Connect Business Magazine April 2022

Spring 2022

The Business magazine for Kerry

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Dermot Bannon

talks about his determination to end homelessness in Ireland Paul Merriman of Ask Paul

breaks down the financial barriers and tells us how we can improve our finances

EDITOR NOTE Hello and welcome to Connect Business Its great to be back doing in person events, and since our last issue of Connect Business we have hosted our Connect Hair and Beauty Awards, and also our Connect Make it Happen Business Breakfast.

Our Connect Business Club is back in person again and we look forward to welcoming you all to our next meeting on April 26th at the meadowlands hotel.

Join us from 6-8pm, we will be connecting businesses with each other and we will also here from some great guests who will chat about refinancing your business and how best to manage costs as things escalate and prices rise. So book your seat at this informative evening .

Speaking of money we chat to Paul Merriman who gives some very good advice on money and managing same. And we hear all about Dermot Bannons plan to end homelessness We also have launched our recruitment section so we invite you to promote your vacancies to the county Until next time Mags

Mags

Editor: Margaret Kissane Graphics Design: Yevgen Kalynin For Advertising Enquiries: Margaret: 086 2408237 Editorial Enquiries Cathriona Murphy Photographer: John Walsh Email: margaret@connectpublications.ie 3

Dermot Bannon talks about his determination to end homelessness in Ireland

By Cathriona Murphy

D

ermot Bannon has long been a firm fixture on Irish TV, most notably on “Room to Improve”. With his forward thinking and likeable personality it is easy to see how he has become Irelands favourite architect. But beyond the TV shows and celebrity persona lies such warmth and compassion, clearly evident in his close relationship with homeless charity, Simon Communities. Launching this years RIAI Simon Open Door initiative running from May 4th to May 14th, Dermot sat with me and explained about the collaboration between Simon Communities and the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI). In return for a €95 donation, homeowners receive an hour-long consultation with an RIAI Registered Architect to discuss building, renovating or retrofitting their home. All participating Architects are giving their time and expertise for free. Every cent raised goes directly to Simon Communities.

For those that are not familiar, Simon Communities is a network of eight regionally based independent Simon Communities based in Cork, Dublin, Dundalk, Galway, the Midlands, the Mid West, the North West and the South East that share common values and ethos in tackling all forms of homelessness throughout Ireland, supported by a National Office. Simon Communities have been providing services in Ireland for nearly 50 years.

Dermot, in times when homelessness is at an all-time high, the open door initiative sounds like a fantastic way to raise money, can you tell me how you got involved and what it’s all about?

I have been involved in the initiative since day one, before I would have been a well-known face as such. Basically, architects all over Ireland dedicate a couple of days which are divided into consultations for the general public who then in turn make a donation of €95 to Simon Communities. So I have participated every year starting in my previous practice to when I opened my own company. I have always loved doing it, especially in the early year’s I would have been working on hospitals and schools

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so it was lovely to get to work on houses, helping people with designs for their homes. It creates a nice buzz around the world of architecture, it’s almost like a carnival for us if that makes sense?

That’s about as exciting as us architects get! Having been involved in it since day one, it was an honour to become the spokesperson around 10 years ago. I love the fact that all the money raised goes directly to Simon Communities, I have gotten to know them really well over the years. I’ve visited their facilities, participated in sleep outs, I visited their medical bus in the middle of the night. They really are just an amazing organisation, the work that they do even behind the scenes in Dublin is just incredible. Homelessness when this initiative started is completely different to what it is now. So many people are on the brink of homelessness, living in temporary emergency accommodation. When I first started it was always about providing shelter and care for people who were living on the streets. Now homelessness has a totally different meaning, so it’s more important than ever that we raise as much funds as possible.

Now that pandemic restrictions have ended its getting more and more difficult to secure temporary accommodation, people are listing their properties on Air B&B for example, its pushing more and more people into homelessness.

What would you say to people reading this that might be thinking of starting a project and are perhaps unsure of the need for architectural involvement?

It’s a brilliant initiative in the sense that for a home owner that might want to get a bit of information about their home or perhaps a project that they want to take on be it a new house or an extension.

They might feel that they shouldn’t go to an architect just quite yet, so it’s a brilliant way to start that conversation. I have had people come into me with storage issues for example, they might never go to an architect with those kind of problems but they would love the opportunity to ask you! Everytime I go to a DIY store I get people asking me questions so this is a perfect opportunity for people to sit with an architect and grill them on all the questions no matter how

big or small they may have.

I love the fact, especially in rural Ireland, it gives people the chance to connect with their local architect. It would be great if people treated their local architect like a GP, that they could go to them and ask them questions when they have issues.

What can we expect for the consultation and how should someone prepare for it to get the maximum benefit from it?

What I would advise is to take as many photographs of your house as possible, all of the rooms etc, just take them with your phone.

If you have any kind of floor plan of your house, you may have held on to the brochure from years back when you bought the house or if it was a self-build you might still have a set of plans. So gather up some drawings if you can, if not make a rough copy of the plan yourself even using a kids maths copy with the squares in it, give rough proportions of the rooms and include pictures of any particularly nice views from the windows. Have a think about what you want you want, write down a list of your needs and what frustrates you about your house. There is no point in building a nice modern extension with fancy cushions, rugs and couches if it doesn’t solve the fundamental problems within your home. The last thing then that I would advise people is just to go into the appointment with a really open mind, lots of people go in and just want you to tell them the idea they have come up with is good, there is no point in doing that. It’s not productive to get the appointment with a professional if you are not going to let them put their own spin on it, and that might be a good thing. It might just get you thinking about the project you initially wanted and that you may not do it in the end. Sometimes people can’t see the woods from the trees, for example I have said to people that you should knock down a wall or two and they will reply that they can’t because it’s a structural wall, not realising that they can put a piece of steel into it instead. The piece of steel might cost €3000 but it will save them the price of an extension, so it’s getting people to just think outside the box.

As we’ve seen on Room to Improve, sometimes managing clients expectations can be difficult! How do you manage that?

