Italo Andrade spoke with John about his business – digital business cards.  Italo explained how they work, how they can help save money for businesses and individuals and, how he’s seeking both resellers and investors.

Earlier this week the launch of the County Carlow Chamber of Commerce Business Awards 2023 took place at The Exchange in Carlow. John Purcell was at the event and while there he spoke with the newly elected President of Carlow Chamber of Commerce Rowena Dooley.

Economist Jim Power joined John to discuss how business and the economy has been faring over the first six months of 2023 and what he thinks will be the issues and influences shaping the rest of the year.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Google has announced that starting on July 1st, 2023, the standard Universal Analytics will stop working and, to understand what this means for any business using Google Analytics to guide their ecommerce strategy, John spoke with John Foy, Creative Director at Carlow based, Stratticus Studio about what you need to know and what you need to do.

During the week the Central Bank of Ireland released their second quarterly bulletin of the year and to discuss what has been going on in the Irish Economy and what lies ahead for the rest of the year, John spoke with Martin O’Brien, Head of Irish Economic Analysis at the Central Bank of Ireland.

Climate change is an ongoing subject of concern and while many businesses are well on the road to making their businesses more sustainable there are many others who have put off the necessary changes that have to be made to decrease their carbon footprints. Gillian Peters, Chief Executive of Pragmatica spoke with John about how her organisation works with businesses large and small to devise and implement strategies and prepare for a future where becoming climate friendly won’t be just a choice for business but will also be something which they will have to do to comply with a range of statutory requirements which are coming down the track.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Rachel along with her husband Frank and sons Barry and Fergal chatted with John about their business, working as a family, the challenges and successes along the way, and the hopes that Rachels story will inspire others.

Throughout the evening, John caught up with some of the guests in attendance who shared their stories of Rachel and her impact on the business community locally and beyond.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

With staff recruitment and retention a big business issue that has shot right to the top of the agenda of many businesses, John spoke with John Hurley, CEO of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce and John O ’Shanahan, Managing Director of Lean BPI about an event on the theme of recruitment and retention which is taking place in Kilkenny next Thursday, and is being hosted by Kilkenny Local Enterprise Office in association with Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce.

Gerry Duffy last spoke with John on The Bottom Line in January about goal setting for 2023 and, as we approach the halfway point in the year, John caught up with Gerry to get some advice on what to do if you had set yourself some goals at the start of the year but have wandered a bit off course. 

Riverbend Adventures a kayaking tourist company based in Kilkenny was set up by Roger McClure along with his son David McClure. Roger joined John in studio to tell us more about the business and how it came about from his passion for Kayaking.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Jimmy Sheehan, Managing Director at Contracting PLUS joined John to chat about blended workforces and the recently released study “Ireland’s Project Economy 2023” -  a collaboration between Contracting PLUS and Trinity Business School which examines  the extent and nature of working as a self-employed contractor or freelancer in Ireland.

Earlier this week the latest Consumer Sentiment Index for May was released and to provide an insight into the findings of the report and understand why consumer confidence is an important barometer, John was joined by Economist Austin Hughes.

With The Cat Laughs festival kicking off this weekend, John chatted to Cat Laughs Founder Richard Cook to talk about the business of comedy festivals and what he’s learned over almost 30 years of producing some of the best festivals around.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

TradeBridge is a new organisation established with the support of Local Authorities and other business development organisations across the South East. Its purpose is to develop trade links between South East Ireland and South East Georgia, USA. This week a delegation of business leaders from Savannah in Georgia were in this area and John Coleman, incoming Chair of the World Trade Centre in Savannah and Claire McInerny Brown, Chief Executive of TradeBridge spoke with John to tell us more about how business links between the South East of Ireland and the South East of Georgia, first established almost two hundred years ago are being revived in the 21st century. 

Liam Anthony Griffin, a Director of Griffin Hotel Group spoke with John about how their business has been on a long running sustainability journey and to discuss the recently announced details of its achievements in developing a Solar Farm adjacent to the Monart Destination Spa in Wexford, a project which they hope will ultimately provide all the electricity for all the hotels in the group.

Dan O’ Connor of The Hot Box Sauna, chatted to John about how the idea to develop a range of sauna locations around the lakes & shores of Ireland came about and their latest venture on the banks of the Barrow on the Carlow Kilkenny border in Graiguenamanagh.  

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Founder of Arboretum, Rachel Doyle joined John to tell us why it’s a great idea to have plants in an office or business, she chatted about Arboretum’s third outlet “Arboretum Urban Green”, and she also provided a sneak preview of her soon to be published book.

Colin Hayes, UK and Ireland Managing Director of local company Netwatch spoke with John about the business and the work they do, as well as a new system they’ve launched to protect retailers and other public facing staff.

Simon O’Dwyer, Managing Director of threesixty joined John in studio to give us the latest on his company, their journey from office to home working to hybrid, a journey that many in business are still wondering which route to take.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Bryan Corden, Founder & Director of Deycom Computer Services chatted to Colin about his organisation and the work they do, as well as the upcoming Tech Summit which takes place in Carlow on the 31st May and will cover topics such as cyber security, AI in business, and mobile technology.

Ronan Murphy of Vision Green Consultancy spoke to Colin about sustainability in business, with insights into what is a good starting point for organisations who want to reduce their carbon footprint, the grants and supports available as well what will be required from businesses in the coming years to meet regulatory requirements.

Jason Morrissey of Kilkenny Cycling Tours chatted to Colin about his business which provides cycling tours as well as also providing cycling safety education. Jason spoke about starting the business in 2010, the impacts of Covid-19 on his business and teaching people how to cycle.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

With the motor industry being such a big employer and contributor to the local economy John spoke with Brian Cooke, Director General of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry, about the latest monthly motor trade figures and what they tell us about the state of the motor industry nationally and locally.

Chef Conor Higgins joined John to chat about the recently opened Higgs Field Restaurant, and how he’s travelled from Kilkenny to Canada and back again as he’s honed his culinary skills to bring us a vegetarian restaurant using locally farmed and foraged ingredients.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Gail Daniels, owner of Bó Bar Soap, chatted to John about starting up her soap making business during Covid, how the idea for Bó Bar Soap came to be, and catering for market segments from people with eczema to grease and oil covered mechanics.

During the week Kilkenny based fintech company CR Payroll Solutions, announced the creation of 40 new jobs over the next 18 months. The announcement was made as Minister of State for Financial Services, Insurance and Credit Unions Jennifer Carroll MacNeill,  visited the company. Helen Dooley, Director of Sales and Marketing for CR Payroll Solutions joined John to tell us more about the company and the work they do.

Business in The Community Ireland Chief Executive Tomás Sercovich, joined John to tell us about Business in the Community Ireland and the work they do with businesses to support them with sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and diversity.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Seán Manicle of Manicle Property Insurance Claims joined John to discuss business insurance, the importance of ensuring that your property is not under insured, what business owners should look out for when renewing their policies and the common pitfalls that happen for businesses when they are making an insurance claim.

Nicki Hoyne, Founder & Designer of The Nicki Hoyne Collection chatted to John about developing & launching her own brand of footwear and handbags, retail post Covid, how her business has expanded and having her collection stocked in high end stores in Los Angeles and beyond.

With the consultation process about traffic changes underway in Kilkenny John spoke with John Hurley, CEO of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce about Kilkenny’s Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan –what's the role of business in making adjustments on how we get from A to B to C in order to tackle the climate emergency?

With thanks to Carlow & Kilkenny Local Enterprise Offices

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Breda O’Connor of Systems and Software Solutions chats to John about Excel and how we can be more productive when we are using Excel. Breda also provides some useful tips and advice on how to make Excel work for you.

Ciarán Stone CEO of Square Root Solutions the locally based company which was recently named Business All-Star App Development Company Of The Year 2023 by the All-Ireland Business Foundation chatted to John about his business, how the world of apps has grown and expanded and about how his business is doing.

Diversity in business is a very current topic, however one area that is often overlooked when it comes to talking about diversity is neurodiversity and, with estimates putting the number of people considered Neurodivergent at 1 in 7 in Ireland there’s a lot to learn.  Jeanette Delahunty, Owner of TSK Academy Ltd spoke with John about neurodiversity, understanding what it means and explains more about hidden disabilities. She also chatted about how her business works with organisations to provide support and education about neurodiversity in the workplace.   

With thanks to Carlow & Kilkenny Local Enterprise Offices

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Last Thursday was a red-letter day for Tirlán and for the Abbey Quarter in Kilkenny with the official opening of Tirlan’s Headquarters and Collaboration hub by Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney. After the official opening ceremony John sat down with Tirlán CEO Jim Bergin, to talk about how the business has developed over the years, new ways of working and doing business, how Agri Business can help address the climate emergency and what the company has planned for the future.

John Mulcahy, Business Advisor with the Local Enterprise Office in Kilkenny & Denis Casey of Casey Business Consulting spoke with John about starting your own business. They chat through the importance of market research, putting your idea in writing by creating a business plan as well as financial planning. 

Sarah McGree, Owner & Founder of The Wild Grazer joined John to chat about starting her business during the Covid-19 pandemic, how the business has developed over the past few years and recently being named Cake Designer of The Year at the weddingsonline Awards 2023.

With thanks to Carlow & Kilkenny Local Enterprise Offices

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

John Ryan, Global CEO of Healthy Place to Work, spoke with John about their recently released research on health and wellbeing in the workplace and what the learnings are for people who manage businesses.

On Thursday, John attended the official opening of the Patrick Joseph gallery and showroom at the Castle Yard in Kilkenny City and while there, John chatted to Patrick Joseph Brennan to hear the inspiring story of how the business began and all about the craft of knife making.

Tony Kelly, Director of Pro-Tray spoke with John about starting his career as an electrician one week after leaving school to last week going on to win the top award at the Carlow Digital Awards for his invention.  

With thanks to Carlow & Kilkenny Local Enterprise Offices

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Trade Local.ie is a newly launched business and classified website which is aimed at encouraging people to support local and shop local. Ray O’Shaughnessy of Trade local.ie chatted to Colin, about starting up the website, how it works and plans for the future.

Brian Kelly, Chief Executive of Kilkenny based company MindAClient, joined Colin to tell us more about the organisation, how it has evolved since it first began 21 years ago and the launch of their latest product “Wellbeing in the Workplace”.

John Hurley, CEO of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce and Rowena Dooley, Vice President of County Carlow Chamber of Commerce spoke with Colin about the recent St. Patricks Day parade festivities across Carlow & Kilkenny and the importance of such events to our local economies. 

With thanks to Carlow & Kilkenny Local Enterprise Offices

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Ashling Ward, Network Manager at Carlow Kilkenny Skillnet joined Colin to chat about a new course available to businesses - “Certificate in Strategic and Operational Management" which was launched last week by Carlow Kilkenny Skillnet, Waterford Chamber Skillnet, and Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Mobility & Supply Chain Skillnet in collaboration with South East Technological University (SETU). 

Paul Whitnell, President & Founder of British & Irish Trading Alliance(BITA) spoke with Colin about the work that BITA do, how the organisation began, how this has developed throughout the years and the value of networking events.

Local Enterprise Week was a busy week across Carlow & Kilkenny with numerous events happening both locally as well as online, Kieran Comerford, Head of Economic Development & Enterprise at Carlow Local Enterprise Office & Aileen McGrath, Acting Head of Enterprise, at Kilkenny Local Enterprise Office joined Colin to chat about some of the highlights from the week as well as speaking about the outlook for SME’s and future entrepreneurs.

With thanks to Carlow & Kilkenny Local Enterprise Offices

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Local Enterprise week was running throughout the country since Monday, and while there were many events taking place locally some of the highlights from the week were the Student Enterprise Awards in Carlow & Kilkenny as well as the Carlow County Final of the National Enterprise Awards. 

Edwina Grace went along to the Student Enterprise Awards in both Carlow & Kilkenny and caught up with the senior county winners - Monarch Gymwear, Tullow Community School, and The Gaming Guard, Grennan College, Thomastown. While on Thursday, Software & Technology Company Forest Rock Technologies was named Carlow Enterprise of the Year at the Carlow County final of the National Enterprise awards and Philip Clarke, Managing Director joined Colin to tell us more about their business and what the win meant to them.

Denyse Campbell, President of the Irish Hotels Federation joined Colin to chat about sustainability in the Hotel & Tourism Industry and why there is a lot more to sustainability than just being “green”.

Ciara Gleeson, Marketing Manager at EZ Living Furniture chatted to Colin about their recent success at the Digital Business Ireland National Digital Awards, with EZ Living Furniture being crowned winner of National Website of the Year as well as picking up the award for Medium Website of the year for the second year in a row. 

With thanks to Carlow & Kilkenny Local Enterprise Offices

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

"Twenty Questions" our feature which gives you the chance to get the know the individuals behind the businesses and organisations within our communities across Carlow & Kilkenny was back this week, and our latest guest was Róisín McQuillan, Administrator & Business Development Officer at Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce.

On Thursday, Minister Neale Richmond, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment met a range of local businesspeople in Kilkenny and our Edwina Grace spoke with the Minister to hear more about the visit.

Announced during the Ministers visit to Kilkenny was Taxback International’s strategic partnership with WTS Global and Edwina spoke to Terry Clune, CEO of CluneTech and founder of Taxback International, Joe Healy, Chief Commercial Officer with Taxback International and Jurgen Scholz, of WTS. 

