Business Scotland 3

BusinessScotland Scottish Chambers of Commerce Magazine

AUTUMN 2015

Meet Scotland’s Young Digital Entrepreneurs European Union Referendum: Read the view of Scottish Business SCC flies Scottish flag in London

Istanbul: the city where two continents meet

Scottish Chambers of Commerce

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BusinessScotland

CONTENTS

AUTUMN2015

18

If an in-out referedum on the UK’s membership of the European Union were held tomorrow, how would you vote?

12.5% 0.4% 13.5% 73.5%

70

48 6

SVETS LAUNCHES IN FORTH VALLEY

8

LAUNCH OF CAIRNGORMS ECONOMIC STRATEGY

10

18

WEST LOTHIAN CHAMBER BECOMES TOTAL WARRIORS SCC SCORES BIG WITH THEIR AUTUMN BUSINESS RECEPTION

67

20 44

48

67

REDUCE TRANSPORT COSTS AND CARBON EMISSIONS WITH FUELGOOD

68

HOW MENTORING CAN WORK FOR YOU

70

SCOTLAND – HOME TO ENTREPRENEURS

73

ISTANBUL: THE CITY WHERE TWO CONTINENTS MEET

Scottish Chambers of Commerce Business Partners

TURKISH AIRLINES AND SCOTTISH CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE LAUNCH NEW DEAL EU REFERENDUM TURNING IDEAS AND AMBITION INTO BUSINESSES

Premium Economy Class will be available across the entire long-haul fleet by the of end December 2015.

FOREWORD

Language learning key for competitiveness

Supporting Scotland’s Digital ambitions Liz Cameron OBE

Nora Senior

Chair, Scottish Chambers of Commerce Executive Chair of UK Regions & Ireland, Weber Shandwick

As our summer holidays become a distant memory and the season transitions from Autumn to Winter, our businesses remain the constant beating heart of our communities.

Chambers of Commerce represent a major constituency – a business and enterprise constituency – with grassroots connectivity enabling us to speak as the most authentic voice of business and deliver the strongest local support to firms.

One of the most important business issues we contributed to this year was the Cole Commission, which looked into how and why Britain is not performing as well as its European neighbours in exporting our goods and services and what the potential solutions are. Of particular importance is the recognition that Chambers of Commerce can act as a key partner in delivering business to business exporting support as a trusted source of information for business people. This makes it clear that there are some things that the Government can do best and others that are best delivered by the private sector.

From my experience, the first step to removing the nerves and apprehension of exporting is by having a presence in the market itself. You will read more about our recent trip to Turkey in this edition of Business Scotland, but from a personal perspective, I have a much better understanding of the market opportunities and business culture of Turkey having spent time there with local business people. It is up to us to work with our future generation of exporters to develop the skills and expertise needed to enter the global market.

Scotland and indeed the whole of the UK does not have a strong record in encouraging young people to sustain language learning. Only 1% of our students in university are from a language subject, compared with 28% of German students who are graduating with second, third and even fourth languages. To compete with companies from Europe, we need to up our game in languages.

There are success stories out there. If you are thinking of expanding into new markets, let’s take our ambition and drive and start now!

Director/Chief Executive, Scottish Chambers of Commerce

Prime Minister David Cameron brought politics and business together during the recent visit of Xi Jinping, the Chinese President. With trade and investment deals worth more than £30 billion, creating over 3,900 jobs across the UK, there has certainly been a concerted effort by the Prime Minister to develop a sustained relationship with the global economic powerhouse.

Strengthening our engagement with China and emerging markets will enable us to leverage what Scotland has to offer more effectively. But equally important is the need to equip ourselves domestically for stronger engagement, particularly by increasing our collective understanding of diverse cultures and traditions. I know that this will enrich our own lives and better enable us to showcase the opportunities Scotland has to offer the world.

Closer to home, Scottish businesses are showing some interesting insights into the ongoing debate on the future of the European Union. Over 70% of Scottish businesses see it fit for the UK to stay within the EU. However, a little under half are fully committed to this view, which means there is still time to develop and expand the arguments and inform the views of Scottish businesses.

Indeed, the Chambers of Commerce Network is calling for politicians to do exactly that – come and engage with us. 70% of respondents said that they were not at all familiar or only a little familiar with the Prime Minister’s proposed renegotiation package. Businesses need to be involved in this debate - we cannot be forgotten.

While we engage with the political discourse, business goes on.

This edition looks at our recent trip to Turkey where we signed an exclusive partnership deal with Turkish Airlines, giving Chamber members discounted air fares, access to business class benefits and a choice to fly to more destinations than any other airline in the world! I am certainly excited by the competitive advantage this will give to Scottish businesses.

Scotland has a proud tradition of creativity and innovation and this edition profiles the entrepreneurial ambitions of Scotland’s brightest digital and technology innovators. Alongside this, I am delighted that our partners, Microsoft are offering Chambers of Commerce members exciting and exclusive discounts on products that will support business growth - there has never been a better time to join your local Chamber of Commerce!

@LizCameronSCC @NoraSenior1

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CHAMBER NEWS

SVETS launches in Forth Valley A new initiative aimed at supporting SME employers to recruit ex-forces personnel and to access military resources and training, was launched by Forth Valley Chamber of Commerce in September. was delighted to welcome General Sir Nick Parker, former Commander of UK Land Forces who spoke passionately about ex-forces personnel being “a huge asset to the workplace.”

General Parker commented, “I am concerned that a gap is emerging between even the most willing employers, and exmilitary jobseekers.

Former service men and women struggle to translate their military knowledge, skills and experience into the language and sometimes the qualifications of commercial employers.”

A collaboration between forces’ charities, public sector bodies and private businesses, SVETS (Scottish Veterans Employment and Training Service) will run initially as a six month pilot project funded by Poppy Scotland, The RAF and Army Benevolent funds and with support from Veterans Scotland, SaluteMyJob and Scottish Chambers of Commerce. It is hoped to then roll the project out nationally, drawing on all the examples of best practice happening across Scotland and making it easier for Veterans and Employers to connect to their mutual benefit. The programme was launched at a business breakfast at Forth Valley College where keynote speakers Eric Fraser, The Veterans Commissioner for Scotland, and Brigadier Paul Harkness, Commander 51 Infantry Brigade and Army HQ Scotland,who spoke about the need for Veterans to be viewed in a positive light and for employers to be able to understand the many transferable skills which they bring to the workforce.

The evening launch took place at the Stirling Court Hotel, where The Chamber

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“SVETS is an entirely new service led by Forth Valley Chamber of Commerce and is adapted from a successful US model.” continued General Parker,” I am delighted to be part of this initiative and urge Scottish employers to get behind it.”

Cabinet Secretary Keith Brown who has responsibility for Veterans also spoke at the event and praised the Forth Valley Chamber for the work done to date, while pledging support from Scottish Government.

Michelle McKearnon, CEO of Forth Valley Chambers was delighted by the positive response to the day. “SVETS is not just about recruiting ex-forces personnel.” she said. “It is also about helping our employers to access world class training such as Leadership in Practice, and to be able to work in partnership with military organisations to share knowledge and skills. We will be working with existing organisations to ensure that the thousands of small businesses who form the Chamber network can benefit from and contribute to SVETs to be part of a joined up programme across Scotland.”

CHAMBER NEWS

Thorntons named as top performing business

The Tayside and Fife leading law firm has been named as one of Scotland’s top 10 best performing businesses.

Thorntons climbed 33 places to eighth in this year’s prestigious SME 300 table following a year which saw turnover and profits grow significantly.

The league table, which measures the performance of Scottish headquartered companies with a turnover between £8m and £20m, showed Thorntons to be the country’s highest-climbing law firm.

The firm’s growing stature has been driven by growth in its private client, estate agency, land and rural, education and personal injury practices, with growth in some areas rising by 20 per cent. This has seen turnover rise from £14.38 million to £16.28 million and profits increase by more than £1.3 million to £3.98 million.

The table covers Thorntons’ 12-monthperiod to 31st May, 2014. Since then, the firm has also successfully completed mergers with Fife-based law firm Murray Donald and Montrose-based Watts Law .

Joint Managing Partners Craig Nicol and Scott Milne said: “Reaching the top 10 of the SME 300 reflects the tireless work of the whole Thorntons team has undertaken to make this one of our best ever years.

“Our current success is built on the work of those who have spent decades building the firm’s reputation for providing a first-class service. It is imperative that we strive to build on this success and the whole team remains dedicated to continually improving our existing services and developing new services.

“We have in the last few months won a place on The Scottish Government’s Legal Framework Panel and we are looking forward to developing our relationship with the Scottish Government, its Agencies and Legal Teams to work with the other panel firms in delivering a first-class service.”

Edinburgh, St Andrews, Arbroath, Anstruther, Cupar, Montrose and Forfar.

It currently has a workforce of 419 people including 40 partners.

Reaching the top 10 of the SME 300 reflects the tireless work of the whole Thorntons team has undertaken to make this one of our best ever years.

Thorntons has offices in Dundee, Perth,

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CHAMBER NEWS

Launch of Cairngorms Economic Strategy Cairngorms Business Partnership is delighted to launch a major new economic strategy for the Cairngorms National Park. Developed after extensive consultation with businesses and organisations in the public and private sectors, The Cairngorms Economic Strategy advanced under the leadership of the Cairngorms Economic Forum, led by the Cairngorms Business Partnership.

As a private sector, member led Chamber of Commerce, representing the Cairngorms National Park and, through our organisation’s Chairmanship of the Cairngorms Economic Forum, Cairngorms Business Partnership was in a unique position to lead the co-ordination and development of the Strategy and to be at the heart of its delivery.

As the local Chamber of Commerce, our remit is to oversee the development and implementation of a pan Park strategy to help businesses and communities thrive and we have great confidence, that through unique and strong collaboration, we can build on the strengths of the iconic Cairngorms National Park and deliver an even stronger economy for future generations to enjoy in this special place.

The Cairngorms Economic Strategy has been adopted to build on the strengths of the National Park and address key economic challenges. At its core, is the aim of supporting growth of the economy of Scotland’s largest National Park by focussing on four key aspects: n Strengthening existing business sectors n Supporting start-ups and diversification n Increasing the number of workers

employed across the Park

n Addressing infrastructure challenges

such as broadband, mobile coverage, transport and housing

The Park has a unique rural economy with a particularly strong reliance on tourism.

Challenges, which the Cairngorms Economic Strategy will focus on however are not exclusive to that sector. For example, a range of businesses are impacted by increased logistics costs, gaps in business support and a lack of higher and further education facilities.

The Cairngorms economy throws up some interesting statistics and reflects some of the challenges faced: Some 9,400 people are employed in the Park and 87% of businesses employ less than 10 people. It also boasts

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7% more small businesses than the Scottish average. House prices, often regarded a measure of the economy, are 30% higher in the Cairngorms than the Scottish average yet annual earnings are 26% less than the Scottish average. Source: CNP Economic Benchmark Review 2013; 2010/2013 State of the Park Reports We need the Strategy to build on our existing strengths too and to maximize the significant opportunities that the world renowned Cairngorms National Park brand brings.

This is something we cannot do alone and we are thrilled to be leading such a strong partnership of private and public sector organisations.

We all look forward to taking advantage of this exceptional opportunity for the economy of the region.

Cairngorms National Park Economic Strategy 2015-2018

43 A successful sustainable economy supporting thriving businesses and communities

Challenges Opportunities

We are pleased that Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn and Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism has warmly welcomed the commitments in the Strategy to grow business and support small businesses. Adding his support Grant Moir, Chief Executive Officer, Cairngorms National Park Authority believes the framework will maximise opportunities for people living, working in and visiting the Park.

It is important that businesses capitalise on the opportunities afforded by our

outstanding natural environment and that we all work together to deliver sustainable economic growth. If you are interested in learning more about the Cairngorms Economic Strategy, copies of the policy are available at http://visitcairngorms.com/ economicstrategy Mark Tate, Chief Executive Officer, Cairngorms Business Partnership

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Business Scotland

9

CHAMBER NEWS

It’s Gold for the Chamber!

Renfrewshire Chamber has become the 1st Chamber in Scotland to be accredited with Investors in People Gold.

Commenting on the achievement chief exec Bob Davidson said “our progression from silver was due to a number of factors including: 1) The enhanced training and development of staff including MBA, business degree, social media training & customer service mentoring. 2) The gender balance of the team is now 50/50 with the Board of Directors getting closer to that ratio also. 3) Our work from a CSR perspective including staff volunteering in young people related projects and the support we give to the local community also contributed to our progression.”

Chamber chief Bob Davidson who has now

been in the post for 6 years continued by saying “We’re always looking for ways that show our members we are a well-run, progressive and innovative organisation – that cares about its staff. We’re a small team, and like all small businesses, to be effective we need to trust each other, work hard and respect each other as individuals.

We have developed that culture over a number of years and work hard to protect it.

The whole team & Board are very proud of our IIP Gold accreditation.”

Chamber president Audrey Cumberford commented …“Achieving the gold standard awarded by Investors in People reflects our commitment to our staff. The success and performance of the Chamber would not be possible without the dedication, skills, talent and professionalism of the Chamber team.”

This recent accreditation follows shortly after the Chamber became the 1st Chamber in the UK to become Living Wage Accredited.

For more info on Renfrewshire Chamber please visit www.renfrewshirechamber.com

West Lothian Chamber becomes Total Warriors Lothian Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Linda Scott swapped her office for a punishing obstacle course in North Berwick that was held on the 12th September, leading a team of members to complete the notoriously difficult Total Warrior Challenge to raise money for the No Limits Sports Club.

Linda was joined by Sarah Lee, Managing Director of local PR firm Hot Tin Roof, Alastair and Mhairi MacDonald, who run MacD IT an IT support company and Jim Lenaghan, Managing Director of tech business, RMS Scotland Ltd The Chamber Warriors prepared for the extreme obstacle course by attending bootcamp style training sessions run by 52nd Lowland, The 6th Battalion of The Royal Regiment of Scotland (6Scots). The team were put through their paces by Colin and Aaron from 6Scots who also joined the team for the challenge, using circuit training, timed runs and heavy lifting activities to build their strength and stamina.

This challenging style of training helped the team to face the 12 km all-terrain course, and to overcome the various types of obstacles featured throughout, which included elements of fire, electric shocks, and lots and lots of mud!

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Linda says: “I am extremely proud that The Chamber Warriors completed this tough challenge. It was really hard going at times, but we pulled together as a team and helped each other through. The No Limits Sports Club is a fantastic charity that has done amazing work in the West Lothian community for children and young adults with disabilities, and the team and I are delighted that we were able to help them in this way.”

The No Limits Sports Club provides a positive and encouraging environment for young people who experience disabilities and feel restricted due to the lack of appropriate sports facilities.

All funds raised by the team will go towards improving the club’s facilities. If you would like to help the team support the club, donations can still be made on The Chamber Warriors MyDonate webpage: https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/ wlchamberwarriors

CHAMBER NEWS SCOTTISH CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

ANNUAL DINNER TWENTY FIFTEEN

BOOK YOUR TABLE TODAY Scottish Chambers of Commerce Annual Dinner

Wednesday 2nd December 2015 7pm Hilton Hotel, 1 William Street, Glasgow, G3 8HT Host: Kaye Adams

Hear from our Keynote Speaker, Robert Brozin, Founder of Nando’s & Social Entrepreneur From humble beginnings in Johannesburg, Nando’s has grown to 1100 restaurants in 23 countries with stores stretching from Rosettenville to Cape Town, Canada to Australia and the UK to Malaysia. Join us for a truly inspiring and entrepreneurial evening.

Book your table now!

T: 0141 887 6181 E: events@scottishchambers.org.uk W: scottishchambers.org.uk

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CHAMBER NEWS

Business finalists selected for Star billing The countdown to this year’s Perthshire Chamber of Commerce Business Star Awards, 20th November 2015, supported by GS Group, has begun in earnest as judges reveal their finalists from a record entry of local companies.

The shortlisted entrants for Perthshire’s most prestigious business awards will now be asked to ‘play their aces’ as judges begin the

task of visiting and interviewing this year’s finalists. * This annual celebration of the best in the business world always proves a spectacular night out and tickets (£65 + VAT) can be booked in advance by contacting the Chamber office on 01738 488325 or by email to events@ perthshirechamber.co.uk or online at www.businessstarawards.co.uk

Our deserving finalists are: Employee of the Year Award sponsored by McLeod Glaziers Graham Borrie, AGB Small Contracts Callum McKenna, Graham Hygiene Services Claire Officer, Perth Autism Support Hollie Millar, Scott Hospitality Services Apprentice of the Year Award sponsored by Perth College UHI James Munro, Binn Group Scott Mason, GBEC Scotland Matthew Gorrie, LW Haddow Plumbing,Heating & Electrical Darren Le’Drew, SSE Most Promising New Business Award sponsored by Elevator & Business Gateway Alibob @ Cairn O’Mhor The Anglers Inn Blend Coffee Lounge Derrybeg Bed & Breakfast Excellence in Customer Service Award sponsored by Graham Environmental Services Blackhills Clinic Crieff Hydro Fairways MDG Group

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Excellence in Business Innovation Award sponsored by Binn Group Merlin ERD Miconex Scott Hospitality Services Tower Bakery Commitment to the Community Award sponsored by Royal Bank of Scotland Horsecross Arts One Voice Volunteer Group Association Perth & Kinross Association of Voluntary Service Excellence in Tourism & Leisure Award sponsored by Bank of Scotland Action Glen The Black Watch Castle & Museum The Enchanted Forest Community Trust Land Rover Experience Scotland Contribution to Sustainability Award sponsored by Stagecoach Group Comrie Croft Kilmac Group Vector Aerospace Component Services UK Internationalisation Award sponsored by Perth & Kinross Council Vector Aerospace Component Services UK

Business Growth Award sponsored by Johnston Carmichael Chartered Accountants AGB Small Contracts The Lending Channel Merlin ERD Volpa Excellence in E-Commerce Award sponsored by Fairways HR Business Support and Recruitment Specialists Eva Lucia PC Solutions Perth Perth Racecourse Independent Retailer of the Year Award sponsored by Blackadders Eva Lucia Loch Leven’s Larder Perthshire Flooring Provender Brown Delicatessen Excellence in Food & Drink Produce Award sponsored by The James Hutton Institute Allan’s Chilli Products Highland Distillers (Glenturrett) The Inveralmond Brewery Mr C’s Hand-Crafted Pies

CHAMBER NEWS

Continued Growth for Highland Business Week The Inverness Chamber of Commerce team are delighted with the success of their third annual Highland Business Week which saw over 1000 participants across 10 events.

Paula Nicol, Inverness Chamber Events Manager, reflected on the week: “From the opening Keynote Lunch on Monday where we welcomed industry representatives to discuss the Future of Rail in Highlands, right up to our Highland Business Awards lunch on Friday, each event was well attended and the feedback has been extremely positive”.

The week is anchored by 2 major events, Highland Spotlight Business Exhibition and the Highland Business Awards. The exhibition, which took place on Tuesday 22nd September at the Kingsmills Hotel, Inverness was a sell out success and featured over 60 exhibiting companies. As well as the wide range of organisations being

showcased, visitors also had the chance to attend 4 short seminars which were running alongside the exhibition.

The buzz around the room began before the doors opened as exhibitors began networking with their neighbours and this atmosphere continued throughout the day with over 450 business men and women taking part.

Stewart Nicol, Chief Executive of Inverness Chamber said: “Every year, we boast that the week will be bigger and better than ever and once again we have delivered on that promise. This was especially evident during the week’s finale event, the Highland Business Awards lunch”.

The awards lunch was supported not only

by Principal Sponsor, Technip, but secured individual sponsorship for each of the 13 award categories. Friday 25th September saw 330 of the regions business leaders gather to celebrate as winners were unveiled at the Drumossie Hotel, Inverness. Before the winners were revealed, attendees heard from Keynote Speaker Steve Dunlop, Chief Executive of Scottish Canals.

The theme for this year’s Highland Business Week was collaboration, it’s something Inverness Chamber are passionate about and it’s fantastic to see it happening across the Highlands with events like these.

Every year, we boast that the week will be bigger and better than ever and once again we have delivered on that promise.

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CHAMBER NEWS

And the winners are....

We can now unveil the winners of the East Renfrewshire Business Awards 2015 that took place in June 2015.

The categories were judged by a panel of experts who drew up the shortlist of finalists for each of the Award categories. The quality of the entrants was extremely high and the short listed nominees reflect the sheer breadth of business success throughout East Renfrewshire from small start-ups and individual entrepreneurs to long-established businesses.

150 guests attended the glittering ceremony at Dalmeny Park Hotel, which was hosted by Karen Dunbar.

John F Hamilton, President of East Renfrewshire Chamber said “I would like to congratulate everyone who entered not just the finalists and winners. The Chamber is proud to be associated with such outstanding companies. These awards recognise the range and quality of businesses that we are fortunate to have here in East Renfrewshire.

The event would also not have been possible without the support of our sponsors and I would like to thank them for their commitment to this event and we look

forward to seeing you all again in 2016”.

West College Scotland Principal Audrey Cumberford said: “On behalf of West College Scotland, I congratulate all the winners on this outstanding achievement. College staff were involved in the judging process, so I know how high the standard was in each and every category. I wish our winners all the best for the future. I am sure they will continue to prosper, bringing benefits to the businesses and communities of East Renfrewshire.”

The winners of the East Renfrewshire Business Awards 2015 are: Excellence in Customer Service Award sponsored by The Avenue Shopping Centre Winner - A.C. Whyte & Co. Most Promising New Business Award sponsored by ASDA Winner - Glasgow News

Outstanding Performing Business (less than 5 employees) sponsored by East Renfrewshire - A Place to Work Winner - Morrow Associates Ltd

Family Business of the Year - sponsored by Gleniffer Estates

Outstanding Performing Business (less than 25 employees) - sponsored by Business Gateway

Winner - Barrhead Travel

Winner - Tailor Maid Home Care

Green Award - sponsored by Barrhead Housing Association

Outstanding Performing Business (more than 25 employees) - sponsored by West College Scotland

Winner - George Leslie East Renfrewshire Social Enterprise of the Year - sponsored by Taylor Wimpey

Winner - Barrhead Travel

Winner - ReUseIt Furniture

Boost for Ayrshire’s young workforce Regional employers look towards the future.

“We want an improved relationship between schools and employers that will allow all of our young people to progress, whatever their background or gender. Young people across Ayrshire’s three local authority areas can look forward the development of fresh career pathways to ensure they are well placed to maximise their potential.”

Business community representatives in Ayrshire are to lead work to develop Scotland’s young workforce in the region.

