BREAKING NEWS..........
FLEX Language Services – Team of The Year nomination for Irish News Workplace and Employment Awards.
FLEX Language Services has been shortlisted for Team of The Year at The Irish News Workplace & Employment awards 2018. Now in its 12th year The Irish News Workplaces & Employment awards recognise the importance of people to an organisation and celebrate the very best organisations throughout Northern Ireland. This year included over 180 entries […]
IoD NI Director of the Year Awards 2018
Eleven of Northern Ireland’s top business leaders have been honoured at the annual Institute of Directors Northern Ireland (IoD NI) Director of the Year Awards sponsored by First Trust Bank during a ceremony at The Merchant Hotel, Belfast. Brian Conlon, who established Newry headquartered software firm First Derivatives more than 20 years ago, building it […]
Last chance for new start and early stage companies to ‘bag’ a share of €280,000 in this year’s InterTradeIreland Seedcorn Investor Readiness Competition
Ken Nelson, Chairman of InterTradeIreland is joined by 2017 Seedcorn winners Professor Helen McCarthy and Darach Neeson from Phion Therapeutics to urge start-ups from all sectors to enter the 2018 InterTradeIreland Seedcorn Investor Readiness Competition New start and early stage companies only have until the 1 June to enter InterTradeIreland’s prestigious Seedcorn Investor Readiness Competition, […]
Derry tourism reaching a ‘whole new level’, says Londonderry Chamber of Commerce President
Derry is embarking on journey to take its tourism offering to a whole new level, says Jennifer McKeever President of Londonderry Chamber of Commerce. We’ve made some great strides in the last five years. A lot of hard work and investment, not least by the local business community, has gone into achieving that success. There is […]
Charles Hurst plugs in to drive 2,000-mile ‘electric charge’ fundraiser: VIDEO REPORT
Northern Ireland’s largest car retailer Charles Hurst has plugged in to support a major fundraising challenge that will see a relay of electric vehicles travel more than 2,000 miles across the UK and Ireland. The carbon-neutral challenge is part of an initiative developed by Charles Hurst’s Manchester-based owner Lookers plc, one of the largest retailers in the UK and Ireland and all 155 of […]
Does Your Mobile Smartphone Rule Your Life?
In today’s society well over a third of the world’s population owns a mobile Smartphone. That’s over 2.5Billion people with a mobile that they use and probably keep with them most of the time. Obviously with the odd exception, because today it seems that the mobile phone is a must-have accessory. Which started out life […]
FEATURE ARTICLES..........
firmus energy and Habitat for Humanity call for businesses to encourage employee CSR participation
Local natural gas supplier firmus energy has collaborated with Habitat for Humanity in urging more businesses to get involved in CSR and support their staff in community initiatives both locally and abroad. In Northern Ireland, Habitat for Humanity brings people together from across the community to serve the most vulnerable in society while also working […]
Ground Espresso Bars brews up in Banbridge
Northern Ireland’s largest independently-owned, scaled artisan coffee chain Ground Espresso Bars is set to extend its offering in Banbridge with a new stand-alone coffee shop on Newry Street opening in June. Representing an investment £150,000 and the creation of over 10 new jobs for the area, the new store will complement the current operations of […]
Why Recycling Cars is Important
We are all constantly reminded of the importance of recycling and the major benefit it has on our world, but one commodity not everybody realises can be recycled are cars! Cars are made from regular materials, just like any other product or commodity in our world, and they can be broken down into parts and […]
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 […]
Daft Eddy’s Welcomes New Arrival- Little Eddy’s unveils Dog Friendly Zone and Cyclist Area
A family-run restaurant in the heart of County Down has set a new ‘pedigree’ with its latest business venture. Daft Eddy’s on Sketrick Isalnd, Killinchy has expanded its enterprise with the opening of ‘Little Eddy’s. In a first for the business, Little Eddy’s will include a dog-friendly zone and bespoke cycle halt, making the most […]
Visit Belfast ups plans to drive city tourism’s economic return to £546m by 2022
Visit Belfast set a new round of ambitious targets to harness the value of the city’s flourishing tourism sector. Unveiling brand new targets as part of its Business and Marketing Plans launch for the year ahead, and up to 2022, the city’s official tourism marketing agency pledged its sales and marketing-focused activities would help to […]
THOUGHT LEADERS..........
Spring Clean your Mind – how to make goals and boost your focus
Where do you want to be by the end of this year, both personally and professionally? What about in five or ten years? Or perhaps by the time of your next milestone birthday?, asks Royston Guest, CEO of Pti-Worldwide Wherever that is; whatever you want to achieve; your success is inherently based on actively working […]
Feargal McCormack, the new Chartered Accountants President says current political uncertainty puts jobs at stake
Feargal McCormack has been elected President of Chartered Accountants Ireland at its 130th Annual General Meeting in Belfast. Addressing the Chartered Accountants Ireland AGM in Belfast, Feargal McCormack highlighted the current political and economic uncertainty on the island of Ireland and expressed his view that delivering political stability is the vital factor in securing a […]
Success is a lousy teacher
by Jonathan MacDonald founder of the Thought Expansion Network Bill Gates once said: “Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.” I’ve learned the hard way that this statement is true. Of the many ventures I’ve founded over the years, three of which worked pretty well and four that […]
Five Handy Apps That Could Help Your Business Run Smoother
As a business owner you have your work cut out for you. Chances are you’re constantly looking for ways to improve your business, bring in more customers/clients, increase profits, and expand the business. That’s a whole lot to take on, which can leave you feeling rather stressed. Keeping your business running smoothly like a well-oiled […]
Technology’s long-term benefits – educating the public
It’s no secret that technology is one of the biggest drivers of change in the UK says Rupal Karia, Head of Commercial Sector at Fujitsu. While that change is generally seen in a positive light, our ‘Tech in a Transforming Britain’ report revealed there are some innovations that may take longer to be widely accepted. While only 41% are uncomfortable […]
InterTradeIreland – Latest Business Monitor shows that “business is holding its breath.”
