EXCLUSIVE: BY MARIE DUFFY: Donegal business guru Sir Gerry Robinson has called on the government to invest more in small businesses to kick-start the Irish economy.
Speaking exclusively to Donegaldaily.com, the multi-millionaire said he believed that the key to kick-starting the economy in Donegal was to focus on local business.
“Donegal needs to focus on building up small local family businesses as they are the future”, he said.
“If you look at the German economy which is thriving, they have a greater proportion of family owned businesses.”
Although Mr Robinson said he believed it was necessary to bring foreign investment into the county, he said it was vital to support home-grown entrepreneurs first.
“It has been good to attract foreign and indigenous businesses to Donegal, but we need to think of building up small local family owned businesses”, he said.
“They are the ones who will stick around when the times are tough.”
However, he also added that he did not believe in investment for the sake of investment.
“I’m not a fan of artificially created businesses as I don’t think they work. There’s no point setting up business parks with reduced rent and incentives if the business idea is not sound in the first place.
When asked if he had any business tips for donegaldaily.com readers he said: “There’s a market for someone in Donegal to set up a facility for Americans to trace their heritage and roots in the county.
“It’s a lucrative market and it’s one that has yet to be capitalised on.”
So before you all start tracing family trees- remember that you heard it here on donegaldaily.com first!
