Brian Cowen is in charge of a €62 billion spending budget. The only problem is that the new Taoiseach is having to borrow to keep the show on the road Third level colleges now provide all sorts of assistance for entrepreneurs. Who offers what, and advice from entrepreneurs who've been through the mill A stockmarket bubble, soaring inflation and a jittery property prices have put a dampener on what was supposed to be a triumphant year for China CityJet chief executive Geoffrey O'Byrne White tells Business Plus why the Irish government needs to be much more robust in defending the interests of the Irish aviation sector Young people with an entrepreneurial urge shouldn't waste time doing third level degrees, writes former Fine Gael politician turned bookie Ivan Yates 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 Festa Fine Foods was rescued from a near death experience but trade creditors still took a big bath Meg Whitman did a super job during her decade at the top of eBay - except for wasting a fortune on the Skype hype The Carlton Group believes that Ballinasloe's location on the much improved Dublin-Galway road can attract conference business to the Shearwater Hotel Are all online banking services for business the same? Mostly yes, but there are some differences in functionality Eighteen years ago, Colin Culliton started a printing business focused solely on the marketing sector. The strategy paid off but this year there are no low-lying plums, he tells Business Plus British Airways will shortly have the use of the new Terminal 5 at Heathrow all to itself. Chief executive Willie Walsh gave Business Plus the guided tour The package holiday market in Ireland is worth around €650m. Nick Mulcahy finds out from Falcon Holidays boss Damien Mooney about the recent musical chairs in the sector Maurice Hennessy is the eighth generation of the family employed by the cognac firm, and he may be the last Jim Treacy has built a hotel and golf facility on the shores of Lough Erne to rival the K Club Borrowers can expect much tighter scrutiny from banks this year and cash collection procedures will have to be stepped up If you've got €330,000 to spare, Bill McCabe's Oyster Circle is a gateway to luxury getaways around the world Experience counts for a lot in business but Duolog chief executive Ray Bulger found there are times you need to go back to the classroom DCU graduate Brema Drohan is leading the charge for instant coffee giant Nestle to move up the value chain Expect office rents to remain flat in 2008 as the market slows Dublin City Council wants to enlist the aid of city businesses to help clean up the capital's litter problem It's always a good idea to start the business year with good intentions. Business Plus canvassed the views of entrepreneurs and senior executives for their counsel on how to stay ahead of the competition In this assessment of Budget 2008, experts from PricewaterhouseCoopers summarise the main Budget measures, discuss the impact on business and examine how the changes affect individual incomes The Doyle and Roche families saw their hotel and utility interests sweep up billions of euro during 2007 The new hotel at Cork Airport has opted for an aviation theme to provide atmosphere for its guests, Eyebrows were raised when Liam Casey was named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, as few people had ever heard of him A change in sales strategy has paid dividends for oyster producer Seabreeze Traders, Guns & Money provides a compelling insight into the recurring pattern of greed and indiscipline in derivatives trading Red Circle founder Ger Dowling has hit the jackpot after selling his business to Zamano Irish entrepreneur Tom Sheehy is playing a leading role in transforming the tropical backwater of Cape Verde into an upmarket tourist trap The normally humdrum business scene was enlivened by some entertaining clashes through 2007. A brief review of some of the highlights, including O'Brien v O'Reilly; Ryanair v Aer Lingus; and EBS v Ethna Tinney E&Y's entrepreneur of the year programme spans companies of all sizes. Alternative's Sandra Lawler recounts her experience of mixing with some big hitters The capital of the midlands is benefiting from major investment in quality hotels What Salesforce.com did for sales, CustomerMinds.com plans to do for marketing. But while it is well funded and its product almost ready to go, can it pull it off? William Doyle of Newbridge Silverware believes it makes business sense to shun fossil fuels The annual Irish Design Effectiveness Awards showcase design firms who deliver real commercial benefit The benchmarking of top public service posts against the private sector resulted in huge pay increases only two years after a previous top-up. Business Plus reports that the workings of the review body are shrouded in secrecy Getting eaten alive by competitors is no fun so Targus started to play them at their own game Virgin Megastores, where it all started for Richard Branson, is soon to lose its virginity after the loss-making chain was sold by the tycoon. Other ventures aren't going too well either Despite a big increase