Irish SME Landscape presentation detailing research about Business Sentiment, Support, Staffing and Skills.

2. We asked SME bosses across the
country for their views on four key
areas:
• Business Sentiment
• Support
• Staffing
• Skills
Irish SMEs
Ireland’s SMEs support
communities and
provide valuable
employment.

3. Is outlook good?
• 1 in 12 of SMEs felt outlook
negative
• 2 in 12 of general public felt
outlook negative
Sentiment
1 in 12
Asked about business outlook over the next 12
months, only 1 in 12 felt the outlook was negative.
Just 9 per cent of SMEs
thought the recession
was deepening.
46 %
10%
3%
15 %
Very Positive
Fairly Positive
26%
Neither/Nor
Fairly Negative
Very Negative
1%
Don’t Know

4. • Most positive in Mid-West: 73 per cent
expected good year
• Most negative in northern border
region: 16 per cent felt things not
looking rosy
• General population not so positive:
17 per cent felt economy worsening
• Figure almost halved among SMEs: Just
9 per cent thought recession deepening
Outlook was most positive in the Mid-West.
Sentiment
+
73%
-
16%
Outlook was most positive in the Mid-West, where
73% started the year with a positive viewpoint.
The most negativity was to be found in
the northern border region where 16%
didn’t think things were looking rosy.

5. • For SMEs with 6-10
employees: 16 per cent said
they're planning to grow
• Plans for expansion greatest in
Mid-East, including Meath, Kildare
and Wicklow: 16 per cent with eye
on new premises
Sentiment
Economic Recovery Indicator Score By Region
Despite most approaching the year with a
sense of positivity, only one in ten expected
to open new premises within the year.
This figure rose slightly among SMEs with
6-10 employees, with 16% of this group
saying they planned to branch out.
38.9
45.5
47.7
43.8
48.7
General
population
SMEs
North
West
Mid-West
South-West
South-East
Midlands Mid
East Dublin
55.1
Only one in 10 expected
to open new premises
within the year.
44.2
46.8
46.3
47.4

6. • 50 per cent of SME bosses said
budget positive for small
businesses
• 61 per cent felt government
was doing very little
• Most disenfranchised were in
Midlands – Longford,
Westmeath, Offaly and Laois
Yes, doing a lot
Yes, doing enough
Not, doing enough
No, doing very little
Don’t know
Support
1 in 10
SME bosses didn’t think
the government was
doing enough for them
generally.
25%61%
4% 1%
9%
All SMEs
Base:600
One in 10 didn’t thinkthe
government was doing
enough for them.

7. • Just 11 per cent of SMEs aware
of government grants
• Group least aware of available
grants were SOHOs: 90 per
cent unaware
• Only 3 per cent of SMEs
successfully accessed the
€5,000 on offer through
Enterprise Ireland
• 5 per cent applied for the grant
but failed to win funding
The group least aware of the
grants available was Small
Office, Home Office-based
businesses (SOHOs) - 90% of
this group weren’t aware of
potential funding.
Only 3% of SMEs
successfully accessed the
€5,000 on offer through
the Enterprise Ireland
Voucher.
Support
Greater awareness of
potential grantsis
needed.
11%
Only 11% of
SMEs were
aware of
government
business and
technology
grants that
were available.
€5000
90%
N/A 6%
Never Tried 90%
Tried but unsuccessful inprocess 1%
Accessed successfully 1%
All SMEsBase: 400
Access to online trading voucher

8. • Highest number of home
workers recorded among
SOHOs: 22 per cent had staff
working from home
Staff
8%
70%
All SMEs
Base: 600
80 -100%
Percentage of staff who work from home on a regular basis
16%
4%
40 -79%
1 -39%
0%
1 in 6
Companies said the majority of their
staff (80% - 100%) worked from home.
70 per cent of SMEs
indicated that none of
their staff worked
from home.

9. • 80 per cent no cloud system
• 89 per cent no tablets
• 80 per cent no laptops
• 75 per cent no smartphones
How can they stay in touch?
Staff
1/4
1/5
Of firms had introduced cloud
systems for staff or clients.
1 in 5
One infive was supplied
with a laptop.
A quarter of staff in
SMEs were provided
with a company
smart phone.
Implementation of cloud services
Companies with more
than six employeeswere
far more likely to have
technology at theirdisposal.
19% 4% 1%
Don’t
know
79%
Yes -
for use
by staff
Yes – for
use by
clients
No

10. • 4 in 10 not looking to hire
• For those looking to hire, biggest
single challenge was finding the
right skills
Skills
Four in 10 said they
were not looking
to hire.
• Over 50 per cent of SMEs with
more than 11 employees said
shortage of the right skills was
barrier to successful recruitment
• Skill shortages impeding growth
Finding candidates with the right skills
Cutbacks in budget
Finding graduates with the right skills
Competition from other employers
Social welfare benefits
Tax is too high
Brain Drain
High salary expectations
N/A
Other 3%
1%
2%
4%
43%
31%
10%
8%
2%
2%