The Developing the Young Workforce in Ayrshire regional group will aim to improve links between education and work in the three local authority area.

Cabinet Secretary for Fair Work, Skills and Training Roseanna Cunningham met key stakeholders at University of the West of Scotland’s Ayr campus to launch the group which has been developed with representatives from the private and public sectors.

She said: “I am very pleased that the Developing the Young Workforce regional group for Ayrshire is up and running. While there is a considerable amount of good work happening in the area, I recognise that much more can be done to support young women and men towards sustainable and rewarding jobs.

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“Recent statistics demonstrate a clear and sustained improvement in the youth labour market with youth employment reaching its highest May to July level since 2005 and youth unemployment falling to its lowest level and rate since 2008.

Val Russell CEO Ayrshire Chamber added: “Ayrshire Chamber is delighted to be leading the Ayrshire Regional Group which is a natural extension to the education work we already deliver. We are confident that working closely with partners, both public and private sector, we will lead the changes required to create a fairer Ayrshire giving all young people support tailored to their needs and equip them with the skills and attitudes required to help Ayrshire business grow and prosper.

“We want to maintain progress and employers will play a key role in the delivery of the aims of Scotland’s Youth Employment Strategy – a 40 per cent reduction in youth unemployment by 2021.

“Our vision is to support all unemployed young people regardless of cause, uncover natural talent, and facilitate its growth in the perfect environment – educational or workplace – whilst instilling self-belief.”

Running a business is complicated enough so why not use the benefits of the cloud to make it easier?

Easyspace, part of award-winning Glasgow-headquartered cloud computing company iomart, is offering every member of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce Network the chance to harness all the benefits of Microsoft Office 365 with an exclusive discount.

The Scottish Government wants to ensure the country’s small to medium businesses are well positioned to take full advantage of all

“In a small and fast growing company we don’t have to worry any more about whether our employees have got the latest software

the economic opportunities offered by the digital age.

because it’s automatically updated. With any new starts all we have to do is get them a new computer and off they go with the latest

One of the barriers keeping more businesses in Scotland from moving into the cloud is the lack of internal knowledge about what the cloud has to offer as well as a natural caution about losing

Office tools. It’s a big thing not to have to worry about any more.”

control of IT resources.

Easyspace has the skills and resources to help you get the best

Business Benefits One of the best steps to the cloud is to use Office 365 to make

out of Office 365 with our highly-trained migration and support teams ready at your disposal. What’s more, we can also offer a 25% discount on Microsoft training for your teams in conjunction with

Business Support

your working life easier. Office 365 gives you access to a suite of Office applications, Exchange email and online tools that help you

Filtered.com.

to collaborate and work more effectively online and because it all happens in the cloud, there’s no need to store huge amounts of data on your computers at work or your laptop at home.

Today more than a third of small and medium business employees work from more than one location, so having access to best-inclass Office tools enabling you to serve customers across multiple devices and locations makes sense, especially when the latest

The benefits to business are immeasurable: you can work on and share documents in real-time; access your team’s calendars; instant message; and hold video conferences. All the familiar

versions of those tools are always available on your devices.

tools you need such as Word, Excel, Outlook, Exchange email and PowerPoint across virtually any device, backed by the reassurance that someone else is managing it all for you. Plus you will always have the latest version - currently Office 2016 Case Study Scottish biotech procurement company Amici Procurement has already made the move to Office 365. Managing Director Caroline Briggs explains, “We are a specialist in providing procurement services not hosting and we had got to the point where it didn’t make sense to keep diverting resources to maintain and backup a server any more.

Whatever your budget, there is an Office 365 package to suit your business.

With Office 365 from Easyspace you really can get your work done from anywhere.

To find out about our exclusive offer: Business Scotland 16

Call us on 0800 955 0410 or visit www.easyspace.com/scc

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NEWS

SCC scores big with their Autumn Business Reception It was a day to remember for the Chambers Network as we held our annual Autumn Business Reception in Westminster. It was a hugely successful event and the turnout from businesses and MPs is a credit to our network.

Ian Murray MP was our MP sponsor for the event and delivered the welcome address to all the delegates.

Nora Senior, Chair, championed the valuable contribution the Chamber Network plays in Scotland and across the world.

She said, “The Chamber Network plays a vital role in ensuring business to business connections are made - especially between London and Scotland.

It is great to showcase, here in Parliament, that the Chambers of Commerce are leading the way in direct business to business connection and support. Our economy is in a crucial stage of development and here at SCC we are tapping into our unique local presence across Scotland and the UK, giving us a powerful voice to highlight the business needs and opportunities to politicians.”

Our Business Partner for the event -

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Virgin Trains - gave an excellent speech showcasing the importance of transport to Scotland’s economy. Graham Leech, MD of Virgin Trains, addressed the audience.

Graham said, “It was great to partner with SCC at their Business Reception. Virgin Trains is committed to helping improve business transport in Scotland and it was great to see so many businesses and MPs in attendance to support and hear about our work.

The rail industry is crucial to Scotland’s economy and from supporting such events and the Commonwealth Games 2014 to the Gymnastics World Championships, Virgin Trains is at the forefront of the growing demand for rail travel. Connectivity is key for Scotland’s and UK’s economic growth and we are proud to play our role.”

We also heard from Treasury Minister, David

Gauke MP who gave the UK Government’s perspective on how to promote economic growth as well as how Scottish business can help guide decision making to ensure the best conditions for business development and job growth.

The event was closed off by our very own Liz Cameron OBE, who thanked all our guests for attending and commented on the valuable contribution businesses can make in Parliament and in communities all across the country.

Keep an eye out for our next London Business Reception!

NEWS

It is great to showcase, here in Parliament, that the Chambers of Commerce are leading the way in direct business to business connection and support.

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NEWS

Reduce transport costs and carbon emissions with FuelGood Training your staff to drive more efficiently is one of the easiest and quickest ways to reduce business transport costs and carbon emissions. FuelGood driver training is currently free for all Scottish businesses until March 2016, with full funding from the Scottish Government.

If your employees don’t drive on business, they can still benefit from the training - all of the benefits apply to their own personal driving. Organising FuelGood training demonstrates your commitment to your employees’ wellbeing, as well as sustainability.

What are the results?

How to book training

We have trained more than 10,000 drivers since launching training in 2011.

96% of drivers who participated in our evaluation would recommend the training to others and 85% have improved their driving behaviour and fuel efficiency since training.

Contact the Energy Saving Trust - email fuelgood@est.org.uk or call 0808 808 2282 to speak to a specialist transport adviser, offering independent, expert transport advice.

The benefits for your business and staff are:

Easy to organise

n MPG savings of up to 15% on business and personal mileage. Based on a mileage of 8,700 miles per annum, this means annual savings of £235. n Reduced wear and tear on tyres, brakes and clutches - which means less money spent on repairs. n Reduced risk of accident – learning to anticipate the road ahead reduces the likelihood of accidents. n Reduced emissions, improving air quality and keeping Scotland healthier.

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The training is delivered from your workplace by experienced driving instructors on a one-to-one basis. We provide the cars, fuel and insurance and it takes just 50 minutes per driver. Once you have agreed dates for training, sessions can be booked easily by staff themselves through our online booking system.

Over 300 companies in Scotland have organised FuelGood training for their employees, including VisitScotland, Michelin, Carillion and Mitie, 8 NHS Trusts, 16 universities and colleges - and STV Glasgow!

www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/drivertraining

no one should have no one 0

Over 100,000 people in Scotland are facing later life alone.

To find out how your business can help Age Scotland fight loneliness contact

alisdair.caulfield@agescotland.org.uk

Age Scotland is an independent charity registered in Scotland. Registered company No: 153343. Registered charity No: SC010100.

A decision for Heathrow is a decision for Scotland.

heathrow.com/takingbritainfurther

Business Scotland

#TakingBritainFurther

Expanding Heathrow will provide the growth, jobs, exports and connections that will help boost Scotland’s economy.

It’s a new and ambitious vision, now backed by the Airports Commission.

We’re ready to deliver.

© Crown copyright 2006

© Crown copyright 2014

Could a Reservist make a difference to your business?

It’s well known that the vital role played by Scotland’s employers in supporting our Armed Forces’ Reserves makes an important contribution to Britain’s defence. Not so widely recognised is that by making use of the skills gained by members of the Reserve Forces, employers stand to benefit too. From specialist IT qualifications to leadership, problem-solving and decision-making abilities developed in the Reserves, employers can – in return for their support – see very real returns in productivity and efficiency.

© Crown copyright 2010

© Crown copyright 2013

For more information on employing Reservists go to www.sabre.mod.uk or call Ron Macgregor at Highland RFCA on 01382 631026. We’re waiting to hear from you.

SaBRE

We’re all stronger with Reservists Can you afford not to employ a Reservist? That’s the question all forward-thinking employers should be asking themselves.

Reservists bring a host of transferable skills to any organisation. Reservists can also boost profitability and make reliable employees.

There are not many companies which can afford to spend the £8,500 worth of transferable training that an average Reservist’s military service provides in a year. Employers benefit as their Reservist employees will be constantly learning new skills and acquiring new abilities which can be put to good use in the workplace.

This training results in substantial gains for employers. Some training is compulsory for all service men and women, regardless of rank, and other training is undertaken to help Reservists gain specific skills which enhance the qualities, both physical and mental, that every employer seeks in its employees: commitment, respect, integrity and discipline.

Reservists are trained to the same exacting standards as their Regular counterparts, operate the same equipment, and when on duty face the same challenges and receive the same pay. Their professionalism, courage, fortitude, loyalty, discipline and integrity are recognised worldwide as setting the benchmark for others’ Armed Forces and are rightly held in the highest regard. On top of all of this, the women and men of our Reserve Forces also manage civilian careers, supported by family, friends, colleagues and employers; they are essential to our nation’s security and their contribution continues to grow.

There are many reasons to support Reservists. They willingly give their own time to undertake their training commitments.

The skills they learn such as leadership, self-confidence and the ability to perform well under pressure, are as useful in the workplace as they are in the field.

Businesses and charitable organisations who wish to demonstrate their concrete support for the Armed Forces community can go further than employing Reservists, they can also sign the Corporate Covenant.

Signing this is one way of recognising the sacrifice of members of the Armed Forces and showing gratitude for their contribution to maintaining the security of the nation.

For those who have signed the Corporate Covenant, the Government’s Defence Employer Recognition Scheme can further

reward their support for the Armed Forces with Bronze, Silver or prestigious Gold awards. These can speak volumes about your business.

The job of looking after the interests of Reservists in Scotland is divided into two and belongs to the Reserve Forces and Cadets Associations (RFCA) of the Highlands and Lowlands, each with their own small permanent staff of Crown Servants funded by the Ministry of Defence. Together, their area of operation stretches from the Borders all the way to the Shetland Isles.

The associations provide direct support to Reserve units including the Maritime Reserve, the Army Reserve and the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. Highland and Lowland RFCAs are committed to community engagement at public events and make grants available to provide equipment and funding for training at home and abroad.

understanding of the benefits to employers and employees – called on the expertise of 11 Reserve units. The combined effort underlined the truly tri-Service nature of Reserve Forces in Scotland.

Other summer 2015 events have included Dundee Military Show and Exercise Medical Stretch in Glasgow.

Together Highland and Lowland RFCAs have Scotland covered when it comes to proudly supporting Scotland’s Reserve Forces. For further information log on to www.sabre.co.uk, www.hrfca.co.uk and www.lowlandrfca.org.uk or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HRFCA or www.facebook.com/LowlandRFCA and Twitter @HRFCA or @Lowland_RFCA. Reservists have got what it takes, but have you got what it takes to employ one?

Employers are supported through highprofile events such as Exercise Executive Stretch, Royal Gun Salutes and Stirling Military Show.

Exercise Executive Stretch 2015 ran over three days and saw six teams tackle physical and mental challenges at Redford Barracks in Edinburgh and at nearby training areas.

The event – designed to enable employers and their staff to experience various aspects of Reservist training so they gain an

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Premium Economy Class will be available across the entire long-haul fleet by the of end December 2015.

LUFTHANSA

Lufthansa – leading the way for Scottish travellers

With a total of 48 flights a week from two airports the full service airlines in the Lufthansa Group (Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines) continue to lead the way for Scottish travellers.

leaving Frankfurt and Munich within 15 minutes of scheduled departure time.

reasons - leg supports with integrated footrest in the front row provide additional comfort.

As well as providing direct links from Aberdeen and Edinburgh to Frankfurt and Brussels the services also offer the country’s quickest and easiest onward connections. Lufthansa’s network of 258 destinations in 80 countries worldwide includes around 75 of the world’s key oil and energy markets in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas.

Premium economy passengers also benefit from twice as much free baggage allowance as in Economy Class with two pieces of luggage up to 23 kg each.

An upgraded on board experience also allows them to control the extensive in-flight entertainment programme with their own touch-screen (screen size from 11 to 12 inches - 28 to 30 centimetres).

Each seat also offers a USB port and an electrical outlet so passengers can use their own devices.

A combined total of over 443,000 passengers travelling in and out of the country last year proved once again that discerning travellers appreciate the way Lufthansa has responded to the challenges of the travel market in the face of ever-increasing competition from low-cost airlines.

Lufthansa also continues to enhance the on-board experience for customers. In addition the traditional economy, business and some first class cabins the large number of Scottish passengers who take onward connections now have the added option of a high quality premium economy product on Lufthansa long-haul services. The new seat is wider and can be tilted further back so has increased personal space by about half compared to Economy.

To maintain the leading position in the market Lufthansa must be better than anyone else in terms of product, service and reliability. Lufthansa services recently recorded the best figures for punctuality in its history with over 85% of all flights

A separate wide armrest for each seat and a centre console between the seats also ensure extra privacy.

The adjustable headrest can be folded at the sides and gives comfortable support. Height adjustable footrests from the second row and - for design

PartnerPlusBenefit provides business travellers with membership of the world’s biggest business travel reward programme allowing them to earn reward points on all booking classes. Members can earn and spend points on all ten airlines in the programme in one easy to manage account. No other similar programme in this country includes so many carriers working together in that way. Members are then able to choose from a wide ranging 13 options when redeeming loyalty points. These include award flights, upgrades, cashback, hotel eGiftcards valid in over 70,000 hotels worldwide and airport parking.

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CHAMBER NEWS

Caithness Chamber launches North Highland Developing the Young Workforce initiative On September 23rd, Caithness Chamber of Commerce officially launched an innovative new initiative - Developing the Young Workforce.

Led by local employers and shaped by regional needs, this initiative will provide a new way of examining and resolving the issues of skills gaps and youth unemployment in Caithness and Sutherland.

The launch of Developing the Young Workforce was marked by a business networking lunch and presentation in the Pentland Hotel, Thurso, bringing together a wide range of employers and stakeholders from across the region. The Chamber itself will spearhead the initiative, providing leadership and acting as a single point of contact, creating one unified voice for engagement and discussion regarding the development and implementation of opportunities for 16-24 year olds locally.

With the initial funding for the initiative, provided by Scottish Government and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, in place for 3 years, the initiative will focus on working with employers and education providers to ensure that school and college leavers are better prepared for the world of work, that education focuses on employment and progression in learning, that Modern Apprenticeships are focused on industry needs, and that more employers are engaging with education and recruiting young people.

Following this initial three-year period, the North Highland Developing the Young Workforce initiative will continue on as an employer-led, employer-funded group, working to identify new skills needs and providing employment opportunities for local young people.

To help secure the economic future of the region, local stakeholders must work together to develop a greater understanding of the present and future needs of employers. It is hoped that this new knowledge will help shape the curriculum, in turn equipping new generations of employees with the skills and confidence

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to support the industry and economy of Caithness and Sutherland for the future.

As the first of its kind in the Highlands, the initiative was formed in response to the Scottish Government’s Education Working for All! report and demonstrates the strong commitment from local stakeholders to find innovative solutions to youth employment issues. The newly-formed group welcomes any business or organisation from within the Caithness and Sutherland area with an interest in shaping how young people are made ready for the workplace to get involved.

Caithness Chamber of Commerce is confident that, with sustained dedication and support from local businesses and education institutions, the Developing the Young Workforce initiative will be the dawning of a new era in the transitioning of young people into the workplace, building strong foundations and providing greater, more sustainable opportunities for our future workforce.

“See what our network can do for your business� www.scottishchambers.org.uk

WORKPLACE CHAPLAINCY SCOTLAND

All in a day’s work for Scotland’s workplace chaplains From drinks with the ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ stars to poring over baby ultrasound scans it’s all in a day’s work for Scotland’s workplace chaplains. which employ them, but the wider community and the economy. “ WPCS makes no charge for its chaplaincy services, relying on financial support from Scotland’s churches and on donations. However sustaining key recruitment, training and development means core funding is essential.

Falkirk chaplain Irene Strachan (left) in Callendar Square shopping centre.

In over 1000 businesses and public services across the country, the charity Work Place Chaplaincy Scotland’s chaplains are listening to the challenges faced by people on every rung of the career ladder.

Academic research recognises that chaplains in the workplace benefit staff, managers and balance sheets. Productivity increases while absenteeism and staff turnover goes down when people feel valued.

That’s something acknowledged by WPCS’ board of Trustees which comprises leading business figures from the Scottish Retail Consortium; the Scottish Trades Union Congress; The Scottish Council for Development and Industry and academic and church life. Chairman Sir Iain McMillan CBE, is immediate past director of CBI Scotland.

Says Sir Iain: “Today’s tough economic climate can mean that difficult decisions need to be made in the world of business.

At all levels, people often face life-changing situations and they tell us that it makes a huge difference to them to know the trained chaplain will listen, without judging them, or passing on confidences. Employers tell us they’re seeing improved staff retention and productivity and a fall in absenteeism.

“I am convinced that a workplace chaplain, helping people stay resilient, not only benefits individuals and the organisations

CEO Rev Iain McFadzean (left) and Chairman Sir Iain McMillan CBE

From 2.5 chaplains in around 25 workplaces when it began five years ago, WPCS under Chief Executive Iain McFadzean, now has 13 staff and 80 volunteer chaplains serving 1500 workplaces including Royal Mail and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. Rev McFadzean says demand for chaplaincy is rising as more organisations see the benefits.

Independent of management, chaplains are there by invitation, not by right. That, explains WPCS Edinburgh team leader Rev Tony Bryer: “Gives a very different feel to such ministry as we are in other people’s work space. The chaplain has to be sensitive to the context. We are not there to preach or recruit for the Church, but to serve people of all beliefs or none.”

Dundee chaplain Geoff Findlay on his rounds.

and why I do it. It often surprises people that chaplains are not the stereotypical, stuffy characters they might imagine. We are just ordinary people, with an extraordinary calling.”

In Dundee, council chaplain Chic Lidstone says: “In keeping with other workplaces, from retail to manufacturing, the once secure environment of local government is feeling a chill wind. We seek to: ‘promote corporate and personal wellbeing,’ so I try to be there for the staff and organisation alike. Does being a council chaplain have a wider, positive influence on the city? I like to think so.”

Hazel Brooks and Zoe Ball at the airport

An Episcopal priest, Tony provides chaplaincy to 6000 people in the north, east and centre of Edinburgh, from retail outlets such as St James Centre and Boots, to John Lewis and Harvey Nichols. He is also chaplain to Lothian Buses and the Edinburgh Trams.

In Glasgow, volunteer Hazel Brooks helps provide chaplaincy to Glasgow Airport’s 5000 staff. “I offer pastoral support, in many different situations, to airport staff and often feel humbled by their willingness to invite me into their lives,” she says.

Tony with two members of staff of Harvey Nichols in Edinburgh

One story Hazel didn’t expect to become part of was the BBC’s: ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ show. On duty one day, she caught the attention of ‘Strictly - It Takes Two’ presenter Zoe Ball and colleagues.

Such are the everyday experiences of workplace chaplains, but, sadly, situations such as the Clutha Bar and bin lorry tragedies in Glasgow also involve chaplains providing support, often long after the event.

“They were surprised to see a chaplain at the airport and invited me to join them for a drink and to tell them about chaplaincy

To learn more about WPCS, or to donate, please visit the website www.wpcscotland.co.uk.

Scottish Charity SC041857: Scottish Company Limited by Guarantee (Company No SC387207).

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REGISTERS OF SCOTLAND

Completing Scotland’s land register

Charles Keegan is Head of Land Register Completion at Registers of Scotland (RoS).

His team are working to fulfil the request

by Scottish Ministers for RoS to complete the land register within ten years.

Scotland has the distinction of holding the world’s oldest land register which has enabled land and property owners to register their deeds and provide security of ownership for almost 400 years.

national asset for Scotland and will make future transactions on land and property faster, easier and cheaper for owners as all land will be recorded centrally on the digital map-based register.

Registers of Scotland (RoS) is the body responsible for registering land and property. Since the early 1980s we have been transferring titles from the old General Register of Sasines onto a more modern, map-based register, the land register. Once complete this will provide a clear picture of who owns what and where across Scotland. The transfer onto the newer register has happened mostly through trigger events, such as property sales. To date around 59 per cent of all Scottish property, which equates to around 27 per cent of land mass, has been transferred onto the land register.

You don’t have to wait for a trigger event to get on the land register.Voluntary registration is one of the main ways we can speed up the completion process and RoS has reduced fees for voluntary applications by 25 per cent until 2017. This is to encourage land and property owners to update their records and add their assets to the land register. This will provide them with a state-backed guarantee of title for greater security.

Last year, Scottish Ministers invited RoS to complete the land register by 2019 for land and property owned by public bodies and by 2024 for private and third sector landowners. This is a challenging target, but a recent act of parliament, the Land Registration etc. (Scotland) Act 2012, implemented last year allows us to introduce additional triggers to help RoS achieve our objective.

A single, comprehensive, publicly searchable register that gives clarity on who owns what will be a

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To assist in the completion of the land register it will not be possible to record a standard security in the deeds based General Register of Sasines from 1st April 2016. This means that applicants seeking a mortgage with a new lender will need to prepare a voluntary registration along with any new standard security for their asset to move onto the land register.

While our primary focus is on encouraging voluntary registration, there are levers that have been put in place through legislation which will support our commitment to completing the land register.

One such lever allows the keeper of the registers to consider registering land, without input from the landowner, at her discretion. This process, keeper induced registration (KIR), has been piloted and RoS is consulting this autumn on how we envisage the process being used going forward.

If you are interested in registering your land or property, or would like to participate in the KIR consultation, please visit: www.ros.gov.uk

BUSINESS GATEWAY

Business support to help you grow Existing business owners across Scotland can access expert advice and support from Business Gateway to give their businesses a boost this autumn.