in sector capacity, hotels are achieving better occupancy levels, though profits are being squeezed by rising costs It's a big move for a partnership to bring in an outsider as chairman. At DPS Engineering, they've turned to a lawyer for the role Frank McGowan and Thomas McGowan of Frank McGowan furniture both hope to keep the business in the family in future generations The 'commerce' bit got dumped, that's what, in a radical break with over two centuries of tradition. BP reports on why commerce is deemed to old-fashioned for the country's largest business organisation Internet entrepreneur Tom Kelly has sold his internet service provider business to Americans for the second time The company behind IrishJobs.ie is looking for growth overseas, with emerging markets high on the agenda A Supreme Court judge has poured scorn on the Moriarty Tribunal for taking so long to conclude Tanya Airey heads up a 40-year-old family firm that is pushing for growth in a rapidly changing marketplace Norkom Technologies started out making CRM software and got nowhere. Now it has developed into a niche player in financial security software. Founder Paul Kerley explains the journey so far Why did Getty Images pay €110m for a Kerry company which made €3.5m last year? Robert Chambers is one of Dublin's most successful hairdressers, and his daughter Tamara is following in his footsteps SME owners take note. If your marriage breaks down, just because your firm is cash poor won't stop your wife receiving a huge separation settlement The country is coming down with tax-driven new hotels. Philip Gavin explains how the Talbot Hotel Group is facing the competition by expanding to compete more efficiently The K Club hosts golf 's Ryder Cup this autumn. Business Plus reports on the hotel facility where some of the superstars will be dreaming of glory A transition year programme uses the music business to give students a taste of what it's like to run their own company Business Plus invited four of the magazine's entrepreneurial readers to recount the lessons they have learned in setting up and running a business The State is fostering startups through incubation centres around the country. Business Plus checks out the Class of 2006 at Dublin's PDC Listing on the Alternative Investment Market can seem like a good idea to give seed investors a way out. But going public has brought a lot of headaches for Alltracel explains chief executive Tony Richardson Investors in Michael Dwyer's Pigsback.com have remained loyal to the venture but will their patience be rewarded? Bill O'Brien knows the secret of making nice hams. And his auditors have valued his expertise at €1.7m Best known as the online gateway for Superquinn, Ali Murdoch's Buy4Now looks like rewarding investors' patience Delta Index has gone through €1m in funding as it seeks traction in the spread betting market. But it's getting there Ready to go salads company Nature's Best had surging sales and meagre profits. Then Paddy Callaghan decided to focus on cashflow The margins in reselling and distributing IT are low but Cork entrepreneur Ger Scrivens is doing his best to add scale Want a celebrity to give your brand a boost? Noel Kelly in CMS Marketing is the guy to talk to Oisin Fanning has played most of his cards right so far; but where does Smart Telecom's mercurial boss go from here? Deloitte's annual ranking of the fastest-growing tech firms is based on turnover, but do any of the 50 firms make profits? Owning the business premises can make a big difference to profit margins, as evidenced by electronics retailer Power City The super-sized profits at Dwyer Nolan Developments makes one wonder about the Dublin housing market As big companies muscle in on the Fairtrade space, coffee minnow Java Republic has found itself in the firing line It was touch and go for UCD campus company Changing Worlds in 2003 but now the firm is prospering Not many family businesses survive over a century. Fewer still grow turnover to the €1 billion mark. Step forward the three Sisk brothers Industry expert Colin Campbell warns that the second half of the oil age will herald a discontinuity of unprecedented magnitude, undermining the vary fabric of society and economic wellbeing Garry Moroney's software firm Similarity Systems has found stunning success, where investors have made a 600% return on their investment in three years Golden Discs is checking out of Grafton Street at a big profit. But what will the owners do with all their cash Medical devices manufacturer Creganna doubled turnover in 2003 but 2004 brought the firm back to earth Patenting its plastic shop display units has underpinned the growth of Kleerex, one of Dublin's star manufacturers French entrepreneur Philippe Joly has found that starting a business in Ireland is much easier than back home Can Iain MacDonald's Perlico succeeed where Oisin Fanning's Smart Telecom failed? A lot of builders hope so Waterford accountant Richard Finnegan has travelled the world working for multinationals. Now he's point man in Ireland for Hutchison Whampoa's mobile phone venture 3 Smart internet ideas can reap big dividends for