The Bottom Line on KCLR

In this episode of The Bottom Line, John Purcell spoke with Jim Power ahead of the European Central Bank meeting this week. Jim shares his insights on interest rates, inflation and the economy in general. John also spoke with Jim about agriculture and the outlook for the sector.

In this episode of The Bottom Line, we hear from Martin O'Brien, Head of Irish Economic Analysis at the Central Bank of Ireland, who joined John to discuss some of the key points in their latest quarterly bulletin which was released during the week.

In this weeks episode of The Bottom Line on KCLR, John Purcell was joined by Alan Seery of O'Neill Foley Chartered Accountants to chat through some of the business news and issues from the week.Italo Andrade spoke with John about his business – digital business cards.  Italo explained how they work, how they can help save money for businesses and individuals and, how he's seeking both resellers and investors.Earlier this week the launch of the County Carlow Chamber of Commerce Business Awards 2023 took place at The Exchange in Carlow. John Purcell was at the event and while there he spoke with the newly elected President of Carlow Chamber of Commerce Rowena Dooley.Economist Jim Power joined John to discuss how business and the economy has been faring over the first six months of 2023 and what he thinks will be the issues and influences shaping the rest of the year.To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

In this episode of The Bottom Line on KCLR, Samantha McCaughren, Business Editor of the Sunday Independent joined John Purcell, to chat through some of the business stories from the week.Google has announced that starting on July 1st, 2023, the standard Universal Analytics will stop working and, to understand what this means for any business using Google Analytics to guide their ecommerce strategy, John spoke with John Foy, Creative Director at Carlow based, Stratticus Studio about what you need to know and what you need to do.During the week the Central Bank of Ireland released their second quarterly bulletin of the year and to discuss what has been going on in the Irish Economy and what lies ahead for the rest of the year, John spoke with Martin O'Brien, Head of Irish Economic Analysis at the Central Bank of Ireland.Climate change is an ongoing subject of concern and while many businesses are well on the road to making their businesses more sustainable there are many others who have put off the necessary changes that have to be made to decrease their carbon footprints. Gillian Peters, Chief Executive of Pragmatica spoke with John about how her organisation works with businesses large and small to devise and implement strategies and prepare for a future where becoming climate friendly won't be just a choice for business but will also be something which they will have to do to comply with a range of statutory requirements which are coming down the track.To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

This week, John Purcell presented The Bottom Line live from Arboretum in Leighlinbridge, Carlow for a special programme at the launch of well known local entrepreneur Rachel Doyle's book - “My Tree of Life”. Rachel along with her husband Frank and sons Barry and Fergal chatted with John about their business, working as a family, the challenges and successes along the way, and the hopes that Rachels story will inspire others. Throughout the evening, John caught up with some of the guests in attendance who shared their stories of Rachel and her impact on the business community locally and beyond.To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

This week on The Bottom Line on KCLR, John Purcell was joined by Lorcan Allen, Business Editor for the Business Post, to chat through some of the business stories from the week.With staff recruitment and retention a big business issue that has shot right to the top of the agenda of many businesses, John spoke with John Hurley, CEO of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce and John O 'Shanahan, Managing Director of Lean BPI about an event on the theme of recruitment and retention which is taking place in Kilkenny next Thursday, and is being hosted by Kilkenny Local Enterprise Office in association with Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce.Gerry Duffy last spoke with John on The Bottom Line in January about goal setting for 2023 and, as we approach the halfway point in the year, John caught up with Gerry to get some advice on what to do if you had set yourself some goals at the start of the year but have wandered a bit off course. Riverbend Adventures a kayaking tourist company based in Kilkenny was set up by Roger McClure along with his son David McClure. Roger joined John in studio to tell us more about the business and how it came about from his passion for Kayaking.To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

This week on The Bottom Line on KCLR, John Purcell was joined by communications consultant and former business editor of the Irish Independent, Maeve Dineen to discuss some of the business news stories from the week.Jimmy Sheehan, Managing Director at Contracting PLUS joined John to chat about blended workforces and the recently released study “Ireland's Project Economy 2023” -  a collaboration between Contracting PLUS and Trinity Business School which examines  the extent and nature of working as a self-employed contractor or freelancer in Ireland.Earlier this week the latest Consumer Sentiment Index for May was released and to provide an insight into the findings of the report and understand why consumer confidence is an important barometer, John was joined by Economist Austin Hughes.With The Cat Laughs festival kicking off this weekend, John chatted to Cat Laughs Founder Richard Cook to talk about the business of comedy festivals and what he's learned over almost 30 years of producing some of the best festivals around.To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Jimmy Sheehan, Managing Director at Contracting PLUS joined John to chat about blended workforces and the recently released study “Ireland's Project Economy 2023” -  a collaboration between Contracting PLUS and Trinity Business School which examines  the extent and nature of working as a self-employed contractor or freelancer in Ireland.

