Elaine Smith

Trade service businesses in Ireland face several challenges in their day-to-day operations, impacting their growth and profitability. Typical trades service businesses include plumbing services, electrical services, refrigeration, heating and so on.  As services that are in high demand these businesses can grow very rapidly often leaving an owner overwhelmed and the business operations bordering on […]

As someone who has run their own business in the past, two things used to worry me about hiring a business consultant for my business: These are completely reasonable  concerns and unfortunately there are many consultants out there who are vague about their pricing, who are vague about they’ll actually do for you and cannot give

Running a small business involves juggling various tasks and responsibilities. It becomes necessary, at some stage, to delegate some of those tasks to your employees. But how do you know that they do those tasks as efficiently and effectively as you will? The answer to that question is in business process mapping and using key

Attention, Irish small business owners! Want to level up your business? With a financial coach, you can do just that. They’ll guide you in cash flow management and strategic planning for success. Gain confidence and accountability, and invest in your business today.

I’m delighted to share insights from my recent participation in Virgin Media’s Backing Business webinar. It focused on the crucial topic of managing cashflow in small business. The overwhelming response underscored a common dilemma: the widespread confusion surrounding cash flow management. So I thought it might be worthwhile to do a brief summary of the

Imposter syndrome, a psychological pattern where individuals doubt their achievements and fear exposure as frauds, can be a significant challenge for small business owners. Despite their successes, many entrepreneurs experience feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. As someone deeply immersed in the world of business, I’ve encountered imposter syndrome first hand, particularly since much of my

Discover the essential pillars – Marketing, Sales, Operations, HR, and Finances – crucial for building a thriving business. Learn why focusing on each aspect is vital for sustainable growth and profitability.

We spend so many years building our businesses, its hard to imagine the end! But at some point we all want to retire so lets think about how your business might make that an option for you.

As we embark on a new year, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the past achievements and set the stage for a more successful and transformative business year ahead. Whether you experienced challenges or triumphs in the previous year, there’s always room for improvement and growth. In this blog, we’ll explore practical strategies to

For many years now the Irish Government has been increasingly concerned about the pressure on the state pension fund with an ever increasing population and people living longer. Only 60% of private workers have pension schemes. Their proposed solution, due to come into effect in September 2024, is an Automatic Enrolment Scheme which will mean