BREAKING NEWS..........
Action Renewables document highlights areas for improvement for NI
Jamie Delargy and Michael Doran, Managing Director, Action Renewables Following a successful inaugural European Energy Policy Forum hosted recently by Action Renewables, the leading provider of renewable energy expertise announced the launch of its most recent policy document, Proposal for a Renewable Future, which highlights a number of areas of opportunity for growth for renewable energy in […]
Morrow Communications grows Design Team
Morrow Communications has expanded its Design Team once again welcoming both Claire Ball and Matthew Roddy to the team. Clare Ball has been appointed Senior Graphic Designer. Claire works closely with clients to develop creative solutions for print and digital formats. As well as graphic and web design, Claire develops brands, creates event exhibition materials and […]
5 Ways to Boost Office Efficiency
We all want to get the most from our employees. There are plenty of bombastic perks out there to motivate your team, but sometimes it is the simple things that can increase productivity and get everyone working more efficiently. If you’re looking for ideas to give everyone a boost, here are some to try out […]
In Conversation with Ronan Heenan of People 1st
Against the backdrop of a forecasted rise in the unemployment rates coupled with the importance of access to the right skills for Northern Ireland’s private sector, eir Business NI took time out to chat to Ronan Heenan of People 1st whose aim is to help people find a way back into work by offering the right […]
Local employees encouraged to get ‘Out There’ and #LoveYourLandscape
Business in the Community calls on local businesses to support an exciting new environmental action day taking place throughout Northern Ireland on Friday 28 September Lisa Critchley from Belfast Hills Partnership with Denise Cranston, Business in the Community; Sean Kelly, Northern Ireland Environment Link (NIEL); and Bronagh Vallely, from sponsor Out There Services. Business in […]
Why Penetration Testing is important for building a resilient cyber – security strategy
Safe exploitation of vulnerabilities, also known as penetration testing, is what many companies must undertake to strengthen their security posture. But why is this important and how can it help companies during the time of rising cyber crime rates. During a cyber-security conference in 2012, Rober Muller, at the time the director of the F.B.I, […]
FEATURE ARTICLES..........
BDO Northern Ireland announce sponsorship with local Sports Club
Business advisory firm, BDO Northern Ireland has extended its sponsorship portfolio with the announcement of a new partnership with South Belfast based Bredagh Gaelic Athletics Club (GAC). Bredagh GAC’s Under 14 Boys teams unveiled their new playing tops, sponsored by BDO Northern Ireland, at the recent John West All Ireland Football Féile. Running from Friday […]
Northern Health and Social Care Trust leads way in calorie management
The Northern Health and Social Care Trust has been recognised by the Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland (FSA in NI) and Environmental Health Northern Ireland (EHNI) for achieving Calorie Wise status across its six hospital sites. As the first Trust in Northern Ireland to receive the Calorie Wise award for its catering facilities at […]
New Rushmere restaurants to open in October
Five Guys and Nando’s are on track for an October open date at Rushmere Shopping Centre, Craigavon after construction of the two new standalone units was completed. Completion of the combined 7,000 sq. ft. space marks a new milestone for Rushmere which confirmed in January that it had secured letting agreements from the two global, […]
Porter & Co marks major milestone at £10m development as EUROSPAR opens at Wallace Village Lisburn
Porter & Co has completed the first phase of its latest development, Wallace Village, as it handed over the keys of the new 8,000 sq. ft EUROSPAR and adjoining eight-pump petrol station to tenants, Henderson Group. The opening of the locally owned store, marks a major milestone for the £10 million Lisburn development, which will […]
Swisher Hygiene celebrates 20 years with Donnelly Group
Now celebrating its twentieth year in Northern Ireland, Swisher Hygiene Services has announced an investment in its fleet. Having partnered with Donnelly Group for the last 20 years for all its fleet requirements, the Dungannon-based company has purchased a fourth vehicle from Northern Ireland’s largest family-owned new and used vehicle retailer. Specialising in expert cleaning […]
To Invest or Speculate? Evaluating your Approach to the Stock Market
On the face of it, you would think that the financial marketplace is a relatively simple entity. Sure, there are various assets to consider, but the process of investing in uniform and straightforward, right? This is not the case, however, as there are various approaches to entities such as the stock market and a number […]
THOUGHT LEADERS..........