Melissa Doyle, Business Advisor at Local Enterprise Office Carlow & Co-ordinator of Powerhouse – Women in Business Network, and Norah Ryan, Owner & Managing Director of Barrow Consultancy & Training spoke with Deirdre about the Powerhouse Women in Business Network and the upcoming Powerhouse – Digital Marketing Event to mark Women’s International Day. Norah who will be one of the speakers at upcoming Powerhouse event spoke about her organisation and the work they do as well as speaking about the importance of having a network for people in business.

With thanks to Carlow & Kilkenny Local Enterprise Offices

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Brian O ‘Flynn, Head of Ireland’s Ancient East at Fáilte Ireland, chats to John about the Tourism & Hospitality Sector, how the industry is positioned for 2023 and plans for year ahead.

Business mentor, Blaise Brosnan, spoke with John about running a business during inflationary times and how business owners can plan & adopt different business strategies to meet the challenges of running a business during an inflationary cycle.

Megan Manning, Owner of Happy Beads and President of Network Ireland Carlow spoke with John about setting up the Network Ireland branch in Carlow, what the network can offer to its members and highlights the importance of networking groups. 

With thanks to Carlow & Kilkenny Local Enterprise Offices, Produced by Deirdre Dromey

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

With the threat of cyber-attacks being ever present for businesses, Gavin Dixon, Chief Executive of Business I.T. Solutions chatted to John about minimising risk, the importance of having a plan in place in case of an attack and cyber security insurance.

Oonagh McCutcheon, National Director .IE Digital Town Programme & Vernon Buckley, of Piltown’s Broadband 4 our Community spoke with John about the .IE Digital Town Awards. They discuss what the win meant to last year’s winners in Piltown, Co. Kilkenny and how they have fared since scooping the top prize as well as how to enter the .IE Digital Town Awards 2023

John Doyle, Director of Hi Tec Medicare Ltd., chatted to John about how two old orthopaedic chairs and a gut feeling led to the start of a family business that went on to be named overall Business of the Year at the Kilkenny Business Awards.

With thanks to Carlow & Kilkenny Local Enterprise Offices, Produced by Deirdre Dromey

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

On Thursday, the Local Enterprise Office in Kilkenny hosted their Showcase Event for Start-Up Businesses, an event which was specifically designed to help start-up businesses understand and find out more about the services available from organisations with a remit for enterprise development. While at the event, John Purcell spoke with a number of people to hear about how their organisations can help start-up businesses. 

Richard Cook, known in these parts for launching the Cat Laughs, Kilkenomics and Subtitle Festivals spoke with John about the business of film and tv production and its impact on the local economy, as he’s in the thick of filming a drama series for British TV in Kilkenny.

Ciara and Robert Stanley joined John in studio to talk about their Coppenagh House Farm Shop, Ciara’s embroidery business and their Ballybar Ireland brand which sells high end work shirts, neck gaiters and other items such as travel mugs and tote bags.

With thanks to Carlow & Kilkenny Local Enterprise Offices, Produced by Deirdre Dromey

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

The Student Enterprise Programme is an enterprise education programme that is run in schools across Ireland from first year through to sixth year and gives students the opportunity to set up their own business from concept stage to market research, through to selling their products and developing a business plan.

This week John met with two companies which were established by transition year students from Tullow Community School. "Monarch Gymwear" whose management team includes Managing Director, Jamie Noctor; Marketing Manager, Paul Barrett; Purchasing Manager, Oisin Nolan & Financial Controller, Andi Dascalescu and "Flourish Live Your Best Life” comprising of Jamie Maher, Production & Quality Control Manager; Johnny Maher, Marketing & Social Media Manager;  Eddie Hourihane,  Purchasing Manager; & David McHugh Financial Controller.

Luke McIntosh, Owner and Managing Director of Dakota Irish, the Kilkenny based company which makes handcrafted tabletop gaming accessories for role playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, spoke with John about being 5 years in business, how business is going, and what the upcoming release of the latest Dungeons and Dragons Movie could mean for his business.

With thanks to Carlow & Kilkenny Local Enterprise Offices, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Staying on the topic of jobs, John was joined by Aileen McGrath, Acting Head of Enterprise at the Local Enterprise Office Kilkenny & Séamus Doran, Assistant Head of Economic Development & Enterprise with the Local Enterprise Office Carlow to discuss the employment opportunities created by small & medium enterprises across Carlow & Kilkenny in 2022 and also looking ahead to 2023.

Samantha McCaughren, Business Editor of the Sunday Independent joined John to chat through some of the business news stories from the week. 

Climate Action Co-ordinator with Kilkenny County Council, Dearbhala Ledwidge, joined John in studio to discuss climate change, her role as Climate Action Co-ordinator and how businesses can plan and begin to reduce their carbon footprint.

With thanks to Carlow & Kilkenny Local Enterprise Offices, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Every business has a story to tell, but how good are they at telling that story?  John Hurley, Chief Executive of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce and Padraig Hyland, Co- Founder and Chief Executive of The Core Story joined John to chat about an upcoming Chamber Chat, where Padraig will be sharing some insights into how businesses can tell their story. 

On last week’s episode we spoke about objectives for the year ahead and how personal fitness and the correct state of mind are a vital part not only of business success but also for personal wellbeing.  Tom Britton Owner of Marble City Travel joined John to share some of his story.

Trish Finegan chatted to John about beginning a new chapter, as the business she started in 1990 along with her husband Eamon Blake - “Creative Catering” closes its doors after 32 years.

With thanks to Carlow & Kilkenny Local Enterprise Offices, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

To discuss goal setting within business, how to set realistic goals and be accountable for them, John was joined by Gerry Duffy of Gerry Duffy Academy, a very successful public and motivational speaker who has worked with numerous multinationals and SME’s, as well as local business & training organisations across Carlow & Kilkenny.

While we are in an age where many businesses are looking at ways to cut costs, Deirdre Martin of Deirdre Martin Consulting joined John to chat about the importance of marketing and branding your business and why it’s an essential business investment and not a cost to be cut.

Neil Gunning of Nu Gamma fitness chatted to join about the Health & Fitness sector which,  traditionally is one of the busiest sectors at this time of year as many of us try to maintain our new year’s resolutions of becoming more active. Neil discussed the importance of exercise for our personal lives as well as in our working lives and provides tips on how to make it part of our day.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Michael O’Boyle, Managing Director of Cycling Solutions Ireland, joined John in Studio to tell him more about the launch of Kilkenny’s Cycle Friendly City campaign and how you can become a Cycle Friendly Employer.

Brian O Farrell, CEO of County Carlow Chamber of Commerce chatted to John about business sentiment, resilience and the Carlow Business Awards 2022.

With it being the weekend of the All Ireland Senior Hurling Final, John was joined by David Dowling of Star Hurley to chat about their business which was founded by his grandfather almost 60 years ago.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

With economic challenges all around, most business owners and managers are keeping their eyes peeled for new business opportunities and Denis Casey of Casey Business Consulting joined John to chat about Public Service Contracts and E Tenders, a sector which may offer new opportunities to SME’s.

One year on – John first spoke with John & Caroline Duggan of Hawkeye Falconry in May 2021 when they were preparing to open their Falconry School in Lyrath following one of our longest Covid lockdowns. During the week, John caught up with John Duggan to hear how the past 13 months in business has been for them and their team of falcons, hawks and eagles.

‘The Managers Handbook For A New World Of Work’ - is a business book which aims to give managers new skills, insights and information to better cope with the challenging world of business, Author Monica Murphy, joined John to tell us more about the book.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

O’ Neill Foley Chartered Accountants are the first company to move into the Brewhouse Office Building, the first development in the Abbey Quarter located in the heart of Kilkenny city on the site of the now closed Smithwick’s Brewery. Alan Serry of O’ Neill Foley spoke with John about the move, what it involved and how it fits into the company’s plans for the future.

Anna Daly is a familiar face to many as a long-standing host of Breakfast TV on Virgin Television and most recently on RTE’s Hospitals Live programme. Anna joined John to chat about her new career direction with the launch of her clothing brand Little Bliss.

With thousands of golf fans converging on Mount Juliet Estate for The Irish Open, Edwina Grace was out and about in Thomastown to hear from businesses about how the last couple of days have been and what is the impact on business with such an event.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Staying on the topic of the one-way system, John Hurley, CEO of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce spoke with John about how his business representative group feels about what’s been decided. 

As business continues to emerge from over 2 years of Covid disruption, Reg Friddle, a Kilkenny based Coach, Trainer and Executive Mentor who works with businesses of all sizes across a variety of sectors through his business Preferred Future, joined John to chat about the key issues facing business leaders in the post lockdown world.

The Powerhouse Picnic, a summer BBQ event being hosted by Carlow Local Enterprise Office designed to encourage professional female business connections in an informal setting, is taking place on Wednesday 29th June 2022. To tell us more about the event John was joined by Melissa Doyle, Business Advisor at Carlow Local Enterprise Office and Liz Morrissey of ELM Beauty & Morrissey’s Pharmacy Carlow.

 With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Laurie Grace, Principal at Grace Solicitors spoke with John about the importance of business succession planning and the recent announcement that Grace Solicitors and Gerald Meaney Solicitors are to merge and become Grace Solicitors incorporating Gerald Meaney from July 1st, 2022.

During the week RadioCentre Ireland published the first ever revenue data for the Irish Radio Industry & to hear more about the data, Stephen Byrne spoke with Ciarán Cunningham, Chief Executive of RadioCentre Ireland.

Do the accents that we hear in adverts make a difference to us? Research commissioned by radio & digital broadcast specialists IRS + set out to understand the psychology behind accent, and whether a local voice used in adverts made a difference. Shane Brennan, Creative Director at Foe , spoke with Stephen Byrne to tell us more about the research, how it was conducted and what the findings were.

Michael English, Director at Recovery Hub Carlow joined Stephen Byrne to discuss his business and how the idea to open a recovery hub came about.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Kim Mackenzie-Doyle, Founder of The Big Idea joined John to chat about this year’s programme which saw around 2000 students from across the country coming up with ideas to tackle some of Ireland’s biggest issues. With this year’s showcase event now complete. Kim spoke about her plans for The Big Idea in 2023.

Valerie O Sullivan, President of Network Ireland Kilkenny, spoke with John about how things have changed for business since January, Network Ireland Kilkenny’s upcoming Businesswoman of The Year Awards and her new role in Rothe House & Garden.

Seamus Marnane, Founder & Sales Director of Catering Innovation Agency (CIA), joined John in studio to chat about his business which is based in Carlow and supplies and installs energy efficient catering equipment all over Ireland.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Gillian Fanning, President of The Society of the Irish Motor Industry and first female president in the Society’s 100 years chatted to John about recent research conducted by the SIMI aimed at encouraging more women to join the industry. 

“Twenty Questions” our feature piece where we literally ask our guest twenty questions, all which have been designed to allow you to get to know the individual outside of their role in business. Our latest guest was Anne Barber, owner of the Butterslip in Kilkenny.

Séamus Doran, Assistant Head of Economic Development and Enterprise spoke with John about the importance of training for those in business, the impact of Covid on training and how the Local Enterprise Offices can assist businesses with their training requirements.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Dakota Irish, a company founded by North Dakota native Luke McIntosh, grew out of a passion for the fantasy game Dungeons and Dragons. The company which began in Graiguenamanagh, export their products all over the world and have recently expanded. Founder, Luke McIntosh joined John to tell him more about the business and how it began.

Brian O’Farrell, CEO of County Carlow Chamber of Commerce chatted to John about his recent trade trip to Liverpool along with six local companies and the Local Enterprise Office in Carlow.

The New Frontiers Programme is an enterprise support programme aimed at entrepreneurs with high potential and scalable business ideas or technology. The programme being run out of the Enterprise and Research Centre (ERIC) in South East Technological University Carlow Campus is recruiting for phase 2. To discuss the programme in more detail John was joined by Gemma Purcell, Enterprise Development Manager at South East Technological University and  Ann-Marie McSorley, Founder and CEO of Veri Connect who speaks about her experience of being part of the programme.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Edwina Grace was out and about across Carlow and Kilkenny tracking two Government Ministers as they met local businesses and review how business is progressing over the last challenging number of years. In Edwina’s Report we hear from Minister Damien English T.D. Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail; Minister Robert Troy, T.D. Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation; Kieran Comerford, Head of Economic Development & Enterprise at Carlow Local Enterprise Office and local business owners.

David Carpendale, owner of David Oliver Bespoke joined John to tell us more about his business and the work he does.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Carlow Toolmaking Services is a proud local company providing toolmaking services to some of the biggest names in the medical, pharma, food, and automotive industries. During the week John spoke with Director of Carlow Toolmaking Services Pat Amond to learn more about the company, it’s history and the work that they do.

Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce held its 74th AGM during the week and the first in person AGM since 2019. The meeting saw the handing on of the Chamber Presidential Chain from Colin Ahern to new President Brian Keyes and after the ceremony John spoke with both the outgoing and incoming President.  

Stephen Prendiville, Head of Sustainability at EY Ireland joined John to discuss the results of their recently published “State of Sustainability Report 2022” which provides insights into how Irish Business is responding to the climate crisis.           

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Damien English TD recently paid a visit to Kilkenny where he met with the Local Enterprise Office and with a range of businesses. Edwina Grace spoke with him after his visit to hear about his experience of Kilkenny and to discuss what the Government is concentrating on to help business?

Noel Davidson, Director of Training at The Entrepreneurs Academy joined John to chat about the Small Business Management Programme which Carlow and Kilkenny Local Enterprise Offices are now seeking expressions of interest for.

