The West Belfast Small Business Roundtable, initiated by the Andersonstown News to provide a helping hand and encourage networking among company owners, kicks off its New Year schedule with a breakfast discussion on 28 January in An Chultúrlann.

First guest of the New Year will be John Hananaway, who was made partner in Cooper and Lybrand (later PwC) at the age of just 30. 

A St Mary's Christian Brothers' Grammar School old boy, John enjoyed a stellar career with PwC before setting up his own shop - HCA, Hannaway Corporate Advisory.

Limited to just 14 places, the West Belfast Small Business Roundtable gives founders of local companies, whether start-ups or established enterprises, a chance to hear from a business veteran and meet their peers.

The first roundtable before Christmas was addressed by former Phoenix Energy Chair Peter Dixon. 

The Roundtable will hear how financial planning — including regular management accounts, timely annual accounts and financial projections — is is the building block of any business.

"If you don't know how your business is doing, or even if you are making money, then you are driving blind," said John who was the first-ever partner from West Belfast in Coopers and Lybrand. "And we all know what happens when you do that."

On retirement from PwC in 2013, John set up HannawayCA Chartered Accountants (since renamed HCA Chartered Accountants). That firm has now been extended to the HCA (Hannaway Corporate Advisory) group of companies which also includes HCA Business Recovery, HCA Corporate Finance and the online bookkeeping specialist Magic Beans. "From the Rock Streets to being crowned 'Accountant of the Year' in the 2022 Irish Accountancy Awards has been quite the journey for John and I'v no doubt it will inspire a new generation of small business owners," said Belfast Media managing director Máirtín Ó Muilleoir. 

Seats around the breakfast table in An Chultúrlann can be booked via Evenbrite.