Tag Archives: SMEs

Small Business Show 58 Part 3: Company Focus – Karora Cosmetics

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For this weeks Company Focus we talked to Karen Brown from Karora Cosmetics. Karora is a 100% Irish cosmetics brand that is certainly turning heads in the global cosmetics sector.

After being invited to one of the most prestigious cosmetics events in the world last year, Cosmoprof, the company was approached my two investors looking to get a piece of the Irish company. Needless to say they were turned down, because Karora felt that the company could be even more successful over the next few years.

Karen Brown from Karora Cosmetics talks to the Small Business Show about starting up and explains how they have come such a long way in such a short space of time.

The Small Business Show is broadcast each weekend in syndication on Irish radio.  Items from the show are published as podcasts throughout the week on FocuSMEIreland.com.  You can subscribe for free to download the MP3s automatically using RSS or iTunes.

This segment of the Small Business Show was broadcast on Saturday 25th of August.

Small Business Show 55 Part 2: EU SME Center, China – Getting Into The Chinese Market

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Small Business Show 56 Part 2: EU SME Center, China - Getting Into The Chinese Market [ 9:15 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In part 2 of this weeks show we talk to Chris Cheung from the EU SME Center in Beijing, China.

The EU SME Centre is a Support Service Provider for European Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) facilitating market access in China.  The Centre provides free of charge, practical information, advice and business tools to better equip SMEs to develop their business and tackle challenges faced in the Chinese market.

Chris talks to us about some of the key factors SMEs should look at before entering into the Chinese market.

The Small Business Show is broadcast each weekend in syndication on Irish radio.  Items from the show are published as podcasts throughout the week on FocuSMEIreland.com.  You can subscribe for free to download the MP3s automatically using RSS or iTunes.

This segment of the Small Business Show was broadcast on Saturday 4th of August.

Small Business Show 54 – Part 3: Company Focus – Kane Laser Engraving

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Small Business Show 54 - Part 3: Company Focus - Kane Laser Engraving [ 9:42 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This weeks Company Focus we talk to Stephen Kane from Kane Laser in Ennis Co. Clare and as you’ll hear they can engrave just about anything!

KaneLaser is a family run business based in Ennis, who’s primary interest is in using native Irish raw materials, and developing gift products based on those materials led to the creation of engraved slate and Kilkenny black marble product lines.

The Small Business Show is broadcast each weekend in syndication on Irish radio.  Items from the show are published as podcasts throughout the week on FocuSMEIreland.com.  You can subscribe for free to download the MP3s automatically using RSS or iTunes.

This segment of the Small Business Show was broadcast on Saturday 28th of July.

Irish SMEs Using Less Electricity – Average Savings of 11% With Schemes

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Energy-saving initiatives in Irish workplaces have helped SMEs cut back on average electricity usage by more than 11% in the last six years.

According to figures from the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), SMEs have cut their usage by 11.3% since 2006, this represents a €565 saving on an annual bill of €5,000.

The figures show a steady reduction in electricity usage, falling from 41,698 kilowatt hours to 36,996 in 2011.

Shemes such as the Better Energy Workplaces scheme, have enabled firms to cut bills through measures such as: better premises insulation, sensor lighting, night-time computer monitor switch-offs and thermostat controls for winter heating.

Target of 911 Jobs Set For High Potential Startups Initiative

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The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton TD today announced that 911 new jobs will be created over the next three years in 53 new high potential start-up companies supported by Government through Enterprise Ireland.

Today’s announcement relates to companies to which support has been provided in the first six months of 2012 under Enterprise Ireland’s High Potential Start-Ups Programme. Both the number of investments and the number of jobs to be created are significantly up on the same period last year (755 jobs/42 companies). These companies come from a wide range of sectors including the innovative sectors that the Government is targeting for growth such as financial services, ICT, digital games, pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

Making the announcement, Minister Bruton said:

“Central to the Government’s plan for jobs and growth is developing a strong engine of indigenous business. We have a base of multinational companies located here that is the envy of many other countries. What we must also do if we are to create the jobs we need is to create a base of indigenous companies that match that level of success. As I have said before, our aim is not only to attract the next Google or Microsoft to Ireland, but to make it possible for the next Google or Microsoft to start-up in Ireland.

