That Great Business Show

E208 That Great Business ShowGovernment backed MicroFinance Ireland, the micro business specialist lender, has doubled its lending limits and businesses can now apply for loans of up to €50,000. MFI CEO Des McCarthy joins us on That Great Business Show to explain who can get this cash, and how best to go about getting it -but not if you're in sex, drugs or 'rock and roll' aka distilling (but brewing is OK?!). But if you're in food for example, and your business is under the cosh, they're more than happy to hear from you. One of their biggest 'wins' so far is Zeus scooters that started with an MFI loan.The Lonely Planet and Condé Nast Traveler travel guides highlight Kerry’s Gap of Dunloe as one of the top natural wonders in Ireland. National Geographic says it’s one of the most scenic drives in the world. But to Dennis Pio Moriarty it’s just called ‘home’, home to his family top end souvenir business for the past sixty years, originally set up by Dennis’ mum and dad. However, during Covid, it all came to a shuddering halt and there was nothing pretty about the Gap or the business. He talks about the process, and how they made the business survive and thrive. And, we find out that there's a world shortage of blackthorn sticks for shillelaghs. His 'hire in a heartbeat' is Michael O'Leary 

E207 That Great Business ShowWe reveal a great Northern Ireland secret. OS Kitchens started 35 years ago on a kitchen table. Now they have a 450,000 sq ft plant, employing 360 skilled workers. Having conquered the UK and Ireland they have started to export to Chicago partially thanks to That Great Business Show. Listen to learn how. The business is backed by a UK funder called Rubicon, a specialist manufacturing investor. Tim Dillon explains why they're focussed on the US (he once worked for Aer Lingus in New York). Kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms are now a fashion item he says. He's looking for US connections so make sure to give him a call.He was inspired by the 'John Larkin' episode - the man who makes black soap.His 'hire in a heartbeat' is Johnny Sexton.Being able to call yourself a 'published author' is a pretty cool thing to be able to drop at the dinner party table. Our second guest, publisher Orla Kelly, makes a business from teaching people how to write and publish their own books. Having your own self penned book is the ultimate calling card. You can hand it out as you would a business card, except that it'll truly stand out. If you're an expert in your field, she wants to hear from you.And, if you have a big business ego, what could be better than telling the world about how you could fix the world?Her 'hire in a heartbeat', the Tweeting Goddess, Samantha Kelly.

E206 That Great Business Show'Highly Commended', Irish Podcast Award WinnerConor O'Donovan, Head of the National Enterprise Hub. Why do 100,000 SMEs not avail of government business supports? Too complicated, too much paperwork, too busy??? Not so says Conor, where they're working to simplify application processes and they've brought all supports under one National Enterprise Hub roof. You asked, they delivered, they say. Best of all, according to us, you can talk to a human, person-to-person, about your issues (though only 9-5pm as we find out). Still, progress.Irish people can open doors brilliantly but are cr*p at closing sales. Self-proclaimed failure and Aussie, Steve Donnellan, founder of the SME focussed Soaring Sales Academy, gives us a taster of his 90 day programme that he says can change your selling success. How? Well you'll just have to listen. We love his no-nonsense Australian approach.With thanks to De Facto Shaving Oil.

E205 That Great Business ShowIrish Podcast Awards 'Highly Commended' WinnerTipple is shaking up the alcohol distribution business. Headed by Eoin Bara, based in Tullamore Co. Offaly, they have a growing number of warehouses to supply drink directly to the consumer - D2C. It's a very interesting business model, mixing Amazon know-how with a distillers insights.We spotted an ad for RedZinc, a company we've had on the podcast before, in the Business Post newspaper. RedZinc is raising money to bring their 'hospital at home' tech to the world. We asked RedZinc boss Donal Morris do newspaper ads work? With thanks to De Facto Shaving Oil.

E204 That Great Business ShowIrish Podcast Awards, 'Highly Commended' WinnerAccording to Revenue Commissioner figures customs' declarations jumped from 1.7 million in 2020 to 55 million to 2023. No wonder the process needs to be automated. That's what Customs Window Technologies does. Learn how they keep ahead of their competitors. Customs declarations are the law and if you don't fill out your declarations correctly you are breaking the law. Not good. And Ireland's Revenue Commissioner and HMRC do follow up. Beware.At the end of September the Windsor Framework (fka the Northern Ireland protocol) kicks in and throws up some very curious anomalies that could prove very valuable to the Northern Ireland economy. The company has just closed a short €1million funding round with the support of Enterprise Ireland to expand into the UK.His 'hire in a heartbeat' is Nick Clegg, of Meta and former UK politician.Customer indecision has created a business. Skippio, founded by Dan Coen, has just raised €540k in seed funding to help you and your pals skip the queues at any of our large events venues - wherever a thirsty and hungry crowd gathers. Like the best ideas, it's simplicity in itself. Use the Skippio app. Order your food and drink. Wait until you're called. Go directly to the head of the 'no-queue' and collect your order. Yes, that simple. But wait, there's more. Much more. Skippio will make your business so much more efficient, lowering costs and increasing margins (15%-30% anyone?). So, who doesn't want that? Next he might be standing in women's toilet queues. He says there's also a business in that.His 'hire in a heartbeat' is Peter McKenna of Croke Park (3rd largest venue in Europe) and David French at the Aviva Stadium.With thanks to De Facto Shaving Oil.