In this episode of The Bottom Line on KCLR, John Purcell was joined by Laura Slattery of The Irish Times to discuss the business news stories making the headlines this week. TradeBridge is a new organisation established with the support of Local Authorities and other business development organisations across the South East. Its purpose is to develop trade links between South East Ireland and South East Georgia, USA. This week a delegation of business leaders from Savannah in Georgia were in this area and John Coleman, incoming Chair of the World Trade Centre in Savannah and Claire McInerny Brown, Chief Executive of TradeBridge spoke with John to tell us more about how business links between the South East of Ireland and the South East of Georgia, first established almost two hundred years ago are being revived in the 21st century. Liam Anthony Griffin, a Director of Griffin Hotel Group spoke with John about how their business has been on a long running sustainability journey and to discuss the recently announced details of its achievements in developing a Solar Farm adjacent to the Monart Destination Spa in Wexford, a project which they hope will ultimately provide all the electricity for all the hotels in the group.Dan O' Connor of The Hot Box Sauna, chatted to John about how the idea to develop a range of sauna locations around the lakes & shores of Ireland came about and their latest venture on the banks of the Barrow on the Carlow Kilkenny border in Graiguenamanagh.  To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

In this episode of The Bottom Line on KCLR, John Purcell was joined by Colin Duggan, President of County Carlow Chamber of Commerce, to chat through some of the business news stories and issues from the week.Founder of Arboretum, Rachel Doyle joined John to tell us why it's a great idea to have plants in an office or business, she chatted about Arboretum's third outlet “Arboretum Urban Green”, and she also provided a sneak preview of her soon to be published book.Colin Hayes, UK and Ireland Managing Director of local company Netwatch spoke with John about the business and the work they do, as well as a new system they've launched to protect retailers and other public facing staff.Simon O'Dwyer, Managing Director of threesixty joined John in studio to give us the latest on his company, their journey from office to home working to hybrid, a journey that many in business are still wondering which route to take.To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

This week on The Bottom Line on KCLR, Colin Ahern was filling in for John Purcell and was joined by Economist Jim Power who provided insights and analysis into the economy.Bryan Corden, Founder & Director of Deycom Computer Services chatted to Colin about his organisation and the work they do, as well as the upcoming Tech Summit which takes place in Carlow on the 31st May and will cover topics such as cyber security, AI in business, and mobile technology.Ronan Murphy of Vision Green Consultancy spoke to Colin about sustainability in business, with insights into what is a good starting point for organisations who want to reduce their carbon footprint, the grants and supports available as well what will be required from businesses in the coming years to meet regulatory requirements.Jason Morrissey of Kilkenny Cycling Tours chatted to Colin about his business which provides cycling tours as well as also providing cycling safety education. Jason spoke about starting the business in 2010, the impacts of Covid-19 on his business and teaching people how to cycle.To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

This week on The Bottom Line on KCLR John Purcell was joined by Simon Coveney, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to speak about the challenges and opportunities facing businesses and to discuss a range of issues such as Brexit, the Environment & the regulation of Artificial Intelligence. With the motor industry being such a big employer and contributor to the local economy John spoke with Brian Cooke, Director General of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry, about the latest monthly motor trade figures and what they tell us about the state of the motor industry nationally and locally.Chef Conor Higgins joined John to chat about the recently opened Higgs Field Restaurant, and how he's travelled from Kilkenny to Canada and back again as he's honed his culinary skills to bring us a vegetarian restaurant using locally farmed and foraged ingredients.To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com 

This week on The Bottom Line on KCLR, John Purcell was joined by Lorcan Allen, Business Editor for the Business Post, to discuss some of the business news from the week.Gail Daniels, owner of Bó Bar Soap, chatted to John about starting up her soap making business during Covid, how the idea for Bó Bar Soap came to be, and catering for market segments from people with eczema to grease and oil covered mechanics.During the week Kilkenny based fintech company CR Payroll Solutions, announced the creation of 40 new jobs over the next 18 months. The announcement was made as Minister of State for Financial Services, Insurance and Credit Unions Jennifer Carroll MacNeill,  visited the company. Helen Dooley, Director of Sales and Marketing for CR Payroll Solutions joined John to tell us more about the company and the work they do.Business in The Community Ireland Chief Executive Tomás Sercovich, joined John to tell us about Business in the Community Ireland and the work they do with businesses to support them with sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and diversity.To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

This week on The Bottom Line on KCLR, Norah Ryan, Owner & Managing Director of Barrow Training & Consultancy spoke with John about her own business, some of the issues facing small businesses at present as well as to chat through some of the business stories from the week.Seán Manicle of Manicle Property Insurance Claims joined John to discuss business insurance, the importance of ensuring that your property is not under insured, what business owners should look out for when renewing their policies and the common pitfalls that happen for businesses when they are making an insurance claim.Nicki Hoyne, Founder & Designer of The Nicki Hoyne Collection chatted to John about developing & launching her own brand of footwear and handbags, retail post Covid, how her business has expanded and having her collection stocked in high end stores in Los Angeles and beyond.With the consultation process about traffic changes underway in Kilkenny John spoke with John Hurley, CEO of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce about Kilkenny's Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan –what's the role of business in making adjustments on how we get from A to B to C in order to tackle the climate emergency? With thanks to Carlow & Kilkenny Local Enterprise OfficesTo contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

