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In just weeks, the EU’s Pay Transparency Directive comes into force — and for most Irish SMEs, it’s landing faster than they’re ready for.Only a tiny fraction of businesses believe they’re prepared. Many can’t evidence how pay decisions were made. And once the law arrives, there’s no going back to fix the past.Today, we’re shining a spotlight on what this really means for Ireland’s 400,000 small and medium‑sized businesses — and, more importantly, what they need to do next.I’m joined by Fredericka Sheppard, Co‑Founder and Managing Director of HR consultancy Voltedge, to talk about what good looks like in practice — and by Crystel Robbins Rynne, CEO of HRLocker, who has real‑time insight into what’s actually happening inside Irish SMEs right now.We’ll cover pay structures, performance management, and recruitment — and give you practical insights on what to do next.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

New research from the ESRI and Ireland's Department of Finance warns that AI could displace close to 200,000 Irish jobs – nearly 7% of the workforce – in the short to medium term. But according to Ian Dodson, the answer isn't panic; it's upskilling. The co-founder of the Digital Marketing Institute, which trained over 75,000 professionals before being acquired by BPP Education Group, Dodson is now applying that same playbook to AI with AICertified – a university-accredited, industry-validated standard for professional AI competence. Backed by €1m from Oyster Capital and Enterprise Ireland, he joins us to explain why those who invest in AI literacy today will be the ones who thrive tomorrow.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

Neil Sands – From Whiskey to Water: Building Brands That Last Neil Sands has done it all – founded a whiskey brand now sold in 30+ countries, spent a decade advising Silicon Valley giants as well as organisations like Deloitte, Forbes, Booking.com and the NHS, and most recently launched Clír Water, a multi-million euro water production venture creating jobs in Co. Armagh. In this episode, Neil shares the real story behind building and scaling a consumer brand internationally, what it's like moving between the worlds of startups, consulting and manufacturing, and the hard-won lessons every entrepreneur needs to hear before launching their first venture. If you're building something, this one's for you.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

We talk to the founders of Otonomee Aidan and Hilary O’Shea about how the Cork-born business is scaling to more than 500 people just four years after starting up. The business, which is targeting global expansion, was founded on the premise that the traditional call centre model was broken and that a remote-first digital model was the future.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

We chat with Charis Aherne from Irish business Climeaction, a business leading the charge with an agtech platform using video‑guided audits, AI and cloud analytics to make farm‑level carbon data scalable and verifiable. She joins us to discuss agtech innovation, sustainability as a competitive advantage, and how Irish climate tech is helping build global food infrastructure.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

We talk with the founders of Tekenable Nick Connors and Peter Rose, a company born during uncertain times and that has grown into a €20‑million a year business with over 200 people, that is helping organisations apply AI responsibly.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

In this podcast Bank of Ireland Chief Marketing Officer, Laura Lynch, and Folk VML Managing Director, Enda Kelly, talk about the journey behind our new brand promise and why we have placed financial confidence at the centre of it.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

Today, we’re joined by Tim Jones of SymPhysis Medical, diving into how the Galway company is building its US go‑to‑market long before expected FDA clearance in 2026. From reimbursement and discharge planning to home‑based pathways, Tim shares why mastering America’s clinical ‘plumbing’ is key to successful adoption for their device for cancer patients.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

Kieran Daly, co‑founder and general manager of HealthBeacon, joins us to discuss the company’s journey from public listing to turnaround and renewed global growth under HamiltonBeach. He shares why healthcare must become as convenient as home appliances, and how better adherence and human‑centred design can transform patient outcomes.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

We talk to ClubSpot founder John Hyland about how the Cavan-born business has gone global by supporting clubs across multiple sports from GAA to soccer, rugby and even motor clubs. He talks about why the business will always have a home in Cavan and his plans to scale globally.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

As DPD Ireland marks its 40th anniversary, the company is taking a bold step into the future of deliveries. This week, I sit down with Colin Kennedy, Chief Innovation Officer at DPD Ireland and Managing Director of the newly launched ‘PickUp’ service – an ambitious €5 million investment that makes DPD the first parcel delivery company in Ireland to offer a nationwide Out of Home locker network. We talk about what this means for customers, how PickUp will evolve through 2026, and even explore the possibilities of drone delivery in Ireland. Stay tuned for a fascinating conversation.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

The St. Patrick’s Festival returns to Dublin from March 14th to 17th, 2026, with the powerful theme ROOTS, inviting audiences to explore the people, places, and stories that shape Ireland today. After a landmark 2025 generating €138 million for the Irish economy and drawing 1.2 million attendees, the Festival under CEO Richard Tierney is entering an ambitious new phase focused on international reach and deeper cultural relevance. This year’s vibrant programme spans more than 150 artists and celebrates belonging, creativity, and shared identity.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

We speak with Brendan Foley, author of a new book on how to achieve career success. His book “Propelling Yourself to the Top – How to Win the Organisational Game as an Employee” provides employees with a framework and the tools for success within their organisations.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