In addition to a comprehensive online resource and one to one support from a team of experienced advisers, Business Gateway’s free workshop programme covers a range of issues of importance to the business community.

“Every year we help thousands of businesses take the next step on the growth ladder,” said Hugh Lightbody, Chief Officer at the Business Gateway National Unit.

“We can offer access to a range of professional services designed to help take your business forward. Everything from networking opportunities to market research, exporting, financial planning, and recruitment and training.”

A local perspective With a network of local offices across the country, Business Gateway is ideally positioned to provide support that specifically addresses the issues of those businesses working within a particular location.

“Our advisers can quickly and expertly identify which of our services will most benefit a company’s core business objectives, tailoring support to meet their needs,” continued Hugh (bottom left). “With their wealth of local knowledge our advisers are perfectly placed to link businesses with individuals and organisations within the local business community who can help them develop and grow.”

The advisers, many of whom have run their own business or held senior positions within industry, have the skills, practical experience and network of valuable contacts to help business owners achieve their objectives.

In addition to one to one support the advisers can also point businesses to a wealth of free online advice and specialist guides on www. bgateway.com that will help them plan for growth.

Paisley business is flying high One business that has been supported by Business Gateway is Cloud Global Ltd. In just four years the Paisley based aviation group has become a leader in its field with an international client base that includes 16 different airlines across three continents.

Founded in 2010, the business (www. cloudglobal.co.uk) now offers a range of specialist services including recruitment for the aviation industry, aircraft leasing and aircraft component support.

“The strategy of developing various divisions has proven very successful and we can now count prestigious names such as Emirates,

Etihad Airways and Aeros Flight Training amongst our clients,” said Director Graeme Frater (top mage).

With almost 40 years’ experience in the aviation industry between them, there is no doubt the Cloud Global directors understand their industry inside out, but they were also acutely aware that they would benefit from some specialist business advice to help them grow.

“The business has gone through a period of rapid expansion and Business Gateway has been an important member of the team as we have developed our services. Not only did our adviser guide us through the start-up process but the marketing and strategy workshops he organised have really helped us chart the way forward.

“We also received market research support from the Business Gateway Information Service, which helped us identify potential new customers that we would otherwise not have been able to contact.”

To find out how Business Gateway can help you, visit www.bgateway.com or call 0845 609 6611.

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TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Angus backs business through skills, training and recruitment support With ever increasing demand from the national travel industry for their highly-specialised call centre services, Journeycall was keen to find new headquarters to house their existing 200+ employees and an additional 100 new members of staff, as well as enabling further expansion.

At the time, Journeycall had their headquarters in Laurencekirk and a satellite office in Brechin. Mindful of the company’s requirements and keen to encourage the company to remain in Angus, Angus Council’s Business Angus team provided Journeycall with a number of options with regard to premises and also offered support and advice while they considered the next step in their business development.

As a result, Journeycall decided to relocate to a large, purpose-built business unit on the outskirts of Arbroath. Business Angus helped to broker a deal with the business unit’s landlords, which satisfied all parties involved. They also provided Journeycall with development advice and support, as well as ensuring the necessary infrastructure was in place so Journeycall could relocate to Arbroath in November 2014.

Staff recruitment was a key issue for Journeycall and the Business Angus team worked closely with the business to help recruit the 100 additional staff required at the award-winning company’s new Arbroath headquarters. With a large pool of qualified, skilled staff in the local area, the team held awareness raising events, sourced interview and induction training venues and helped ensure Journeycall’s new employees were not financially disadvantaged whilst awaiting their first pay packet.

We are extremely grateful for the invaluable support provided to Journeycall by Angus Council’s Business Angus team leading up to and during our relocation Theresa Wishart, Journeycall’s Operations Director

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In addition, Business Angus liaised with local transport companies to improve the ease with which Journeycall staff from outwith the Arbroath area could travel by public transport to their new place of work.

“We are extremely grateful for the invaluable support provided to Journeycall by Angus Council’s Business Angus team leading up to and during our relocation,” said Theresa Wishart, Journeycall’s Operations Director.

“With Business Angus’ support, we have been able to make the move to our new headquarters as efficient and smooth as possible while also increasing our workforce by 50%. This will allow us to meet the call centre and customer service needs of our many clients in the UK travel industry, while also increasing our range of services to existing clients and targeting new business.

“Journeycall’s relocation to Arbroath and subsequent expansion marks the start of another exciting chapter in our story.” In fact, Theresa has gone on to receive the accolade of Association of Scottish Businesswomen “Businesswoman of the Year”.

Angus Council’s Business Angus team offers a one stop advice shop – whether it’s information on funding, skills support, recruitment, company training and property or practical business advice. Working with other business support agencies in the area, their partnership approach will ensure the appropriate support is delivered to those who require it in a way that is accessible and specific to their needs.

A fantastic example of this partnership approach is the Angus Shared Apprentice Programme (ASAP), which as the first scheme of its kind in Scotland, allows construction apprentices to complete a full apprenticeship programme by working with a number of different employers to gain the skill sets they require as they train to become qualified.

The ASAP is a collaborative company delivered by Angus Council, Dundee and Angus College, Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), local employers and is supported by Skills Development Scotland (SDS). It gives more companies the opportunity to offer apprenticeship places by sharing the apprentice with other employers.

The programme also aims to address the challenges faced by the construction sector at this time whereby they cannot guarantee four-year Apprenticeships due to the fragile nature of construction work and shorter contracts.

This new approach enables more small companies to offer apprentice places by making the process easier. Employers will be able to share delivery of a full apprentice programme with a number of employers and won’t have to make the full financial commitment that is usually necessary when an apprentice is taken on over a four year period.

To find out more on how Business Angus can help your business, visit www.businessangus.com

SQA JOURNEYS FOR SCOTLAND’S FUTURE

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Scotland’s future is our young people – the workforce of tomorrow.

SQA qualifications prepare them for work, and give them the skills employers like you are looking for.

Find out where SQA Journeys can take your business.

www.sqa.org.uk/journeys

Business Scotland

Business Development T: 0303 333 0330 E: mycentre@sqa.org.uk W: www.sqa.org.uk/journeys

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ELECTRICAL SAFETY Training SQA INTERVIEW

ONLY approved centre for CompEx in the Central Belt

CLOSER THAN YOU THINK

You don’t need to send your employees far to access the qualifications and training they require to work in the oil and gas industry. Forth Valley College is ideally located in central Scotland - saving your business money on travel and hotel expenses.

We pride ourselves on offering a wide range of essential Electrical Safety and Hazardous Areas Training courses and we are the ONLY approved centre for CompEx in the central belt.

Essential Training for Industry The training we offer will ensure that your organisation has a competent, skilled workforce that knows how to ensure the safety of themselves and others.

Ongoing training is essential in the oil and gas sector to ensure upto-date knowledge and awareness of safe working practices and legislation.

State-of-the-art Facilities We have recently completed a purpose built training and assessing CompEx facility which includes two state-of-the art workrooms with electrical booths to accommodate 16 clients, a purpose built control room, demonstration areas and a fully equipped classroom with smart-board and projector which has been a huge success with clients since it opened.

Our Courses We deliver the best possible range of accredited electrical courses, which are based upon the IEC Standards, primarily IEC 60079: Parts 10; 14 & 17.

CompEx is the global solution for validating core competency of employees and contract staff of major users in the gas, oil and chemical sectors, both with offshore and onshore activities. The internationally recognised certificated scheme is designed and developed by industry for industry.

The courses are suitable for Electrotechnical & Mechanical craftspersons that need to develop and demonstrate their competency in the selection, installation, inspection and maintenance of electrical and mechanical equipment in potentially explosive atmospheres.

Courses available on offer at Forth Valley College are CompEx 0104 and CompEx Refresher for operatives working in Hazardous Areas (Gases & Vapours) and CompEx 05-06 for operatives working in Hazardous Areas (Combustible Dusts).

As the only UK Approved Licensed CompEx centre in Central Scotland we are an excellent choice for validating core competency in these specialized fields.

Introduction to Electrical Safety in Hazardous Areas

CompEX 01 - 04 Hazardous Areas

Duration – 1 Day Price - £99

Duration – 5 Days Price – £995

CompEx Dust

CompEx Working in Hazardous Environment - Refresher

Duration – 3 Days Price – £695

BOOK TODAY Various start dates are available throughout the year at our Falkirk Campus with course duration ranging from two day refreshers to full five day courses.

www.forthvalley.ac.uk/courses/electrical_safety For more information on the courses available please call

Duration – 2 Days Price – £525 BS7671: IET Wiring Regulations (17th Edition - currently incorporating latest Amendment No.3 2015)

PAT Testing (Electrical Equipment Maintenance and Testing) Duration – 2 Days Price – £345

Duration – 4 Days Price - £610

01324 403173 or e-mail

BusinessDevelopment@forthvalley.ac.uk Business Scotland

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© Forth Valley College 2015.

All information was correct at time of publishing, but may be subject to change. CM162

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT – TULLOS TRAINING

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS

Turning Talent Into Skill Tullos Training Limited is a long established engineering training organisation providing advancement of vocational and further education training in the development of individual capabilities, skills and understanding.

The company delivers high quality training to nationally recognised standards and is an accredited centre through SQA, SEMTA. EAL, City & Guilds, ECITB and SummitSkills.

MACHINING - MANUAL & CNC WELDING & FABRICATION PLUMBING HEATING & VENTILATION AIR CONDITIONING & REFRIGERATION ELECTRICIANS - CONTRACTING INDUSTRY AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING RIGGING & LIFTING

Offshore/Onshore

www.tullostraining.co.uk

Registered in Scotland with charitable status, the company is a nonprofit distributing organisation and is entered on the Scottish Charity Register in compliance with the requirements of the Charities & Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005.

Founded in 1968 (originally Aberdeen & District Engineering Group Training) as an employer led training provider, Tullos Training remains at the forefront of engineering training in North East Scotland and operates from a fully equipped training centre in the West Tullos district of Aberdeen.

The centre has extensive training workshop and classroom facilities specialising in Electrical Engineering and Installation, Electronics, Welding/fabrication, Mechanical Engineering, Machining Manufacture, Pneumatics/Hydraulics and under building services: Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration.

In addition to national training programmes the centre offers a wide variety of short courses.

Learners and Modern Apprentices on the Tullos Training register are working with employers in a wide range of sectors including energy, aviation, paper making, building services engineering, local authorities and hospitals.

Whatever your industry, Contact Tullos Training for information on Engineering VQ’s, National Certificates, Modern Apprenticeships and Short Course, on everything from Hydraulics to Electronics to Unvented Hot Water systems.

www.tullostraining.co.uk

T: 01224 872316 F: 01224 894677 E: info@tullostraining.co.uk Tullos Training Ltd Craigshaw Drive, West Tullos, Aberdeen AB12 3AL

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TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT - CARNEGIE CONFERENCE CENTRE

Your Total Event Solution Conference Suite for up to 300 delegates 25 meeting & break-out rooms PC Training Suite Voting system and virtual presenter software Video Conference Suite Complimentary delegate parking for 140 cars

0344 248 0137 www.carnegieconferencecentre.co.uk

Advertise your company in Business Scotland

BusinessScotland

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Meet the Chamber Network Female CEOs Insight into Europe’s Best Airline - Turkish Airlines Across the Pond with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon

Contact John Neilson on t: 0781 387 4970 e: john.neilson@distinctivegroup.co.uk

Business Scotland

36

Scottish Chambers of Commerce

PLUS! ECONOMIC BENEFIT FOR

SCOTLAND WITH HEATHR OW

AIRPORT EXPANSION?

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT - UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW

0344 248 0137 www.carnegieconferencecentre.co.uk info@carnegieconferencecentre.co.uk

Conferencing at Carnegie Your Total Events Solution

In these challenging times, when event organisers need to be smarter, more creative and consider alternatives to city centre venues, the flexibility and affordability on offer at the Carnegie Conference Centre is enticing many organisers to look to Dunfermline for their conferences and events.

Conveniently located less than a mile from Junction 3 of the M90, Carnegie Conference Centre offers a wealth of possibilities for meetings and events without the need to make compromises on things like equipment, parking, on-site expertise and accessibility.

The purpose built facility has a contemporary look and feel, providing a professional and pleasing environment for clients. Our 5-star chef also adds to the experience, bringing his exceptional culinary skills and passion for fresh, local produce to provide tailor-made menus just for you.

Whether you’re planning a full scale conference or one-to-one training session, Carnegie Conference Centre has the rooms,

flexibility and equipment to fit the bill. Our main hall can comfortably accommodate up to 300 delegates with a further 22 conference/breakout rooms of various sizes, including a Video Conference Room and IT Training Suite.

You can be assured that, if required, an experienced technician from our dedicated IT team will be on hand to assist both before and during your event. Our ability to provide a service or IT solution that many other conference centres cannot ensures that your event will be a huge success and one your delegates will remember for a long time.

The flexible choice of meeting rooms means that whatever you’re looking for from a venue, Carnegie Conference Centre can accommodate your requirements.

Whether you’re looking for a room for an hour or three days, for 2 people or 300, for a conference or an interview, assessment days or a corporate dinner, you can be sure we have the rooms for you.

Not For Profit Our professional and attentive events team are there to offer advice and guidance throughout the entire event management process. From catering options and room choice, through to hotel bookings and equipment hire, they will ensure your event runs smoothly from start to finish – and did we mention day delegate rates start from as little as £21.50 per person?

Combine all of this with the Carnegie Conference Centre’s not-for-profit status, and as well as securing a flexible and affordable package to meet your budget, you are also ensuring that all profits from your event are going back into the provision of education and skills for the local community, which in turn helps your organisation to deliver further on your corporate responsibility objectives.

Contact us to find out more about the facilities and services on offer at Carnegie Conference Centre or to discuss a tailor-made conference package. Once you have visited our website, why not visit the venue itself? Our team is always happy to arrange a tour of the facilities at a time that suits you.

Carnegie Conference Centre, Halbeath Road, Dunfermline, KY11 8DY

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WHERE INSPIRING PEOPLE INNOVATE www.glasgow.ac.uk/business Adam Smith Business School University of Glasgow Gilbert Scott Building Glasgow G12 8QQ. The University of Glasgow, charity number SC004401

Š University of Glasgow, 2015

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT - UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW

Can we teach students to become entrepreneurs? Yes We Can

by Colin Mason This is the era of the so-called ‘entrepreneurial university’. This term has different dimensions.

Here it is used to describe efforts to produce entrepreneurial graduates in response to the very different labour market and economic conditions that confronts this generation of graduates. This is well illustrated by the recent CIPD report that nearly 60% of UK graduates are in non-graduate jobs.

Other trends include the shift from ‘jobs’ to ‘projects’, the growth in self-employment and the end of the ‘job-for life’. But at the same time it is suggested that Generation Y - the Millennials - are more interested in working for themselves than previous generations. Meanwhile, it has never been easier to start a business. Economics of scale are no longer important in many sectors and technology has reduced the costs of starting a business.

These developments have been the driver to embed entrepreneurship into the campus both in the curriculum and through extra-

curricular activities. Of course, there are some who argue that entrepreneurs are ‘born not made’, so you can’t teach someone to be an entrepreneur. However, this view is largely discredited. There is ample evidence that entrepreneurship education can change student attitudes, speed up their decision to start a business and produce better businesses.

The relevant question is how should entrepreneurship be taught. Unfortunately such courses are often ineffective.

Entrepreneurship education needs to be embedded across all disciplines. It should not be confined to business and management students. The teaching of entrepreneurship has to be distinctive from management education. And, teaching cannot be entirely classroom-based. There has to be an experiential component that enables learning-by-doing. Moreover this needs to go well beyond the approach of writing and pitching a business plan.

At the University of Glasgow, we have developed a Business Start Up class which requires students, working in groups, and after one term of classroom teaching, to start a business which trades over the course of a term. This has proved to be highly effective. In their written learning

reflections students have noted that this experience has reinforced their classroom learning; helped them develop new skills - for example, negotiation, pitching for resources and selling; exposed them to start-up realities such as the need to bootstrap, the value of their social capital (who they know), the limits to social media and the critical importance of pricing; and emphasised the need for passion.

Students also reported positive impacts on their own personal development (e.g. organisational skills, time management, team working, self-confidence). And critically, it has had a positive impact on entrepreneurial intent, especially amongst final year students. Moreover, by contributing profits to a local charity (we were approached by the Beatson Pebble Appeal to be the course charity in 201516) the teaching underlines the wider contributions that entrepreneurs make to society.

This is just one of many ways we support and teach entrepreneurship at the Adam Smith Business School. From student consultancy projects, to knowledge exchange partnerships, we work with businesses in the UK and abroad to help them grow and innovate.

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SQA JOURNEYS DEVELOPING THE WORKFORCE OF TOMORROW

Developing the Young Workforce Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) is the Scottish Government’s seven year strategy to improve the options available to young people with more informed and ambitious choices, reducing youth unemployment by preparing young people for the workplace and giving them the skills that employers are looking for.

It is the response to The Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce, which aimed to ensure that Scotland is producing better qualified, work ready and motivated young people with skills relevant to modern employment opportunities.

SQA Journeys SQA is a key partner in the initiative. We are uniquely placed to deliver DYW because we already work closely with training providers, employers, colleges and schools, as well as local authorities and SDS. We understand the needs of learners and of employers and how we can help one group to help the other, creating a more qualified, more motivated and more productive workforce.

Our wide range of robust, relevant and respected qualifications link directly into DYW. They are designed and continually reviewed in partnership with industry experts to foster the workplace skills and experience needed in the real working world to make businesses more competitive and Scotland’s economy more dynamic.

VALUES INTO ACTION

These qualifications sit at various levels, allowing the learner to make strides from one qualification to the next or to change paths at an equivalent level.

Find out where SQA Journeys can take your business. www.sqa.org.uk/journeys

SQA Working With You Every business working with SQA has a dedicated Account Manager – one point of contact who will take the time to get to know you and how you work, and who understands the particular challenges in your area.

Your Account Manager will advise you on the best possible journey for enhancing your industry’s young workforce. Working together, we can give Scotland a happier, more productive, more reliable and more skilled workforce.

Business Scotland Business Development T: 0303 333 0330 E: mycentre@sqa.org.uk W: www.sqa.org.uk/journeys

41

D&A College –

your one-stop shop for training

Accredited Training

Bespoke Training

Modern Apprenticeships

Work Placements

Dundee and Angus College offers a wide range of industry-accredited courses throughout the year, designed to arm successful students with the skills demanded by today’s employers.

Training and assessment for work-based Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) and accredited courses for larger groups can be provided on your company premises at a time to suit you.

There are flexible study options: full-time; part-time; online; at work, home or college; and many courses are eligible for ILA funding.

If you have existing employees interested in becoming an MA simply contact us for more information. We can also help you recruit a Modern Apprentice by arranging an initial work placement at no cost to your business.

The Modern Apprenticeship (MA) programme combines paid employment with work-based training and leads to industry-recognised vocational qualifications. The programme offers your employees the chance to gain skills and qualifications relevant to the nature and level of their current job without having to study full-time.

For more information please contact our Customer Engagement team:

business@dundeeandangus.ac.uk 01382 834874 / 01241 432722 www.dundeeandangus.ac.uk/business Arbroath Campus Keptie Road, Arbroath DD11 3EA Gardyne Campus Gardyne Road, Dundee DD5 1NY Kingsway Campus Old Glamis Road, Dundee DD3 8LE Learning Centres in Forfar, Kirriemuir and Montrose

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT - PEOPLE 1st

People 1st Unveils Training Support to Help Scottish Businesses Benefit from Customer Service Training With competing for the consumer pound more vital than ever, workforce development charity People 1st has unveiled a £180,000 training support fund to ensure small and medium businesses in Scotland are given an equal opportunity to benefit from its WorldHost Regional Destination Initiative.

Using the charity’s world-renowned WorldHost training programmes, thousands of Scotland’s hospitality and tourism staff in small and medium businesses can reap the benefits of dedicated customer service training, saving those that qualify for the funding – provided by Skills Development Scotland – £40 per person in training costs.

David Allen, director of Scotland for People 1st, says: “Outstanding customer service is integral to a business’ success and for small businesses in particular, delivering an exceptional customer experience can often be what differentiates them from the competition, allowing them to compete with the bigger players.

“Scotland’s small businesses can now take comfort in knowing that it is easier than ever for their employees to make the journey to becoming WorldHost trained – putting their establishments on the map as bastions of customer excellence.”

Supporting the project are a number of regional Chambers of Commerce including Perthshire, Caithness, Moray and East Renfrewshire.

Caithness Chamber of Commerce chief executive, Trudy Morris, says: “WorldHost recognition is fast becoming a must-have for any business with customer-facing staff. Businesses that have been through the training have reported increased sales, improved customer feedback and boosted motivation and satisfaction among staff. These are the main reasons we are encouraging our local businesses to get involved and undergo the training.

“Not only that, by establishing a reputation for a consistently high standard of customer service in the area, we can attract new customers, encourage return visits and boost the local economy which benefits everyone.”

David continues: “Customer service is still a major issue for Scotland’s tourism businesses - 65% of them feel that customer service skills need improving in their workforce. However, those that’ve already undertaken WorldHost training have noticed the difference it makes, from improved sales to increased staff motivation through to positive feedback from customers and higher repeat customer levels.”

WorldHost programmes have been used to train 9,000 people in Scotland in the past year alone, including 3,000 ScotRail staff in preparation for the Commonwealth Games.

During the next two years, over 5,000 businesses, four cities, more than 70 towns and two sets of islands across 12 Scottish regions* will have access to SME funding to help them achieve WorldHost Recognised Business and Destination status – a musthave badge for excellent customer service.

Businesses that are interested in taking part in the WorldHost Destination Initiative should visit http://scotland.worldhost.co.uk for course dates, regional information and more.

People 1st identifies industry needs across the hospitality, tourism, leisure, travel, passenger transport and retail industries and works in partnership with employers to develop class-leading solutions that increase performance through people. For more information visit: www.people1st.co.uk, call 020 3074 1222 or tweet @p1stgroup

WorldHost Recognised Business status is awarded to businesses that have trained at least 50% of their front-line staff using any of the WorldHost programmes, while WorldHost Recognised Destination status is awarded to areas where 25% of businesses have achieved the standard.

The Scottish regions currently signed up to the WorldHost Regional Destination Initiative are: Aberdeen City and Shire, Caithness and Sutherland, Dundee and Broughty Ferry, East Renfrewshire, Fife, Inverness and Loch Ness, Moray Speyside, Orkney, Perth, Shetland and West Lothian.

*

Business Scotland

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BUSINESS MENTORING

How mentoring can work for you NEO Environmental is a multidisciplinary consultancy that provides technical solutions and specialist integrated services for the successful consent of renewable energy and infrastructural projects across the UK and Ireland.