In this week's episode of The Bottom Line on KCLR,  John Purcell was joined by Séamus Marnane, Founder of Catering Innovation Agency to chat through some of the business issues and stories from the week.Breda O'Connor of Systems and Software Solutions chats to John about Excel and how we can be more productive when we are using Excel. Breda also provides some useful tips and advice on how to make Excel work for you.Ciarán Stone CEO of Square Root Solutions the locally based company which was recently named Business All-Star App Development Company Of The Year 2023 by the All-Ireland Business Foundation chatted to John about his business, how the world of apps has grown and expanded and about how his business is doing.Diversity in business is a very current topic, however one area that is often overlooked when it comes to talking about diversity is neurodiversity and, with estimates putting the number of people considered Neurodivergent at 1 in 7 in Ireland there's a lot to learn.  Jeanette Delahunty, Owner of TSK Academy Ltd spoke with John about neurodiversity, understanding what it means and explains more about hidden disabilities. She also chatted about how her business works with organisations to provide support and education about neurodiversity in the workplace.   With thanks to Carlow & Kilkenny Local Enterprise OfficesTo contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

This week on The Bottom Line on KCLR, John Purcell was joined by Laura Slattery of The Irish Times to chat through some of the business stories in the news. Last Thursday was a red-letter day for Tirlán and for the Abbey Quarter in Kilkenny with the official opening of Tirlan's Headquarters and Collaboration hub by Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney. After the official opening ceremony John sat down with Tirlán CEO Jim Bergin, to talk about how the business has developed over the years, new ways of working and doing business, how Agri Business can help address the climate emergency and what the company has planned for the future.John Mulcahy, Business Advisor with the Local Enterprise Office in Kilkenny & Denis Casey of Casey Business Consulting spoke with John about starting your own business. They chat through the importance of market research, putting your idea in writing by creating a business plan as well as financial planning. Sarah McGree, Owner & Founder of The Wild Grazer joined John to chat about starting her business during the Covid-19 pandemic, how the business has developed over the past few years and recently being named Cake Designer of The Year at the weddingsonline Awards 2023.With thanks to Carlow & Kilkenny Local Enterprise OfficesTo contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

This week on The Bottom Line on KCLR, Economist Jim Power joined John Purcell to discuss the latest on the banking sector as well as providing insights on the economy and inflation.John Ryan, Global CEO of Healthy Place to Work, spoke with John about their recently released research on health and wellbeing in the workplace and what the learnings are for people who manage businesses.On Thursday, John attended the official opening of the Patrick Joseph gallery and showroom at the Castle Yard in Kilkenny City and while there, John chatted to Patrick Joseph Brennan to hear the inspiring story of how the business began and all about the craft of knife making.Tony Kelly, Director of Pro-Tray spoke with John about starting his career as an electrician one week after leaving school to last week going on to win the top award at the Carlow Digital Awards for his invention.  With thanks to Carlow & Kilkenny Local Enterprise OfficesTo contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

This week on The Bottom Line on KCLR, to discuss some of business news from the week Colin Ahern was joined by Morwenna Coniam, Dublin Bureau Chief at Bloomberg News.Trade Local.ie is a newly launched business and classified website which is aimed at encouraging people to support local and shop local. Ray O'Shaughnessy of Trade local.ie chatted to Colin, about starting up the website, how it works and plans for the future.Brian Kelly, Chief Executive of Kilkenny based company MindAClient, joined Colin to tell us more about the organisation, how it has evolved since it first began 21 years ago and the launch of their latest product “Wellbeing in the Workplace”.John Hurley, CEO of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce and Rowena Dooley, Vice President of County Carlow Chamber of Commerce spoke with Colin about the recent St. Patricks Day parade festivities across Carlow & Kilkenny and the importance of such events to our local economies.  With thanks to Carlow & Kilkenny Local Enterprise OfficesTo contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

This week on The Bottom Line on KCLR Colin Ahern, spoke with Martin O'Brien, Head of Irish Economic Analysis at Central Bank of Ireland about their recently published first quarterly bulletin of 2023. Ashling Ward, Network Manager at Carlow Kilkenny Skillnet joined Colin to chat about a new course available to businesses - “Certificate in Strategic and Operational Management" which was launched last week by Carlow Kilkenny Skillnet, Waterford Chamber Skillnet, and Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Mobility & Supply Chain Skillnet in collaboration with South East Technological University (SETU). Paul Whitnell, President & Founder of British & Irish Trading Alliance(BITA) spoke with Colin about the work that BITA do, how the organisation began, how this has developed throughout the years and the value of networking events.Local Enterprise Week was a busy week across Carlow & Kilkenny with numerous events happening both locally as well as online, Kieran Comerford, Head of Economic Development & Enterprise at Carlow Local Enterprise Office & Aileen McGrath, Acting Head of Enterprise, at Kilkenny Local Enterprise Office joined Colin to chat about some of the highlights from the week as well as speaking about the outlook for SME's and future entrepreneurs.With thanks to Carlow & Kilkenny Local Enterprise OfficesTo contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

