BUSINESS AWARDS WINNERS
SLIGO BUSINESS AWARDS 2018 CELEBRATED SUCCESS
BROADCASTER and entrepreneur Ivan Yates shared his three traits of success with guests at the Sligo Champion Business Awards last Friday night.
“You don’t need any talents,” Yates told over 350 guests from all over Sligo at the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa in Ballincar.
His 3 ‘Ps’ included 79 per cent perspiration. “I get up earlier than anyone else, I work later than anyone else, I work weekends, people who persevere succeed the most,” he said to a rapt audience.
“There are only two in jobs in business - sales and those who work for people in sales,” he said.
His second ‘ P’ is 11 per cent Perseverance. “Don’t count the number of times you fall down, just count the number of times you get back up. Murphy’s law says ‘what can go wrong will go wrong’, stuff happens. What people forget to say is Murphy was an optimist.
“Don’t have a pity party, just persevere,” said Yates.
His final ‘P’ is 1 per cent Plagiarism: “Every good idea I had I got off someone else,” he said to laughter.
Yates also highlighted the importance of people skills: “One golden role - how to get a customer/manager to say yes, flattery gets you everything you ever wanted.”
The former Fine Gael minister also broached Brexit in his speech, maintaining that a deal will be done between Britain and the EU because “politics always follows business. It’s the economy stupid.”
Local business owners were told by Yates that there were also three things they should bear in mind for the future:“Dublin (due to the trend towards urbanisation, demographics (we’re living longer) and Digital,” he said.
It was a night to celebrate the best of business and entrepreneurship in Sligo.
Winners included Storylab (Best Emerging Business), Aurivo (Best Retail), Apex Controls (Best Customer Experience), Coolaney Development Company (Best Environment, Heritage and Community Enterprise), Ward Automation (Best Innovation in Business), Sligo Summer Festival (Best Tourism Business), Sagesse Charolais (Best Farming & Agri-Sector Business), SL Controls (Corporate Social Responsiblity), Ophardt (Best Rural Business), and Martina Hamilton of The Cat and the Moon (Best Female-led Business).
SL Controls were announced overall winners of the Sligo Business of the Year 2018.
Managing Director of INM Regionals West John Feerick paid tribute to the “outstanding” quality and diversity of finalists this year: “We salute your success and take pride in the role you play in Sligo’s growing economy.”