Dear Member,

Many thanks to those members who have already paid their 2016 membership fee. I would ask all others to please remit their 2016 subscriptions as soon as possible. There are a range of payment options available.

In this week's ezine we bring you top recruitment tips for small businesses and details on the new Central Bank Regulations for firms lending to small enterprises in 2016. We also provide information on the DKM/BPFI SME Market Monitor for December 2015 and the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland Research Awards which are closing for applications on 20 January. 

Each week in the SFA e-zine, we will profile a different government support available to small businesses, in this edition we bring you details on a tax relief for new companies where you can write off up to €120,000 corporation tax in your first three years of trading.

Throughout 2016, the SFA will offer training programmes tailored to small firms at affordable prices. Book now for a one-day 'Performance management and appraisal skills' programme in Dublin on 28 January.

Book your place at the next SFA webinar on 21 January covering government supports for small business and at the first SFA / Vodafone Speed-Networking event of the season kicking off in Limerick on 28 January. A summary of recent press coverage is also provided. 

As always, we’d love to hear from you about any queries you may have, issues you wish to have raised with Government or other stakeholders and your ideas on how we can improve the business environment for us all. Please contact me directly at tel: 01 605 1602 or 

e-mail: patricia.callan@sfa.ie or tweet: @SFA_Irl or visit www.sfa.ie.

Kind Regards,

Patricia Callan
SFA Director