entrepreneurs like Alan Scroope It was magic after all. Investors in Smart Telecom believed that €82m of their equity couldn't just disappear. But they were wrong There are big margins in advising Tiger Cubs where to park their surplus cash Entrepreneur of the year Anne Heraty may be Ireland's most successful business woman ever The growing popularity of business process outsourcing has turned Abtran into one of Munster's star performers Publicity surrounding Donal Kinsella's sleepwalking in Mozambique has distracted attention from a strategic rift at Kenmare Resources Who would have thought that a website for eight-year-olds centred on penguins would be worth €500m after two years. Is it too late to join the party? Fine cuisine is the principal calling card of a refurbished luxury country house hotel in Wexford Directors of insolvent companies who act irresponsibly can be restricted by the High Court. But is the sanction tough enough? Michael O'Leary's success is based on a full-frontal assault on anything that stands in his way Microsoft's huge profit margins on Windows and Office mean that it can shrug off its Xbox fiasco The new Ritz-Carlton hotel in Powerscourt, Co Wicklow, looks set to do well for social functions Freezer-maker Novum, based in Coolock, exports 98% of its output. Joe Jordan, managing director and shareholder, tells Business Plus about the challenges facing this SME manufacturer After ten years in business, Digiweb has secured its first outside investor. Colm Piercy tells Business Plus about how he grew the company and what he plans to do with €20m The Wine Buff is an Irish franchise operation that has fast-growth ambitions Ted O'Neill and Maurice Healy are new to the plc scene but that hasn't stopped either from grabbing the headlines with a string of acquisitions eTel has grown its revenues from zero to €100m-plus in seven years and is now looking for an exit for some investors. Founder Sean Melly could net his second big pay day in less than a decade Dublin firm Luzern Technologies has built a multimillion euro business just by selling on eBay. Founder Ken Doyle explains why more Irish SMEs should follow their example Startup Asavie has a low-cost solution for remote access to office networks. It's a good idea but will the customers come? First Ireland Spirits was recently named the country's best SME, despite a recent dent in the bottom line Since the new company law enforcement regime started in 2002, the High Court has barred 600 entrepreneurs from acting as company directors. Is the ODCE being over-zealous or did these directors get what they deserved? At the age of 44, Chris Foley thought his chance of running his own business had gone. Now the boss of Dansk Window Systems has a shot at becoming Entrepreneur Of The Year Ernst & Young organised a trip to Shanghai for former and present finalists in its Entrepreneur of the Year competition. Colm Lyon, founder and MD of Realex Payments, joined the delegation and brought his diary William O'Brien Snr and his son William talk about passing the family business from one generation to the next Signing up for Enterprise Ireland's Scaling Programme is paying off for Sean Giblin's Cylon Controls David Langan learned about selling furniture from his parents in Cabra. Then he did his own thing After he left school in Galway, Michael Kearney was a shop assistant. Now he's the driving force behind the fast growth Carlton Hotel Group Entrepreneur of the Year Anne Heraty may be Ireland's most successful business woman ever Jeweller Dermot Rock says it isn't easy to grab a patch on Grafton Street. But patience paid off in the end The Digital Hub in the centre of Dublin is an incubator for creative companies that focus on the digital future. Four of the hub's entrepreneurs took time out to discuss their prospects Brands need new bait to attract customers. John Fanning suggests how brands can gain competitive advantage by breaking new ground and following the path less travelled Dermot Mannion stirred a hornet's nest when he decided to pull Aer Lingus off Shannon to Heathrow. But he has to do something to satisfy the stockmarket Flying to the Far East? Very soon you could be sitting on the new monster Airbus 380 Colin Gordon worked magic with cider. Can he repeat the same trick with milk at Glanbia? Accountancy practice PwC moved around 2,000 staff to new offices over a long weekend. Partner Donal O'Connor tells Business Plus how they did it Sports retailer Elverys turned to consultants Bradley McGurk to differentiate the brand from flash rivals Fran Rooney's niche broadband venture has cash investment of €1.6m, and in charge day-to-day is his daughter Yvonne. The Rooneys told Business Plus how they work together The Dublin 8 district isn't renowned for fancy hotels but now Kilmainham is in the Hilton orbit Smart Telcom has recovered from its near death experience last year, thanks to risk taker Brendan Murtagh Will the current slump in house prices accelerate into a meltdown or will the market enjoy a soft landing? Business Plus weighs up both sides of the debate and the implications for the economy The business press was