Local entrepreneur Anneliese Duffy of Linen Shirt Company, chats about working to bring back locally manufactured products, the importance of working with local business and launching Linen Shirt Company just before lockdown.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

This month our guest was Bernard Horohan, Owner of Tile N Style.

Ciaran Cunningham, CEO of Radio Centre Ireland chatted to John about recently released research which examined how the Covid-19 pandemic impacted radio listening habits, how they might change in the future, as well as looking at the change in working practices and spending.

“Twenty Questions” our feature piece which is designed to give you an insight into an individual outside of their role in business was back and our latest guest was Bernard Horohan, Owner of Tile N Style in Carlow.

Gillian Ryan and Gabrielle Carroll of Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board joined John in studio to discuss how their organisation can assist SME’s access a range of green skills programmes as well as being able to help businesses identify areas that may benefit from educational training and support.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

During the week, Minister Heather Humphreys announced details of a new Automatic Pension Enrolment Scheme. To find out what is involved, and the costs related to the scheme we spoke with pensions expert, Ed Kissane of O’Neill Foley Chartered Accountants  

On Thursday last, Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce hosted their latest Chamber Chat, the venue was Kilkenny’s Abbey Quarter Development. With “The Brewhouse” due to open over the next few weeks, the chamber chat featured a walk through the premises. During the tour of the building John spoke with Jason Clerkin, CEO at Kilkenny Abbey Quarter Development; Colin Ahern,  President of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce and Colette Byrne, Chief Executive of Kilkenny County Council.

Cáit Mackey Maher started her business making greeting cards as a hobby before taking the plunge and going full – time earlier this year. Already she has attended Showcase Ireland and her cards and designs are stocked in an ever-increasing number of shops around the country. Cáit joined John to tell us more about her business.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

For two years we’ve had a pandemic and now we’re in what the Taoiseach has characterised as a “War Economy”, all these issues combined with many other things in our lives means it is very easy to become overwhelmed.  Michael Demetriou, Performance and Wellness Coach at Thrive Together Coaching spoke to John about the importance of self-awareness, understanding how you can look after your health and stay productive. 

Gerry Rafter, Owner of Rafter’s Gastro Pub chatted to John about being in business for over a quarter of a century and being named as the Best Small Business at the recent Kilkenny Business Awards.

In the face of spiralling numbers of fraud attempts every day - on mobile, computer or directly through increasingly sophisticated phone scams, John spoke with Paul Delahunty, Chief Information Security Officer at Stryve about what you need to do to prevent you and your business falling victim to unscrupulous fraudsters. 

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

It was recently announced that Cushendale Woollen Mills will represent Kilkenny at this years National Enterprise Awards which will take place in Dublin's Mansion House in June.

We wanted to bring you the story of a business in Ukraine and what the war has meant to them. So, through contacts in the local Ukrainian community we made contact with Arno Klijbroek a Dutch man who 25 years ago moved to live in Ukraine, setting up a business there importing flower seeds and vegetable processing equipment. 

The National Enterprise Awards are due to take place at the Mansion House, Dublin in June, and last week we spoke with FeedAlpha the company who will represent Carlow at the awards, while it was announced that Cushendale Woollen Mills will be the company representing Kilkenny. To tell us more about their business, John spoke with Philip and Miriam Cushen, the father and daughter team who are the fifth and sixth generation of their family running Cushendale. Fidelis Doherty, Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council and Fiona Deegan, Head of Enterprise at Kilkenny Local Enterprise Office chatted about why Cushendale is such a worthy representative of Kilkenny.

Donal O Donoghue, President of the Employment and Recruitment Federation spoke with John about how their organisation can support people from Ukraine arriving in Ireland through employment and training services.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Stryve is a Carlow based company formed in January 2019 when two local companies T2 and VCloud came together. Andrew Tobin, CEO of Carlow Company Stryve spoke with John about his companies’ latest achievements and expansion in the burgeoning field of cloud computing services and cyber security.         

Retail is a sector which is hugely important to the economy and one which has experienced huge disruption over the last number of years. Retail expert James Burke chatted with John about how this sector has changed, developed, and adapted over the last two years and what is the key to success to this hugely important business sector.

The National Enterprise Awards will be held in Dublin’s Mansion House in June. The event sees companies chosen in each county around the country all receiving recognition with one being chosen as the overall business of the year. To hear more about the event John was joined by Séamus Doran, Assistant Head of Economic Development & Enterprise with the Local Enterprise Office and Gary Evans of Founder of FeedAlpha the company chosen to represent Carlow at this year's awards.

With Invoice Redirect Fraud being a constant threat to businesses up and down the country, Edwina was joined by Sgt Peter McConnon, Crime Prevention Officer who spoke about what invoice redirect fraud is, what businesses need to be on the lookout for, as well as offering advice on how to prevent this sort of crime from occurring within your organisation.

Anne Zahan, Strategy Director at Core joined Edwina to chat about their “Predict 2022” research which examines consumer expectations for 2022, the report also provides insights into consumer behaviours throughout the pandemic and which ones we are mostly likely to retain. 

The Michelin Great Britain and Ireland Guide 2022 was announced during the week with Kilkenny restaurants Campagne and The Lady Helen at Mount Juliet Estate both retaining their star. Garrett Byrne, Head Chef and Co-Owner of Campagne spoke with Edwina about business over the last two years and what it takes to retain the Michelin Star, while Mark Dunne, General Manager at Mount Juliet Estate spoke about the teamwork, dedication and commitment involved in retaining a Michelin star. Mark also spoke about the challenges that the industry has faced over the last number of years and preparing for the Irish Open.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

With the tourism and hospitality sector being one of the biggest economic drivers for the region, John spoke with Brian O ‘Flynn, Head of Irelands Ancient East at Fáilte Ireland about the organisations priorities for 2022, the challenges of staff shortages and retention and the opportunities that lie ahead.

Twenty Questions our monthly(ish) feature where we literally ask our guest twenty questions that have been designed to give you an insight into the person outside of their role in business. Our latest guest was Marion Acreman, Centre Manager of MacDonagh Junction Shopping Centre.

Brendan Cullen is a local business owner who runs SurveyGuru a market research company. He also works with small business owners on ways in which they can increase their productivity and as part of this, Brendan has written a short book “Get Off the Hamster Wheel, the Smart Small Business Owners Productivity Bible” aimed at helping small business owners to become more productive. Brendan joined John in studio to discuss the book and to provide some practical tips on becoming more productive.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Over the last two years Health and Safety has been at the fore, with masks, hand sanitiser, contact tracing, social distancing, screens, and temperature checking forming part of the daily routine for almost every business that has kept its doors open. Since the lifting of Covid restrictions, the guidance around health and safety has now changed. Margaret Kirby of Health and Safety Review spoke with John to discuss the changes and what we need to know about the recently released transitional protocol.

After months in the studio due to Covid we decided it was time to get out and about to chat with some of the local businesses so, during the week John visited Lorimat Jewellers in the heart of Kilkenny city to talk retail, pivoting and environmentally friendly lab grown diamonds with Rita Shanahan.

Colin Rea, Director of Rea’s Department Store in Bagenalstown chatted to John about business throughout the pandemic; the future of retail and shopping local post pandemic as well as the everyday impacts of inflation on business.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Neil McDonnell, CEO of ISME spoke with John about the SME sector and what the post lockdown future looks like. Neil also spoke with John about the Right to Request Remote Work Bill 2021 which was published last week.

Michael O Boyle, Chief Executive of Cycling Solutions Ireland spoke with John about his mission to make business and society more cycle friendly and in the process unlock the huge potential of new ways of thinking about this hugely popular and environmentally friendly mode of transport.

Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce CEO, John Hurley chatted to John about the upcoming Kilkenny Chamber Business Awards with the new date of the 12th March 2022 having been announced late last week. John also spoke about the business community in Kilkenny and how their members have been feeling since the lifting of restrictions.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

John Ryan, Owner of The Pembroke hotel located in Kilkenny City, spoke with John about the restrictions that have continued to impact on the tourism and hospitality industry and his thoughts on the year ahead.

The B!G Idea is a multi-award winning project, that teaches critical thinking and creative problem solving aimed at inspiring the next generation to solve complex social issues. Kim Mackenzie-Doyle, Founder of The B!G Idea joined John to tell us more about the organisation and how people in industry can get involved by becoming a mentor.

The newly elected President of our local Network Ireland branch, Valerie O'Sullivan joined John to chat about the organisation for women in business in Kilkenny and Carlow and what she’s hoping to achieve in 2022.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Our latest guest was Yvonne O'Toole, Communications Lead at MSD.

Duncan Graham, Managing Director of Retail Excellence Ireland, spoke with John about the retail sector and how it has coped during 2021 and what the future looks like for retail.

"Twenty Questions" is our feature piece where we ask our guest twenty questions designed to give you an insight into the individual outside of their role in business. This month our guest was Yvonne O’Toole. 

Fiona O’Neill, Founder of Jobs for Family Carers, joined John to discuss the latest developments in her organisation, having recently been selected as one of 10 changemakers to take part in the Royal London Changemakers Programme, Fiona chats about her business journey and her plans for expansion in 2022.

Our last programme of 2021 finishes with a short piece read to us by Paddy Byrne, who along with his brothers started the Burnside Group which today employs over 1000 people locally.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
  

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

During the week, the Government announced the commencement of a dedicated rescue process for small companies, the act seeks to simplify and reduce the costs for small businesses who are experiencing difficulties. Minister Robert Troy TD is the Minister of State with responsibility for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and he joined John to discuss the main provisions of the new act.

The motor industry is a very significant employer in Carlow and Kilkenny employing approximately sixteen hundred people. John was joined by James Walsh, Dealer Principal of Walsh’s Toyota Kilkenny and Rowena Dooley, Dealer Principal of Dooley Motors in Carlow about how 2021 has been for them and how they feel about the car market as we face 2022. 

Focus and mental clarity are huge ingredients for business success, but for many it can be difficult to maintain that focus at this time of year while also dealing with the constant changes of the pandemic. Caroline Cunningham, Wellness Coach joined John to chat about the factors that can impact us and offers some tips on how we can manage these changes to retain that focus and build resilience.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
 
To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

John Hurley, CEO of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce joined John to discuss the results of the Chamber's survey in more detail.

Eoin joined John to discuss his career, the overlap between business and sport and how bringing his winning mindset from sport has helped him in his professional life.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Austin Hughes, Chief Economist at KBC Bank joined John to discuss the results of the November survey.

Michael Moriarty, Author, and former president of County Carlow Chamber spoke with John about his latest book “How to Bring Your Best Self to Work – strategies for career success.” 

Form Carlow is a group of designers, makers and craftspeople based in Carlow with the aim of raising the profile of their work and promoting Carlow as a destination for high quality design and craft. Mary Bourke of DeBurca Design and Nicola Brown of Nicola Brown Fine Art Textiles joined John to chat about Form Carlow and their pop-up shop which is opening on 2nd December 2021 in The Fairgreen Shopping Centre, Carlow.

Martin Donnelly, Product Sales and Distribution Manager at Fáilte Ireland chatted to John about the Leisure and UltraLuxe Tourism Market in Ireland, it’s value to the economy and what a guest in this market would tend to spend during their stay.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Michael offers some practical tips to help other organisations start their journey in becoming more sustainable.

Sage, the accounting and business software group like many companies started out small, but now employs thousands of people around the world. Barry Murphy, Managing Director of Sage Ireland spoke with John about the history of the Company, the services it offers and how advancements in technology may play its part for business in the future.

With air quality never more important, John spoke with Paul Broderick, General Manager of the Pembroke Hotel in Kilkenny about new equipment and measures that they have taken to ensure better air quality within their premises.

Julie Power is the 6th generation of her family to be involved in the seed business and she joined John to tell him more Connecting to Nature her company which offers wildflower seed and Irish Wild bird food to customers online. Julie chatted to John about how the family history of being involved in the seed business and her interest and passion in sustainability and biodiversity led to her starting her business.

William McHutcheon of Ballyshane Irish Wood design spoke with John about his business which uses 100% sustainable and traceable wood from dead, dying or windfallen trees to create sustainable furniture, useful pieces of homeware and ornamental pieces which are now sold in some of the most prestigious retail outlets in the country   

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
  

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

In this episode of The Bottom Line on KCLR we hear about the early days of Robert Quinn Ltd. starting out building small extensions to now working on large commercial and industrial projects. John chats to Bobby about building a company through recessions and what tips and advice he may have for those starting out.

In this episode of The Bottom Line on KCLR, John Purcell chatted with Eimear Ní Bhraonáin about the resilience of the Carlow Business Community, their inspirational stories and how they overcame the challenges of the past number of years.

John also spoke to Bobby Quinn who was the recipient of The Lifetime Achievement Award, James Keogh, Director of Rathwood Ireland who were winners of Carlow Business of the Year and to Shauna Doyle of Doyles Tarmacadam Ltd who took home the title of Outstanding Small Business Of the Year. 

Having just been crowned the National Retailer of the Year at the Retail Excellence Awards 2021 and winning the Best Online Presence Award at the Carlow Business Awards Rachael Doyle, Founder of Arboretum Lifestyle & Garden Centre spoke John about what the awards mean to her and the team.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
  

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Rosemary Ward, Business Consultant with South East BIC and Allen O’Neill, CEO of Web DataWorks chatted to John about ‘The Big Pitch’ - a virtual Pitching Competition open to Startup or Scaleup entrepreneurs based in the South East. Having won the competition last year, Allen spoke about what it meant to him and his company. Closing date for Applications is Monday, 8th November.

