In the latest in our series of briefings with influential Irish business leaders we feature Jennifer Rock, founder and CEO of online skin consultancy The Skin Nerd.

You think you have a great business idea – but how do you get it off the ground? Well, for budding entrepreneurs, there’s no end of help available. Here's a round up of grants and supports to help new businesses in Ireland:

Our series of interviews with inspirational business leaders takes on a family flavour this month as we speak to Jo Davey, founder of Absolute Nutrition.

From building the leaders of the future to improving staff performance and morale, there are numerous ways that mentoring can boost your business.

When faced with a range of suitable candidates, how do you go about recruiting the right person for your business? Placing a job ad can bring in hundreds of applicants who apparently have the right qualifications. But having achieved the best exam results doesn’t necessarily make them the best person for the role. So how, in that sea of CVs, can you spot someone who has real potential to shape your business? Here are recruitment strategies that you can use for talent spotting for your business.

International shipping can be integral to business growth in this age of globalisation, and a freight forwarder can make the journey overseas less daunting. Here are some tips for how to choose a freight forwarder for your business:

Franchising enables people to work for themselves without working by themselves, and buy into a brand with a proven business model and good reputation. Here are some tips on making a franchise work for you.

For the latest in our series of interviews with business leaders from across the country, we speak to Lyndsey Kenny, owner of Pet-Bliss, about why she thinks business integrity is as important as financial return.

VAT isn’t something for business owners to fear – but it does need to be navigated proactively and with informed confidence. Here is part 1 of our series about VAT in Ireland: top business tips.

The latest in our series of briefings with influential Irish business leaders features Sonia Deasy, co-founder and CEO of skincare firm Pestle & Mortar.

In the first instalment in our series of interviews with the Ulster Bank agriculture team, we speak to Ailish Byrne, Head of Agriculture, about the continual need for upskilling amongst farmers and the challenges posed by Brexit.

Constantly updating your business plan can help your organisation survive – and thrive. “Fail to plan and you plan to fail” is more than just an old adage – in business, it’s a fact. According to the Harvard Business Review, start-ups built on a formal business plan are 16% more likely to survive – while research from the University of Oregon, 20% of new businesses with plans in place are more likely to enjoy growth and almost twice as likely to attract investors. Here are top tips for creating a successful business plan:

In 2017, an estimated 9,800 women became new business owners in Ireland (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, Entrepreneurship in Ireland 2017). That might sound like a healthy number, but there is still some way to go before women can achieve entrepreneurial parity with men. According to the Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs (MIWE) 2018, just one in five of all entrepreneurs in the country are female, and only 10% of women say they would like to start and run a business in the next three years. Here's a guide to the supports that are available for women in business in Ireland:

Join our Business Achievers community and get access to downloads to help your business, free online training courses and network with members to help grow your business. Niall Horgan’s business Gym+Coffee is, unexpectedly, neither a gym nor a coffee...

The latest in our series of briefings with influential Irish business leaders features Daithí O’Connor, founder and MD of health-food supplements company Revive Active.

Delegating tasks that range from bookkeeping to IT support can be an effective way for businesses to grow while remaining focused on core operations. Outsourcing has, to some extent, cast off its traditional reputation as a way for major corporations to cut costs and increase efficiency by delegating operations such as call centres or logistics to third-party suppliers. Here are the ins and outs of business process outsourcing:

A robust brand will reflect the heart of a business, benefiting every aspect of the company from recruitment to reputation and crucially – the bottom line. A powerful brand is vital if you want to take your business to the next level, helping to boost customer and staff loyalty, as well as positively impacting your profits. But what exactly constitutes a strong brand?

Globalisation continues to change the way businesses operate, enabling SME importers in Ireland to trade with new, previously difficult to reach markets. However, it’s easy to be caught out by unexpected or hidden costs. Importing can help businesses reduce manufacturing costs and gain an edge in a competitive local market. But firms need to be aware of and prepared for the various costs involved to make sure their import activity makes sound business sense. Here's a guide for SMEs to importing to Ireland:

Lorcan Sheehan is the CEO and founder of PerformanSC Supply Chain, a consulting firm headquartered in Dublin with international offices in Chicago, London and Singapore. Read on to find out his thoughts on what the biggest challenges and also opportunities for exporters are. 

To err is human – but learning from those mistakes is what makes a successful business. Every entrepreneur has at some stage got something wrong. However, the successful ones learn from that experience. It’s okay to make mistakes – just don’t make the same ones twice. We asked some business owners about mistakes they have made and what they learned from those mistakes. Here are 4 key business mistakes to avoid: