Business Connect 2 by Distinctive Media Group Ltd

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WINTER2013 ISSUE 2

Celebrating

40 years

Your local winter solution

It is our business to ensure your premises remains safe and open for trade during the winter period. It is our sole priority to assist you in fulfilling your obligation to provide a safe site for your staff and visitors.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what we do! Cappers Winter Maintenance is 100% self-sufficient. We operate our own fleet of snow clearing and gritting equipment. Supplying complete peace of mind.

in business 1973 - 2013

d Preventative Gritting Contracts Specialists d Complete Snow Clearing services. Reactive or Cappers Monitored d Manual gritting and snow clearing operatives d Winter events emergency cover d Weather Forecasting d Complete Winter Risk Management â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Site surveys and risk assessment d Salt supplies

ARE YOU PREPARED? Call 01501 753999 or email enquiries@capperswinter.co.uk

www.capperswinter.co.uk Cappers Winter Maintenance. Sibbald Park, Blackridge, Bathgate, West Lothian EH48 3BN

01501 753999

contents

Mount Lothian Wind Farm â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;could generate millions in local benefitsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Business Connect is a joint Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian Chambers of Commerce publication. All editorial and general enquiries: For Midlothian and East Lothian Chamber of Commerce Tel: 0131 603 5040 email: dita@thebusinesspartnership.org.uk Midlothian and East Lothian Chamber of Commerce Moulsdale House 24D Milton Road East Edinburgh EH15 2PP www.melcc.org.uk Chief Executive: George Archibald For West Lothian Chamber of Commerce Tel: 01506 412909 email: brenda.cumming@wlchamber.com West Lothian Chamber of Commerce Alba Centre, Alba Business Park Rosebank, Livingston EH54 7EG www.wlchamber.com

A sustainable campus to host your perfect event

Chief Executive: Linda Scott

Is Your Business Ready For Auto Enrolment?

ADVERTISING Distinctive Publishing Unit 6b, Floor B, Milburn House Dean Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1LE Tel: 0845 884 2343 email: john.neilson@distinctivegroup.co.uk

DISCLAIMER Distinctive Publishing or Business Connect 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 Business Connect.

Road junction opens up opportunities at Heartlands

PRODUCTION & DESIGN Distinctive Publishing Unit 6b, Floor B, Milburn House Dean Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1LE Tel: 0845 884 2384 www.distinctivepublishing.co.uk

FEATURE EDITORS John Dean & Francis Griss email: deangriss@btinternet.com

A night of celebration for local businesses and entrepreneurs

Changes make pension system easier to use

Contents

Chamber News

16|17

Chamber News

Chamber Events

18|19

Chamber News

Cover Feature

24|25

Chamber News

Big Interview

28|29

Chamber News

New Members

Ask the expert

Members Close Up

30 38|39 42

FRONT COVER IMAGE - Studio montage MARKETING

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A sustainable campus to host your perfect event A multitude of flexible meeting spaces makes Queen Margaret University the perfect setting for a variety of large and small scale events.

The campus, located on the boundary of Edinburgh and East Lothian, offers a unique and spacious setting for conferences, corporate and community meetings, seminars, training events, weddings and other celebrations. Ranging from 250 seater lecture theatres to comfortable meetings rooms, QMU has something for everyone. Sarah Whigham, Conference and Events Manager, said: “Aside from our formal 250 seater and 150 seater lecture spaces, we now have an attractive dedicated Conference Suite which can be used for a multitude of different events. The 60 seater suite opens out onto an attractive outdoor decking area next to our water feature, and also leads onto an additional internal catering and reception space. With in-built high-spec AV, the new Conference Suite is ideal for both commercial meetings and celebratory gatherings.” The University prides itself on its sustainability credentials – QMU has won numerous awards and is known to have one of the most sustainable university campuses in the UK. This, in itself, is attracting likeminded organisations which are keen to

host their event in a venue that fits with their ethos. For example, the recent Nourish Scotland conference organiser said: “QMU was the only venue which offered us the flexibility that we needed for our very unique event and shared our vision for sustainable living. It was a perfect fit.” Queen Margaret University is particularly interested in supporting Scotland’s food and drink businesses and has a wealth of experience in this area. Organisations that choose QMU as an event venue will not only be offered excellent catering to support their individual needs, but they also can access academic and commercial expertise in food, drink and nutrition.

Fitting your future needs QMU can offer: n assistance with event management; n flexible meeting space ranging from lecture theatre and seminar rooms to specialist labs and clinics; n high-tech meeting space with AV, plasma screens, interactive smartboards and electronic voting system; n overnight accommodation at very competitive rates; n bespoke catering packages for up to 300 clients; n access to a state-of-the-art gym on campus; n attractive landscaped grounds and n free parking and excellent train and bus links (only 6 minute train ride to Edinburgh city centre). To discuss your conference and event requirements or to arrange a site visit call: Sarah Whigham on T: 0131 474 0000 (say ‘EVENTS’) or E: events@qmu.ac.uk

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businessnews

Mount Lothian Wind Farm ‘could generate millions in local benefits’ The proposed Mount Lothian Wind Farm site

Wind Prospect Developments Ltd has developed proposals for a wind farm at Mount Lothian in Midlothian on behalf of EDF Energy Renewables. Since September 2011, the local community has been consulted by the renewable energy developers on the proposal, located two kilometres south east of the village of Howgate. A planning application for the project was submitted to Midlothian Council in January 2013, but withdrawn to allow more time for the preparation and submission of supplementary information. The application will be re-submitted with updated information. Karen Thorburn, Wind Prospect Development Manager, said: “We would like to encourage those in support of wind energy to lodge their support for our application directly to Midlothian Council following submission of the revised planning application.” The application is for a wind farm comprising nine wind turbines with a combined installed capacity of 20.7 megawatts. If the proposal is consented, the development will be accompanied by a range of benefits:

Community n A Community Benefit Fund, provided by EDF Energy Renewables, will support local projects over the 25 year lifetime of the wind farm

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n A commitment to support training and skills development at local schools and colleges with an additional Community Benefit Fund n A commitment from Penicuik Estate to reinvest a proportion of the revenue generated by the wind farm into the repair and conservation of the Estate’s historic designed landscape and improved leisure facilities for the benefit of the many thousands of people who visit the Estate for leisure and recreation each year

n Protection and enhancement on-site of habitat for the great crested newt n Measures to protect and enhance two degraded lowland raised bogs in the vicinity of the project site Following the ecology surveys, landscape and visual input, and extensive public consultation during the pre-application consultation process, Wind Prospect Developments reduced the number of turbines proposed for the site from twelve to nine.

n Upon commissioning of the wind farm, a donation will be made to support enhancement of Penicuik’s historic environment

Individual turbines have also been relocated within the site to minimise impacts on soil, peatland and wildlife and to reduce further any potential impacts on the nearest significant residential settlement at Howgate.

Economic

In addition, the proposed site entrance for the project has been relocated to minimise the impact on local residents.

n During the operational phase, the project will support six full-time equivalent jobs in the Lothians and a total of eight in Scotland1 n A total spend in the Lothians during the construction phase of around £6m1

Wind Prospect Developments Ltd has been an active member of the MELCC since March 2012 and is a proud sponsor of the Green Business Award in the MELCC 2013 Business Awards.

n A spend of £0.7m every year throughout the operational life of the wind farm1 n A commitment to use local contractors wherever possible in the construction of the wind farm

References 1. Source: Socio-economic assessment carried out by BiGGAR Economics for the Mount Lothian Wind Farm proposal.

Environmental

2. Based on a mean annual household usage of 4.26MWh (DECC, DUKES 2013).

n The potential to generate 47,255 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity per year, the equivalent energy as is used by 11,000 homes2– the equivalent to meeting the needs of 30% of households in Midlothian with low carbon electricty3

3. The number of homes powered figure is provided for comparison purposes only and is based on a capacity factor of 26.06%, which is the average output for UK onshore wind for the last five years according to DECC, DUKES, 2013. According to GROS estimate 2012, the total number of households in Midlothian is 35,668.

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chambernews

Students and graduates can help you grow your business Is your business one of the many which are looking to develop but find yourself under-resourced or without the right skill sets to progress? If you are not sure about the risk of taking someone on and wary of making the investment, then considering a student or graduate placement could help you take the first steps. The Bright Green Placements programmes, run by Bright Green Business at Midlothian and East Lothian Chamber of Commerce, have been helping businesses across Scotland grow and develop for more than ten years. By working with businesses to understand requirements, discuss organisation culture and focus projects to the needs of hosting organisations, the placements have achieved more than £10m in cost savings through environmental improvement, diverted more than 80,000 tonnes of Waste from Landfill, reduced Carbon Emissions by 33,500 tonnes, increased sales, developed and implemented new marketing plans, designed new websites and helped businesses reach their organisational objectives. The placements are easy, cost effective and successful with many students and graduates moving on into permanent roles within their host companies and businesses benefiting from the array of knowledge, skills, enthusiasm and drive that a new graduate can offer. The programmes: The Environmental Placement Programme, Graduate Step and Step Classic, can place a student or graduate into your business from between 8 to 24 weeks. They work with you on an agreed set of objectives to make sure their placement has a positive impact within your business while giving them relevant, paid work experience. With 75% of our graduate placements leading into a permanent role within host companies, the programmes are also an excellent way to bring in a new

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graduate to your company while using the placement period to make sure they will make a positive impact in the long run. The Environmental Placement Programme recently hosted their annual National Final where the top students and graduates on placement through the programme over the summer came together to present on the achievements of their projects. The winner of the title of Most Enterprising Green Student 2013 was Will Hutton, a third year Geography student at the University of St Andrews. Will helped his host company Mozolowski and Murray, who design and manufacture bespoke hard wood conservatories, prepare for ISO 14001 accreditation. In just 12 weeks Will helped Mozolowski and Murray identify £5,000 worth of annual savings, trained staff in new procedures and reached a level where the company are now desktop ready for ISO 14001 audit. The company is now pursuing Green Ticks accreditation (compliant with BS 8555) with the view to progress with ISO 14001 accreditation next year. Company representative Nikky Miller said: “Some of our colleagues may have entered the project with scepticism, but I am pleased to say Will won everyone over with his easy manner and dedication. He put people at ease and we felt confident in his ability to initiate the EMS.” If you are interested in finding out more about the Bright Green Placements programmes and how Bright Green Business can help please contact Louise Evison on 0131 603 5040 or louise@thebusinesspartnership.org.uk

Programme tackles youth unemployment The wage subsidy programme is part of West Lothian Council’s innovative Steps N2 Work initiative. The programme is designed to tackle youth unemployment within West Lothian whilst encouraging growth within local small to medium size businesses based within West Lothian. To be eligible, employers must be able to create a new employment opportunity for a young person aged between 16 and 24 and who is a resident of West Lothian. In return the wage subsidy provides employers with 50% of the young person’s salary cost for up to 52 weeks. The recruitment process can be managed by the council’s employment advisers. To be eligible, businesses must: Be based in West Lothian Be locally owned and managed Employ fewer than 50 employees Be able to create an additional opportunity for a young person n Offer a minimum of 26 hours work per week n n n n

Businesses that are interested in taking advantage of the programme can register their interest by telephoning 01506 281330 or emailing Stepsn2work@westlothian.gov.uk

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How to survive the digital world Derek Grierson

web | print | photography | illustration

Much of what passes for our culture today, in both Fine and Commercial Art, seems tired and anodyne. Every day, we pass billboards, adverts, packaging and artworks which follow the same trends. My ambition is to clean up much of this clutter with original, relevant work, suited to its purpose, and to improve our community’s quality of life. My starting point is to listen to what my customers need, and give them appropriate, professional advice and service. How? - I start with a pencil sketch. I believe that technology is there to serve the artist as a production tool. Over-reliance on it at the earliest stages of the design limits our ideas to those choices offered by the work-flow best suited to the software. The only required tool for original ideas is the one nature endowed us with - our minds. As an artist, it’s my responsibility to make the tools deliver the results you want.

• Experienced, professional designer of 20 years’ experience. • Original, artistic sensibility. • Fully equipped design studio. • Local business - takes a personal interest in your business, its brand, and its needs. • Broad range of services: • Web and Print Design; CMS; Email Branding; Catalogues; Reports; Stationery; Cards; Brochures; Leaflets; Book Design and Illustration; Copy writing and preparation; Corporate IDs and Branding; Logos; Glyphs; Typography; Photography; Editorial Illustration; Technical and Product Illustration; CAD; 3D Modelling; SketchUp; Adobe Illustrator; Photoshop; Matte Painting; Photo Retouching; Photo Compositing; Custom Drupal Themes; Paintings: (watercolour, oils and acrylics); solo and group portraits; pets; events; abstracts; still life; Giclee Prints; Photographs; Original Digital Works. • Affordable - Free initial consultation, reasonable rates, payment by instalments, or invoice. • Other services available - contact me now on 07906 275211 or email me at sales@maniceye.com and ask me for a free quotation.

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businessnews

Road junction opens up opportunities at Heartlands

A new chapter in the history of the Heartlands Development at Whitburn started with the completion of the new, privately funded M8 Junction 4a, providing direct access to West Lothian’s 610 hectare business, retail, residential and leisure destination. The junction, which was funded by The Royal Bank of Scotland plc, opens up significant new opportunities for the Heartlands Business Park, which has already received strong interest from local, national and international businesses.

five years, we now have a fantastic opportunity to create a vibrant and sustainable community that will attract high-quality skilled employment to the area and stimulate investment in support of the economic growth and development of the region. The completion of the junction marks the next significant step towards making this dream a reality.”

and petrol station), a hotel, restaurant and health and fitness facilities including a crèche. The residential side of the development has also seen significant acceleration, with sales completed on 28 of Taylor Wimpey’s 99 homes. Discussions continue to take place with several other housebuilders regarding the development, and initial preparation work on two PGA-designed championship golf courses is also underway.

The business park is one of the key driving forces behind Heartlands, providing more than 1.5 million sq. ft. of commercial space and potentially creating employment for around 4,000 people.

Designed to reflect the ethos of the Heartlands masterplan, Heartlands Business Park is set to be a healthy, eco-friendly, inspiring and attractive place to work, and will benefit from a proposed transport interchange with a park and ride facility and public transport links.

It is expected to attract most attention from manufacturing, logistics and distribution businesses, given its immediate access to the motorway network, and its location halfway between Scotland’s two biggest cities.

Alex Muirhead, Heartlands Development Director for Ecosse Regeneration, said: “Heartlands is one of the largest regeneration projects taking place in Europe and it is one which will help to drive the economy of Scotland’s central belt.

Plans for the park also include Class 1 retail (with planning approval for a supermarket

“Given the scarcity of regeneration development in Scotland over the past

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Heartlands is a £650m business, retail, residential and leisure destination, providing about 4,000 new jobs. Developed by Ecosse Regeneration, the site comprises 610 hectares (2.32 square miles) of land directly to the west of Whitburn, on the site of the former Polkemmet Colliery, one of Scotland’s largest deep mines, which ceased operation in 1985. It stretches just under 5km from north to south and is a little over 3km at its widest point. One of the largest reclamation and regeneration projects in Europe, the Heartlands Development currently includes plans for 2,000 homes, as well as leisure, education and community facilities. One of the driving forces behind the Heartlands development is the creation of a business park with more than 1.5 million sq. ft. of commercial space.

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I can’t manage TIME, but surely I can manage Myself? By Tony Hoskins – ActionCOACH Master Business Coach

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So here’s a question: How well are your personal goals aligned with those of your business? Seeking clarity around this can be a great first step and will help you challenge yourself on your own sense of Purpose. This is the true driving force behind managing your time to accomplish your own ultimate goal/s.

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Do it…. Delegate it….Defer it….or Dump it Plan your time/ organise your work schedule so that you are never working the issues that fall into the two “Not Important” categories. Create a “template” or “default diary” schedule for each time period – month/ week/day – which allocates time slots for specific types of tasks. Eg: travel to customers, return/place phone calls; do quiet work, organize paperwork, read.

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The key to efficient use of time is planning so work from lists & mark the items for priority (a,b,c) – Use Daily, Weekly “to achieve” lists. Do it in advance — Friday night or weekend for next week; the night before, for the next day, rather than the morning of. Gather your materials in advance, so can “hit the ground running” Put as much on your list as is realistic for you and enjoy the momentum gained as you cross them off. With large projects, break them into small steps so you can see progress. For effectiveness each major project should be planned out over time periods – with other activities interspersed. Incremental progress is key. So for projects, “divide to multiply”. Start now, step by step. Do the toughest things first, it stops procrastination you’ll feel great… therefore…you’ll be inspired to do everything else required for the day. Delegate. Include scheduled time in your plan to oversee/ train/ obtain & review reports on the work you have delegated. Do not slip into the habit of doing it for them. Think of the principle BE X DO = HAVE…It’s the whirlwind of unfocussed activity which can be all-consuming which forces you to spin the “hamster wheel”….. “Do, Do Do”. Great personal organisation is a reflection of the person you choose to “Become” to achieve your pre-determined and worthwhile goals or your HAVE… Need help with this? Give Tony a call and he’ll be delighted to brainstorm some ideas with you to help you get the business growth you need and deserve. Tony Hoskins is a global and european award winning Executive and Business Coach with ActionCOACH, the world’s number one business coaching organisation with 1000 offices in 32 countries. Contact Tony TODAY by emailing tonyhoskins@actioncoach.com or by calling him 0131 445 4038. 3, Caretaker’s Cottage, Bush House Cottages, Edinburgh Technopole. Midlothian EH26 0BA.

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How do I build a prŽĮtable business that works without me? Following our tried and tested 6 STEPS process is guaranteed to grow your business and give you more life! 1. Mastery: moving your business from chaos to control 2. Niche: GH¿QLQg your USP and achieving a predictable cash ÀRZ 3. Leverage: systemising your business for greater consistency and ef¿FLHQF\ 4. Team: structuring your business for JURZWh by employing the right people 5. Synergy: getting your business ZRUNLQg for you OLNe a ZHOO RLOHd machine 6. Results: using your NQRZOHGJe to build neZ businesses To see us in action, book your FREE place on a workshop by calling us on 0131 445 4038 or visiting www.actioncoachedinburgh.com

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Rosslyn Chapel’s 16-year conservation project comes to an end

A major conservation project at one of Scotland’s most historic buildings, which began in 1997, has come to an end and, for the first time since then, Rosslyn Chapel is now free from scaffolding. Work to the Chapel, which is Category A-listed, was instigated after a report in 1995 warned of damage to the stonework because of dampness and high humidity levels. In March 1997, a free-standing steel structure was erected to cover the building and allow the stone roof to dry out naturally, and this remained in place until summer 2010. Since then, within the project, stone and mortar repairs to the Chapel’s external walls, pinnacles and buttresses have been undertaken, the roof has been made watertight, the stained glass windows have been conserved, a new sustainable heating system has been installed, the organ has been restored, internal lighting has been renewed and a new visitor centre has opened. Ian Gardner, Director of Rosslyn Chapel Trust, said: ‘This is a great moment as the far-sighted conservation project in the Chapel comes to an end and the scaffolding, which had

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become a near permanent feature, has all been removed. For the first time since 1997, visitors can now enjoy an uninterrupted view of the exterior of the building, which, like the rest of the Chapel, is rich in carvings and details.’ Rosslyn Chapel was founded in 1446 by Sir William St Clair and its building took forty years to complete. The Chapel is still privately owned by the Earl and Countess of Rosslyn and continues to be a working church, with its congregation part of the Scottish Episcopal Church. The mysterious symbolism of the Chapel’s ornate stonework has inspired, intrigued and attracted visitors for generations although the Chapel came to prominence after featuring in Dan Brown’s novel, the Da Vinci Code, which was published in 2003. As a result of interest in the book and subsequent film, annual visitor numbers rose to 176,000 and income from visitors has helped to fund the conservation project. The Chapel’s Conservation and Access Project has totalled £9.3 million, which has come from Rosslyn Chapel Trust and a variety of supporters and funders including the National Lottery, through the Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic Scotland and WREN Heritage. Rosslyn Chapel Trust, which is a recognised Scottish Charity, gratefully acknowledges support from them and from other organisations and donors from around the world.

