Small Business – Page 21

Leading from the back

I heard a fascinating interview with Jim Gavin, the former Dublin football manager, on the Business Programme on RTE radio one Saturday morning recently. He was speaking about a concept that I had never heard of before: the idea of leading from behind, not the front. And it made an immense amount of good sense… Continue reading Leading from the back

Tax time

I had a brief conversation with my accountant yesterday morning in which he explained how much money I had to pay the tax man. It was an eye watering sum, and one of the only ways to reduce my liability is to pay a lump sum into a pension, which I have been doing for… Continue reading Tax time

Don’t flaunt your shopping bag

A ‘fan’ who follows my activities and content on social media emailed me recently. She told me that she had followed me for a long time, loved what I did online, loved the helpful content I put out and she was looking for some advice for a first time buyer. When she clarified that she… Continue reading Don’t flaunt your shopping bag

Build your own audience-don’t wait to be picked

I have no doubt that my colleagues who frequently appear in the media-on radio or TV or quoted in the newspapers-are immensely grateful for the exposure. There is no doubt it creates a great deal of credibility around them and their expertise. That cannot do any harm, especially if their target market is likely to… Continue reading Build your own audience-don’t wait to be picked

When we were shopkeepers-meeting Michael O’Leary (Ryanair) in the 80s

It was 1987 or 1988 when I first met Michael O’Leary, the now Ryanair boss. I was 23/24 years of age at the time and had started in my first business along with my brother at Hart’s Corner, Glasnevin, Dublin. We had a small convenience store there which in which we started trading in December … Continue reading When we were shopkeepers-meeting Michael O’Leary (Ryanair) in the 80s

Just a quick question

It is a source of constant surprise the number, and type, of persons who contact me looking for free legal advice. The approach can be made in any number of channels of communication to me: phone, email, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube. I do not believe my response to such approaches is overly mercenary or… Continue reading Just a quick question

Email is poetry

When I first read the words “code is poetry” in the back end of the WordPress publishing platform I did not understand what it meant, or what it meant to convey. I think I do now, however. I am no coder, although I have a basic understanding of programming code such as html and I… Continue reading Email is poetry

1 powerful ingredient common to baking bread, disputes, and negotiating property transactions

There is one tremendously effective ingredient that can be deployed to baking bread, employment (and other legal) disputes, and negotiating to buy or sell property. Time. Time is a fundamental part of good baking but can also be used to telling effect in negotiating disputes. For example, in an employment dispute where the employee is… Continue reading 1 powerful ingredient common to baking bread, disputes, and negotiating property transactions

Google My Business Review-going from a 1 star to 5 stars and restoring faith in human nature

I wrote yesterday about receiving what I knew to be a deeply unfair one-star review on Google My Business. I knew it was unfair because I had advised the chap professionally and honestly. I knew it was not the advice he wished to hear-that is, his position was such that he had no legal remedy… Continue reading Google My Business Review-going from a 1 star to 5 stars and restoring faith in human nature