Enterprise Boards Plan Female Entrepreneur Blitz

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Women in Ireland are still 2.5 times less likely to start their own business than men and they suffer from a lower rate of self-confidence when it comes to their ability to successfully start one up. To help bridge the gender gap and narrow the self-confidence divide, the County and City Enterprise Boards are planning a major national conference and an exhibition with mentoring clinics to mark ‘National Women’s Enterprise Day’ on Thursday, October 18th.

Enlisting the help of four Irish female entrepreneurs, Minister Kathleen Lynch T.D., Minister for Disability, Equality, Mental Health and Older People, officially launched plans for ‘National Women’s Enterprise Day’ in Dublin.

The theme for this year’s conference, which takes place at the Heritage Hotel in Portlaoise on October 17th and 18th, is “Believe It & Achieve It” as research shows that self-confident women in Ireland, are ten times more likely to start their own business, than those without this self-belief** (Source:GEM).

Minister Lynch will be speaking to around 300 women at the national conference in October, along with four female entrepreneurs from today’s launch: Alison Banton from Brooke & Shoals Fragrances in Wicklow, Caroline McEnery from HR & Business Solutions in Kerry, Fleur Creed from Genesis Business College in Wexford and Sarah Nic Lochlainn from Aruna Sauces in Louth.

Minister Lynch commented: “Female entrepreneurship has been identified as a key driver for economic growth and the achievement of gender equality in recent EU economic and gender equality policy documents. In particular the European Union has adopted the Europe 2020 Strategy which is a plan to guide the actions of Member States to stimulate the economy towards smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.

Increasing female entrepreneurship and women’s presence in industry remain key. As well as the National Women’s Enterprise Day, the Government has also invested in projects to support female entrepreneurial activity as part of the Equality for Women Measure – the Government’s programme of positive actions to achieve true gender equality. A total of nine projects across the country facilitate women entrepreneurs to improve their business and network skills.”

Government Announces New Awareness For Unused Schemes

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The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton has launched an information leaflet outlining 15 schemes available to businesses seeking to start-up, expand and create jobs.

Mr Bruton said that when meeting with businesses around the country, it became clear that there was a lack of awareness amongst business of many of the schemes which are available to start and grow your business, and some of these schemes are seriously underused.

For example, in the case of Revenue Job Assist, almost 200,000 people are eligible to qualify for this scheme, but in 2010, the latest year for which figures are available, only 650 people benefited from it.

The leaflet outlines a number of financial supports for business, including:

SEED CAPITAL SCHEME: Claim back up to €100,000 in income tax paid and invest into a company subscribed as shares

THREE YEAR CORPORATE TAX EXEMPTION: Offers tax relief for new start ups,

BACK TO WORK ENTERPRISE ALLOWANCE (SELF-EMPLOYED): Retain your social welfare while starting up,

EMPLOYMENT INVESTMENT AND INCENTIVE SCHEME: Tax relief for investment in certain corporate trades. Get 30% relief on €150,000 investment,

R&D TAX CREDIT: Set 25% tax credit against corporation tax liability,

INNOVATION VOUCHERS: Apply for a €5,000 innovation voucher to help you explore a business opportunity or problem,

ACCELERATED CAPITAL ALLOWANCE: Gives tax relief for energy efficient companies,

REVENUE JOB ASSIST: Take on someone who has been on the live register for 12 months and claim a double write off of the wages and PRSI for 3 years,

EMPLOYER JOB (PRSI) INCENTIVE SCHEME: Take on someone who has been unemployed for 6 months and pay no PRSI for 18 months.