The business was set up in Glasgow in 2012 and works with a growing list of client projects covering the commercial energy, property and infrastructure sectors.

Michael McGee and his business partner Paul Neary were new to the responsibilities of running a business and aware of the many potential challenges. They sought a form of assistance that would provide reassurance and a way to develop their confidence and ability to meet the challenges ahead. Some specific challenges had been identified and others were suspected as having the potential to emerge suddenly and present risks that could threaten the business if not handled appropriately. Finding a mentor with experience and foresight in business was seen as an ideal way of gaining confidence and access to practical knowledge about developing a growing business.

The mentoring relationship between Michael and Henry Perfect began in the summer of 2012 and concluded formally at the end of 2013. Henry has volunteered his services through Business Mentoring Scotland for over 10 years now, with numerous businesses in that time having taken advantage of the expertise, knowledge and skills he has developed in a 37 year career in professional services progressing from project manager through to director then company chairman. The meetings between Michael and Henry were held bi-monthly where a range of topics were covered. Some topics were part of a structured agenda and others emerged and were discussed as the conversation developed, combining a series of diary appointments and relaxed discussion that became more focused as both parties developed a comfortable and productive relationship.

The mentoring relationship has generated immediate and longer term impacts on

Business Scotland

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Neo Environmental. In the short term, the reassurance bolstered confidence and belief as well as acting as a sounding board for ideas in a secure and trusted setting. Honest feedback led to some real time rethinking in key areas such as the charging and pricing policy and the administration approach and systems. These changes increased efficiency internally to reduce costs, improve productivity and increased effectiveness generating increased turnover and profitability. Over the next year turnover is set to increase over threefold, with near similar increases in employment. Scottish Chambers of Commerce spoke with Michael in detail as he revealed his experience of mentoring:

relationship between us worked well, with Henry providing honest feedback and insight.”

Why did you join Business Mentoring Scotland?

Would you recommend Business Mentoring Scotland to other businesses?

“As a relatively new business, we knew there would be challenges ahead and that would cause sleepless nights to divert our energy away from applying our skillsets and developing the core business. We wanted to find a way of addressing these and benefiting from the lessons learned by others.”

How did the mentoring relationship work?

“The meetings with Henry were excellent for developing scenarios around the business, addressing the potential uncertainties around our business and the growth pathway. The

What impact has mentoring had?

“Henry’s mentoring has made a positive impact, especially on our outlook and on the shape of our business growth”.

How did mentoring differ from other forms of assistance?

“We were successful in accessing various forms of assistance from Business Gateway and others for funding grants for training, SEO optimisation and financial support for jobs. This was good for our development, however business mentoring made the most difference to our business and growth.”

“Yes, the relationship between myself and Henry worked well and we are looking to extend our involvement through another mentor.”

BUSINESS MENTORING

Business Mentoring Scotland is a business growth tool delivered by Scottish Chambers of Commerce in partnership with Scottish Enterprise and is provided at zero cost to mentored businesses. One of the more unique and socially minded businesses to take advantage of mentoring in recent years, is Plan Bee Ltd. Plan Bee lease bee hives to businesses and produce and sell a variety of products with the beeswax - including honey, candles, fudge, and in the near future, craft beer. Owner, Warren Bader, not only aims to grow a profitable, ethical and sustainable business, but also works to increase awareness of the importance of bees to the world’s ecosystem - engaging in projects with local schools including through the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games Legacy Project. Warren feels that mentoring “is one of the best things I’ve ever done.” and his mentor Mike Lees described his work with Warren as “an exciting opportunity encompassing the challenge of creating a strategy to get across the ethical message of the plight of bees, whilst also building the Plan Bee brand and operations.”.

Scottish Chambers’ spoke with Warren and he outlined how he and Plan Bee have benefited from tapping into Mike’s experience and expertise:

Why did you join Mentoring?

“I felt that I didn’t have a helicopter view of my business. Being the owner of a small business you are always at the coal face, it can be a lonely journey and it’s not always easy to see the potential mistakes you can make or the opportunities available.

I went in looking to improve the performance of the business, to get an external set of eyes on things, and to talk with someone with experience of a large scale operation.”

How well did you connect with your mentor, Mike?

“Mentoring is a bit like blind date! You look over someone’s CV and have pre-conceived ideas but you never really know someone until you meet. As soon as I met with Mike I knew he was going to be the right guy for us. Carol Anne (of Scottish Chambers) is very perceptive about matching a business with a mentor and it’s such an important part of the process.”

What business issues did you work on?

“We covered the whole spectrum. We talked about moving the business forward through developing the business’ product lines, our financial processes, the marketing of our product offering, and breaking into new international markets – particularly for the new craft beer we are working on.”

Business Mentoring Team t: 0141 204 8373

Charlie Ramsay

What have been the effects of mentoring on you and the business?

“On a personal level it’s led to a mind change in myself. Mike instilled in me more confidence generally, and also about the business and the products we sell. Practically, we’ve changed the product formula for our craft beer to improve the taste and make it more appealing. We’re also now working at moving into export markets in the Middle East and China for our honey.”

Would you recommend Business Mentoring Scotland to other businesses?

“Joining the Glasgow Chamber has been fantastic value for money and joining mentoring was a complete no brainer. Mike has been amazingly pro-active in moving the business forward and I feel that every businessperson should have a mentor - a sage if you like - at some point in their life.”

Carol-Anne Morris

Fiona McCann

Louise Ramsay

Business Scotland

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A triple-accredited business school that’s around the corner...

A triple-accredited and around the world business school that’s around the corner... and around the world

Our MBA and Masters programmes are consistently ranked among the best in the UK – and around the world. And with a decade of triple accreditation perhaps that’s no great surprise. As Scotland’s number one business school, we understand the importance of global thinking. Education pioneers 1966 with our MBA, we Our MBA since and Masters programmes are continue to introduce innovative business consistently ranked among the best in the programmes to suit demands of an UK – and around thethe world.

And with a evolving world and we’ve extended decade ofbusiness triple accreditation perhaps that’s our academic reachAswith centres number in Europe, no great surprise.

Scotland’s Asia and the Gulf. one business school, we understand the importance of global thinking. Education Make Strathclyde your destination. pioneers since 1966 with our MBA, we continue to introduce innovative business www.strath.ac.uk/business programmes to suit the demands of an evolving business world and we’ve extended our academic reach with centres in Europe, Asia and the Gulf.

Make Strathclyde your destination.

www.strath.ac.uk/business Business Scotland

46

EPIPOLE

Epipole Ltd launch the epiCam Epipole ltd, a small company based in Rosyth, Fife has just launched its first product - the epiCam. A portable, hand-held retinal fundus camera, used to check for Diabetic Retinopathy (DR).

to preventing vision loss, making it crucial for diabetic patients to have regular retinal checks.”

The images taken can be stored or sent via the internet to a remote grading clinician or for automated cloud-based processing. Craig Roberston, (pictured) who founded the company in 2011, said, “The World Health Organisation has estimated that Diabetes is currently responsible for two million cases of preventable blindness throughout the World.

Early detection and treatment of DR is key

“In the developing world clinicians are faced with the problem of traveling to examine patients, often to remote areas or with populations that are hard to bring to clinics.

For these clinicians, portable tools are crucial but in very short supply and this is why we developed the epiCam. Its light, robust, easy to use, and is tuned to screen specifically for DR.”

The company have priced the device at £1500 + VAT and this means its a fraction of the cost of anything else on the market, and affordable not only in The developing world but keenly priced for the NHS too.

They are currently seeking distributors and would welcome enquiries.

T: 07434 114 722 E: info@epipole.com www.epipole.com

Epipole already have devices in a number of clinics in Scotland & Malawi, & will be taking the device out to India in October, with a UK based trial due to report later this year.

Go local Wherever your business goes, go with Regus. With the world’s largest network of flexible workspace, it’s easy to work in the right place at the right time.

Regus, where smart businesses work.

Call 0800 756 2907or go to regus.co.uk/golocal

Office space

Meeting rooms

Business lounge

Co-working

Virtual office

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COVER STORY – ENTREPRENEURS IN SCOTLAND

Scotland – home to entrepreneurs Scotland has a rising group of young entrepreneurs who are stepping up and taking on the business world. Particularly with the growing digital industry, more and more young Scots are realising their own potential and starting their own business. It is a bold step but here we have four examples of young Scots starting their own business and have great successes.

It is a prime example of how with the right attitude, commitment and with a pinch of luck, Scotland can become the entrepreneurial capital of the world.

Meet some of Scotland’s entrepreneurs who are creating tomorrow’s world, today.

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COVER STORY – ENTREPRENEURS IN SCOTLAND

Meet Amina Nabi A Scottish Maverick wanting to create a dent in the world. My background is in Technology and Entrepreneurship. I am a Saltire Fellow, a Power of Youth Fellow, Espark Alumni. I was awarded Scottish Asian Woman of the year 2013. I am CEO and Founder of Kinnect2.

Behind the Company Kinnect2 is social media for brands and consumers. Whether you’re interested in Ferarri cars or Canon cameras, it gives consumers a chance to have a grown-up relationship with the brands and fellow brand lovers. It’s a onestop shop for brand and consumer engagement, where feedback

by consumers is exchanged with rewards by brands.

It’s a social networking platform focusing on building brand and consumer relationships, as current social media does not cater for this.

A platform where #brandslisten and #opinionsmatter

Behind the Entrepreneur When did you realise you wanted to start a business?

What advice would you offer someone who is considering starting their business?

I always knew I wanted to be my own boss ever since I can remember. My dads always said try to be independent and create something where you can sustain yourself, and I have always thought my purpose in life is to create something amazing. I have a strong feeling Kinnect2 is it

Actions speak louder than words, don’t dwell or think about things too much, be comfortable being uncomfortable, talk to people and take the first step forward! You will be surprised to see how many people will be willing to help you.

What came first - the idea or the motivation to start your company?

I think every entrepreneur needs to be motivated, and that is something I have always been - determined, driven and a complete dreamer. I definitely think the motivation is key in realising any dream!

entrepreneurs at ease. The most important factor being for the entrepreneur to get out their comfort zone and take that first step.

The successful entrepreneurs need to take a wee bit of time out to advise early stage start-ups and encourage and connect them in the best of ways and this will inevitably make things much better.

Why do you consider digital + technology an important sector?

What was the biggest hurdle you have faced in business?

There is sooo much opportunity in digital and technology and even more scope that you can immerse yourself completely and still have room to dream. The world is driven by technology and will only get smarter and its time to ride that technology tide and come up on top.

What things can Scotland do to encourage more entrepreneurs?

For me the toughest part of setting up Kinnect2 is to choose the right team and the right roles for those team members. I am now at a stage where I am surrounded by a team of people who in their domains are far better than I and this works. So the lesson here is to surround yourself with people who, firstly, share your vision, then bring them on board and try your absolute best to execute.

Scotland may be very small in terms of numbers however we have a brilliant network of amazing people who want to help one another. Organisations like the Saltire Foundation, POY and Espark are few of those organisations that are helping put

If your mind can conceive it, and your heart can believe it, then you know you can achieve it. And – Be comfortable being uncomfortable

Your favourite motivational/inspiring quote?

www.kinnect2.com www.facebook.com/kinnect2

@kinnect2 and @aminanabi

Kinnect2

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COVER STORY – ENTREPRENEURS IN SCOTLAND

Meet Bruce Walker Bruce started WeAreTheFuture at seventeen while taking part in the Young Enterprise company programme. Now aged 21, Bruce has created a global organisation, operating across 8 Cities on 3 Continents, working with some of the worlds most recognised brands, from Apple and AirBnB in California to Richard Branson’s Virgin in London and Chicago.

Behind the Company A global youth entrepreneurship organisation, which organise global summits across the world to inspire and connect entrepreneurs.

We are passionate about harnessing the power of entrepreneurs and

organisations to create a stronger more sustainable world, where key business figures work together to affect change and ultimately make the world a better place.

Behind the Entrepreneur When did you realise you wanted to start a business?

Why do you consider digital + technology an important sector?

I’ve always been quite entrepreneurial - long before I even knew what the word meant - but it wasn’t until I took part in the Young Enterprise Scotland (YES) company programme at seventeen, that I realised I really enjoyed building a business and found out I was pretty good at it as well.

I’m really excited about the tech scene in Scotland - Edinburgh is becoming a real technology hub, housing both Skyscanner and Fanduel as two examples of what can be created and built out of Scotland. The tech sector is attracting a lot of investment, is creating a lot of jobs and generating some really great drivers for the Scottish economy.

What came first - the idea or the motivation to start your company?

The motivation definitely came first. After I took part in YES I was determined to continue in the world of entrepreneurship, I just wasn’t sure what it was it would create. It turned out that after a couple of failed attempts at other business ideas, I went back to the WeAreTheFuture concept to occupy my time until I finished university.

Impatience ultimately got the better of me and ended up making WeAreTheFuture the business - best decision I’ve ever made!

What things can Scotland do to encourage more entrepreneurs?

I’m really excited about the tech scene in Scotland - Edinburgh is becoming a real technology hub, housing both Skyscanner and Fanduel as two examples of what can be created and built out of Scotland.

What was the biggest hurdle you have faced in business?

In the beginning the biggest hurdle I faced was convincing people that what I wanted to do mattered. There will always be doubters and those who don’t ‘get it’, but the key is to keep going until you find those that do get it.

What advice would you offer someone who is considering starting their business?

Just do it, get out and start, take big risks, belief in yourself and always ask for help. Being an entrepreneur is the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done, but I couldn’t have done it without the support from others. You don’t know what you don’t know, so ask someone that does!

I believe that to encourage more home grown entrepreneurs, we need more emphasis on entrepreneurship as a viable career path and this needs to start at primary school level and be reinforced throughout high school and onwards. Belief is one of the biggest barriers to success, remove that obstacle and anything is possible.

Your favourite motivational/inspiring quote?

Changing the world begins with a small group of people who simply refuse to accept the unacceptable. - Sir Richard Branson

www.wearethefuture.org.uk www.facebook.com/ wearethefuturescotland

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@Brucewalker_

https://uk.linkedin.com/ in/brucewalker1

COVER STORY – ENTREPRENEURS IN SCOTLAND

Meet Leah Hutcheon Leah Hutcheon is the founder and CEO of Appointedd.

Actively involved in the business community in Scotland, Leah is an Ambassador for Women’s Enterprise Scotland and a Director of Future Leaders for Entrepreneurial Scotland. Leah is an ex-magazine editor who came to Scotland for university and fell in love with Edinburgh.

Behind the Company Appointedd is an online booking system that plugs into any website or Facebook page to enable customers to book direct from any platform. We also have some amazing cross-timezone booking tools that take all the

pain out of scheduling calls and meetings internationally.

We save people from constantly asking, “is that 10am your time or my time..?”

Behind the Entrepreneur When did you realise you wanted to start a business?

Why do you consider digital + technology an important sector?

My previous job was as the editor of a homes and interiors magazine, but I was made redundant in 2010. I started freelancing with independent businesses and just loved their passion for their business. I wanted to have the freedom of choice and the ability to impact directly in my own future, so starting my own business seemed the natural choice!

It has never been more important for a business to be well represented online.

Businesses that don’t have a good online presence won’t be able to compete. All businesses have the ability to connect with customers online now – and it’s expected of them. Businesses that sell appointments can be revolutionised by selling them online.

Consumers are becoming more demanding and we won’t keep phoning around different businesses until someone answers. If a business doesn’t answer the phone or a number is engaged, we just move onto the next business – Appointedd enables businesses to convert their website or Facebook page into a live booking platform where their customers can request or book their services direct.

What came first - the idea or the motivation to start your company?

The idea for the business came before the motivation to start something. As we were impacted by the recession at the magazine, my team got smaller and I got busier. I got used to doing everything online – online shopping, banking etc. The only things that I couldn’t book online were independent businesses. I used to forget to book an appointment at the hairdressers, or to book my car into the garage, and I’d remember at midnight when everything was closed. I really wished there was a way to book these services online – so I decided to make it happen!

What advice would you offer someone who is considering starting their business?

The best advice I got was that everything takes twice as long as you think it will, and will cost twice as much. This is so true, but as long as you take it into account, you’re able to stay sane and keep motivated!

Luckily, it’s all totally worth it – running your own business means that you’re in charge of your own destiny and anything is possible!

What things can Scotland do to encourage more entrepreneurs?

I think Scotland is an amazing place to build a business. We have the best support for small businesses in the UK in my opinion.

We have so many amazing organisations providing great services. Entrepreneurial Scotland offers great support for

entrepreneurs, there’s the Scottish EDGE Award that gives funding to high growth businesses, and organisations like Women’s Enterprise Scotland and Girl Geeks are great at supporting women in business.

What was the biggest hurdle you have faced in business?

Raising investment was a massive undertaking. We feel really passionately about being able to provide our online booking tools and business management software for a low cost that everyone can afford. To be able to deliver packages from just £10 a month we knew we had to raise some initial investment. Luckily we got some fantastic angel investors on board, who have given us tons of support and guidance as well as the money to start and scale the business.

Your favourite motivational/inspiring quote?

Work as if you live in the early days of a better nation – it’s the benefit of being a startup – anything is possible!

www.appointedd.com Facebook.com/appointedd

@appointedd

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COVER STORY – ENTREPRENEURS IN SCOTLAND

Meet Nick Cohen I’ve been in business since I was 13. My first business was a computer repair service which I managed to grow to 2 shops and a team of around 10. I sold this when I was 22 to focus on pcr, which is the business I’m still running today.

Behind the Company My company is pcr. We are an innovative provider of IT services for the SME sector. Historically, we’ve provided outsourced IT support to business across Scotland. As of the 7th of October, we’ve launched a

unique new service, bizanywhere, designed to simplify IT for the SME, utilising the latest technology in the cloud, bundling this into a simple cost per employee model.

Behind the Entrepreneur When did you realise you wanted to start a business?

The past few decades have seen exponential growth in tech advances which ultimately has a massive effect on the growth of the This has been in my veins since I was a child. At school, was never worldwide economy. There are some exciting ideas on the tables content with ‘going with the flow’ and always liked to do things and the Internet of Things (IoT, principle of a connected world where differently (often my way!). This was first seen as a problem (i.e. I everything is on the Internet) really excites me. Who knows where never liked to follow or take instruction), but in my teenage years we’ll be in another decade? this evolved into creative passion for starting enterprise.

What things can Scotland do to encourage more My first proper business (PC Repair Glasgow) was entrepreneurs? started as a means to keep me occupied and make money. It wasn’t until I left school that I I think Scotland I think Scotland is doing a lot of the right realised this could become more than just a things. There are no ‘one size fits all’ is doing a lot of the right hobby. answers and we have an incredible What came first - the idea or the motivation to start your company?

Definitely the motivation, mostly from my mother. When I was 12, I delivered cream and dairy products door to door. When I gave this up (due to the long hours and terrible pay!) my Mum suggested that I put my interest and passion for PCs to good use and earn some money. My parents also didn’t believe in giving myself or my brother huge ‘pocket money’. If we wanted something, we had to earn it. This was a valuable lesson.

things. There are no ‘one size fits all’ answers and we have an incredible ecosystem (mixture of third sector and public sector) working with people of all ages (specifically young) to encourage entrepreneurship

What advice would you offer someone who is considering starting their business?

Simple… Go for it! Get the right people around you, take some risks, calculate those risks but don’t overwork it. The tip with getting the right people is to look at your own skills in action, work out what you enjoy/don’t enjoy, work out what you’re good/bad at and go hunting for people that enjoy and are good at the things you are not good at.

Why do you consider digital + technology an important sector?

In this day and age even the simplest of tasks require technology.

www.wearepcr.com www.facebook.com/ wearepcr

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ecosystem (mixture of third sector and public sector) working with people of all ages (specifically young) to encourage entrepreneurship, enterprise thinking and using this to not only help put jobs into our economy but drive real social change.

I think all we could do more of is exactly what we’ve done over the past few decades.

What was the biggest hurdle you have faced in business?

Growing. In most companies, growth often means a period of increased work load, smaller bottom line and less available cash. Every growth spurt has taught myself and my team how to drive through this differently. The growth we are currently embarking on is the culmination of lots of lessons learnt so hopefully we get good success from this.

Your favourite motivational/inspiring quote?

I remind myself of this often! A mistake is only a mistake if you do the same thing twice, how can you expect to get it right if you’ve never been in this situation before?

www.bizanywhere.co.uk www.facebook.com/ bizanywhere

@nickcohen6 @werpcr @bizpcr

CLYDE GATEWAY

The Albus – an office solution that meets the needs of business Clyde Gateway’s The Albus building is the pride of Scotland after being crowned best building in the UK for projects up to 2,000m2 at the prestigious British Council for Offices’ national awards.

Established in 2008 following the announcement that Glasgow was to hold the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Clyde Gateway has seen over £1.5 billion invested in the area in the last 8 years.

Clyde Gateway has become the ideal urban location by offering the highest standards of build and finish paired with incredible value

for money. This is perhaps best illustrated with The Albus.

Situated at Brook Street, Glasgow and just over a mile from the city centre, The Albus offers flexible office accommodation to let, excellent transport links, superb value for money, easy access to local amenities, on-site parking and dedicated superfast broadband throughout up to 100MB. Fionna Kell, Inward Investment Manager for Clyde Gateway, said: “The national recognition following the BCO award win has led to a surge in interest as it highlights

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“MadeBrave is an existing tenant and they have seen their business transform since moving in and we look forward to welcoming new tenants to The Albus as Clyde Gateway continues to go from strength to strength, helping to create a sustainable economic and social legacy.

For more information on The Albus, please telephone 0141 276 1573 or visit www.thealbus.com.

AT BARNETT WADDINGHAM WE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT ALL TYPES OF WORKPLACE PENSION AND EMPLOYEE BENEFIT ARRANGEMENTS – INCLUDING DEFINED CONTRIBUTION, DEFINED BENEFIT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT SCHEMES, SELF INVESTED SCHEMES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES AND OF COURSE HELP FOR EMPLOYERS TO MEET THEIR STATUTORY AUTO-ENROLMENT OBLIGATIONS.

Auto-enrolment started in 2012 and for larger employers who staged

had always intended to put something in place and was interested in

then, the job is not finished. They are now reaching their first triennial

contributing more than the minimum requirements.

review and need to re-enrol employees who have previously opted out. Our

Of course what both face is a stark choice, either take time out of their

Glasgow office has already received enquiries from such

business to set up an auto-enrolment scheme or deploy experts to

firms regarding our auto-enrolment audit services to ensure their

do it efficiently for them.

scheme was correctly set up and is not in breach of the complex auto-enrolment rules.

