This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
Cover Story | FEATURE Heading |

“If we can offer

products that our

customers can’t

get anywhere else,

then It makes sense

that they wIll come

back to us agaIn

and agaIn.”

but we’ve found that it has had a profound impact on spreading word of mouth about our company. It has allowed us to appeal to people’s taste buds and entice them with new recipes and flavours.” The Portuguese influence to Ladybird’s offering is subtle, a deliberate strategy to embrace the Irish market. Both Joana and Terri are keenly aware that to confine themselves to one segment of the market is to restrict their plans to grow the business and so they offer a wide and diverse range of food and can adapt their recipes to satisfy every taste. “We would like to expand further than the Portuguese Community. We are very proud of our roots but when you start a business, you need to be versatile,” says Joana. They have a particular interest in breaking into the corporate market which they feel has limited choice right now. To do this they know they will need a unique selling point. “We have learned very quickly that if you want to stand out from your competitors, you have to have a compelling and unique selling point. We want to make food that people enjoy and offer them something that they can’t get anywhere else,” says Joana.

Now that the product is right, both Joana

and Terri will be focusing on consolidating and building up a solid client base. “We know we have a good product; now we need to get a steady stream of clients,” says Terri. “I’m sure we will make a success of the business because starting out in an economic climate like the one we experienced last year has been extremely difficult, yet we are highly motivated and more determined to make it work. That said we know we have to work harder and that our success is dependent on us seeking out new opportunities rather than waiting for them to come to us.”

For more information, log on to www.ladybirdcatering.blogspot.com.

Susan Keane of PositiveWorkflows.ie.

POSITIVE WORKFLOWS

The economic downturn presented Susan Keane with the opportunity to re-evaluate her business, Positive WorkFlows, a freelance consultancy service dealing specifically in the area of stress management since 2000. While Susan has developed a healthy range of clients both from the public and private sector, she realised that her business needed a new direction in the wake of stringent cutbacks. “I realised that budget cuts were inevitable and past clients would not have as much money to spend so I needed to take stock and market my business a little differently,” says Susan, who has spent the last six months researching corporate well-being in Ireland to gain a clear direction for her business. Susan strongly believes that stress costs companies a lot of money. “It is estimated that work-related stress costs EU member states about €20 billion annually – that is impossible for companies to ignore.” Susan feels that if you have a happy and contented workforce, they are more loyal to the company and more productive, which is especially important in the current economic climate when morale may already be low in many organisations. “What gives Positive Workflows the edge is

that we encourage companies to measure their investment in the area of stress management so they can see the results for themselves.” “In many cases, employees who have been

made redundant are not being replaced and therefore expectation is greater on those that are left behind. This can add to increasing levels of stress, which can manifest itself in a variety of ways from physical, emotional and mental perspectives. There is an onus on employers to ensure the health and safety of their staff.” Stress management can sometimes be seen as a “soft” issue but Susan believes that it can have a negative effect on an organisations profitability. “At Positive Workflows, we can demonstrate that stress does affect the bottom line; like any other business issue, variable stress should be managed”. It can have a positive impact on both financial and non-financial aspects of business. “What we are providing is quite unique; I have a strong corporate background and I know what businesses are looking for,” says Susan. “The business community are becoming much more aware of the issue, and I have had to tailor my business to reflect that.”

For more information, log on to www.positiveworkflows.ie.

InBusiness May 10 29 Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82
Produced with Yudu - www.yudu.com