Did you know… The Food Safety Authority of Ireland is hosting a ‘Small Food Business Start-Up Seminar’, to help promote micro-enterprise development in the food sector? Topics to be discussed include day-to-day operations, safety training, labeling requirements and traceability. Representatives from the Environmental Health Service and Teagasc will outline inspections and food product developments respectively. A Q&A will be held with experts, while recent start-ups in the sector and Microfinance Ireland will be on hand to explore finance opportunities for small businesses. The event is taking place at Crowne Plaza Northwood, Northwood Park, Santry, Dublin 9 on the 28th January from 8.00am to 1.00pm. Further information is available at www.fsai.ie/events
Did you know… Cyber crime is being cited by more businesses as a potential risk issue, according to a new report? Cyber crime was was ranked fifth in the latest Allianz Risk Barometer, following supply chain disturbance (46%), natural disaster (30%), fire (27%), and legislative changes (18%). The report indicated that many business owners are still not updating their systems to mitigate the risk, citing lack of budgets as one of the main reasons. Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Jens Krickhahn, Allianz' cyber security analyst said: “Cyber risks are very complex. Different stakeholders […] need to share their knowledge to identify and evaluate threat scenarios .The ‘human factor’ should also not be underestimated, as employees can cause IT security incidents inadvertently and deliberately”.
Did you know… The Small Firms Association has called for the government to end what it calls 'discrimination' against self-employed and Proprietary Directors in the tax and social welfare systems in 2015. The SFA is calling for the introduction of a voluntary PRSI rate for self-employed workers and the introduction of a unique CGT rate for entrepreneurs selling their business. “There is a real need to support people in embarking on their entrepreneurial journey, as without the risk-taker / the owner-manager, no jobs can be created. Therefore it is important that they are at least treated equally if not indeed more preferentially than employees”, said SFA chairman AJ Noonan.
Did you know… 56% of people are planning to eat more fresh/unprocessed foods this year, according to a new study from Carat Ireland? This percentage has dropped slightly, from 61% the previous year, according to the report. 35% also said that they were planning to cut back on snacks, down from 40% the previous year. "The number of people choosing low fat and low sugar options continues to decrease as does the number of people cutting out snacking, as penal approaches to health appear to lessen. The likelihood of eating healthily increases with age and women are also more likely to eat healthy food, where males are more likely to exercise more regularly," the report said.
Did you know… An estimated 200 people have marched against the decision to re-locate the local post office in Listowel, Co. Kerry? An Post made the decision to move the post office from the centre of the town on William Street, to a larger supermarket complex, Garvey’s SuperValu, about a kilometre away, however, local business owners say that it will lead to a fall in business in the town centre. Jake McGillycuddy, whose family has run a business in the town since 1900, says the store will pose a serious threat to his business. Speaking to the Irish Independent, McGillycuddy said: “Garvey’s are giving great employment in this town […] but the decision to move the post office is going to hit our business an awful lot."
Did you know… The rise of e-cigarettes and alternative smoking cessation devices has hit pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline hard? According to Andrew Witty, CEO,this sale of e-cigarettes has impacted the group's nicotine delivery device systems in particular. In a recent interview with Reuters, Witty said that his team had spent some time deciding if direct competition in the e-cigarette market was commercially viable. Ultimately, they decided against it, and is instead planning to work with Novartis to form a joint venture for a number of consumer health-related products. The combined venture will become the market leader in the $3 billion-a-year smoking cessation market.
© 2014 - Checkout Magazine by Genna Patterson and Robert Moloney.
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