This week Kehlan, Olwen and Brian discuss a 23% rise in SME employment and reveal why you should be changing all of your online passwords in the next two weeks to protect your business. The show also focusses on the digital currency IrishCoin, which aims to target the tourism sector. With more and more businesses looking to hire, FRS Recruitment talks to Kehlan about finding the right candidates and retaining the best staff. In the final part of the show CloudyStar talk about their creation, Tipper Z, and reveal why they are raising funds on crowd funding website, kickstarter.

The need for clear protocols around social media usage by employees is among the topics discussed on this week’s Small Business Show. Kehlan also travels to a start-up looking to disrupt the meat testing market with their silicon chip based test kits, visits an organisation looking to help solve issues in your business by encouraging round table discussion and in depth forums and talks to one of the founders of Chia Bia.

Kehlan, Olwen and Avine discus this weeks news including why Irish SMEs are in a better financial state than previously thought. Croom Enterprise Park talks to the show about rural start-ups and businesses. We also talk to the Irish company disrupting the €23bn global cards market and in the final part of the show Libera Terra from Sicily talk about how they are fighting the influence of the mafia by producing organic food and jobs.

In this week’s Small Business Show Kehlan and Olwen discuss state grants for research and innovation and discuss if money is being wasted on them. Ticket sellers and facilitators Eventbrite talk about how to organise the right event for your business or product launch. A new pilot programme aimed at getting more consumers into the high street has started in Dalkey, Co. Dublin and Kehlan talks to the creators. Plus this week’s business focus is with YellowSchedule, based out of the Nexus Innovation Centre on the University of Limerick campus.

BLUES singer Mary Coughlan is looking forward to celebrating her ninth Christmas sober.

FOR once, the lady didn’t sing the blues.