there were signs of economic growth and more positive news coming through on that front it might encourage some of those occupiers to go ahead.”

Profile of CBRE C BRE Group is a Fortune 500 company and the world’s largest commercial real

estate services firm headquartered in Los Angeles. Worldwide, the company has approximately 34,000 employees and serves real estate owners, investors and occupiers from more than 300 offices, offering advice and execution concerning property sales, leasing, project management and more.  I n Ireland CBRE Group maintains offices in both Dublin and Belfast, and is the country’s largest commercial real estate service with over 110 employees offering similar services including valuations and research. U nder Marie Hunt the research division, which consists of a team of analysts, surveyors and specialists in information, provides clients with a full range of information concerning the real estate market, providing insight into trends across Ireland and Europe in conjunction with CBRE’s global network. The research team also prepares reports and presentations on broader topics affecting the real estate market.

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