This issue’s theme is finance, but don’t let that get in the way of enjoying it. This isn’t about economics, unemployment figures, debt-to-GDP ratios, credit default swaps or the price of a pint of milk. We’re also not going to add to the clamour about the euro crisis, a deliberate decision on our part as, to be honest, we weren’t sure we’d still be using it between our editorial meeting and now. At time of writing it looks reasonably clear there will still be a common currency in 12 months but there are plenty of alternatives (sterling, punt, dollar, bit coin, Linden dollar) should things go awry.

What we are going to look at are the practicalities of choosing a market, securing seed funding and what kind of startups are developing products to make your business run smoother.

We begin with an interview with new director general of Science Foundation Ireland Prof Mark Ferguson. Speaking to TechCentral.ie editor Niall Kitson, Prof Ferguson gives his perspective on how the intersection of science and business is creating a new kind of researcher.

Marie Boran pays a visit to the NDRC and DCU to visit the LaunchPad and Propeller accelerator programmes to find out what makes them so different from a coworking space or a grant scheme. JJ Worrall talks to a number of companies for whom the Irish market simply is not a good fit for the scale of their operation, so are selling abroad while keeping their workforce here.

Our startup standup features some great companies in EduBills, Plendi and SortMyBooks that we know you’ll be scrambling to try, whether you’re trying to grapple with domestic or business accounts.

Continuing in our "Ask the Experts" column, we hear this month from accountant David Branigan on looking at the benefits of operating as a sole trade or limited company, outlining the basics of VAT and managing your expenses.

Sit back and enjoy our second issue of Idea. Thanks for reading.

Niall Kitson Contributing Editor Niall Kitson is editor of TechCentral.ie