It’s always difficult to manage people’s expectations and budgets, especially if they have been waiting a few years to do the project you can be guaranteed they go to bed every night with every magazine, following accounts on Instagram of home builds. This could be a huge dream for them and with huge dreams come even bigger expectations. Especially if it’s a new build, they may have dreamed of certain features like huge walk in pantries for example and it has to be squeezed into a small budget. A lot of our work as architects, at the beginning of all of our projects is fitting in what you can realistically with the budget you have to work with. If someone comes to you looking for 25 rooms all en suite and a swimming pool too, all for €25,000, you have a lot of explaining to do to them and that’s all part of the job. Once your dreams and expectations start to align with what you can afford that’s when the project becomes real, up until then it’s just an idea.

Are people becoming more conscious of their builds and the effects it has environmentally?

I think there is less wastage, people are not building rooms they are

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never going to use so they are being clever about it. Open plan spaces solve a lot of that, giving the family a large space they can live in and opt for a smaller home office or den. People have become a lot smarter with their money and what’s evolving all the time is that people have a lot of appreciation for materials. Instead of having a 5000 square foot house, they are happy to have a smaller space but spending the money on good quality timber floors and on the general materials.

During the Celtic Tiger, big oversized homes where popping up on every spare piece of land. What themes in terms of building and renovating do you see coming along down the line?

I think one of the biggest themes coming along is retro fitting. There are so many houses that were built decades ago that are just so cold, we have to upgrade all of these properties. We have a target by the government to upgrade 500,000 homes so that’s half a million of all of our homes not just somebody else’s property. We have a huge target to reach and there are grants available around heat pumps, renewable energy. I wouldn’t advise anybody to put any extra square metre onto a house unless they can bring their original property up to at least a B2 standard, there is no point in putting a really nice extension onto a house when the rest of the house is freezing. Sustainability, insulation, heat is certainly going to become the biggest thing over the next 10 years.

Finally, Dermot in your own opinion, how do we work towards solving the issue of homelessness in Ireland?

We need to look at land, it’s a very complex issue in Ireland. Its fundamental questions like why does it cost so much to build? Is it down to land costs? Is it down to government levy’s or VAT etc?

We really need to look at the cost of building when we have huge problems with vacant houses. There are towns and villages up and down the country with boarded up streets with maybe one house, we need to start addressing that. We also need to write into our constitution the right to a home. We have a right to an education, a right to healthcare but yet fundamentally we don’t have a right to a home so I think that might change how the government might look at funds. Perhaps buying up housing estates for examples? A lot of the build to rent schemes around the country are being sold off to funds and I know we need the investment coming into the country, but at what cost? Having a constitutional right to a home might change how we do projects, it a huge problem and there really is no quick fix solution but there is lots of vacant properties, lots of vacant sites so we really do need to address it.

Dermot, it’s been a pleasure! For more information on how to book one of the consultations between May 4th-14th, please visit riaisimonopendoor.ie

By Cathriona Murphy

Paul Merriman of Ask Paul

breaks down the financial barriers and tells us how we can improve our finances When it comes to financial planning, most of us are inclined to bury our heads in the sand and shy away from it. We might just ring up any provider and sign up to pension plans without really understanding exactly what we are getting. Paul Merriman is regarded as one of the financial industries most successful and skilled financial planners. With his growing following on social media, almost 100k on AskPaul Instagram and his regular slots on 2FM, Q102 in addition to his position as contributor on Virgin Media TV, he has cemented his position as Ireland’s go-to financial planner. Priding himself on breaking down complicated financial jargon to layman’s terms, Paul aims to make financial planning accessible to all. I recently sat with Paul to find out more.

Paul, we are delighted to have you here with us in Connect Business this month. Could you tell our readers about yourself and how you came to your current position?

I actually left school after my Leaving cert and went on to work in a general insurance company while I studied for my insurance exams at night-time. I was more interested in the investment and pensions as opposed to the motor and home insurance side of the business. I went on to work for Irish Life as a financial advisor, where I was then promoted to senior financial advisor, from there I completed my QFA’s (Qualified Financial Advisor exams) which are mandatory if you want to work in the industry. I then took the next step and qualified as a Certified Financial Planner

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which I feel was a smart move for me. The reason being is that financial planning is a holistic approach to the client, looking at the overall financial health instead of just trying to sell them a product such as a pension or insurance because you are under a sales target. With financial planning you look at everything from cashflow to outgoings, you do a swot analysis of the client and tell them where their strengths and weaknesses are and areas that can be improved. Being a CFP is the highest qualification in our industry, and I felt at the time it was hard to perform that role in Irish Life because I was then tied to just offering one company’s products. After working for another company in Dundrum for a year I went on to buy PAX asset management in 2011. So, I started off with PAX with just myself and one other employee, Conor Byrne who is still here now but in Director/ Shareholder role. We had a shared office on Baggot Street, no money, no clients and just running around like headless chickens! We started to do ok, keeping our head above water given that it was off the back of a recession, most people probably thought I was mad going out on my own.

It went really well then as a business, so I brought in a business partner, Ian Britton in 2016. What happened next was we set up AskPaul. I had been getting frustrated by meeting clients who didn’t know the basics of financial planning. For example, they would come to me to purchase a pension but have a lot of short-term debt and no short term cash flow, not knowing anything about tax relief, pensions or investments. I thought, this is basic stuff everyone should know from a school age, and I was just frustrated at the industry. So, I set up a vlog

with our first video going up on YouTube followed by a Facebook page and Snapchat account. We’ve almost 100,000 followers on Instagram now, it’s just completely blown up and going very well . The first videos were based on subjects like what a tracker mortgage is, preparing for a mortgage etc.

It was all free information, I would get up at 4am just to answer the 100’s of questions a day that I would get. I did that for a year or two and then we regulated AskPaul as part of PAX. We had found that what had started as a hobby for me became so much more with people coming to me to work with them rather than me going out trying to find clients. Back in 2006 the company was turning over around €300,000 and last year it turned over €7,000,000 with over 50 employees retained within the company.

