Syndicated

Lender Haven has cut its mortgage rates for new and existing borrowers.

The move follows reductions last month from its parent AIB and are similar in magnitude.
The variable rate will fall by 0.25pc to 3.15pc from the start of next month for existing customers.

The same rate applies for new customers from later this month.
Savings of €320 a year for a family on a €200,000 mortgage over 30 years will result from the rate cut for existing customers.

There are also reductions in a string of fixed rates, which are proving increasingly popular with first-time buyers.
Four-year and five-year rates will be reduced by 0.5pc.

The three-year fixed rate comes down by 0.45pc to 3.20pc.
The new two and four-year rates will be 3.20pc, with the three at 3.20pc, and the four and also the five-year rates at 3.30. New fixed rates apply from tomorrow.

Similar decreases in rates at EBS, which is also part of AIB, are expected in the coming weeks.

Article Source: http://tinyurl.com/kbwqb42

THERE has been a call for changes to the tax appeals regime after it emerged that thousands of taxpayers are in dispute with Revenue.

Such is the backlog that it could take up to 10 years to clear all the cases, the Irish Tax Institute said.
The institute said radical changes to how the appeals process works were needed.

It discovered that 4,000 appeals are in dispute, with half of these involving amounts of less than €10,000.
This implies that many of those in dispute are PAYE taxpayers and self-employed people.

“The Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) released a report last week, which found the value of cases under appeal at the Tax Appeals Commission has increased over the past two years,” said Irish Tax Institute president David Fennell.
“The C&AG Report said that at March 2017, the total value of tax appeals was €1.1bn,” Mr Fennell said.

Recent figures from Dáil questions show that this figure has now grown to €1.5bn, and totals 4,387 appeals, he said.
The institute said that there are currently 2,214 appeals, which relate to amounts of tax that are less than €10,000.

“These appeals account for half of all appeals in the system, yet they account for less than 1pc of the total amount of tax in dispute and are creating a large backlog of cases.
“Whereas at the larger scale, 50 appeals account for almost €1bn in value and they represent only 1pc of the number of appeals currently at the Tax Appeals Commission.”

Article Source: http://tinyurl.com/kbwqb42

Real pressure points are forming in the economy. The favourable winds that helped bring our unemployment rate down from 15pc in 2011 to below 7pc now are shifting.
One of the problems for Ireland is remaining attractive as a place to live and work. Sometimes that is about more than just wage rates or taxation. It is also about housing, quality of life, transport and what plans we have for the development of our cities.
Some warning clouds are already appearing. We have had genuine investment gains in relation to attracting financial services companies to Dublin in the wake of the Britain’s Brexit vote but we have also lost out on several other big wins we were competing for, such as insurers AIG, Lloyds and Standard Chartered.

Our reputation is suffering as a result of Apple tax rulings and comments from Brussels to Washington DC about our corporate tax practices. Chief executives might actually love it, but it doesn’t mean it helps with attracting skilled workers.
On a different note, a survey of staff at the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in London, found that 45pc of them said they would be unlikely to want to relocate to Ireland. The EMA is expected to move out of London after Brexit to a new EU location and Ireland would see itself as in the running to win this major prize.

Unfortunately, Dublin was not among the top five locations favoured by EMA staff. We came in seventh – behind Amsterdam, Barcelona, Vienna, Milan, Copenhagen and Brussels.
Staff preferences may not be the deciding factor on where the agency goes, but it will count for something. More importantly, we should ask why not Dublin, compared to those other cities. Bear in mind, the EMA is likely to have a multicultural workforce that currently lives in an English-speaking city. Yet, more of them would rather go to Austria or Denmark.

This doesn’t say much for the clap on the back we constantly give ourselves about the success of ‘Brand Ireland’ and our reputation abroad.
It gets a lot more serious when the head of international financial services at IDA Ireland, Kevin Donoghue, is telling a Brexit conference that companies want to know about our future plans for our cities, how they will develop and issues like housing and infrastructure.

