Employers should encourage staff to be healthier

Thu, Feb 18, 2016

Galway employers should encourage their staff to be healthier according to a new national survey¹ of employees, which shows that employee wellbeing is crucial to staff retention and productivity levels.

JPK Fencing Systems and Topform up for glory in SFA National Small Business Awards

Thu, Feb 18, 2016

Galway-based businesses JPK Fencing Systems and Topform could go all the way in this year’s SFA National Small Business Awards according to sponsors Energia.

JPK and Topform were among the finalists in this year’s awards who attended the recent SFA National Small Business Showcase event. The six finalists in the manufacturing category, sponsored by competitive energy provider Energia, of this year’s Small Firms Association Awards include:

Behind the hype of working for a startup

Fri, Feb 12, 2016

I’m speaking at an event called Student Talks in Dublin next month. The first thing I am going to quash is any notion of getting a return when you’re working for or with a startup. We’ve hyped startups up, and maybe without enough context for younger people. In my experience, you work there for the long term wins. There is no return to get, you have to build it from scratch. The less money you have, the more you work. It’s character building and an excellent learning curve.

IBEC says overhaul of commercial rates system would support job creation in Galway

Thu, Feb 11, 2016

With the general election campaign underway, Ibec West, the group that represents business in the region, this week called for an overhaul of Ireland’s commercial rates system.

The next government must prioritise the reform of local authority funding because local authorities do not have the power to do so, the group stated.

1,498 .ie domains registered in Galway last year, highest figure in the region

Thu, Feb 11, 2016

1,498 .ie domains were registered in Galway in 2015, the highest in Connacht according to the latest .ie Domain Profile Report, published by the IE Domain Registry (IEDR), the company responsible for the management and administration of Ireland’s official internet address .ie.

Kick off 2016 with some exciting investment opportunities

Thu, Feb 11, 2016

With the winter months passed, now is the time to purchase a prime city centre investment property. Two bedroom apartments in key city centre locations are sought after properties for the savvy investor.

NUI Galway business degree goes global

Thu, Feb 04, 2016

The new Bachelor of Commerce (Global Experience) course at the J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics in NUI Galway adds another innovative degree to the school’s portfolio of global business programmes.

Strive For It Mastermind 2016 sessions begin this February

Thu, Feb 04, 2016

will begin its 2016 intake in Galway this February. The company was founded in 2015 by business women Gill Carroll and Lisa Regan and was initially set up for business women but this year Strive For It will also be starting a male only mastermind intake.

A mastermind is where a group of like minded individuals meet to support, encourage and motivate each other as entrepreneurs. The mastermind will be based on the principals of Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich, this mastermind will help people to become a more dynamic and forward thinking business person.

The truth about cover letters

Thu, Feb 04, 2016

Q: I am applying for a job. I’ve done up my CV. Do I really need to put a cover letter in with it? And, if I do, what tips have you got? (DC, email).

GMIT VP hopes to bring fresh thinking to new role in research and innovation

Thu, Jan 28, 2016

Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Rick Officer to the post of Vice President GMIT for Research and Innovation.

Mind those toes — it’s Strictly Come Dancing Kilcoona Style

Thu, Jan 28, 2016

Fans of the Strictly Come Dancing television series will be familiar with the grace and precision of dancers such as Brendan Cole, Anton du Beke, Kristina Rihanoff and Aliona Vilani but, as Headford gears up for Strictly Come Dancing Kilcoona Style, rest assured…you ain’t seen nothing yet.

Nestled in the heart of north Galway, Kilcoona National School on the outskirts of Headford has long been recognised for its education prowess. Next month, it’ll be the dancing capabilities of its teachers, parents and other local celebrities in the spotlight as they take to the dancefloor in the Clayton Hotel in Galway for a night of glamour and glitz.

STARTUP CITY — Kids these days...