E203 That Great Business ShowEmma Meehan, founder of Precision Sports Technology, is about to revolutionise sports physiotherapy globally. She's put in the hard yards to create an incredible bit of tech. We've seen it in action. REAL TIME feedback on how you are moving, all from an iPad.Uses? Physios, sports clubs, gyms, anybody with any mobility problems, anybody who moves (it'll help you move better). The market is worth half a trillion dollars (so that's $500 billion, BIG!). She has funded. She has built a ten person team. She'll be funding again soon, this time to crack the US. She'd love to chat to clever money in the massive US sports market - maybe starting with some of the soccer clubs, but she's happy to have the chats with the NFL, NBA, WBA....they'll all be using her tech in a year or two (it's available right now), so think first mover advantage (see what we did there?).Why didn't I think of that? That was our team's response when they saw what the business called LifeSize Plans was doing. It's a franchise from Australia that allows anyone building or extending a home or laying out an office, to see what it would look, in full size, before a brick is laid, or a wall is built or a door is hung. For just short of €700 for a two hour visit you can 'see' how your new abode is going to work. It gives you the chance to make changes before the expensive tradespeople hit the turf...saving you possible thousands of Euro. It's a lovely business run by husband and wife team John Foley and Emma O'Donoghue who want to hire TV's Dermot Bannon, Hugh Wallace and Sara Cosgrove - all in a heartbeat. With thanks to Maxol.

E202 That Great Business ShowBig news from Waterford company PlayerStat Data who have just cracked the North American market, with two deals they couldn't tell us about. But we asked enough questions so that you may be able to find out who the deals are with. Founder Colin Brett says that after seven long years (he almost had his CV on Indeed.com) the company that deliberately specialises in Youth soccer (as opposed to others who concentrate on elite teams around the world) has turned a big corner and he's hiring.Insights include choosing a different market to the mainstream, and how to find the tenacity to hold on when you truly believe you're on a to A Big Thing.Colin's choices of 'hires in a heartbeat' include former rugby international Andrew Trimble who has recently managed to sell his company. Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenny, William Spearman, numbers wizard at Liverpool AFC and Devin Pleuler of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, another genius of data.We haven't stopped talking about wunderkind woman Ashley McDonnell who joined us on Episode 181 of That Great Business Show. She's the woman who told she was rejected for a job by Spanish fragrance company PUIG. She rang them up, told them they had made a mistake, and is now heading their global digital marketing operation. One of Ashley's 'hires in a heartbeat' was Laoise O'Connell and we said we had to have her on. But we had to wait for the 22 year old to finish her internship with Chanel in Paris. We got her into studio shortly after her plane landed in Dublin where she told us all she knows about AR, augmented reality. (She's a bit of a whizz about it). The mall is not dead she says. As a GenZ'er she says her pals all want to 'experience luxury shopping'. Her best tip for retail? She says you can still create a buzz and make the tills ring with an old-fashioned pop-up store.Her hire in a heartbeat. Another young Irish woman, Aoife Barrett, who she says knows everything about selling in China.

E201 That Great Business ShowLorcan Healy, goalkeeper with Shelbourne AFC and founder of Eos Elite sportswear. A professional athlete in the morning, a startup dynamo in the afternoon, and beyond.His secret sauce starts, he says, with his first hire, Simon Feeney, marketing and events manager. He explains how he has built a community of over 17,000 to date - he says that community is the way to cut through to your customers. He sells socks. But he makes them a little differently from others. It's all about performance. And comfort. He says his customers say they're the most comfy socks they've ever worn. He's selling them to Premier League and Irish rugby players.He has plans. The business is heading for the US...and he's heading into bricks and mortar.His 'hire in a heartbeat'. Niall Quinn.Brian Ledwith, CEO, Aveta Medical, tackling the worldwide problem of vaginal atrophy, a condition that affects over 1 billion postmenopausal women. Brian, a mechatronic engineer, started with Boston Scientific, then moved to other big name medtech companies in the West of Ireland cluster before deciding he wanted to do his own thing, to be in charge of his own fate. Medtech can be a difficult business sector given that (thankfully) it's so heavily regulated by the FDA in the US and the EMA in Europe but if you can overcome these obstacles, the markets can be huge. Aveta Medical is raising money on the Spark Crowdfunding platform to fund its growth, with ambitions to raise the value of the company by up to 10X.Brian's 'hire in a heartbeat'? Sebastian Guth, CEO of Bayer (they're already in this space).

E200 That Great Business ShowKey Patent Innovations MD Angela Quinlan - incredible young (2020) Irish business, founded by Angela Quinlan, that bought 33,000 Blackberry patents for $170m. They now have to 'sweat' those patents. Think of buying a Prince or David Bowie back catalogue and finding new (and existing ways) of making the music sing (financially of course). Damien McConville, Project Manager InterTradeIreland and Stephen Barry-Hannon Project Manager at Circular Bioeconomy Cluster about €280,000 in cash available for early stage companies (just like yours!) - there's a deadline, listen carefully - and clustering, where sector related business come together to make more business. The clusters are looking for more businesses to join.