Breakfast Business with Joe Lynam

Ireland has over 400,000 SMEs, and for many of them, sales still rests on the shoulders of the founder. But hiring a full-time Sales Director can mean a six-figure salary that many firms simply can't justify. Jonathan Barker, former CEO of Volleyball Ireland has just launched Sales Geek Ireland.  A part-time model that puts senior sales leadership around the management table.

Upon reaching the company’s 25th birthday, Oonagh O’Hagan has some breaking news about Meaghers Pharmacy and she explained all to Susan this morning.

Irish Universities Association is quoting a funding gap of €250m in real terms. They say the continuation of this runs the risk of eroding the capacity, quality and competitiveness of our third-level sector”. The Director General, Paul Johnston discuss this further with Susan HayesCulleton.

Butler Manufacturing Services has been making sewerage treatment systems in Co Longford for 40 years. It accounts some of the biggest house builders among its customers as well as international water authorities.  But these systems do not use corrosive or damaging chemicals to clean water for estates and towns of up to 5,000 people.   The founder and boss of BMS, Seamus Butler has been chosen as the ‘Green Businessperson of the Month’ for September courtesy of Repak.

At a time when Ireland's employment is at record levels and employers have to work hard to recruit people. New research shows there are five key reasons why women aged 50 - 65 are leaving the workforce earlier than men. Joining Susan to discuss this is Carolan Lennon, Co-Chair of Balance for Better Business.

Livestock farming has always depended heavily on a farmer's eye and instinct. New technology is changing that. Nofence, a Norweigean agtech company has pioneered virtual fencing and Eamonn Walsh, a farmer from Foxford Co. Mayo is using this technology.

Ireland has the most expensive energy costs in Europe with wholesale electricity prices rising by 77% since last year - thanks in no small part to Donald Trump’s war against Iran. Dave Kirwan, Country Chair of Bord Gáis Energy and Managing Director of Centrica Power, joins Joe to discuss why it might be time to embrace nuclear.

How many of us can say that they have been farmers, soldiers before running a technology company?  Well, Nick Connors can. Nick served his country in Lebanon and now runs the cloud computing business TEKenable.Nick joins Joe to discuss all things cloud computing.

Squarespace is well known for website builders.  It co-designs and hosts sites for companies and individuals  enabling updating and live feeds from the likes of X or LinkedIN. But how will Squarespace react to Agentic AI which may cut out some middlemen? Joe discuss this and more with Colm MacCarvill, Head of Squarespace Ireland.

Last year the government paid more than half a billion Euros in fees to the big consulting companies- triple what it handed over before Covid. It comes as the so-called Big4 advisors are under scrutiny for their advice. Claudine Cassar is a Corporate Anthropologist and Editor of big4news.com was an equity partner with Deloitte and writes about the undue pressure that is placed on partners and staff to cut corners to achieve financial targets.

Michael Pedroni has advised four different Treasury Secretaries in the US government including Henk Paulson as the world economy was melting down in 2008.  Michael talks about his concerns more publicly as the boss of the Advisory Business Highland Global Advisers.