O’Brien praises microfinancing

BILLIONAIRE businessman Denis O’Brien said yesterday he was fully aware from his own experience of the thin line between success and failure in business.

Addressing the fourth annual First Step Microfinance Business Success Awards in Dublin he said “this really is an opportunity for me to say thanks on behalf of a lot of people who have been helped by First Step over many years”.

Since it was set up in 1991 the organisation has helped 2,000 businesses to start up, often with loans of less than €25,000, the maximum available for a given project.