This week on The Bottom Line on KCLR, Colin Ahern was filling in for John Purcell and was joined by Marion Acreman, Centre Manager at MacDonagh Junction Shopping Centre to chat through some of the business stories from the week.Local Enterprise week was running throughout the country since Monday, and while there were many events taking place locally some of the highlights from the week were the Student Enterprise Awards in Carlow & Kilkenny as well as the Carlow County Final of the National Enterprise Awards. Edwina Grace went along to the Student Enterprise Awards in both Carlow & Kilkenny and caught up with the senior county winners - Monarch Gymwear, Tullow Community School, and The Gaming Guard, Grennan College, Thomastown. While on Thursday, Software & Technology Company Forest Rock Technologies was named Carlow Enterprise of the Year at the Carlow County final of the National Enterprise awards and Philip Clarke, Managing Director joined Colin to tell us more about their business and what the win meant to them.Denyse Campbell, President of the Irish Hotels Federation joined Colin to chat about sustainability in the Hotel & Tourism Industry and why there is a lot more to sustainability than just being “green”.Ciara Gleeson, Marketing Manager at EZ Living Furniture chatted to Colin about their recent success at the Digital Business Ireland National Digital Awards, with EZ Living Furniture being crowned winner of National Website of the Year as well as picking up the award for Medium Website of the year for the second year in a row. With thanks to Carlow & Kilkenny Local Enterprise OfficesTo contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Filling in for John Purcell on The Bottom Line this week was Deirdre Dromey, and to chat through some of the business news from the week she was joined by Brian O'Farrell, CEO of County Carlow Chamber of Commerce. Brian also chatted through their “Member's Green Initiative” and their upcoming events."Twenty Questions" our feature which gives you the chance to get the know the individuals behind the businesses and organisations within our communities across Carlow & Kilkenny was back this week, and our latest guest was Róisín McQuillan, Administrator & Business Development Officer at Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce.On Thursday, Minister Neale Richmond, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment met a range of local businesspeople in Kilkenny and our Edwina Grace spoke with the Minister to hear more about the visit.Announced during the Ministers visit to Kilkenny was Taxback International's strategic partnership with WTS Global and Edwina spoke to Terry Clune, CEO of CluneTech and founder of Taxback International, Joe Healy, Chief Commercial Officer with Taxback International and Jurgen Scholz, of WTS. Melissa Doyle, Business Advisor at Local Enterprise Office Carlow & Co-ordinator of Powerhouse – Women in Business Network, and Norah Ryan, Owner & Managing Director of Barrow Consultancy & Training spoke with Deirdre about the Powerhouse Women in Business Network and the upcoming Powerhouse – Digital Marketing Event to mark Women's International Day. Norah who will be one of the speakers at upcoming Powerhouse event spoke about her organisation and the work they do as well as speaking about the importance of having a network for people in business.With thanks to Carlow & Kilkenny Local Enterprise OfficesTo contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