Why Positive Reviews Really do Matter
We all know that place at the bottom of an advertisement or article that tells us ‘Your comments are important to us, so please leave a review,’ but do people really read reviews nowadays? The simple answer to that one is, absolutely they do! Reports and statistics relating to the importance of online reviews when […]
Bulletproof your organisation’s security with Cyber Threat Intelligence
As seen in recent years, all organisations in the public or private sector, no matter what shape or size, are vulnerable to a cyberattack. Hence the need for Cyber Threat Intelligence, says Dave Markham of Fujitsu. Companies need not only be concerned with protecting their data but the entire operation of a company itself. If data is […]
What are the best ways to start investing as a career?
When it comes to working within the financial sector, many people will opt to go for traditional routes such as bagging a job at a respected investment bank. However, for anyone who likes a bit more excitement and to be in control of their own money, becoming a professional investor is a real option. Moving […]
Top 5 workplace benefits and how they affect staff morale
Employee morale is based on the views and opinions of those people who work for you, how they feel about the environment in which they work in and their overall level of satisfaction. It has a huge effect on engagement, productivity and retention. With high levels of morale throughout a workforce, satisfaction will rise but […]
Selling your business? Here’s what you need to know…
Selling your business is not usually a decision made lightly and the sales process is never simple. However, the rewards of doing so can be great, and ultimately, life-changing. It can be seen as a daunting task, so, if you’re selling your business and need some assistance, talk to the experts, and sell your business […]
Busting the 5 most common AdWords myths
Andrew McParland, Ecommerce specialist from Flint Studios, exposes the misconceptions surrounding Google AdWords For some, advertising online using methods such as pay-per-click (PPC) ads can seem rather daunting. The thought of bidding for keywords can be a scary process for many, particularly when the internet is rife with incorrect information. Misconceptions surrounding Google AdWords are widespread […]
MOVERS & SHAKERS...
Patrick Arends Appointed as Head of Hospitality, Leisure & Culture at HLM
Patrick Arends has joined HLM, a leading design and architecture practice with studios in Belfast City Centre. Patrick has been appointed as the Head of Hospitality, Leisure and Culture at the practice, bringing over 17 years of experience of delivering high quality and high value projects internationally. As sector lead, he will add to HLM’s […]
Pinsent Masons Infrastructure Lawyer invited to Fellowship of Institution of Civil Engineers
The Institution of Civil Engineers has recognised the contribution of a leading infrastructure lawyer with an invitation to Fellowship. Adrian Eakin, a Partner at Pinsent Masons specialising in the infrastructure sector has accepted a Presidential Invitation from Professor Lord Robert Mair to become a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). The Presidential Invitation […]
Law graduate Sarah Mulholland wins four exam awards and chooses career with TLT
Sarah Mulholland, a legal graduate from Portadown in Northern Ireland, has won four awards on top of her distinction from the Institute of Professional Legal Studies (IPLS) and accepted a job as a fully qualified solicitor with her training contract provider, UK law firm TLT. The awards include the Belfast Solicitors Association prize for the […]
Judith Totten MBE joins a SERIOUS Board
Leading local businesswoman, Judith Totten, who was recently announced as a recipient of an MBE, is to join the board of SERIOUS PR. Ms Totten who is founder and Managing Director of Upstream and a board member of Invest NI will serve as non-executive chair of the award-winning PR firm. She joins as SERIOUS marks […]
Lough Erne Resort appointes Justin McGreevy as Resort Operations Manager
Lough Erne Resort has added to its experienced team of senior management with the strategic appointment of Justin McGreevy as Resort Operations Manager. The new role has been created to enable the leading hospitality business to further commit to its five-star guest experience and cement its ambitions to be renowned as Northern Ireland’s most luxurious […]
Rachael McGuickin is Visit Belfast’s new Director of Business Development
Visit Belfast, the city’s destination marketing and management organisation has appointed Rachael McGuickin as Director of Business Development. This appointment will see Rachael play an integral role in the delivery of Visit Belfast’s ambitious plans to generate £130m to the local economy through increased visitor growth and spend in 2018/19. Visit Belfast’s Chief Executive, Gerry […]
FAMILY BUSINESS..........
