Archive for May 2026
Why Many Irish SMEs Underinvest in Financial Reporting Until It Is Too Late
For many Irish SMEs, financial reporting is treated as a compliance activity rather than a management tool. The annual accounts are prepared, returns are filed, the bank gets what it asks for, and the rest of the year passes with relatively little reference to financial information beyond the bank b…
Read MoreThe Hidden Risk of Owner Dependency: When the Business Cannot Run Without You
Many Irish SMEs grow around the personality and capability of their founder. The owner does not just run the business in the early years. They are the business. They drive sales, sign off on decisions, hold key client relationships, train staff, fix problems, and carry most of the operational knowledge in their head. For a…
Read MoreWhy Revenue Audit Activity Is Likely to Keep Rising and What Irish SMEs Should Have in Place
For many Irish SMEs, a Revenue audit feels like a remote possibility. Most owners go years without hearing from Revenue beyond the routine filing of returns, and audit preparation rarely becomes a priority until it is needed. In practice, the likelihood of a compliance intervention has been moving steadily upward for several years, and that…
Read MoreHow Over-Reliance on a Few Revenue Streams Increases Financial Risk
Many Irish SMEs build strong businesses around a limited number of revenue sources. This may involve one major client, a small group of customers, a single service line or a dominant product that consistently performs well. In the short term, this concentration can appear efficient and commercially successful. Revenue is predictable, relationships are established and…
Read MoreThe Hidden Impact of Staff Turnover on Business Profitability
For many Irish SMEs, staff turnover is viewed primarily as an operational issue. When an employee leaves, the immediate focus is usually on recruitment, workload distribution and maintaining continuity. While these are important concerns, the financial impact of staff turnover is often underestimated. In reality, frequent staff changes can quietly erode profitability across multiple areas…
Read MoreTop 5 Operational Habits That Quietly Damage Cash Flow
Top 5 Operational Habits That Quietly Damage Cash Flow At Francis O’Kennedy & Co Accountants we know for many Irish SMEs, cash flow problems are often blamed on external factors such as rising costs, late-paying customers or economic uncertainty. While these pressures are real, operational habits within the business frequently play an equally important role.…
Read MoreWhy Some SMEs Grow Revenue Faster Than They Grow Profitability
At Francis O’Kennedy & Co Accountants we know for many Irish SMEs, increasing revenue is viewed as the clearest sign of success. More sales, more customers and a larger pipeline create the impression that the business is progressing well. Yet in many cases, profitability does not increase at the same pace as revenue. Businesses become…
Read MoreThe Hidden Risk of Owner Dependency: When the Business Cannot Run Without You
Many Irish SMEs grow around the personality and capability of their founder. The owner does not just run the business in the early years. They are the business. They drive sales, sign off on decisions, hold key client relationships, train staff, fix problems, and carry most of the operational knowle…
Read MoreTop 5 Operational Habits That Quietly Damage Cash Flow
Top 5 Operational Habits That Quietly Damage Cash Flow
At Francis O Kennedy & Co we know for many Irish SMEs, cash flow problems are often blamed on external factors such as rising costs, late-paying customers or economic uncertainty. While these pressures are real, operational habits within the bus…
Why Revenue Audit Activity Is Likely to Keep Rising and What Irish SMEs Should Have in Place
For many Irish SMEs, a Revenue audit feels like a remote possibility. Most owners go years without hearing from Revenue beyond the routine filing of returns, and audit preparation rarely becomes a priority until it is needed. In practice, the likelihood of a compliance intervention has been moving s…
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