In this weeks' episode of The Bottom Line on KCLR, Colin Ahern, General Manager of the Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel and former President of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce joined John to discuss some of the business news from the week.Brian O ‘Flynn, Head of Ireland's Ancient East at Fáilte Ireland, chats to John about the Tourism & Hospitality Sector, how the industry is positioned for 2023 and plans for year ahead.Business mentor, Blaise Brosnan, spoke with John about running a business during inflationary times and how business owners can plan & adopt different business strategies to meet the challenges of running a business during an inflationary cycle.Megan Manning, Owner of Happy Beads and President of Network Ireland Carlow spoke with John about setting up the Network Ireland branch in Carlow, what the network can offer to its members and highlights the importance of networking groups. With thanks to Carlow & Kilkenny Local Enterprise Offices, Produced by Deirdre DromeyTo contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Over the last week the EU Commission issued its latest economic analysis and forecast, Eamon Quinn, Business Editor at The Irish Examiner spoke with John about the forecasts for the Irish economy. With the threat of cyber-attacks being ever present for businesses, Gavin Dixon, Chief Executive of Business I.T. Solutions chatted to John about minimising risk, the importance of having a plan in place in case of an attack and cyber security insurance.Oonagh McCutcheon, National Director .IE Digital Town Programme & Vernon Buckley, of Piltown's Broadband 4 our Community spoke with John about the .IE Digital Town Awards. They discuss what the win meant to last year's winners in Piltown, Co. Kilkenny and how they have fared since scooping the top prize as well as how to enter the .IE Digital Town Awards 2023John Doyle, Director of Hi Tec Medicare Ltd., chatted to John about how two old orthopaedic chairs and a gut feeling led to the start of a family business that went on to be named overall Business of the Year at the Kilkenny Business Awards.With thanks to Carlow & Kilkenny Local Enterprise Offices, Produced by Deirdre DromeyTo contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Morwenna Coniam, Dublin Bureau Chief at Bloomberg News, joined John to chat through some of the business news stories from the week.On Thursday, the Local Enterprise Office in Kilkenny hosted their Showcase Event for Start-Up Businesses, an event which was specifically designed to help start-up businesses understand and find out more about the services available from organisations with a remit for enterprise development. While at the event, John Purcell spoke with a number of people to hear about how their organisations can help start-up businesses. Richard Cook, known in these parts for launching the Cat Laughs, Kilkenomics and Subtitle Festivals spoke with John about the business of film and tv production and its impact on the local economy, as he's in the thick of filming a drama series for British TV in Kilkenny.Ciara and Robert Stanley joined John in studio to talk about their Coppenagh House Farm Shop, Ciara's embroidery business and their Ballybar Ireland brand which sells high end work shirts, neck gaiters and other items such as travel mugs and tote bags.With thanks to Carlow & Kilkenny Local Enterprise Offices, Produced by Deirdre DromeyTo contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Lorcan Allen, Business Editor of the Business Post, joined John to chat through some of the business news from the week. They discussed the growth in the Irish Economy, the commercial property market and the threat of a cyber-attack to business.The Student Enterprise Programme is an enterprise education programme that is run in schools across Ireland from first year through to sixth year and gives students the opportunity to set up their own business from concept stage to market research, through to selling their products and developing a business plan.This week John met with two companies which were established by transition year students from Tullow Community School. "Monarch Gymwear" whose management team includes Managing Director, Jamie Noctor; Marketing Manager, Paul Barrett; Purchasing Manager, Oisin Nolan & Financial Controller, Andi Dascalescu and "Flourish Live Your Best Life” comprising of Jamie Maher, Production & Quality Control Manager; Johnny Maher, Marketing & Social Media Manager;  Eddie Hourihane,  Purchasing Manager; & David McHugh Financial Controller.Luke McIntosh, Owner and Managing Director of Dakota Irish, the Kilkenny based company which makes handcrafted tabletop gaming accessories for role playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, spoke with John about being 5 years in business, how business is going, and what the upcoming release of the latest Dungeons and Dragons Movie could mean for his business.With thanks to Carlow & Kilkenny Local Enterprise Offices, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Earlier this week, it was announced that Carlow based fin-tech company Unum is expanding and creating 50 new IT roles.  Having filled 80 roles in 2022, this latest announcement will see Unum expanding its employee base from 200 to 250, and for a second year has been named a Great Place to Work. Our reporter Edwina Grace spoke with Padraig O'Neill, Managing Director & VP of Unum Ireland. Staying on the topic of jobs, John was joined by Aileen McGrath, Acting Head of Enterprise at the Local Enterprise Office Kilkenny & Séamus Doran, Assistant Head of Economic Development & Enterprise with the Local Enterprise Office Carlow to discuss the employment opportunities created by small & medium enterprises across Carlow & Kilkenny in 2022 and also looking ahead to 2023. Samantha McCaughren, Business Editor of the Sunday Independent joined John to chat through some of the business news stories from the week.  Climate Action Co-ordinator with Kilkenny County Council, Dearbhala Ledwidge, joined John in studio to discuss climate change, her role as Climate Action Co-ordinator and how businesses can plan and begin to reduce their carbon footprint. With thanks to Carlow & Kilkenny Local Enterprise Offices, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com 

Economist Jim Power last spoke with us on the programme in Summer of last year, at a time when the omens for the economy were very ominous. This week, John caught up with Jim to get his insights into where the economy is at 6 months on.Every business has a story to tell, but how good are they at telling that story?  John Hurley, Chief Executive of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce and Padraig Hyland, Co- Founder and Chief Executive of The Core Story joined John to chat about an upcoming Chamber Chat, where Padraig will be sharing some insights into how businesses can tell their story. On last week's episode we spoke about objectives for the year ahead and how personal fitness and the correct state of mind are a vital part not only of business success but also for personal wellbeing.  Tom Britton Owner of Marble City Travel joined John to share some of his story.Trish Finegan chatted to John about beginning a new chapter, as the business she started in 1990 along with her husband Eamon Blake - “Creative Catering” closes its doors after 32 years.With thanks to Carlow & Kilkenny Local Enterprise Offices, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

