Still not yet springtime for Ireland’s small businesses

Mel Brooks sang a wonderful ditty in his 1983 comedy To Be or Not to Be. In full Hitler garb, he looks sincerely into the camera and says “All I want is peace. Peace. Peace!’ Then comes the punchline: ‘A little piece of Poland, a little piece of France, A little piece of Portugal and Austria perchance...”

It’s not much of a stretch to understand the frustrations of the small business owner, constantly being asked for a little piece — an insurance premium rise, a small pay increase, a rate rise.

To the SME owner, the cumulative effect of these little pieces can be terminal. Most SMEs can take a hit in one part of the cost base, very few can sustain hits across it all. Unfortunately for the SME owner the economy, although recovering well, is at an uncertain point. Unemployment is at its lowest level since 2008.