The Design and Craft Sector is a sector which contributes €500 million annually to the Irish Economy and is also a sector that is of huge importance to the local economies of Carlow & Kilkenny. Made in Ireland a new exhibition was recently launched in National Design and Craft Gallery in Kilkenny and Rosemary Steen, Chief Executive of the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland along with Mary Gallagher, Owner of The Blue Egg Gallery spoke with John about the sector and the latest exhibition.

With less than a week to go to the Carlow Business Awards, John spoke with Brian O’Farrell, CEO of County Carlow Chamber of Commerce about the awards which are set to will take place simultaneously in Ballykealey House, The Lord Bagenal Inn and the Woodford Dolmen Hotel.  

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
  

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Lily Holmes, Managing Director of PB Machine Tech Ltd.  spoke with John about the global supply chain issues as well as the labour shortage and the very real impacts that these issues have on their business.

Colin Duggan, President of County Carlow Chamber of Commerce, spoke with John about the local business reaction to the budget as well as discussing what the impacts of increasing the VAT rate for the Hospitality sector from August next year will be.

AerNua is an Irish company which specialises in working with companies to ensure that they are operating in clean air and who provide a range of solutions to ensure circulation of air and elimination of viruses, Marie Therese McCormack Co-Founder and Managing Director spoke with John about the work they do and the importance of education when it comes to our air quality.
 
 IAS Laboratories based in Bagenalstown, Co. Carlow recently announced they will partner with NRM Laboratories and Farmeye in a €10 million soil sampling and analysis programme, Eoin O'Brien, Sales & Marketing Specialist at IAS Laboratories chatted to John about their business, what was involved in the programme and how they are now recruiting for further staff.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
  

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Simon O ’Dwyer, Managing Director of branding & communications agency threesixty, spoke with John about the importance of marketing and how it has changed down through the years, as they celebrate 21 years in business.

Emer McCarthy, Head of Digital at Kilkenny Design spoke with John about the impacts of Covid on their business, the transition to online and the launch of their virtual reality store.

With the Carlow Business Awards due to take place on the 11th November, John chatted with Leslie Codd, Managing Director of Codd Mushrooms and Codd Property Holdings about winning the prestigious Business of the Year accolade in 2019 and being a judge in the awards this year.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

National Women’s Enterprise Day takes place online on Thursday, 7th October 2021, now in its 15th year the event will focus on how to build the future of a business. To tell us more about the day and what’s involved, John was joined by Caitríona Cullen of Cullen Nurseries and Kay Lyng of K Kajoux Jewels.

We all know the importance of getting enough sleep for our health, but how important is sleep when it comes to our jobs, and what are the implications on productivity levels? Motty Varghese is a senior sleep physiologist at Sleep Therapy Clinic and Delta Sleep, and he joined John to discuss the impacts of sleep on our everyday lives as well as our work lives.

During the week John was out and about at the launch of new business "Foundation Stone Financial Planning" which took place in the Medieval Mile Museum, Kilkenny, while there John spoke with John Hurley, CEO of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce, Sean Manicle of Manicle Property Insurance Claims and David Lunn, Director at Foundation Stone.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
  

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Kilkenny Business Awards 2021 takes place on 20th November at the Lyrath Estate Hotel and, with the deadline of 29th September to get your nominations in for the awards fast approaching, John Hurley, CEO of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce joined John to speak about the awards and the gala event that will take place.

Mags Clancy, Commercial Director of TransferMate and previous winner of Employee of the Year at the Kilkenny Chamber Business Awards chatted to John about winning the award and what it meant to her and the company.

Busker, David Owens speaks with John about changing his business model using tap and tip technology, the internet and new online innovation to make a living in the new Covid reality. 

Thomas Clarke, Chef and Owner of The Fig Tree Restaurant, Kilkenny chatted to John about developing their in-house salad dressing that has gone on to win awards and can now be found on supermarket shelves around the country.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
  

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

During the week, Fáilte Ireland announced the allocation of €9 million in funding for 38 locations. The funding is for the development of outdoor dining facilities that are weather resistant. Locally nearly €850,000 has been allocated to Carlow and Kilkenny under the scheme and Brian O’Flynn, Head of Ireland’s Ancient East at Fáilte Ireland spoke with John about the funding and to discuss how the last few months in tourism has been.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
  

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com 

Many pubs and those in the licensed trade have been closed since March 2020, and with proposals for reopening being brought before cabinet on Tuesday, Padraig Cribben, Chief Executive of the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland joined John to speak about the challenges and impacts on the industry as well as what needs to be done ahead of reopening.

"Twenty Questions” the feature where we ask our guests twenty questions designed to give you an insight into the individual outside of their role in business, this month our guest was Linda Codoul, President of Network Ireland Kilkenny.

Tom Cullen, Deputy Director General of The Society of The Irish Motor Industry joined John to discuss the challenges that the industry has experienced over the last year and a half due to Brexit and the Pandemic, how on a positive note the used car market and the electric vehicle market remain strong and what needs to be done to support the motor trade.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
 
To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com 

The Dubai Duty Free Irish Open took place in Mount Juliet Estate over the weekend and with the event being broadcast to millions of viewers around the world, we spoke with Martin Donnelly, Product Sales & Distribution Manager at Fáilte Ireland about the importance of Golf Tourism to the Irish economy. 

The world of work has changed dramatically since the pandemic began, Breda Dooley, Regional Recruitment Manager at Matrix Recruitment spoke with John about recruitment through the pandemic, how things have changed and what changes may continue after the pandemic. Breda chats through some of the trends and what sectors are showing an increase in recruitment.

Campion Insurance recently announced their expansion into the West of Ireland through a merger with McLaughlin & Greaney Insurances t/a Future, having started in 1984 with just one office in Urlingford, Co. Kilkenny the deal sees Campion Insurance become one of the biggest insurance brokerages in the country. Jim Campion, Chief Executive of Campion Insurance spoke to John about the business and plans for the future. 

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
   

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com 

Sonix Entertainment is an Event Management company based in Kilkenny and Managing Director Glenn Tector joined John to speak about the impacts of Covid-19 on his business and what the future looks like for the sector which has been almost totally closed down since the pandemic began.

Emer Gaffney, Managing Director of Carraig Safety Consultants spoke with John about Health & Safety in the workplace. As business owners may now be planning for a return to the office, Emer provides some Health & Safety guidance on how organisations can work through the return to the office.

Garda Darren Leahy of the Community Policing Unit and Gerry Dunne, Chairperson of Carlow Town Business Watch spoke with John about the Carlow Town Business Watch programme, a community initiative aimed at crime prevention for the business community in Carlow.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
   
To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com 

Irish Bootstrapper is a new lifestyle brand focusing on adventure, purpose and positive mental health and Founder Eugene Devereux chatted to join about his business, how it began and his plans for the future

“Powerhouse – Carlow Businesswomen’s Network” is a new Women in Business Network, Helen Whelan, owner of Thrive Café, based in Tullow spoke with John about her own experiences of owning & operating a business and the benefits of having a business network for entrepreneurs. 

The School of design at Institute of Technology Carlow recently marked 50 years of design education with the launch of their website DesignCarlow.ie and Colin Deevy, Head of Product Design Innovation at IT Carlow chatted to John about the long history of design in Carlow & Kilkenny.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
   

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com 

ND Sports Performance is a Kilkenny based company that works with the crème de la crème of the Worlds sporting elite along with sportsmen and women, sports clubs and teams the length and breadth of the country. Company Founder and Chief Executive Noel Doherty joined John to tell us more about his company and the work they do.

Twenty Questions our feature which gives you the chance to get to know the individuals behind the businesses and organisations within our communities across the two counties was back this week and our latest guest was Brian O’Farrell, CEO of County Carlow Chamber of Commerce.

The pandemic has brought about a lot of change for people and for some it’s to start their own business. We caught up Jim Woods, business advisor at the Local Enterprise Office in Carlow to hear about the courses and assistance that they can offer.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
   

Neil McDonnell, Chief Executive of ISME, the independent representative association for Small and Medium Enterprises across the country joined John to discuss the Economic Recovery Plan which was announced by Government during the week.

While the economy has experienced massive disruption over the last 15 months due to the pandemic, we’ve all still had to eat, and this week Claire McInerney Brown spoke with two food service companies. Rob Cowley of Mise En Place chatted to Claire about pivoting his business during the pandemic, while Helen Murphy of Mooncoin Beetroot discusses developing new products and plans for expansion.

As this week brought about the reopening of the hospitality sector, Niall Burns General Manager at the five star Lyrath Estate chats to John about how reopening has been going and how the summer ahead is looking for one of the biggest business sectors in this area.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
   

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com 

With the Government having announced the latest guidelines on easing of Covid restrictions, John was joined by Ciarán Conroy, Chair of Kilkenny Tourism and Colin Duggan, President of County Carlow Chamber of Commerce to discuss the changes and the implications for Tourism and Hospitality in Kilkenny and Carlow.

During the week John visited Hawkeye Falconry in Kilkenny, where he met with owners Caroline and John Duggan and chatted to them about their business and how they used the lockdown as an opportunity to build a Falconry school on the grounds of the Lyrath Estate.

Halo Business Angel Network the all-island organisation responsible for the promotion of business angel investment, will be hosting an online ‘Angel Investing South East Showcase’ webinar on Thursday 3rd June 2021 from 12-1pm and aims to provide more information for investors and those considering becoming investors.  Entrepreneur and Investor Michael Hoyne spoke with John about being an “Angel investor” and what investors can offer early stage start-ups.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
  

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com 

With the news that Flakes for our '99's may be in short supply, Jim discusses Brexit, which despite not being discussed much in the first five months of the year, is having an impact on business.
 

Carlow and Kilkenny have a proud tradition of success in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards and this year the tradition continues with Carlow based MicroGen Biotech being named as a finalist in the Emerging Category while Kilkenny Company Modubuild was named as a finalist in the International Category. Xuemei Germaine, CEO and Founder of MicroGen Biotech and Kevin Brennan, MD at Modubuild spoke with John about their organisations and what it means to be named as one of the 24 finalists in this year’s EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.
 

Tiny Tipple is a new Carlow start-up which gives you the opportunity to sample some of the premium whiskeys and other spirits from around the world without having to break the bank to do so. Ivor O’Loughlin spoke to John about the business and how the idea came about.

Philip McDonald of Detail Menswear speaks to John about reopening their stores in Carlow and Kilkenny this week after the longest lockdown period since the pandemic began.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
 

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Colin Ahern, President of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce joined John to discuss the latest developments in the closure of the Smithwick’s Experience in Kilkenny and the doubts that hang over the North Quays Development in Waterford city just on the border with Kilkenny, a project which has claimed to be a huge driver of business for the South East.

Laura Slattery, Journalist at the Irish Times chats to John about some of the business stories of the week.
 
Both Colin and Laura also shared their reactions on what the Tánaiste had to say about the reopening of the economy, the world of work post lockdown and how business is faring as the economy slowly begins to re-open.
 

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
 

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

A number of weeks ago, we featured an extract of an interview with publisher, entrepreneur and well known businesswoman Norah Casey where she spoke about the burden and worry of running a business and where she was critical of the understanding of government of the struggles of the sector. This week Norah joined John to chat about where we are now with a new path to re-opening and how she feels about the future for business.

Twenty Questions, our feature piece on getting to know the people behind the businesses and organisations within our communities was back this week and our latest guest was Fiona Deegan, Head of Enterprise at Local Enterprise Office in Kilkenny. 

Colin Rea of Rea's Department store in Bagenalstown spoke about how lockdown has been for him and his family business and what he and the business community in Bagenalstown are doing to make sure their town has a business future.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

After months of lockdown, many businesses will now be preparing and planning for reopening, Alan Seery of O'Neill Foley Chartered Accountants spoke with John about what he sees as the main challenges for businesses that have been badly impacted by the Covid restrictions and what solutions are available for those who may be experiencing difficulties.

We first spoke with Bridget Kearney of Belle Femme Lingerie and Joe Sheridan of Sheridan Stained Glass this time last year when they were adjusting to a new way of working, one year later John spoke with both Bridget and Joe to find out how the past year of operating through the pandemic has been, what they have learned and how they feel about the future.

Learning Waves is the training body for the Independent Radio Sector in Ireland, and they recently announced details of their graduate journalism internship programme. Teresa Hanratty, Director of Learning Waves  joined John to tell him more about the programme.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Security Risk Advisors is a US headquartered IT and Tech security company that in 2019 established its European Headquarters in Kilkenny. Claire McInerney Brown recently caught up with Lar Conroy, Senior Operations Manager at Security Risk Advisors to chat about the company, the work they do and to get some tips on protecting your businesses IT and Tech Security. 
 
After over a year of remote working and revolutionary changes in work practices, John spoke with Mary Cullen Founder and Manging Director of Insight HR to discuss what have been the pros and cons, the risks and opportunities for employers and employees and also to understand what are some of the challenges that we may face with a return to the office.
 
RedSky Europe are an e-commerce fulfilment company based in Kilkenny, Ken Byrne, Founder and CEO at Redsky Europe first spoke with John this time last year at the start of the pandemic. One year on, John caught up with Ken to hear what the past year had been like for his organisation.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

DPD is one of the largest companies in the parcel delivery and distribution business with its vans and driver’s familiar sights all over the country. Over the last year, parcel delivery and distribution has experienced amazing growth due to the enforced move to online caused by protracted lockdowns. Des Travers, Chief Executive of DPD Ireland joined John to discuss how the organisation has adapted throughout the pandemic.
 