Colin McLean, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, said: “The spectacular architecture of Rosslyn Chapel has captivated hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world. The craftsmanship of its stonework is as fascinating as the mysteries its designs hold. The Heritage Lottery Fund is delighted to have been able to support the meticulous conservation of its medieval fabric so that visitors can continue to be impressed and inspired by this remarkable piece of Scotland’s heritage.” Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs said: "Rosslyn Chapel is utterly unique and is of international significance in terms of both its architecture and cultural heritage. I am delighted that Historic Scotland has been able to contribute £1.6 million towards this worthwhile project which has safeguarded the future of Rosslyn Chapel, allowing visitors from around the world to continue to enjoy it. The conservation work carried out on the structure over the past two decades has been extensive and painstaking and it is to the credit of everyone involved that the finished project – complete with an impressive new visitor centre – has not only conserved Rosslyn Chapel for future generations to enjoy, but allows us to see it in a whole new light.” Rosslyn Chapel is open to visitors daily throughout the year. Further information is available from the Chapel’s website – www.rosslynchapel.com

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advertorial

Business Gateway helps local bike company zoom into new future Al Hutchison could certainly be described as a bright spark. Mr Hutchison, who runs a mobile bike maintenance business called Bike Spark, also converts pushbikes into electric models. No wonder then our Business Gateway advisor James Fraser was happy to help Mr Hutchison develop a business plan. Councillor Jim Bryant, cabinet member for economic development, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I understand the whole process has come on leaps and bounds and actually it is quite straightforward and affordable to convert a bike. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s certainly a business we are delighted to support, especially as Midlothian has plenty of inclines and green spaces that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure less fit cyclists like myself would be happy to explore if we had a bit of extra help to get uphill.â&#x20AC;? Last October, Midlothian Council assumed direct responsibility for the Midlothian Business Gateway, which offers a first point of contact for all publicly funded advice to business. Midlothian Business Gateway offers a wide range of advice and services to new and established businesses, including social enterprises. It also runs local workshops covering topics such as starting up a new business, sources of finance, employment, sales and marketing, international trade, growing your business, and buying or selling a business.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jim helped me pull together a business plan, which was great. I certainly think thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plenty of scope to develop the business and possibly event turn it into a franchise.â&#x20AC;?

For more information on Business Gateway visit www.bgateway.com/local-offices/ midlothian/

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Start Up Advice sessions held at: Monday McSence Conference Centre 6\FDPRUH 5RDG 0D\ÂżHOG 'DONHLWK (+ 7$ 7XHVGD\ The Wallace Building 5RVOLQ %LR&HQWUH 5RVOLQ (+ 33

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Bike Spark is one of 35 businesses we are currently helping to grow.

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Mr Hutchison, who lives in Temple, said he was pleased with the support given by James Fraser.

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0845 609 6611 www.bgateway.com 0845 609 6611

www.bgateway.com 0845 609 6611

www.bgateway.com

Business Gateway services are delivered by Local Authorities, Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Government with the support of associated partner organisations. Business Gateway services are delivered by Local Authorities, Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Government with the support of associated partner organisations. Maximum call charge from BT landline is 3p a minute. Maximum call charge from BT landline is 3p a minute.

0845 609 6611

Business Gateway services areofdelivered by partner Local Authorities, Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Government with the support of associated partner organisations. Business Gateway services are delivered by Local Authorities, Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Government with the support associated organisations. Maximum call charge from BT landline is 3p a minute. Maximum call charge from BT landline is 3p a minute.

www.bgateway.com

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winter2013

Business Gateway services are delivered by Local Authorities, Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Government with the support of associated partner organisations. Maximum call charge from BT landline is 3p a minute.

e checked all details carefully and this advert is approved to print AFTER pleting the attached MINOR alterations.

erstand that once approved, D-Tech cannot be held responsible for ANY errors not cted or notified, I understand the proof copy provided is for content checking only and des ONLY an approximate guide to colour

Print Name

Date

orrect – Correct and REPROOF

e checked all details and have noted the attached alterations / enclosed new file. mit another proof after completing these changes / using new file supplied.

Bee Bee’s Flowers Bespoke CreationsPrint for allName occasions including:

Date

n Birthdays

has been taken n in the preparation and creation of artwork, DTech cannot be held responsible for any mistakes or Weddings caused, after artwork has been checked and approval for printing given. Advertisers supplying artwork files: as we n Parties er how this artwork was created such files are supplied at the Advertiser’s own risk – DTech cannot be held nt quality when sub-standard files are supplied. n In Sympathy for content checking only and are NOT colour accurate. Pantone colour matches cannot be achieved using the full and any other events or special days cess. in your calendar.

Proof Copy of Advert www.beebeesflowers.co.uk

For more information contact

Ask Dorothy As promised in the last issue here is my tried and tested approach to undertaking the Difficult Conversation Prepare

07824 887 990 or email breneast@hotmail.co.uk

1. What outcome do you want 2. Where and when 3. Frame of Mind? 4. Don’t put it off!

The Steps

Are Are You you?

Struggling with your tax return? n Struggling with your tax return? n Looking for an accountant who will help n Looking for an accountant who will help you make more profit and pay less tax? you make more profit and pay less tax? n Starting out in business? n Starting out in business?

1. Define the Problem 2. Impact of the Problem 3. Explore Options for a solution 4. Agree on a solution 5. What will the change look like? 6. Ask to restate what was agreed 7. Agree a review date

We can help. Barrie Scott & Co is a firm We can help.

n n Compliance Compliance Services Services

of Chartered Barrie Scott & Co isAccountants a firm of n Support Services Chartered Accountants and Registered and Registered Auditors with n Support Services Auditors offices inBathgate Falkirk, and officeswith in Falkirk, n Consultancy & Bathgate and St Andrews. We audit, offer St Andrews. We offer n Systems Consultancy Advice& audit, accounts, andtaxation taxation services accounts, and services together with business support and Systems Advice together with business support n Business Start-Up advisory services to a wide range of and advisory services clubs, to a owner managed businesses, Business Start-Up wide range of owner managed n n Taxation associations, charities and individuals. businesses, clubs, associations, n Taxation charities and individuals. For more information contact Barrie Scott & Co on: T: 01506 656345 | F: 01506 634696 jillianso@barriescott.co.uk | www.barriescott.co.uk

Techniques to use 3 Listen to their story 3 Acknowledge reactions, feelings etc. 3 In the moment feedback 3 Active Listening, reframing, summarising 3 Ask the right Questions 3 Move from Blame to Contribution 3 Move from Impact to Intent 3 Move from Certainty to Curiosity

Follow Up The Conversation n Make a note n Follow up n Give feedback if needed before the review date. For more details on how to undertake the difficult conversation or any other conflict issue contact Dorothy on: dorothymckinneyhr@gmail.com or via www.dorothymckinneyhr.com or 07850410980

30 Mid Street, Bathgate, EH48 1PT

winter2013 T: 01324 637654 • F: 01324 635678 • 16-18 Weir Street • Falkirk FK1 1RA

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advertorial The Independent Counsellor n Counselling for individual, couples and families n Private & Professional Service n No Waiting list n All enquiries welcome

ScottishAutism receives the ‘Committed to Excellence’ Award from Quality Scotland

High-performing management team at Scottish Autism Scottish Autism has three times had Roger Thomas run the Team Planning Workshop for our top management team. - CEO Alan Somerville describes their experiences.

Tel: 01501 228062 | Mob: 07875 042766 Email: fdigan@talk21.com Web: www.the-independent-counsellor.co.uk

“The first time was an exploratory exercise with a new Interim CEO working with the remnants of a Senior Management Team which had seen recent departures. The Workshop was particularly useful in helping the CEO decide on an appropriate senior management structure and led directly to the recruitment of two new Directors. It also nicely distilled the key problems and opportunities facing the business. Two years later, when the workshop ran for a second time, Scottish Autism had made great progress in reinvigorating its services, further developing its quality systems, its management processes and setting an agenda of development and growth – incorporating all the prioritised business processes from the first workshop. This time understanding of the strategic issues had advanced considerably and the workshop was set in the context of the development of a new business plan. The new senior management team was complete and functioning well, and this not only improved the quality of the outputs but also made it an enjoyable and rewarding experience. The third workshop was intended to be a “mid-course correction” on the business plan which was half way through its intended life. The objectives set in the second workshop had largely been achieved through a series of planned and resourced projects – clear demonstration that this is not a paper exercise, but a powerful planning tool for identifying and prioritising our strategic development. The third workshop saw the team achieve a still tighter focus on the issues facing the business and in turn has spawned a new set of workstreams which we are confident will move us forward once more towards the achievement of our remit and objectives.” Contact Roger Thomas for a no-obligation discussion about your business or your management team and the challenges you face. A chat costs nothing and may just turn out to be a valuable use of your time. Call Roger on 07776 152020 or at roger.thomas@andcoaching.com

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We are a well-established taxi and private hire Booking Agency covering the West Lothian area, bordered by Edinburgh City, Midlothian, Falkirk and Lanarkshire. Our fleet includes 4 to 12 seaters, with wheelchair access and tail-lifts if required. We operate a 'ring back' system whereby, having booked a cab, you will receive a couple of rings on your phone to let you know that your vehicle is nearby. Please use the above navigation

bar to locate our online booking and registration facilities. For any further information or enquiries, to update your information on our database at any time, or to cancel your registration, please e-mail us here or alternatively you may use the contact details below.

We look forward to hearing from you! All The Fours Inc., 78a Barclay Way, Livingston EH54 8EZ

Telephone: 01506 44-44-44 | www.444444.biz winterr2013

asktheexpert

TAX PLANNING FOR THE SELF-EMPLOYED Spread it among the family. Each member of your family who is able to work has a personal allowance (£9,440 for the financial year 2013/14). So if you are earning in excess of the basic rate band for income tax, then rather than do (for example) your own books/ invoicing/admin/appointments, employ your spouse. Income up to £9,440 would be tax free to him or her, and an allowable expense to you. You would have to pay national insurance, but if they earn less than the lower limit (£149 per week) then none is payable, though of course this could affect entitlement to certain state benefits. If you have children over 16 and still living out of your pocket, you could put them to work in the business in the holidays and make them earn their keep. It’s good for them, and the wage is tax deductable to the business.

Don’t forget that the personal allowance continues into old age. So rather than one person holding the bulk of the income in retirement, perhaps at a 40% rate, it makes sense to ensure that finances are arranged so that income is shared as far as possible. This can be achieved by building up a state pension for the other spouse, and/or by making pension payments to build up a retirement pot. These contributions benefit from tax

relief. Furthermore, payments of up to £3,600pa can be made irrespective of the level of earnings. So why not also pension any children who are helping out in the business?

a percentage of the costs of running your home (heat and light etc.) against tax. Similarly, if you use a car for both business and personal (private) motoring; the business costs are allowable.

