Shows
The SME Community PodcastSuccession Planning for SMEs; Pass the baton, not the dramaAs the holidays bring families together, it's the perfect time to reflect on the future—both personal and professional. In this episode of The SME Community Podcast, we dive into succession planning for small businesses. Aisling is joined by solicitor Ronan Kennedy and accountant Frank McMahon. Learn about the steps, challenges, and strategies to ensure a smooth transition for your business legacy. Whether you’re passing the reins to family or preparing for new leadership, this episode is packed with insights to help you plan for tomorrow. Don’t leave your business’s future to chanc...2024-12-1045 minThe SME Community PodcastCora Barnes - Customer Relationships; Turning One-Time Buyers into Lifelong CustomersIn this episode of The SME Community Podcast, Aisling dives into the art of building lasting customer relationships with Cora Barnes, founder and M.D. of 3Q Recruitment Agency. Discover practical strategies to keep your customers coming back, turn them into loyal advocates, and create unforgettable experiences that set your business apart. Whether you're an SME owner or part of a growing team, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you foster customer loyalty and drive long-term success. Tune in and learn how to turn customer relationships into your secret weapon!2024-11-3055 minThe SME Community PodcastAI Strategies for SMEs Pamela CampagnaIn this episode from Boston, USA, Aisling sits down with Pamela Campagna, where they discuss the practical, actionable strategies on using AI tools and how to begin integrating them into your business.Pamela Campagna has over 30 years of experience in consulting, business, marketing, and entrepreneurship. She is the President of BLUE SAGE Consulting, Inc. a certified women-owned management consulting firm founded in 1997, where she specialises in global strategy, business optimisation & human capital development.She is a former board member and chair of the Marketing Committee of CMC-Global Institute, a virtual global community f...2024-10-1544 minThe SME Community PodcastNational Womens Enterprise Day Special: WITH CLARE BRETT, DUBLIN HERBALISTIn this episode of The SME Community Podcast, Aisling sits down with Clare Brett, the founder of natural skincare specialist manufacturer, Dublin Herbalist. Clare is a guest at the upcoming NWED event on the 17th of October. Dublin Herbalists skincare range is created and blended by hand in Ireland. The range is suitable for all skin types and is the winner of several beauty awards including a GOLD award in The Global Green Beauty awards 2024.Clare shares how a hobby in 2012 became a business with a range of 24 products, where the products are now sold...2024-09-2645 minThe SME Community PodcastIntellectual Property Strategy for SMEs - with Dr. Nadav Ben Haim of SETUIn this episode of The SME Community Podcast, Aisling sits down with Dr. Nadav Ben Haim, the recently appointed Life Sciences Commercialisation Case Manager at the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) of South East Technological University (SETU). Together, they dive into the essentials of Intellectual Property (IP) Strategy and explore how SMEs can leverage IP to create tangible monetary value. IP is seen as the domain of tech giants and larger organisations involved in such industries as pharma etc. but did you know that it is equally applicable to smaller businesses and startups?Dr. Ben H...2024-09-1251 minThe SME Community PodcastMASTERING MARKETING FOR RETAIL SUCCESS WITH EIMEAR DWANThe retail landscape and customer behaviours, both online and in stores, have dramatically shifted over the past few years, placing significant demands upon retailers. They are having to innovate faster and increase buyer engagement while also finding significant operational efficiencies and addressing sustainability goals. This episode is a special edition in advance of the Retail Symposium being held in March by Tipperary County Council as part of Enterprise Week. In this episode Aisling is joined by Eimear Dwan who is the recently appointed marketing manager for the Crescent Shopping Centre in Limerick. Prior to this, she...2024-01-2650 minThe SME Community PodcastSmall Business, Significant Skills; Strategies to Attract and Magnetise Talent (With Sinead Heneghan)2023 has been designated European Year of Skills by the EU Commission. In advance of the LEO Tipperary event on Thursday the 15th of November - How to Grow Local Talent, Aisling speaks with Sinead Heneghan of Landdi.ie about a huge issue amongst the SME community - which is attracting and retaining talent. Currently three in four EU companies have difficulty in sourcing workers with the skills the organisation needs, which is leading to prolonged and chronic shortages of the skills required to deliver on the organisation’s strategic objectives. Learn about the changing workf...2023-11-0348 minThe SME Community PodcastFrom Solo to Soaring: How AI is Empowering the Small Business Landscape - with Geraldine MagnierIf you are wondering where to start with