Just over two weeks ago The Parlour Castlecomer, which offers luxurious handmade gelato opened its doors to the public, and Majella Dempsey joined John to tell her story of how she went from a career in midwifery to opening an ice cream shop in Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny.
 
During the week Minister for Tourism Catherine Martin and Fáilte Ireland announced funding of €19 million for the development of new outdoor water based facilities across 22 locations nationwide. Kilkenny Water Sports Hub is to be developed under this scheme and Fiona Monaghan, Head of Activities at Fáilte Ireland spoke with John about what this means for this area and how tourism products need to adapt to meet changing tourism in the post Covid World. 

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com 

During the week Minister for Tourism Catherine Martin along with Fáilte Ireland announced details of a €17 million Outdoor Dining Enhancement scheme, Paul Keely, Director of Regional Development at Fáilte Ireland, joined John to tell him more about the scheme.
 
John Hurley, CEO of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce and Colin Duggan, President of County Carlow Chamber of Commerce joined John to provide some insights into how our local business communities are feeling after another tough week in business and what more the Government needs to do to help business.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

As the debate about when locked down retail should be allowed to re-open continues,  John chatted with Tommy Hickson of Hickson’s Supervalu who, with the exception of Christmas and St. Stephens Day has been open every day since the Covid crisis kicked off. Tommy discusses what working through the pandemic has been like, what have been the biggest issues and what we can learn for re-opening businesses.

With fraud an ever present threat and payment redirection fraud in particular continuing to cost local business, John spoke with Paul O' Brien from Bank of Ireland Group Security about their recent research as well as tips and advice on protecting your business from fraud.

During the week KCLR’s Brian Redmond was the host for the online finals of the Kilkenny Local Enterprise Office Student Enterprise Awards. 
The programme encourages students to create, design and market their own business with the ultimate prize the title of Senior County Winner and a place in the National Final of the awards Scheme which takes place on May 14th 2021. 

The winner was Tara McGuire of Presentation Secondary School in Kilkenny and Tara spoke with John to tell him all about how she developed her business "Slates by Tara".

It has been a momentous few weeks for Ballykeefe Distillery with the release of their first ever whiskey, the culmination of a dream that began over 25 years ago. John spoke with Morgan Ging, the entrepreneur behind the business.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Bord Bia, the State organisation responsible for supporting the national and international ambitions of Irish food, drink and horticulture businesses announced that 2020, the year of the pandemic was in fact a record year for horticulture. Carol Marks, Horticulture Sector Manager at Bord Bia spoke with John to discuss the Garden Market Research in more detail.

Following on from the Government announcement earlier in the week that Carlow and Kilkenny are to receive €28million as part of the Urban Regeneration & Development Funding, John spoke to Kieran Comerford, Head of Enterprise & Economic Development at Carlow Local Enterprise and to Kilkenny business owners, Anne Barber of Butterslip and Rory Gannon of Cakeface to discuss what the funding will mean for businesses.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Linda Nolan, Managing Director of MyBio Ltd a Life Sciences company based in Kilkenny City spoke with John about her organisation and the work they do as well as discussing the pandemic, the role of Covid-19 rapid antigen self-testing in the fight to curb the spread of the virus and how MyBio Ltd. is hoping to have testing kits on shelves by April.

Our new feature "Twenty Questions" kicked off this week, the aim of which is to get know the people behind the businesses and organisations in our communities. This week joining John for Twenty Questions was Declan Doyle, Vice President for Development & Research at Institute of Technology Carlow.

Giuseppe & Bruna Liga opened their Italian Grocery & Coffee Shop, La Bottega on James Street, Kilkenny on the days leading up to Christmas, this week Bruna & Giuseppe joined John to chat about their decision to open their shop in Kilkenny and how business has been so far.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

The story dominating the headlines over the past week was that of Davy Stockbrokers and Dara Doyle, Bloomberg Bureau Chief in Ireland joined John to discuss the story in more detail. Dara also chatted to John about the economic outlook with the Central Statistics Office having recently release preliminary figures outlining that GDP increased by 3.4% in 2020.

Water Conservation is hugely important both in our homes as well as in our business and Christine Crawford, Business Communication and Marketing Lead at Irish Water spoke with John about the importance of conserving water in the workplace, the Water Stewardship Programme along with tips and advice on how to conserve water while at work.

Remote Working was for many a new way of working at the start of the pandemic and now a full year later most of us are still working from home. Claire McInerney joined John to discuss some tips on effective remote working and some interesting data on “Zoom Fatigue”.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

John spoke with Brian O'Farrell, CEO of County Carlow Chamber of Commerce and John Hurley, CEO of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce to hear how businesses are dealing with the continued restrictions and challenges,  as well as what the Chambers feel needs to be done to support local businesses.

Fiona O'Neill joined John on The Bottom Line last year to chat about her business "Jobs for Family Carers" and at the time Fiona spoke to John about being a Social Entrepreneur and being involved in the Ideas Academy with Social Entrepreneurs Ireland. This week as Social Entrepreneurs Ireland are looking for innovators to take part in their Spark Session on 11th March 2021, John caught up with Fiona to see how business is going and he also spoke with Hayley Kilgallon, Programme Lead at Social Entrepreneurs Ireland to find out more about the work they do and the programmes that are available to social entrepreneurs.

Starting and running a business can be a daunting and lonely path for people. To have someone to give advice and act as a sounding board can be a huge help when faced with the challenges that may arise, which is where the role of a mentor may be a great addition to a business. John spoke with Gabrielle Carroll, Business Advisor at Carlow Local Enterprise Office and to Ronan Murphy of Vision Green Consultancy. Gabrielle discussed the role of the mentor and the mentoring options available through the Local Enterprise Office and Ronan chatted about how he availed of mentoring and how it helped his organisation.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

The World Resources Institute is a global research organisation with over 1000 staff across the globe working on campaigns such as health, food, oceans, and forests, they work with various institutions such as universities, cities and Governments to affect change. Edwina Hughes is the Head of Engagement for the Cool Food Pledge and Edwina joined John to discuss the work of the WRI and to tell us more about the Cool Food Pledge.

Chief Executive of Kilkenny County Council Colette Byrne spoke with John about The Abbey Quarter in these Covid times.  Colette discusses where the project is at currently, whether it is on track or if the development of thousands of square feet of offices is a waste of money in an era of home and remote working.

Kilkenny based CR Payroll are a payroll service provider who offer emergency payroll cover to businesses and CEO Mairead Coughlan chatted to John about the business, how it has grown over the last year and plans for expansion with the hopes of increasing the number of employees before the end of 2021.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Well known Carlow Entrepreneur David Walsh spoke with John about his new start up HaloCare, a healthcare company which uses smart technology to support the elderly in their home. He tells John about how the idea came about, how business has been going to date and how he remains resilient in business at this time. David also spoke about winning the inaugural Outstanding Achievement Award at the recent National Enterprise Awards.

Denis Casey of Casey Business Consulting was last on the programme in November when we were speculating about Brexit and what businesses needed to do to prepare, this week John spoke with Denis about what the Brexit experience has been like for business so far.

At a time when for many, their working environment has changed dramatically Dr. Jolanta Burke a positive psychologist spoke to John about ways in which managers and leaders can work with employees in a positive way during very challenging times. Jolanta spoke about how we are now working longer hours and shares some tips on how to maintain a work life balance when working from home.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Alan Seery of O'Neill Foley Chartered Accountants joined John to discuss the Wage Subsidy Schemes and employee/employer tax liabilities on the schemes. Alan also chatted to John about the Stay and Spend Scheme which was introduced last year.

Jo Browne founder and creator of Jo Browne Natural Solid perfume spoke with John about her business and how she developed and grew her brand over the years. Jo discusses how business has been throughout Covid as well as plans for expanding her product range.

The National Enterprise Awards 2021 will take place virtually on the Thursday 11th February, from 6.00-7.30pm live from the Round Room at the Mansion House, Dublin via live weblink www.localenterprise.ie/Awards.  This week we spoke to Killian Doyle, Managing Director of Irish Fluid Controls the Carlow Finalist at this year’s awards along with Pauline Hoctor, Assistant Head of Economic Development and Enterprise at Carlow Local Enterprise Office.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
 To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Design and Craft is a huge contributor to the economy nationally as well locally in both Carlow & Kilkenny and, with the Design and Crafts Council Ireland celebrating 50 years, CEO, Rosemary Steen, joined John to discuss Showcase 2021, celebrating 50 years and the Keep Well Campaign. Rosemary also spoke about the new European Bauhaus Initiative which was announced recently by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.  For more information on the European Bauhaus Initiative log onto: https://www.dcci.ie/media/press-releases/new-european-bauhaus-launch

IDA Ireland recently launched their annual report for 2020 along with the new strategy for 2021, Brendan McDonald, Regional Manager for the South East spoke with John about how 2020 had been for industry and employment as well as the plans for the South East region in 2021.

St Canice’s Credit Union in Kilkenny was one of seven Credit Unions recently approved for the COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme, Roisín Gilroy, Head of Marketing & Business Development at St. Canice’s Credit Union along with John Madigan, Head of Marketing & Research at the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland joined John to discuss the scheme, the types of businesses it may be suitable for, as well the role of the SBCI.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm 

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Ciarán Conroy, the newly appointed Chairman of Kilkenny Tourism chatted with John about how his organisation can help lead tourism and hospitality, which is Kilkenny’s biggest business sector out of the tough place it finds itself in. 

The Carlow Food and Drink Strategy was published in June 2020 and to continue the development of the food & drink sector in Carlow, the Local Enterprise Office is developing a food and drink experience guide that will map out the unique Taste in Carlow.  Maria Couchman, Economic Development Officer with Carlow Local Enterprise Office spoke with John about the initiative.

Anne Zahan, Strategy Director at Core joined John to share insights from Core’s Research "Predict 2021", the research highlights what the expectations of the public and consumers are for 2021.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

We hear how the pandemic impacted sectors differently and how other businesses pivoted and transformed themselves. We discuss how media changed, consumer attitudes changed and ultimately how business continued.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Tom Molloy, Director of Public Affairs & Communications at Trinity College Dublin, shares his thoughts on 2020 and discusses financial history and how one can draw similarities to the Victorian period. The UN Development Index was released earlier this week with Ireland ranked 2nd on the list, Tom discusses the importance of the index and what it means for Ireland.

Having been one of the first guests we spoke to at the beginning of the pandemic, Rachael Doyle, founder of The Arboretum Lifestyle & Garden Centre joined John for the last episode of The Bottom Line in 2020, discussing the positives to take from the year and how she has dealt with the challenges and the many setbacks that businesses have faced throughout 2020.

John spoke with Kieran Comerford, Head of Enterprise and Economic Development at the Local Enterprise Office in Carlow about the work that they have done throughout the year,  from assisting local businesses to pivot as well as rolling out various supports from Government.

Kieran also announced that Furniture & Design, based in Bagenalstown were the winners of The Business Box, an initiative which saw KCLR partnering with Carlow Local Enterprise Office to offer a €4,000 advertising package prize. Theresa Brennan of Furniture & Design spoke with John about the initiative and what it means for her business.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Wolfwalkers by Kilkenny based animation studio Cartoon Saloon has been receiving rave reviews since its release. However, it was in the final stages of completion when Covid hit, Mark Mullery Assistant Director joined John to tell him about how the film was finished at the height of the first wave of Covid 19 earlier this year.

The Construction Industry is one of the Country's biggest employers and like every sector it's an industry that has been challenged by Covid. Tom Parlon, Director General of the Construction Industry Federation joined John to talk about the past year as well as to tell us more about an initiative "A Home For Everyone", a design challenge aimed at second level students across the country.

Kevin Cullinane, Head of Communications at Cork Airport spoke to John about the extremely difficult year it has been for Irish aviation and with a vaccine on the horizon whether he is feeling positive about a return to the skies in 2021.    

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

John Moran, former Secretary General of the Department of Finance and Director of the European Investment bank spoke with John about the role of SME’s in a transformed economic landscape and what needs to be done to make sure they survive for the long term.

Phillip McDonald of Detail Menswear in Carlow and Kilkenny joined John to talk about how the first wave of Covid lead to a transformation of his business and how things have been going since retail has emerged from its second period in lockdown over the last week.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

This week the results of a global survey of Business and HR Leaders conducted by Irish firm Harmonics and OI global Partners was released. "The Future of Work 2020" survey highlights the positives, negatives and challenges that the pandemic and digital transformation are bringing to the world of work. John FitzGerald Founder and Managing Director of Harmonics joined John to discuss the survey in more detail.

Mary Bourke of DeBurca Design spoke with John about her journey to becoming a goldsmith and jewellery designer. Mary discussed the challenges to her business brought about by Covid and the need to move her business online.

With the Governments announcements on the plans for reopening, Pat Crotty Chair of Kilkenny City Centre Task Force joined John to discuss local business CF Pharma's initiative  to support businesses to reopen safely as well as what lies ahead for business and society in the lead up to Christmas.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

On the 31st December 2020 the transition period for the UK to leave the EU will have ended. Denis Casey of Casey Business Consulting spoke with John about the plans that businesses can implement now to insure a smooth transition for their organisation.

Caitriona Cullen joined John to chat about her family business Cullen Nurseries. Caitriona chats about diversification and farming and how although while very challenging Covid-19 also offered opportunities for them to grow their business.