Watch your cash.

Insure yourself.

If you are a higher rate tax payer, the pitiful interest in the bank will be hit further. Use cash ISAs and put any surplus in the name of your spouse if (s)he is a lower tax payer, having first used up his/her cash ISA too.

One way to avoid tax is not to have an income. Most people see this as quite a drastic solution to the tax problem, and actively seek to avoid it becoming reality. But the self-employed are very vulnerable to periods of unemployment, and do not get paid if they are unable to work through illness. The solution is to insure yourself against this risk; the premiums do not get tax relief, but the payments are made tax free.

Do not exceed £100,000 of income. For every £2 of income over £100,000, you will lose £1 of your personal allowance. So by £118,880 you will have lost £9,440 of tax free income. This will then have been taxed at 20%, and the £18,880 over £100,000 will have been taxed at 40%, meaning that your marginal rate of tax on this slice of income is 60%. In addition to the ideas given above, you could top up your own pension.

Make a personal financial plan. Good forward planning can maximise successful financial and tax strategies.

The forgotten tax allowance is capital gains tax. Each person has an annual capital gains tax allowance that can be reached before the gain is taxed; for FY13/14 this is £10,900. So you can plan for a future where you could get £20,340pa (in today’s term) each tax free (£9,440 from income tax personal allowance and £10,900 from CGT,

Claim your expenses. In addition to the HMRC tax help series (HMRC 01/13), If you work from home or use a room in your home as an office you can charge the business

“A key benefit for the self-employed is that tax is relatively straightforward. Your profits are taxed as income at your marginal rate of tax, be this 20%, 40% or 45%. Therefore, the higher your profits the greater the scope for tax savings”.

winter2013

Maximise your tax allowances.

Simon Clarke

Wealth Adviser, Towry For more information www.towry.com

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membernews

Anne Reid: SpeakingLives “The Story Lady” The one that nearly got away! Do you know any fishermen who wear cardigans and have tales about “the one that got away?” Last week, I was interviewing a 93 year old gentleman in South Wales overlooking Cardigan Bay .... get it ?!? “Jack” is the father of 4, Grandfather of 10 and only last month became a Great Grandad. His short-term memory is pretty non-existent but his long-term memory is CRYSTAL CLEAR – like the water in Cardigan Bay. His daughter commissioned a 3-hour Life Story Interview ...... for all of them to remember his “tall tales”. He was telling me that a boattrip runs in the Bay to see the Dolphins – 12 pairs locally; this led on to his reminiscing about his own fishing exploits .... both fly fishing on rivers and sea fishing from his own wee boat off the Pembroke coast. He worked for a Spanish trawler company employing 100 people on 20 ships. Now, like the fishing industry, his memory is going. SpeakingLives helps people CELEBRATE their UNIQUENESS by recording their Audio Life Story - don’t leave it too long! www.speakinglives.com

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Mitsubishi opening ceremony

Mitsubishi Electric investment creates new jobs Mitsubishi Electric is investing £20 million at its Scottish base which will create a further 100 jobs as it builds a centre of design excellence outside Japan. The Japanese company has marked the twentieth anniversary of its air conditioning plant on the site with the announcement of a major expansion. It is opening two test houses next to its Livingston air conditioning factory, meaning Mitsubishi’s Scottish R&D, design and manufacturing teams will share a location. The new R&D facility will be known as the MERCE House-type HVACS Evaluation Facility and consists of two custom-built three bedroom detached houses, along with a bespoke experimental control room. Each house is modified by the installation of a vast array of sensors, both for measuring the detailed environmental conditions (temperature, humidity) and for in depth monitoring of the operation of the heating systems.

Speaking at the launch, minister for energy, enterprise and tourism, Fergus Ewing, said: “It is great news for Scotland that Mitsubishi Electric has placed a world class R&D centre here in Livingston” and he welcomed its continued commitment to manufacturing. Iain Riddle, Mitsubishi’s general affairs manager in Scotland, said the Scottish centre would be able to respond ‘more nimbly’ to the requirements of European markets, such as differing standards in countries such as Sweden and Germany. Mitsubishi employs 450 people in Scotland with production evolving to include renewable heating products in recent years. The company has also fostered links with the local community working with West Lothian College on the Engineering Apprentice Training programme and partnering with Heriot-Watt University. Dr Kazuhiko Tsutsumi, Mitsubishi’s Executive Officer and Group President of Corporate Research & Development Group, said: “The ability for close co-operation between research and manufacturing will speed up the product development cycle in Scotland. We anticipate that Scotland’s excellent universities will provide a highly educated pool of talent that we hope to attract to support our future expansion.”

Mitsubishi says the Scottish site is unique within the group and is now better placed to respond to the demands of the European market.

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membernews

Matt Purdie & Sons open new-look head office West Lothian-based removers and storers Matt Purdie & Sons has opened a newly extended and refurbished headquarters office at East Main Street in Blackburn. The project was designed by architect John Watson, from Mid Calder, and completed by local builders R.B. Construction. The larger property now creates a new reception area containing a packing materials showroom. Managing director Matt Purdie now has his own office, which is located next to a purpose built boardroom overlooking the company’s busy yard and storage warehouses. Constructed on a sloping site, the building extension has also provided a spacious transport office in the basement level, which is adjacent to the staff canteen and training room. Matt Purdie had the new office building ‘wrapped’ in the company’s recently revised

livery by local vinyl graphic suppliers, Scot Signs Ltd of Livingston. Stephen Vickers, director general of the British Association of Removers, (BAR) made the long journey north to officially open Matt Purdie & Sons’ new office. Stephen paid tribute to Matt Purdie and his staff team for their dedication to advancing industry standards through what has been a challenging few years for removals contractors. Winners of BAR’s Domestic Mover of the Year award for 2010-2011, Matt Purdie & Sons have also been finalists in the same competition every year since 2009. This Blackburn operation is also the only UK company to hold all five of the British Standard accreditations, industry related quality levels for removals and storage. Established in 1960, Matt Purdie & Sons are Central Scotland’s largest independently owned removals and storage company, offering services to domestic and commercial customers throughout Edinburgh, Glasgow, Central Scotland, the UK and worldwide. The company has collected two Transport News Scottish Rewards in recent years for Scotland’s Top Fleet Livery in 2009 and Scotland’s Top Training Operator in 2013.

Matt Purdie & Sons’ environmental commitment sees it completely self sufficient in energy generation, thanks to a bank of solar panels on the warehouse roofs at Blackburn. These devices also feed into the National Grid at night with any spare capacity. An all encompassing zero waste policy at Matt Purdie & Sons sees all removals packing bulk recycled, in addition to office waste that is comprehensively sorted into three separate streams. Most of the firm’s distinctively liveried removal trucks are now fitted with streamlined bodywork from Warringtonbased Unique Van Bodies and a newly installed vehicle charging point will cater for a duo of electric vehicles currently on order. Matt Purdie & Sons also have Scotland’s first Euro six removals van on order and this landmark rigid will enter service early next year.

Plan supports business growth in West Lothian Businesses are being urged to take advantage of the West Lothian Economic Growth Plan, which has been developed by West Lothian Council, in partnership with the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise. The £29m plan, which will be delivered by the council in partnership with Scottish Enterprise, aims to provide support for business, community regeneration, an enterprise area and backing for long-term innovation and development. Access to working capital and development funding is critical to the development of a business and the East of Scotland Investment Fund (ESIF) has already helped businesses across manufacturing, engineering, software development and food production to change and grow. ESIF offers loans of up to £50,000 to new and growing, small and medium sized

winter2013

businesses. With a fund value of £5m, the East of Scotland Investment Fund will be able to support the creation of 1,000 new jobs throughout the east of Scotland during the next five years. Also helping is the West Lothian Enterprise Area, launched in 2013 and which includes locations in Broxburn and one in Eliburn, Livingston. The three sites in West Lothian will focus on food and drink manufacturing, taking advantage of the area’s excellent infrastructure, central location, skilled workforce and established base for food and drink businesses. West Lothian Council’s Economic Development Manager, Alice Sinnet, said: “The food and drink manufacturing sector is an area which has been identified by the Scottish Government as a growth area.

“West Lothian Enterprise Area status will be attractive to companies wishing to invest in the food and drink manufacturing sector and will encourage local businesses to bring forward expansion plans and stimulate job creation. Businesses wishing to take advantage of the Enterprise Area status will receive excellent support throughout the process. “West Lothian has a strong food and drink base as companies take advantage of the area’s central location, competitive property market and great infrastructure. Any business looking to invest and grow here will now also be able to benefit from the advantages provided by the West Lothian Enterprise Area.” For more information contact Jim Henderson, Business Development Manager, Tel: 01506 283084, Email: bgateway@westlothian.gov.uk

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businessnews

A night of celebration for local businesses and entrepreneurs About 200 companies gathered at Eskmills Function Suite in Musselburgh last October to recognise the achievement of local business and entrepreneurs at the 2013 Business Exhibition and Awards Dinner. The event was hosted by Midlothian and East Lothian Chamber of Commerce and the Business Partnership Ltd and celebrated the dedication, commitment and success of businesses and individuals throughout East and Midlothian.

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There were seven award categories presented including Business High Growth & Innovation, Green Business, Family Business, Youth Engagement Company, Social Enterprise of the year, Local Business Hero and Networker of the Year.

The evening featured two keynote speakers, Fergus Ewing MSP, Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism and Ken Barclay, Head of RBS Corporate Banking Division, who gave incisive insights into the local and national economic situation.

More than forty exhibitors were on show, representing various business sectors including financial services, IT, food and drink, retail, renewable technology, tourism, sports and leisure and many more.

After the awards ceremony, guests were treated to a fabulous live performance by professional jazz singer and chamber member Debbie Davis (WOW A2Z.com) who entertained us into the night.

Highlights included the display of a Lamborghini Aventador, and the new Bentley Flying Spur at the entrance to Eskmills, courtesy of the Sytner Group.

Host George Archibald, Chief Executive of the Chamber and the Business Partnership, paid particular thanks to the sponsors, supporters, exhibitors and guests who had contributed to the success of the event.

Raffle tickets were also sold that night to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation, with prizes which included a Porsche Driving Experience and an Afternoon Tea for Two at Greywalls Hotel in Gullane.