At Barnett Waddingham, we pride ourselves in bringing clarity to the complex and every client is important to us so whether you need support

For employers who have not yet staged, many are only just waking up to

with auto-enrolment, pensions or employee benefits contact us for an

the reality of auto-enrolment and their reaction has been interesting. To

informal chat about how we can help.

highlight the two extremes one business owner told us it ‘was just another tax on his business, so let’s just tick the box’, while another admitted he

www.barnett-waddingham.co.uk/ae

For details of all services please ring our Glasgow office on 0141 243 44 00 or for details of our auto enrolment services email steve.elliott@barnett-waddingham.co.uk

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CAPITO - IT

Celebrating 25 years of IT service excellence Now in its 25th year, Capito is a leading provider of IT lifecycle services, Cloud solutions and associated managed services.

A trusted service provider to commercial and public sector organisations and partner to a number of Tier 1 Systems Integrators and Vendors throughout the UK, including HP, Microsoft, Commvault and BT Global Services, Capito’s core services include: n End User Computing Lifecycle Services n Storage & Data Management Solutions and Services n Cloud Productivity Solutions, Cloud Migration & Transition Services n Managed Support Services Recently appointed Exec Chair, Alan Quinn, said “The biggest factor that strikes me about Capito is the sheer volume of devices implemented and supported, not to mention successful outcomes of their work at every level. There are not many companies around in the UK that can tackle such an impressive list of contracts and on such a scale.”

With a wide range of commercial clients from oil and gas to food and drink; and public sector customers ranging from local authorities to education, police, fire and rescue and the NHS, Capito is able to upscale its resources to meet even the largest of projects.

Whether you are planning a deployment project, looking for support with your data management strategy and implementation, or advice about your journey to the cloud, Capito has the knowledge, expertise and commitment to get you there.

Contact Capito today on 01506 460 300 or visit www.capito.co.uk.

“We needed absolute professionalism from Capito. They did not let us down.

With an always friendly, approachable, conscientious and accommodating manner, they were well received everywhere they went.”

Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service

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2015

e: duncorann@sky.com

Caithness & Sutherland Business of the Year 2015

ORCA TELECOM

Acquisition signals bright times ahead for Orca Telecom Aberdeen company Orca Telecom is looking forward to a bright future, having added significantly to its capacity to serve clients after being acquired by Arrow Business Communications Limited.

Orca Telecom, which was started by directors Rory McEwan and Wayne Mackay four years ago, has grown rapidly to become a leading telecommunications supplier working with many companies in Aberdeen, many of them in the oil and gas sector.

Rory and Wayne

Orca’s team has always followed an approach which sees it partner with other businesses to provide the very best service possible and it is using that approach to reach out to more companies in the Aberdeen area.

That expansion made the acquisition by Arrow a logical one as both companies offer a similar range of fixed, mobile, voice and data solutions.

Under the arrangements of the move, Orca’s employees will remain with Arrow allowing them to continue to look after their customers whilst benefitting from the use of Arrow’s larger resources and expertise.

Rory said: “The telecoms market is a very competitive one and, even though we are a small business, we have been carrying out work for much bigger companies and have built up a reputation for delivering a quality service. Many companies in the Aberdeen and Central Belt areas have benefited from our expertise.

“Arrow were seeking to move into Scotland and from the first moment we met it was clear that this was a very good fit and, for us, it means that we can grow Orca.”

Rory helped create Orca after eight years at Telewest, followed by a time in Germany and England helping to build the billing and customer care functions at other telcos. He then moved back to Scotland to grow the Network Services division at Commsworld before setting up on his own with Wayne four years ago.

Wayne began in telecoms at 17, working as an engineer for Nessco, and carried on as an engineer for fourteen years before working as an Account Manager with Commsworld in 2008.

He said: “We are excited about working with Arrow as we share the same suppliers and, more importantly, the same culture of providing a personal service to business customers.

kind of service that our clients in the Aberdeen area and further afield have always appreciated.”

Rory said: “The acquisition will allow us to grow the business. It makes a difference having a big company behind us because it gives us back-up in areas like HR and accounting, which means that we can concentrate on what we do best, offering high quality telecoms support.”

Arrow, headed by Chris Russell, specialises in telephony and IT solutions for businesses, offering a diverse portfolio ranging from hosted telephony and mobiles through to mobile device management, telephone systems, IT services, voice and data connectivity.

The company continues to reinforce its position in the market as a leading telecommunications and IT supplier to businesses throughout the UK and the acquisition of Orca will increase Arrow’s total turnover to £26 million as well as providing the company with a substantial footing in the Scottish telecoms market. It is Arrow’s sixth acquisition in the past five years.

Tel: 0843 224 7373 Email: interested@orcatelecom.co.uk www.orcatelecom.co.uk

“Although we are now owned by a large company, our message is that we are still Orca and will still deliver the

Arrow were seeking to move into Scotland and from the first moment we met it was clear that this was a very good fit and, for us, it means that we can grow Orca.

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ASSEMBLY ROOMS

Innovation in Heritage As 2015 approaches an end, Shona Clelland, General Manager of Assembly Rooms Edinburgh, reflects on conference and events success following the 2015 festival and looks at the trends emerging for the New Year.

A great conference or event can promote, inform, inspire and ultimately drive return on investment. This is at the forefront of our minds for Assembly Rooms and helps shape our delivery when it comes to hosting events.

The heritage of the George Street venue creates a captivating pull for those hosting events with impressive, versatile spaces in a time where planners are seeking out alternative venues in a bid to demonstrate the power of engaging environments. It is increasingly a primary requirement for event organisers and meeting buyers to choose an unusual venue which can lend an extra dimension to an event, attracting delegates who may otherwise have declined the invitation whilst leaving those attending with a lasting impression.

As a historic venue with such a rich and diverse background in hosting public and

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private events, our vision is to ensure that the Assembly Rooms stands the test of time for generations to come, while also keeping up with major players throughout the UK in being trend aware in an ever changing sector.

We understand the need for innovation and embracing change within the industry which has helped us maintain our reputation for delivering first class, tailored events.

We constantly strive to create innovative and accessible occasions and celebrations.

Customer feedback is crucial for us to ensure we are meeting their needs.

In July of 2015, we introduced technology which put a distinct and quantifiable focus on customer service. Interactive feedback machines throughout the venue have encouraged 2423 customers to offer comments. The investment in these machines is an important phase in underlining our commitment to understanding the needs of our diverse consumers moving forward.

It would seem that we, as sociable beings, enjoy the face-to-face interaction – networking, learning and experiencing for ourselves; despite the availability of online collaboration tools, videoconferencing and email, and so it appears that while our online presence increases, this only amplifies our need for impactful and effective events.

Shona Clelland We pride ourselves on creating engaging events, immersing guests in the overall experience. Technology can play an integral part in heightening this experience, with an environment ripe for the introduction of experiential technology. We are increasingly seeing the creative use of technology in conferences and events, whether it be with microphones which can be thrown to the next speaker and 3D printed models or animations, tech is helping to change the way conferences work.

From arts festivals to corporate expos, trade fairs and fam dinners, Assembly Rooms offers the perfect blend of an iconic historic location combined with cutting edge capabilities and expertise.

Assembly Rooms Edinburgh 54 George St, Edinburgh EH2 2LR Tel: 0131 220 4348 enquiries@assmeblyroomsedinburgh.co.uk www.assemblyroomsedinburgh.co.uk

NEW DISCOVERY SPORT

THE INACCESSIBLE JUST BECAME A LOT MORE ACCESSIBLE

Meet the New Discovery Sport. With its highly efficient new Ingenium engine, it’s a great adventure that starts with a very sensible decision.

New Discovery Sport 2.0L TD4 150HP Manual 4WD SE on Land Rover Contract Hire for Business users only*

Ingenium delivers figures you don’t expect from a car this capable. In the New Discovery Sport, you’ll arrive to do business, not to refuel.

35 Monthly Rentals (+20% VAT) Initial Rental in Advance (+20% VAT) Mileage per Annum Excess Mileage Charge (ppm)

New Discovery Sport has impressed since the world first saw it in January 2015. Now, with the addition of a supremely efficient EU6-compliant all-aluminium Ingenium diesel engine, it’s an experience that fleets everywhere are about to share.

From:

129g/km

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57.7 MPG

£335 £2,010 £10,000 9.7p

23% BIK

Contact Leona Scott, your dedicated Local Business Development Manager for more information, or to arrange a test drive.

Pentland Land Rover

Hallsbarn Crescent, Newbridge, Edinburgh, EH28 8TH 0131 273 2000 www.pentland.edinburgh.landrover.co.uk Official Fuel Consumption Figures for the Discovery Sport range in mpg (l/100km): Urban 44.1 (6.4) – 50.4 (5.6), Extra Urban 60.1 (4.7) – 62.8 (4.5), Combined 55.3 (5.3) – 57.7 (4.9). CO2 emissions 139 – 129 g/km.

These figures are as a result of official manufacturer’s tests in accordance with EU legislation. A vehicle’s actual fuel consumption may differ from that achieved in such tests and these figures are for comparative purposes only. *Important information – Business users only. Based on a New Discovery Sport 2.0L TD4 150HP Manual 4WD SE with standard specification, non-maintained. Vehicle must be returned in good condition to avoid further charges. Contract Hire subject to status. This promotion cannot be used together with other manufacturer’s promotions and is subject to availability at participating Retailers only for new vehicles ordered by 31/12/2015. Land Rover Contract Hire is a trading style of Lex Autolease Limited, Heathside Park, Heathside Park Road, Stockport SK3 0RB.

ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT

All-Energy 2016 ready to welcome you next May! The Call for Papers for All-Energy 2016 (Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre – SECC, Glasgow, UK – Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 May 2016) has been published and the wraps taken off new features planned within the annual exhibition, the largest renewable and sustainable energy exhibition and conference in the UK. Now is the time when all eager to share news of their projects/developments, interesting case histories or air their views on a myriad of related subjects can submit 300-word abstracts for consideration by planning committees and session ‘champions’. The call for papers remains open until mid- December 2015; and a full list of topics that will come under the conference spotlight features on the AllEnergy website in the conference section at www.all-energy.co.uk/en/Whats-On/ Conference/.

For the first time there will be pavilions dedicated to energy storage, smart infrastructure, heat, and low carbon transport infrastructure – the latter alongside the low carbon transport demonstration area.

Another feature will be the International Trade Exchange, an area where officials from a range of countries will showcase commercial opportunities within their country/region, will share information on support mechanisms provided to assist trade with their country/region and introduce organisations from the country/region that are eager to establish international trading partnerships. All elements of All-Energy remain free to attend and include the exhibition, the conference and the now-traditional Giant Networking Evening. Information on exhibiting and on sponsorship opportunities is online at www.all-energy.co.uk “We know there are plenty of challenges for the industry we serve, but there are also many new opportunities. These range from working with new supply chain partners (some in other areas of the low carbon economy), to meeting and doing business with new types of customers including cities, large energy end-users and international

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colleagues. That’s why, as the UK’s largest low carbon event, we are introducing plenty of new and relevant content, and attracting new and relevant contacts, all designed to inspire and stimulate and lead to new business opportunities for our exhibitors,” explains Event Director, Jonathan Heastie, of Reed Exhibitions.

“To this end, we are seeing the exhibition filling up with a strong blend of traditional renewable energy and new low carbon solution providers and, with the publication of the Call for Papers, practical steps are being taken to attract speakers on a wide range of subjects to reflect this breadth and depth. Combined, all our steps will lead to an even better experience for our visitors.”

A record breaker All-Energy 2015, the first to be staged in Glasgow after 14 years in Aberdeen, attracted some 450 exhibiting companies from 20 countries, and a record-breaking total attendance of 8,250 from 50 countries.

More than 450 speakers took part in the two day 50-session conference and three show-floor quick-fire presentation theatres, which were attended by over 2,800 unique participants. The post-show visitor survey revealed 97% satisfaction about the conference from visitors.

Naturally all sources of renewable/ sustainable generation figure on the list (along with the challenges and opportunities they face), but so too do some interesting new areas for All-Energy including decarbonisation of the food and drink industry, and of the retail trade; and increasingly the needs of smart sustainable cities will be catered for by means of inspiring presentations and discussions.

Prospective speakers will be contacted during January/early February with news of whether or not their submission has been accepted, and the full programme will be published in the early spring, by which time online registration will be open for all wishing to attend the two-day event.

Strong support All-Energy has strong support from a long list of organisations including host city Glasgow, and is held in association with UK Trade & Investment, the Renewable Energy Association, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scottish Enterprise, and Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG).

The Society for Underwater Technology is the show’s Learned Society Patron, and well over 30 government departments including the Energy Department within the Scottish Government, trade associations, professional bodies and learned societies actively support the event.

Further information on all aspects of AllEnergy is available at www.all-energy.co.uk and from all-energy@reedexpo.co.uk. AllEnergy is on Twitter @AllEnergy and has Facebook and LinkedIn groups.

ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT - MORAY ROBERSTON ELECTRICAL SERVICES

Professionalism and expertise at the heart of everything they do MRES put professionalism and expertise at the heart of everything they do. With a huge focus on the customer they pride themselves on a reliable, honest, efficient service which delivers the highest possible quality product every time.

Based in Stirling Managing Director of MRES Ltd Moray Robertson has more than 30 years’ UK wide experience as an electrical subcontractor. Over these 30 years MRES have mastered the delivery of first class service across a number of areas including engineering, renewables and general contracting.

Moray has ensured that MRES have moved with the time and the specialist servicing

of the renewable sector is a key part of the MRES business. MRES have invested heavily in giving their team the right training and qualifications to ensure they help clients such as 3R Energy keep the lights on and reduce costly down time. An example of this is the recent investment in a G59 relay device which is relevant for all power generation including wind, hydro and solar.

In addition to a focus on renewables MRES pride themselves on the engineering work they do with some of the best businesses in Scotland such as Grahams Dairy and TRS Reinstatement Services. MRES take full service approach to working with clients such as TRS Reinstatement Services ensuring that they focus on quickly delivering what their client wants. In addition to this MRES also provide excellent and trusted help for domestic clients in Scotland.

The overall approach of MRES is one of expertise, quality and customer service. They take this approach with all their customers and will go the extra mile to ensure they solve all your electrical problems as soon as possible. For the best renewable,

engineering or general electrical help contact MRES on 01786 448562 or info@mresstirling.co.uk

Office Suites To Let Liberator House

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property@glasgowprestwick.com On-Site Facilities Excellent Transport Links By Road, Rail & Air Flexible rental packages available 24 Hour Unrestricted Access Dedicated on-site car parking

Alastair Smith T: 01292 511021 asmith@glasgowprestwick.com

Elaine Smith T: 01292 511031 esmith@glasgowprestwick.com

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

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ENERGY AND ENVIORNMENT - VG ENERGY

Looking to reduce costs and improve your business green credentials?

VG Energy has the right turnkey solution for you The rising price of electricity and heat is often at the forefront of every business owner. Over the last ten years fuel prices have soared and are often unpredictable and costly.

VG Energy has worked with many commercial businesses to turn their quarterly overheads in to a profit!

By assessing your businesses needs we can find a solution to potentially eliminate your utility bills, or at the very least fix the price for the foreseeable future. In addition to this, the Government is offering generous subsidies which are guaranteed for twenty years, providing many customers will additional income and peace of mind.

With over 1200 installations we are recognised as market leaders for Combined Heat and Power Units (CHP), Biomass, Wind Turbines and Solar PV. We bring industry leading capabilities and specialist expertise to fully complete projects from start to finish with in-house personnel. We offer an obligation free energy assessment followed by a bespoke solution for your business.

Renewable technologies don’t need to cost the earth, we work with a number of finance companies to provide you with a solution that wont affect your cash flow.

VG Energy has continued to lead the way in the renewable technology industry. We are well known for providing quality products, efficient installation and a high level of aftercare.

VG Energy is able to service and maintain any gas, oil or biomass boiler. In addition we can service commercial gas and oil appliances.

We have an experienced team of fully qualified service technicians operating UK wide to improve the operational efficiency of your boiler and appliances, saving your business money!

VG Energy are currently offering some fantastic servicing packages to suit your business.

If you would like any more information please contact us on 01563 829990, info@vgenergy.co.uk or visit our new website www.vgenergy.co.uk.

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MORAY COLLEGE UHI

Moray’s Research Education and Business Hub It may be one of Scotland’s smallest regions, but when it comes to Life Sciences, Education and Tourism, Moray punches well above its weight. The Alexander Graham Bell Centre for Digital Health (AGB Centre), situated in Elgin, Moray’s historic administrative centre, is a brand new research, education and business hub.

The Centre is an alliance between Moray College University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), Moray’s healthcare provider NHS Grampian, and Highlands and Islands

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Enterprise, the economic development agency for the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

Opportunities in Digital Healthcare The AGB Centre has been designed to bring together the expertise in Digital Healthcare and Life Sciences within the region and across Scotland. The state of the art building sits within the Moray College campus and is the seat of learning of the UHI Chair for Digital Health. The AGB Centre provides teaching facilities for Moray College UHI, and houses medical research and training rooms used by NHS Grampian.

The AGB Centre provides opportunities for business start-ups or small to medium enterprises working in the field of digital health technologies and research, they can benefit from this world of collaboration as we have a range of research offices available

to lease. The exciting combination of academia, health care and business creates a stimulating environment encouraging innovation and knowledge transfer. Lease terms are flexible depending on individual requirements and separate packages can be negotiated.

Moray’s expertise in digital health activity and roll out of superfast broadband makes it the ideal place to locate your business.

The region has a highly skilled workforce with a proven model of personnel modifying and transferring skills to work in technology and life science industries. Moray offers spectacular scenery, a wide range of facilities and an excellent quality of life with good schools and affordable housing.

State-of-the-Art Conference Facilities The Alexander Graham Bell Centre for Digital Health provides an ideal venue for

MORAY COLLEGE UHI

your next conference, exhibition or corporate event. The Centre provides a contemporary, prestigious setting for training, seminars, ground-breaking conferences and international events. With up to date technology and top quality conference facilities.

Our conference room accommodates up to 200 delegates, making it the largest commercial conference space in Moray. We offer flexible accommodation with a range of different spaces to suit your event, all competitively priced.

Connecting your business with Scotland and beyond The AGB Centre has excellent access to all the main transport links: n Just off the main A96 trunk road between Aberdeen and Inverness n Two minute walk from Elgin railway station, a main stop on the Inverness to Aberdeen route, with a regular train service connecting you with the rest of Scotland n Only 40 minutes from Inverness airport and 80 minutes from Aberdeen

International Airport offering worldwide connections.

If you would like more information on bringing your business or event to the Alexander Graham Bell Centre for Digital Health check out our new brochures at

www.moray.uhi.ac.uk/agbc or contact our Accommodation Team: Tel: +44 (0) 1343 576475 Email: accommodation.moray@uhi.ac.uk Visit: www.moray.uhi.ac.uk/agbc Follow us on twitter @AGBCentre

Great discoveries and improvements invariably involve the co-operation of many minds.

Alexander Graham Bell, 1847-1922

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GROWING YOUR SMALL BUSINESS: UNLOCK THE SUPPORT YOU NEED

#EthicalValues

Today the world puts huge emphasis on performance and demands more skills than ever before. Yet far too many managers do not receive the guidance they need to tackle their challenging roles. There is a need to end this paradox and help managers to stop simply getting by and to start excelling.

The Chartered Management Institute believes that investment in thought leadership and research into the state of the nation with regard to leadership is vital.

Research shows that a lack of management skills is responsible for 56% of small business failures, yet just one in three businesses with 5-24 employees have provided management training in the last twelve months.

In order to develop, discuss and share this thought leadership and support better led and managed organisations, CMI Scotland is bringing together the following Keynote Speakers at the CMI Annual Scotland Conference (members and non-members are welcome).

Confirmed Speakers: /grp/home?gid=3346114 /scotland_cmi /bettermanagers www.managers.org.uk/scotland

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Annabelle Ewing MSP, Minister for Youth and Women's Employment Ian McNaught, Chair CMI Scotland Board Rhoda Reid, Project Leader, Covey Befriending

Professor Ken Russell, Associate Dean, Robert Gordon University Karen Barr, MSc Mindfulness Les Morgan, QFOUR Liz Hoskin, Chief Radiator, PositiveQualities

Come and join us on 30th October at Edinburgh Napier University Lindsay Stewart Lecture Theatre, Craiglockhart Campus 9am- 4pm and be part of the debate.

NEWS

Istanbul: the city where two continents meet Scottish Chambers of Commerce, in partnership with Turkish Airlines visited Istanbul to further understand the market opportunities for Scottish businesses Doing business in Turkey is a very different world to the typical “summer holiday” image we might have of the country. Of course, when we landed in Istanbul, we were greeted with a warm breeze, which was welcomed by a delegation of Scots!

Turkey’s economy has progressed rapidly over the years, becoming one of the strongest developing markets in the world.

Turkey’s ambition is to be the second fastest growing country by 2018 and sit in the top 10 of the world’s largest economies by 2023.

For Scottish businesses, this is a growing market, and one we can enter!

Istanbul, often dubbed the “city where two continents meet” is the only city in the world that bridges Europe and Asia. With an estimated population of 13 million, the city is a vibrant cultural mixing pot with exciting cultures and traditions.

Istanbul is a city with ambition. From plans to building the world’s largest airport to increasingly promoting itself as a global aviation hub, the growth is visible and palpable. We spent a day at the HQ of Turkish Airlines where we received “behind the scenes” access. It was an impressive operation! From the commitment to the training and development of their staff to the detail and attention given to every meal

Istanbul Chamber President, Ibrahim Caglar presents gift to Scottish Chamber President, Nora Senior

served on a Turkish Airlines aircraft, it was clear to us that the customer is at the centre of the business. This was reinforced when the delegation met with Dr. Temel Kotil, CEO, Turkish Airlines – an ambitious CEO with an ambitious vision to match who exuded warmth and hospitality! His commitment and investment in Scotland was welcomed by us and we shared our future partnership and business opportunities.

The delegation also had productive meetings with Istanbul Chambers of Commerce and Istanbul Chamber of Industry. Both platforms acting as a vocal and influential voice for businesses in Istanbul. It was clear that being in the market with direct access to business leaders was essential in understanding the culture and the environment and relationships built on trust is a key factor in Turkey and in any business transaction.

By the end of the Business Insight Visit, we have come away with a better understanding of the market and the culture – a vital component for anyone looking to do business in a new international market.

There is a real drive in Istanbul to create alliances and partnerships with a key focus on direct business to business engagement.

