When asked what issues are affecting local businesses, three quarters of respondents in Northern Ireland reported that rising energy costs and the rising costs of other overheads are having an impact. These combined issues are also resulting in cashflow problems for two thirds of businesses in NI, restricting growth and forcing businesses to become leaner and more efficient. "These findings are very much in line with what we have been seeing over our last few surveys," said Dr Eoin Magennis, Policy Research Manager for InterTradeIreland. "With stagnant growth reported again for this quarter, it is clear that companies are having to get back to basics and adjust to this new reality in order to survive. There are exceptions to these results however and we continue to find that those companies involved in exporting outperform those that remain in their home market." Access to finance continues to be an issue with 32% of companies in Northern Ireland reporting that it is constraining their growth plans - such as and impeding on their ability to purchase stock, refurbish their businesses and upgrade their equipment.

Again only a small proportion of businesses are applying for finance (4 per cent for an overdraft and 6 percent for a loan) but of those that do, two-thirds are successful which poses the perennial question of whether the problem is a lack of demand from businesses or a lack of supply from banks." The Business Monitor Q2 2012 Exec Summary (97 KB) also raises the issue of a lack of networking across the island and developing alliances with other businesses, which may also be hindering business opportunities.

Less than a third of companies reported to be a member of a formal business network and more than four fifths of businesses said that they had not joined with other companies to try and form a strategic alliance. Dr Magennis continued: "Nearly four out of ten businesses did state an interest in developing links or alliances and we would encourage companies to do so. This can help to improve and grow your business.

Joining forces and fostering links with other complementary businesses, whether it is within your home market or cross-border, can be a very useful step towards exporting and boosting sales and growth. Businesses should look for support from other firms who can provide extra resources or skills to share technical capabilities, work together for research & development, or to jointly bid for tenders for example. "If you are an SME which is seeking to collaborate or link with other businesses, diversify, stimulate innovation or look to new markets, there is help available through a number of government support programmes. These companies should not hesitate in contacting InterTradeIreland to find out how our support and funding can help you to develop your business and improve your capabilities over, what is sure to be, another difficult trading year."

Guests can even save their favorite order for next time, make large or small orders and pay with ease. Guests, who place their orders online using Cowboy Chicken online ordering, will receive free delivery for a limited time. "Our guests are embracing our new Cowboy Chicken online ordering system because of its ease of use and convenience, especially at peak times. Online Ordering provides us yet another way to serve our clientele," said Sean Kennedy, President of Cowboy Chicken. Restaurants which offer online ordering are some of the most popular websites today, and feature interactive menus, allowing customers to place orders online from the comfort of their office or home computer.

Guests can easily review Cowboy Chicken's menu online and create an account to place their order. Even large catering orders can be placed online and include free delivery. Cowboy Chicken has been cooking all natural chicken over a wood-burning fire since 1981, and today you can order online the same delicious wood-fired rotisserie chicken along with seventeen different fresh homemade sides.

For over 30 years, these "downhome Cowboys" have perfected the taste of chicken on a rotisserie and created the now famous Twice-Baked "Potaters". Other long time favorites at Cowboy Chicken are the famous Chicken Enchiladas stuffed full of delicious all white meat rotisserie chicken and their amazing Chicken salad sandwiches.

Homemade Peach Cobbler finishes off any Cowboy meal and, both their award-winning Chicken Enchiladas and homemade Peach Cobbler have been on the menu since Cowboy's inception, thirty years ago. Cowboy Chicken also features healthy and delicious fresh salads and sandwiches, grilled skinless chicken breast and nutritious sides such as seasonal fruit, baked Sweet Potato, Green Beans, and Campfire Veggies, which can all be ordered online. Online ordering is available for lunch and dinner, take-out, home delivery and catering services.

About Cowboy Chicken

Cowboy Chicken is a six-unit fast casual restaurant franchise chain specializing in real wood-fired rotisserie chicken. Cowboy Chicken is ranked among the Top Fast Casual Mover & Shakers by FastCasual.com, a prestigious restaurant industry award, and was recently chosen number one, "Hot Restaurant Chain to Buy into Now", by Forbes magazine. Open for lunch and dinner for dine in; take out, catering, online ordering and delivery. Cowboy Chicken is continuing to grow through franchise opportunities

The conference was aimed at assisting hands-on investors looking for low risk, high reward business development opportunities and for existing franchisors/ business owners wishing to develop new brands/ concepts. The conference was a most informative session with presenters from a variety of US/ Australian franchises outlining their concepts and business operations. Franchisors included beauty and tanning operations, storage and shipping operations and ice cream parlours. Jeanne Kelly, a partner at Mason Hayes & Curran and a speaker at the event commented, "Today's event has been a great success and Mason Hayes & Curran is delighted to have had the opportunity to host such a worthwhile and informative event.

The organisers brought together many interested Franchisors and Franchisees and allowed all interested parties the opportunity to meet and discuss new business ideas.". All delegate fees, amounting to over €1,000, have been donated to the Harry Callaghan Fund, Our Lady's Children Hospital, Crumlin, Dublin. Funds raised will go to the purchase of equipment for specialist units and ongoing work in the treatment and prevention of childhood illnesses.

Sourse: mhc.ie

There are 48 Domino's Pizza outlets in Ireland. There are 575 stores in England, 28 in Scotland, 28 in Wales and 19 in the North. In the UK, like-for-like sales climbed 3.7pc in the financial year to December 25, but the group like-for-like rise was crimped to 3pc for the period due to the poor Irish performance. The group has previously had to offer financial assistance to some Irish franchisees as sales here declined. Some of the most historically profitable Irish outlets are owned by Northern Ireland businessman Charles Caldwell. He owns stores in Tallaght, Rathmines and Dundrum in Dublin. The Tallaght store has been rumoured to be among the busiest in the world.

Accounts for Karshan, the company behind those outlets, show the company made a pre-tax profit of €1.17m in 2010, down from €1.2m in 2009. Franchisees Turnover fell from €22m to €21m. Mr Caldwell paid over €22m to buy the Domino's businesses from former franchisees Kevin and Murph O'Driscoll. But despite the drag of the overall Irish business on Domino's, shares in the company soared more than 7pc at one point yesterday as it said it will deliver profits in line with estimates for 2011. Chief executive Lance Batchelor also said that the sales for 2011 were decent in the UK given the impact of a VAT hike and a tough economic climate. Strong online sales have also helped to boost sentiment towards the stock. Domino's is now frequently racking up more than £1m (€1.2m) in daily online sales. Just over 12pc of those sales are being made through mobile devices.

Sourse: Business

Over the past year, they have been taking part in the programme, and the majority are now ready to go back into business. The centre was set up 12 months ago by the Limerick Chamber, and the Limerick Institute of Technology. It is the first third level franchise education centre in Europe. At the ceremony, three prizes were given out to outstanding graduates.

1. First prize went to Anne Hall, a franchisee of the Zip Yard. She will get €3,000 as well as training and advisory services worth around €6,000.

2. Second prize went to Mark Reidy, who is franchisee to K-Mac Home Services company, based in Shannon.

3. Third prize went to Paddy McNulty of PC Pal which offers computer repair to home users.

They received awards worth €7,000 and €5,000 respectively. Ms Hall aims to create five jobs in a new Zip Yard store in Portlaoise. Asked what made the difference, Ms Hall said: "My passion for the business model I took on, my experience of working in BwG and my own determination and will power to succeed, as well as my entrepreneurial vision to be my own boss." Housing Minister Jan O'Sullivan said the National Franchise Centre is an example of "Limerick leading Ireland." "It is great to see this right in the heart of Limerick. There is a great sense of purpose. You can see they intend to succeed".

She said up to 100 jobs have been created through the centre in the first year. LIT president Dr Maria Hinfelaar added: "The centre is a realistic and practical approach to job creation and enterprise development."

Sourse: Limerickleader.ie

This new, yummy, sour then sweet SOUR PATCH KIDS Red flavor packs a powerful punch in Rita's new Ice and is a limited time offering. Visit any Rita's locations now through July 22nd and try a sample of Rita's new lip puckering SOUR PATCH KIDS Red Italian Ice! Additionally, Rita's Italian Ice will feature two seasonal favorites, Cantaloupe Ice and Honeydew Ice, both made with fresh fruit, for a limited time. Rita's seasonal flavors Cantaloupe Ice and Honeydew Ice will be available at participating Rita's Ice locations beginning this year.

"Our new SOUR PATCH KIDS Red Italian Ice is sure to be a big hit with kids and fans of the wildly popular candy," said Jonathan Fornaci, chief executive officer, Rita's. "Our seasonal flavors Cantaloupe and Honeydew, made with fresh fruit, are my personal favorites!" With its motto, "Ice, Custard, Happiness", Rita's is dedicated to serving up a big dose of happiness with their freshly made, delicious custom treats.

About Rita's Franchise Company

Rita's Franchise Company, is the largest Italian Ice concept in the nation, currently operating in 19 states with over 625 units. Rita's presently has international locations in China, India and the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao) and is continuing to grow nationally and internationally through franchise opportunities.

The popular chain offers a variety of frozen treats including its famous Italian Ice, made fresh daily with real fruit, available in over sixty flavors, Old Fashioned Frozen Custard, layered Gelati as well as its signature Misto® and Blendini® creations. Rita's is dedicated to serving up a big dose of happiness with their freshly made, delicious, custom treats, in a fun-filled atmosphere. Rita's was named one of the Top 25 Franchise High Performers by the Wall Street Journal's 'Startup Journal" and Ranked #156 on Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 500 Franchise Rankings"

The court refused, however, to grant an injunction restraining Partridge Ltd, and its directors Desmond and David Smyth, from holding a meeting today. A resolution is expected to be put to creditors to wind up the company, which operated the store on the Derry Road in Slane. ADM Londis plc sought injunctions against the three defendants, claiming the proposed winding up was an attempt to get out of the franchise agreement started three years ago, but the defendants would continue trading through another, unnamed company.

