Breakfast Business

We were all locked down and forced to work from home almost 5 years ago.  Many people found it liberating not to have to commute to work every day and legislation was even passed to provide workers with the legal option of flexible or hybrid working.  But a new study from the Compass Group says that working from home leads to exclusion and problems with Socialisation.  Needless to say, opinion is divided. Joe discusses the report findings further with Yvonne Mulally from Compass Group. 

Tuesday's business news headlines along with Newstalk Business Editor Joe Lynam.

We reportedly have a problem persuading young people to go into trades or starting apprenticeships.  So it’s welcome when a modern company agrees to take on hundreds of new apprentices every year.Suir Engineering needless to say based in Waterford is doing exactly that.  Suir specialises in electrical and mechanical high voltage solutions by building substations for the likes of Eirgrid and the ESB. This week Suir has acquired its Scottish rival Taylor & Fraser.  John Kelly, Chief Executive of Suir Engineering joined Joe this morning on the show.

Donald Trump will be president in less than 2 weeks and has promised to reshore jobs back to America.  No European country is more worried than Ireland given the economy’s utter dependence on US FDI.  The vast majority of our Corporation Tax receipts emanate from only 10 companies all American.  So what sort of challenges does the IDA which lured and nurtured them to invest and stay invested in Ireland?   Feargal O'Rourke, used to head up PwC but now he chairs the IDA as well as the IIEA and also sits on the boards of C&C and Yuno.  Fergal has a new book about Irish rugby called ‘From Rags to Riches’ 

The latest AIB services index suggests that Ireland’s most important sector will continue to grow in 2025.   The services sector which accounts for more than 70% of the entire economy includes bars and hotels as well as hairdressers, architects, lawyers and of course consultants.  So things are looking up for Harry Goddard who is the boss of Deloitte Ireland one of the country’s biggest consultants.

Did you enjoy your Christmas party with your colleagues last month? Or perhaps you’re one of a growing body of companies that keeps its big company get together for the start of the year rather than the end of it? There is evidence to suggest that the big giant booze up before the Christmas holidays is falling out of favour with employers. So what should they do to mix business with pleasure and more importantly retain the goodwill of their staff in a time of very low unemployment? Joe asked Paul Davis from DavisEvents.ie  

We take a look at today's international business news stories along with Russ Mould from AJ Bell.

Mark Breen started off as a bouncer in Ballinasloe but now provides safety and events management at giant festivals mostly in Saudi Arabia. He’s in the vanguard of companies taking advantage of the rapid pace of societal change in the Middle east. Mark Breen is the Strategic Director with Safe Events Global and he joined Joe this morning on the show.

The Nasdaq and S&P were both up by a quarter last year while commodities such as Coffee were up 70% while Bitcoin soared by 170%.But with a very different US government about to take the reins, will those kinds of gains be sustainable for investors? Joe discuss this with Karl Rogers the Chief Investment Officer with Elkstone. 

Friday's business news and markets along with Joe Lynam and Austin Hughes.

If you are living outside of Ireland or have just returned from living abroad and are thinking of setting up a business, there’s a Government-run scheme that aims to help returned emigrants. The idea is to fund training workshops and guidance mentors to help get over some of the red tape that start-ups encounter. It’s called Back to Business and it’s run by Paula Fitzsimons from Fitzsimons Consulting who joined Joe this morning on the show.

Everyone knows that the higher the standard you set for your business the better for the customers.  Even better would be to have a globally recognised standard for whatever type of company you work for.  We have fairly high benchmarks here in the EU but they are often meaningless in North America or Asia. That’s where the worldwide standards set and monitored by ISO in Geneva comes in.  If you are aiming to get ISO recognised certification for your business this year, Caroline Geoghegan CG Business Consulting works in this area. 

Monday's business news headlines along with Newstalk's Business Editor Joe Lynam.

Joining Joe to look at Friday's business headlines and news was Aidan Donnelly from Davy.

Storm Daragh may have swept through us 2 weeks ago but it has left lasting damage in the strategically important port of Holyhead in Wales. 1200 lorries use the port every day and now the main ferry terminal will remain closed until mid January at least. This is causing major problems for suppliers hoping to get goods over to Ireland for Christmas and the New Year shopping rush. But when will things return and how can companies respond to mitigate the issues? Shane Mann is the chief executive of fleet management and shipping technology company Tranzaura and he joined Joe

Joining Joe to look back at the big tech stories of the year was Jess Kelly.

Joining Joe to look at the Fed lowering rates was Dan Moroney from RBC Brewin Dolphin.

Did you know that the average generation Z individual scrolls for 25 meters on his or her smart phone every day? That’s 12 miles a year and demonstrates how tough it is to get successful marketing messages to them. But why are the advertisers even bothering to chase a segment of the market with very little disposable income and very little interest?Joining Joe to answer that was Andrew Murray, Executive Director with TBWA.

Joining Joe to look at Thursday's business headlines and news is Conall MacCoille - chief economist with Bank of Ireland.

Olof Gill spokesperson for the EU for Trade and Financial services discusses the concerns the farming community have over the Mercosur trade deal.