Best Products to Start Your Own Cleaning Company
Are you thinking about starting your own cleaning company? If the answer is yes, then you need to carefully consider what cleaning products and materials you will need before starting your first cleaning job. Having a full stock of cleaning supplies and products will mean that as soon as you get your first customer, you’re […]
Barclays launches £100,000 unsecured lending, as new research shows the value of faster finance to SMEs
Barclays has launched £100,000 unsecured lending – doubling its maximum for unsecured business loans for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from £50,000 to £100,000. For further detail on the unsecured lending, see: https://www.barclays.co.uk/business-banking/borrow/loans/ The bank has also identified more than 40,000 SME clients, from dentists to manufacturers, that could be eligible for the higher levels […]
How Your Business Can Save on the Essentials
Too often, business owners only ever think about spending on all of their important business-related goods, systems and software. These include marketing, CRM management and payment tools, amongst others. It is for good reason businesses spend on them because they’re essential to the growth, productivity and development of the business. What are also needed by […]
How To Start A Business With Zero Funds
Lots of people dream of starting a business but put it off because they have no money. Don’t you need thousands of dollars in funding to stand a chance in business? Not only is it possible to start from zero but, in my experience, it can actually be an advantage, says Oleg Campbell, Founder & CEO […]
How to Prepare Your Business for Its First International Customer
Going global and catering to international customers is easier to do these days, especially with improved distribution channels, better payment support, and the vibrant e-commerce landscape that we have today. As a business owner, you can choose to cater to business customers from other parts of the world, work with wholesalers and distributors, and even […]
5 Ways to implement learning at work
To show up every day being the best version of yourself is a journey of ongoing improvement, marginal gains which you achieve every day, says Royston Guest. Asking the questions; what have I learnt new today? Or more specifically, what have I learnt new today which is going to help me to be even better […]
HR ADVICE & IDEAS.....
What are the barriers to female entrepreneurship in Northern Ireland
In the third event of a series addressing issues around female entrepreneurship, Ulster University Professors Joan Ballantine and Pauric McGowan organized a full day conference at the MAC in Belfast to present five pieces of research and an expert panel discussion on the issue. Policymakers in developed economies are keen to accelerate growth by stimulating […]
How to Claim Compensation After a Personal Injury at Work
Have you sustained a personal injury in the workplace? No matter whether this is psychological or physical, as an employee it can hard to balance the feeling of responsibility between you and the company that you are working for. When you are considering a personal injury compensation claim it can be hard to know which […]
Women are happier at work than men despite being paid less, according to Gender Happiness Gap
The Gender Happiness Gap research today surveyed over 1200 UK employees about their happiness, enthusiasm, pride, and efficiency at work. The results demonstrate a significant gap in the workplace happiness between men and women across the UK. The research shows that contrary to, and perhaps in spite of the fact that the Gender Pay Gap […]
Employers need to act now on immigration law to keep their workforce in Northern Ireland
by Lisa Bryson, Head of Employment, Eversheds Sutherland, Belfast To paraphrase Mark Twain, many people complain about the weather, but no-one ever seems to do anything about it. Employers handling international recruitment could be forgiven for feeling the same way about the Brexit negotiations. It has been clear for some time that Brexit will cause major […]
Gender parity absent within Northern Ireland’s most senior roles
Northern Ireland’s business boardrooms are still facing a significant gender imbalance – despite growing awareness of a widespread female deficit, according to research released today. Of the 467 board members within Northern Ireland’s top 100 companies, just a fifth of these are women, according to Brightwater Recruitment, who examined the issue ahead of International Women’s […]
How to spot – and help – a high-functioning alcoholic in your organisation
Can you tell if a member of your team is a high-functioning alcoholic? And, once identified, what can you do to help them? Sobriety companion and coach, Dr Bunmi Aboaba, draws on her experiences to explain what to look for and what action you should take: Firstly, there are some simple signs to look for: […]