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businessnews 01

05 1: Prof Alan Gilloran, Queen Margaret University presenting the Best Business High Growth and Innovation Award to Dr Alison Frew, Ingenza. 2: L toR: Carol Wright, Springfords LLP (L) presenting the Best Family Business Award to Ross Prentice, Prentice Coaches (middle) with Arthur Johnstone, The Business Partnership (R)

3: Sarah Keith, Macsween receiving the award for Best Green Business from Karen Thorburn, Wind Prospect Developments Ltd

4: Malcolm Bateman, The Roslin Foundation presenting the Best Company for Youth Engagement Award to Dominic Blythe, EDF Energy

5: Councillor Jim Bryant, Midlothian Council (middle) presenting the Social Enterprise of the Year Award to joint winners Roger Hipkin, Penicuik Community Development Trust (L) and James Barbour, Foxlake Adventures (R)

6: Alastair Bruce, Shaw Marketing & Design (L) receiving the award for Local Business Hero from Arthur Johnstone, The Business Partnership (R) 7: Jo Robinson, Johnston Newspapers Lothian (R) presenting the award for Networker of the Year to Jessie Ann Matthew, Captain Tortue (L) 8: Fergus Ewing MSP, Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism

9: Ken Barclay, Head of RBS Corporate Banking Division

11: Runners Up and Highly Commended businesses (Opposite page) 12: Live performance from professional Jazz singer Debbie Davis, WOW A2Z

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businessnews BEST BUSINESS HIGH GROWTH & INNOVATION

Sponsor:

Winner Ingenza Joint Runners-Up Pentland Precision Engineering Ltd Stewart Brewing Highly Commended The Chocolate Tree

BEST FAMILY BUSINESS

Sponsor:

Winner Prentice Coaches

Élan Hair Design benefits from Green Ticks accreditation

Itihaas Highly Commended Andrew Black Haulage and Storage

BEST GREEN BUSINESS

Élan Hair Design Ltd, a market leader in the field of sustainable, low-carbon hair design, beauty and retail, has been recognised for its green credentials.

Winner

The salon is located in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, and has been run since 1971 by the Milton family. Recently, the company underwent a largescale refurbishment to significantly improve its environmental performance.

Scottish Seabird Centre

Élan has won numerous prestigious national awards which have recognised their environmental achievements, including the Sustainability honour from the British Chamber Awards 2012.

Winner

The company has taken a number of measures to reduce its environmental impact, including using photovoltaic panels and solar thermal panels with an air source heat pump for electricity needs and hot water.

Melville Dobbies Garden Centre

The salon, which is the first in the UK to recycle hair while its water basins cut water use by 64%, has attracted 25% more customers since the refurbishment, 40% of whom were attracted by Élan’s environmental credentials.

Joint Winners

Recently Élan Hair Design progressed and gained accreditation to Phase 2 of the Green Ticks scheme, an initiative which allows SMEs to gain a fully accredited Environmental Management System in a cost effective and quick time frame.

Runner-Up

Macsween of Edinburgh Runner-Up

Highly Commended Building Insulation Services

BEST COMPANY FOR YOUTH ENGAGEMENT

Sponsor:

EDF Energy, Torness power station Joint Runners-Up RNIB

Highly Commended The McSence Group

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE OF THE YEAR

Sponsor:

Foxlake Adventures Penicuik Community Development Trust Runner-Up Ormiston Grows Joint Highly Commended The Fraser Centre St David’s Bradbury Day Centre

LOCAL BUSINESS HERO

Lorna Milton, owner and director of Élan Hair Design, said: “We have found Green Ticks extremely user-friendly and would definitely recommend the system to other businesses looking to bolster their green credentials.”

Winner

The Green Ticks Scheme is unique to Scottish businesses and is recognised throughout the UK and Ireland. For more info visit www.greenticks.org.uk

Jessie Ann Matthew, Captain Tortue

businessconnect

Sponsor:

Alastair Bruce, Shaw Marketing and Design

NETWORKER OF THE YEAR

Sponsor:

Winner

Joint Runners-Up Ron Thomas, Bridgewells Ltd Anne Reid, SpeakingLives

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membernews

And the winner is Prentice Coaches won ‘Small Fleet - Coach Operator of the Year’ at the Route ONE magazine Operator Excellence Awards 2013 held at the Hilton Metropole in Birmingham and attended by 720 guests. This is the second year in a row they have won one of the operator awards, which is unprecedented, after winning the ‘Medium Fleet’ category at last years awards.

Dalkeith family firm wins coveted customer service prize A family-run business based in Dalkeith, Midlothian, scooped the Best Delivery of Customer Service accolade at a prestigious awards ceremony hosted by SELECT, the campaigning trade body for the electrotechnical industry in Scotland. White Testing specialises in the in-service inspection and testing of electrical equipment (PAT Testing) and fixed wire installation testing (EICR) throughout the Edinburgh, Lothian, Borders, Glasgow and Central Belt areas. The firm inspects and tests portable equipment used in the workplace, such as PCs, photocopiers, kettles and vacuum cleaners, as well as the electrical circuits within the structure of the building including sockets and light fittings. White Testing took the award for its introduction and utilisation of a bespoke computer application that allows customers to access and print test reports. The award was presented at a gathering at the Radisson Blu in the centre of Glasgow, hosted by BBC personality Brian Taylor.

winter2013

The award was presented to the company by former BBC newsreader Angela Rippon, Route One editor Mike Morgan and award sponsors Volant Commercials Mark Baker.

Bonaccord wins UK Life Science Law Firm of the Year awards Bonaccord has won the UK Life Science Law Firm of the Year award in both the Acquisition International M&A awards and the ACQ Global Awards. Patricia Barclay, the company founder, said: “I am thrilled that the firm is receiving this recognition from the investor and deal-making community and believe this is clear evidence of a growing interest and belief in the value of boutique firms.” In the past few weeks the firm has closed deals for Scots companies involving domestic, European and Middle Eastern investors and a major management buyout in England involving US and Japanese parties as well as Canadian and European investors.

businessconnect

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Continuity makes disaster recovery plans simple, reliable and affordable. The service provides both on-site backup for quick file restores and cloud Disaster Recovery for complete peace of mind delivering compliance for your insurers, auditors and clients. More information can be found at http://www.tycom.co.uk/managedservices/continuity/ Aberdeen +44 (0) 1224 321 545 Glasgow +44 (0) 141 202 0744 Dunfermline +44 (0) 1383 432 555 continuity@tycom.co.uk

Debt Recovery Contract Law Advice Solicitor Advocate Specialist in Construction Law

All types of Private and Contract Hire Live tracking of our coaches and service routes available via our App

www.prentice.info T. 01620 822620 E. mail@prentice.info Station Garage, Hospital Road, Haddington, East Lothian, EH41 3BH

businessconnect

winter2013

BRAW

Stephen Cowan, Yuill + Kyleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s managing partner, looks at managing cashflow and what to do when a sale becomes a debt.

GRAPHIC DESIGN FOR PRINT DESIGN AND SOFTWARE TRAINING

Debt collectionâ&#x20AC;Śwho wants to do it? There are few willing volunteers. But ignore it at your peril. Instead focus on â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;growing your businessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; with effective credit control and debt recovery procedures:

Scotland is a wonderful marketplace for business start-ups and BRAW is well placed to help with all your branding and promotional artwork needs. We can also give you the skills required to keep your artwork production in-house.

Know your customer. Who are you dealing with? Is your customer a good credit risk?

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If possible can you get a trade reference from a reliable independent source?

If you are dealing with a limited company will it be possible to get personal guarantees?

DESIGN AND SOFTWARE TRAINING

If dealing with a partnership or sole trader can you source their full names, the trading address as well as home addresses?

Invoice accurately and on time.

Make sure your customers know what your credit terms are and try to get them to stick to them.

Have your customers signed up to your terms and conditions of business, if you have them?

GRAPHIC DESIGN FOR PRINT

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So what should you do if your customers donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pay?

For more information about BRAW Graphic Design for Print or BRAW Design and Software Training, visit the website, drop me an email, or call.

Get onto the job quickly. The longer you leave an unpaid account the more difficult it will be to collect.

www.brawdesign.co.uk david@brawdesign.co.uk

Have a system in place to chase your outstanding accounts. Who in your organisation will do this?

07759 713358

How can a Debt Recovery Lawyer Help?

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They can send a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;letter before actionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; demanding payment. Remember you will be entitled to interest and collection costs in terms of the Late Payment legislation.

If the letter does not encourage your slow payers to react then taking court action will probably do the trick. A sensible debtor will want to settle the debt early rather then racking up unnecessary court costs. Any questions? Please contact Stephen Cowan using the below details.

Published by

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Stephen Cowan is the Managing Partner at Yuill + Kyle Solicitors. He is the author of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Scottish Debt Recovery: A Practical Guideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (Publishers W. Green, July 2011). Contact: scowan@yuill-kyle.co.uk or 0141 572 4251 www.debtscotland.com

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winter2013

businessconnect

coverfeature

Is Your Business Ready For Auto Enrolment? Auto-enrolment is a new scheme that requires employers to enrol all eligible employees automatically into a qualifying pension scheme and to make contributions on their behalf. The scheme is far-reaching and complex. It prompts a major change to pensions and will affect every single employer in the UK. The scheme started with the biggest employers in October 2012. Small and medium sized employers (SMEs) will follow with ‘staging dates’ from April 2014 onwards. For all employers, compliance with the new duties and safeguards is compulsory. This makes it extremely important that employers understand the responsibilities and the duties imposed upon them. Here we will outline the main rules and discuss the key issues that businesses will need to address. SMEs across the UK with more than 50 employees now have just over six months to complete their planning. Businesses really need to be taking steps sooner rather than later to ensure they are in a good position to negotiate on fees and benefits.

Automatic enrolment Automatic enrolment has been introduced to protect employees who initially overlook the benefits of a pension scheme. Businesses can decide the type of pension scheme they wish to use so long as it meets the minimum requirements in terms of the benefits it provides and contributions that are paid into it; or they can enrol employees into the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST). Employees are eligible if they are 22 years of age or over, but under state pension age, and earn above £9,445 (this figure will be reviewed each year). Contributions are payable on income between £5,668 and £41,450. There are

businessconnect

compulsory contributions from both employer and employee. These will be introduced, gradually, on a sliding scale until the maximum contribution level of 8% of qualifying earnings is reached (4% for employees and 3% for employers with 1% in tax breaks). Employers will also have to register with The Pensions Regulator within four months of their staging date and there are wideranging requirements to maintain records and supply the Regulator with a variety of information.