Mr Justice Roderick Murphy said he was satisfied the defendants had not revealed the full extent of their financial affairs to the court. There was only a reference in an affidavit that the company was incapable of paying its debts but no statement of affairs had been provided to the court, he said. Earlier, Angus Buttanshaw BL, for Londis, said the accounts for the business showed the store was "perfectly profitable" but a decision had been made to no longer honour the franchise agreement and put the company into liquidation. His clients had been informed by the defendants that they had "ceased trading" on June 25.

But when a Londis regional manager called to the shop earlier this month, it was still open. Martin Hayden SC, for the defendants, urged the judge not to grant an injunction because if the court finds with Londis at the full hearing of the matter, damages would be an adequate remedy. He also said the accounts referred to by Mr Buttanshaw were only draft accounts and did not include a number of important liabilities.

Sourse: Business

Harvey Norman chief executive Blaine Callard said the Mullingar shop was no longer making enough money to stay open. "While the closure of any store is naturally regrettable, it was simply not economic for the Mullingar outlet to continue in operation," said Mr Callard. "The company could no longer ignore the simple facts that the store in question was not trading at a level that justified continuing investment."

However, he insisted overall revenue across the island is growing, which is reflected in the new store opening in Blanchardstown. "Our move into online is about giving our customers convenience and choice about how they buy from us - it is all part of our Omni channel strategy," he added. The new Blanchardstown store, due to open in November, will create 14 positions. A further four will be available through the launch of Harvey Norman Online, and an additional 14 as a result of the shake-up of the Dundalk and Northern Irish stores, which will now focus on furniture and bedding.

Sourse: Independent.ie

Cartridge Green has 13 stores operating through Ireland and has identified 16 more towns and cities where an opportunity exists. It is also actively recruiting franchise operators in the UK and plans to have five stores opened there in 2013. "We've worked very hard this year to drive the brand forward through the promotion of our Club Cartridge Green product," said Cartridge Green's Director of Franchising, Nik Healy. "This is the world's first ink subscription that gives members a brand new printer and unlimited ink for just €12.99 a month."

"There has never been a greater level of interest in providing the print solutions we offer." "The Club Cartridge Green offering in particular has caught the imagination of home and small business users." "We offer new equipment and a manageable fixed cost alternative which allows users to print what they want rather than what they think they can afford." "Our franchise model provides sustainable repeat revenues, and we are pleased this has been recognised by the judges behind the Irish Franchise Association Awards 2013."

FranSummit founders, Paul Segreto, President and CEO of franchisEssentials, and Jeremy LaDuque, President and CEO of Elements Local, planned the 2012 Summit utilizing the feedback they received from attendees of last year's event, which was the first ever virtual social media webinar series for franchising. "Last year, we planned Franchise Social Media Summit based on our experiences, conversations and the expressed needs of our peers and professionals within franchising," said Paul Segreto.

"This enabled us to form a comprehensive lesson plan that attendees would appreciate. What we didn't have last year though, and do have this year, are the numerous suggestions, opinions and comments from the people who attended; details about what they liked and what they didn't. Armed with this information, this year we are able to change things around, deliver information more efficiently and effectively, and further enhance the overall experience and benefit for the attendees." In response to last year's feedback, Franchise Social Media Summit 2012 will span the course of five business days, with sessions occurring each day that focus on specific subjects relevant to SOMOLO and franchising.

Participants in the International Franchise Association's (IFA) Institute for Certified Franchise Executives (CFE) program can earn 150 credit hours toward their certification. To receive credit, participants can either attend the live Summit, or view the recorded sessions within 60 days after.

"We want as many people as possible to take advantage and be able to attend this Summit," said Jeremy Laduque. "We know that we have a great program with excellent presenters who all possess decades of top-notch expertise. With the new schedule, lowered attendance fees, and a chance to earn (CFE) credit, we're certain that Summit 2012 will be able to bring more benefit to a much larger audience." Presenters for the Franchise Social Media Summit 2012 include (in order of presentation): Debra Vilchis of Fishman Public Relations, Steve Baxter of Satmetrix, Lee Plave of @Plave-Koch, Jack Monson and Jennifer MacDonald of Engage 121, Joel Libava from "The Franchise King" blog, Jeremy LaDuque and Michael Boyer of Elements Local, Ashley Graham of Plum11, and Paul Segreto of FranchisEssentials, as well as Lonnie Helgerson of Helgerson Franchise Group.

On Wednesday, Oct. 26, Danny Brown, the VP of Partner Strategy at Jungoo Inc., and a marketing and social media blogger, will deliver the keynote address. He will be followed by a special feature seminar hosted by John Carlston of Process Peak.