Abrakebabra is one of the country's most successful franchise businesses. Now founder Graeme Beere is going for growth by rolling out franchise concepts from the UK Gene McMahon's baler company Mac-Fab Systems is expanding fast with assistance from Enterprise Ireland. Now the agency has launched a €60m fund to disburse to growth-minded SMEs Refilling print cartridges is a growing sector but Cartridge Green founders Niall McConnell and Nik Healy are determined to carve out a niche Why Can't Women Be More Like Men? Men are much more likely than women to become entrepreneurs. Forfás has some ideas as to how to address this gender gap but do they go far enough? Father and son team Peter and Richard Cullen have a global business making jelly beans in Dublin Mobile services are finally moving beyond music and entertainment and into health, thanks to the efforts of a consultant at the Blackrock Clinic Linda Smith, proprietor of Bijou Restaurant, tells Business Plus that consumers now want a different type of night out Tycoon Sheldon Adelson is betting over $9 billion that he can create a Las Vegas clone in Macao Gerry Fagan's Oceanico Developments is betting big time that the golf can help sell hundreds of its properties on the Algarve Executive Coaching Solutions' Paula King; Ciara O'Brien of eTrip Services; Kudos for Orlagh Nevin; and more Young go-getter Domhnall Slattery is planning a pan-European air taxi service, JetBird, using Very Light Jets Joe McBreen, one of Galway's most successful entrepreneurs, sold out recently to French firm Valeo. Business Plus profiles a remarkable success story Paddy Kelly, his son Simon and partners are trying to create a sort of upmarket Centra convenience store chain Restaurateur Ronan Ryan hopes that dining out in an industrial estate will become chic in South County Dublin Suzanne Quinn's Holiday's Home Direct website venture; Ann-Marie O'Sullivan Expands The Family PR Firm Eileen Buckley and Michael Cussen moved from Limerick to Dublin to open a small wine shop in Sandycove How has a textile manufacturer based in the Liberties in Dublin, founded in 1934, morphed into a global player in its sector? Computer integrator Calyx lasted just two years as a plc. Founder Maurice Healy tells Business Plus why he took his company private ‘Slow and steady wins the race' could be the motto of IT security firm Renaissance. Business Plus finds out more about a 20-year low-growth success story Architect Gar Holohan has a growing sideline in managing municipal fitness and leisure centres Gervaise Slowey named as new Ogilvy & Mather boss; The changing face of secretaries and PAs; Network Ireland's play for women in business, the professions and arts; Mary McKenna's Tour America, from Vegas to Beijing; Networking with Irishbusinesswomen.co David Phelan went up against the big boys with Boru Vodka. Now he's doing it all over again with Coole Swan Turning excess hotel inventory into consumer getaway promotions has proved to be a money-spinner for Dominic Considine Brenda Jordan's National Energy Assessors; Executive women like fast cars; Gabrielle O'Malley‘s Splash International offers overseas properties; Rhonda Byrne's The Secret Olga Gashi is one of Ireland's most successful immigrant entrepreneurs. But access to funding remains a key issue for others who want to emulate her success The Sunday Times and RTE say tycoon Sean Quinn is Ireland's wealthiest man. That may be the case - but he also owes €2 billion Funded by National Irish Bank, U Store It is on the expansion trail as consumers and businesses become clued into the benefits of self-storage Guinness sales are on the slide but Diageo knows how to milk a brand Salmonella scare fallout is crumbs on the table for Cadbury Schweppes While Novell has been struggling in recent years, chief executive Jack Messman told Business Plus that some of the company's execution missteps were down to lack of focus, but that is changing Symantec is expanding in Ireland but the share price has fallen out of bed Working close to the cutting edge, Netgear has thrived in a crowded market Unilever makes profits of €1 billion a quarter but shareholders think it should do a lot better As it sets about digesting Reebok, Adidas is hoping the World Cup will provide a major boost The IFRS accounting standard catches up with Vodafone as German splurge comes home to roost After being clobbered by Airbus for years, Boeing is back in the driving seat AMD is closing in on chip giant Intel and now has its eyes on its biggest customer Pharma firms like Sanofi Aventis buck trend for factories to quit Ireland for lower cost