Business lessons I’ve learned

What was your first job?

A paper round delivering the Press and Journal Monday to Saturday before school.

When would you like to retire?

I turned 40 last year so that’s some way off just now!

What did you have for breakfast?

A bowl of Cheerios.

Who, or what, inspires you?

People who overcome adversity and leave a legacy. No better example than Muhammad Ali.

What’s the last book you read / film you saw?

Banshees of Inisherin.

Ritchie Whyte, Partner and Head of Corporate and Business Advisory, Aberdein Considine

What does your company do that others don’t?

As a full-service law firm we provide a holistic service to our clients covering the vast majority of typical legal requirements for businesses as well as private client matters for business owners. This sets us apart from most of our competitors and is something which our clients tell us they value, as not only does it save them time, it also offers a sense of reassurance that they have one or two key points of contact across the business who will manage the relationship and ensure they are looked after. In addition, we try and make sure our clients and other parties enjoy working with us. As a corporate lawyer, obviously first and foremost, our duty is to get the best result for our clients, and this often requires robust negotiation. We believe this can be done by working with and not against other stakeholders in an open, inclusive, and collaborative way. We are certainly not the only business with this approach, but we do place a high value on creating a positive working environment for our people and our clients.

What are the most pressing challenges that your industry sector faces today, and why?

The legal industry has faced acute staffing challenges over the last three years or so. A combination of not enough new trainees coming through, the pandemic accelerating retirements, the rise of new consultancy business models and the ever-present lure of in-house positions have combined to create a difficult landscape for traditional law firms, both in terms of talent recruitment and retention. Most firms have been extremely busy and so there have been many suitors chasing the same relatively small group of people. We continue to invest a lot of time and resource in seeking to create an attractive environment for our people encompassing several factors such as benefits, quality of work, environment, corporate social responsibility, and wellbeing, whereby our people are incentivised and motivated to help us continue to grow the business.

What is the hardest lesson you have learned in your career to date?

The value of time and learning about the cost of missed opportunities.

It certainly took me some time to appreciate the importance of carefully choosing what to prioritise and always being clear on why.

What is the most valuable piece of business advice you have ever received?

Don’t get carried away when things are going well and don’t get too down when you are in a challenging period. As a lawyer and business owner, maintaining perspective is crucial. I think this mantra has always helped me find a good balance in terms of making decisions – not that – I hasten to add – I get everything right!

What’s been your proudest career achievement to date, and why?

I tend not to reflect for too long on what’s gone before and prefer to look forward, but generally it would be the trust that our clients have placed and continue to place in myself and our wider team. Our job is hugely rewarding, and I am proud to be part of a growing business which puts our clients first.

Clan lunch raises £9,500 in the Blue Toon

Clan Cancer Support raised more than £9,500 at its North Lunch fundraising event in Peterhead, with all proceeds supporting people affected by cancer in the local area.

Individuals took part in various games, auctions, and raffles, which contributed to the total raised on the day.

Ruth McIntosh, Clan’s Charity Development Manager said: “It was fantastic to see so many people attend and it’s a true testament to the generosity of our supporters that we raised over £9,500 on the day. This will help ensure we can continue to provide free support services to people affected by cancer across the North-east, Moray, Orkney and Shetland for years to come.”

Mackie’s scoop record UK market share

Celebrated ice cream maker Mackie’s of Scotland has achieved its highest ever UK market share after adding almost half a million customers across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The major breakthrough came despite a tough time in the ice cream sector, as the overall market contracted by 7.4% over the same period.

Mackie’s says the growth of UK customers outwith its traditional Scottish market and its early adoption of renewable energy has helped it offset rising cost pressures and to build for the future.

Mac Mackie, Executive Chairman and one of three family owners at Mackie’s, said: “It’s been a pivotal year in our history. We witnessed this encouraging step change in our sales and cut-through south of the border, predominantly as a result of us winning and building on second-line listings for our honeycomb ice cream with a number of supermarkets, including Sainsbury’s.

“For a long time, it’s been the case that our Scottish customers have been able to choose from a wide range of our ice cream flavours, but those in the rest of the UK could typically only reliably get their hands on our best-selling Traditional flavoured real dairy ice cream. We’re thrilled to be reaching new customers and determined to build on the success of these new listings.”

Newly appointed Managing Director, Stuart Common, commented: “Like all businesses we’re facing major challenges resulting from rising costs throughout our operations which has led to careful negotiations with our trade customers while we do our best to manage and absorb increases that may otherwise be passed on to the wider public.

“Despite the restrictions associated with the pandemic, we have maintained export sales of over £2million, which includes increased export to the US, which poses an exciting opportunity for growth.”

‘Exceptional’ first year for decommissioning firm

A decommissioning business has reported an exceptional first year in business with delivery of contracts worth £3million.

Phoenix Decom is based in Aberdeen and has operational outlets at Peterhead and Lerwick as well as Aberdeen.

It was set up during the pandemic by Craig Smith.

To date, the team has managed more than 20,000 tonnes of subsea decommissioned material from the North Sea.

Year two is also off to a flying start with plans to recruit up to 12 additional people to the team.

Ongoing £500,000 investment will further expand services and introduce electric vehicles to the company’s growing fleet.

Mr Smith said: “Business success will always rely on having the right people on our team - and we are confident we have the best personnel in place to exceed customer expectations.

“Our first year has brought accelerated growth ahead of where we anticipated being after 12 months of operation and we are now ready to face the future with confidence, optimism and excitement about what lies ahead.”

Creating a Diverse & Inclusive Workforce

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Sales and Account Management

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Stakeholder Engagement and Relationship Management

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Report Writing

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Developing a Strategy for a Digital Transformation

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Mental Health First Aid in the Workplace (2 days)

Better understand common mental health issues, how to support someone to professional help and develop the skills and confidence to promote positive mental health within the workplace.

Essential Supervisory Skills

Bridge the gap between doing and supervising and become confident in delegating tasks.

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Finance for Non-Finance Managers (2 days)

Gain an understanding of many aspects of finance and how it impacts business.

Written by James Watt