To kick off the new season of The Bottom Line on KCLR, this week's episode focused on new beginnings and getting 2023 off to a great start. To discuss goal setting within business, how to set realistic goals and be accountable for them, John was joined by Gerry Duffy of Gerry Duffy Academy, a very successful public and motivational speaker who has worked with numerous multinationals and SME's, as well as local business & training organisations across Carlow & Kilkenny.While we are in an age where many businesses are looking at ways to cut costs, Deirdre Martin of Deirdre Martin Consulting joined John to chat about the importance of marketing and branding your business and why it's an essential business investment and not a cost to be cut.Neil Gunning of Nu Gamma fitness chatted to join about the Health & Fitness sector which,  traditionally is one of the busiest sectors at this time of year as many of us try to maintain our new year's resolutions of becoming more active. Neil discussed the importance of exercise for our personal lives as well as in our working lives and provides tips on how to make it part of our day.To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Jim Power, regular contributor to The Bottom Line joined John to discuss the big issues facing the economy as we head into the summer break.Michael O'Boyle, Managing Director of Cycling Solutions Ireland, joined John in Studio to tell him more about the launch of Kilkenny's Cycle Friendly City campaign and how you can become a Cycle Friendly Employer.Brian O Farrell, CEO of County Carlow Chamber of Commerce chatted to John about business sentiment, resilience and the Carlow Business Awards 2022.With it being the weekend of the All Ireland Senior Hurling Final, John was joined by David Dowling of Star Hurley to chat about their business which was founded by his grandfather almost 60 years ago.With thanks to O'Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

John Purcell first visited Hawkeye Falconry in May 2021, as owners John and Caroline Duggan were preparing to open their falconry school which is based on the grounds of Lyrath Estate, Kilkenny. During the week, John Purcell caught up with John Duggan to hear how the past 13 months in business has been for them and their team of falcons, hawks and eagles.

Every three months, Ireland's Central Bank releases an economic forecast where it provides commentary and guidance on where the Irish economy is going. We last talked about this forecast in April and this week Martin O Brien, Head of Irish Economic Analysis at the Central Bank joined John to discuss the key points in the Banks latest Economic Forecast for Ireland which was released during the week.With economic challenges all around, most business owners and managers are keeping their eyes peeled for new business opportunities and Denis Casey of Casey Business Consulting joined John to chat about Public Service Contracts and E Tenders, a sector which may offer new opportunities to SME's.One year on – John first spoke with John & Caroline Duggan of Hawkeye Falconry in May 2021 when they were preparing to open their Falconry School in Lyrath following one of our longest Covid lockdowns. During the week, John caught up with John Duggan to hear how the past 13 months in business has been for them and their team of falcons, hawks and eagles.‘The Managers Handbook For A New World Of Work' - is a business book which aims to give managers new skills, insights and information to better cope with the challenging world of business, Author Monica Murphy, joined John to tell us more about the book.With thanks to O'Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com 

Simon O Dwyer, Managing Director of Kilkenny based marketing and brand agency Threesixty joined John to chat through some of the business issues of the last few weeks.O' Neill Foley Chartered Accountants are the first company to move into the Brewhouse Office Building, the first development in the Abbey Quarter located in the heart of Kilkenny city on the site of the now closed Smithwick's Brewery. Alan Serry of O' Neill Foley spoke with John about the move, what it involved and how it fits into the company's plans for the future.Anna Daly is a familiar face to many as a long-standing host of Breakfast TV on Virgin Television and most recently on RTE's Hospitals Live programme. Anna joined John to chat about her new career direction with the launch of her clothing brand Little Bliss.With thousands of golf fans converging on Mount Juliet Estate for The Irish Open, Edwina Grace was out and about in Thomastown to hear from businesses about how the last couple of days have been and what is the impact on business with such an event.With thanks to O'Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

On Friday last, the elected public representatives for Kilkenny City municipal district voted to retain the one-way system with a change in direction for the traffic flow along High Street and Rose Inn Street. Mayor of Kilkenny, David FitzGerald who chaired the meeting on Friday, joined John in Studio to discuss the outcome.Staying on the topic of the one-way system, John Hurley, CEO of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce spoke with John about how his business representative group feels about what's been decided. As business continues to emerge from over 2 years of Covid disruption, Reg Friddle, a Kilkenny based Coach, Trainer and Executive Mentor who works with businesses of all sizes across a variety of sectors through his business Preferred Future, joined John to chat about the key issues facing business leaders in the post lockdown world.The Powerhouse Picnic, a summer BBQ event being hosted by Carlow Local Enterprise Office designed to encourage professional female business connections in an informal setting, is taking place on Wednesday 29th June 2022. To tell us more about the event John was joined by Melissa Doyle, Business Advisor at Carlow Local Enterprise Office and Liz Morrissey of ELM Beauty & Morrissey's Pharmacy Carlow. With thanks to O'Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

In this extended interview John Purcell chatted with Anneliese Duffy, Owner of Kilkenny based Linen Shirt Company and Sustainable Fashion Stylist Roxanne Parker about the impacts of fast fashion, how we can make changes when it comes to our fashion and what we need to look for on the labels when we are buying.