On Thursday night, John hosted a special Bottom Line Kilkenny Chamber Awards 2020 programme which honoured two great local business people -  Kitty Donohoe and Bobby Kerr and this week we listen back to their words on overcoming adversity and thoughts for the future.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

However, the Chamber of Commerce were determined to continue their November tradition and so, on Wednesday, on KCLR Live and simultaneously in the Kilkenny People Newspaper we brought you the news of two significant awards that despite everything had been awarded. 

The President’s Award which was awarded to Bobby Kerr and the Lifetime Achievement Award to legendary Goresbridge businesswoman Kitty Donohue. 

In this special episode we hear more from both Kitty and Bobby and from those who knew them down through the years.

Nicki Hoyne, Entrepreneur and founder of the award winning online accessory store My Shining Armour, has launched her Nicky Hoyne Collection. The Collection of statement handbags are designed in Ireland and handmade in Spain. Nicki is working on ensuring that her brand becomes a fully sustainable brand with materials being sourced as close to the factories as possible to reduce carbon footprint and the lining of the bags is made from 100% recycled cotton.

Running in the dark and using a headlight that just wasn't doing the job lead to Padraic George a qualified electrical engineer to develop the Bodylite Night Runner. Padraic set about designing a prototype which would be dual purpose, firstly with road safety in mind to ensure he would be visible to oncoming traffic and secondly so that he could see where he was running and with input from Design+ in the Institute of Technology Carlow the "Bodylite Night Runner" was developed. 

Stryve are a private Cloud company based in Carlow which offers bespoke private cloud solutions and Fortune 500-grade cybersecurity for SMEs and multinationals,  Andrew Tobin CEO at Stryve joined John to talk about the work they do and their plans for expansion with the recent announcement of ten new jobs, seven of which will be based locally.

Kilkenny Business Awards 2020 while not taking place with the usual gala night in the Lyrath Hotel are going ahead this year with two special awards which are in the gift of the Chamber, The President’s Award and The Lifetime Achievement Award, Colin Ahern President of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce joined John to tell him more about the awards.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Amárach Research the Irish research company that uses surveys, focus groups, econometrics, workshops and social media analysis all aimed at unlocking the future for their clients have been working with the Government during Covid to see how Irish society is adapting and coping, Chairman of Amárach Gerard O’Neill,  joined John  to discuss this research as well as their recently released report “The Future is Local” which examines the impact of the pandemic on local attitudes and media habits. 

Business to Arts is a membership-based, charitable organisation that brokers, enables and supports creative partnerships between businesses, individuals and the arts, Andrew Hetherington CEO of Business to Arts spoke with John about the work that they do and how the year has been for the sector. Andrew also spoke about the Business to Arts Awards which is their flagship event which aims to raise awareness on how companies and individuals are supporting the arts across the country. The awards are now open for applications.

Shopping local is more important than ever these days, and Liam Patrick Kennedy along with his colleague Brian Manning have created a website called kilkennymarketplace.ie aimed at encouraging shoppers to shop local when shopping online. Liam Patrick spoke with John about the process of setting up the business and their plans for the future.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com 

With just over 50 days to Christmas Day, Christmas 2020 is going to be a festive season with a difference. To understand how it may impact on business and how Irish consumers are going to spend Christmas John spoke with Anne Zahan, Strategy Director at Core Research about their recently released research “Christmas Expectations – how people will navigate Christmas 2020”

With Retail Excellence Ireland estimating that up to 60,000 employees in the retail sector will lose their jobs, MD of Retail Excellence Ireland Duncan Graham Ireland joined John to speak about the sector during Level 5 Restrictions, he discusses how adaptable retail has been and the performance of the sector during the year. Duncan highlights the challenges facing retailers in the final quarter of the year and the uncertainty heading into 2021. 

John Hurley, CEO of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce joined John to speak about the Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce Awards and how they will be an awards ceremony with a difference this year.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

This week is our final instalment of the Taste Local Campaign where over the last number of weeks John Purcell has been meeting some of the producers across Carlow and Kilkenny, hearing the stories behind their business, the impact of Covid and their plans for the future. This week John was joined by James Malone of Malone Fruit Farm in Ballon and Bart Pawlukojc of Arán Artisan Bakery & Bistro.

Brid O' Connell, CEO of Guaranteed Irish spoke with John about the importance of buying Irish and supporting local and their recently launched website www.guaranteedirishgifts.ie, Brid also shared some interesting statistics around online shopping with Ireland being one of the biggest online shopping communities in the world per capita!

Covid has been an extremely challenging time for many, with work lives and personal lives having been changed dramatically. Personal Wellness coach Caroline Cunningham joined John to discuss some practical tips on coping with the strains of uncertainty, anxiety, lack of focus and general negative and unhealthy feelings that are all too common during these difficult Covid times.    

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Over the last number of weeks we’ve been working with Carlow and Kilkenny Local Enterprise Offices on the Taste Local campaigns – something we’re doing to raise awareness and appreciation of all the wonderful food producers, restaurants, cafes and food businesses we’ve got in Kilkenny and Carlow This week we continued the Taste Local Conversations with Seamus O Hara of Carlow Brewing and Helen Murphy of Mooncoin Beetroot 

With no end in sight to international travel restrictions, Airline Chief Enda Corneille Country Head of Emirates in Ireland will be joined John to talk about his business in this time of Covid and the future of global travel

Deirdre Martin of Network Kilkenny joined John to chat about the Network Ireland Business Awards which took place recently with Kilkenny being well represented.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Tom Burgess of Coolattin Cheddar is the latest food producer that John met with for a chat as part of the Taste Local Tour. Based just outside Tullow in Co. Carlow, Tom produces mature raw milk cheddar which most of us would as Coolattin Cheddar.

David Duggan chats to John about his new business Delivery Solutions which offers delivery services for pharmacies, hospitals, and medical centres in the region.

County Carlow Chamber of Commerce President Colin Duggan spoke with John about the week in business in Co. Carlow since the announcement of the level 3 restrictions. Colin discusses the impact on the hospitality sector and measures that he would hope will be introduced to help the sector. Colin also chats about how Christmas may look this year.

National Fire Safety commenced on Monday 5th October running throughout the week and Kieran Kirwan of Rapid Fire Safety & Security Solutions Ltd. based in Kilkenny, spoke with John about the importance of fire safety in the workplace as well as the work that they do.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

The Taste Local tour continues and speaking with John this week was Brian Seery of Seery’s Bakery in Carlow who for over 30 years have been producing high quality cakes and award-winning Christmas puddings and Ger Kirwan of Goatsbridge Trout who along with wife Mag run the successful family business which was started in 1961 by Ger’s Parents Rita and Padraic. 

Kathleen Holohan, Chief Executive of Carlow County Council spoke with John about “The Business Box”. Carlow County Council’s – Local Enterprise Office has partnered up KCLR to offer the County Carlow Business Community an opportunity to avail of a series of highly subsidised supports for marketing and promotions. In addition, participating businesses will also be in with a chance to win The Business Box Bonus, a €4,000 advertising package from KCLR!  The Business Box is a series of PR & Marketing support programmes designed for the County Carlow SME Community to support the promotion and marketing of their business.   

Brian O’Farrell joined John to chat about the County Carlow Retail Seminar which will be taking place on Wednesday 7th October. The seminar is aimed at assisting those in retail and will offer an opportunity to network, learn through shared experiences, gain insights into the supports and measures available to assist businesses as well as the importance of supporting local.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Accountant Alan Seery spoke to John about the Stay and Spend Tax credit, the old and new wage subsidies and the differences between them, tax returns and the upcoming budget.

Continuing with the Taste Local Tour, earlier this week John took a trip out to Piltown to meet Tom Murray, Agronomist at Iverk Produce. John spoke with Tom to find out more about O’ Shea’s 1500 acre farm and the work they do.

Ruairí Deane, Product Development Manager at Fáilte Ireland spoke to John about how the hospitality industry is progressing as well as highlighting the Covid-19 Adaptation Fund that is currently available.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

County Councils in Kilkenny and Carlow through their Local Enterprise Offices have come together for a Taste Local Campaign with KCLR. Over the next few weeks across KCLR, we’ll be hearing from all sorts of local food producers and people involved in all parts of the food industry which literally contributes hundreds of millions of euro to the local economy and supports thousands of jobs.

This week Eva Milka of Gaelic Escargot joined John to chat about her business which is free range snail farming based at the foot of Mount Leinster in Garryhill, Co. Carlow. Also, as part of the Taste Local Campaign John spoke with Julie Calder-Potts of Highbank Orchards, based in Cuffesgrange, Co. Kilkenny. Julie spoke with John about the all the products that they produce from the apples grown in their orchards.

Telecommunications Software & Systems Group (TSSG)  a technology innovation centre operated by WIT with an office in Kilkenny city are offering tech solutions to business & industry and Carol Faughnan, Business Development Executive with TSSG spoke with John about how TSSG can work with SME’s to help with innovation during this time. Carol discusses case studies highlighting the technology that some organisations are already utilising to enhance their operations.

Carlow Tutorial College is an organisation which offers supervised study & grinds to students across the South East & beyond. Up until March 2020 this was done in a face to face setting from their premises on Burrin Street, Carlow. Gerry Dunne, Director of Education at Carlow Tutorial College joined John to speak about how they continued to operate during the lockdown period and how they have now adapted their business by offering on line grinds and an online study hall. 

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Three years ago, Lighthouse Studios was established in Kilkenny and now employs around 170 people and growing. During the week John visited the studios and met with Managing Director Clare Finn to chat to her about the studio, how it ended up in Kilkenny and the operation they’ve got.

The Ellen McArthur Foundation is an organisation that aims to “develop and promote the idea of a circular economy” and to discuss the work of the foundation and explain in more detail the concept behind a circular economy John spoke with Hugh McCann who is  the Global Partner programme Lead in Europe.

Kathleen Phelan is a Kilkenny woman who will be known to some for her antiques store, 'Phelan & Sons', on Ballybought Street and like many, Kathleen found that her business had slowed down because of Covid. Our KCLR Reporter Shauna Mc Hugh visited Kathleen in the workshop to hear how she had pivoted and is now producing face masks.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

During the week John paid a visit to the Pembroke Hotel on Patrick Street in Kilkenny, he spoke with proprietor of the hotel John Ryan and to General Manager Paul Broderick to hear about how the business is adapting and using technology to support their new ways of working.

Padraig Cribben, Chief Executive of the Vintners' Federation of Ireland spoke with John about the challenges of re-opening being faced by the Wet Pubs of Carlow Kilkenny.

Taste Local is a new campaign which was launched across Carlow and Kilkenny this week.  The initiative by Carlow & Kilkenny County Councils and their Local Enterprise Offices highlights the importance of supporting our local food and drink sector, from producers to restaurants to the many cafes that the two counties has to offer.  John spoke with a number of those involved in the Taste Local Campaign.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Shane O'Sullivan founder of Inspiring Excellence spoke with John about how he began his business in Executive Coaching, transferring his experience playing sport at a high level to business,  as well as advice and tips for business leaders during a very challenging time for many in business.

Over the course of the pandemic, Fennelly's has become the hub of Callan Neighbour Food an innovative venture bringing together a wide range of local producers with a local market. During the week John met with  Etaoin Holohan who runs Fennellys and chatted to her about Fennelly’s and Callan NeighbourFood, 

Property and the property market in Ireland is a subject of great interest to many from first time buyers to those investing in large commercial developments, James McDermott of Sherry FitzGerald McDermott joined John on the programme to discuss the market at present, insights into the future of the industry, as well as the impact of Covid.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Last week John visited the Mountain View Farmers Market in Ballyhale, Co. Kilkenny and while there he caught up with Bee O’ Grady who runs the Mountain View events and wedding venue. Bee along with many of the market traders spoke with John about their businesses, working through Covid and the farmers market.

Kilkenny Leader Partnership recently held a Smart Villages briefing  for community groups in the Ballykeeffe Amphitheatre and Kilkenny Leader Partnership CEO Declan Rice spoke with John to discuss the smart villages concept in more detail and what it will mean for local communities.

Invoice Redirect Fraud is a crime which can impact businesses from the very small to large corporations and this week John spoke with Detective Chief Superintendent Patrick Lordan of Garda National Economic Crime Bureau to understand how this type of fraud can occur as well as steps to prevent it from taking place in your organisation.

Heidi Good of Goods, High Street, Kilkenny spoke with John about working through Covid, looking at new ways of operating their business such as offering shopping appointments to those who may wish to shop during quieter times and developing their online store. 

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Cliff Reid of BoatTrips Ireland chats to John about his company which offers boat trips on the River Nore in Kilkenny and the River Barrow in Carlow and how they are adapting to new reality of Tourism industry.

The Little Mill Company based in Bennettsbridge, Co. Kilkenny was one of the companies who during the height of the lockdown would have been at their busiest, ensuring that they flour they produce was in plentiful supply for a nation who couldn't get enough of baking. Robert Mosse, Director of The Little Mill Company joined John to chat about their business, operating through Covid and what learning they would take from it.

MySkin Integrity Ltd is a Kilkenny based business which creates natural skincare products to help soothe and support clients during their cancer journey.  The business was founded by Denise O’Connell who joined John to chat about her business and how it began.

Sunshine Juice Ltd a local company based in Tinryland, Carlow is one of the largest freshly squeezed orange juice producers nationally, and MD Paul Walshe spoke with John about his organisation, working through Covid and the products that they produce.