We speak with former banker turned entrepreneur Louise Keenan Clarke about her business Succeed With Confidence and why she is on a mission to empower senior professionals and entrepreneurs to improve their chances of success by communicating in high stakes situations. She explains how she saw a gap and is going for it!Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

We speak to the author of a new book Learn Earn Own Conor Lynch about why the linear career path is becoming history and how workers unsettled by rapid changes in the labour market can triumph. With graduate and junior positions on the decline, Lynch encourages readers to build an “Assets Ladder” , by developing skills, generating additional income streams and owning assets such as digital content.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

We talk to India Healy O’Connor, co-founder of Linda AI, about the young start-ups plans for rapid expansion as dental clinics adopt AI agents to automate front desks to curb missed calls and lift bookings. The business recently raised €2.6m in pre-seed funding to transform the dentistry business and help firms in that sector to grow.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

We talk to Stuart Fitzgerald, CEO of Fitzgerald Power, about how Ireland is on the precipice of a golden age of growth for indigenous SMEs – provided we make the right policy decisions now. He talks about building up his accountancy business, the unique event that is the Real Deal conference and what we must get right if we want to see home grown firms flourish on the international stage.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

We talk to Roisin Keown, CEO and founder of The Brill Building, a multi-award winning advertising agency about her decision to jettison city life for rural Clare and continue to make strides in the marketing world. She is now investing more than €1m to create a state-of-the-art creative hub in Dublin 8. She talks about her career and how the marketing world will change in the age of AI.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

We talk to entrepreneurs Jayne Ronayne and Sarah Sexton about their new business Oac Snacks, which is on a mission to create healthy snacks that actually taste good. Jayne previously founded employee experience platform Talivest, which raised over €3 million from investors, while Sarah previously founded Bean Brownie, the Cork healthy treats brand that became a cult favourite over almost a decade.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

We talk to Patrick Murphy, CEO of Codex Office Solutions, about his mission to make Irish workplaces more inclusive for everyone. Codex has partnered with AsIAm, Ireland’s national autism charity, to launch Ireland’s first neuroinclusive workplace product range. Codex’s Neuroinclusion in the Workplace report found that among neurodivergent people 61% said noise was their biggest workplace barrier followed by 56% citing lighting and 55% struggling with social interaction.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

We talk to Paytient Payments founder Ruairi Gough about how the Wexford business is giving dental businesses greater control over their destiny. He talks about bootstrapping and evolving from the start-up to scale-up phase and how Paytient plans to expand into other areas of the healthcare industry, including opticians, vets and cosmetic clinics.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

We talk with retail industry veteran Duncan Graham, CEO of Hidden Hearing, about how hearing loss is affecting a younger demographic. He believes in transforming access to care through innovation, partnerships with GPs and a strong focus on patient experience. He also talks about bringing Hidden Hearing into a new era by being more accessible to communities across Ireland.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

Ray Ryan, co-founder and CEO of Noledge Group, talks about how the Irish business is growing exponentially in the UK through a disciplined march into that market. He reflects on his own career in the Irish software sector and how businesses can stay relevant by adapting to technological changes.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

Quintas Capital’s Kevin Canning talks about how the investment firm was spun out of an accountancy business three years ago and is now one of the homegrown private equity players to watch. In 2024 it invested €10m in Irish growth firms and grew to €35m in 2025 by focusing on stable, low-risk businesses.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

Vodafone Ireland’s business director Jo Gilfoy talks about spearheading the connected future in a world where AI and digital transformation are the future of business. She discusses her career in telecoms from Nokia to some of the world’s largest telcos and supporting other women working their way to the top.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

Mark Loftus, founder of Paddy Box, talks about how the company has become anintegral link connecting the Irish diaspora with family and friends. He discusses the business’s origins, growth and challenges as well as the fundamentals of running an e-commerce business where logistics is the life’s blood.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

Today we talk with Niamh Collins, centre director of the Guinness Enterprise Centre in the heart of Dublin’s Liberties. Ranked as the Number 2 Private Business Incubator in the World, she talks about how in 25 years the Centre has supported more than 1,500 start-ups.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

Today we talk with Thomas Arnold, founder of Fearless Media and co-founder of Ireland’s original TikTok house. Listed as one of Ireland’s 30 Under 30 Entrepreneurs, he talks about how he plans to help ordinary people become part of the influencer economy.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

Today we're exploring a remarkable success story - 40 SME business have just completed Business in the Community Ireland’s All-Ireland Climate Action Programme, doubling the participation from last year. The programme, delivered in partnership with Business in the Community Northern Ireland, brought together these SMEs with support from major corporates including Bank of Ireland Group, ESB, and SSE Airtricity.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

We explore the innovations shaping the future of healthcare where we’re joined by Simon Wallace, Chief Medical Information Officer for Microsoft UK and Ireland, to discuss Dragon Copilot, a groundbreaking technology that’s redefining clinical workflows.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