Employee opt outs Employees will be entitled to opt-out of the scheme at any time. However, the latest government figures revealed that fewer than 10% of workers have chosen to opt-out. As such, it would be unwise for businesses to delay planning for auto-enrolment by relying on their workers opting out. If employees do opt-out within the first month of being enrolled contributions will be repaid. If, at any time, they decide they wish to opt back in to the scheme the employer must re-enrol them (at least once in every 12 month period). Employers will also have to automatically enrol such employees back into pension schemes at regular intervals, usually every 3 years. Other employees, who are not automatically eligible, can also opt-in to the scheme. Employers must enrol them and pay contributions.

Staging rules: The new duties came into effect on 1 October 2012; however, the responsibilities of individual employers will be staggered over six years. Staggering will be based on the size of your PAYE scheme, working from the largest to smallest employers. All existing companies will need to have enrolled their staff by April 2017, while some new employers will have until February 2018. By the end of 2013, all companies with 250 employees or more should have begun automatic enrolment. Medium-sized employers (companies with between 50 and 249 employees) will need to start

automatically enrolling their employees from 1 April 2014 to 1 April 2015. Companies with fewer than 50 employees will have until June 2015 to coordinate their auto-enrolment.

Warning! Employers may think that a staging date of 2014 or 2015 is a long way off but there is a risk of jamming the system if all businesses seek advice at once. Some smaller companies may also face particular difficulties if they are providing a pension scheme to their workforce for the first time. This will create a strain on the traditional pension providers who may be unlikely to accept new schemes. It may take up to 18 months for a business to ensure it is fully prepared for automatic enrolment so it is important to think ahead and leave plenty of time to get autoenrolment systems up and running. If left to the last minute businesses could be hit by higher fees and could struggle to negotiate the best deal for themselves and their employees.

winter2013

coverfeature

Impact on Other Areas

Risks of Non-Compliance

Employers must consider the effects of autoenrolment on other parts of their business. For example the introduction of the new auto-enrolment rules will require employers to update their existing employment contracts and employee handbooks. These documents should be reviewed and updated to reflect the changes. Given the nature and complexity of these changes, businesses may wish to seek advice and assistance on how best to do this. We would be delighted to provide this advice and assistance to businesses.

The responsibility for complying will rest solely with the employer. The consequences of doing nothing, or leaving it too late, could have serious ramifications for an employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business. The government has outsourced part of the supervision of the scheme to private bodies who will work alongside The Pensions Regulator. These bodies have already made it clear that they intend to take a robust approach to ensuring strict compliance by all businesses and will not hesitate to use their powers where necessary. Failing to comply with the new rules could result in substantial fines. This can include flat-rate penalties of ÂŁ400 or escalating fines that range from:

The rules are complex and robust. It is not simply about having a pension scheme in place.

winter2013

Number of employees Prescribed daily rate (ÂŁ) 1-4 50 5-49 500 50-249 2,500 250-499 5,000 500+ 10,000 In addition to fines it is even possible that an employer may face a maximum of 2 years imprisonment. The rules are complex and robust. It is not simply about having a pension scheme in place. Auto-enrolment represents a massive cultural change in the UK, if you are not ready for it and continue to be complacent over deadlines your business could be hit by serious penalties which may even lead to it being closed down. We urge businesses to obtain expert advice sooner rather than later in order to give them enough time to coordinate their pension scheme well ahead of their staging deadline.

businessconnect

autoenrolment

Changes make pension system easier to use Changes to the automatic enrolment pension rules have been announced by the Pensions Minister Steve Webb. The changes will make it easier for future tranches of employers to enrol their workers into a pension scheme. Since the launch of automatic enrolment in October 2012, the Department for Work and Pensions has listened to feedback on how it has worked and what parts of the legislative framework could be improved. Steve Webb said: “Employers and our partners in the pensions and payroll industry have made a major contribution in delivering these landmark reforms since October last year. “Now, one year in, we want to build on this success as medium-sized employers prepare to automatically enrol their staff into a workplace pension. “These changes are aimed at streamlining the system and making it easier for employers to meet their duties.”

businessconnect

The Government received 112 responses to its consultation launched early in 2013 and has now finalised amendments to the regulations.

These changes include: n Alternative definitions of pay reference periods for both assessing jobholder status and determining whether a scheme is a qualifying scheme n The automatic enrolment joining window is extended from one month to six weeks n The deadline for employers to provide information to individuals on their opt in and joining rights is extended to 6 weeks n The deadlines for registration and postponement notices fit with the extended joining window n The extended deadline for passing worker contributions to a pension scheme applies to all new joiners (including contract joiners)

The majority of these changes were implemented as of 1 November 2013 with those on the joining window and registration deadlines due to come into force from 1 April 2014. The Government introduced the initiative to encourage more people to save for retirement. Starting with the largest firms, employers are required by law to pay into a workplace pension for staff who do not opt out. By May 2015, about 4.3 million people will be saving for their old age. The move was prompted by research which showed that 11 million people were not saving enough to achieve the pension income they are likely to want or expect in retirement. Less than one in three in adults contributed to a pension, while people are on average living longer - in the past 25 years, life expectancy at age 65 has increased by five years for men and three years for women.

n The opt out notice provisions make clear that schemes can customise notices There is greater clarity and consistency concerning the requirements for defined benefit test schemes in relation to the appropriate age, service limits and revaluation that apply in those schemes

Steve Webb

Evidence from the Department for Work and Pensions suggests that, once automatically enrolled, less than one-third of people will take the active decision to opt-out.

winter2013

advertorial

Automatic Enrolment – If only it was automatic… The Government has recognised that exhortations on their own are not enough and for many people it is a help if they are “nudged” (or perhaps a better phrase is, “shoved”) into a savings mode. Hence the setting up of its Automatic Enrolment initiative, under which some 11 million workers will be automatically enrolled into a workplace pension arrangement, and into which they, and crucially their employer, have to contribute at least a minimum amount. The Government is buoyed by the ‘success’ of Automatic Enrolment as they have seen much lower opt out rates than anticipated. However, this does not give the full picture as many employees are ceasing pension membership after the ‘opt out window’. The real test of success will be when SME’s have to start enrolling their

employees throughout 2014 and 2015, before the requirements then move onto the micro employers.

not allowing some employers’ existing pension plans to be used for auto-enrolment; citing ‘poor profitability’ as the reason.

So what lessons can we learn from the larger employers that have been through Automatic Enrolment and what challenges lie ahead.

There have been some new pension providers devoted to the Automatic Enrolment space. NEST is the ‘catch all’ provider as they have a public service obligation to accept all employers and employees. The problem is that it just provides the pension vehicle; it does not help manage the administrative side of Automatic Enrolment.

Firstly, the complicated rules have meant some larger employers have struggled to get their processes right and they have had to dedicate additional resources in HR, Payroll and Finance to make sure they comply. We have realised that Automatic Enrolment is not just about pensions; it is as much about processes. An employer will need a pension arrangement to put their employees into, but before they get to that point, there is a big administrative task that needs to happen.

There is also a “capacity crunch” coming; i.e. 30,000 employers will need to comply with the new rules during 2014 and there is a concern that pension providers will not have the resources to deal with the demand.

And this administrative burden is ongoing - every time they run payroll, employers need to ensure they are following the rules.

SME’s need to ensure they plan well in advance of their staging dates. We have designed a consultancy light solution that assists employers with their Automatic Enrolment requirements and provides a market leading pension arrangement; www.barnett-waddingham.co.uk/ae

So the problem for many SME’s is that they do not have dedicated in house resource to devote time to this and they do not have the bargaining power of the larger corporate to establish competitively priced auto-enrolment pension schemes. Indeed, many of the traditional pension providers are

And finally, Automatic Enrolment has solved one pension issue; it means people will start saving. However, it has not solved the pension crisis; which is that people need to save a lot more! Hopefully Automatic Enrolment is the catalyst for this; we will have to see.

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Future looks bright for Bathgate distillery It may come as a surprise to hear the General Manager of the Glen Turner distillery in Bathgate describe a site that produces twenty five million litres of alcohol a year as unknown to many people. However, that is how Sandy Manson views the whisky distillation, maturation and bottling plant, partly because 98 per cent of its product goes abroad, much of it a blend of whisky barely known in the UK. Sandy took up his job at the start of 2013 after twenty seven years in the brewing industry with Anheuser-Busch InBev UK, the largest brewer in the world and producer of many of the UK’s best-loved drinks including Budweiser, Stella Artois and Beck’s. Sandy, who rose to become UK Operations Director for the company, said: “I spent a lot of time travelling to our breweries around the UK. I’d leave home at midday on a Sunday and not get back until nine, ten on a Friday night.

enlisted the help of West Lothian Chamber of Commerce during a recent dispute with Scottish Water.

“We have very little exposure to the UK market - in fact, I suspect that not a lot of people know we are in Bathgate

Sandy said: “We had problems with the terms of our licence for effluent discharge into the river.

“Our strong export trade came about mainly due to the origins of our company as we are French owned, also because the industry generally has marketed itself abroad but also because the economies of those countries were ready for premium products like whisky.”

“We were not seeking to increase our pollution, it is important to make that point, and we were well within limits, but the terms of the licence were proving difficult especially as we hope to expand our operations here in the future.

The other big change for Sandy when he came to Bathgate was a move away from a huge corporate company in the form of Anheuser-Busch InBev to a family concern in French company La Martininquaise, owner of both the Bathgate site and the Glen Moray whisky distillery in Elgin in Speyside, for which Sandy is also responsible. La Martininquaise was founded in the 1930s by Jean Cayard, initially as a rum importer and distributor, and over the years that followed it moved into wider spirit production worldwide. It remains a family business. Sandy said: “It is different moving from a large corporate business to one with an owner.

“I needed to spend more time with my family, which was just not happening, and the chance to work at Bathgate offered that. I still do a bit of travelling, but nowhere near as much as in my previous post.

“You have to make sure you understand and respect the heritage of the company and understand how that fits in with the way it operates. Decision making is less formal and there is a lot more authority at local level, a very refreshing change.”

“I had no experience of the whisky industry before I took the job, my background was in brewing, and although there are some similarities between the two industries, there is a danger in making big assumptions.