I did get a lot of stick initially from people within the industry for the videos I was putting out with free advice, but I think the industry can be very snobby, some like to make things sound more complicated to make themselves sound more important.

For me, financial planning should be kept simple. I am very proud of the content we put out, its accessible to everyone and all round inclusive. Some financial planners wont deal with you if you’re earning less than €250,000 and in my opinion that is just not what the industry should be about.

So, AskPaul strips back all that jargon, coming purely out of my frustrations and not setting out at all to have it as a really big business. We are doing over 100 financial planning consultations a week now in the practice, we have over 6000 clients, we manage over €150,000,000 in assets for clients too. That has all come off the back of AskPaul, to be able to create

that much employment in a short space of time is fantastic.

Do you think current financial climate has shocked people into financial planning?

I think with Covid 19, people realised that they had to plan for the future and that nothing was certain. People had been on autopilot up until then but when they started working from home and started working remotely and could move back home instead of paying high costs in Dublin, they started to think about when they retired and what that would look like.

People became fearful for the first time about what would happen if their income disappeared. They realised how much money they had been wasting on a weekly basis either going out or buying coffees and lunches. Now I’m all up for balance and people enjoying themselves but you do need money to put the lights on, put a roof over your head, feed your kids, drive and the basics. Our consultations went through the roof during Covid 19, it was the same during the recession. Before the recession everyone was a property investor, nobody had a pension, but the recession made them think what happens if things go wrong?

What steps would you advise people who are starting savings for college or a mortgage?

The biggest thing is that everybody needs a financial plan or a budget. I think people are afraid of the word budget, but it just means you are aware of the money coming in and going out, what you are spending it on. Especially if you have children, you need to have the correct provisions in place such as income protection which I think is one of the most important ones to be honest. If something goes wrong such as an illness, a percentage of your income is 10

still coming in until retirement age, that’s before pension and life cover. I think, when it comes to college funds, people need to start being more open to investments, for example the AskPaul investment club where we invest on a monthly basis with over 2000 people in the club.

It’s not complicated everything is done for you, so again we took the confusion out of investment, it’s been great to see everyone get on board with it. Bottom line is that everyone should be investing but not to invest in something you might need access to in 5 years. For example, a child’s education fund, anything to do with short term cash should be kept in a deposit account or credit union account because if its invested and the markets fall you will lose that money.

Do you think there is too much reliance on credit and finance here in Ireland?

There is too much reliance on credit, as a financial planner we always try and get our clients to be their own bank, save and invest their money so that they don’t need the bank. I think as well, people think they are bulletproof. Nobody wants to wake up in the morning and think if I got sick 3 years from now, am I financially protected? Because it’s not a nice thought but unfortunately it’s reality, we all know someone who has been affected like either by a shock illness or an accident. The more protection you have in terms of health protection and income protection the better, the last thing you want in a health crisis is a financial crisis. But coming back to doorstep credit and finance, if people educate themselves through pages such as AskPaul, they will better protect themselves and rely less on fast credit.

A lot of people over the last number of years have found themselves being made redundant; do we use that money to pay off mortgages with it?

Oh, never make a lumpsum payment off the mortgage! A classic example of why not to is, for example, say you get redundancy of €50,000; you’re never going to have that money again. If you have a €350,000 mortgage and pay off €50,000 its going to make very little impact on your monthly payments. People will make the payment off their mortgage and go back 3 years later and take out a car loan at 8% after paying down a mortgage at 3%. People are in a rush to pay off their mortgages when really if you have it paid off by 60/65 years of age, its finished for your retirement as most mortgages are 30 to 35 years. A lot of life is going to happen in those years, you’re going to need to change your car, you’re going to need to go on holidays, you need to have a life. So, my point being, the last thing you want to do is to pay the bank too early then go back in a few years to borrow at over twice your original rate.

What I recommend to my clients that receive a lump sum is to firstly put away an emergency fund, after that I would advise that any money you won’t need for the next 5, 10 or even 15 years, invest it. In that space of time your investment will hopefully increase in value, for example, over a 10 year period one would expect equities (stocks and shares) to achieve 6% per annum, this is an average per year and stock and share will increase and decrease over time. I know there is a cost to interest over the life of a mortgage but that is just part of life, there are some things financially that people might feel they have to do. It comes from previous generations belief that you need to own your house as soon as you can. I had a client before who paid their mortgage off early and then went to the bank and borrowed €20,000 for their daughter’s wedding. They had been paying a tracker mortgage at 0.75% and borrowed, in essence, their own money back off the bank at 8%. Instead of focusing on this, make life easier by clearing your short term debt such as credit cards and finance loans.

Financial planning isn’t all about pensions and investments, it’s about showing your

clients how to enjoy their lives too. Another common theme is people having high rates of savings and pensions in their retirement years and not spending it to leave it to their children when they pass away. I say to that, would you not use that money and go on a cruise with your children and grandchildren? There is no point in giving it to them when you are in the grave, give it to them now so that you can all enjoy it, they might use it also for a deposit on a house.

The AskPaul savings challenge became a social media phenomenon going viral overnight and prompting a huge following and participation. Can you tell our readers who might not be familiar with it a little more about it please?

People think they cannot save but if you put €1 away this week, you’re actually saving, it doesn’t have to be €100 or €1000. So, if you follow my plan and save €1 the first week, €2 the next, €3 the week after it will end up at €1378 at the end of 12 months , it really is as easy as that. It’s all about making those little changes, like buying takeaway coffees every day, if you are trying to save and at the same time spending €10 a day in a deli it all adds up. Even if you took one day a week and said OK, I’m going to put that away instead of spending it, it will add

up and make a difference. If you do that every week it becomes a habit, once you create a habit it makes a huge difference.

When we launched the AskPaul savings challenge it was very well received on social media. People were tagging their family and friends to get them involved. The thing I was happiest about was that it created a conversation amongst people about finances. Provoking conversation about things like this makes people more aware and informed.

Finally Paul, what fundamental steps do you tell new clients to take?