Ireland’s tourism industry is riding high with record levels of international visitors. But wanting to come here for a holiday is different to wanting to live here. They are connected in so far as they both rely on a positive international reputation or brand, but it wouldn’t take somebody very long to Google the price of a three-bed semi D in Dublin or a one-bed apartment to rent.
The results might be shocking. I am sure the average employee in the EMA in London is paying a right whack in mortgage or rent but they have a transport network to match.

Issues around quality of life, the social and physical environment, public amenities, infrastructure, healthcare, culture, as well as personal taxation, are becoming ever more important in the battle to attract investment.
Fixing the housing crisis isn’t just a social imperative. It is also an economic one. Future investment decisions are taking account of new factors like having a plan for tackling the social challenges of a rising population with a greater concentration on the east coast.

Dublin is a great place to live if you can get an affordable roof over your head. Galway is a wonderful city if you can get through the traffic.
Unfortunately, it is a bit annoying to think the Government might really start to work on fixing these things when we think it is affecting our international image and reputation. Of course we should seek to fix these issues for the people who already live in Ireland and not just those who might come.

Equally, there is an imperative to safeguard future jobs so we can retain the workforce and money required to fix these problems in the first place.
But there have always been contradictions around Ireland’s international image. Back in the 1980s we had postcards for tourists with donkeys, and blokes with enormous beards. There was even the famous one of the woman with a seagull on her head.

At the same time IDA promotional literature was seeking to present us as the “young Europeans” full of education, ambition and progressive modern thinking.

Ironically, we have got so much right for both the tourist market and the foreign direct investment sector. In a way, both have worked. But we may be running out of steam if we cannot back up the investment promises we make to multinationals or provide a better quality of life for our citizens.
Many chief executives making investment decisions will look at the corporate tax rate, the business and regulatory environment, the educated workforce and the cost of doing business.

But increasingly they have to examine the cost of living for potential employees, the cost of housing, health services and schools.

Ireland has traditionally performed reasonably well in global reputational and brand surveys. But we have to be careful about reading too much into surveys. Like any brand in any business, perception is valuable but it has to be matched by the reality behind it, or you will eventually get caught out.
We featured as No 1 in the world Good Country Index 2014, which was supposed to reflect perceptions about contributions to humanity, equality and all of that good stuff.

But the following year we had fallen back to 11th. It turns out the 2014 result was based on data from 2010 and the 2015 was based on data from 2011 – the year the troika set up shop.

Such swings might not say much for the usefulness of some surveys but perceptions really do count.
We have consistently scored well in surveys like the Anholt Gfk Roper Nation Brand Index, which gathers the views of 20,000 people around the world. Perceptions are polled on exports, governance, culture, people, tourism and immigration/investment.

Ireland typically comes in around 18th or 19th. It isn’t bad for a country of our size but it has to be borne in mind that we are usually behind Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Austria and Scotland. The top five don’t change that much and include the US, Germany, UK, Canada and France.

International surveys about doing business, are a dime a dozen but we usually score fairly well. Best Countries for Business had us in fourth last year.
However, that isn’t going to cut it for much longer. In the competition to win inward investment lots of other countries are catching up. Our business environment might appear very positive on one level. But having access to world class accountancy firms doesn’t count for much if all your staff can afford to rent is a bunk bed in Dorset Street.

The enhancement to our international reputation of paying up on our banking debts may well evaporate in time from the €200bn of national debt we clicked up in standing over those bond repayments.

Back in 2012 the founder of the Gfk Roper Nation Brand Index, Simon Anholt, suggested that Ireland could “position” itself differently in the future after the financial crash.
He suggested we could brand ourselves as “the first country to pilot and prove a new form of capitalism – more moral, more fair, more balanced, more human”. Five years later we can already see that we have missed the boat on that one.

Article Source: http://tinyurl.com/kbwqb42

Up to 4,700 residential rental units are in the pipeline for Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council area. This could generate a 29pc increase in rental accommodation units in the area where there are already 16,332 tenancies registered with the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB).