climes 'Do no evil' Google faces attack from the zombies as bad guys target the click-through billions Pretty soon we'll all be dressing like Spaniards as Inditex de la Coruna pursues relentless growth Carphone Warehouse has helped to build Charles Dunstone's (41) fortune to around €640m Apple's fortunes have risen with the iPod, which has shrugged off competition to remain the favourite for consumers Web pioneer Amazon.com is growing turnover - but not profits Willie Walsh can cut costs but can he deliver a fillip to BA's load factor? The EU Commission is increasingly sceptical about the IDA largesse that funds multinational expansions, such as Bausch & Lomb's, in Ireland Bird flu fears and a lock on the only effective treatment are great news for investors in Roche Fiat's car unit isn't out of the woods yet but it's driving in the right direction Who'd guessed that you could make a large fortune by rekindling schoolday crushes Buy & Sell king John MacBain hopes China plunge will seduce internet giants The sky falls in on German investors who bought into Premiere's pay-per-blue Dot com enthusiasm returns but this time the exit premiums are modest Oil factor sinks Carnival shares as cruise giant takes katrina victimson board If the Asian Flu ever strikes the UK, count on dignity for a silver lining and first-class funeral HMV show's that there's life for music and books after the internet Dell's accounts show its home PCs are better value than a year ago Murdoch pays through the nose for a seat at the internet table When's the last time you bought Lego? No wonder the company is in trouble (August 2005) Clear Channel Communications is behind the Gold Circle Live 8 concerts and Clear Channel is reaping in the money Like the iPod, RIM's BlackBerry has a lock on its market and can only get bigger Memo to Bertie: why not sell Dublin Airport to BAA? Abbot finds that there's less hassle in Ireland making its diagnostics kits It looks curtains for Laura Ashley's frocks as fashion sales take a tumble As the price of oil soars, Exxon Mobil's turnover now stands at E440,000 per minute If Intel makes profits of $20m a day, how come it needs a handout from Irish taxpayers? Yahoo profits explode as the search engine pioneer takes a leaf from Google's book Satellite of love? Sorry Lou, war and tragedy feed profits at Inmarsat eBay boosted net profits by 75% through 2004. So how come the share is down 30%? McDonald's is approaching the Big Five O on a strong growth curve - even in France Shareholders should thank Malcolm Glazer. Without the Yank's attention, the share price would be on the floor The X-Box loses money by the bucket-load for Bill Gates. But don't feel sorry for him; he still creams you with Office apps The Airbus 380 is poised for take-off but what will the super-jumbo be like for passengers? The FT is the number one business title in Europe. But it still loses lots of money Google billionaires Sergey Brin and Larry Page prove the point that nice guys don't always finish last Did you know that 70% of Charlie Bird's salary in RTE is paid for by your licence fees? The sale of IBM's PC unit to Chinese outfit Lenovo show what can go wrong when a big brand stops advertising. The winner from the deal? Michael Dell There's noo light at the end of the tunnel for shareholders in EuroTunnel, the Entente Cordiale's biggest flop A good economic indicator - 5 series and X3 Beemers are flying out the door It's simple for EA to make big simoleans when they can demand premium pricing for Sims 2 Distillers blame taxation for the high cost of spirits. But their own margins don't help The pensions hole in Forfás highlights the growing gap between Them and Us So you thought you couldn't make a fortune with a website. Tell that to France's Kelkoo Terry Leahy's Tesco shows sleepy Irish supermarket chains the way to grow a mature business Olé! How the Luis Figo factor makes Nike the number one football choice with kids Has Donal Geaney got the right investment strategy for the National Pensions Reserve Fund? There has been no magic carpet ride for investors in Dublin procurement software firm Marrakech Probably the most successful Irish software entrepreneur you've never heard of Many successful business people were young when their dad died. Matt Barrett of Barclays Bank is a good example Apple can't make enough iPods to meet demand. It's a different story with computers The aristocrat of the ski slopes is under siege from the cheeky chappies from Quiksilver. But don't expect Laurent Boix-Vives, 78, to roll over Only in America can a refugee corn flakes salesman become Commerce Secretary