What can our readers who might be considering your services expect?

your income by investing and then finally we look at replacing your income. Not everyone is going to work forever so no matter what age you want to retire at, you need to ensure there is a plan in place to replace your income when you stop working such as pension plans. They would be my first points of advice to new clients coming through the door.

If you would love to ask more or if you have any questions, Paul can be contacted at askpaul.ie or on Instagram @askpaul.ie or email question@askpaul.ie

We have 3 steps here at AskPaul 1. Protect 2. Grow and 3. Replace.

What I would say is that first of all you need to protect what you have today. No matter who you are or what you are doing, whether you have millions in the bank or €10, you don’t want to be worse off than you are today. So, putting protection in place such as income protection and maybe looking at family protection for your kids if something should go wrong. Secondly, to grow

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By Cathriona Murphy Kerry based company, Zenergy, is a juice company delivering nationwide and founded

by Nicola Lynch. After becoming so frustrated at what was on offer to treat her anxiety, Nicola researched a healthier alternative.

Nicola says “I was diagnosed with anxiety and just wanted to really see alternative treatments available.

I started researching and came across books on juicing and the benefits of it. From there it all developed quickly, I began making the juices for myself and having seen the results I decided to set up the cold pressed juice company. I travelled to America to purchase the best quality juicing equipment and then came home to Killarney and set up a HACCP unit in Killarney.

It was hectic between having 4 kids and my already established business, Zest, in Killorglin, it meant I was over and back all day long. We do door to door deliveries in addition to nationwide deliveries with DPD" Nicola provides next day delivery due to the shelf life of the product. To have longer shelf life, a product would need to be pasteurised which takes the goodness out of juice. Providing next day delivery and door to door, ensures that the client is getting the absolute freshest ingredients. Nicola told me “A lot of the time if you see bottles of juice on a shop shelf and it looks smooth with all the ingredients blended perfectly, it means that the producer has added stabilisers and preservatives most of the time. I know my juices may not look as pretty, but they are 100% natural with no artificial colours, flavourings, preservatives or stabilisers which is the most important factor”.

Having seen how popular the products where, Nicola launched her juice cleanse program. Ranging from 1 day, 3 day to 5 day, there is something to suit everyone. The 3 day being the most popular as its then people would really see the benefit of it.

Telling us more, Nicola said “The juice cleanse helps to get rid of that

sugar dependence and helps restore the body. It gives the body a break from breaking down the stuff we eat on a daily basis such as gluten. Some people can think that juice cleanses starve the body, when in fact you are feeding the cells in it. People do tend to lose a lot of weight while on the program but I don’t market the product for that purpose because I believe it’s more about a general reset and what customers do after that is most important”.

I asked Nicola what could a person expect from the Juice cleanse? “We give the customer plenty of information such as in the days leading up to your cleanse, drink plenty of water and limit your caffeine intake. There is no caffeine in the cleanse so cutting it down beforehand will ease you in if you rely on it!

The people that really benefit the most from it are the people that really need it, for example if you are already fit and healthy and eat well, you won’t see any drastic results.

But if you suffer from skin conditions and other ailments, some results have been just phenomenal. After someone completes the cleanse, we show them how to maintain the results such as showing them how to make superfood breakfast bowls, sugar free granola that will last 10 days. I encourage people to also buy their own juicers too, I will give them recipes on juices to make at home. For me it’s not about making as much money as I can from an individual, it’s about helping people with the knowledge that I have gained to live healthier lives”.

For more information on Zenergy and how to order, visit www.zenergyjuices.com

Women in Business Mairead Moriarty Ashmore Learning Solutions

By Cathriona Murphy Mairead Moriarty is a successful business woman having previously spent over 30 years as a teacher. Founding Ashmore Learning Solutions in 2012 to address the need to improve literacy and numeracy in schools, the business has gone from strength to strength. Here in this issue of Connect Business, Mairead chats with us about her business and how it started.

Mairead, can you tell us about your background and how you came to found Ashmore Learning Solutions?

Well, I was born and raised in Straffan, Co Kildare with both my parents originally from Kerry. They had relocated to Kildare in the early 50’s and went on to have our family of 4. I went on to secondary school in Nass, obtained my degree in Home Economics from Trinity College and Sion Hill in Dublin. We were actually the first group to ever receive a B.Ed in Home Economics so I was very proud of that achievement. I spent a number of years teaching in Kildare, I also taught cookery classes in Marino vocational school in Dublin. I really enjoyed that, getting to meet the lovely Dublin women, they were eager to learn and great fun. I met my husband in college who just happened to be a Kerry man, Joe Moriarty from Inch. I gave up my full time job in Kildare and we moved to Kerry where we have remained for the last 40 years and have two beautiful daughters. Ironically, they have since moved to Kildare with their jobs and Husbands! I have recently become a grandmother to 2 handsome baby boys which keeps me very busy travelling up and down to visit! I taught in Presentation Secondary school in Milltown for over 20 years, I was very active in many different roles including that of school tour organiser, this afforded me the opportunity to travel extensively with students and since then it has given me a love of travelling the world. I was a member of The Listowel Food Fair committee for 4 years which I thoroughly enjoyed and for over over 15 years with the Spa/ Fenit Hospice committee. After a great career in teaching, I took an early retirement package from teaching, at 55. It was a great opportunity for me because I was also involved with a group called PDST (Professional Development for Secondary Teachers).

I travelled to different counties showing teachers

different ways of upskilling and new ways and techniques for methods of teaching. That’s how my business idea came around, we were asked if we could come up with any ideas for resources to teach children with literacy problems and to just basically improve literacy and numeracy in schools. It was pure coincidence that Christmas my mother received a gift of a jigsaw, it was an image of her meeting President Michael D Higgins. I just made the connection immediately between jigsaws, posters and teaching children with special needs. The first set of resources I developed was based on the digestive system on it. The idea was as the teacher was teaching from the board to the rest of the class, a child with learning difficulties could sit with their SNA and complete the jigsaw and learn and learning became easier. I think back to my time as a teacher when children didn’t have the literacy skills to understand what was on the board and not having the ability to keep up with what was being taught. I brought the resources to a PDST meeting and was so excited to show everyone the ideas I had come up with. I remember being very nervous but once I put it out on the table, the group stood around it and gave a big round of applause, they thought it was a fantastic idea. So that is how the idea for my business model started.