For all he acknowledges that whisky is a premium product, there are still some similarities with his previous life in brewing, particularly in the form of Label 5 whisky, a multi-award winning blended Scotch Whisky produced in Bathgate.

“The big difference is the product itself. Whisky is regarded as something for an occasion, something that is a premium drink, which is less the case with beer.”

Sandy said: “Label 5 is the biggest selling whisky brand in France and the ninth biggest globally, so although unknown in the UK it is a huge mainstream brand in some very big markets.”

Another difference was the profile of Bathgate’s products in the UK. Sandy said: “Our products are best known in France and Spain but with whisky sales in emerging markets in Asia, India and

South American countries such as Brazil continuing to rise we are also seeing our products grow there as well.

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The company prides itself on being part of the local economy and places great store on working with local organisations, an approach which paid dividends when it

“ The Bathgate site has expanded significantly in its short lifespan and we hope to expand it further but our capacity to do that was being constrained. “Initially, we were a voice on our own but through our connection with the Chamber, we and others were able to make our case. “The Chamber is a non-partisan, well respected organisation which was able to stand up for a local business and that helped us.” The result was meetings with other local businesses with similar challenges, with local MSP, Angela Constance, and Minister John Swinney at the Scottish Parliament after which an agreement was reached with Scottish Water, which allowed the company extra leeway on the terms of the licence. Sandy said: “We already employ 96 people full-time on the site, with the ability to take on one or two more. In addition, we use agency staff and local contractors, all of which means we are contributing to the local economy, and the agreement with Scottish Water means we can expand further in the future.“

Sandy Manson

Uk Operations Director

winter2013

biginterview

You have to make sure you understand and respect the heritage of the company and understand how that fits in with the way it operates.

winter2013

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chambernews

Helping to create graduate jobs Scottish Chambers of Commerce recently announced the nationwide launch of the Graduate Recruitment Incentive, providing support to small businesses across Scotland to create quality jobs for talented young graduates. First Minister Alex Salmond launched the programme in August 2013 as part of an announcement on the ‘Make Young People Your Business’ policy initiative. George Archibald, Chief Executive, Midlothian & East Lothian Chamber, said: “Local businesses here in East Lothian and Midlothian have the knowledge, ambition and drive to deliver the growth that the Scottish economy needs right now, and we are pleased that the Scottish Government is supporting this private-sector led initiative

Graduate Recruitment Incentive explained What is the Graduate Recruitment Incentive?

to help small businesses to create new jobs for Scotland’s talented graduates. “We all want to see our region play a leading role in strengthening Scotland’s economic recovery and this requires dynamic, growing businesses, creating quality jobs. That’s why I am delighted that small businesses in East Lothian and Midlothian will have the opportunity to participate in the Graduate Recruitment Incentive, to create new and exciting jobs for our most talented graduates.

Who is involved? Funded by Scottish Government.

How many graduate positions will be funded?

Delivered by Scottish Chambers of Commerce on behalf of the network.

In 2012/2013, 100 graduate positions were created. For 2013/2014, the target is 270.

When will the programme be delivered?

What graduates qualify?

Sept 2013 - March 2014

How much funding is available for each business?

The Graduate Recruitment Incentive's objectives are to: n Encourage the creation of new, permanent, graduate positions n Provide tailored support to employers navigating the recruitment process. n Deliver Career Zones to encourage a culture of engagement between SMEs and graduates It is backed by funding of £600,000 from the Scottish Government.

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“Our Chamber is committed to supporting local firms to make young people a part of their businesses. Young people can provide real benefits to local businesses, bringing ideas, knowledge, and enthusiasm. A career that starts in a small business creates great potential for a young graduate, providing the opportunity to learn a range of business skills and make a real contribution to that business’s success.”

Which businesses can take part? Business which meet the following criteria can take part: n Less than 50 employees n Located anywhere in Scotland n Operating in any business sector

Degree level and up to 30 years of age

£1,500 per position created Fully funded pre recruitment Business Support will be offered to assist with creating the job spec, job advert and assistance with advertising.

What type of graduate position has to be created?

Fully funded Post recruitment Business Support will be offered to assist with induction, embedding the new position and setting up performance management of the new position

n New, graduate level position n Permanent (full or part time). n Min salary £14k FTE

For more information – contact Dita Macfarlane on 0131 603 5043 or email dita@thebusinesspartnership.org.uk

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Counting down to the new Waste Regulations

Scottish organisations are preparing for the Waste (Scotland) Regulations. As the deadline for the new Regulations approaches, businesses across the country are putting waste management, in particular recycling up their agendas. From 1 January 2014 all organisations operating in Scotland, big and small, will have to recycle their plastic, metal, glass, paper and card or risk a fine. Most food businesses will also have to recycle their food waste. By auditing their waste streams, many companies can find easy ways to reduce costs. Nationally, there are potential savings of £192 million, especially when you consider that Scotland is paying £95 million in landfill tax, and that that we could recover raw materials valued at £97 million from the materials currently being thrown away. Many businesses are already ahead of the game in preparing for the Regulations and have realised that good waste management makes good businesses sense.

How an Edinburgh restaurant gets waste regs ready. Timberyard, an artisan restaurant in Edinburgh, has blazed a trail with its waste management techniques. Recycling more

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than 95% of its waste, the restaurant minimises the financial cost of waste created. Good kitchen management means that very little food is thrown out and all vegetable waste is composted, providing the nutrients needed to grow salad leaves and herbs for the restaurant’s use in its own grounds. Additionally, Edinburgh tap water is filtered, chilled and offered at no charge to its guests either still or carbonated in reusable bottles; this reduces glass waste and the carbon footprint of bottled mineral water. Andrew Radford, proprietor of the restaurant, commented: “We have been able to reduce our general waste including food, paper, glass and cans through good housekeeping ,implementing measures including composting waste vegetables and reusing materials as much as possible.”

organisations of different sizes in a variety of sectors have put systems in place and trained staff in preparation for January. There is also a frequently-asked-questions database which provides instant answers to common questions on waste management and processes. A rural postcode finder helps businesses to determine whether they are required to separate food waste under the Regulations or whether they are exempt.

Resource Efficient Scotland support for organisations.

For instant access to online resources and in-depth information about the new waste Regulations, go to: www. resourceefficientscotland.com/regulations

Resource Efficient Scotland, a new programme being delivered by Zero Waste Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government, is helping businesses prepare for the new Regulations. In the first instance, Resource Efficient Scotland encourages businesses to speak to their local authority or waste contractor to discuss their service provision for January 2014.

The Business Resource Centre offers easy tools to help businesses find waste management services, including recycling and reuse organisations, operating in their postcode area. The poster creation resource enables businesses to develop clear signage for recycling bins to ensure their employees understand what and where to recycle.

To get ready for the Regulations and to save money, visit www.ResourceEfficientScotland.com call 0808 808 2268 or email enquiries@ResourceEfficientScotland.com @ResourceScot

A variety of user-friendly, informative resources are available for free online to ease the transition to the new Regulations. Video case studies demonstrate how

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Changeworks Recycling is the only waste and resource management company in Scotland that delivers separate collections and enables your business to achieve regulatory compliance. Changeworks Recycling is the only waste and resource management company in Scotland that delivers separate collections and enables your business to achieve regulatory compliance.

The introduction of the new Waste Regulations on 1st January 2014 requires a significant change in the way The introduction of the new your business manages its Waste Regulations on 1st waste. Your business must January metal, 2014 requires a present plastic, glass, significant change in the paper and card separatelyway for your business manages its collection. If you run a food waste. Your business must business which produces present metal, plastic, glass, over 50kgs of food waste per paper you and must card separately for week, present it for collection. If you run a food separate collection from 1st business2014. which produces January over 50kgs of food waste per “Through using Changeworks week, you must present it for Recycling we’ve been compliant separate from 1st with the newcollection waste regulations since we opened. January 2014.It was always part of our ethos to re-use and recycle and given using we were starting a new “Through Changeworks venture wewe’ve also needed to be as Recycling been compliant economical possible. So engaging with the newaswaste regulations with to part sinceChangeworks we opened. ItRecycling was always manage all oftoour waste of our ethos re-use andmade recycle perfect sense on sostarting many levels.” and given we were a new TIMBERYARD EDINBURGH. venture weRESTAURANT, also needed to be as economical as possible. So engaging To find out how your business can with Changeworks Recycling to not only be complaint with the new manage all of our waste made regulations but also reduce waste, perfect sense on so many levels.” carbon and costs. TIMBERYARD RESTAURANT, EDINBURGH.

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Preparation for new regulations Businesses in Scotland are being urged to prepare for new regulations coming into force next year which will â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;fundamentallyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; change the way they are required to manage their waste.

preparations early in order to ensure they are compliant in segregating their waste into the following criteria food, glass and mixed dry recyclables. Education is key therefore we are training our drivers and staff on how to support and direct our customers. Come January if businesses are not segregating waste they could be fined for non-compliance under the regulations. We now operate 3 pod vehicles â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one each for food waste, glass and mixed dry recyclables.

Awareness Despite awareness of the changes among many larger organizations, SMEs are often in the dark about what will be expected of them. The food waste provisions in particular will impact upon â&#x20AC;&#x153;everyone from offices with canteens to sandwich shopsâ&#x20AC;? Anyone needing more information on how the legislation will affect them should contact us on 01506863500 or email louise.martin@wmtracey.co.uk

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Under the Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012, passed in May 2012, all businesses in Scotland must present metals, plastics, glass, paper and card for separate collection from 1st January 2014.