About 1,000 of these new units are earmarked for students and such units are likely to accommodate five or even more adults per unit. Consequently the 4,700 units could have the capacity to accommodate more than 14,500 people.
Such an upsurge in development would bring fresh competition to the residential investor market and might even curtail rent increases in an area where two beds are achieving an average of around €1,650 per month. However, there are a number of reasons why it may be somewhat premature to celebrate such an outcome.

The planning authorities, both Dun Laoghaire and An Bord Pleanala, appear to be slow to approve some projects even when the developers are availing of so-called fast-track planning processes. The latest example was the authorities’ refusal for Ires Reit’s plans to develop 456 apartments across three 14-storey residential blocks at Rockbrook in the Sandyford Business District.
This refusal followed situations where two of the largest applications for residential developments in the county, which between them would accommodate up to 5,500 people, had to re-submit their proposals more than eight weeks after they first requested to avail of the new fast-track Strategic Housing Development (SHD) planning process.

Both of those projects have signalled that they could take up to 10 years to develop, and that does not include the time it takes to get approval.
One of these is UCD’s SHD request for 512 student accommodation units accommodating 3,006 bed spaces in seven blocks at its Belfield campus; those are to be built within a 10-year time frame.

The second was Michael Cotter’s Viscount Securities’ plans to develop 934 new homes at Clay Farm in Leopardstown, Dublin 18, comprising 363 houses and 571 apartments. Their 10-year time frame suggests that a major portion if not all may be aimed at the sales rather than rental market.
Cairn Homes also plans to develop a mixed-use scheme comprising 598 student bed spaces as well as 103 other residential units, retail space and a community sports hall on the sites of the former Blakes restaurant and Esmonde Motors at Stillorgan Village.

A spokesperson for Cairn said that at this early stage in the project the firm had not yet decided whether it would sell on the student residences when they are built or whether it would retain them for rental income.
Neither had it made a decision on whether the other 103 residential units would be for sale, rent or build-to-rent (BTR).

However, unlike the Reits which retain developments for income, Cairn’s business model has been to sell on. But with increasing international investor demand for build to rent opportunities, the 103 Stillorgan units might well be sold to the build to rent market.
The Irish Times also recently reported that Swedish student accommodation provider Prime Living has bought a site at Carmanhall Road and Blackthorn Road in Sandyford Business district, with the intention of providing about 700 bed spaces in 140 units.

That’s just a short walk away from where receiver Pearse Farrell of Duff Phelps is seeking an SHD for 482 apartments at Carmanhall Road. It will be interesting to see if other residential rental providers in the area such as Ires Reit might make an offer to Farrell, should he secure planning permission.
The receiver’s site was part of a larger plot where Cork developer John Fleming had partly developed the Sentinel Building where the Comer Brothers are now seeking planning permission to develop 284 live/work apartment units.

The Galway-born brothers have also accumulated a large portfolio of rental apartment blocks so there would appear to be a strong chance that the Sentinel apartments would also be rented out.
Just last month global property investment company Hines submitted a planning application for a new town centre at Cherrywood which will include 1,269 build-to-rent apartments.

Closer to Dun Laoghaire borough, the Cosgrave Bothers are developing 319 apartments at Honeypark which they have pre-sold to German fund Patrizia in a Hooke and MacDonald-brokered deal believed to be worth €132m.

These will bring to three the number of Honeypark apartment blocks which Cosgraves have sold into the build-to-rent market. Their first was the 197 Neptune block which they sold to SW3 Capital and Tristan Capital Partners for €72.5m.
Ires Reit already own about 400 apartments in Sandyford after recently completing 68 new apartments at Beacon South Quarter.

US real estate giants Kennedy Wilson are also significant landlords in the county where they built 116 rental apartments at Block K Vantage at Central Park, Dublin 18 last year to add to the 276 units they had previously bought at Vantage.

Nama too has about 200 apartments which are rented out at The Grange in Stillorgan and it is expected to bring these to the market in the near future along with a site with development potential.
Meanwhile, a portfolio of 25 apartments developed by Gerry Gannon’s Gannon Homes at Rockfield and Riversdale near the Balally Luas station in Dundrum are for sale with a €7.7m guide price.