How did you find the experience of starting your own business?

With a background in education it was a big change, I had no formal business training having only done business studies up until junior certificate level. With that said, the local enterprise office gave me some fantastic support along with the Kerry Business Women’s Network who were just so supportive. The Business Women’s network was a great forum to attend meetings and hear women so excited about new ideas and new businesses that they had started or were going to set up. 10 years ago it was a very active group with Liz Maher at the helm of it in those days. She was very creative and innovative in those days with her ideas, she organised conferences and days in Killarney with Female entrepreneurs. One of these events happened to be up in Portlaoise with 300 women in business. I was given the opportunity to pitch my business idea in 60 seconds. Following on from that I was immediately approached by a Chinese lady about developing learning resources for students in China to improve their English. I worked on that for some time and although it didn’t make it to the Chinese market due to a large sum of money needed as investment, the experience itself was invaluable and I learned a lot from it. Kerry local Enterprise provided me with a mentor, a lovely lady from Listowel called Mary Beary, she was

a terrific mentor. She took me through all the stages of setting up a business and showed me how to do a business plan Did the pandemic effect you and inspire any changes for your future with the business?

Absolutely, my resources are all poster based so when the pandemic hit, the schools were stripping the walls of everything so everything was parked in that respect.

There were no sales happening so I just used that time to develop my website. I applied for funding from LEO (Local Enterprise Office) and got my website upgraded, giving it a fresh look with Rebecca Kemp doing that work on the website for me. I also used the time to get teachers on board to collaborate with me on new posters so that they would be ready for when schools where operating without restrictions again. I am fortunate that I have a pension from my teaching career so as that I’m not reliant on income from the business, it’s more of a hobby to me. However I was delighted to

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be approached by the education officer from COGG who promotes the Irish language in schools and they are looking for all my posters which is great. The best thing about the posters, given the feedback I have received from teachers, is that children respond better to visual aids like our posters. So even having them along the school corridor gives them the opportunity to learn in between classes. Having been contacted by the education officer in COGG, I can now see that the big route is for Irish posters to be produced for a wider range of subjects. Looking back I started and remain as a one woman show so in hindsight it might have been a good idea to have a few more on board with me. Sometimes I think, I’m 10 years at this how long more will I give it! But I genuinely find it exciting every time I get an order in or a school rings to say that they love my posters and to have them back up on the walls, it makes it all worthwhile. Teaching and education have been such a huge part of my life and something I am very passionate about.

What I would like to finish up saying is my mantra. I believe that to be successful you have to put your heart in your business and your business in your heart.

For more information visit www.ashmorelearningsolutions.com or call 0879929968

Recruitment Employer tip of the month for April comes from Fred McDonagh of Red Chair Recruitment. One of Munster’s most highly regarded recruitment agencies, Fred has put together a dream team of recruitment specialists that will guide both employers and potential employees every step of the way. This month, we asked Fred, what his number one tip would be for employers looking to advertise positions?

We are delighted to launch our Connect Business Recruitment section. With the landscape of employment and recruitment vastly different to that of pre-pandemic times, we are introducing Connect Business Recruitment as a bi-monthly feature to benefit both employers and employees. With the best job opportunities available in Kerry and further afield, recruitment agency tip of the month from an employer perspective along with features on how to maximise your interview skills, Connect Business Recruitment will have you covered! Coinciding with our exclusive Connect Business Club, together we will enhance and support the employment sector for Kerry. If it is a job you need to advertise and feel it needs specialised attention as opposed to just a few lines in a classified, we will work together with you to bring your advert to life. With Connect in over 400 locations across the county and our online edition also, we are excited about what our recruitment section will bring. Be sure to check in with every issue to see the latest information in recruitment, employee skills tips and more!

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Employers, You must move faster on your gut feeling on candidate hiring.

In this marketplace, candidates have multiple opportunities to Pick from throughout the Kingdom.

If you snooze, you will lose…

Friday 29th April - Sunday 1st May Friday 29th April

Songwriting Masterclass with Brian Kennedy 15:00 - 16:00

Emma Edel Live from 21:30pm

A unique opportunity to learn from a true master of songwriting interpretation musicianship and performance. This workshop is limited to 50 participants. Attendees will benefit from Brian Kennedy’s 30 plus years of experience as an all encompassing artist and gain from his insights into the world of singing, writing songs and novels and even channeling a journey with cancer with his last release 'Recovery.'

An acoustic performance by an accomplished local singer-songwriter. An acoustic performance by an accomplished local singer-songwriter. Learning piano from a young age at 15 Emma Edel began writing songs.

In 2014, she made the move to Dublin, where she explored her songwriting and sound, attended BIMM and played with different songwriters and bands. During that time, she played her songs acoustically at The Ruby Sessions, The INEC Acoustic Club and The Zodiac Sessions and as a session musician in The Workman’s Club & Whelan’s. Emma Edel has been spending a lot of her time at home in Kerry, focusing on writing and releasing and 2022 will see a string of releases.

Saturday 30th April Songwriting Workshops from 10:00 - 13:30.

Songwriting Workshop with Emma Langford This workshop will explore sharing local stories through song. Through a lens of Langford's own current work, we will look at the process of distilling local lore into song, creating work that captures the essence of Irish history and folklore, and how we can sculpt and deliver those stories through our own unique voice and sound. This workshop will be engaging for songwriters of all levels. Participants are welcome to bring works-inprogress that they would like to develop.

Storytelling Workshop with Seán O'Laoghaire With over 30 years experience, working in the fields of creating for, facilitating and igniting the imaginations of a wide demographic, Seán has developed an effective methodology, helping people in the “Designing of Narrative for Sharing”. This methodology not only helps the individual in creating a narrative, using the natural cycles of nature, the principles of permaculture and design thinking, but can lead to a very resounding base narrative to be shared, in a dynamic and fun manner. After the workshop, you will have a strong template for designing and creating narratives to share comfortably with any audience, in whatever medium and environment you work in.

