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Public servants are escaping new pension rules that delay the payment of the State pension. The State contributory pension is now only paid from the age of 66, meaning that thousands of people who are compelled to leave work at the age of 65 have to claim Jobseekers’ Benefit – getting almost €50 a week […]

Spending on household goods is up 12.7pc this year, as people’s disposable income continues to rise. The volume of retail sales, which represents real growth, has grown rapidly since 2014, and is now well ahead of the last peak in 2007, according to the findings of the latest Consumer Market Monitor (CMM). However, while the […]

Q I run a beauty salon in a small regional town. We are not great at marketing and our sales can only be described as modest. Are there any tips you could give us? You are correct to link your lack of marketing and the sales performance. In my experience, businesses that trade well are […]

While certain sectors of business have been radically altered over time, others have changed mostly in how they are conducted. For many years Michael Gilmartin and his partner supplied everything a law firm or barrister would need to run their business. Their two shops – one in Cork and one in Dublin – had everything […]

The establishment of a major food industry hub in the Boyne Valley region is set to create 2,500 jobs by 2025, the Sunday Independent has learned. The Boyne Valley Food Innovation District (BVFID) – which has a multi-disciplinary advisory board with key industry figures such as Bord Bia chairman Michael Carey and former Largo foods […]

An Irish EdTech firm has secured over €100,000 in funding to launch a new project which will investigate how virtual reality (VR) technology impacts children’s health. Enterprise Ireland high-potential start-up (HPSU) Zeeko business model is to promote a healthy balance for children using screen devices and the internet, by working with parents and children themselves. […]

Household debt is now at its lowest level since 2005, and is over 30pc lower than its 2008 peak, according to the latest accounts from the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI). During the three months to 30 June, household debt fell by €0.9bn to €141.7bn, which equates to 141.6pc of disposable income. Meanwhile household investment […]

One of the country’s biggest employers of new graduates has been forced to introduce interest-free loans to help new recruits secure rental accommodation in Dublin. The country managing partner at accounting and advisory giant EY, Mike McKerr, has told the Irish Independent that his firm is providing the interest-free loans on flexible terms to graduate […]

Q – I run a butcher shop and while I have ample parking at my shop, lots of people in the area still don’t know I am here, how can I increase awareness? A – We can talk about the practical marketing tools you can use in a moment, but I want to reflect on […]

There is a “huge opportunity” for Ireland to be at the leading edge of the emerging cyber-security industry, Tánaiste and Enterprise Minister Frances Fitzgerald told delegates at a leading industry conference in Dublin yesterday. The cyber-security industry employs around 6,000 people here, and the top five worldwide security software companies have operations in Ireland, Minister […]