remarkably receptive to Weber Shandwick's PR campaign to raise awareness of SAS How has a textile manufacturer based in the Liberties in Dublin, founded in 1934, morphed into a global player in its sector Eileen Buckley and Michael Cussen moved from Limerick to Dublin to open a small wine shop in Sandycove James Carroll has grown a business serving the appetite of Irish investors for overseas property Family firm Butlers Chocolates has grown to a new level after going down the retail route with its own cafés Niall McFadden's deal-making skills have made him a paper fortune. But can he add value to his motley collection of assets? Slashing costs through outsourcing is Tony O'Reilly's response to the challenge posed by the internet American paranoia about terror attacks is sustaining demand for bomb disposal robots made in Co Cork by Allen-Vanguard Solar panels and rapeseed oil now provide a chunk of Newbridge Silverware's energy requirements Former media executive Peter O'Rourke knows a thing or two about growing a business and he is applying that knowledge at Access Accounting Ten years after the introduction of divorce, business owners who separate from their spouse can never be sure of a full and final settlement 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 US software entrepreneur Sean O'Sullivan advises startups to max out the credit cards before seeking venture capital Sandwich and coffee business Munchies has been on a slow growth path since it started. Now the firm is trying to accelerate by going down the franchise route Regina Mangan founded Book A Room ten years ago. She tells Business Plus that only in the past two years has the business come good 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 Posters are the most favoured marketing method adopted by candidates in the general election and very little attention is focused on market research Dermot Desmond says his cash donations to Charlie Haughey were personal gifts. The Moriarty Tribunal says they weren't. Who's right? Heard about the security firm operating in Carlow that's protecting Arizona water treatment plants from Islamic terrorists? Business Plus hears from founder David Walsh how the internet platform is helping Netwatch expand worldwide House prices are falling, but not by much and they're coming off record highs. Business Plus examines why house prices spiked through the first half of 2006 and what the prospects are for 2007 Rich people are buying bigger and bigger motorboats to cruise around Killiney, which is good news for David Maguire of Sonas Marine Brian Cowen's Budget was radical in helping micro and small businesses with VAT issues. Other measuers will also help SMEs Forget about Ernst & Young. The annual Business Plus selection of the country's Top Ten entrepreneurs is the listing that really matters - not least because it relates to achievements this year. Tayto's Raymond Coyle tops the list The Irish stockmarket advanced by 17% from January to October 2006. Business Plus runs the rule over how the large caps gainers have performed In business and politics, things don't always work out as planned. That was the case with the most high-profile lap-dancing club to land in Dublin, Stringfellows Jane McDonnell was rebuffed by her employer over the issue of equity participation. Now she is taking him on directly with a rival woman's magazine October 31 is the annual tax deadline for self-employed people who pay their tax by Self Assessment. To cut that tax bill, a pension payment makes a lot of sense. But which pension? Business Plus asked some leading executives and entrepreneurs about the best piece of advice they received during their business careers Though its background is in lending to corporates, IIB Bank is making strides as a lender to growing SMEs Bookies chain Boylesports shows how bank debt can be a viable alternative to equity capital to fund fast growth Extraordinary pension top-ups are a common feature in public companies when there is changing of the guard. In this review of the 2005 annual reports, Business Plus identifies the winners in the plc pension wonderland Business Plus canvassed the views of top managers in large corporates and SMEs about what single business mantra they've come to appreciate and follow In this assessment of Budget 2006, experts from PricewaterhouseCoopers look at the impact on business, the future of tax incentive schemes, changes to pension rules and how individuals stand to benefit on their income tax Jurys Doyle was the business story of the year and property developer Sean Dunne played a starring role. A look at Dunne's deal and other entrepreneurs Every year brings its fair share of mishaps in business and politics. Here we recall some of the year's commercial calamities and personal setbacks Sam McCauley and Paddy Hickey are leading the charge of chemists chains who hope that scale will one day reap Unicare-type rewards The Fallon brothers used to have the online lettings market to themselves. Now the estate agents have invaded their turf Filling in the employer's P60 is a chore for most firms. Intelligo Software has a nifty new form that