(Participation limited to 25 per workshop.)

Gala Dinner (18:00) and Evening Performance with Brian Kennedy (20:30) Another unique opportunity to relax and dine in the charmingly quaint Royal Valentia Hotel. Enjoy a delicious 3 course meal followed by an intimate, exclusive performance by Brian Kennedy. From harmonising with ambulances as a child to finally overcoming stage fright, his gradual ascent was nothing short of miraculous. He busked on the dangerous streets of his hometown whatever the political weather until a sudden escape to London when only 18 saw him surviving in the only way he knew how. He sang unaccompanied in the underground stations and outside the Dominion Theatre, sometimes literally in order to eat and until he finally saved up enough money for a guitar. He lived in various illegal squats before eventually being discovered by the now legendary Svengali Simon Fuller- [Pop Idol, Annie Lennox, The Spice Girls.] His constant touring from Ireland and the UK to Australia, Germany and the USA, including the major global festivals, has resulted in an ever-growing international fanbase the old fashioned way over a phenomenal twenty-four year career in the rollercoaster ride that is the unpredictable music industry.

Sunday 1st May The Emma Langford Trio 20:00 The final event of the weekend Emma will be joined by Ray Yrure and Alec Brown, both of whom have accompanied Emma on stage in Ireland and abroad since 2016, and featured on her albums Quiet Giant and Sowing Acorns.

Both Alec and Ray hail from the USA but have lived and worked in Ireland for over a decade, contributing generously to our vibrant musical tapestry. Ray Yrure is a percussionist and multiinstrumentalist hailing originally from Virginia, now living in Tipperary. Dr. Alec Brown from Arkansas is a cellist with an Arts Practice Ph.D. He has developed a unique sound which he uses to create ambient soundscapes to accompany live and recorded performances.

Royal Valentia Hotel, Knightstown, Co. Kerry Accommodation discount of 20% is available directly from the hotel for those staying 2 nights!

Tickets from www.eventbrite.ie | Storytelling : Through Songwriting

Kerry Flyer CLG Training in all Areas of Transport

CHECK OUT THE COURSES AVAILABLE TODAY! Providing Essential Training Courses For Your Business

About Us Kerry Flyer began delivering transport training and more in 2008 in order to help support the not for profit activities of the company (Transport).

We provide over 15 different courses in person and online. Visit our website to learn more.

Book Now Driver CPC Course Driver CPC modules 1,2,3,4,5,6 available in Castleisland. Book Now

ADR Driver Training

Now available in Kerry - exclusively with Kerry Flyer – Fuel Tanker drivers – Refresher Training - Hazardous Goods – Pallets - Parcels

GDPR & Data Protection

Handling personal data? Learn about different types of data - Audit your own organisation’s system - Lantra Accredited

Managing Safety Essentials In Transport - Two Day

Are you managing safety of people I your transport company? - Do you know the legal requirements? The only course in Ireland Lantra Certified - exclusively with Kerry Flyer

Manual Handling

The Craggens, Castleisland, Co.Kerry 066 716 3170 Info@kerryflyer.ie

Mandatory Manual Handling Theory is completed on our online e-learning platform and practical element is carried out in Kerry Flyer Castleisland

Filling Station Forecourt Manager

This is the only certified course of this kind in Ireland. This new legislation puts an onus on filling Station owner to have adequate staff training - Book Today

A New Age for Tralee Chamber Alliance 2022 sees a new chapter beginning for the Chamber with a recently appointed CEO, President and new Board of Directors appointments. Who are the people at the helm of Kerry’s largest business representative organisation?

Nathan McDonnell, President.

of Ballyseedy Group.

Nathan was elected as President in December 2021 and is a proud and passionate Tralee man, focused on delivering results for the region while promoting the best of Tralee and North Kerry as an unbeatable location to live, work and visit. He is the Managing Director

Established in 1992 with a staff of over 150, Ballyseedy Home & Garden has become one of Ireland’s largest family owned destination, lifestyle and garden centres. The flagship store is nestled in the heart of Co. Kerry just a few minutes outside Tralee. The Group also operates three additional cafés in partnership with Dairygold, located in Raheen, Co. Limerick and Midleton and Carrigaline in Co. Cork.

Colette O’Connor, Chief Executive Colette was appointed to Tralee Chamber Alliance in October 2021. A management consultant specializing in hospitality and events, she has a proven track record of project management and was a founding member of the Listowel Business & Community Alliance.

She sits on a number of committees including the Kerry Economic Stakeholder Forum, the Kerry Chambers and is a director on the Board of the Kerry Tourism Industry Federation.

Colette is responsible for the operational activities of the Chamber working with the President and Board of Directors in developing the overall strategic plan and coordinating its implementation through the Chamber Steering Group.

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Kevin McCarthy – Chairperson, Steering Group Kevin is the Managing Director of The Garvey Group, one of the largest independent retailers in the country with a retail turnover in excess of 130 million euro, employing over 800 people in Ten retail stores throughout Munster.

The group also own two hotels in Dingle, Dingle Skelligs Hotel and Dingle Benners Hotel. The company are recognised as best in class and have won numerous national accolades in both the Retail and Hotel industry and are also holders of the prestigious ‘ Deloitte Best Managed Business’ award for the past 9 years. Kevin is also a former President of The Rose of Tralee International Festival and past Captain of Tralee golf club.

Ronan Deasy – Secretary Ronan is Company Secretary for Kerry Group plc and is based in the company’s Head Office in Tralee. Ronan qualified as a chartered accountant with Deloitte & Touche and joined Kerry Group in 1991.

In a career with the organisation that has spanned over 28 years, he has worked in numerous senior financial roles in Kerry businesses across the globe, including America, Australia, Asia and Europe. He has also served as Head of Investor Relations for the organisation and, prior to his present role, was Group Financial Controller. He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and a graduate of University College Cork, Dublin City University and the Institute of Chartered Secretaries.