Deirdre Dunne, Enterprise Executive with Kilkenny Local Enterprise Office joined John on the programme to chat about the recent Shop Local, Shop Safely which took place across the County.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

James Burke owner and lead consultant at JB&A Business Advisors joined John on The Bottom Line on KCLR in May, at that time many businesses were putting plans in place for reopening their shops and this week James spoke with John to discuss how businesses were now doing in the changed working environment and to discuss learnings.

Virgin Media Ireland have launched their €1million #backingbusiness initiative and Elaine Carroll CEO of All Ireland Business Foundation was one of the companies who is being supported by the initiative. Elaine joined John to tell him more about her organisation and the work that they do.

Design & Crafts Council of Ireland CEO Rosemary Steen spoke with John about the #madelocal campaign as well as providing an overview of the work done by the sector and it’s impact on the economy.

Áine Carey, Enterprise Executive with Carlow Local Enterprise Office spoke with John about the recent shop local, shop safely campaign which took place across Carlow.

 With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Newly elected President of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce  Colin Ahern, and newly elected President of County Carlow Chamber of Commerce Colin Duggan, spoke to John on commencing their term of office in one of the most challenging times,  they discussed the stimulus package at a local level and the challenges that face business across Kilkenny and Carlow. 

Duncan Graham, newly appointed Managing Director of Retail Excellence Ireland discussed being appointed to his new position during a very difficult time for many in Retail. He also chats through the recently released survey results for the Retail Trade for the first 6 months of 2020 and the trends that they are seeing as a result of Covid-19. Duncan discusses the introduction of the wearing of facemasks in shops and the transition for retailers. 

NearForm are the company behind the development of the Covid-19 Tracing App in Ireland and Colm Harte, Technical Director and Project Lead joined John to chat through how they became involved in the development of the app and the process to build the app in early March to launching and being made available to the public in early July. 

Hotels across the country began reopening their doors to welcome guests to the public at the end of June and this week John spoke with Deirdre Grant, Director of Sales and Marketing at Lyrath Estate on how reopening had been and what the new norm looks like for guests visiting the hotel.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Alan Seery, accountant with O'Neill Foley Chartered Accountants provided some practical information and advice on the temporary wage subsidy scheme and the pandemic unemployment payment for both employers and employees. Alan also discussed the Apple Tax case, its impact on Ireland going forward as well as the issue of state aid.

Brendan McDonald, Regional Business Development Manager with IDA Ireland joined John to discuss IDA Ireland and the future of Foreign Direct Investment in Ireland. IDA Ireland recently released their half yearly report which Brendan discussed in further detail with John as well as the job announcements across Carlow & Kilkenny in the last 6 months.

Painting and decorating was a priority for many during the lockdown period, Kate Gaynor of The PaintHub in Carlow spoke with John about her business and the decisions  & changes they made to their business as a result of being so busy during Covid. 

Kilkenny County Council in partnership with Fáilte Ireland have established a recovery task force and one of the initiatives recently launched was the Kilkenny Welcome Team. This initiative will see local volunteers meeting and greeting visitors, providing a warm Kilkenny welcome along with helpful information.  Martina Comerford of Kilkenny County Council spoke with John in more detail of the Kilkenny Welcome Team.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

RT Smart Data are a Carlow based company who recently launched their new UWB (Ultrawide Band) smart wearable devices which can provide an auditable trail for social distancing and contact tracing. Ciaran Bolger, Chief Financial Officer of RT Smart Data spoke to John to tell him how the idea came about for their wearable device as well discussing the technology and how it can help businesses deal with the challenges of contact tracing and physical distancing. Ciaran chats through how they have been piloting the device and the plans for future with the technology. https://www.rtsmartdata.com 

Brian Kelly, Founder of CRM company MindaClient spoke with John about remote working and their new product Rebuild, which came about from their own experiences of working remotely during Covid-19 restrictions. The new system helps companies focus on the staff as well as clients & sales https://www.mindaclient.com/

Up until recently Ireland was the only country in Europe that did not have an online Will Register, this fact led to the establishment of thewillregister.ie. Joe Farrell one of its founders spoke with John about how the business came about and the service they provide. https://www.thewillregister.ie/

Ciara Herity chats to John about her business lovegreen.ie  a new website which was created during the pandemic to help both the consumer to find, shop and connect with Irish owned businesses and to help local businesses reach their customers. Ciara spoke about how the business came about and her plans for the future. www.lovegreen.ie 

LoanITT a Credit Intermediary company based in Kilkenny founded in February 2019 has gone from strength to strength and now handles finance for 150 garages across Ireland. John Duggan Co-Founder and CEO of LoanITT spoke with John to tell him more about the company and their latest venture KYIPER the FinTech arm of LoanITT which provides Open Banking solutions.  https://loanitt.ie 

 
With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com 

Dr. Noel Richardson lecturer & director of The National Centre for Men’s Health located in IT Carlow joined John to speak about International Men’s Health Week which took place from 15th -21st June. Noel discussed the importance of being proactive in managing your health and some tips and advice for looking after yourself while working from home.  https://www.mhfi.org/mhw/about-mhw.html & https://www.itcarlow.ie/research/research-centres/healthcore.htm

A sector that is a huge contributor to the local economies of Carlow & Kilkenny is the hospitality & tourism sector, and as many businesses in the sector prepare to open their doors for the first time in months,  John met with Paul Beehan, General Manager at the Newpark Hotel, Kilkenny.  Paul spoke about how the last number of months have been in the hotel, the preparations and plans for reopening on the 29th June and what the "new norm" will look like. https://www.newparkhotelkilkenny.com

David Beirne, Senior VP Of UPMC International and Managing Director of UPMC Ireland joined John to speak about the recent good news that the UPMC Global Technology Operations Centre will be located in in MacDonagh Junction, Kilkenny and is expected to employ up to 60 skilled technology workers and other support staff over the next three years. David spoke about the healthcare sector & the plans for the future of UPMC in Ireland. https://www.upmc.ie/

Jobs for Family Carers Ireland is a central place to post any jobs from around Ireland that may suit family carers, allowing them to have a career while also being a carer. Fiona O’Neill, founder of Jobs for Family Carers spoke with John to tell us about the work that she does, how it came about and her plans for the future. www.jobsforfamilycarers.ie

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

During the week, Fáilte Ireland published their operational guidelines with industry groups for the safe reopening of the tourism & hospitality industry on the 29th June 2020. Brian O’Flynn, Head of Ireland’s Ancient East joined John to discuss the operational guidelines in more detail. He also spoke about the industry and the scale of the challenges that it now faces as well as highlighting the supports available to businesses within the  sector. https://www.failteireland.ie/

Now more than ever, we are all very aware of the importance of supporting local and supporting Irish and most of us are familiar with the Guaranteed Irish symbol, Brid O’Connell, Chief Executive of Guaranteed Irish spoke with John about the work that Guaranteed Irish do to support all businesses who support jobs and communities in Ireland. Brid also spoke about the work that they have continued to do during the Covid -19 crisis. https://www.guaranteedirish.ie/

Deirdre Martin, President of Network Ireland Kilkenny branch spoke to John about the Business Woman of the Year Awards 2020 which this year will take place virtually on 2nd October 2020, the Businesswoman of the Year Awards were transformed to reflect the new realities of Ireland’s working women. https://networkireland.ie/kilkenny/

During the week we spoke to several businesses across Carlow & Kilkenny who had reopened their premises for the first time since March. They shared their experiences of the first week back in business as well as reactions from the public to the reopening of businesses and the new ways in which they now operate.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

SME Recovery Ireland Chair, John Moran spoke with John on the programme a number of weeks ago about the SME recovery plan, Fergus Doyle of The Business Troubleshooters joined John this week to provide an update on the progress being made by the group as well as calling on local business owners to engage with the SME recovery plan. www.smerecovery.ie 

Grace Fields, Tax Specialist with O’Neill Foley Chartered Accountants, discusses the complexities of transferring a business. John and Grace talk through the various tax implications and how assets can be transferred in a tax efficient manner. They also discuss stamp duty in further detail, highlighting the rate payable on non-residential property has risen over the last number of years and is a big consideration for people when transferring an asset. www.onf.ie

County Carlow Chamber of Commerce CEO Brian O’Farrell and Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce CEO John Hurley discuss how businesses are feeling as we enter phase two of reopening Ireland and how businesses will operate across the two counties as they open up in the coming weeks. They highlight the work being done by the Chambers through their weekly contact with Government ministers and the importance of shopping local and supporting local businesses now more than ever. www.carlowchamber.com   www.kilkennychamber.ie

Maxem Engineering are providers of automation & capital equipment to the Electronics, Automotive, Aviation and Medical Industries and Peter Henebry Managing Director of Maxem Engineering joined John to discuss the work they do.  Peter spoke about the global supply chain as well as how Maxem Engineering have pivoted and adapted their business during Covid-19. www.maxem.ie

Majella Byrne, Library Staff Officer at Kilkenny County Library provides an update of the services available to the business community through their local library. www.kilkennylibrary.ie

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Olga Barry, Festival Director of Kilkenny Arts Festival joined John to speak about the importance of festivals, events and the creative sectors to communities and the local economy. Olga discussed the cancellation of the Kilkenny Arts Festival as well as the culture sector, what its worth to the economy as an industry itself and The National Campaign for the Arts(NCFA) proposal for the survival and recovery of The Irish Arts Sector. www.kilkennyarts.ie

JJ Kavanagh of JJ Kavanagh & Sons spoke with John about the history behind his business, which is one of the largest privately owned coach operators that have been in business over 100 years, he speaks about the difficulties facing his business during Covid-19 and the challenges that lay ahead for the company. JJ also addresses the supports that the Coach Tourism & Transport Council of Ireland are seeking from Government www.jjkavanagh.ie

Retail Expert and owner of JB&A Associates, James Burke joined John to chat through the retail industry and how it may bounce back from the closures during Covid-19. James talks about the practical steps that retailers will be addressing over the coming weeks such as reassuring the customers that all measures have been put in place to ensure their safety as well as highlighting some examples of how retailers have reinvented themselves during Covid-19 to ensure that they remain operational. www.jamesburke.ie

MicroGen Biotech is a Biotech start-up company which focuses on the global market in the Agri-Cleantech sector, the company is a spin-out of The Institute of Technology, Carlow. Founder and CEO Xuemei Germaine joined John to talk about the history of the company and the work that they do. www.microgenbiotech.com

John Shortall, County Librarian of Carlow County Council Public Library services provides an update of the services available to the business community through their local library. www.carlowlibraries.ie

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Head of Facebook Ireland, Gareth Lambe spoke to John earlier this week. They talked about Facebook, what they are doing to support communities across Carlow & Kilkenny during Covid-19 and about some of the many issues around misinformation on the platform.

Richard Dore of Richard Dore Optometrists located on High Street Kilkenny joined John to discuss reopening his business, the changes that they have implemented to ensure the safety of staff and customers and how the first week back to work has been.

John Moran former Secretary General of the Department of Finance and Chair of SME Recovery Ireland spoke to John about the National Small Business Recovery plan and the importance of the SME in Ireland.

Also on the show was John Hurley, CEO of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce who discussed the results of the recent locally run Consumer Sentiment Survey as well as his thoughts on the one way system due to be introduced to Rose Inn Street and High Street, Kilkenny.

Sean Swan, of Swans Electrical Expert Carlow chatted to John about his business and how it operated during the restrictions, as well as reopening his store to customers this week.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.

To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Mark Cullen, Assistant Chief Executive of the Health & Safety Authority joined John to talk through the recently published "Return to Work Safely Protocol" as some non-essential businesses begin to open up in phase one of the easing of restrictions. Mark discusses the changes that people will now face as they return to work and the importance of working collaboratively on ensuring the measures are put in place to prevent the spreading of Covid-19.John chats through some of the practical steps involved in "Return to Work Safely Protocol" document with Mark and how businesses can implement the protocol in their own workplace. The "Return to Work Safely Protocol" can be found at: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/22829a-return-to-work-safely-protocol/

Fran McFadden, National Customer Acquisition Manager with Gas Networks Ireland, joined John to talk about the work that Gas Networks Ireland do,  as well as the work they have continued during lockdown. Fran talks about how Gas Networks Ireland have been supporting SME's for the last 40 years & how at the moment that has become even more important to them as many of the SME's face big challenges. He also talks about the supply suspension scheme and encourages businesses who have had to close their doors due to the Covid-19 crisis to contact their gas supplier as they may be able to avail of the scheme and charges can be suspended for a three month period. https://www.gasnetworks.ie/home/

The Motor Industry like many has been hugely impacted by the Covid-19 crisis. Many car garages are now facing into their first week of opening up and Ollie Brannock of Boland’s of Carlow, joined John to talk about how they have continued business throughout the lockdown with virtual selling of cars and all the measures they have in place for welcoming customers back into their showrooms. https://bolandcarlow.ie/

Claire Lawton, Chief Executive Officer of St. Canice's Credit Union joined John to announce her retirement after 22 years in the position, Claire chats through her career, the changes and the challenges that have occurred throughout her time within the organisation. John & Claire also talk about women in leadership and Claire's experiences during her career as well as her plans for the future.  https://stcanicescu.ie/

Ashling Ward, Network Manager with Carlow Kilkenny Skillnet provides an update on the work that they have continued during the restrictions and an update on the programmes that are currently available. https://carlowkilkennyskillnet.ie/

With thanks to O’Neill Foley 

Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Alan Seery of O'Neill Foley Chartered Accountants joined John to provide further information on the up to date measures introduced by Revenue in addition to the Wage Subsidy Scheme, as well as explaining Warehousing of Revenue Debt and discussing other financial supports available for businesses. https://onf.ie/

Deirdre Martin, President of Network Ireland Kilkenny branch provides an update on all their activities that have been taking place during the covid-19 pandemic. https://networkireland.ie/kilkenny/

The Tourism & Hospitality Industry is an industry which is hugely important to Carlow & Kilkenny. Colin Ahern joined John to discuss the challenges that the industry is facing, as well as the measures that will be required to ensure that the industry will be in a position to reopen once restrictions have been lifted. https://visitkilkenny.ie/

Roisín Gilroy, Head of Marketing & Business Development with St. Canice's Credit Union chatted to John about the recent news that Credit Unions had topped the Ireland Reptrack 2020 Study as the most reputable and highly regarded organisation in Ireland, she also discussed how they have adapted their ways of working during the Covid-19 restrictions, and discusses the services that St. Canice's Credit Union are offering their members such as temporary loan arrangements and their new Kickstart Loan. https://stcanicescu.ie/

Bridget Kearney of Belle Femme Lingerie Boutique located on Kieran Street spoke to John about their virtual bra fitting service that they are offering their customers. Bridget talks through the process and how to avail of this unique service. https://bellefemmelingerie.ie/

With thanks to O’Neill Foley 

Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Joe Sheridan of Sheridan Stained Glass & Protective Counter Screens based in Kells, Co. Kilkenny, talks about how he pivoted his business from working on stained glass in Churches, pubs restaurants etc to now making and fitting protective counter screens for pharmacies, shops, cafes and offices etc for the businesses to operate safely during this time.  