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William Tracey has invested in new compartmental vehicles to help meet clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; requirements under the regulations

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Genealogy Worldwide LTD Linda Chatwin 01506 429900 lindachatwin@genealogyworldwide.co.uk www.genealogyworldwide.co.uk

Nu HR Joanne Calder 07538 088350 jocalder@rocketmail.com

Softlabs Paul Johnston 01506 668 502 team@softlabs.com www.softlabs.com

The Life Laundry Laura Moore 07561 307829 enquiries@the-life-laundry.co.uk www.the-life-laundry.co.uk Great Health & Wealth Cathie McHugh 07788 594264 cathie@greathealthandwealth.com www.greathealthandwealth.com Weimaraner Consulting Ltd Allan Davidson 07554 014757 allan@weimconsult.co.uk www.weimconsult.co.uk Braw Design David Wilson 07759 713358 david@brawdesign.co.uk Norton House Hotel & Spa Lynnel Farrow 0131 333 6441 lfarrow@handpicked.co.uk www.handpickedhotels.co.uk/hotels/nortonhouse/

Clydesdale Bank Kevin Thomson 07917243978 kevin.thomson@eu.nabgroup.com www.cbonline.co.uk

Premier Partners Muir Group plc Construction & Trade www.muirgroup.co.uk Glen Turner Company Ltd Distillery

Edinburgh Institute of Leadership Nikki Duke 0131 455 4430 n.duke@napier.ac.uk www.ei.napier.ac.uk Cool Water Direct Silence Chihuri 07914 531774 coolwaterdirect@gmail.com www.coolwaterdirect.com Phoenix Drilling Limited Stephen Glover 01506 411448 info@phoenixdrilling.co.uk www.phoenixdrilling.co.uk West Lothian TV Liz Clarke 07850 217933 amy@wltv.co.uk www.westlothianondemand.com

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Welcoming all our new Members to Mid, East and West Lothian Chamber of Commerce

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newmembers

Midlothian and East Lothian Archerfield Walled Garden Abigail Stubbs (Marketing Manager) 01620 388588Â abi@archerfieldwalledgarden.com www.archerfieldwalledgarden.com

Graypaul Edinburgh Chris Sainsbury (Manager) 0131 475 4500 chrissainsbury@sytner.co.uk www.sytner.co.uk/ferrari/graypaul-edinburgh/

Absolute Solar and Wind LTD Andrew McGown (Commercial Energy Consultant) 0141 530 7644 andrew@asaw.co.uk www.absolutesolarandwind.co.uk

Greentrax Recordings LTD Ian Green (Managing Director) 01875 815 888 ian@greentrax.com www.greentrax.com

Bentley Edinburgh Scott Symon (Manager) 0131 475 2100 scot.symon@bentleyedinburgh.co.uk www.bentleyedinburgh.co.uk Edinburgh Technopole Judith Sanderson (Manager) 0131 445 8600 Judith.sanderson@dtzms.com www.edinburghtechnopole.co.uk First Data Merchant Solutions Iain Morrison (Business Manager) 07713 390958 imorrison@firstdatacorp.co.uk www.firstdatams.co.uk

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Henderson Loggie Barbara McQuillan (Partner) 0131 226 0200 emma@hendersonloggie.co.uk www.hendersonloggie.co.uk Laidlaw Lettings Susan Laidlaw (Director) 07739 418478 susan@laidlawlettings.co.uk www.laidlawlettings.co.uk Lamborghini Edinburgh Andy Canning (Manager) 0131 475 5500 andycanning@sytner.co.uk www.sytner.co.uk/lamborghini/edinburgh/

Mercat Grill Graham Blaikie (Proprietor) 0800 124 4112 info@mercatgrill.com www.mercatgrill.com Porsche Centre Edinburgh Marcus Robertson (Manager) 0131 475 5000 marcus.robertson@porscheedinburgh.co.uk www.porscheedinburgh.co.uk Sytner Edinburgh Gillian Main (Marketing Manager) 0131475 2100 gillianmain@sytner.co.uk www.sytner.co.uk Vision Events Jo Moor 0131 334 3324 jo@visionevents.co.uk www.visionevents.co.uk Wallace Financial Planning Scott Wallace (Proprietor) 07500 899 213 Scott.wallace@sjpp.co.uk www.scottwallace.co.uk

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Kinder care. Friendlier faces.

01875 616666

Do you need help to live at home? Allan-Ross Nursing & Homecare Ltd has been providing a range of care, nursing and support services in East Lothian since 1998

www.allan-ross.co.uk reception@allan-ross.co.uk Dewar House, 1a Loch Road, Tranent, East Lothian, Scotland EH33 2JX

DO YOU NEED AN OFFICE SPACE TO WORK FROM BUT DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T WANT THE HASSLE OF HIGH RENTS AND TRAVEL INTO THE CITY? Look no further for affordable office space in Midlothian!

At the Vineyard Business Centre, we provide modern business offices in an idyllic setting. Our countryside location, which is easily accessible from the A7, A68 and the Edinburgh City Bypass, provides the perfect alternative from which you can effectively conduct your business. Accessible office spaces in the beautiful Scottish countryside Finding an office in the Midlothian area can be tricky business. You have to secure a commutable location and then there's the cost. At The Vineyard Business Centre, our office spaces are ideal for small to medium sized businesses. Located in the countryside, our prices are incredibly affordable. All our offices are modern and internet capable, ensuring that we always meet all your business needs. The Vineyard Business Centre has the following features: n Modern offices in a rural, yet accessible location with ample free car parking n Two buildings offering up to a total of 6000 sq ft n All our offices are Cat 5 wired for internet and local networking n Offices from 270 sq ft to 718 sq ft in size n Meeting room and kitchen n Professional cleaners on site n Potential storage space options also available n Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year round

01875 320 400

info@vineyardbc.co.uk www.vineyardbc.co.uk

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Atos expertise helping deliver high aspirations for Commonwealth Games Atos is delivering essential Games Management Systems and Games Information Systems in its role as an Official Supporter of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. The company is using experience gained from working over the past two decades with the International Olympic and Paralympic Committees, most recently at London 2012, to help Glasgow 2014 achieve its own ambitious goals. Atos business technologists are providing a quality accreditation system to assist the complex team entry process, volunteer systems to drive recruitment and management of volunteers and an accurate

results information system to help athletes plan their schedules, team management track progress, and the press and media promote success throughout the world as it happens. The Commonwealth Games, held every four years, are widely known as ‘The Friendly Games’, and Glasgow 2014 is on course to be one of the most memorable since the Games were introduced in 1930, celebrated across the Commonwealth, generating enormous pride in Glasgow and Scotland and leaving a lasting legacy. Atos brings an unrivalled track record in delivering these kinds of management and information systems at major international sporting events. For further information please contact the Atos Business Development Team T: 01506 606315.

Atos continues to demonstrate a commitment to sport and para-sport, and their track record in providing world class systems for a number of multi-sport Games, including London 2012, demonstrates their passion and capability to help Glasgow 2014 deliver an outstanding athlete centred and sport focused Games. David Grevemberg, Chief Executive, Glasgow 2014

Network ROI - Ten successful years and looking forward to Employee Ownership Since its launch in 2003, Network ROI has now experienced ten years of continued and steady organic growth, without debt or financial borrowing. Looking to secure the future of the business for many years to come and enable employees to benefit from continued business success, Managing Director Sean Elliot has this year embarked on transitioning Network ROI into a fully employee owned company. As part of a five year plan, a ‘trainee board’ and management team has

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been formed to help run the business and develop the necessary experience to allow Network ROI to continue the pattern of organic growth whilst maintaining service level quality, standards and client relationships on which the team takes great pride. Clients include companies and organisations in the private, public and voluntary sectors. The company has five core services including Managed IT Services; Unified Communications that brings voice,

video, instant messaging, Microsoft Office programs and data together; IT Consultancy services; Communications and Connectivity including telephony, mobile/landlines and broadband data services; Management of all technology activities required for relocation and new office projects. For more information on Network ROI visit networkroi.co.uk

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MEMBER CLOSE-UP Company Name: Mitsubishi Electric Air Conditioning Europe Ltd (M-ACE) Name: Rodney Ayre Position: Senior Department Manager Website: www.mitsubishielectric.co.uk What are the main activities of the business?

What do you see as your job’s biggest challenge?

The M-ACE Factory was established in Livingston in 1993 and employs more than 450 people in the production of air conditioning and air to water heat pump systems.

There are many challenges in most areas of the business as we grow. To ensure good leadership on the chosen path and get each member of the organisation to recognise the benefits and reason for our direction so that they feel confident in going forward together, making the necessary decisions and trusting the senior management to have the business interest and the employees interest at heart.

Are you enjoying what you do every day? Mitsubishi Electric has built a reputation over decades for innovation across multiple sectors. With a worldwide presence stretching across every continent, it may surprise some that the hub of its electrical arm’s European operation takes place in the Scottish town of Livingston. This year saw the 20th anniversary of the Mitsubishi Electric Air Conditioning Systems Europe (M-ACE) facility but a celebration of the past and present was marked by a leap into the future. This was the unveiling of the new R&D centre known as the MERCE House-type HVACS Evaluation Facility. Every day brings a new challenge and the strengths of the management team are up to that challenge As a business person, describe your three main qualities? At heart, I am an engineer and have always been able to see through mechanical issues to the problems and solve them quickly; my father was very much like that so I guess it was inherited. As a businessman I am extremely self-motivated so I don’t need to be held accountable as I am my own worst critic and I don’t like failure. I believe I am also intuitive and can see where the best results can be obtained as the business model is ever changing and I try to keep up with the changes. Finally, I am strong willed and can be authoritative, make of that what you will but you need a mix of everything to be successful and sometime difficult decisions need to be made.

If you could turn the clock back, what would you have changed about your business career? I would have become an accountant - that’s where the money is. What is your favourite way to unwind? I have many hobbies, scuba diving (less and less these days), motorcycling (fair weather only), golf( fair weather only), sports – running, exercise. All of it doesn’t beat a good Friday night in with your family eating together and then finishing off a nice bottle of wine relaxing. If you could choose anyone, who would be your fantasy dinner party guests and why? My guest to dinner would be Terry Waite, a Quaker, Anglican, humanitarian who spent five years of his life chained to a radiator almost 24 hours a day. At the end of it all a stronger man who returns to where he was incarcerated to seek release of others. What a dinner conversation that would be. What advice would you give to others who trying to be a success in business? Don’t ever give up your integrity to get quick results, trust and honesty will travel with you all your business life if you maintain them, if you lose them you cannot get them back.

What has been your most satisfying moment in business?

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

The most satisfying moments continue on a regular basis as we progress and develop our Small Group Activity Program (SGA). Employees are seconded to a 6-month training programme.

All things being equal a leadership role in manufacturing, thing being unequal sitting on a sail boat somewhere very hot with a gin and tonic.

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RAMP UP THE RED On Friday 7 February we need everyone to Ramp up the Red to help fight Scotlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s single biggest killer, coronary heart disease. You can organise a Ramp up the Red event at work, school or anywhere and make a donation to British Heart Foundation Scotland.

Visit bhf.org.uk/red or call 08000 316 316 to sign up Gretel, aged 4

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British Heart Foundation 2013, registered charity in England and Wales (225971) and in Scotland (SC039426)

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