Last year small companies had to endure the perfect storm of soaring inflation and interest rates as well as a shortage of workers and extortionate electricity prices. The government has mitigated some of the inflation problems, but SMEs have complained that it was too difficult to get access to TBESS support and the scheme has been simplified since then.

So how are things for small firms? All issues for David Broderick -the new Director of the Small Firms Association who spoke to Joe this morning.