EIGHT thousand people involved in small business ventures, or considering starting one, visited the Self Employed 97 Information Fair in Tallaght over the weekend.
State support agencies, banks, legal and accountancy firms, and firms selling products and services were among the stall holders present.
The fair was organised by business adviser Mr John Maguire and was held in the fifth floor of a multi storey car park. The area, bigger than the main hall in the RDS, was carpeted and heated.
"It's a one stop shop where people from the small business community can come and get the information they need," said Mr Maguire. "We held it at the week end so people could come from all over the country and it could be held in a relaxed atmosphere."
Mr Maguire criticised AIB and the Bank of Ireland for not taking up invitations to set up stalls in the fair. "They take loads of money from the small business community and they should be here," he said.
Mr Michael Bradley, regional manager, small business, with the Ulster Bank, said 60 per cent of the people who had come to his stall looking for information were considering starting up their own business.
"We talk to them about the importance of business planning and how to go about doing market research. They want to know how to go about setting up their business, how to get grants, and what the banks will do for them."
Sisters Cathriona and Maureen Delaney, from Kilkenny, were at the fair to get advice about starting a business. Both unemployed at present, Cathriona is interested in setting up a psychotherapy practice while Maureen wants to set up a pottery business.
"We came here to get information about grants, tax, partnerships, the whole lot," said Cathriona. "A lot of the information is not relevant to the services industry, but some of it is."
Getting money from the State and avoiding giving money to the State seemed to be the main interest of a large proportion of the people there.
Among the busiest of the stalls were the two set up by the Department of Social Welfare.
"A lot of them want to know about the schemes available for people who take on new employees who are unemployed," said Ms Maureen Brown of the Department.
"They want to know about the employers' PRSI exemption scheme, and the back to work scheme (where people can keep some of the benefits for the first three years)."
Two women, who did not want their names published, wanted information about the tax and social welfare implications of their setting up a home cleaning business.
One was in receipt of unemployment benefit yet worked as a cleaner. She wanted to establish a company and employ others, but was nervous about taking the first step.