This week on The Bottom Line on KCLR, we talk about fast fashion and sustainability in the fashion industry with Anneliese Duffy, Owner of Linen Shirt Company & Sustainable Fashion Stylist Roxanne Parker.Laurie Grace, Principal at Grace Solicitors spoke with John about the importance of business succession planning and the recent announcement that Grace Solicitors and Gerald Meaney Solicitors are to merge and become Grace Solicitors incorporating Gerald Meaney from July 1st, 2022.During the week RadioCentre Ireland published the first ever revenue data for the Irish Radio Industry & to hear more about the data, Stephen Byrne spoke with Ciarán Cunningham, Chief Executive of RadioCentre Ireland.Do the accents that we hear in adverts make a difference to us? Research commissioned by radio & digital broadcast specialists IRS + set out to understand the psychology behind accent, and whether a local voice used in adverts made a difference. Shane Brennan, Creative Director at Foe , spoke with Stephen Byrne to tell us more about the research, how it was conducted and what the findings were.Michael English, Director at Recovery Hub Carlow joined Stephen Byrne to discuss his business and how the idea to open a recovery hub came about.With thanks to O'Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

On this week's programme, John was joined by economist Jim Power for his insights into where the economy is at currently and what the prospects are for the rest of the year. Jim discusses the impacts of rising inflation and what can happen if it becomes embedded in people's behaviours. Kim Mackenzie-Doyle, Founder of The Big Idea joined John to chat about this year's programme which saw around 2000 students from across the country coming up with ideas to tackle some of Ireland's biggest issues. With this year's showcase event now complete. Kim spoke about her plans for The Big Idea in 2023.Valerie O Sullivan, President of Network Ireland Kilkenny, spoke with John about how things have changed for business since January, Network Ireland Kilkenny's upcoming Businesswoman of The Year Awards and her new role in Rothe House & Garden.Seamus Marnane, Founder & Sales Director of Catering Innovation Agency (CIA), joined John in studio to chat about his business which is based in Carlow and supplies and installs energy efficient catering equipment all over Ireland.With thanks to O'Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

This week on The Bottom Line, Eamon Quinn, Business Editor at the Irish Examiner joined John to discuss inflation, the ongoing impacts of Covid and how they are both impacting our economy.Gillian Fanning, President of The Society of the Irish Motor Industry and first female president in the Society's 100 years chatted to John about recent research conducted by the SIMI aimed at encouraging more women to join the industry. “Twenty Questions” our feature piece where we literally ask our guest twenty questions, all which have been designed to allow you to get to know the individual outside of their role in business. Our latest guest was Anne Barber, owner of the Butterslip in Kilkenny.Séamus Doran, Assistant Head of Economic Development and Enterprise spoke with John about the importance of training for those in business, the impact of Covid on training and how the Local Enterprise Offices can assist businesses with their training requirements.With thanks to O'Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Dakota Irish, a tabletop gaming accessories company founded by North Dakota native Luke McIntosh, grew out of a passion for the fantasy game Dungeons and Dragons. The company which began in Graiguenamanagh, export their products all over the world and have recently expanded. Founder, Luke McIntosh joined John to tell him more about the business and how it began.

To chat through some of the business news stories from the week, John was joined by Morwenna Coniam, Dublin Bureau Chief at Bloomberg News.  Dakota Irish, a company founded by North Dakota native Luke McIntosh, grew out of a passion for the fantasy game Dungeons and Dragons. The company which began in Graiguenamanagh, export their products all over the world and have recently expanded. Founder, Luke McIntosh joined John to tell him more about the business and how it began.Brian O'Farrell, CEO of County Carlow Chamber of Commerce chatted to John about his recent trade trip to Liverpool along with six local companies and the Local Enterprise Office in Carlow.The New Frontiers Programme is an enterprise support programme aimed at entrepreneurs with high potential and scalable business ideas or technology. The programme being run out of the Enterprise and Research Centre (ERIC) in South East Technological University Carlow Campus is recruiting for phase 2. To discuss the programme in more detail John was joined by Gemma Purcell, Enterprise Development Manager at South East Technological University and  Ann-Marie McSorley, Founder and CEO of Veri Connect who speaks about her experience of being part of the programme.With thanks to O'Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com 

Over the course of the last week, KCLR had been marking 18 years of the station being on air, so for our latest episode of The Bottom Line we began the show with a look back at some of the big business stories over that period. Tom Molloy, Director of Public Affairs and Communications at Trinity College Dublin and former Editor of the Kilkenny People Newspaper along with Colin Duggan, President of Carlow Chamber of Commerce and General Manager of the Woodford Dolmen, joined John to chat about business in Carlow, Kilkenny and beyond over the last 18 years.Edwina Grace was out and about across Carlow and Kilkenny tracking two Government Ministers as they met local businesses and review how business is progressing over the last challenging number of years. In Edwina's Report we hear from Minister Damien English T.D. Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail; Minister Robert Troy, T.D. Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation; Kieran Comerford, Head of Economic Development & Enterprise at Carlow Local Enterprise Office and local business owners.David Carpendale, owner of David Oliver Bespoke joined John to tell us more about his business and the work he does.With thanks to O'Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