AI, or what it’s all about, this is the episode for you. Aisling talks to Geraldine Magnier of Idiro Analytics, pioneers of AI and analytics for over 20 years. From crafting an AI policy, ethical considerations, to integration strategies, we've got you covered. Unravel the nuances of managing AI responsibly and ethically, ensuring that your venture not only thrives but also stands as a beacon of trust and innovation. Learn more about Geraldine and Idiro Analytics at https://idiro.com/You can reac...2023-10-1336 minThe SME Community PodcastIntertrade Ireland - Business Support for cross border collaboration North and South IrelandImagine if you were considering exporting and could do it without the hassle of customs, flights or ferries? A whole export market is available to Southern based businesses via Northern Ireland - and you may even be eligible to get help to access it!In this episode, we explore the fascinating world of business collaboration and cross-border trade. Our spotlight is on an organisation that plays a pivotal role in fostering partnerships and driving economic growth in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Join us as we delve into the realm of Intertrade Ir...2023-05-2239 minThe SME Community PodcastFinancial Fluency for SMEs - with Sir Steven WilkinsonYou may have read the title of this podcast and wondered whether it was the pod for you, or even groaned. Let’s face it none of us really enjoy pouring over the book-keeping but trust us, by the end of this episode you will look at financials in a completely different light and you will actually enjoy it. You will also learn about how one business turned 100k into 9.9 million.Today Aisling meets Sir Steven Wilkinson, founder and CEO of Good & Prosper. Steven has been involved in business finance and inves...2023-04-1448 minThe SME Community PodcastHow to introduce Irish into your business (Conas an Ghaeilge a thabhairt isteach i do ghnó) - with Grainne MooreIn this episode Aisling talks to gaeilgeoir Grainne Moore. The Irish government has been actively trying to promote the Irish language. The objective of Government policy in relation to theIrish language is to increase, on an incremental basis, the use and knowledge of Irish as a community language. Grainne and Aisling discuss ways that you can bring Irish into everyday use in your business. Go raibh maith againn as éisteacht (thank you for listening), and if you enjoy the podcast please share it, give it a 5 star review and subscribe, that will r...2023-03-1456 minThe SME Community PodcastHOW TO AUTOMATE AND DIGITISE PROCESSES FOR YOUR BUSINESS - with Dermot FreemanLearn how to start with ensuring your business processes are run as efficiently as possible. Find out what the 4 steps are to look at before automating any process, no matter what type of business you have. Lear how Japanese businesses have influenced our way of working, how to eliminate waste from your business and how the new Digital Start programme can help. In this episode Aisling talks to Dermot Freeman who has worked in the area of business process streamlining for over 3 decades. He is a Master Blackbelt practitioner of LEAN, a certified Scrum Mast...2022-11-2244 minThe SME Community PodcastLiam Birkett - Intellectual Property made Easy (Really!)Did you know you could be sitting on a goldmine within your business in the form of unregistered Intellectual Property? It’s not as hard as you think to register IP (yes, really). In this episode Aisling talks to the IP and brand master that is Liam Birkett. Liam has had a vast career in Intellectual Property, design, marketing, sales and P R. His company was responsible for the corporate identities, product and brand creation plus marketing initiatives for both blue chip companies and SMEs in Ireland and internationally. Liam is a consultant expert to the E...2022-10-1750 minThe SME Community PodcastEpisode 23: Lean and Digitisation- Becoming a Lean Business Machine - with Audrey McDonnell & Allyson EnglishAre you looking at your business wondering how you can increase efficiencies, productivity or cut costs? Then this is the podcast for you. There is a programme that can help you identify where any time savings - and as a result -possibly financial savings - can be made and it’s called Lean for Micro.In this episode Aisling meets Audrey McDonnell from sola.ie. Sola are a Tipperary based Energy Efficiency Supplier to the Retrofit and New Build Market and have been featured on RTE’s Room to Improve with Dermot Bannon. An incredibly...2022-07-0753 minThe SME Community PodcastEpisode 22: Green for Micro - The Path to a Greener Business - with John ButlerThere is a growing awareness and demand driven by consumers globally to engage with businesses who are climate conscious and stand for more than just their product or service. But if you are a small business how do you make a change and where do you start to make your business greener? In this episode Aisling discusses how to take your business green and learns about the Green for Micro Programme. John Butler of The Bookworm in Thurles, Co. Tipperary shares his experience