eases the burden slightly Court action by Denis O'Brien has stymied the Moriarty Tribunal probe into whether Michael Lowry was paid off after Esat was awarded the mobile phone licence The televised Entrepreneur of the Year Awards is a premier fixture in the business social calendar. A report on what happens when the cameras stop rolling Clarion Consulting is enjoying rapid growth and founder Pat Millar has plans to double the firm's turnover. A bit more even-handedness from the government would help State Street and sister company IFS are more low profile than the American tech or pharma companies located in Ireland. But these financial back office giants are big employers and important players in hedge funds For American advertising giant Omnicom and its client Paddy Power, making fun of Jesus is now fair game in the pursuit of profit Digital photography has impacted significantly on Spectra Photos fortunes, but founder Xavier McAuliffe has many other new business ventures to keep him busy Outside the property sector, very few Irish SMEs added €17m to their turnover in 2004. But Dermot McElroy's PC assembler iQon Technologies is going from strength to strength Paddy and Bernadette Smyth started Smyths Toys in the backwater of Claremorris in 1986. Now their kids have taken the toy retailer into practically every new suburban retail park It's some achievement to build up a chain of six shops in prime locations on the back of €125 in equity. For Brian Sheehan and Robert Hallam, it helps that Sony is their partner Who says manufacturing in Ireland is dead and buried? Autolaunch in Carlow is a case study on how ex-pats can bring home the bacon RTE has broadened its definition of what constitutes Public Service broadcasting to justify a taxpayers' subsidy for just about everything that the organisation produces inhouse Starting or expanding a business is a lot easier with Enterprise Ireland support. So it pays to know which sectors are favoured by the State agency How do you move your operating profit up from 3% to 5%? Carpet czar Noel Furlong shows that taking a slicer to production costs can pay real dividends The Gleeson Group beverage business is one bright spot in Tipperary's industrial wasteland Jim Leyden celebrates 21 years in the office equipment and furniture business this year.And Bizquip has never been in better shape Soaring rents are the bain of all retailers, including coffee shops. But shareholders in Insomnia are taking the pain as they build a scale business that could attract a buyer Padraig and Kieran McLoughlin have taken their father's business to the next level David Ellis' big new restaurant on St Michael's Pier in Dun Laoghaire has been a learning curve for the experienced restaurateur Inside the Public Sector Gravy Train - Is Bertie Ahern really worth €249,000 p.a. IFSC veteran Michael Cullen, who heads up Investec in Ireland, sees property and private banking as a growth area for his merchant bank Jacob Fruitfield Food boss Michael Carey is on the acquisition trail again, this time snapping up specialist sauce maker Rifco to add to his company's growing line of food products Iain MacDonald has proved to be an expert at raising funds for his Perlico Communications, and a bit of positive spin from Simpson FT PR hasn't hurt The Jackie Skelly gym chain grew turnover by 66% last year but margins didn't keep pace. The strategy is on building a scale business that could attract a buyer Brody Sweeney is an exceptional entrepreneur who's told his story in a new book. He'll need a second volume to deal with O'Brien's expansion into the UK Banks have lent Michael Whelan an estimated €550m to play with in London and to fund Dublin's suburban sprawl Greg Turley's Argus Car Hire has developed a global car hire booking engine. The jury is out on its profitability but the spin-off benefit for the core business is plain to see Roy Donaldson and Sarah Donaldson of Fragrance Boutique explain how they work with each other Ongoing training and strict lines of demarcation are keys to the success of Rachel Doyle's garden centre Arboretum in Carlow One option to grow a small company is to merge with a peer firm. That's the route that two Dublin PR firms, MRPA and Kinman, have taken The serial fast food entrepreneur has turned her talents to coffee shops. This time Lorraine Sweeney is going down the franchise route with Barnie's Gourmet Coffee BP looks at the decline of trade unions in the workplace and attempts to keep them at bay Irish farmhouse cheeses are delicious. Trouble is, there are too many of them and very few achieve decent scale Louis Copeland Snr and Louis Copeland Jnr reveal how they get on together in their men's clothes business For generations the Conran family in Wexford sold wool and potatoes. Now they source furniture from Chinese factories. Inside an amazing transformation When push comes to shove, non-executive directors can play a major role in determining corporate careers Sharon Mohan and Monica McGinn started their boutique Shamon with a bank loan of €70,000. The business is treading water but they say that being self-employed is more fun than corporate life