To discuss the business stories of the week, John was joined by Alan Seery of O'Neill Foley, Chartered Accountants. Carlow Toolmaking Services is a proud local company providing toolmaking services to some of the biggest names in the medical, pharma, food, and automotive industries. During the week John spoke with Director of Carlow Toolmaking Services Pat Amond to learn more about the company, it's history and the work that they do.Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce held its 74th AGM during the week and the first in person AGM since 2019. The meeting saw the handing on of the Chamber Presidential Chain from Colin Ahern to new President Brian Keyes and after the ceremony John spoke with both the outgoing and incoming President.  Stephen Prendiville, Head of Sustainability at EY Ireland joined John to discuss the results of their recently published “State of Sustainability Report 2022” which provides insights into how Irish Business is responding to the climate crisis.           With thanks to O'Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Economist Jim Power joined John to discuss the international business and economic environment and its impact at a local level, they also chat through some of the business stories from the week.Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Damien English TD recently paid a visit to Kilkenny where he met with the Local Enterprise Office and with a range of businesses. Edwina Grace spoke with him after his visit to hear about his experience of Kilkenny and to discuss what the Government is concentrating on to help business?Noel Davidson, Director of Training at The Entrepreneurs Academy joined John to chat about the Small Business Management Programme which Carlow and Kilkenny Local Enterprise Offices are now seeking expressions of interest for.Local entrepreneur Anneliese Duffy of Linen Shirt Company, chats about working to bring back locally manufactured products, the importance of working with local business and launching Linen Shirt Company just before lockdown.With thanks to O'Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com 

Gillian Ryan and Gabrielle Carroll of Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board joined John in studio to discuss how their organisation can assist SME's access a range of green skills programmes as well as being able to help businesses identify areas that may benefit from educational training and support.

Twenty Questions on The Bottom Line is our feature piece, where each month we ask a guest twenty questions which have been designed to give you an insight into the person outside of their role in business.This month our guest was Bernard Horohan, Owner of Tile N Style.

At the beginning of April, the Central Bank of Ireland published its second quarterly bulletin for 2022. The bulletins contain information on key economic data as well as forecasts for the future,  Martin O Brien, Head of Irish Economic Analysis at the Central Bank of Ireland joined John to discuss the bulletin and to provide further insights on the economic landscape.

Last week the Central Bank of Ireland published its second quarterly bulletin for 2022. These regular bulletins contain information on key economic data as well as forecasts for the future. Martin O Brien, Head of Irish Economic Analysis at the Central Bank of Ireland joined John to discuss the latest bulletin and to provide further insights on the economic landscape.Ciaran Cunningham, CEO of Radio Centre Ireland chatted to John about recently released research which examined how the Covid-19 pandemic impacted radio listening habits, how they might change in the future, as well as looking at the change in working practices and spending.“Twenty Questions” our feature piece which is designed to give you an insight into an individual outside of their role in business was back and our latest guest was Bernard Horohan, Owner of Tile N Style in Carlow.Gillian Ryan and Gabrielle Carroll of Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board joined John in studio to discuss how their organisation can assist SME's access a range of green skills programmes as well as being able to help businesses identify areas that may benefit from educational training and support.With thanks to O'Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

Newly established Yellow Deer Designs is a greeting, print and bespoke illustration business based in Kilkenny and run by Cáit Mackey Maher. Cáit spoke with John about turning what was a hobby into a business, attending Showcase Ireland and having her cards stocked in shops around the country.

At the end of March, Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce hosted their Chamber Chat at "The Brewhouse" located in Kilkenny's Abbey Quarter Development. The Chamber Chat also featured a walk through of the premises and during the tour John Purcell spoke with Jason Clerkin, CEO of Abbey Quarter Development, Colin Ahern President of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce and Colette Byrne, Chief Executive of Kilkenny County Council.

At the end of March, the Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys announced details of the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Scheme. To tell us more about the scheme and what is involved John was join by Ed Kissane, Financial Planning Manager at O'Neill Foley Chartered Accountants.

Rowena Dooley, Dealer Principal at Dooley Motors in Carlow joined John to discuss some of the stories that had been making the headlines this week and how they have been impacting on business.During the week, Minister Heather Humphreys announced details of a new Automatic Pension Enrolment Scheme. To find out what is involved, and the costs related to the scheme we spoke with pensions expert, Ed Kissane of O'Neill Foley Chartered Accountants  On Thursday last, Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce hosted their latest Chamber Chat, the venue was Kilkenny's Abbey Quarter Development. With “The Brewhouse” due to open over the next few weeks, the chamber chat featured a walk through the premises. During the tour of the building John spoke with Jason Clerkin, CEO at Kilkenny Abbey Quarter Development; Colin Ahern,  President of Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce and Colette Byrne, Chief Executive of Kilkenny County Council.Cáit Mackey Maher started her business making greeting cards as a hobby before taking the plunge and going full – time earlier this year. Already she has attended Showcase Ireland and her cards and designs are stocked in an ever-increasing number of shops around the country. Cáit joined John to tell us more about her business.With thanks to O'Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.To contact the show, email: thebottomline@kclr96fm.com

The stresses and strains of everyday life can be challenging and it is easy to become overwhelmed. Michael Demetriou, Performance and Wellness Coach at Thrive Together Coaching spoke to John about the importance of self-awareness, understanding how you can look after your health and stay productive.