The units include 18 penthouses and seven two-bedroom apartments in a number of blocks.

With three show units vacant, they generate rents of €460,032 per annum, which could increase to about €535,600 when the three show units are re-let.
According to agent Iain Finnegan, the penthouses are currently rented at €1,825 to €2,100 per month, while rents for the two-bed apartments range from €1,050 to €1,500 per month.

Nearby, Hibernia Reit completed 213 units some time ago following its acquisition of Wyckham Point, Dundrum and opted to rent rather than sell them.

Article Source: http://tinyurl.com/kbwqb42

Microsoft is to create 200 new jobs at its Inside Sales organisation in Dublin.

The roles will be in the area of technical and solutions sales specialists.

In addition the company is recruiting people with language capabilities and leadership experience.

The new roles are in addition to the 500 jobs created by Microsoft at the Inside Sales organisation in February this year, 80pc of which have been filled.
The Inside Sales Centre, which serves customers in over 30 different languages, enables sellers to leverage technology platforms and analytics to better meet customer needs.

Once this second phase of recruitment is complete, it will bring Microsoft’s overall employee numbers in Ireland to 2,000.
“The continued contribution of the Dublin-based Inside Sales team to the company at a global level ensures that we are in a strong position when we seek to attract further investment to Ireland,” Cathriona Hallahan, MD of Microsoft Ireland, said.

Recruitment is underway for the 200 new positions, with the intention to have all 700 new hires employed before the end of this calendar year.
The announcement was welcomed by An Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Frances Fitzgerald, who said that it demonstrated the opportunities that can be created for Ireland from existing employers and investors, as well as illustrating that the talent is available in Ireland for these types of jobs and for employers.

“I am confident that Microsoft will be able to source the talent necessary, as a result of the Government’s commitment to pursuing skills availability for our high technology industries. I wish them continued success as it deepens its commitment even further in Ireland,” Minister Fitzgerald said.
The news was also welcomed by IDA Ireland CEO Martin Shanahan, who said that it demonstrated the availability of highly–skilled technical and sales talent available in the region,

“Ireland is a global technology hub of choice when it comes to attracting the strategic business activities of ICT companies and Microsoft’s ongoing expansion in Dublin is a clear endorsement of this,” Mr Shanahan said.
The news brings the number of new jobs for Ireland announced so far this week to over 700.

Yesterday IDA-client Fidelity International announced that it is to create 250 new jobs in Ireland. Meanwhile on Tuesday, Stats, the American Sports data and intelligence giant, said that it was creating 100 jobs in Limerick, while on Monday IT company Veritas Technologies announced the creation of 250 jobs in north-west Dublin.

Article Source: http://tinyurl.com/kbwqb42

House prices are expected to increase by at least 10pc next year as economists warn Ireland’s housing crisis won’t be solved any time soon.

Asking prices for houses in Dublin jumped by almost €40,000 in the last 12 months – or by around €107 each day – according to MyHome.ie.
Meanwhile, prices around the country leapt by €21,000, or just over €57, each day.

It means the median asking price for a home in the capital now stands at €366,000, while elsewhere around the country the figure is €253,000.

In its latest Q3 property report, the website said asking prices for newly listed properties in Dublin rose by 1.6pc in the period July to September, and is up 11.8pc in the last 12 months.

Nationally prices rose by 0.4pc in the third quarter of this year and are up 8.9pc year on year.
However, author of the report Conall Mac Coille, chief economist at Davy, said there is no let up in sight and predicts the acceleration in asking prices, which began in late 2016 and has continued in 2017, will continue into 2018.

“At the start of the year we predicted double-digit growth in house prices for 2017, but due to the strength of asking price inflation in Q3 we are predicting that double-digit inflation is also likely to persist through 2018,” said Mr Mac Coille.
He said there were a number of reasons why prices are rising so rapidly, including a lack of supply, the economic recovery and a rise in household incomes of between 2pc and 3pc a year.

