Sometimes it's not easy being an entrepreneur, as Paul Healy relates in this tale of his startup, Fantom Footwear retailer Fitzpatricks Shoes has been a mainstay of Dublin retailing since the 1920s. So how is it coping with the worst downturn in retailing for a generation Floral arrangements for civic and corporate events are the mainstay for Ruth Monahan's Appassionata Flowers. But she has had to adapt in the face of the recession We salute ten entrepreneurs who either enjoyed bumper gains on business sales or tapped investors to fund the expansion of their enterprise Shareholders have parted with over €20m to keep Adaptive Mobile going The stories behind Auction Xchange, Drombeg Liqueur, 2PaperDolls and other startups John Loughran, owner of the Sandymount Hotel, says that state interference in the hotel industry has had disastrous consequences Claire Doyle who spotted a niche in offering bespoke clothing for female professionals who want skirts that go below the knee A new business opportunity came Sean Hannick's way at a time of life when most people are contemplating retirement Girls love make-up and Lorraine O'Neill had the bright idea of teaching them to do it properly at the LA Make-up Academy The millionaire Kerry entrepreneur tells Graeme McQueen why he's confident that his ambitious graphic design application Tweak will find a global user base After licking her wounds following the demise of her sandwich company, Jenni Timony has decided to have a second crack at running a business Fusion Nutraceuticals wants to be a player in the market for sugar substitutes but Shane Delaney needs more equity to fulfil his ambitions Piero Tintori was wary of seeking venture capital for his software company TerminalFour. Now he is glad he did Focus on 40 Irish entrepreneurs born after 1970. Most ventures are smal businesses though there are some real growth stories too