Thu, Jan 28, 2016

As I’ve said before, the Bank of Ireland workbench is a strange and wonderful place where great synergies happen. It is what the community make it and you never know who will walk in the door. This week, it was a 16-year-old Ciara-Beth Ni Ghriofa.

What's a startup?

Sat, Jan 23, 2016

What a startup is is often debated. It’s used the most in relation to tech companies with the potential to scale very quickly. I began my career in a tech startup solely because I was curious and incredibly hungry to learn as much and as fast as possible.

Galway SMEs encouraged to grow their business with new training fund

Thu, Jan 21, 2016

Skillnets, the national agency responsible for funding and supporting training networks has announced details of a new training fund worth nearly half a million euro (€450,000), aimed at assisting private sector businesses to grow, by addressing their current and future skills needs.

A group of businesses from the same region, or specialising in the same sector, can collectively apply to develop a Skillnets training network, and draw down funding support for the development and delivery of training. Businesses can be of any size, from a sole trader to multi-national, and the fund will also be open to existing industry federations, industry bodies or enterprise groups.

Magnet opens west of Ireland hub with info meeting tonight

Thu, Jan 14, 2016

Magnet will host a free information evening in the Galway Technology Centre tonight January 14, which will look at how companies can transition to and benefit from VoIP and hosted PBX solutions.

Dining al Desko and other workplace habits of employees

Thu, Jan 14, 2016

The habits and opinions of Ireland’s workforce have been revealed in research carried out by Irish Life. The research found that 77 per cent of the Irish workforce believe they deserve more money for the job they do, while four in 10 people think that they could do a better job than their boss. The research was published to mark the launch of Irish Life EMPOWER, an improved workplace pension plan.

The research highlighted some amusing workplace truths for Irish people. Nearly a third of employees said that they have had an ‘office crush’ and over a fifth of respondents admitted to having an ‘office romance’ at some point in their careers.

Five ways in which you can use PR to better your business in 2016

Thu, Jan 07, 2016

It’s a new year. The early days of January are a hopeful time to look at how you and your organisation can achieve great results in 2016.

Help your teen make the right career choice

Wed, Dec 30, 2015

If you’re a parent agonising over how you can help your son or daughter decide what to do upon completing school, you can take some consolation from the fact that you are not alone. In fact, this topic is the subject of a new book – ‘Career Coach’ – that is, as the tagline says, “a step-by-step guide to help your teen find their life’s purpose.” It also includes interviews with 13 successful people, including such as garden designer Diarmuid Gavin and chef and restaurant owner Neven Maguire, who share their own career insights.

Author Dearbhla Kelly has worked in education training and guidance since 1991 and is fascinated by the subject.

GMIT offers free course in food innovation and entrepreneurship

Wed, Dec 23, 2015

GMIT is to offer a brand new and free Certificate in Food Innovation and Entrepreneurship course under the Government-funded Higher Education Springboard initiative. This part-time course will be delivered by high-profile entrepreneurs such as Brendan Allen, Castlemine Farms, JP McMahon, Galway Restaurateur, Ronan Byrne, Friendly farmer, and Declan Droney, Kinvara Smoked Salmon.

Double decisions — what should you do?

Thu, Dec 17, 2015

Q: If I have a job interview on a Tuesday and another (more preferred) interview on a Wednesday how should I handle it if the Tuesday interview results in an offer on the spot? Should I accept the first offer and then decline it if the second one becomes available? Would this put the first offer in jeopardy? I certainly wouldn’t want to insult anyone and appear to be hedging my bets (even though that’s what I would be doing). Any suggestions? Thanks. (JM, email).

DEIRDRE MAY, LIMERICK: JM, be enthusiastic and thank them for the offer but do not commit there and then. It is perfectly acceptable for potential employees to take a couple of days to ‘mull over’ a job offer. Tell them you would like a bit of time to make an informed decision on this great opportunity and then give them a specific time when you will get back to them.

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