“However, the key factor driving house prices higher has been the mortgage market. The average loan drawn down by first-time buyers in the last quarter was up 9.4pc in the year to €200,000, from €183,000 in mid-2016.
“This has meant that leverage on new mortgage loans has increased and with ever more desperate buyers seeking larger loans as they compete for the few properties listed for sale, this trend is set to continue and to ensure inflation remains at double-digit level,” he added.

The number of homes listed for sale on MyHome.ie has tumbled by 6.5pc in the past year to 21,424. This represents just 1.1pc of the total housing stock of two million homes. In a functioning market turnover of 4pc of the housing stock is typical.
A new report from Goodbody Stockbrokers has also warned the level of housebuilding is substantially below what official data suggests.

It said that, based on Building Energy Ratings (BER), 5,377 houses were completed in 2016, only about one-third of the number indicated by official completions data, which are calculated from electricity connections.
“That means housebuilding supply has much further to go to meet current and future demand,” Goodbody said.

It said new housebuilding is growing rapidly in Ireland, albeit from a low base. In the 12 months to August, completions amounted to 7,719, up 75pc year on year.
“On current trends, completions will total less than 10,000 units, roughly half the estimates suggested by the alternative electricity connections data,” the report said.

It said 72pc of the new homes completed were in the Greater Dublin Area in the year to date.

Semi-detached homes remain the most popular type, accounting for 41pc of new completions. Terraced homes accounted for 23pc of the new build and apartments just 15pc.
Meanwhile, the latest Daft.ie quarterly report found the national average list price is now almost €241,000, 8.9pc higher than a year ago. It means prices have risen by almost 47pc on average from their lowest point in late 2013.

It said the average list price in Dublin City now stands at €354,765, up 9.9pc; Cork City €260,181, up 5.1pc; Galway City €271,797, up 9.2pc; Limerick City €177,771, up 8.6pc, and Waterford City €159,992, up 8.5pc.

Article Source: http://tinyurl.com/kbwqb42

Women get a raw deal on pensions. Fewer of them work outside the home, and they often get paid less when they do take up paid employment. Many work only part-time.

All this means that the gender pay gap feeds into the pension issue. So when they get to retire they typically have a third less to live on than men.
A pensions gap of 38pc exists, according to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission.

But there are ways women can make the best of a bad situation by ensuring they maximise the value from the State pension, and any supplementary scheme, whether they are in the workforce or not.
Here are 10 things women need to know about pensions.

1 The State Pension
The State contributory pension is regarded as relatively generous. For those who have 48 annual PRSI contributions, the weekly payment is €238.30. This is the payment for people who qualified for pensions before September 2012. You get it from the age of 66. The means-tested State pension non-contributory is a payment for people aged over 66 who do not qualify for a State contributory pension or who qualify for only a reduced contributory pension based on their insurance record.

2 But women often get less than men
Women are losing large amounts of money from their retirement payments due to austerity cuts. A recent report from Age Action estimated that 23,000 females have been hit with lower payments due to changes to State pension eligibility rules in 2012.

Changes made by the previous government make it more difficult to qualify for a full pension. On average, retired workers have lost more than €1,500 a year, with women suffering the biggest hit, according to Age Action.
In 2012, the then-government changed the eligibility criteria for the contributory State pension. It moved to an “averaging rule” to calculate the number of contributions made by a worker.

Those entitled to a full pension were unaffected, but large numbers of those who would have been in line for smaller pensions lost out.
“Under the old system, if you had an average of 20 contributions a year, you would be entitled to €228.70. But after 2012, this dropped to €198.60, a cut of more than €30 each week,” Age Action’s Justin Moran said.

3 Homemaker scheme worth checking out
The homemaker scheme makes it easier for women who have spent time outside the workforce caring for children to qualify for the contributory State pension. The scheme protects your contributions by disregarding any years spent providing full-time care for a child under 12, or a disabled person over the age of 12.

Read More: ‘I have 20 years of work left … I can afford some risk’
Up to 20 years can be disregarded when the yearly average number of contributions for a contributory pension is being calculated, which can help you qualify for State pension, or a higher rate of pension. Typically, you won’t have to apply for it. If you are already claiming child benefit, carer’s allowance or carer’s benefit, or a respite care grant, you will automatically be entitled to it.

