Subscribe To Irish Entrepreneur Now!

» Top 1000 Fastest Growing All-Island SME's 2007

» Top 100 Fastest Growing All-Island SME's Start-ups 2007

» All-Island Top 120 Business Women 2007

» Top 1000 All Island SMEs 2006

» Top 50 Irish Business Families 2006

» Top 100 Women In Business 2006

» Book Reviews

» Web Reviews

» Foreign Investments

» Education

» Technology

» Top Ranking Businesses

USEFUL ADVICE
FOR START-UPS

	Work-Life Balance Many people become entrepreneurs so they can have greater flexibility, however often this does not transpire once the business is up and running. It's important to step back and review how you can achieve a more balanced life

	Expanding your business When developing and growing your business it is imperative to make best use of all the resources available to you so that you can plan the expansion of your business and continue to grow and develop your product or service

	Web Wonders A website can be your gateway to new opportunities, new business and new markets. Therefore it is important for your website to work well, be user friendly for potential customers, and should encourage users to visit time and again

	Mentor Magic Being an entrepreneur can be lonely and daunting. So it is important to have others to sound ideas off. Mentors are becoming increasingly popular in Ireland and can be of great benefit to people who are looking for guideance and direction

NEW START-UPS: JULY ISSUE

Irish Entrepreneur gives the lowdown on some innovative start ups! See our fundamentals of entrepreneurship section on Mentoring

MEETING YOUR HOLIDAY NEEDS

Manus Hanratty and Peter Clerkin, founders, myHoliday.ie

The popularity of online travel services continues to grow Peter Clerkin and Manus Hanratty set up myHoliday.ie to develop the family of internet based travel services. Their online product range enables the consumer to browse for information provided from multiple sources including the consumer network; register for more premium and personalised services and select from a wide range of holiday services, including package and activity based holidays, flights, accommodation, car hire and travel insurance. All services also provide full online booking.

Co-founder Manus Hanratty anticipates a good growth level for the business in the future. “We expect to grow rapidly to better meet the demands of the consumer who travels more often and expects great online services,” he explains.

IRISH TRAVEL INDUSTRY

Hanratty continues by commenting that his research previous to setting up the business showed there was a definite market demand for such a service in Ireland where there is a large travel industry. “Our research concluded that consumer demand for, and ability to use, online services continues to rapidly grow. In addition to ecommerce, there is an increasing demand for participation in on-line communities that cater for the consumer’s particular interests. It is this consumer demand for enhanced online services purchases that we have targeted as a major business opportunity,” concludes Hanratty.

ONLINE SHOPPING MADE EASY

The world of buying and selling at your fingertips Launched in November 2006, BuyandSellshops.ie is involved with online selling and buying and now has over 120 online shops in existence. With a total of 3,618 listed items available to buy, Irish people can buy and sell new and used items from thousands of categories, and there is minimal effort for sellers to set-up their online shops as the service offers customised templates. So whether its art or musical instruments, antiques or fitness equipment, pet supplies or clothing, the buy and sell online shops have something for everyone and it’s all right at your fingertips.

BETER TO BUY ONLINE

There are major buying benefits associated with these shops. Have you ever travelled long distances and traced around numerous shops only to find that the particular item that you want to buy is not available? The beauty of buying online is that you save time, can look around a variety of shops, compare prices and consumer feedback from other shoppers and customers. With people working longer hours, time is precious and convenience is everything. The large range and varying amounts of products in one convenient location makes shopping online easy.

ANSWERING THE CALL FOR THE SME COMMUNITy

A customised service for home movie lovers

David Kelly and Tom Shanahan, Kendelbell

New service to assist the surge in new business start-ups in Ireland Ireland has the second highest level of entrepreneurial activity in the EU behind Poland. Just under 2,000 individuals each month are involved in starting a new business according to a recent Global Entrepreneurship Monitoring (GEM) report. With an estimated 50,000 new businesses due to open between 2006 and 2010, one of the main obstacles facing new start-ups is high set up costs averaging at €25,000. Kendlebell Ireland recently announced a new ‘Start a Business Bundle’ in response to the surge in new business start-ups. The virtual office providers anticipate their bundle will be the answer for fledgling companies.

THE NECESSARY TOOLS

The Kendlebell Start a Business Bundle is a pioneering service for new businesses providing a one-stopshop for new entrepreneurs to equip themselves with the necessary tools for an immediate business presence. The bundle includes a selection of business addresses, personalised call answering, personalised telephone and fax numbers and 500 printed business cards.

Kendlebell also offer online diary Management and a range of optional extras from stationary to website development. Kendlebell can take orders, update systems, receive deliveries, screen prospects, co-ordinate RSVPs, and provide full secretarial services but at a fraction of the cost. Depending on requirements, clients can choose between five packages that range from €50 per month (entry Level) to €400 per month (Platinum).

Published in the July/August 2007 Issue of Irish Entrepreneur

| back to top | back to Start-Ups |

Irish Business Magazines Get Real Run For Their Money
With an ABC audited circulation of 14,276 January to June 2005 Irish Entrepreneur dominates the Irish Business Market and now is the most sought after business magazine on the island! Irish Entrepreneur is Ireland's top distributed business magazine.

Ireland's Top Distributed Magazine
ABC Audited Circulation - 14,276 January to June 2005
Estimated Readership - Over 90,000 business owners & decision makers