For Scottish businesses, the opportunities are many, including our energy, textiles, education, IT and healthcare sectors. In the UK, the Chambers of Commerce are the largest private sector provider of exporting support and with Chambers in virtually every part of the globe, we have the business insight and market intelligence for any business and investor.

To join us on our upcoming trade missions in Spring 2016, get in touch with your local Chamber of Commerce or contact Charandeep Singh on 0141-204-8316 / csingh@scottishchambers.org.uk

Roundtable discussion with Turkish business delegation

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NEWS

Turkish Airlines and Scottish Chambers of Commerce launch new deal to support Scottish exports

As part of Scottish Chambers of Commerce’s recent trip to Turkey, we are very proud to announce our exclusive discount deal with Turkish Airlines.

Chamber Members in Scotland will have access to exclusive discounted fares on all of Turkish Airlines flights enabling Scottish businesses to start their exporting journey.

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During the trip, the Scottish delegation met with Dr. Temel Kotil, CEO of Turkish Airlines, Istanbul Chambers of Commerce, Istanbul Chamber of Industry and the Foreign Economic Relations Board.

The delegation included Nora Senior, Chair of SCC; Liz Cameron OBE, CEO, SCC; Scott McKie, Microtech; Stephen Findlay, Aeropair; and Ahmet Serhat Sari, General Manager Scotland, Turkish Airlines.

With the business connections of the Chamber Network, combined with this exclusive deal, Chamber Members in

Scotland have a very valuable set of tools to help them on their journey.

Nora Senior, Chair of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said: “Having returned from an exceptionally successful Trade Visit with key business leaders in Istanbul, I am delighted that we have now developed a strong foundation from which we can increase trading between our respective countries.

For Scottish businesses, particularly in the renewable energy, education, medical insurance, IT, food, tourism and healthcare sectors, Turkey has

NEWS

the potential to offer partnership opportunities both exporting and importing.

“As a result of its unique geographical location, Turkey acts as a business gateway to other world-wide markets, such as China and Asia. As the largest business organisation in Scotland, we recognise that challenges exist when businesses think of entering new markets – from understanding the culture, the business environment or the opportunities. But if we truly want to grow our business market, gain new orders and increase our

profits, exporting must be seriously considered. Through our global network of Chambers of Commerce, we have created a strong foundation with our colleagues at the Chambers across Turkey – this connectivity will ensure that business to business relationships and alliances can be quickly developed. The support from the Scottish Chambers Network will also help support businesses to take that leap of faith to explore other markets.

“Turkish Airlines have been instrumental in developing this

partnership and there will be further announcements to support businesses in their exporting journey and who travel with this award winning airline.

Our next SCC Trade Visit will be taking place in the Spring of 2016 when a number of businesses will be following up potential business alliances.”

For more information on how to access this deal, contact your local Chamber of Commerce or get in touch with Charandeep Singh on 01412048316 or email csingh@ scottishchambers.org.uk

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NEWS

EU Referendum Roisin Milligan

Economic Research, Scottish Chambers of Commerce

The European Union is an extremely valuable market for Scottish exports, worth £12.9 billion in 2013 – the most recent year for which figures are published That makes up 46% of Scotland’s total international exports, highlighting the importance of the EU to the Scottish economy. Currently, there is European Union Referendum Bill going through UK Parliament. If passed, it will commit the UK to an in-out referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union by the end of 2017. With the potential impact that any change in EU membership could have to businesses in Scotland, the Scottish Chambers of Commerce Network recently carried out a business survey. This survey examined business views and attitudes towards EU reform, and the UK’s future

relationship with the EU. Results from the survey show that if an inout referendum was held tomorrow, 73.5% of respondents indicated that they would vote to remain in the EU, with that figure rising to 90.5% for large companies. Additionally, 13.5% would vote to leave, 12.5% are undecided and a balance of 0.4% would not vote. Of the 73% who would vote to remain today, half of the respondents indicated they were committed to that position, and 25% of those who would vote to leave were similarly committed.

Voting preferences being in favour of remaining a member of the EU may perhaps be attributed to the negative impact which respondents believe leaving the EU would have on their business. More than half (50.2%) of respondents tell us that they believe a change in the UK’s status in the EU would have a negative impact on their business. Whilst only 10.4% thought such a change would result in a positive impact.

Overall, businesses in Scotland are closely engaged with the ongoing debate regarding the UK’s membership of the EU, with 72.9% of respondents following the debate through reading about it at least once every two weeks. Conversely, only 4.7% indicated that they are currently not following it.

Yet, 70.4% of respondents said that they were not at all familiar or only a little familiar with the Prime Minister’s proposed renegotiation package, but with views already being formed, it is important that as much information and detail as possible is presented to business and the wider electorate.

In terms of the reforms that businesses believed would have the most beneficial impact on their business, the top three were: n Reducing business regulation/red tape (61.4%) n Changing the balance of power between Brussels and member countries (43%) n Changing the way the EU budget is spent (23.1%) In conclusion the Scottish Business community largely supports a ‘remain’ option to the referendum but is looking for more engagement from the two campaigns.

As the developments on-going, it is vital that businesses stay at the forefront of engagement and campaigners are listening to the concerns of the business community.

For further information on our Economic Research or to find out what we can do for you, contact Roisin on 0141 2048316 or email rmilligan@scottishchambers.org.uk

If an in-out referedum on the UK’s membership of the European Union were held tomorrow, how would you vote?

12.5% I would vote for

0.4%

Britain to remain a member of the

13.5%

European Union

73.5%

I would vote for Britain to leave the European Union I would not vote Don’t know

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NEWS

Embrace the power of digital marketing

by Robin Tait,

Parsons Peebles Group, Marketing Director

Clyde Blowers Capital (CBC), the owner and manager of several industrial businesses, including David Brown Gear Systems and the more recently acquired Parsons Peebles Group and Ferguson Marine, is starting to fully embrace the power of digital marketing.

CBC have always placed a huge emphasis on understanding its markets, geographies, customers and communicating with them effectively. The use of e-mail marketing, web and social media is another way of engaging with our customers but has to be part of the complete marketing strategy.

Robin Tait, Marketing Director of the Rosyth based Parsons Peebles, further explains, “All of the Clyde Blowers companies gathered for a conference just recently where we all fine-tuned our digital strategies and learnt about the latest techniques that can complement or even replace more traditional marketing methods. It was great to share best practice on what works for B2B engineering companies and I’d summarise the following key learnings for anyone looking to optimise their use of digital: 1. Before diving into e-mail marketing or social media content creation it’s vital to

create a digital marketing strategy. This will ensure that the messages in your content tie back to your core business goals and objectives. There are some great templates out there to assist with this free from companies like Marketo or Hootsuite.

website/blog and e-mail reporting to get feedback on what’s working or otherwise.

You can then fine tune your strategy accordingly. More sophisticated reporting tools like SocialReport can bring all your channels together and may be useful to you.

2. Don’t get too carried away with the plethora of channels out there. For the CBC companies we’ve decided to focus on where the majority of our customers and other stakeholders are. For us that’s LinkedIn and to a lesser extent Facebook and Twitter. We’d rather do those three well than spread ourselves too thin.

6. Don’t underestimate the time required to do digital marketing justice. It’s good if you get senior support and buy in from champions in your company who can help with content too.

3. A key part of digital marketing is to establish a listening system so you know what your customers are saying about you and then engage as appropriate.

Aggregating services such as Feedly or Social Mention are ideal to help manage this.

4. Create a content plan for social media to help manage the messages, channels, frequency and balance of internal and external content for your company. You can use scheduling services such as Hootsuite to help deliver this content plan.

5. Use the analytics embedded in the social media tools, Google Analytics for your

“The rewards of a well-executed digital marketing plan are huge and it needn’t be complex. It’s generally a cheaper way to market than many traditional channels and as the feedback is detailed and almost instantaneous you can manage it effectively with a little time and effort. At CBC we are already seeing the benefits and have just recruited a digital marketing expert to help us further improve.”

Robin concludes, “If you’re already engaged with digital marketing then make sure it’s tied to a sound strategy and keep watching those analytics. If you’re just starting out in digital then give it a go. This statistic might give you the push you need – nearly 65% of B2B buyers decisions are influenced by social media and for B2C that increases to over 80%!”

The rewards of a well-executed digital marketing plan are huge and it needn’t be complex.

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NEWS

Continuing tradition through Microsoft Office 365 Graham’s the Family Dairy is one of Scotland’s largest independent milk producers. For 75 years, Graham’s used hard work and a personal touch to expand their business. Today, employees use Microsoft Office 365 to continue that tradition, working in virtual teams and sharing everything from Excel files to photos of product displays.

Better digital collaboration boosts agility and service, helping Graham’s compete with multinational competitors.

Business is discussed around the dinner table at Graham’s the Family Dairy, the same way it’s been done for 75 years. For three generations, the Graham’s family has grazed its dairy herds on the rich meadows of Stirlingshire in central Scotland. And today, it seems as if many Scottish households join the Grahams at dinner. That’s because there’s often at least one of the dairy’s products—milk, butter, ice cream, or Scottish Cheddar cheese—somewhere on the table.

“Family has always been a huge strength in our business,” says Robert Graham, Managing Director of Graham’s the Family Dairy. “We believe in personal communications to build better relationships with coworkers, farmers, and customers.

After all, customers want to buy products from a company that they can relate to.”

When Robert Graham returned from university in 1992 and began getting up at four o’clock in the morning to milk the cows with his father, there were only 17 employees and annual revenue hovered around £1 million (US$1.5 million). Today, the farm employs 500 people and generates almost £90 million (US$138 million) in annual sales.

Hard work, successful marketing programs, a new organic product line, and Jersey cows—the “golden girls” who produce extra creamy milk—all contribute to the company’s success. Judicious investments in technology also help.

“Our IT partner, IA Cubed, knows what technology solutions will deliver real business value,” says Graham. “When we wanted to improve how we communicate and collaborate across the business, IA Cubed introduced us to Microsoft Office 365.”

Extends the personal touch of a family business Graham’s uses the cloud-based business productivity services in Office 365, including the enterprise social network capabilities of Yammer, to connect its increasingly dispersed business. The company runs two processing facilities that receive 700,000

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pints of milk daily from 90 farms. There are five distribution depots and offices in Bridge of Allan and Glasgow. Every day, 160 drivers make 6,000 deliveries and six account managers visit 40 customers.

“Everyone loves the anywhere, anytime, any communication that we have with Office 365.

It’s a perfect match for the spontaneous, personal contact style that makes our family business work,” says Graham.

“Our sales manager uses presence and instant messaging to connect with account managers on the road, so he’s no longer frustrated by gaps in communications that could delay solving customer satisfaction issues. And I love that my mum is all over Yammer. When she sees a photo of a nice display of our products, she sends “Well done!” messages to the reps. It adds to the feeling of being one big family.”

In April 2015, Graham’s is launching an extranet built on Microsoft SharePoint Online to enhance relationships with milk suppliers.

“We’ll provide a portal for our farmers so they can review their financial statements and the lab results to the test that we run on their milk,” says Graham. “This service will increase the value of working with us and encourage long-term relationships with our suppliers.”

Enhances customer service Employees at the head office are providing faster service for customers who call with questions about Graham’s deliveries. Office staff are not always aware of potential delays caused by bad weather in the north, or a mechanical issue with a delivery van, but now they can quickly track information by sending an instant message to staff at the depots— even while the customer is on the phone.

“It sure beats telling the customers to call back for an answer about their delivery,” says Graham. “Providing personal service, one customer at a time, is how we differentiate ourselves from huge multinational dairies.”

Improves information sharing, boosts agility Staff in the outlying areas of the country had been frustrated with poor Internet bandwidth that slowed file uploads from the server at the office in Bridge of Allan. Most employees stored files on their hard drives or a USB memory stick, which led to versioning issues and risked data loss.

“Today, employees use Microsoft OneDrive for Business to store and share Excel files, and I’m no longer worried about where our financial information is,” says Graham.

And it’s easy to access those files anywhere, on any device, because Graham’s the Family Dairy can download the latest full versions of Office desktop applications on up to five PCs, laptops and Macs, and also on up to five mobile devices, including Apple and Android tablets and smartphones.

“Now that we can work anywhere and sync files on any device, the pace of business has picked up,” says Graham. “Sales reps no longer physically deliver customer order information to sales managers. They use their Surface Pro tablets and Lumia phones, managed by Microsoft Intune, to work on the road, and they upload data to our intranet.

The sales manager can see it and take immediate action if there’s something wrong with the numbers.

Delivers better business intelligence Going forward, Graham is excited about sharing business intelligence by using Power BI for Office 365 to publish real-time data in a new Azure-based, enterprise-resource planning (ERP) solution that IA Cubed expects to launch in April 2015.

“We can make the best decisions by using the latest information,” says Graham.

“Sharing data will bring Graham’s together as a team. That’s the lasting benefit of Office 365—as we grow, we’ll maintain the strength and close collaboration that we derive from being a small, family-run business.”

Everyone loves the anywhere, anytime, any communication that we have with Office 365. It’s a perfect match for the personal contact style that makes our family business work.

-Robert Graham, Graham’s the Family Dairy, Managing Director

NEWS

Turning ideas and ambition into businesses Garry Clark

Economic Development Intelligence Unit

If Scotland is to become a world leading digital nation, then we have to get our infrastructure right.

Turning ideas and ambition into businesses, products and services requires Scotland’s people to have access to fast, reliable and affordable digital connectivity but to achieve this, we still have a long way to go.

In terms of mobile digital technology, a glance at Ofcom’s mobile data coverage map shows pretty clearly that Scotland is the worst served part of the UK in terms of the availability of 3G data, and the picture for 4G is even worse. It’s no wonder that

Scotland’s tourism businesses are angry about us having the worst 3G coverage in the UK – some 12 years after the technology was launched commercially in Britain.

While fixed line broadband is undergoing a rolling series of improvements, aimed at meeting the Scottish Government’s goal of our country becoming a world class digital nation by 2020, the pace of progress does not always appear to keep pace with the advances made in digital technology internationally. Scotland needs a steep change in digital connectivity if we hope to be leaders, rather than followers.

What do we need in order to achieve this?

The obvious answer is resources and, as we await the outcome of the UK Government’s latest Spending Review, public funding is in danger of becoming even more scant.

However Scottish Chambers of Commerce has been active in pursuing this issue both in a recent meeting with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and in talks with the Scottish Government and opposition MPs in the

House of Commons. One of the key lessons of austerity has been the need to maintain investment in infrastructure, giving business the platform to succeed and grow, and as we approach the UK Government’s latest round of cuts to public spending, this experience must be heeded.

At a Scottish level, we must do more to remove the barriers to getting digital infrastructure in place, whether that is mobile telecommunications masts or fibre in the ground. That means a full scale review of Business Rates – a necessity for this and many other reasons – and measures to ensure that the planning system works to leverage private investment into the development of digital infrastructure in Scotland.

Digital connectivity is fundamental to Scotland’s future success: in business, in tourism and in revitalising our rural areas.

Achieving our world class ambitions must be the priority of our new UK Government and our next Scottish Government.

Busy being busy?

Charandeep Singh Marketing and Communications, Scottish Chambers of Commerce

How being ‘busy’ makes you unproductive There is a notion that exists in business, that if you aren’t ‘super-busy’ then you are not important or hard working enough.

But the reality is that being busy makes you less productive.

Today’s ‘super-busy’ person has a constantly buzzing phone with endless notifications, a flood of emails, and a diary bursting at the seams with meetings, events and every project flagged as high priority - all happening simultaneously!

This leads to daily multi-tasking and a

stop-start approach on the work itself – both deadly to overall productivity.

With today’s business world ever more connected digitally and socially, and with the popularity of open-plan offices, we are all bound to fall into the ‘busy being busy’ trap!

Although, there is no one solution to avoiding this scenario, here are my top tips on becoming your most productive and most focused!

Each day, set one shared team priority that everyone contributes to. This should then be shared amongst the team with a progress update at the end of each day.

Remember, daily updates are easier to manage and digest for everyone and will allow you as the project manager to quickly identify any issues but also have the opportunity to praise good results each day!

windows of time where focus is given to shared team priorities. For example, on a Friday from 10am – 11am, the team focuses solely on generating content for social media. It’s a focused hour of activity with no interruptions or distractions.

Reduce the length of your meetings! I aim to keep my meetings to maximum 45 minutes. By doing this I reclaimed 6 hours a month – 72 hours in a year!

Take control of your desktop & mobile notifications. Switching off the new email notification on your desktop and reducing the number of notifications on your smartphone will not only minimise interruptions and distractions, but increase your concentration and focus.

What are your Top Tips for Productivity? Email me on csingh@ scottishchambers.org.uk or Tweet me at @CharandeepS1ngh

Create specific blocks of time for production. I like to allocate specific

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Warning light for the UK and Scottish Governments SCOTTISH Chambers of Commerce has declared that its latest economic survey, which shows much weaker manufacturing growth and declining confidence among services firms, is an “amber warning light” for the UK and Scottish Governments.

The business organisation, publishing the survey today, also highlights the continuing impact of the oil and gas sector’s troubles on the broader economy north of the Border.

Scottish Chambers’ survey comes at a time when many economic indicators have been signalling the recovery in the UK as a whole, as well as that north of the Border, has been losing significant momentum amid continuing austerity.

Figures published earlier this week by the Office for National Statistics showed that UK economic growth slowed to a significantly below-trend quarterly pace of 0.5 per cent in the three months to September.

And the data showed UK manufacturing output had fallen for a third consecutive quarter, in contrast to Chancellor George Osborne’s vision of “a Britain carried aloft by the march of the makers”.

Scottish Chambers’ survey, conducted by Strathclyde University’s Fraser of Allander Institute, flags a sharp slowdown in investment growth in the manufacturing sector north of the Border. And it signals a fall in capital investment in the financial and business services sector.

On a more positive note, the survey shows that the Scottish tourism and construction

Events such as the Commonwealth Games and Ryder Cup seem to have succeeded as a shop window for Scotland.

Liz Cameron, Director/Chief Executive, Scottish Chambers of Commerce

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sectors performed strongly in the third quarter.

However, commenting on the overall findings, Scottish Chambers chief executive Liz Cameron said: “The results of this survey should trigger an amber warning light for our Governments north and south of the Border.

“Despite another extremely positive summer for our tourism sector, there is a trend of slower growth among other parts of our economy. In addition, the apparent slowing down of investment growth in many businesses signals a direction of travel which could lead to declining levels of economic growth.”

Scottish Chambers’ survey shows that growth in both sales revenue and orders in the manufacturing sector north of the Border slowed sharply between the second and third quarters. And it signals an overall fall in profits for Scottish manufacturers.

The survey shows the first fall in optimism in the Scottish financial and business services sector for a year. It also signals that employment fell in the sector during the third quarter, although financial and business services companies’ overall sales revenue rose. Oil and gas services companies are included in this sector.

Highlighting again the impact of weaker crude prices on oil and gas services companies and the wider Scottish economy, Ms Cameron said: “There is further evidence of the continuing effects of low oil prices on

the Scottish economy, with the performance of oil and gas service businesses again dampening results in the service sector.”

Scottish Chambers says: “The average price of Brent crude oil remaining low throughout 2015 is not only presenting challenges for businesses in the north-east but also businesses which make up the supply chain throughout Scotland.”

Ms Cameron said: “The picture in manufacturing is also mixed, with sales up only marginally and profitability declining.”

Scottish Chambers’ survey signals an acceleration of growth in sales revenue in the construction sector north of the Border during the third quarter. It also points to a faster pace of recruitment by construction companies in the third quarter, from an already strong rate in the preceding three months.

The survey signals that year-on-year growth in sales revenue in the Scottish tourism sector accelerated between the second and third quarters.

Ms Cameron said: “Tourism businesses reported very strong performance again in 2015, building even further on the solid platform of 2014. Events such as the Commonwealth Games and Ryder Cup seem to have succeeded as a shop window for Scotland and with new developments such as Glasgow’s SSE Hydro - now the secondbusiest entertainment venue in the world - Scotland’s tourism offering is better than ever.”

Proximity to Edinburgh and national and international transport links Ambitious economic development aims – to make East Lothian the best place in Scotland to live, work and do business East Lothian Works – single point of advice and support to help you locate, recruit and grow One of the fastest growing populations in Scotland Strong food and drink sector, tourism and hospitality industry, sports-based businesses and manufacturing Great housing and schools options plus a university with strong links to business Sunniest climate in Scotland with beautiful coast and countryside and world-famous golfing opportunities

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT – ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL

Deal will shape the future

THE north-east has long been recognised as a powerhouse for Scotland and the UK, but a City Region Deal could help to maintain this success for years to come.

A “Statement of Intent” was submitted to UK and Scottish governments on September 4.

Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire councils have been working in partnership on detailed proposals for an Aberdeen City Region Deal and have the support of the area’s most influential business leaders.

A range of engagement has been undertaken to inform the plans and this has shaped the latest stage of the bid.

The Aberdeen City Region Deal would improve transport links, infrastructure and housing to meet the demands of a growing population, while investing in innovation, research and development and internationalisation to ensure that the area continues to contribute substantially to UK plc for decades to come.

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It is a chance to anchor the oil and gas industry in the north-east, but also to expand upon the expertise and innovation that already exists here, to the benefit of the wider energy sector and related industries.

The Statement of Intent looks at four key policy areas – housing, connectivity, innovation and internationalisation.

In terms of housing, the proposals include a request for support to unlock constrained sites to supply housing land, a housing funding for key workers and measures to help solve housing cost issues.

In the area of connectivity, there are plans for rail service improvements, proposals to deal with traffic congestion and improved harbour and airport connections along with greater provision of ultra-fast digital infrastructure.

The third strand of innovation aims to promote the region as a global centre of excellence in the field of research and the development of an Oil and Gas Technology Institute and a Scottish Centre for biopharmaceuticals.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT – ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL

Under internationalisation, there would also efforts to boost trade, tourism and inward investment in the north-east area.

Detailed plans in these four areas are being worked on for discussion with both governments as the negotiation progresses.

The development of the bid has been underpinned by the collaboration between the public and private sectors in the Aberdeen region, and that will continue throughout the process.

Much of the focus of the City Region Deal bid has been on the future of the North Sea oil and gas industry.

The challenges facing the sector in recent months have been well documented and businesses have been exploring many ways to reduce their costs for some time now.

Many recognise that the City Region Deal will help them to maintain their competitiveness, supporting jobs, providing crucial infrastructure and promoting innovation.

The benefits of a successful Aberdeen City Region are felt far beyond the north-east of Scotland – oil and gas is a global business with skills and expertise exported across the world from research and development, technology and innovation.

