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The idea of starting a business could sound very exciting, but it’s not always very easy especially if you don’t have the initial capital to keep you going. As the new kid on the block it is easy to think the world is your oyster and to dream of customers lining up to buy from you because you’re so good at what you do, but many times it takes months to get the first client and even about a couple of years to break even.

Ireland, like many countries around the world, is full of micro, small and medium businesses. According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO) there are a quarter of a million active Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Ireland and the latest results from the CSO 2015 Business Demography showed almost a million people in the employment of SMEs.

I was recently introduced to a young talented web designer / developer during my research into how rapidly people are moving their businesses online as a result of COVID-19 pandemic. James has been the bright kid who had contributed hugely to the success of the agency for which he had worked for years but, due to the high demands in websites, he has decided to start his own business.  The problem is, James is a tech guru but hardly a business expert. He soon learns his shortcomings very quickly when he tried to apply for government grants available to startups. 

You have a superlative CV and LinkedIn profile. You are busy applying for work through recruitment agencies, Indeed, and Jobs.ie. On Tuesday afternoon, a recruitment agent phones you to say, “XYZ plc would like to interview you for the role of purchasing manager. Are you available to meet with Mr. Smith production director, and Ms. Jones HR manager at 2pm on Thursday afternoon?” You reply, “Yes I am available.” The recruitment agent follows up with a confirmation email. You have approximately 48 hours to prepare for the interview. How should you prepare?