Business in the Community Ireland has been instrumental in moving sustainability from the margins to the mainstream in Irish business. Tomas Sercovich, CEO of Business in the Community Ireland, talks about why climate change and inequality remain urgent challenges.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

At just 18 years of age, Stephen Cluskey suffered a spinal cord injury that left him paralysed from the neck down. Today he is an accessibility advocate and an entrepreneur whose business Mobility Mojo is working with more than 100 businesses worldwide to make workplaces better for people with disabilities. He talks about his personal journey and his passion for entrepreneurship.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

We spoke with Phil Barnes from Geotab at the Nevo Electric Vehicle Show about the emergence of green electric vehicle fleets in Ireland, how businesses can get the most out of their investment in electric vehicles and how AI is transforming telematics.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

We recently attended the Nevo Electric Vehicle Show where we spoke to Bank of Ireland head of Motor Finance Derek Kavanagh about new vehicle ownership trends driving the Irish market.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

ThinkBusiness witnessed the brilliant Meet the Buyer event in Belfast, connecting SMEs with large supply chains. The event, organised by Northern Ireland Chamber and supported by Bank of Ireland saw SMEs attend more than 230 one-to-one meetings with large government and corporate buyers.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

Geoff Allen from Athlone-based Mersus Technologies discusses how his business is delivering on VR-based training for businesses and outlines how Ireland can take a lead in the development of this technology.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

Emmet O’Neill from StoryToys talks about how the Dublin-headquartered company landed a lucrative deal to bring the popular Bluey animation series to life through a deal with LEGO and BBC Studios. He explains how StoryToys is on a mission to inspire childrens’ curiosity and animation through digital learning.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

We talk to Marie O’Connor, chief operating officer of Sogeti in Ireland, about her forecasts for GenAI over the next few years and how firms can scale using the technology.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

On the heels of acquiring BT Communications Ireland, the CEO of Speed Fibre Group Peter McCarthy overseas a network of more than 10,000 km of fibre connecting 94 towns across Ireland. He is on a mission to future-proof Ireland’s growing digital economy.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

Dee Coakley, CEO of Irish start-up Boundless, questions whether current AI tools are making hiring better or just replicating existing biases. She talks about why jobseekers need to be cautious with AI-generated applications and how we can leverage AI to enhance human judgement in recruitment.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

In a special ThinkBusiness Podcast recording at the Backyard at Blas in Dingle, supported by Bank of Ireland, three artisan food producers reveal how quality, tradition and sustainability are driving growth in the Irish food sector. Eugene McKenna of Silver Hill Duck, Felix Oster of Mór Taste and Owen Mullins of Zanna Cookhouse represent different paths to the same destination: creating products that resonate with consumers seeking genuine, locally-produced food with clear provenance.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

Irish workers are increasingly viewing AI as a gateway to career advancement. We talk to Microsoft Ireland’s national technology director Kieran McCorry about how rather than threatening careers, AI can actually be a career catalyst and stave off burnout.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

We talk to John Delves, CEO of the UCD Professional Academy about the changing pace of the professional education landscape and how continuous skills development holds the key to bridging the skills gap and unlocking career longevity.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

We talk to three-time All-Ireland winner Walter Walsh about his new digital platform SocialTies, which is designed to help community groups and grassroots organisations manage their communications and operations in one unified space.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

TRYKA, founded by Brian Lee – the entrepreneur behind healthy fast-food chain Freshly Chopped – positions itself as a community-first alternative to global events like Hyrox, with multiple race formats designed for all fitness levels from beginners to elite athletes. On the eve of the launch of the race league, we talk to Lee about his entrepreneurial journey and why he sees a market gap in fitness.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

We talk to Marie Donnellan, the CEO of Platform94 about her pioneering fractional C-suite initiative that brings world class C-suite capabilities in areas like finance and HR to scaling businesses across the west of Ireland. She believes the opportunity to create a community of strong, scaling businesses across the west has never been greater.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

We talk to Fidelma McGuirk, the CEO and founder of Payslip, a global fintech player that is empowering payroll professionals all over the world through its software-as-a-service platform. She talks about establishing a business in the west of Ireland and scaling it globally.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

As Galway medtech SymPhysis Medical prepares for US regulatory clearance for its device for cancer patients, we talk with founders Michelle Tierney and Tim Jones about their ambition to spearhead a transformation in the care, and quality of care, of patients.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

As the Nevo Electric Vehicle Show returns to the RDS this November with its most ambitious programme yet, we catch up with Derek Reilly from Nevo and Derek Kavanagh from Bank of Ireland. Running across two days, Friday 7th November for businesses and Saturday 8th November for the general public, it will be Ireland’s largest ever event dedicated to electric vehicles, clean energy, and sustainable mobility.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.

Ahead of a Bank of Ireland AI workshop for business owners, we speak with Mark Kelly from AI Ireland and the Bank’s head of Technology, Media & Telecoms Paul Swift about how firms should be approaching the use of AI in their business.Visit www.thinkbusiness.ie for more news and supports for start-ups and SMEs in Ireland. If you want to start and grow a business, ThinkBusiness.