ThinkBusiness.ie

John Kennedy talks with John Collins, one of the key investors in Ireland’s indigenous tech scene who in May experienced two exits of two companies he backed – Singlepoint and Opening.io – in just two weeks. He talks about his own entrepreneurial career and his own successful exits and why he believes in backing Irish start-ups. Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups a...

Many businesses have had to pivot to stay alive. One business that has not only pivoted but that is also helping the environment is Cork-based RashR, headed by Tom Cotter, which went from making sportswear to essential face masks from plastic bottles that litter the world’s oceans. Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and gro...

As communities across the world begin to transition out of lockdown, Irish software company ParkOffice.io has adapted its software to ensure employers mitigate risks for employees who are commuting to offices. Its founder Garret Flower is a serial entrepreneur who has already established companies like Krust Bakery and ParkPNP. He tells John Kennedy all about his latest venture and his thoughts on...

As the Covid-19 crisis hit businesses all over the country a group of local professionals in Limerick felt they had to do something to protect the independent businesses they loved. Lean on Me, which allows the public to buy vouchers to boost the cashflow of local firms whose doors are closed but whose costs are mounting. John Kennedy talks to local Limerick solicitor Miriam O’Connor about the ini...

John Kennedy talks to Devan Hughes, the serial entrepreneur who never gave up. After four failed start-ups Devan Hughes created Buymie which became one of the moments of light in the Covid-19 saga as it raised €2.2m and generated 200 jobs to facilitate online grocery shopping in Ireland and the UK. Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want...

Covid-19 could change how we do business forever, ushering in new trends in retail and health and safety when it comes to social distancing and contact tracing. John Kennedy talks to Feargal O’Neill, CEO of Gamma Location Intelligence about how location data is going to be a game-changer for business. Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you w...

US tech firm GrandPad is a provider of tablet devices for older people and has chosen Gorey in Wexford for its European HQ. It has an interesting business model considering the majority of its staff work remotely. John Kennedy talks to Edwina Dunne and Geoff Rochford from GrandPad about isolation during Covid-19 and how to effectively run a remote workforce. Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more new...

Over the next 10 years hundreds, if not thousands, of ‘baby boomer’ business owners will be looking to retire in Ireland and pass the reins of the business on to the next generation. How well-prepared are their succession plans? John Kennedy talks to Financial Wellbeing expert Frank Conway from Moneywhizz about preparing for succession. Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for sta...

Online scamming has become a major issue for people buying online all over the world, be it a car, concert tickets or work equipment. Stephen Larkin spoke to Conor Lyden who is the founder of Trustap – a secure transaction platform that protects people from being scammed when buying or selling to someone they don’t know. Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs...

This is the story of Comfort4Covid, a crowdfunding campaign that has raised thousands of euros to put tablet computers in the hands of hospital and nursing home patients who cannot see their loved ones because of the Covid-19 outbreak. One of the organisers, Ciara Close, tells John Kennedy how the campaign sparked the imagination of the public and businesses and the goal is to get 1,000 tablets in...

Niamh Costello from Galway Technology Centre tells John Kennedy about how the social enterprise has made a real difference and how the new AcademyWest will help scale the West’s innovation-led firms. Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness .

Shannon Group chief operating officer Ray O’Driscoll talks to ThinkBusiness about how the group plans to invest €150m over the next five years to help the Mid-West region and its industries take off into the 21st century. Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness .

National Enterprise Town Awards 2018 Rising Star Award-winning Mark Smith from the Sawmills Printworks in Kells tells ThinkBusiness about joining the dots between 1,400 years ago when the Book of Kells was created and reviving recent centuries' proud traditions of printing for future generations. Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you w...

Led by John Cormican, the talented workforce at Jaguar Land Rover in Shannon is driving the future of cars and the world of transport as we know it. He talks to John Kennedy about the software-driven future of cars and how Ireland can steer this vision. Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness .

Live Tiles is setting itself up for success in Sligo and what better way to make an impact than to bring a global UN conference focused on AI for Good to boost the local economy. John Kennedy talks to Elaine Murphy and Paul Conneally about the company’s vision for Sligo, how AI can be used for good and the role Yeats and lake isles will play in the global event.  Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for mor...

John Kennedy talks to scale up coach and author Nikolai Ladanyi from scale up Academy Europe and Paul O’Kelly from Scale Up Ireland about why we are great at starting businesses in Ireland but we need to get better at scaling businesses. Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness .

ThinkBusiness attends the National Enterprise Town Awards and talks to Marian Acremon and Deidre Shine from the overall winning town Kilkenny as well as Ann Conlon, John Mulroy and Bernard Hughes from Rising Star award committee for Castlebar. Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness .

John Kennedy interviews John Beckett about his views on entrepreneurship, building the original Ryanair website while in school and his new plan to take 250 tonnes of carbon out of the atmosphere by bringing native tree species back to Ireland. Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness .

John Kennedy interviews Rosanne Longmore, CEO of the Irish medtech start-up Coroflo, which plans to launch its groundbr-eaking breastfeeding device in late 2020. Coroflow recently raised €1m in funding as well as a €2.2m accelerator grant from the European Commission under its Horizon 2020 programme, bringing total investment in Coroflow to €4m. Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and support...