and insight from doing the programme and Stuart Nelson of Jigsaw Bet...2022-06-0745 minThe SME Community PodcastEpisode 21: Enterprise Ireland Innovation Voucher - with Richard Whyte, Lynne Whelan & Kylie MagnerIf you are wondering whether innovation is relevant to your business remember that plenty of companies running the world today started as small enterprises. The visionaries behind these companies were innovators. They hit on a winning formula and the rest, as they say, is history. So what is innovation, where do you start and how do you get help?In this episode Aisling meets Richard Whyte of Design Plus who manages the Innovation Voucher process for the Institute of Technology Carlow. He explains how to get a voucher, how to use a combination of them worth €25,000 for larg...2022-05-061h 08The SME Community PodcastEpisode 20: Trading Online Voucher - The Ultimate Guide - with Alan O’MearaIn this episode Aisling discusses the Trading Online Voucher (TOV) with Alan O’Meara of Al Media. With €2500 funding available to jumpstart your business online, what’s the best use of the voucher, how do you get it and the questions you should be asking of your web developer.Alan launched his own business 14 years ago having worked previously as a consultant/trainer with IACT (Irish Academy of Computer Training), Web Intellect and Interactive Avenue. He has extensive knowledge on training and advising businesses with their Digital Marketing needs. Alan currently delivers the TOV workshop...2022-04-0455 minThe SME Community PodcastEpisode 19: Tipperary Food Producers - The Gastropod episodeThere has been an explosion in quality food production in the Tipperary region in recent years. This is due to the availability of excellent raw materials that thrive across the rolling hills and greenery of the premier County. In this episode Aisling talks to Veronica Molloy of Crossogue Preserves, Shannon Forrest from Rivesci and Kylie Magner from Magners Organic Farm and Mobile Hen. The food producers talk about growing their business through LEO supports, being nurtured by the Tipperary Food Producers organisation and the Supervalu Food Producers Programme. Learn how V...2022-03-1049 minThe SME Community PodcastEpisode 18: The PR Game with Conall O'MorainIn this episode Aisling talks to Conall O’Morain about the PR game, his work at the Media Group and his journey to becoming an Irish national broadcasting legend and advocate for small businesses. Conall was RTE’s first ever Business Correspondent. He then took a hiatius - spending 8 years as a stockbroker before returning to broadcasting The Sunday Business Show on Today FM for thirteen years. Since September 2020 he has co-hosted That Great Business Show podcast with Ireland rugby legend and entrepreneur, Jamie Heaslip. Along the way he has sat at boardroom tables with Goldman Sachs and had...2021-01-2553 minThe SME Community PodcastEpisode 17: What is the circular economy and how can you pivot towards it - with Noel Heffernan & Michael McEniryLearn how some businesses are focusing on sustainability, turning their business environmentally friendly and even venturing into the circular economy.This episode Aisling is joined by Noel Heffernan, EaPI & Chairperson of Tipperary Green Business Network. Noel is the founder of EaPI, based in Cahir, Co. Tipperary. He works with clients giving management support, training, and independent auditing. The focus is on reducing resource and other costs across all aspects of running a business to reduce negative impacts on the environment and improve efficiencies. He has worked across various sectors, principally the da...2020-12-0739 minThe SME Community PodcastEpisode 16: BREXIT, the episode you don't want to missBREXIT …... less than 50 days to go and counting….. Boris Johnson is self isolating so we have another added wrinkle. The main issues outstanding seem to be Fisheries, governance and ensuring a level playing field according to Minister Simon Coveney. The UK chief negotiator David Frost says ‘they’re not in a good place’ ……Meanwhile the rest of us wait…. *This episode was recorded on the 21st of November 2020 as BREXIT negotiations were still ongoing.This episode I am joined by Ronan McDonnell of The Logistics Consultants. They specialise in all aspects of logis...2020-11-3038 minThe SME Community PodcastEpisode 15: How one Transition Year Student Enterprise turned into a real businessHow did a lady from Capetown end up in Tipperary and how did a transition year student enterprise turn into a real business that ended up doing business with one of the biggest farming conglomerates in the world? Bronwyn April travelled from Cape Town South Africa to work on the Student Enterprise programme being run by LEO Tipperary. Bronwyn’s background is in Social work, working specifically within the youth development sector in Southern Africa. Experience linked to this role, include working with young entrepreneurs from marginalised communities in Cape Town...2020-11-2337 minThe SME Community PodcastEpisode 14: The Legal Eagle for SMEs - Wendy DoyleMeet the real life Harvey Specter (yes it’s a woman - and if you haven’t seen the Netflix series Suits, where have you been? Grab the nearest sofa). Wendy Doyle is the founder of a firm of solicitors that specialises in the SME sector. She is also a Registered trade mark attorney with the Irish Patents Office and a tutor within the Law Society Professional Practice courses.Previous to her life as a female entrepreneur, she worked for one of the ‘Big 4’ corporate firms in the city. She now brings that sk...2020-05-2855 minThe SME Community PodcastEpisode 13: Rosemary Kearney - Making GDPR AccessibleRosemary Kearney - making GDPR accessibleA ruling in the European Court of Justice last week means the companies could now be liable for passing information to Facebook via the Facebook like button on their website (yes really). What are the implications of this and how does a small business cope with GDPR. If you are not sure what GDPR is or what you are really supposed to do, this is the podcast for you. Rosemary Kearney is the founder of RMDK Consultancy which specialises in everything GDPR and data pro...2020-05-2552 minThe SME Community PodcastEpisode 12: Robin Challis - Qualitative Market Research & The Food IndustryEver wondered what is Qualitative research and how it works to inform companies such as Kellogs, Cadburys and Yakult? Meet Robin Challis, the man who has conducted research for each of these companies. Robin is a specialist in qualitative market research. Along the way learn how voodoo became the value proposition for a rum company and what Aisling’s curry and chips dinner says about her!Qualitative Research is primarily exploratory research. It is used to gain an understanding of underlying reasons, opinions, and motivations. It provides insights into the problem(s) or helps to develo...2020-05-0750 minThe SME Community PodcastThe SME Community Podcast: Highlight ReelAs we enter the double digits for the SME Community Podcast, we look back on our first five episodes from Local Enterprise Week 2020, and answer some common business questions our listeners have been asking that we covered during our first week in action!What Kind Of Help Can The Enterprise Board Give Your BusinessBuilding Value Proposition with Business Model CanvassesWhat Exactly are Economics?What is MicrofinanceWhat is Mortgage Switching?How to deal with doubt in starting a businessYou...2020-04-3019 minThe SME Community PodcastEpisode 11: Tools & Techniques for Delivering Remote Training & ConsultancyHave you ever wondered how to bring your business, or part of it online? From something as simple as automating emails and taking paying online right up to fully fledged training courses hosted on Learning Management Systems, in this week's episode Johnny Beirne gives lots of tips on tools and techniques for bringing your business online.Johnny has been successfully creating and launching online courses since 2013. He has helped some of Ireland's high profile trainers, coaches and public speakers create and launch their own online training business. He has recently written a boo...2020-04-2239 minThe SME Community PodcastEpisode 10: Terry Harmer - Finding New Markets during COVID19In today’s episode sales expert Terry Harmer talks about Finding New Markets during Covid 19, learning from bank robbers and what tools you can utilise to find those markets . Terry is a Member of the Institute of Training & Development, a Fellow of the Sales Institute of Ireland, a Member of the Marketing Institute of Ireland, and holds qualifications in Business Administration. He works with several LEO’s, Enterprise Ireland, Boston Scientific, Bank of Ireland, CIF, Johnson & Johnson and many more. He is an expert in training companies to excel in their Sales, Customer Service, Communications, Teambuilding, Leadership, and People Man...2020-04-1558 minThe SME Community PodcastEpisode 9: How Microfinance Ireland worksHave you heard all the ads about Microfinance Ireland but are not sure how it works, or whether it’s for your business or how to go about applying? Meet their Chief Executive Garrett Stokes who will explain what type of business they support, how to apply and tips on the best approach to take. Garrett joined Microfinance Ireland as its Chief Executive in May 2016. During that time the business has grown rapidly, supporting microenterprises across Ireland. Prior to joining MFI he worked in Bank of Ireland, where he had over 2...2020-04-0825 minThe SME Community PodcastEpisode 8: Running a business in uncertain timesYou might be considering making changes to your business but not sure where to start. In this episode we look at ways to approach pivoting your business. Geraldine Lavin is a learning and education consultant providing programme design, delivery and evaluation services on topics such as SME business development, innovation, customer experience management and strategy. She has worked with a range of business and learning support organisations including Tangent, Trinity’s Ideas Workspace, the DCU Ryan Academy, Dublin LEO, SOLAS, and CUDA. She has also lectured and completed projects in several...2020-04-0132 minThe SME Community