Small Business Can

Ever wondered what keeps the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister warm in their Stormont offices? The answer, surprisingly, is willow.

Few businesses just three years old already employ over 50 people and expect turnover next year to top £4m. But that is the achievement of one of Belfast's more recent arrivals, Acityabode

Acityabode originated in Cardiff in June 2006 and expanded to take on its second major investment in Belfast in Easter this year.

Galway-based biotech Embricon is seeking funding to bring its first product, a medical tool to treat varicose veins, to market.

A spin-out of NUI Galway, Embricon has already raised e500,000 to commercialise the product. Its target is e2 million in private investment and a further e1.2 million in grant funding.   

The firm has a history of success in the funding field. It secured finance under Enterprise Ireland's High Potential Start-up Scheme shortly after its launch in 2005.

Touring car driver Emmet O'Brien established NoH2O, Ireland's first waterless and eco-friendly car valeting service, in 2007. O'Brien, who continues to race on famous international circuits like Monza and Estoril, hit upon the idea for the venture while on the track.

Although just one year in existence, Armagh start-up Lir-Med is already preparing to ramp up production for overseas markets.

Farmhouse cheese is one of the great products of Ireland and holds its own in world famous company such as Irish beef, Irish soda bread and Irish smoked salmon. Eamonn and Patricia Lonergan have done their bit to add to the food reputation of the country by producing rich milk for the farm’s award winning Knockanore Farmhouse cheese.

In times of recession, spreading your risk and exporting are two ways to ensure survival. For Hot Irishman co-owner, Bernard Walsh, the two-pronged strategy has paid off. The whiskey and liqueur producer exports 80 per cent of its products to 23 countries, including the US, Australia and South Africa. Walsh hopes to boost exports by a further 10 per cent this year, with sales to six new markets, including Finland, Denmark, Ukraine and Hungary.