Prestige Group is the leading player in sourcing overseas property for Irish investors. Founder Paul Coghlan accelerated his company's growth when he stopped trying to do everything himself The financial transformation of Aer Lingus under Willie Walsh wasn't quite as impressive as it first appears. But his strategy did at least give the airline a role that sits well with being owned by the State While Alan Sugar was looking for an apprentice on TV, the Amstrad share price was falling through the floor. BP reports on the ups and downs of a remarkable business career The death of his wife Thecla last year wasn't just a personal tragedy for Shea O'Dwyer - she was also his business partner in the family-owned cakes firm, Coolmore Fresh Foods Starting a new company isn't easy, especially in the competitive telco sector. But Iain MacDonald has managed to secure backing of over €2m from friends & family to back his Perlico Communications A bad back led entrepreneur Noel May to venture into the retail footwear sector with an innovative 'shoe'. So far he's having more luck than with his previous high-tech venture Time Warner shareholders took a bath when the media giant merged with AOL. Now it appears that much of AOL's success was a scam What are Enterprise Ireland's investments really worth? A look at the development agency's investment portfolio Paul Overy and his partner Aidan McLoughlin have grown their financial advice firm from 12 to 40 employees in two years. But to get there they had to hire someone new to call the shots It's no easy task designing an airline uniform. It has to be smart, even sexy, yet durable and wrinkle free. And at Air France, it has to suit 36,000 of all shapes over the globe. A report on how designer Christian Lacroix measured up to the task Undertaking a Masters of Business Administration course is challenging and costly. A report on the motivations of some students from the Class of 2005 at the Smurfit School of Busienss in UCD According to the SFA National Business Awards, Mr Crumb is the best small business in Ireland. Here's why Property website Daft.ie started off as a hobby for brothers Brian and Eamon Fallon. Now they've learned how to make money from the site Which business membership organisation offers the best deal. A look at the SFA, ISME and some of the bigger chambers of commerce If the economy is going so well, how come the social welfare budget is going through the roof? Bewley's Oriental Cafés was operated by the Bewley family "for the good of mankind". Patrick Campbell took a less sentimental view when he closed the Dublin cafés in 2004 How much does it cost to buy a newsagent or restaurant? A report on what's being asked for some outlets recently on the market Doner kebabs made millions for Wyn and Graeme Beere. But the partnership couldn't last forever, as Wyn Beere recalls He's Ireland's most successful entrepreneur by a long shot. An in-depth report on how Sean Quinn uses insurance premia to finance his empire The Anglo Irish boss is Ireland's most successful ever banker. A revealing interview on how he did it Spiraling retail rents on Grafton Street in Dublin are forcing out many indigenous traders The Competition Authority says the banks' margins on SMEs loans have widened. The banks say few borrowers pay the 'rack rate'. Who's right? Wonder where all those kids' electric scooters suddenly appeared from at Christmas? China of course. And if you want to buy anything on the cheap from the Orient, Alibaba.com is the place to go In this assessment of Budget 2005, experts from PwC look at the impact on business, the future of tax incentive schemes and how the income tax changes impact on earnings Dairygold boss Jerry Henchy is one of the new breed of ruthless young managers who don't let sentiment stand in the way of building profits. And rural Cork is reaping the whirlwind More and more Dublin law firms are hitting on sale and leaseback property deals that deliver millions of euros for the partners Investigators claim that newspaper publisher Hollinger was "looted" to the tune of more than $400m by Conrad Black and others. But how did the Canadian tycoon do it? Venture capitalists mostly want to invest in technology plays. But with the right business plan any fast-growth firm can get backing. Here's how gym operator Jackie Skelly got the VCs on board For the past 150 years, oil helped fuel the growth of the world's population, trade and commerce. But but supplies are declining. Ireland and the world need to look at the alternatives, writes Colin Campbell When Patrick Coman decided to gift half his business to his six sons, to the exclusion of his six daughters, he sowed the seeds of a row that would rip the family apart The rules governing the use of invoice discounting to facilitate company buyouts need to be tightened up, as the liquidation of Doherty Advertising clearly demonstrates The John Swan tailoring business, born in the depression that followed World War II, has grown into a major leisure brand Grand Prix legend Eddie Jordan is used to losing. But the scale of his defeat in a High Court action against Vodafone was overwhelming