Rate of company start-ups jumps 5% in first quarter

THE number of companies formed jumped 5% in the first quarter of this year to 3,543 as people who lost jobs looked to go it alone.

The number of business names registered in the first quarter of the year surged by 17% to 8,124. The figures from visionnet.ie also found the number of companies that appointed a liquidator fell by 3% in the period to 521.

Entrepreneur Elaine Larkin of the Rising Tide Centre, New Ross, said the increase in business registrations compared to company registrations could be attributed to sole traders testing the water before forming a company.