Small Business

1 in 6 high street properties in NI are now vacant…

Brian O'Neill on May 17, 2016, 9:43 am | Readers 1434

As a new report reveals that 1 in 6 retail properties in NI are now vacant the Irish News has an interesting story on the closure of the SuperValu store in Banbridge. The Supervalu store – which originally opened as Wellworth’s in 1963 – had been owned and run by Frank McPolin (50) and employed nearly 80 full- and part-time staff. The building also houses a separately-run discount store and also the town’s main Post Office. Independent retail body NIIRTA …

Forget Corporation Tax. Our high business rates are putting local shops out of business and killing our town centres…

Patrick Murdock on August 17, 2015, 7:11 am | Readers 3483

Many of you may remember this famous 1980 Queen Hit, a song about dying in a gunfight, but in 2015 could be equally interpreted as a commentary on the death of retail and commercial businesses located in all the Town and City Centres of Northern Ireland. Many commentators have given their opinions as to the demise of the traditional high street and suggested that it is due to changes in shopping habits, the growth of the internet, the growth of …

Local businesses as a way to a shared future?

David McCann on November 12, 2013, 12:17 pm | Readers 51

Found this interesting piece in today’s Newsletter by the Chairman of the Antrim Road Traders Association, Paul Carlin who has been writing about his experiences as a businessman in Northern Ireland. Carlin makes some interesting points about how local businesses can play a direct role in improving within communities through creating jobs and getting people from both sides to interact with one another. He ends with an optimistic vision for the future which I find a bit refreshing as sometimes …

Irish Government launches help for SMEs next week…

Mick Fealty on September 27, 2012, 1:05 pm | Readers 5

So good news at last for small business in the Republic. Just like small business in Northern Ireland, they’ve been starved of capital even as European taxpayers have been stuffing the banks full of cash… Silicon Republic reports… The Irish Government is set to open the microfinance scheme from next Monday for businesses and sole traders that employ 10 people or less that have been refused credit by the banks. Via the fund, businesses will be able to apply for …