Many oil and gas companies based in Aberdeen are firmly embedded in key positions of influence in the global energy sector.

The expertise developed in the North Sea by subsea engineering contractors has allowed the UK to hold around 40% of the global market worth an estimated £20billion.

The oil and gas industry supports thousands of jobs across the UK through supply chains, and contributes significantly to HM Treasury.

In 2011/12, the oil & gas industry was responsible for 16.4 percent of all corporation tax collected in the UK. In 2013, the supply chain in the UK generated more than £39billion of sales, with similar figures estimated for 2014.

Further statistics provided by industry body Oil and Gas UK this year show that oil and gas provided 68% of the UK’s total primary energy in 2014, with oil for transport and gas for heating being dominant in these markets.

In 2030, 70% of the UK’s total primary energy is expected to come from oil and gas,

Aberdeen City Region Deal

according to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

for high value oil and gas and renewable energy organisations, and a first choice for companies of all sizes operating in other high value, quality niche markets.

Powering Tomorrow’s World . . .

Overall, since 1970, the industry has paid over £330billion in taxes.

The City Region Deal can ensure that the region continues to provide a high return for the UK Treasury for many years to come.

Speaking at the time of submission of the Statement of Intent bid, Aberdeen City Council Leader, Councillor Jenny Laing, said: “We believe that the commitments this Statement of Intent identifies can form the basis for a City Region Deal that will benefit not only the economy of the north-east, but the rest of Scotland and the wider UK. “The challenge is to work towards a deal that will maximise the benefits of co-ordinated new and accelerated investment in the Aberdeen City Region.”

Aberdeenshire Council co-leader, Councillor Martin Kitts-Hayes, added: “We will continue to engage and collaborate with the two governments to deliver a City Region Deal that will ultimately contribute to the economic vision for the north-east of Scotland.”

That vision extends beyond the work that has gone into the City Region Deal proposals, and has informed efforts channeled into the Energetica Programme for the north-east.

A range of partner organisations, including Aberdeen City and Shire Economic Future (ACSEF), Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, Skills Development Scotland, VisitScotland, Scottish European Green Energy Centre, Innovation Technology Facilitators and the city’s two universities, have been working for some time now on the project.

Energetica comprises a number of key projects and workstreams with the aim of delivering four strategic objectives; to consolidate the region’s position as one of the world’s major energy centres and the energy capital of Europe, to attract new highvalue investment and people to the region, to grow the international trade of indigenous business and to create a location that seeks to maximise both quality of design/ development and quality of life.

The importance of all of this work to ensure the continued success and prosperity of the Aberdeen City Region cannot be underestimated to Scotland and the whole of the UK. This is already a successful region which plays a significant role in contribution to the financial well-being of Scotland, the UK and globally.

By even greater collaboration across industry and all layers of government, we can protect the competitiveness of the oil and gas industry already firmly established here, work to diversify in other areas, and help to power tomorrow’s world.

For more information please contact Andrew Win on 01224 523060, visit www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/ShapingAberdeen or email ShapingAberdeen@aberdeencity. gov.uk; and Stephen Archer, Aberdeenshire Council on 01224 665520, stephen.archer@ aberdeenshire.gov.uk

The aim of the Energetica Programme is to make the region the location of choice City Deal Business Scotland ad.indd 4

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“

WE HAVE RECEIVED EXTENSIVE ASSISTANCE FROM TEAM NORTH AYRSHIRE PARTNERS, INCLUDING SUPPORT ON DEVELOPING OUR EXPORTS AND E-COMMERCE STRATEGIES FROM NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL AND GENERAL BUSINESS ADVICE FROM BUSINESS GATEWAY.” Kenny Donaldson Owner - Fairlie Furniture

North Ayrshire

the place to be ambitious

Find out how our new business support service will help you realise your business ambitions www.northayrshireforbusiness.com Call us on 01294 449944 or follow us Business Scotland on Twitter @NAyrshire_biz 80

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - NORTH ARYSHIRE COUNCIL

North Ayrshire the place to be Since its launch, Team North Ayrshire has gone from strength to strength, working directly with the top 150 companies which have been identified as having the greatest potential for growth.

Whether you have just started your company or you’re an established business seeking to expand, Team North Ayrshire will work with you to develop a bespoke growth plan, tailored to meet your needs.

Team North Ayrshire has supported more than 500 local businesses and helped support and create over 350 jobs Key to the Team’s success is developing in-depth relationships with businesses in order for them to grow, prosper and become more competitive. They want businesses to succeed to create a vibrant North Ayrshire economy for its communities to operate in.

Team North Ayrshire has helped a number of local companies realise their growth potential. Wind turbine and services company, Prontoport, has increased its workforce by 35% and has forecast more employment opportunities for the year ahead.

Located on one of Scotland’s most scenic stretches of coastline, with fantastic sport and leisure facilities and an abundance of history and heritage, North Ayrshire is a great place to live. It’s also a great place to do business, with assistance and support already in place that will help businesses flourish.

North Ayrshire Council’s number one priority is to grow its economy, increase employment and regenerate towns.

It wants to have a thriving economy, be home to leading companies and offer the best business support in Scotland.

North Ayrshire Council wants the area to be recognised as a place where new companies and small businesses can flourish.

It has started to create an environment that can attract world-class businesses to share in and contribute to the economy.

Just 30 minutes from Glasgow city centre and with easy access to UK and international markets, North Ayrshire is the ideal location to invest in your business.

North Ayrshire is already home to several world-class businesses such as leading paper manufacturers UPM Caledonian, pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline and

global leader in packaging solutions Ardagh Group.

North Ayrshire’s Irvine Enterprise Area status provides unique incentives and significant opportunities for relocating businesses, especially those in the life sciences sector, including: n Accelerated capital allowances of up to 100% for plant and machinery – all businesses are eligible n Business rates relief of up to £55,000 per annum for five years for qualifying companies – life science businesses are eligible n Simplified planning policies and procedures n Access to superfast broadband – to keep your business connected In 2013, the Council launched the ‘Team North Ayrshire’ approach. This consists of public and private sector partners working together to ensure local businesses have access to their wealth of expertise and financial support.

They’ve also helped local companies such as Fairlie Furniture to access new markets for their products. Fairlie Furniture designs and manufactures handcrafted wooden furniture.

It also produces whisky presentation boxes that are sold in some of the world’s leading whisky markets including the USA and Singapore.

The Fairlie based company received assistance from Team North Ayrshire partners including support on developing their exports and e-commerce strategies.

North Ayrshire offers businesses a great platform for growth and a competitive advantage in an increasingly challenging marketplace.

Team North Ayrshire can help companies access their innovative, tailored, one-toone approach which is aimed at meeting your business needs and achieving the best results for your company.

With the support of Team North Ayrshire, businesses locating to the area are sure to flourish.

Wind turbine and services company, Prontoport, has increased its workforce by 35% and has forecast more employment opportunities for the year ahead.

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SOUTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL

Business Gateway is about to get even better Last year Business Gateway helped 787 people start their own business in Ayrshire and dealt with almost 2,700 enquiries.

This year we’ve returned with an improved business support package which includes: • mentoring advice • skills development • practical assistance • financial support With these enhanced services we intend to help individuals achieve their business aspirations, support local business development and contribute to the development of Ayrshire’s economy.

www.bgateway.com/ayrshire 01292 427 552

INWARD INVESTMENT

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL

Argyll and Bute a compelling offer Argyll and Bute makes a compelling offer for both businesses and people moving into one of Scotland’s most beautiful areas.

With exciting developments already underway, such as the Oban Airport business park project which is part of a £19million Lorn Arc investment programme around Oban, aimed at attracting private businesses to the area by providing the infrastructure they need, to town centre regeneration programmes to repair historic buildings, safeguard jobs and keep our town centres vibrant, bustling places, Argyll and Bute Council is making a huge commitment to growing the economy and attracting people to the area.

The council is supporting other early stage projects which, if delivered, will go a long way to making Argyll and Bute’s offer an even more persuasive one.

At the southern end of the Kintyre Peninsula, the Machrihanish Airbase Community Company (MACC) and Argyll and Bute Council are working on a bid to become the UK’s first spaceport. One of five sites being considered by the UK Government, the project has the potential to bring up to 5,000 jobs and a multi-billion pound investment in vital infrastructure.

As well as big construction projects the council’s economic development team has been working to identify both the skills of the current workforce and the future skills needs of the area.

The recent Compelling Argyll and Bute and its Administrative Areas study has shown that, while Argyll and Bute is above the national average in terms of workforce qualifications and proportion of young people moving into higher education, over three-quarters of businesses indicated that they have had some problems in finding employees with suitable skills.

To address these future skills needs the study identified eight key themes focussing on opportunities to promote the economic growth and long-term prosperity of the area.

The council will be taking these forward in partnership with agencies such as Skills Development Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Argyll College, UHI.

The key themes are: n Further and higher education: giving people more courses to choose from in more areas. Work is currently underway to further develop Oban as a university town, making it possible for young people to stay in the area while studying for a degree. n Rural enterprise and partnership: increasing the level of enterprise and entrepreneurial skills and activity. n Argyll and Bute key sectors: working with employers to increase the relative employment and economic value in areas of competitive advantage such as tourism, food and drink (including aquaculture and fisheries), forestry and the creative industries. n Businesses of scale: increase the growth and ambition of the area’s business base. n Generic skills development: work towards enhancing the skills of the local labour market

n Compelling Argyll and Bute: dedicated resources for marketing and promoting the area to prospective new residents n The infrastructure factors: continuing to support the roll-out of superfast broadband and the appropriate mix of housing developments.

Argyll and Bute Council’s Policy Lead for Sustainable Economic Growth, Councillor Aileen Morton, said of the study: ‘’This has been a key piece of work which has shown us that ours is an economy of real opportunity.

There has been some great work ongoing across a number of agencies to stimulate the Argyll and Bute economy, to create more jobs and attract more people to the area; we now have a strategic framework in place which will help us take that work to the next level. ‘’Working in collaboration with other agencies we will look to bridge the skills gaps in our area, helping to give residents every opportunity to access the new employment opportunities brought here by our infrastructure improvement projects and development work with the private sector. ‘’Our focus is on helping to create and support a more vibrant, prosperous economy, making Argyll and Bute an even more compelling to live, work and invest.’’

n Public sector employment: support a move to higher level private sector employment opportunities

There has been some great work ongoing across a number of agencies to stimulate the Argyll and Bute economy

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Make East Ayrshire your business... …and you’ll find an area rich in history, innovation, invention and industry. Set in the heart of South West Scotland, the area offers excellent transport links by road, rail, sea and air, with outstanding commercial opportunities. You’ll also find a “can do” attitude from our business advisers, support services and skills and training providers.

With a great range of locations, from business parks to town centres, a welcoming and co-operative business community, excellent public services and close-knit networking opportunities, we’ve got the facilities, skilled workforce and lifestyle options which make East Ayrshire a perfect place to grow your company.

Find yourself in East Ayrshire and join our blossoming business community.

Contact: 01563 503238 Email: economic.development@east-ayrshire.gov.uk

www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk www.facebook.com/eastayrshire Business Scotland

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@eastayrshire

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - EAST AYRSHIRE COUNCIL

Strategic sites offering employment land and buildings for development include: Moorfield Park Moorfield Park covers 29 hectares to the west of Kilmarnock, close to the M77 and adjacent to the A71. Demand for fully serviced plots for rent or sale is high and recently approval has been given for development of a third phase.

Well connected to local amenities, Moorfield offers a flexible and attractive out of town environment for industrial occupiers allowing the scope to expand and develop as necessary.

Rowallan Business Park

Welcome to East Ayrshire East Ayrshire, in the heart of South West Scotland, is a great place to live and work.

We are already home to around 3000 traditional and modern enterprises, from small family run businesses to internationally owned companies employing around 44,000 people. Our business base is remarkably diverse, including engineering, textiles, food and drink, tourism, construction and financial services companies.

Easy accessibility by road, rail, sea and air makes our location an ideal base for business. Ongoing work through the Digital Scotland programme, part funded by East Ayrshire Council, means we will soon have 98% broadband coverage across the area.

We have commercial property to meet all business needs. Availability extends from small industrial units and serviced town centre office accommodation to large development plots in easily accessed new business parks next to main arterial routes.

A robust business infrastructure, combined with East Ayrshire Council’s proactive approach to engaging with and supporting local businesses, means we can offer a comprehensive, individually tailored package of support to make any investment successful.

and loan packages and recruitment and training support. Our Business Advisers pride themselves on fostering strong personal links with companies, analysing needs and providing bespoke support, signposting and networking opportunities through regular seminars, business breakfasts and training events.

East Ayrshire can offer you and your employees an excellent quality of life, a strong sense of community, good educational and leisure opportunities and attractive, affordable housing stock in a variety of urban and rural settings.

If you want an excellent place to work, live and invest in superb surroundings with great infrastructure, good connectivity, business and training support and an enthusiastic and flexible workforce then we want to hear from you.

Contact: 01563 503238 economic.development@east-ayrshire.gov.uk www.eac.eu/supportforbusinesses

Rowallan Business Park is a 27 hectare site to the north of Kilmarnock with easy access to the M77. Developed over the past 10 years, it offers an attractive, modern and well connected environment for out of town office or industrial occupiers. While demand is high, the site still offers opportunities to locate into one of the West of Scotland’s key locations.

Caponacre Industrial Estate Caponacre Industrial Estate in Cumnock boasts a range of industrial and business premises available to rent or buy.

Ongoing investment by the owners has created a great location from which to do business with close links to the A76, M74, Glasgow, Carlisle and the M6.

Coming Soon…

East Ayrshire Council is actively developing vacant property within the heart of Kilmarnock Town Centre’s historic quarter to create high quality, serviced office accommodation close to both rail and bus station. These town centre offices will provide an ideal base from which to grow and will be available to rent from Spring 2017.

We also have details of many other business and industrial locations across East Ayrshire to suit your needs. Please do not hesitate to contact us. We’re happy to answer any queries and provide you with information and support.

The Economic Development Service helps businesses with premises and land sourcing, grant

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FEATURE

“Travelling Time is Working Time” says the European Court of Justice

In September 2015, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) issued its judgement in the case of Federación de Servicios Privados del Syndicato Comisiones Obreras –v- Tyco Integrated Security SL & Tyco Integrated Fire & Security Corporation Services SA, confirming that the time spent by peripatetic workers (workers who are not assigned to a fixed place of work) while travelling to/from their first/last assignments of the day constitutes working time.

Working Time in the UK The ECJ was required to consider the interpretation of the EU Working Time Directive which is implemented in the UK by the Working Time Regulations 1998 (“the WTR”). Regulation 2 of the WTR defines working time as “any period during which the worker is working, at the employer’s disposal, and carrying out his activities or duties” - therefore creating a three-part test to be met to constitute working time.

The Tyco Case Tyco conducted business across Spain installing and maintaining security systems.

In 2011, Tyco closed its regional offices in the Provinces and assigned all employees to a central office in Madrid. As a result, the technicians were each assigned a separate geographical area and were provided with a company vehicle to travel to/from the various service/installation sites and their homes.

Whereas, previously, the workers were required to travel to the regional office at the start of the day to collect a company vehicle and a daily task list, they were instead provided with a mobile phone fitted with an application to allow the workers to receive, on the evening before, a task list for the following day’s appointments.

Tyco did not count the time the workers spent travelling between their homes and the first customer of the day as working time, nor their time spent travelling between the last customer site and the workers’

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homes. However, prior to the closure of the regional (Provinces) offices, Tyco had counted the daily working time of its employees as starting when they arrived at the regional office and ending when they departed from the regional office, therefore including the travel time to/from the first/ last customer site as working time.

The ECJ Decision After considering the terms of the Working Time Directive and the Spanish provisions implementing the Directive, as well as the observations received from the Czech, Italian and UK Governments, the ECJ concluded that the time the workers spent travelling to and from the first/last appointment of the day met the three-part test for working time. Employers are therefore required to consider travel time when determining appropriate rest breaks and maximum weekly work limits as well as the worker’s entitlement to paid annual leave.

Although the UK Government presented arguments that classifying the travelling time as working time may inevitably lead to an increase in costs for the employer, the ECJ declined to make any ruling in relation to whether or not the travel time should be paid. Instead, the ECJ reiterated that the Working Time Directive did not deal with issues of remuneration except only in relation to the entitlement to paid annual leave. The matter of whether or not this time should be paid, therefore, remains an issue to be determined by national law.

Travel Time to be Paid in the UK? The UK National Minimum Wage Regulations 2015 specifically exclude the time spent travelling between the worker’s home and their place of work as working time for the purposes of calculating the national minimum wage. Accordingly, whether or not this travel time should be paid will depend on the wording of the employees’ contracts of employment or any applicable collective agreement negotiated by the employer which may link pay to “time worked”.

Implications of the Judgement As a result of the ECJ decision, employers should n accurately record peripatetic workers’ travel time to ensure that sufficient daily and weekly rest breaks are provided and that the workers are allowed appropriate paid time off. n consider how best to monitor workers during these travel periods. n review their current contracts of employment/collective agreements to determine whether the inclusion of this additional working time alters the point at which the worker becomes entitled to receive overtime pay, or whether there is any requirement to pay for the travel time.

By Nicola Gray, Mackinnons

employment law

“Our Employment Law team’s skills lie in providing our clients with the most effective advice possible, helping to find the best solution.”

Whether you’re a small business or a multinational company, our Employment team can provide you with practical and pragmatic solutions to your employment issues.

Our specialists can guide you through every aspect of the employment relationship from recruitment to termination, including performance management, grievances, redundancy, equality and business transfers. We believe that litigation, especially when it comes to employment matters, should be the last resort. But when it becomes inevitable, we’re dedicated to achieving the best result for each client. Our approach is down to earth and highly effective. We ensure that you understand the procedural steps at every stage and provide strategic and decisive advice throughout the process, keeping our eye on the commercial issues at stake throughout.

At Mackinnons we provide you with clear, accessible advice and commercially-driven bespoke solutions for all aspects of your business.

With wide expertise in business sales and purchases; applications for licensed premises; financing and security; the setting-up, managing, restructuring and refinancing of companies, partnerships, LLPs and joint ventures, our Business Law team can provide you and your organisation with the support it needs to grow.

Our highly rated Marine Law team is the most experienced in Scotland and we are one of the UK’s leading firms in Shipping and Fishing Industry Law. We offer a wide range of services to our shipping and offshore clients including a 24/7 Emergency Response service for marine accidents or critical situations, allowing us to advise and assist our clients immediately, when that advice and assistance is most required.

Our court expertise goes far beyond the Employment and Marine Law arenas with a dedicated Dispute Resolution team.

Recognising that court action is not always the most appropriate way in which to resolve a dispute, we are happy to advise our clients on the alternative dispute resolution methods available to them, and to tailor a solution to their specific needs. We have represented our clients in both international and domestic arbitrations and mediations, and our team includes a trained mediator.

Where court action cannot be avoided, our Dispute Resolution team are able to represent you in courts throughout Scotland and have experience of representing clients in forums worldwide.

Established for over 150 years, Mackinnons has always been associated with a progressive outlook.

With clients from across the full business spectrum, both in the UK and worldwide, we know that being accessible and understandable is a must. Our plain language approach to advice is designed to help you and your business navigate the legal landscape.

In addition to our specialist Employment, Business Law and Dispute Resolution teams, we offer award winning Property law and Personal Advice and Estate Planning departments, providing our individual clients with unparalleled levels of service, complemented by the teams’ sensitive touch and acute legal and financial awareness.

www.mackinnons.com

CHARITY/CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILTY

Governing for good - the view from the Regulator

David Robb

David Robb, Chief Executive at the Scottish Charity Regulator, provides perspective on current developments and how the organisation’s work supports public confidence.

You’d be forgiven for thinking, from recent press reports, that charities are on the back foot. Issues such as fundraising practices and senior executive salaries in some charities have attracted attention and resulted – in the case of charity fundraising at least – in reviews of the current regulatory arrangements.

But the truth is that such high-profile practices aren’t typical of the vast majority of charities in Scotland. It’s worth reflecting on the fact that two-thirds of the country’s 23,900 charities have annual incomes under £100,000 – and in many of them the turnover is significantly smaller than that. The fact is that most charities are run in local communities by people committed to the cause, and usually with no financial reward. Our experience as Regulator is that generally speaking, Scottish charities are well run, and the public can continue to give with confidence.

Nevertheless, there are clear requirements for charities to meet, and best practice in a number of areas that they should observe. It’s worth reflecting on these, as well as our work as Regulator, to demonstrate the responsibility that those running charities have to undertake to earn public support. We should not take the public’s trust and confidence for granted, and it’s in everyone’s interests that charities re-double their efforts to demonstrate their impact and their accountability.

Charity fundraising hit the headlines in the last couple of months, with both the UK and Scottish Governments having commissioned reviews into how this key aspect of activity is regulated. We were pleased to contribute to

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the review carried out by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations and look forward to continuing to play our part – in particular at the sector summit SCVO is holding in November following publication of their report, which was welcomed by the Scottish Government.

The recent attention has underlined the importance of trustee oversight of fundraising activity - protecting a charity’s reputation is a key responsibility for trustees and we would expect trustees to seek appropriate reassurances around all fundraising.

Another issue that has seen some prominence – although limited in Scotland – is the level of remuneration for senior staff in charities. It’s easy to caricature the salaries of a few individuals as representing the sector as a whole, but our position as Regulator is consistent and clear: this, again, is a matter for the charity’s trustees.

They must be able to show that the levels of reward for all staff reflect the demands and responsibility of the post, and to show that they have taken decisions transparently and in the best interests of the charity.

I mentioned that charities generally are well run and that the public can give with confidence. We view our work as Regulator as important in playing a part in that. Our proportionate reporting framework and oversight of charities both encourages public confidence and helps to drive up standards.

We’ve produced evidence of our impact in this year’s Annual Review, available on our website (www.oscr.org.uk). Aside from the simple volume of our work – handling 1,092

applications for charity status, 792 proposed changes to charities and 337 concerns about charities – we also worked to support charity trustees in getting it right. We produced new guidance on political campaigning, updated guidance on meeting the charity test and held 17 ‘good practice’ and consultation events across Scotland.

There are a number of checks you can carry out so that you know you’re dealing with a bona fide and well-run charity. The Scottish Charity Register at www.oscr.org.uk lists all the charities in Scotland and sets out some basic financial information. We’ll also soon be publishing charities’ accounts – in the meantime, you are entitled to request the most recent accounts from the charity direct and, as well as setting out the financial figures, these should also contain a Trustees’ Annual Report explaining the charity’s activities and impact.

