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We are award winning publishers of membership magazines in Northern Ireland. If you would like to get in touch, then you can do so by visitng our website (www.businessfirstonline.co.uk), send us a Tweet (), or contact us on Facebook.

Magowans Fashions, Ballynahinch, recently held a special charity fashion show in aid of Friends of the Cancer Centre, ra...
23/12/2025

Magowans Fashions, Ballynahinch, recently held a special charity fashion show in aid of Friends of the Cancer Centre, raising £12,335 while honouring the memory of their much-loved colleague, Barbara Murtagh, who sadly passed away this year.

The event brought together customers, friends, family, businesses and members of the local community for an evening of fashion, remembrance, and generosity, which in turn raised an incredible amount for charity. Barbara’s chosen charity was Friends of the Cancer Centre, which, for 40 years, has funded life-saving and life-changing projects to support local patients and their families.

The fashion show showcased both the latest collections from Magowans Fashions and celebrated the warmth, kindness, and dedication that Barbara was known for throughout her time with the business.

Magowans Fashions, Ballynahinch, recently held a special charity fashion show in aid of Friends of the Cancer Centre,

As organisations become more digital and interconnected, the way services are delivered has a direct impact on productiv...
23/12/2025

As organisations become more digital and interconnected, the way services are delivered has a direct impact on productivity, employee experience, and business performance. IT, HR, facilities, and other service teams are expected to respond faster, work more efficiently, and provide a consistent experience across the organisation. Managing these expectations with manual processes or disconnected tools is increasingly difficult.

This is where service management software plays a vital role. By providing structured workflows, automation, and visibility, service management platforms help organisations deliver reliable services while remaining flexible enough to adapt to changing needs.
What Is Service Management Software?
Service management software is designed to help organisations plan, deliver, manage, and improve services in a structured and repeatable way.

By providing structured workflows, automation, and visibility, service management platforms help organisations deliver reliable services

Employees who are paid early at Christmas may be affected by the design of the Universal Credit (UC) system whereby clai...
23/12/2025

Employees who are paid early at Christmas may be affected by the design of the Universal Credit (UC) system whereby claimants may be treated as receiving two monthly wages in one assessment period, resulting in a dramatically reduced or even nil Universal Credit award.

Kevin Higgins, Head of Policy, Advice NI explained: “Universal Credit operates on the basis of a calendar month Assessment Period. For example, if you claim Universal Credit on the 27th of the month, your Assessment Period will run from the 27th to the 26th of the following month. When the Assessment Period ends, the amount of Universal Credit payable is calculated from the maximum amount of Universal Credit payable, less any income or earnings received.

Claimants who are in work and are paid monthly, each month’s net pay should fall into each assessment period, and your Universal Credit payments should not vary significantly from month to month if your net pay remains broadly the same.

Employees who are paid early at Christmas may be affected by the design of the Universal Credit (UC) system

Alexandra Nelson has been honoured with the Chartered Institute of Taxation’s KPMG Pat Cullinan Memorial Medal, awarded ...
23/12/2025

Alexandra Nelson has been honoured with the Chartered Institute of Taxation’s KPMG Pat Cullinan Memorial Medal, awarded annually to the top-performing Northern Ireland candidate in the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) final exams.

Alexandra completed her professional training at KPMG and is now an International Tax Specialist at HMRC.

The medal commemorates Pat Cullinan, a native of Co. Tyrone and Tax Partner at KPMG, who tragically lost his life in an air accident at Cork Airport on 10 February 2011. Presented each year to the Northern Ireland candidate achieving the highest marks in the CIOT exams, the award continues to honour Pat’s legacy and his contribution to the tax profession.

Alexandra Nelson has been honoured with the Chartered Institute of Taxation’s KPMG Pat Cullinan Memorial Medal

A major new global report has hailed the continued crucial role of Chief Marketing Officers in driving the business succ...
23/12/2025

A major new global report has hailed the continued crucial role of Chief Marketing Officers in driving the business success of multiple brands in a rapidly evolving world.

Findings in the report Confessions of a CMO, released by Worldwide Partners, challenge a common sentiment that the role of Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) is diminishing and could vanish altogether.

The research shows that when CMOs lead with customer-centric growth, brands and companies see 1.4 times higher topline performance and when that leadership is fully integrated, growth doubles again.

Holywood-based Ardmore is a shareholder and partner in Worldwide Partners Inc., a global network of over 90 independent agencies across more than 50 countries.

A major new global report has hailed the continued crucial role of Chief Marketing Officers in driving the business success of multiple brands in a rapidly evolving world.

ICC Belfast, Northern Ireland’s only purpose-built convention centre, has recorded a bumper year for business event book...
23/12/2025

ICC Belfast, Northern Ireland’s only purpose-built convention centre, has recorded a bumper year for business event bookings in 2025-26.

With the last quarter of the financial year still to go, a total of 93 conferences, exhibitions and conventions have been contracted. These will see more than 62,000 local, national and international delegates visiting the venue.

ICC Belfast is an economic powerhouse for the city’s tourism and hospitality sectors. Each large scale business event fuels bulk hotel bookings and supports restaurant trade, visitor attractions and transport providers. The events contracted so far will generate an estimated £31.5million in economic impact for the city and region.

Rob McConnell, CEO of ICC Belfast said, “This has been a record-breaking year for ICC Belfast and we’re already ahead of our target. It’s testament to the hard work of our specialist sales teams who have taken a new strategic approach to identifying key markets, sectors and booking cycles.

ICC Belfast, Northern Ireland’s only purpose-built convention centre, has recorded a bumper year for business event bookings in 2025-26.

Gary McErlain, Chair of The Lough Neagh Partnership, is calling on Minister Muir to urgently reconsider the financial pa...
23/12/2025

Gary McErlain, Chair of The Lough Neagh Partnership, is calling on Minister Muir to urgently reconsider the financial package announced for Lough Neagh fishermen and develop a meaningful support scheme that reflects pre-crisis income levels and the ongoing inability of the industry to operate sustainably.

Gary said: "The financial package announced this week has left us with a lot of questions. Whilst in principle we welcome any assistance being offered, it is extremely disappointing that the support package has been assessed on 2024 income at a time when the industry was already in severe trouble, with earnings at an all time low. .

Gary McErlain, Chair of The Lough Neagh Partnership, is calling on Minister Muir to urgently reconsider the financial package announced for Lough Neagh fishermen

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About Business Firt

We are an award winning publisher of Northern Ireland’s business to business website. Our mission is to help Northern Ireland companies do business together and better. We bring your brand onto the desktops and mobiles of 15,000 of Northern Ireland’s business decision-makers to help you build your profile, your sales and your profitability.

If you would like to get in touch, then you can do so by visiting our website (www.businessfirstonline.co.uk), send us a Tweet (@bfonline), or contact us on Facebook.