The latest quarterly InterTradeIreland Business Monitor Report (January-March 2018) shows that the majority of firms across the island remain very stable, however, levels of growth are declining sharply in Ireland. This is consistent across companies both large and small. While not a cause for concern at the moment, it would appear to indicate that we […]
MOVERS & SHAKERS...
Ulster University appoints Mark Latuske as Deputy Director of Talent and Performance
Ulster University has appointed Mark Latuske as Deputy Director of Talent and Performance. Mark is a Human Resources specialist and has both consultancy and in-house experience. He has worked across a number of private and public sector organisations including Danske Bank, the NHS, Barclays Wealth, Permanent TSB, Lloyds Banking Group and Sainsbury’s. Mark holds a Postgraduate diploma […]
Brightwater expands to meet demand for skilled engineers
Brightwater NI has expanded its Belfast office with the appointment of Cathal O Donnell as Regional Manager and the promotion of Conor O’Hagan to Assistant Manager. Both with backgrounds in engineering recruitment, this strategic move by Brightwater reflects the growing demand in Northern Ireland for skilled workers within the sector. In 2017, Brightwater saw a […]
Double Success for Local Social Enterprise – The Ortus Group
The Ortus Group are pleased to announce CEO Seamus O’Prey has been named Social Entrepreneurial Leader of the Year at the prestigious CO3 Leadership Awards – one week after The Ortus Group is recognised as Social Enterprise of the Year at the Belfast Business Awards. The CO3 Leadership Awards highlight the best in class in […]
Craig Routledge joins Cunningham Coates
Craig Routledge has joined Cunningham Coates in the role of Senior Consultant – Financial Planning. Craig is responsible for providing independent financial planning advice to private and non-personal clients. Craig helps clients achieve their financial goals through highly personalised financial planning in the areas of tax efficient investments and asset management, financial protection, retirement planning and inheritance/estate […]
Niall Harkin has been elected Chair of Chartered Accountants Ulster Society
Niall Harkin has been elected Chair of Chartered Accountants Ulster Society at its 111th Annual General Meeting in Belfast. The Ulster Society represents 4,500 local Chartered Accountants and is a district society of Chartered Accountants Ireland, the largest and oldest professional accountancy body in Ireland. Mr Harkin, who takes over as Chair from Pamela McCreedy, […]
Rainbow Communications celebrates 20 years of business success
Northern Ireland’s largest independent provider of telecom services, Rainbow Communications, is celebrating 20-years at the forefront of innovation and growth, throughout April 2018. Founded in 1998 by Eric Carson and Martin Hamill as TSI Ireland, the company rebranded three years later as Rainbow Telecom to reflect the broad spectrum of products and services offered. Now, […]
FAMILY BUSINESS..........
Innovate or stagnate: the Co-Innovate Programme at InterTradeIreland
Neil Ryan the Co-Innovate programme manager at InterTradeIreland has the following tips for developing innovation within your business. Steve Jobs has suggested that “Innovation has nothing to do with how many R & D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R & […]
How to Manage Your Personal Finance as a Business Owner
These days more and more of us are starting our own businesses and realising the dream of working for ourselves. It makes sense in today’s commercial world because as corporations are growing ever larger, there’s a reactionary interest in small independent companies and a taste for a more personal service. It’s seen in everything from […]
Arts & Business NI Young Professionals on Arts Boards Programme 2018 Launches
Now in its 11th year, the Arts & Business NI Young Professionals on Arts Boards Programme gets rising private sector talent involved at the sharp end of the arts by placing them on the board of a charitable arts organisation, where they contribute their business skills, energy and expertise – and get a lot in […]
Corporate Social Responsibility Leadership – when doing good is good for business.
Jo Watson, Director of JW Associates NI and a champion of responsible business recently completed her Masters in Executive Leadership at Ulster University Business School and shares her latest research on Corporate Social Responsibility Leadership – when doing good is good for business Much has been written about Corporate Social Responsibility and whether there is […]
Creating Your Modern Organised Home Empire Building Office
Working from home is on the rise for numerous reasons. A new Census from the Gov in the claims that in the last decade, the number of People who now work from home at least one day a week has increased by a staggering 35% in the last decade an extra 1.5 million). A lot […]
Using Customer Insights to Influence Your Decision Making
Customers visiting your website can tell a lot about what is important to them, or what they like/dislike about your products or services. But have you ever thought they online behaviour could also reveal something your business? If not, it’s about time to explore the wonders of smart tools that make the automated marketing, such […]
HR ADVICE & IDEAS.....
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: […]
Flexible working: Why more companies need to embrace it
We’ve seen enormous technological and social changes in the workplace in recent years. These changes have forced some companies to adapt in order to attract and sustain much needed talent. Unfortunately, despite this, a lot more still needs to be done to ensure flexibility and inclusivity is addressed in every workplace and integrated into the culture of the […]
Key Steps Actions for Businesses Leaders for LGBT+ Inclusion
Undeniably the world has come a long way in LGBT+ inclusion over recent years. With more states offering employment protection and recognition of LGBT+ partnership rights than ever before, there is much to celebrate. While progress has been made, there is still a long way to go. In more than half of the world LGBT+ […]