4 Low pension coverage among women

Just a third of women own a pension, according to research. This means that two-thirds of women do not have a supplementary pension. This is despite the fact that women make up almost half of the workforce. Men are much more likely to have a pension. Part of the problem is that women are far less likely to discuss retirement planning with friends.
5 Most women don’t know how to start a pension

A worrying 71pc of women don’t know how to start a pension, according to a survey commissioned by Standard Life. There are two options in the private sector. If you are a PAYE employee your company may have an existing occupational pension scheme. Typically, the employer makes a contribution to this on behalf of the employee.

Large companies often contribute between 5pc and 9pc of annual salary to the pension. If you are earning €50,000 a year this works out at between €2,500 and €5,000 a year. Alternatively, the employer has to offer you access to a pension scheme even if it doesn’t contribute to it. That’s the legal requirement and has been for the past 15 years. Most women are unaware of this extremely important point, according to Aileen Power of Standard Life.
6 the Pension age has gone up

The State pension is now 66, up from 65 previously.

For those retiring from 2021 on it goes to 67.
For those retiring from 2028 the State pension will not be paid until 68.

However, many employers are still sending employees into retirement at the age of 65.

That is why the Citizens’ Assembly called recently for the abolition of the mandatory retirement age.
7 You may have to work until you are 70

People should not get the State pension until they reach the age of 70, a State-supported think tank has recommended. Moving the statutory retirement age to 70 would counteract a fall in the workforce and the rise in the number of pensioners, the Economic and Social Research Institute said recently.

Read More: ‘I wanted to retire by 50 so I could enjoy life. My advice? Start saving’
The chances are that this will be introduced. Currently, there are around six workers for every pensioner. Over the next 30 years this is due to fall to around two workers for every pensioner, adding to the costs of State pensions.

8 Maternity leave should not affect pension rights

If you get maternity benefit, you will get State pensions credits automatically. But this ends after 26 weeks. This means that if you take further unpaid leave, you will need to get your employer to complete the application form for maternity leave credits when you get back to work.
If you are taking parental leave, you should also be entitled to credits. But you have to apply for these.

9 You may get a spouse’s pension

If you are married but do not qualify for a pension, you may be entitled to what is called a “qualified adult” pension. This can be up to €213.50 for those over the age of 66. The payment is means-tested.

However, the concept of women being dependent on their husband in retirement is not appealing for women. If your husband has died and was a member of a defined-benefit pension scheme, you are likely to be entitled to a spouse’s pension, usually half the amount he got in retirement.
10 Pensions adjustment order

A court may make a pension adjustment order in the case of judicial separation, divorce and dissolution proceedings. This designates part of the pension to be paid to a spouse and dependent children.

The judge decides how much of the pension should be designated, according to the Courts Service.

The effect of such an order is that the designated part of the pension remains in the pension scheme but is payable to a spouse and children when the other spouse reaches pension age or dies.

Article Source: http://tinyurl.com/kbwqb42

When women play a smaller role in growing the economy, we all lose out. Women make up 50pc of the population and the female employment rate is more than 55pc.

Yet until a few years ago, female-led companies comprised 7pc of Enterprise Ireland’s High-Potential Startups group, just like the international average. Fewer female entrepreneurs meant fewer ideas, less innovation and export potential. Over the last number of years, Enterprise Ireland developed a range of supports specifically designed to encourage female entrepreneurs, including a dedicated Female Competitive Start Fund, offering women entrepreneurs €50,000 in startup funding. The initiative drove the highest ever number of female-led companies backed by Enterprise Ireland in 2016. In addition to accessing those supports, here are six areas you can focus on to develop as a female entrepreneur.
Fuel your ambition – women have high levels of ambition for their businesses, setting clear targets and goals. But women can also lack confidence, particularly in financial areas. Aversion to debt and a conservative approach to risk-taking can hamper ambition. When the first dedicated Female Competitive Start fund was launched to help address known barriers, no one applied for the full amount. The fact the latest competitive call had more than 220 applicants for 10 places shows the strategy is working, with more female entrepreneurs taking the first step.

