Issue 203 (Week ending 05/02/2014)

Our latest figures show that 1,511 Irish company start-ups were incorporated in January 2014 - this is the first time start-ups have reached the 1,500 mark, in a calendar month, since April of 2008 when 1,541 were set up.

An average of 48 new companies were set up per day this January - this is up 11% on the same period in 2013 when 1,362 start-ups were recorded (''an average of 43 start-ups per day'').

The professional services sector was the most popular industry for start-ups this January, accounting for almost 24% of all new companies.

Wholesale and retail was second on the list making up a further 11% of start-ups. Having dropped in popularity during recent years construction rose to third on the list, accounting for just over 8% of company incorporations.

January 2014 also saw 1,826 individuals become director of an Irish company for the first time - 59% of these individuals were male.