November sees Trustees’ Week both celebrating the work and commitment of all those running charities, and encouraging others who may be interested to take on this responsibility. Being a charity trustee is both an important and a rewarding role, and one that we’ll be supporting as Regulator through events and media activity throughout that week – you can find out more at: http:// trusteesweek.blogspot.co.uk/ Charities touch the lives of every family and community in Scotland – it’s vital that they are supported to keep on doing this important work, and the Regulator is proud to assist.

CHARITY/CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILTY

Does your company want to make a difference in your local community?

Cancer Support Scotland changes the lives of people facing cancer.

Uptake of our services increased by 40% in the past year. We urgently need the support of companies like yours to meet this huge demand.

We tailor our support services to each individual. We will mirror this approach with your company and will work with you to create a unique corporate partnership package that can include:

‘We w an lives o ted to mak ea fp a cycle eople affec genuine dif ted fer kn have a owing the m by cancer s ence to the o took oney w direct part in impac e rais t” – Cr aig, Fil ed would

amen t PD

Meaningful volunteering opportunities Team building and staff engagement activities A full calendar of exciting events to take part in ‘Money can’t buy’ PR Sponsorship opportunities Call us today on 0141 337 8199 or email us at fundraising@cancersupportscotland.org to discuss how your company can get involved.

Find out more about our free counselling and complementary therapies on our website: www.cancersupportscotland.org

zing gs” ama in been all it br s a d h land ancer an t o c hc rt S uppo cope wit cer S e “Can lping m e User e for h , Servic sh i r Registered Charity number SC012867 T -

Could your staff and colleagues make a difference to the lives of the babies, children and young people treated at The Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow?

Your company can help Yorkhill Children’s Charity to ensure that Scotland’s sick children receive the best possible care and experience.

We will develop a tailored fundraising plan for your company which will engage your staff through exciting fundraising and volunteering opportunities.

For more details please call 0141 212 8750 or email fundraising@yorkhill.org

Follow us

www.yorkhill.org Registered in Scotland as a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee.

Company No 222439. Scottish Charity Number SC007856.

Registered Office -Yorkhill Children’s Charity, 2nd Floor, PSP House, 50 High Craighall Road, Glasgow G4 9UD.

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CHARITY/CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILTY - INSPIRING SCOTLAND

The business of investing in Scotland’s charities to change lives Inspiring Scotland has created a unique model of working alongside Scotland’s charities with a very business-like approach.

As well as providing financial investment, accountability is key and charities must demonstrate the social impact being made.

Yet money is only part of the story. The provision of advice and expertise to help charities become stronger and sustainable is just as important - and Scotland’s business community plays a key role in this work volunteering time, skills and expertise.

but Europe wide. Inspiring Scotland is an active member of the European pro bono group, partnering with companies to reflect on responsible CSR practices and to tackle social challenges.

More than 250 people have joined the volunteering pro bono pool with Inspiring Scotland, providing a broad range of skills and on a wide range of projects. From accountancy, HR, legal advice, to business development, mentoring and marketing– the needs and range of projects from the charities involved are diverse.

As well as providing an opportunity for individuals to give something back to society, Inspiring Scotland’s pro bono pool is an effective way for Scotland’s business community to fulfil their Corporate Social Responsibility commitment. This is a growing focus for not just for UK business,

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Get Involved: Inspiring Scotland is an effective way of matching the skills from Scotland’s business community with talented and ambitious charities. If you would like to help us widen our pro bono pool and get involved then please get in touch with Elaine Crichton, Pro Bono Executive elaine@inspiringscotland.org.uk www.inspiringscotland.org.uk

11:17

RAISE FREE DONATIONS ON EVERYDAY WORK PURCHASES ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Shop with over 4,000 online retailers Raise FREE donations for charity No extra cost for your business Great for your Corporate Social Responsibility programme

Start raising today

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Shop online for your everyday work purchases, from train tickets to printer ink, at over 4,000 leading retailers and raise FREE donations to your chosen charity with no extra cost to your business.

give.as/youwork

CHARITY/CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILTY - WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR & MACMILLAN CANCER SUPPORT

Help When You Wish Upon a Star to grant Wishes in Scotland When You Wish Upon a Star is a national charity with a simple mission, to grant the Wishes of children living with life threatening illnesses. We’re an ideal charity partner for companies large and small and the money we’ve raised through our corporate partners has transformed the lives of thousands of children over the past 25 years.

Supporting us will help meet your corporate and social responsibility needs. Whether it’s a one-off event or a long-term partnership we can provide ideas and support for fundraising initiatives, staff engagement activities or sponsorship opportunities for your company.

How we can work together n Charity of the year/ staff fundraising –we will work with you to create a fundraising plan with fun and engaging ways for your

staff to raise funds. Our experienced team will work with you and your staff to provide the best possible support. n Group challenge events – take part in events such as cycle rides, marathons, skydives, and triathlons. n Payroll Giving - a tax efficient scheme that allows you to make regular donations directly from your salary. It is a simple and effective way for employees to support your chosen charity. n Matched Funding - companies can support their employee’s fundraising by matching the money that they raise. This is a fantastic way of motivating your staff by showing your support for their fundraising efforts, as well as raising your profile.

n Cause-related marketing (CRM) and sales promotions - you could support us directly through product sales. This can help increase your profits and raise your brand awareness. n Event sponsorship and corporate hospitality - we plan events throughout the year, with opportunities for companies to get involved through sponsorship and brand awareness.

If you’d like to talk to us about how we could work together, please call 01357 529950 or email scotland@whenyouwish.org.uk www.whenyouwishuponastar.org.uk

n Volunteering – your employees can join our army of dedicated volunteers.

Profit is necessary for all businesses to survive long term. As profit comes from the community in which it operates – from the local to global, Corporate Social Responsibility is important to every business.

Choosing the right charity partner can help achieve your CSR objectives whether it’s engaging employees to motivate and drive loyalty or demonstrating to customers that your business is helping those less fortunate.

At Macmillan Cancer Support we understand you have a business to run and that working with us must be easy and rewarding both in terms of CSR and the bottom line. We are the UK’s top charity brand and as well as achieving philanthropic and intangible goals we help businesses drive PR, sales and footfall or visits.

We are also able to support the corporate world with our unique and tailored resource “Macmillan at Work” which helps employers manage a cancer diagnosis within their workplace.

Find out more about how your business and Macmillan can work together for mutual benefit and help the 220,000 people in Scotland living with cancer by contacting: Aileen Stewart, Corporate Fundraising Manager, Scotland Tel: 07801 307096 | Email: astewart@macmillan.org.uk

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CHAMBERCONTACTS

CHAMBER CONTACTS

Scottish Chambers of Commerce 30 George Square, Glasgow, G2 1EQ T: 0141 204 8316 F: 0141 204 8371 E: admin@scottishchambers.org.uk Chair - Nora Senior Chief Executive - Liz Cameron OBE

Dumfries & Galloway Chamber of Commerce

Scottish Chambers of Commerce

Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce The Hub, Exploration Drive Aberdeen Energy Park, Bridge of Don Aberdeen, AB23 8GX T: 01224 343900 E: info@agcc.co.uk www.agcc.co.uk Chief Executive - Robert Collier President - Edel Harris Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry The Mezzanine, Glasgow Prestwick International Airport, Prestwick, KA9 2PL T: 01292 678 666 F: 01292 678 667 E: enquiries@ayrshire-chamber.org www.ayrshire-chamber.org Chief Executive - Val Russell President - Stuart Cresswell Cairngorms Business Partnership Ltd Inverdruie House, Inverdruie Aviemore, PH22 1QH T: 01479 780539 E: office@visitcairngorms.com www.visitcairngorms.com Chairman - Kevin Roach Caithness Chamber of Commerce Naver Business Centre Naver House, Naver Road Thurso, KW14 7QA T: 01847 890076 E: info@caithnesschamber.com www.caithnesschamber.com Chief Executive - Trudy Morris Chairman - Stephen Sutherland

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Hillhead House, The Crichton, Bankend Road Dumfries, DG1 4UQ T: 01387 270866 E: admin@dgchamber.co.uk www.dgchamber.co.uk Chief Executive – Brian Richardson President- Brian Rennie Dunbartonshire Chamber of Commerce Whitecrook Business Centre 78 Whitecrook Street, Clydebank, G81 1QF T: 0141 280 0272 E: admin@dunbartonshirechamber.co.uk www.dunbartonshirechamber.co.uk President - Stewart Rennie Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce Unit 27, City Quay, Camperdown Street Dundee, DD1 3JA T: 01382 228545 F: 01382 228441 E: info@dundeeandanguschamber.co.uk www.dundeeandanguschamber.co.uk Chief Executive - Alison Henderson President - Tim Allan East Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce Barrhead Foundry Main Street, Barrhead, East Renfrewshire, G78 1SW T: 0141 887 6181 E: info@eastrenchamber.org.uk www.eastrenchamber.org.uk President: John F Hamilton Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce 40 George Street, 2nd floor Edinburgh, EH2 2LE T: 0131 221 2999 F: 0131 261 5056 E: membershipadmin@edinburghchamber.co.uk www.edinburghchamber.co.uk Chief Executive - David Birrell President - Scott Black

Fife Chamber of Commerce Evans Business Centre, 1 Begg Road John Smith Business Park Kirkcaldy, KY2 6HD T: 01592 647740 E: info@fifechamber.co.uk www.fifechamber.co.uk Chief Executive - Eric Byiers President - John Silcock Forth Valley Chamber of Commerce Group (incorporating Stirling Chamber of Commerce) Suite 2, Scion House Stirling University Innovation Park Stirling, FK9 4NF T: 01324 665 500 E: info@forthvalleychamber.co.uk www.forthvalleychamber.com www.stirlingchamber.co.uk Acting Chief Executive – Michelle McKearnon Chairman – George Stevenson Glasgow Chamber of Commerce 30 George Square, Glasgow, G2 1EQ T: 0141 204 2121 E: chamber@glasgowchamberofcommerce.com www.glasgowchamberofcommerce.com Chief Executive Stuart Patrick President - Vic Emery Greenock Chamber of Commerce Room 5, Victoria House, 5 East Blackhall Street, Greenock PA15 1HD T: 01475 806824 M: 07939 272787 E: chiefexecutive@greenockchamber.co.uk Greenock www.greenockchamber.co.uk Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive - Helen McCormick President - Steven Watson

CHAMBER CONTACTS

Inverness Chamber of Commerce Metropolitan House 31-33 High Street, Inverness, IV1 1HT T: 01463 718 131 E: info@inverness-chamber.co.uk www.inverness-chamber.co.uk Chief Executive - Stewart Nicol President - Eleanor Neilson Lochaber Chamber of Commerce Station Square, Fort William Inverness-shire, PH33 6EN T: 01397 705 765 E: membership@lochaberchamber.co.uk www.lochaberchamber.co.uk Chairman - Don Hind Chief Executive - Lesley Benfield Midlothian & East Lothian Chamber of Commerce Moulsdale House, Edinburgh College 24d Milton Road East, Edinburgh, EH15 2PP T: 0131 603 5043 E: dita@thebusinesspartnership.org.uk www.melcc.org.uk Executive Director George Archibald President - George Walker Moray Chamber of Commerce Suite 7, Elgin Business Centre Maisondieu Road, Elgin, IV30 1QP T: 01343 543344 E: info@moraychamber.co.uk www.moraychamber.co.uk Executive Director Margery A McLennan President Alistair Simpson

Perthshire Chamber of Commerce Saltire House, 3 Whitefriars Crescent Perth, PH2 0PA T: 01738 450 401 F: 01738 450 402 E: info@perthshirechamber.co.uk www.perthshirechamber.co.uk Chief Executive - Vicki Unite President - Mike McDairmid

Scottish Chambers of Commerce Scottish Chambers of Commerce 30 George Square Glasgow G2 1EQ T: 0141 204 8316 F: 0141 204 8371 E: admin@scottishchambers.org.uk www.scottishchambers.org.uk @ScotChambers Like us on Facebook

Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce Bute Court, St Andrews Drive Glasgow Airport Paisley, PA3 2SW T: 0141 847 5450 F: 0141 847 5499 E: info@renfrewshirechamber.com www.renfrewshirechamber.com Chief Executive - Bob Davidson President – Audrey Cumberford

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Scottish Borders Chamber of Commerce Academy House, Shedden Park Road Kelso, TD5 7AL T: 07771 865 758 E: communications@borderschamber.com www.borderschamber.com Convenor - Jack Clark Vice Convenor - Bruce Simpson West Lothian Chamber of Commerce Alba Centre, Alba Business Park Rosebank, Livingston, EH54 7EG T: 01506 414808 E: chamber@wlchamber.com www.wlchamber.com Chief Executive Linda Scott President James Wallace

Advertising John Neilson Commercial Director Telephone 07813874970 john.neilson@distinctivegroup.co.uk This publication is also available as an ebook at: www.issuu.com/distinctivepublishing Front page image: Roy Henderson / Shutterstock.com

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Distinctive Publishing or Scottish Chambers of Commerce cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies that may occur, individual products or services advertised or late entries. No part of this publication may be reproduced or scanned without prior written permission of the publishers and Scottish Chambers of Commerce.

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CHAMBER NEWS

It has been a busy few months at Fife Chamber with events attended by our members and recognition at the BCC Awards. There is also still time to get your entry in for the Fife Business Awards which close on 18th December visit www.fifechamber.co.uk for more details…

Queensferry crossing progress Over 40 Chamber members recently attended the Forth Replacement Crossing Contact Education Centre to hear Transport Scotland’s Lawrence Shackman and Ewen Macdonnell, of the Forth Crossing Bridge Constructors joint venture, present and discuss current activities on the project.

Around 1,200 people are currently working on what is Scotland’s biggest ever transport infrastructure project and, although already the tallest bridge in the UK, once completed in 2016 it will also be the largest three-tower cable-stay bridge in the world, with two 650 metre spans.

Construction of the surrounding approach roads continues apace and these, along with the Intelligent Transport System and improved public transport links, will transform journeys across the Firth.

Completion of the project as a whole will provide more resilient and faster links which are vital for the development of Fife and the whole of the East of Scotland.

Fife Chamber President John Silcock said: “Having attended a project briefing for the Chamber at the end of 2013, it is simply staggering to see the progress that has been made in just over 18 months. We look forward to the completion of the Crossing

next year and I’m confident that this will lead to significant economic development opportunities in Fife and beyond.”

Local businesses triumph at 2015 Chamber Awards Two Fife Chamber members are celebrating after being crowned winners in the Scottish heats of the British Chambers of Commerce Awards 2015. The Awards showcase the pivotal role local businesses play in the UK’s continuing growth story.

Lobster Pod, who have developed an innovative live shellfish storage and transportation system, have won the Small Business of the Year category whilst John Young Signs, who provide quality signs and services won the Best Use of Technology award.

Both companies will now go forward to represent Scotland in the national finals, which take place in London in November.

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Visit to BAE Systems Members recently visited BAE Systems at their Hillend facility. The group received a presentation on the development of the plant over the years before being shown round and given details of the range of processes undertaken.

BAE Systems provide some of the world’s most advanced, technologyled defence, aerospace and security solutions and employ a skilled workforce of some 83,400 people in over 40 countries. Working with customers and local partners, they develop, engineer, manufacture and support products and systems to deliver military capability, protect national security and people and keep critical information and infrastructure secure.

CHAMBER NEWS

Prestige clients flock to silk blooms for floral displays Prestige clients are flocking to Dunbartonshire chamber member, Silk Blooms for its upmarket, customised artificial flower displays.

Estée Lauder, Givenchy, Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Disney have all used the Bishopbriggs-based company’s products.

The Jo Malone brand, part of Estée Lauder, has a monthly order which is shipped all over the world, including to St. Petersburg in Russia, as well as to London, Edinburgh and Manchester in the UK. Company director, David McDaid, explains: “They are always looking for floral arrangements and always have a very specific theme for the month. We are able to replicate any floral arrangement from a photograph or brief.

“We can Pantone®colour match the flowers. They send us photos with a description on what’s required – in August it was mimosa displays in ginger vases which proved to be a challenge.”

Harrods’ buyer was so impressed by the quality of the displays that they recommended them to colleagues and friends. They are now looking for more flowers for the store’s basement rooms and for the consoles outside the elevator doors.

Harvey Nichols also has an account with Silk Blooms – they use each set of display flowers for around five months and then replenish them with new, seasonal arrangements.

Disney didn’t even approach the firm but simply placed a large order for Silk Blooms’ turquoise/jade coloured orchids via its website.

David commented:” I’m pretty sure we’ll be the only company selling these – it’s because we colour match – you simply can’t buy these colours elsewhere.

“Colour matching is definitely our USP and just having these unusual flowers on our website is getting us found on Google searches.

“Companies can match their logo, their décor or even their individual products at point of sale.”

The company, which has only been in business for three years, recently won the award for Best Use of E-Commerce at the East Dunbartonshire Business Awards.

David and partner, Mara Rose Naismith, originally worked from home after setting up

in 2012 but moved to commercial premises when the business expanded.

durability means we’re able to be far more creative with them.

“We specialise in modern and bespoke floral displays made from premium artificial flowers. We don’t use the cheap silk flowers that people stigmatise.

“One of the main advantages though, is that you can put our displays in rooms where fresh flowers would never survive. Fresh tulips or gerberas for example would only last hours in artificial lighting.

“We provide superior displays which often look nicer than real flowers and the advantages are really clear.

“They save money on fresh flowers as they will not wilt or die, they last and last and don’t need watered or trimmed. Their

“Our displays are popular with designer boutiques and department stores – they’re also fantastic for hotels, spas and restaurants too.” www. silkblooms.co.uk

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CHAMBER NEWS

Work Placement Toolkit launched for employers A simple “business-friendly” work placement toolkit has been launched to encourage North-east employers to offer pupils work experience.

The 16-page guide is a joint initiative

by Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire councils and Skills Development Scotland.

It aims to support employers in hosting more work placements for young people of school age, as well as encouraging those not currently hosting placements to begin doing so.

This lets young people improve their work readiness and helps address the skill and employment gaps that currently exist in the North-east of Scotland, as well as highlighting different career opportunities to young people.

Previous research into the links between schools and businesses carried out by the Chamber had found that 67 businesses in the region had established a link with a secondary school and that 12,000 young people in the North-east were participating in some sort of third party activity.

Work placements for school pupils was identified as a key area where the Chamber could make a difference to skills development in the North-east, which it has driven through its skills network.

The research and subsequent consultations highlighted the potential for a much wider range of members to get involved in work placements, especially in under-represented sectors such as finance and legal services, rural businesses, food & drink, hospitality & tourism, and construction.

Chamber membership network manager Mary Holland, who coordinates the skills network group, said, “The toolkit has been created in such a way that it is useful for businesses of all types, sectors, shapes and sizes and provides simple guidance on hosting all types of placement, demonstrating how easy it can be to become involved.

“The draft text of the toolkit has been widely and universally well received and it has already attracted interest at a national level from Education Scotland and the Scottish Government.

“They are currently carrying out a consultation on a National Work Experience Standard, which they are keen for the

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Skills Network to contribute to with their learnings.

“This is a great endorsement of the group’s work so far and an opportunity for recognition of the Chamber’s work nationally.”

A copy of the toolkit can be downloaded from the Chamber website at www.agcc.co.uk/chamber-network/ skills#tab4

CHAMBER NEWS

Y Factor teaches young people financial planning A COMPETITION is underway in schools across the North-east of Scotland aimed at helping young people understand the importance of financial planning.

“The Y Factor” will also give students in S3-S5 classes an introduction to business accounts and finance and access to professionals working in the sector to mentor and inspire them.

The competition has been organised by the Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce finance network and takes its name from the “Y” for the youth population at which it is aimed and the “why” financial planning is so critical.

Committee member Graeme Ross of accountancy firm AAB said: “It will ends with a Dragon’s Den style presentation but the idea is to engage with the competing schools which will each be mentored by a professional from the finance services network - perhaps a local banker, accountant, financial planner or a finance director.

“At AAB we will be providing a young mentor who the students are likely to be able to engage well with.”

He explained that to ensure the Y Factor was relevant to the curriculum and interesting to the students it had been devised with the assistance of staff and students from city schools.

“We want them to understand the importance of the financial sector and develop an understanding of the key elements of business.

“We also want to give something back. One of the students who was involved in helping devise the competition has already indicated he would like to make a career with us.

“Each school will draw up a business plan and it can be for any business - a

The idea is to engage with the competing schools which will each be mentored by a professional from the finance services network Graeme Ross, AAB

completely new one or one which already exists. The mentors will talk through subjects like managing company finances, product development, how to put together a marketing plan and budgeting.

“The teams will be of four to six students and all their business plans will be judged by a panel of five - also sourced from the finance network.

“The finalists will then be invited to make their Dragons Den style presentation to the panel, and to their fellow finalists, and take part in a question and answer session.”

“One bonus, although that is not the point of the exercise, is that we may attract our staff of the future because the financial sector may not be the first thing kids think about for a career when they are in S3, 4 and 5.

“The competition only takes it to the business plan stage, however if the plan is so good the school wants to take it further then we would certainly look to give them all the support possible to take it to market.

“We also hope that the relationships which are established between the school and the companies involved will continue long past the competition and strengthen and develop.”

Christine McLennan, Aberdeenshire Council Enterprise Development Officer said: “This AGCC initiative has been created for pupils in S3-S5 as the ultimate enterprise experience to teach young people how to source funding to set up and run a real company.

“A finance network steering group member will mentor students through the year at regular company meetings as they learn how a business works and how start-up funding can be sourced.

“Students will increase their understanding of key business functions including financial management, marketing and sales and

will gain practical experience of a range of economic concepts including raising finance, supply and demand, cost, price, competition and sustainability.

“They will work with their mentor to create their business plan and projected profit and loss then will compete with other schools in Aberdeen City and Shire to present their plan and share the work they have done.

“The Y Factor will promote the financial sector for school-age pupils and help pupils develop skills in product development, time management, creative thinking, problemsolving and teamwork using a real life context.

“It is an example of collaboration between industry and education where work done in business studies, personal and social education and maths meets the real life world of commerce and finance.

“It contributes to recommendation 15 of Developing Young Workforce, the Scottish Government’s response to the Wood Report where businesses are being encouraged to work closely with secondary schools.”

Teresa Bremner, membership network manager for Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, said: “This initiative arose from concerns expressed at meetings of the finance network of the Chamber.

“Members highlighted the lack of talented young people wishing to work within this sector.

“As a result it was decided to launch the Y Factor, to help young people understand the importance of financial planning in everyday life, to provide an introduction to business accounts and finance and to give them access to individuals working within this sector locally.”

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