Are there industries where green opportunities are more prominent than others?
There are green opportunities in almost every sector. Creative thinking and innovative technologies are the key drivers of new ways of doing business in a greener way. The headline industries where you will most likely see stories on the news include the energy sector, the food industry, mining industries, car manufacturing and natural resources (water, fisheries, etc). Many entrepreneurs however are seeing opportunities in many other industries from a green perspective and the originators in many cases reap the early rewards for their innovations while other companies attempt to catch up with their inventions. The energy and waste disposal sectors were some of the first to be tapped by green entrepreneurs but now many are looking to other mainstream sectors for their green endeavours (water, car manufacturing, organic, renewables, transport, retail).
Isnt it more expensive to operate green policies than tradition ways of doing business?
That used to be the way things where but times are definitely changing. In many industries it is actually becoming a competitive advance to be a green company not just in terms of financial savings but also from a corporate and differentiation stand points. Many of the worlds leading business figures are now pursing green ventures as they believe that this is the future of business. Leading examples include the Tesla Car (the innovative car design since the Delorean) and Bill Gates has also begun an investment campaign in green companies in recent years. Irish examples of companies leading their fields through green innovations include Mainstream, Green Star, Glen Dimplex, Bord Na Mona, Clearstream and even multinational like Diageo now have significant green interest in their business operations.
Getting Your Green Business Idea off the Ground
Starting Small but Thinking Big on Green Business Ideas. Where to start, how to grow and what supports are available.
Green Technology Companies in Action
Green Technology in Ireland. Examples of opportunities in the green sector and how Ireland can be a world leader in certain innovations. Glen Dimplex, ESBI, Tidal Wave Entrepreneurs, Cisco, Greenstar, UCC
The Benefits of Origin Green
Last month Bord Bia's Director of Marketing Services Una FitzGibbon addressed delegates at the Good Food Ireland Conference on the benefits for small Irish food producers being part Origin Green. Recognising that owners/managers of small businesses can't afford to spend time, money, and effort on projects without seeing tangible results, Una set out to illustrate the benefits of Origin Green.
The Cottage Surgery
Jamie and his staff are a pleasure to work with. They respond promptly to any queries we have and are critical to our financial planning and the future needs of our business. I would highly recommend them to anyone interested in accounting services.
We are a start up E Commerce business in the pre-launch stage. Can you help us with a development business plans and e-commerce advise?
Absolutely. Too many companies rush into new ventures without taking the time to request advise, see what the available options are and how best to structure the business to give it the best possible chances of success. We can assist you in drafting a plan of attack so that you have a road map for the first 6 months of the businesses life. We can also work with you on practical aspects of the business such as website development, Search Engine Optimisation and Online Best Practice. We can meet regularly with the business owners and through our strategy sessions will get to the crux of the best way forward for the company.
We’re finding that our E Commerce business is taking hold in foreign markets. Are there extra tax implications for us with regard to foreign expansion?
Inevitably as your company expands you will need to be aware of the regulations of the countries you are operating in. In general a company resident in Ireland is liable for taxes in Ireland on its worldwide income. However this is based on the principle of Permanent Establishment (PE) and the assumption that a server for an e commerce company based in Irish is by definition Irish and taxed accordingly on that basis. However there are growing calls for a review of that assumption based on the movement of revenues worldwide solely for the purpose of tax avoidance (Google, Amazon & Apple being high profile examples in the news recently and all using Ireland as their European hubs).
We are a small community base E Commerce company. How can we grow our revenue base in a timely fashion?
At Avid Partners we work with a number of small scale E Commerce companies all at various stages of the growth cycle. E Commerce companies that are designed to fulfil a need in the local or national community are often ideas driven and get a great response from local audiences if they see a community and/or financial benefit to the website. The issue arises when it comes time to monetise the business and upscale to a financial model that is revenue generating and not completely dependent on the originators time and input.
The Future of E-Commerce?
The e-commerce industry is booming and is a force no company can afford to ignore. Jason Goldberg, founder and Chief Executive Officer, Fab, shares his expert knowledge on the booming industry and how your business can prosper.
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"A breath of fresh air. Your firm demonstrated enormous commercial understanding in turning around negotiations with a potential target vendor. I admire your style and ability to drive the deal forward. Many thanks." -
"I would like to say I'm very happy with your service, especially the audit team, your staff are always friendly, helpful and a pleasure to deal with." -
"Your business approach to clients is very impressive. I have always found that when explaining the types of service on offer, it is always concise and straight forward. The level of trust that clients place in your company and its staff speaks volumes." -
"I would like to take this opportunity to say how much we are impressed with your company's professionalism, it has been a pleasure working with you all and we look forward to working with you in the future." -
"Avid Partners - Accountants & Business Advisors are an excellent firm of accountants, their quality ethos is outstanding." -
"I have dealt with Jamie O' Hanlon, of Avid Partners - Accountants & Business Advisors Chartered Certified Accountants, for a number of years as he is auditor to one of my clients. I have always found him to be professional and responsive in his approach." -
"Service is second to none; there is always someone at the end of the phone for any business advice. The staff are very easy to get along with, very approachable and know exactly what they are talking about" -
We at Fitzies Bar have worked with Avid Partners - Business & Financial Advisers for over five years. We find that the advice and support offered to us in addition to all of our book-keeping requirements to include payroll, VAT, etc. is invaluable and has helped to contribute to our continued growth especially in these challenging times. I would have no hesitation in recommending Avid Partners. -
Jamie and his staff are a pleasure to work with. They respond promptly to any queries we have and are critical to our financial planning and the future needs of our business. I would highly recommend them to anyone interested in accounting services. -
We at Stillorgan Cycles have used Jamie and his Team at Avid Partners – Accountants and Business Advisers for over five years. We have found that the retail advice and support offered to us is second to none and has helped to contribute to our continued growth especially in these challenging times. I would have no hesitation in recommending Avid Partners. -
I met Avid Partners through a local business networking group. We had been using the same accountants for years and found that in these harsh economic times that we were not getting good enough value or service. We were very impressed by the company's professionalism and enthusiasm and genuine interest in helping us get the most out of our business. As a result we are now clients of Avid Partners and are thrilled with our decision. -
After meeting Avid Partners with a view to changing our accountants, we came away with a better deal financially and a feeling that we were in capable hands. We feel that Avid Partners has a personal interest in the welfare of our business. Avid Partners have given us great advice, help and support and respond to our day to day queries with speed and efficiency. We feel it was a great move for us to change to Avid Partners.