Board of Directors

John Reen

Aidan was formally appointed to the Board of Directors in November 2021. Aidan has been Manager of J Turners since 2000 his family's pub business started by his Father Jerry and Carmel in 1976. Since taking over he oversaw the refurbishment and restructuring of the bar which is now one of Kerry’s top sports and music venues , comprising of 3 bars. Prior to this, Aidan gained extensive experience through roles across Ireland and Uk. Aidan is a keen follower of local sporting & arts groups.

John was appointed to the Board in November 2021 and is the Managing Director of Murphy & Sheehy Insurances Limited which is located at 11 Denny Street, Tralee, Co. Kerry.

John acquired the company outright in April 2019.

As a Certified Insurance Practitioner and Qualified Financial Advisor. John has focused on the commercial sector of General Insurances.

Coupled with Qualified Financial Advice John brings the full range of financial and risk management services to the clients of Murphy & Sheehy Insurances. John serves on the Executive Committee of Na Gaeil C.L.G and the St. Brendan’s District Board. He has also served on committee at Tralee Golf Club.

Mark Sullivan

Stephen Stack

Aidan Turner

Mark was formally appointed to the Board of Directors in November 2021. Mark has been General Manager of The Rose Hotel since 2015. When Mark took over the role as General Manager his first task was to oversee the refurbishment and restructuring of The Rose Hotel which is now one of Kerry’s leading 4 star hotels, comprising 161 bedrooms, Dott’s bar,two restaurants, extensive conference & banqueting facilities, Serenity Spa and Spirit Gym. Since beginning life in Tralee in 1996 Mark has held senior roles in both Ballyroe Heights Hotel and The Brandon Hotel.

Before this Mark gained extensive experience working in Germany and the UK along with numerous roles in Ireland. He has keen interest in GAA, soccer & tennis and enjoys local walks & cycles on the many scenic areas around the Town.

Stephen was appointed to the Board in November 2021. A Senior Branch Manager with AIB across Kerry, Clare and Limerick. Stephen is an experienced community banker with strong leadership, communication, compliance and decision making skills. A leader of people for the past 26 years with excellent interpersonal skills and a sustained record of relentless customer focus and business growth. His role in founding the Listowel Business & Community Alliance in 2017 proved critical to the launch of several successful projects for the town including the Town Centre Health Check, Secured 50K Town & Village funding to develop 3 year Economic & Marketing Plan and a New Town Website with support from KCC. A staunch GAA man, Stephen chaired up a €1.5 million of his own club Listowel Emmets redevelopment, a former All Ireland winning defender, previously managed Austin Stacks to club, county championship and Munster club championship in 2014.

Priorities for 2022 · Influence national and regional policies in the interest of local enterprise · Lobbying to make Tralee a project town for Active Travel Solutions · Continuing to promote Tralee as the best place to live, work and visit · Maximise potential for business and community development through effective marketing and promotion of the Greenway · Request a place for Tralee & North Kerry on the Shannon Taskforce · Leveraging memberships of Chambers Ireland and the Kerry Tourism Industry Federation · Build on existing collaborations with local stakeholder groups such as Tidy Towns to enhance the overall appearance of the town and surrounding areas · Strengthen the communication framework through regular updates to the membership · Review and improve online representation of Tralee · Offer support to businesses through series of Masterclass breakfast workshops beginning with a special HR & Employment Law update in collaboration with the HR Suite and supported by AIB on Thursday May 5th · Constant Media engagement both locally and nationally We forge connections, support ideas and share knowledge. We work hard for our members, helping them to realise their vision and sustain their drive.

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Business Breakfast The Business magazine for Kerry

Recently we had our first in person business event, which was the Connect Make it Happen Business Breakfast.

Lotties at the Ashe Hotel Hosted a wonderful morning to allow business people of the county come together and chat , we were joined by a panel of business people who all told their stories of survival through covid, how they plan to take their business to the next step and gave valuable advice and tips to the audience attending Our panel included Nathan McDonnell Ballyseedy group, Emily Brick-Athena Analytics, Nicola Lawless Kerry Flyer, Paudie Clifford Red Chair Recruitment.

They spoke on the costs of business and how to best manage, and also had an indept discussion on staff and recruitment and how to retain staff.

All in all it was a great morning with great participation from the floor.

Our next in person event takes place on TUESDAY APRIL 26TH MEADOWLANDS HOTEL 6PM To book your place please contact us on 086 2408237.

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BECOME A MEMBER TODAY

Sign up as a member of Connect Business Club and Connect with other business around the county.

For details email margaret@connectpublications.ie

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A trip to New York is one that most people dream of, Aaron Logan originally from Dublin now living in Killarney over 20 years, travelled there with no expectations other than to have a 3-week holiday to see the sights, little did he know he would return 15 years later as a highly skilled, accomplished carpenter. Perfecting his craft in one of the most visually stunning architectural cities in the world, Aarons work varied from the city of Manhattan to the more picturesque and prestigious upstate New York. This is where his skill was refined, working on restorative projects on century old buildings, Aaron developed a strong passion from taking the old and giving it a new lease of life whilst respecting the integrity of the original design.

Fast forward to 2009, Aaron had been successfully working in Ireland when the recession hit. With little or no construction or renovation work available, Aaron turned his focus to accounts and book keeping to provide for his children with the promise to himself that he would one day return to his craft when his children were reared. Whilst working full time as a book keeper, Aaron kept a keen interest in restoration projects, purchasing old properties and restoring them to their original state with a modern feel. Having done that since 2009, Aaron has now turned his focus back to his love of carpentry.

Speaking to Aaron he told me “What I focus on now is bespoke furniture, indoor and outdoor living, garden shed’s and building maintenance. What I say to clients is if they have a picture of what they want, I will build it.

There has been a huge shift in the focus on outdoor living since the pandemic, people are investing in high quality, sustainable products and materials that will last. That is where I bring my years of experience to a job. Within minutes of talking to a prospective client I can get a feel for what they are after and how it can be achieved within their budget. I keep my client list small so that there are not too many projects on at once because I like to give my clients not only my skills and expertise but also my time, focus and dedication to achieving a high standard of results.”

