Veteran entrepreneur Hugh Cormican told the West Belfast Small Business Roundtable this morning that entrepreneurs must possess curiosity and passion.
"An entrepreneur is someone who is always curious," says the founder of medical diagnostics imaging company Cirdan. "Someone who isn't happy with the way things are and feels that there must be a better way to do something. And an entrepreneur won't be afraid to ask dumb-ass questions until he or she finds out the information needed."
The West Belfast native – a Gransha man – who was also a co-founder of Andor Technologies, now a public company, was addressing the monthly roundtable hosted by the Andersonstown News to encourage small business networking. "But the entrepreneur must also have passion - that's something that can't be faked. And, of course, the entrepreneur has to be resilient. The life of an entrepreneur is a roller coaster and there are plenty of inspirational ups but there will also be scary downs."
The number one priority of an entrepreneur, says the physicist with two PhDs from QUB is to foster a growth mindset. "The entrepreneur will identify the business' sustainable competitive advantage and really build on it."
BIZ BUZZ: Some of the attendees at the West Belfast Roundtable with entrepreneur Hugh Cormican (Front)
Dr Cormican said Cirdan was born from his own curiosity. "I met a cancer surgeon in Minneapolis and asked her what was the most important tool in her medical toolbox," he explained. "She said it was her eyes as she depended on her sight to interpret what she sees when looking at cancerous tissue. I asked her did she never think of using pictures to help her as a picture can see five times more than the human eye. From that lightbulb moment came Cirdan which provides medical staff with advanced diagnostics for improved patient care. Indeed, Cirdan is now helping millions of people from around the world access an enhanced and more informed diagnosis for their illness."
Cirdan has offices in Australia and Canada with its headquarters on the Lagan towpath at Lambeg.
#TeamCirdan had a fantastic time at #UlsterUniversity's Talent Hub event yesterday! It was a pleasure connecting with students from the School of Art degree programs, sharing insights into the creative and digital career opportunities - both at Cirdan and beyond. pic.twitter.com/oUJ7ZKWJbY
— Cirdan (@cirdan_com) February 13, 2025
The next small business roundtable will take place in An Chutlúrlann on Tuesday 29 April.