Also, this week we heard updates from Brian O’Farrell, CEO, of Carlow Chamber of Commerce and from Marion Acreman, President of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce on the work and supports available through the local chambers.

With thanks to O’Neill Foley 

Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Richard Cook a creative entrepreneur and the founder of the Cat Laughs Comedy Festival, Kilkenomics and Subtitle Film Fest. Richard joined John to talk about the cancellation of this year’s Cat Laughs Comedy Festival for the first time in almost thirty years, what it means to him on a personal level and what it means to Kilkenny. He talks about how Covid-19 will impact on the live comedy world for the future and other festivals such as Kilkenomics.

One of the largest organisations in Kilkenny and one which impacts every family in the county of Kilkenny is Kilkenny County Council and Colette Byrne, Chief Executive of Kilkenny County Council joined John to talk through how the County Council as an organisation is operating at the moment as well as what their major challenges are and will be into the future. Colette highlights how the community have come together and how their emergency community response and community helpline can help to assist members of the community, the helpline number is 1800 500 000.  

Colette chatted to John about our reliance on the tourism industry in Kilkenny and with the closures of all the hotels, restaurants, bars etc the impact this will have on Kilkenny and the role Kilkenny County Council will have in this. Colette also highlights her concerns for the County Council in terms of the impact on them as a business and anticipates that income from rates will be significantly impacted due to Covid-19. 

Ken Byrne Founder and CEO of Redsky Europe joins John to talk about his company and the services they provide. RedSky are Market Access Specialists based in Kilkenny who provide three main areas of services: Fulfilment, Vat Platform and International Freight. Ken spoke to John about how they have been working through the Covid-19 restrictions and how they have now developed RedSky Ireland which is aimed at assisting Irish companies and their online efforts at present.
 https://redskyeurope.com/
 

Joe Curran, Director of VSS, Ventilation Surveys and Services a company based in Carlow, spoke to John about the process that lead to him pivoting from his existing business to develop his latest venture which is to offer Coronavirus Covid -19 Decontamination Services across many different industries. www.brethevss.ie 

With thanks to O’Neill Foley https://onf.ie/
 

Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

The Temporary Covid-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme was announced on 24th March 2020 as one of the measures to provide financial support to workers affected by the Covid-19 crisis.  The subsidy scheme commenced from 26th March 2020 and supersedes the Employer Covid Refund Scheme. The scheme is expected to last a period of 12 weeks. During the week the Minister of Finance announced further changes to the scheme.
Alan Seery of O'Neill Foley Chartered Accountants joined John for a questions and answers session on the Temporary Covid-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme https://onf.ie/

Also this week we heard from Ken Byrne Founder and CEO of Redsky Europe who are Market Access Specialists based in Kilkenny. Redsky Europe provide three main areas of services: Fulfilment, Vat Platform and International Freight. Ken spoke to John about how they have been working through the Covid-19 restrictions and how they have now developed RedSky Ireland which is aimed at assisting Irish companies and their online efforts at present.
https://redskyeurope.com/

Gabrielle Carroll, Business Advisor with Local Enterprise Office Carlow spoke to John about the different approaches to helping business at the moment and had the key message for businesses which is to act now! The local enterprise office has a number of services available to business
from mentoring services to online trading vouchers and various other supports. www.localenterprise.ie/carlow

Seamus O'Hara CEO of Carlow Brewing Company joined John to chat about how his business has pivoted and established their online store Radical Drinks www.radicaldrinks.com

With thanks to O’Neill Foley https://onf.ie/
 

Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Declan Rice, CEO of Kilkenny Leader Partnership chats to John on how his organisation is remaining operational and in support of businesses. Declan discusses the need to continue working and adapting through this “new norm” and how Leader have in excess of  €1.5million in funding available to support businesses & community projects throughout Kilkenny City & County. Further information can be found at www.Cklp.ie

Michele Neylon  Owner & CEO of Blacknight Solutions in Carlow, chats to John on operating remotely to assist businesses to expand their on line presence or get online for the first time, which in the current business climate is essential for many in order to continue to operate.  Michele also discusses the importance of security for on line business and offers some simple tips on how people can communicate via video conferencing more securely & work more effectively from home remotely. www.blacknight.com

Fiona Deegan, Head of Enterprise with Local Enterprise Office, Kilkenny spoke with John on the supports available to business at present. Two supports in particular that Fiona highlighted were Microfinance Ireland – Covid 19 Small Business Loans and the Trading Online Voucher Scheme as both has been subject to further changes during the week. Fiona also spoke about the new Business Continuity Voucher, available through Local Enterprise Offices, which is designed for businesses across every sector that employ up to 50 people. All information on the above can be found at https://www.localenterprise.ie/Kilkenny/ or for Carlow https://www.localenterprise.ie/Carlow/

Martin Corkery, Regional Director of Enterprise Ireland chats to John on the range of new & existing supports that are in place for to assist businesses in continuing to operate at present as well as to assist businesses to get back up and working once restrictions have been lifted. Martin also highlights that one of the big challenges for companies is around the area of financial planning and the importance of having a good financial plan in place. www.enterprise-ireland.com

A local company who has adapted their business to match the needs of frontline workers is Thomastown based company Surfbox, their business has seen a dramatic pivot in their operations & Tom Marry spoke with John on how his company has started producing face shields with the use of 3D printers from public libraries. www.surfbox.ie

With thanks to O’Neill Foley https://onf.ie/

Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

A sector that has been heavily impacted by the Coronavirus is the Tourism sector. Regional Development Director with Fáilte Ireland, Paul Keeley spoke with John Purcell to discuss the impact in further detail, to outline the help that is available and also highlight the supports online that are in place for businesses in the tourism industry.  https://www.failteireland.ie/Supports/Managing-Business-in-Unprecedented-Times

Lorraine Bowen Head of Impact & Innovation with Entrepreneurs Academy, talks about how they have been helping businesses to examine ways in which they can operate during Covid-19. Lorraine also chats to John about a programme “Leading Your Small Business through Covid-19” which the Entrepreneurs Academy are currently running in conjunction with the Local Enterprise Offices throughout Ireland. https://entrepreneursacademy.ie/covid-19-supports/

We also hear from our Talking Shop co-host Nicki Hoyne of My shining Armour www.myshiningarmour.com  and Talking Shop guest Mag Kirwan of Goatsbridge Trout Farm www.goatsbridgetrout.ie to check in with them on how they are managing their businesses throughout this extremely challenging time. 

CEO of Carlow Chamber of Commerce Brian O’Farrell gives us an update from the Carlow Chamber business community, we hear about some of the businesses that are continuing to operate and provide services to the community, he also highlights the Chambers Survey which aims to gather insights and feedback directly from the business community during Covid-19. www.carlowchamber.com

Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

John Purcell chats to John Cleere of Red Lemonade who runs #TechThursdayKK, and this week Tech Thursday was hosted on line. John discusses the topic of “Effective Remote Working” which is a situation that many now find themselves in, and offers practical tips and advice to those who may not have worked remotely previously. https://www.redlemonade.ie/effective-remote-work/

Tommy Hickson of Hickson SuperValu, Tullow talks to John about the food retail sector at present and how his business has been adapting to the changes that have been happening very rapidly, and how supply chain is continuing to operate. He also talks to Rory Gannon of CakeFace & Face 2 located in Kilkenny City talks to John on how his business has been adapting to the evolving business landscape.

Fiona Deegan, Head of Enterprise with Kilkenny Local Enterprise Office gives a break down of the various supports that are available to businesses and how they can assist businesses in obtaining the correct information they need. https://www.localenterprise.ie/Kilkenny/  & https://www.localenterprise.ie/Carlow/
  

And finally John Purcell talks about how KCLR continues to operate and the plans in place to ensure that programmes can continue to air, bringing listeners up to date news, factual information, music and entertainment. 

Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Talking Shop this week features two new guests: Mag Kirwan of Goatsbridge Trout Farm (www.goatsbridgetrout.ie) & Julian Hughes of Hughes Farming, they join John Purcell & his co presenter Nicki Hoyne of My Shining Armour (www.myshiningarmour.com) and The Hero Podcast to chat about their journeys into their respective businesses.

Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

We continue to examine the options available for more sustainable living, over the last number of weeks we’ve spoken about electric vehicles, we heard from an award winning green energy solutions company on how they are helping organisations change to their lower carbon footprint and this week we hear from, Robert Goss, Director at Solar Electric who talks about Solar Energy in commercial and residential settings.

Local Enterprise Week 2020 kicks off next week with lots of events planned for Carlow and Kilkenny. Kieran Comerford, Head of Enterprise with Carlow Local Enterprise Office, spoke to John about what Local Enterprise week is all about as well as what events are planned for Carlow.

Our Talking Shop Feature is on episode 4 this week with Jo Browne of www.jobrowne.com  and Emma Hogan Eyre of Eyrebrushed Skin & Beauty Clinic www.eyrebrushed.ie  continuing their discussions with John Purcell and his Talking Shop co-host Nicki Hoyne of My Shining Armour www.myshiningarmour.com and the Hero Podcast. This week they focus on making tough decisions as a business owner. 

Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Talking Shop our feature which focuses on various aspects of starting your own business,  continues this week with John Purcell & Co-host Nicki Hoyne of My Shining Armour www.myshiningarmour.com & The Hero Podcast  chatting to Jo Browne of www.jobrowne.com & Emma Hogan Eyre of www.eyrebrushed.ie about the importance of resilience as a business owner as well as how to deal with setbacks.

Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Our new feature Talking Shop continues this week with John Purcell & Co-host Nicki Hoyne of My Shining Armour www.myshiningarmour.com & The Hero Podcast chatting to Jo Browne of www.jobrowne.com & Emma Hogan Eyre of www.eyrebrushed.ie around the reasons why people start their own businesses as well as delving deeper into the importance of confidence and self-belief when starting your own business.
 
 

Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

 Tara FitzGerald of Planned by Tara, talks to John about her wedding planning business and how the business has gone from strength to strength since she started it in 2018. www.plannedbytara.ie

John also chats to Rita Shanahan of Lorimat Jewellers, Kilkenny who for the second year running won Jeweller of the year at the awards. www.vintageengagementrings.ie

This week we hear the first episode from our new feature Talking Shop, where John Purcell and co-host Nicki Hoyne of My Shining Armour www.myshiningarmour.com and The Hero Podcast talk about the different aspects of starting your own business.

Looking at the reasons why people choose to start their own business John and Nicki will be joined by two ladies who did just that; Jo Browne of www.jobrowne.com and Emma Hogan Eyre of Eyrebrushed Beauty & Skin Clinic www.eyrebrushed.ie

Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

The topic of pensions has been debated back and forth and continues to be a major election issue, during the week John spoke with pension specialist Ed Kissane of O’Neill Foley Accountants to get his thoughts on the ongoing debate.

On Thursday last, KCLR Live held the GE 2020 debate in Institute of Technology Carlow. After the debate John caught up with Eimear Ní Bhraonáin on her take on what the candidates have to say about local business issues.

Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

John speaks with Carlow based Stephen Dargan, the CEO of Wake Up, a company which aims to create happier environments in the workplace, schools, towns and in people in general. He has worked with many different organisations and has created various different happiness programmes as well as the Happy Workplace Ireland Conference 2020 which is aimed at leaders. www.wake-up.ie

Eddie Scally, General Manager of Gowran Park discusses the business of horse racing in Ireland and the South East and the impact that it has on the local economy, he also discusses the upcoming Goffs Thyestes Day and the plans for Gowran Park in 2020. www.gowranpark.ie

Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

#careerskilkenny is an event organised by Kilkenny County Council, to be held in the award-winning Medieval Mile Museum in Kilkenny City on December 28th 2019.
To find out more or to register log onto www.careerskilkenny.ie

Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Date for your diary
#careerskilkenny is an event organised by Kilkenny County Council, to be held in the award-winning Medieval Mile Museum in Kilkenny City on December 28th 2019.
To find out more or to register log onto www.careerskilkenny.ie

Produced by Deirdre Dromey.
To contact the show, email thebottomline@kclr96fm.com