If they say a picture speaks louder than words, it rings true when you look at the attention to detail in Aarons projects. Whether it’s a cabinet inside a home, an outdoor entertainment area or a garden shed, the intricate detailing speaks of skills and experience that are hard to come by. Visually stunning, a bespoke design from Aaron in any home or garden will become an endless conversation starter. Timeless and steeped in rich quality, bringing years of enjoyment to any client.

For further information, Aaron can be contacted on 087 3283715

Covering all of Kerry No Job Too Small or Too Big M: 087 3283715 | E: aaronlogan3715@gmail.com

PERFECT FOR BUSINESS A town centre location & great choice of venue spaces make The Ashe Hotel the perfect business partner Whether you are planning a meeting, team building event, board meeting or conferenceour events team will help you plan the perfect experience for you & all of your attendees to ensure that the day runs smoothly For more information on planning your business event or to make a booking contact our dedicated sales team on +353 (0)66 7106300 or email: info@theashehotel.ie The Ashe Hotel, Maine St, Tralee www.theashehotel.ie

TRALEE Manor West Hotel can meet all your event requirements with event rooms that accommodate from 2 to 250 CASTLEMAINE SUITE | BOARDROOM INTERVIEW ROOM | MASTER SUITE Our conference facilities offer: COMPLIMENTARY HIGH SPEED WI-FI AV EQUIPMENT, INCL SCREEN, PROJECTOR & MICROPHONES COMPLIMENTARY WATER FLIP CHART & PODIUM SECURE UNDER GROUND CARPARK DEDICATED EVENTS TEAM FOR BOOKINGS OR ENQUIRIES PLEASE CALL OUR TEAM ON 066 7194500 or email us at info@manorwesthotel.ie

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Conference with Convenience and Comfort in Kerry

By Cathriona Murphy

With the reopening of society, business and the corporate world we are slowly returning to normality. Whilst we can now meet in groups and hold events such as conferences, large scale interviews and auditions, it is now more convenient than ever with the array of choice in facilities in Tralee. We took a look at some of the options available.

The Rose Hotel

The Rose Hotel caters for whatever need your business may have.

Accommodating a group from numbers of 2 up to 250, you can be sure your event will be spacious and comfortable. The Glover suite facilitates up to 10 people in a custom designed boardroom. Equipped with a flat screen smart tv, air conditioning, coffee machines, stationary and a flip chart, it ensures your needs are met. The Pembroke suite is a unique room in that it is flooded with beautiful natural daylight and can be arranged theatre style, cabaret style or classroom style to suit your needs. Also included with this suite is a ceiling mounted data projector with screen in addition to the previous benefits mentioned. The Spencer suite is similar to that of the Pembroke in that it can be set up the same way in addition to a u-shape also. This suite comes with the flat screen smart tv option also.

For conferences, The Lee suite caters for up to 320 theatre style or 220 classroom style. Equipped with modern equipment, stage & podium, electric screen, high speed WIFI, private bar and direct access to the loading bay, The Lee suite is a definite go too for those larger corporate events. From the moment you book your event, the dedicated team at The Rose Hotel will guide you every step of the way with no request too big or small. For more information contact info@therosehotel.com or call 0667199100

The Meadowlands The Meadowlands Hotel is situated in a prime location just minutes from Tralee bus and train station and the town centre 30

ensuring ease of access for your meeting/conference attendees.

The conference and meeting rooms where all designed with flexibility in mind, catering for conferences, meetings, auditions and interviews.

The various meeting room options accommodate numbers from 2 to 250. The Conference Centre has been fitted with the most up to date superior audio-visual technology, high speed Wi-Fi, adjustable lighting and air conditioning to create the atmosphere you desire. The team at the meadowlands are dedicated to helping you create the perfect setting for your event, on hand throughout the planning process and the day itself to ensure it runs smooth.

For more information contact info@meadowlandshotel.com or call 0667180444

The Ashe hotel

Situated in the very heart of Tralee, close to every amenity desired, The Ashe Hotel has fast developed a reputation of high standards and excellence. The lobby boardroom is perfect for private meetings or interviews. Featuring airconditioning, wide screen TV, projector and screen, flip chart, high speed WIFI, complimentary water, tea & coffee, you can be sure your meeting will be both comfortable and efficient. Holding between 9-15 guests dependant on layout, it is a popular space for meetings amongst all businesses. If your needs are bigger, the newly refurbished Ashe Conference Room is just a stunning, visually impactful design. Holding between 50-100, again dependant on layout, this conference room will impress anyone attending. This room comes with air-conditioning, wide screen TV, projector and screen, WIFI, gourmet tea and coffee. Not forgetting the beautiful Lotties bar, popular amongst all that have enjoyed it, it will offer a stunning backdrop to your event. For more information contact info@theashehotel.ie or call 0667106300

meet at the rose hotel

From Board Room Meetings and Conferences to Seminars and Networking Events

Let us help you imagine and plan your event, 3D floor plans now available: • Customised floor plans for your event • Bespoke setup tailored to your event • 3D Visualisation of your event in advance • Interactive links can be shared for planning with colleagues

For meeting room availability and further information, please contact Nadine today 066 7199100 or email sales@therosehotel.com The Rose Hotel, Dan Spring Road, Tralee, Co. Kerry V92 HKA4

C O R P O R AT E & C O N F E R E N C E L U N C H E S & D I N N E R S AVA I L A B L E I N A N M Ó I N É A R R E S TA U R A N T O R P R I VAT E D I N I N G R O O M S

• Meeting room set-ups catering for 2-250 pax

• Complimentary Wi-Fi

• New AV system comprising of 2 Sony Lumen Full HD Laser Projectors

• Adjustable lighting & air conditioning

• HDMI & VGA inputs suitable for all connections

• Bottled water, note pads & pens

• Friendly & professional conference team • Various catering options available

Visit www.meadowlandshotel.com for our special offers