PodcastEpisode 7: Victoria Mary Clarke - Turning Art into ProductsIn this episode designer Victoria Mary Clarke talks art, how she was inspired by friend Johnny Depp and fashion designer Bella Freud, hanging out in kiddies art departments and dealing with depression. A deeply honest and inspirational account of going from depression to designing wearable art for a successful and growing business. Strap in and hit the play button. You can reach Victoria on https://victoriamaryclarkeangels.com and on Instagram at @victoriamaryclarke. This episode is a special edit...2020-03-2735 minThe SME Community PodcastEpisode 6: The Importance of Resilience and Staying Positive for EntrepreneursWith all the talk and focus on COVID19 we decided to do a special edition of the podcast to try help business owners, and people generally, cope with what’s happening in the current economic climate. If your levels of anxiety and stress are on overload, this is the episode for you. Play on for some great tips and tools.In this episode psychologist Deborah Byrne talks us through coping with anxiety, depression and stress management etc. Deborah has widely written on the subject of resilience and is also the author of the book ‘The Build...2020-03-2444 minThe SME Community PodcastEpisode 5: Life as a Female EntrepreneurToday we are celebrating women in business for International Women's Day 2020, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality. To close off Enterprise Week here in Tipperary, we're celebrating women's achievements with some absolutely amazing female entrepreneurs. We have Marriane Murphy Cooney, a fashion designer, Geraldine Gleeson who runs Diesel Injectors Services in Cashel and Martina Hennesy, mortgage advisor turned tech entrepreneur. Listen today and close out Local Enterprise Week with a bang!For the latest in business news, training...2020-03-0643 minThe SME Community PodcastEpisode 4: The Queen of LEANYou may have heard us mention the LEAN programme in episode 1 and wondered what it is. The original LEAN model was developed from the 1930's Toyota system 'the Toyota way' or Toyota Production System. Toyota were the first to look at ways to maximise efficiency in the. manufacturing process.In this episode we talk to the Queen of LEAN, Allyson English from JigsawVAE Consulting. Learn what the LEAN system is, how it is used by all size firms from micro to SME and how it has saved thousands of euros for those businesses who have...2020-03-0520 minThe SME Community PodcastEpisode 3: Meet The EconomistsMost people have a vague awareness of economics but we don't think about it on a daily basis, or how it impacts our lives. Say the word 'economists' and people's eyes tend to glaze over. Well not anymore. In this podcast two economic giants (Jim Power Chief Economist at Aviva Ireland and Patrick Mullane Senior Economist with the Bank of Ireland) bring economics to life. Learn what an economist does, what the outlook for Tipperary and Ireland is and what you should be focusing on for your business to future-proof it in the short term. For the lates...2020-03-0534 minThe SME Community PodcastEpisode 2: What is a Business Model Canvas?Today countless new innovative business models are emerging with entirely new industries forming as old ones crumble. Upstarts are challenging the old guard, some of whom are really struggling to re-invent themselves. One tool used to help with all of this is the Business Model Canvas. In this episode Aisling chats to Rosemarie Ward and Aidan Shine of South East BIC about their Business Model Canvas workshop, and how the business model works for small business owners. We also talk to female entrepreneur Marian Kennedy of A New Mum and how she used the canvas to pivot her...2020-03-0422 minThe SME Community PodcastEpisode 1: What is Local Enterprise Week, Anyway?In this episode, Aisling talks to Assistant Head of Enterprise Ita Horan and Training Co-ordinator Madeline Ryan of Tipperary Local Enterprise Office. If you've ever wondered what Enterprise Week is, and what it can do for your business, this is the episode for you! You will also learn about the services and help available to your business year-round. Your local LEO is your one stop shop for help and advice in starting and scaling a business. For the latest in business news, training and mentoring available for businesses located in County Tipperary visit: https://www.localenterprise.ie/T...2020-03-0422 minThe SME Community PodcastSME Community Podcast: TrailerLaunching on March 4th, SME Community Podcast is a show bringing you real conversations from real business people. Come back soon and listen to our first episode with us!The SME Community is a podcast from the Tipperary Local Enterprise Office (LEO).For the latest in business news, training and mentoring available for businesses located in County Tipperary visit: https://www.localenterprise.ie/Tipperary/Ask your Google Assistant or Alexa for the news from Tipperary Local Enterprise Office.Twitter: @leotipperaryFacebook: Facebook.com/localenterpriseofficetipperaryProduced by TBF Digital Marketing AgencyThe S...2020-02-2000 min