Build your skills – accelerator programmes, like DCU Ryan Academy Female High Fliers, supported by Enterprise Ireland, target challenges facing female entrepreneurs and help women to fast track business development and leadership skills. By joining a programme, you become part of a supportive group of like-minded female founders. The long-lasting relationships these programmes foster in the female start-up community have helped achieve big improvements in just a few years.

Ask – no business owner knows all the answers or has all the skills it takes to succeed. It can be difficult to work alone or as part of a small team when starting a company. Women can be especially reluctant to seek support. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice. It is important to step outside your comfort zone and remember if you don’t ask, you don’t get.
Perfect your value proposition – be completely clear about your value proposition and the problem you are solving. Be clear on your differentiator. You don’t have to use highly technical or scientific language, you need to be understood. Clodagh Cavanagh, from Abbey Machinery, says your product or service must have value for the end-user. Know their needs, not what you think they need.

Perspective changes attitude – the way you look at something alters your approach and attitude. Thinking about perspective allows you to understand investors and customers better. When meeting an investor, imagine what your business looks like from their perspective. Alison Cowzer, from East Coast Bakehouse, advises asking: How much do I want? How will I use it? How much will I return? Thinking about answers from an investor’s perspective helps you understand the value of your business.
Above all, persevere – perseverance doesn’t mean sticking with your idea at all costs or doggedly pursuing a startup that doesn’t meet the needs of the market. It means recognising you are on an entrepreneurial journey. The startup space can be tough but also rewarding. Aim high and keep going.

While there is still a lot to do, supporting female entrepreneurship is paying off with continued growth of female-led startups. Of the 229 startups supported by Enterprise Ireland in 2016, 28pc are female-led. More than €5.5m was invested in female-led companies in 2016, the highest level in the agency’s history. Enterprise Ireland will continue to support ambitious business women because diversity drives performance, and that benefits everyone.

Article Source: http://tinyurl.com/kbwqb42

Large numbers of women are worried they will not have enough money when they retire, with fewer men concerned about a funds shortfall.

Most women are unsure of how much they will need for a comfortable retirement, according to research from pensions provider Aviva.
It showed a huge gender gap in Ireland when it comes to preparations for retirement.

But the survey, carried out among 1,000 adults by Ipsos Mori for Aviva, found that just 8pc of women say they are taking steps to ensure they have an adequate level of income during retirement.
Around a third of women say they are not setting aside money for retirement on a regular basis. Just 18pc of men are failing to prepare for retirement.

A quarter of women have given no consideration to how much they would need to live comfortably in retirement. The comparable figure for men is 14pc.
Four out 10 women say they don’t understand pensions, compared to 27pc of men.

Head of life and pensions at Aviva Ann O’Keeffe said the gender pay gap was getting a lot of attention.
“But we also need to focus on the knock-on effect of this pay gap on pensions, given its implications for the welfare of our ageing female population.”

She said the gender pension gap was hardly surprising, given that women earn less than men.
“It is worrying that women are so unprepared and lacking information on how best to prepare for their retirement,” she said.

Ms O’Keeffe encouraged all workers to start saving as early as possible and to not opt out of any workplace pension scheme.

Article Source: http://tinyurl.com/kbwqb42

Over 48,000 unemployed people got jobs in the last year as the number of people out of work plummeted to its lowest point in nine years.

There are now 2,063,000 people in employment as the rate of joblessness fell for the 20th time in a row, according to new official figures.
There are now 136,700 people out of work – the lowest number since the second quarter of 2008, according to the Central Statistics Office data. But the data reveals the growth in employment was lower than expected and there are clear signs the Border region is struggling due to Brexit.

Ibec economist Alison Wrynn noted employment in the Border region grew by over 1pc last year but fell in the first half of this year. Ms Wrynn said this may be the first sign Brexit is having a negative affect on the labour market.

Article Source: http://tinyurl.com/kbwqb42