STARTUP GATHERING, one of the biggest start-up festivals in the world, features more than 350 events across Ireland in October. I have heard several really great entrepreneurial stories in Ireland but those stories need greater coverage if Ireland wants to be known as a hub for entrepreneurship.
The Start-up Gathering should help encourage people to take the plunge because meeting up to trade ideas is one proven way of gaining self-belief. The rate of new business ownership in Ireland has dropped from 3.8% in 2013 to 2.5% in 2014 and is now below the European average (3.2%).
These numbers translate into real employment. In 2013, Ireland saw 32,000 new businesses. In 2014, that figure had fallen to 20,000. Anecdotal numbers on the ground suggest a good year for 2015. I would expect to hear some of those numbers when publicity ramps up for the Start-up Gathering during the weeks ahead.
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