Irish entrepreneurs are displaying resilience despite issues with Brexit and the pandemic.
That's according to a survey of EY Entrepreneur of the Year Alumni, which finds that almost 9 out of 10 intend to increase their headcount in the next 12 months.
However, 96% cite talent issues as a major challenge to growing their business - both the availability of a skilled workforce and the ability to attract and retain the right talent.
And while 40% of entrepreneurs said access to funding was an impediment to growth, just 21% said the implications of Covid-19 were a major challenge to expansion.
In addition to this, the survey found that 44% of entrepreneurs perceive the Northern Ireland market as presenting new opportunities and the best of both worlds when it comes to its access to both the UK and EU markets.
Our reporter, Diarmuid Pepper, spoke to Roger Wallace, the Partner Lead for EY Entrepreneur of the Year, about the findings:
