Business Comment #6 aug/sept 10

A new wave of progress Why Scotland is at the forefront of renewables innovation, pages 24-25

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2010

Edinburgh Chamber - UK Chamber of the year 2010 BC issue 06.indd 1

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TRAINING FOR TOMORROW

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Aug/Sept 2010

Riding the crest of a new wave…

Contents 35

25

Success in business is about turning challenges into opportunities and spotting the new wave before it breaks. Like surfing then – and good surfers are patient. They train and get equipped, then get in the right position and wait for the perfect wave.

As the recession dimmed the hopes of business, the canny were looking for the new opportunities whilst building relationships with existing customers, adding value and being creative.

Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce is no different. I have spoken before about the value of renewable energy as a sunrise industry, and I am delighted to update you on our progress with the Scottish Low Carbon Investment (SLCI) Project and Conference.

The First Minister, Alex Salmond, has led the way on setting targets for Scotland which are the most ambitious in the world.

Scotland’s potential for wind, wave and tidal power are the greatest in Europe, and this creates the potential for a world-wide leadership in exportable products, services and expertise.

We are hosting the SLCI Conference to promote Scotland as a world-wide investment destination for the industry on 28-29 September 2010 at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, with receptions at Edinburgh Castle and the Scottish Parliament.

This is a unique opportunity for Edinburgh to reinforce its position at the heart of financing strategic growth in Scotland.

It’s a chance for every Edinburgh business to capitalise on the opportunity to meet with global businesses intent on leading in this sector. Large or small, all Edinburgh businesses can profit.

The speaker line-up is under negotiation, but will be world class.

In a climate where there’s a groundswell of support for the renewables industries, this is a class above the rest. Should our capital city be at the heart of this opportunity? What does it need to succeed? As ever in business, the belief and support of the business community, and in particular you – our members – is vital.

Let’s leave recession behind and use this major opportunity – we estimate at least five thousand jobs and £20bn investment for the city region alone – to build our city’s recovery and drive forward Scotland’s economy.

03 04 04 07 08 09 13 15 16|18 19 22|23

Introduction / contents Planning Concordat SCLI Conference Capital view Chamber challenges government Slow, winding road to recovery?

Be the best Going international Inspiring connections 60 seconds The interview

24|25 27|31 34 37 38 39 41 44 45 47 49|50

Cover feature Energy/environment feature Flooding feature In the spotlight Chamber policy Legal Ask the expert / get with IT Getting started Business news Arts Movers & shakers

Business Comment is an Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce publication.

ALL EDITORIAL AN D G EN ERAL EN QU IRIES: Edinburgh Chamber Customer Services Team Phone: 0844 736 2992 email: customerservices@edinburghchamber.co.uk Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, Capital House, 2 Festival Square, Edinburgh EH3 9SU www.edinburghchamber.co.uk President: Robert Carr Chief Executive: Ron Hewitt BU SIN ESS COM M EN T EDITOR Josef Church-Woods, Marketing & Communications Executive Phone: 0131 221 2973 email: josef.church-woods@edinburghchamber.co.uk P RODU CTION & DESIG N Distinctive Publishing, 8th Floor, Aidan House, Sunderland Road, Gateshead NE8 3HU Tel: 0191 4788300 www.distinctivepublishing.co.uk ADVERTISIN G Distinctive Publishing, 8th Floor, Aidan House, Sunderland Road, Gateshead NE8 3HU Tel: 0191 4788316 john.neilson@distinctivepublishing.co.uk FEATU RE EDITORS John Dean & Francis Griss deangriss@btinternet.com

Ron Hewitt chief executive

DISCLAIM ER Distinctive Publishing or Business Comment 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 Comment.

COVER P H OTO Cover photo courtesy of Edinburgh-based wave energy company, Aquamarine Power, featuring their Oyster 2 wave energy device.

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Chambernews City signs up for new approach to planning the Chairman of its Property Policy Group, Ali Afshar of AMA New Town; and on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council by Councillor Jim Lowrie, Chair of the Planning Committee, and John Bury, Head of Planning, the document will now become part of established ‘best practice’ for developers and planners in the capital.

The Concordat was drawn up by Richard Slipper of GVS Grimley, with vital input from Jones Lang Lasalle, Montagu Evans, Turleys and the Scottish Property Federation.

It has already been hailed by the Scottish Minister for Business and Enterprise, Jim Mather, as ‘best in class’ and should help to send a message to the rest of the UK and wider world that Edinburgh is a place that encourages development.

A new planning concordat, the first of its kind in Scotland, has been agreed by Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and the City of Edinburgh Council.

The document opens the door to a new approach to sustainable development and has been hailed as central to Edinburgh’s recovery from recession. Drawn up by city planners

working alongside the Chamber’s Property Policy Group, the document contains a set of guiding principles that developers on the one hand and planners on the other agree to adhere to in order to make the system more efficient and effective.

Signed on behalf of Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce by its President, Robert Carr, and

Robert Carr said: “What’s important now is that the Concordat is applied successfully, so anyone who is involved in development and planning in and around the city should read it.”

You can download a copy of the Concordat from the Edinburgh Chamber website (www. edinburghchamber.co.uk) – just go to ‘Policy & campaigns’ / ‘Policy groups’ / ‘Property Policy Group’, or alternatively, go to the ‘What’s new’ section.

Scottish Low Carbon Investment Conference This autumn, Edinburgh Chamber is delivering a major international conference, the Scottish Low Carbon Investment (SLCI) Conference, 28-29 September, supported by the Scottish Government.

The Conference, which will drive debate, funding opportunities and collaborations in Scotland’s emerging and potentially World-leading low carbon sector, is a must-attend event for anyone with an interest in low carbon/renewables issues.

www.slciconference.com If you have any questions or would like to discuss the conference, feel free to call us on 0844 736 2992.

The first of its kind in the world, we are expecting the conference to attract up to 700 international delegates, with a host of high profile speakers and thought leaders creating discussion around low carbon and new energy issues, so don’t delay in booking your place!

To find out more about the conference – which is part of the Scottish Government’s Scottish Low Carbon Investment Project – and book your place, visit the newly launched SLCI Conference website:

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Festival continues to be a success

Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce launches Technology Policy Group.

The group will consider how SMEs can improve their profitability through creative use of technology, as well as seeking to support businesses in Edinburgh’s technology sector.

A particular focus will be on the provision of strong support networks for both start-ups and growing businesses, as well as highlighting opportunities to improve inward investment.

Graham Birse, Managing Director of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce says: “We have a strong tradition of member-led representation across a range of business sectors, helping to influence local and national policy and create great conditions for business.

The establishment of a Technology group is long overdue.”

Dr. Lindsay Fielding is the Chair of the new Edinburgh Chamber Technology Policy Group

Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce has formed a Technology Policy Group to help members harness the potential of technology to propel their business forward.

The group will be chaired by Dr. Lindsay Fielding of Aptia Ltd and its Vice Chair Bill Magee, a technology writer.

EMS

Chair of the Technology Policy Group, Dr Lindsay Fielding of Aptia Ltd., says: “The appropriate use of technology is a real competitive differentiator. Businesses that get it right see real rewards in terms of profitability, through efficiency gains and in some cases new revenue streams. Over the next few months the group will be exploring best practice for SMEs to help them gain real and rapid advantages. We also want to review the needs of the technology sector and highlight areas where we see there is opportunity for growth.”

If you want to find out more or contribute to the group, go to the Policy & campaigns/ Policy Groups section at: www.edinburghchamber.co.uk

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Figures released for the Edinburgh International Festival show that it had an extremely successful 2009 with plenty of optimism for this year as well.

At its AGM, the Edinburgh Festivals Council confirmed increases in both attendance and sponsorship and a small profit from operations.

Increased performance, linked to tight spending controls, resulted in an overall operating surplus of 1%, equal to £76,000.

The Edinburgh International Festival board also persuaded core funders the Scottish Arts Council and City of Edinburgh Council to commit to giving earlier notice on funding, allowing greater ongoing security.

The success in 2009 has allowed EIF to further increase its unrestricted funds to £375,000, which makes the board’s target of £500,000 within its grasp.

The financial position for this year was helped by strong forward ticket sales and continuing significant financial support from foreign governments.

There has been a crucial development on revenue from the latter source, growing from £15,000 per annum to £700,000 last year.

Festival director Jonathan Mills continues to deliver exciting, world-class programmes which make Edinburgh a global leader in the arts, with this year‘s theme, Oceans Apart, a celebration of cultural excellence from the old and the new world.

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Capitalview Edinburgh – a truly essential investment The creation of a BID affords an element of protection. At Essential Edinburgh we have a base line agreement with the City Council and with the Police on the levels of service guaranteed by them. While we expect our public sector to deliver those services at the agreed levels, the traffic is not all one-way. The creation of a BID, funded and answerable to private sector businesses prepared to invest in their city centre, means we can also quickly identify where there are additional areas of shared interest and need – and to meet those aspirations through the partnership.

By Jane Wood, Chair of Essential Edinburgh

Not a day goes by without increasingly dire warnings from the Westminster Coalition Government about the need for deep cuts in our public spending to help reduce the national deficit. Such fiscal challenges will inevitably have an impact on the devolved Nations, and political commentators are already speculating around how permanent any changes to service delivery may prove.

For those working in areas of urban regeneration such economic vicissitudes represent an ongoing challenge. In this context the Business Improvement District (BID) model is interesting in the way it is predicated on partnership. Nothing unusual in that perhaps, but a BID partnership is much more formalised and is enshrined in legislation.

This element of community leadership also delineates the BID model. The private sector gets to decide, through the democratic ballot process, whether or not they even want a BID. At Essential Edinburgh, the BID ballot was successful based on very clear objectives that were set by the same businesses that are now funding those projects. The businesses decide what services additional to those delivered by the public sector they want to be delivered and Essential Edinburgh delivers.

Clear objectives were set prior to ballot covering areas common to BID’s across the world – cleanliness, security, perception, and accessibility. Every project is gauged against these objectives to ensure we continuously and consistently deliver to the priorities set by the business community.

Historically regeneration has tended to focus on physical infrastructure with social and reputational regeneration given less emphasis.

With BID’s, however, the ‘softer’ (but harder to crack) aspects of regeneration are given equal priority. Essential Edinburgh works across the city to ensure that the BID area is seen to be as great an asset to this historic city as the Castle or our many festivals – we not only improve the look and feel of the central shopping area but we also remind people that it is a great place to visit, to shop, to eat & drink and to work.

Essential Edinburgh raises almost £850,000 from the levy – money that is spent directly in the area in which it is raised and for the benefit of those businesses liable to pay. It is micropolis regeneration, whereby private interest is served for the public good – without placing further unachievable demands on the public purse.

Simplicity is its strength – a BID is a costeffective way to address specific, localised issues that have led to a decline and therefore the need for regeneration. And by costeffective, I don’t mean regeneration on the cheap but the costs of regeneration are shared. We can never shield ourselves completely from the vagaries of the economy but working in partnership can help lessen the blow. A problem shared is, after all, a problem halved.

Airline launches special offer Leading British airline British Midland International (bmi), has launched ‘bmifriday’, which will run on the last Friday of every month.

Customers can obtain up to 42 per cent off selected fares for five hours only between 12 noon and 5pm.

More information on bmi’s services, including those serving Edinburgh, is available from www.flybmi.com

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Chamber challenges government over rates Revalution A revaluation of business rates conducted in April 2008 and reflected in bills from April this year has left many Chamber members facing massive increases.

Edinburgh Chamber conducted a member survey after the Scottish Government claimed that 60% of Scottish businesses would either face a standstill or a reduction in business rates following the changes. Our survey showed the majority of businesses facing increases, some as much as 100%.

Our responses, and those of Chambers of Commerce in Aberdeen and Glasgow, do not correspond with the Government figures and led to a delegation of Chamber members meeting with the Minister for Finance and Sustainable Growth, John Swinney, to call for a re-introduction of transitional relief, which is currently available in England.

Graham Birse, Managing Director of Edinburgh Chamber, who attended the meeting, said: “Recovery from this Recession is currently at a very fragile stage and

Ministers need to be very careful about creating an environment that threatens the ability of businesses to grow again.

“Some of these increases are eye-watering.

Of the 48 hotels in the Edinburgh Hotels Association, for example, only one did not receive an increase, with the rest facing average increases of 40-80%. At the Prestonfield Hotel, owner James Thomson has to find an additional £14,000 per room per year to pay for a 99% increase in his rates bill.”

Colin Paton, Chairman of the Edinburgh Hotels Association, said: “Hotels seem to have been singled out for special treatment

by Assessors across Scotland. It has been quite a shock to the system. Of course we understand the need to pay our taxes, but these sorts of increases are completely out of

Colin Paton, Chairman of the Edinburgh Hotels Association

proportion to that being levied elsewhere – and act as a disincentive to investment and entrepreneurship.”

Michael Apter, Chairman of the West End Traders Association, and owner of the Paper Tiger stationery stores in Lothian Road and Stafford St, said: “Expect a deluge of appeals as a result of these increases. The Minister assured us that relief was available for small business, and yet my rates will increase by 44% this year.” Edinburgh Chamber is joining forces with Scottish Chambers of Commerce to campaign for a review of the business rating system, viewed by many as arcane, complicated, expensive and unfair.

Helping companies in difficult times The number of corporate insolvencies in Scotland has risen sharply, according to the Government agency the Insolvency Service.

The figures show there were 275 liquidations in Scotland in quarter one of 2010, a 70.8% increase on the same period in 2009, and that there was an increase of 78.6% in quarter two.

Overall, there were 900 corporate failures in Scotland which includes administrations, receiverships and liquidations in the year ended 31 March 2010, representing a 15.2% increase on last year.

Matt Henderson, partner with Scottish chartered accountants and business advisers Johnston Carmichael, said: “There continues to be real pressure on Scottish businesses.The number of compulsory liquidations indicates a high level of creditor pressure with court action being called in order to recover unpaid accounts.

“It also appears that more companies are winding up and closing down in liquidations instead of entering the administration process which was

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designed to help create a “rescue culture”.This implies that the financial position is so poor that there has been an inability to find new owners for distressed businesses.”

However, the Chamber argues that many companies can find a way through the crisis if they seek expert help. The Chamber offers a range of services which can help companies make efficiencies to bring down costs, bring about growth and network with potential customers through a range of specially-organised events.

Useful advice can be found on the Chamber’s website: www.edinburghchamber.co.uk

A copy of the Insolvency Statistics can be found at: http://www.insolvency.gov.uk/otherinformation/statistics/201005/index.htm

August/September 2010 20/7/10 16:17:35

Economy&business A slow, winding road to recovery?

Prospects for the Scottish economy in 2010

By Cliff Lockyer, Coordinator of the Scottish Chambers’ Business Survey

Recent results from the Bank of Scotland/PMI surveys of Scottish manufacturing and the Service sectors suggest the Scottish economy is moving out of recession, and this view is supported by similar results from Scottish Engineering and CBI surveys.

March data from the Scottish Tourism occupancy survey suggests occupancy rates are little changed from last year – although the data for Edinburgh and the Lothians indicates better trends for 2010 than 2009. Also, recent retail sales trends have been mixed with fewer signs of sales being better than a year ago (although trends in 2010 have been affected by bad weather; the timing of Easter; and the impact on travel and tourism of dust from the Icelandic volcano). Scottish construction remains depressed, although possibly less so than in the rest of the UK due to the large number of major public sector construction projects.

Capital expenditure is likewise expected to decline significantly over the next few years. The extent and impact of possible tax increases remains unclear, but it’s safe to say that Scotland by 2015 will be significantly different.

CENTRAL TAXIS

Whilst it is clear that 2010 will be regarded as a year of major change in the Scottish and UK economies, the trajectory of economic recovery remains decidedly unclear. Conventionally the relative weakening of the pound to the Euro should aid exports, but will likely also impact on import prices, especially noticeable in the rising price of petrol, diesel and, potentially, energy costs.

The ‘age of austerity’ sweeping across Europe, with most governments seeking to cut public sector expenditure, will impact on the recovery in our main markets and may adversely affect a growth in exports too.

The Chief Economic Adviser, Andrew Goudie, has estimated that cumulative reductions of some 3% per annum between 2011/12 and 2014/15 to the Scottish budget are probable. As the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee noted, “this would translate to a real terms reduction of between £3.5 and £4 billion in Scotland by 2014/15 compared to the 2009/10 budget”.

Already a number of public sectors in Scotland – including local authorities, the NHS, higher education and police services – are planning for significant reductions in both operating and capital expenditure. The Ernst & Young Scottish ITEM Club prospects for 2010 forecasts a decline of some 30,000 in public sector employment between 2010 and 2013.

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non-stop business

20/7/10 16:17:41

A chat with… …Nigel Souter, Managing Director of T. Ward Shipping Ltd., an international shipping company based in the heart of Edinburgh’s maritime district of Leith.

So, tell us a bit about your business.

T.Ward Shipping Ltd. was formed in the early part of the 1900’s by Tommy Ward in Grimsby, with offices throughout the United Kingdom, handling millions of tons of coal exports to Europe and Scandinavia.

The company set up in Scotland in the 1950’s with offices in Glasgow, Grangemouth and Leith. Its main business was typically involved with whisky, container traffic and steel between the UK and Europe.

What about today?

The company has had to adapt daily to match the ever changing dynamics of the global economy and business. It’s now heavily involved with some of the world’s most impressive accounts in the offshore business; from energy and renewables, to steel, coal, and aggregates.We also act as shipbrokers, ships agents and shipping and forwarding agents worldwide – nothing is too small or too big.

What role does shipping play in today’s business environment?

Shipping is an extremely important part of global trade and the world economy with over 95% of freight moving by sea.Whilst enormous

volumes of commodities are transported every day from country to country, few people know what happens to enable these cargoes to be shipped. How do you find a ship to carry the cargo you have just sold or bought? Or how do you find a cargo to fill a ship you are running?

The answer is: talk to your shipbroker.

What does a shipping company or ship broker actually do then?

We match the right ship with the right cargo; we negotiate the shipping terms and freight costs between the ship owner and the cargo owner; we can advice on port costs and arrange stevedoring charges at loading and discharging ports – in short; we look after your problems from quay to quay, door to door and port to port.

The role of a shipbroker is to act as an intermediary between the parties in a shipping contract, whether they are ship owners or charterers. Shipbroker may act specifically for one principal or can be the sole broker between two contracting parties.They are involved in presenting and offering the business to potential clients; negotiating the main terms of the shipping ‘Fixture’ (the agreed deal); finalising the details of the ‘Charterparty’ (the

completed contract for the carriage of the goods); and following the deal through to its conclusion. A shipbroker will also buy and sell ships.

What about the ships and their contents?

Cargoes range typically from raw bulk commodities such as coal, timber and crude oil to finished goods (e.g. pipes, fertiliser and fabricated steel products) and finished products, like whisky.

The size and type of vessel involved range from coasters, carrying a few hundred tons, to tankers able to lift several hundred thousand tons.They could be bulk carriers, containerships, gas carriers, cruise ships, tankers, tugs, car carriers, livestock carriers, oil-rigs or ferries – even floating prisons.

For more information, go to: www.tward.co.uk

Accolade for Johanna Congratulations to Johanna (Jo) Dow, finance director for Business Stream, Scotland’s leading non-domestic water supplier, who was crowned one of the UK’s top business women at an awards ceremony in London.

the retail non-domestic water industry to competition in Scotland in 2008 and over the past two years has been instrumental in creating the financial platform to grow the business into new areas.

Jo won the Business Services award at the First Women Awards held in association with Lloyds Banking Group and supported by the CBI.

She said: “I’m absolutely delighted to have won.These awards recognise the great work that many women do for British business. ”

She was presented with her award by Home Secretary the Rt Hon Theresa May MP and was the only Scottish-based businesswoman to win a prize.

Mark Powles, chief executive of Business Stream, said: “This is wonderful recognition for the important work that Jo does for us.

Business Stream is the only business of its kind in Europe. Jo has played a vital role in helping us blaze a unique trail in a competitive water market.”

Jo played a key role in setting up Business Stream in readiness for the opening up of

Johanna Dow, Business Stream finance director

The First Women Awards were founded six years ago to recognise female pioneers across British business, professional and public life.

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The Prime Minister

by Graham Carnie B.A.

Working with the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce on an ongoing basis has added new dimensions to my portfolio.

For an informal no strings chat about your photographic requirements – business or personal – please feel free to call me.

Graham Carnie, Tuskite Photography 0131 477 6594

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August/September 2010 20/7/10 16:17:49

Bethebest Staff health and wellbeing: prevention is better than cure Sick absence is a high cost for businesses of all sizes. Although most businesses will have procedures for dealing with sick absence, how can the absence be prevented from happening in the first place?

Chamber Business Solutions Manager, Bryan Leslie, says: “Preventing sick absence is about making sure your staff are healthy, both physically and mentally. If you look after your staff when times are good, this will pay great dividends when times are tough.

People that feel better about themselves and the workplace are more engaged, more productive and have less sick absence. We run a number of training courses in this area, including Building Your Self-Confidence and Master Your Motivation. We also facilitate Employee Engagement surveys.”

Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce member, the Centre of Health and Wellbeing (CHWB), works with employers to improve the health and wellbeing of their employees.

They do this by delivering health and wellbeing assessments in the workplace.

CHWB Chief Executive, Dr Lubna Kerr says: “Using the prevention rather than cure approach helps individuals address their life issues before they become problems.”

Dr Kerr’s top ten tips on how to start taking care of health and wellbeing: Love your work: your good vibes will pass onto your staff Have an open door policy – welcome people Make your staff feel valued and respected by taking an interest in them Compliment people: your staff will feel good about themselves if you say thank you and mean it Encourage teams to help each other to grow and develop Be happy – endorphins are happy hormones and they de-stress you Smile – smile and the world smiles with you Focus on what is good in your business and you will get more of it Remove all negative language and behaviour from your work place Create the right atmosphere in your business where people look forward to work

Dr Lubna Kerr

For more information on CHWB, please go to www.chwb.org.uk.

You can contact Dr Kerr at lubnakerr@talk21.com or by calling 07769 683779 For more information on the training and consultancy services provided by Edinburgh Chamber, call our Customer Services Team on 0844 736 2992, email customerservices@ edinburghchamber.co.uk or visit our website: www.edinburghchamber.co.uk

Edinburgh Chamber welcomes new Partners in Enterprise!

The Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce is delighted to welcome its latest two Partners in Enterprise, Edinburgh Napier University and TSG. Edinburgh Napier University has over 200 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and over 40 research teams. Last year it was rated as a Top 10 UK University for Graduate Employability (HESA 2009) and was also the only Scottish university to be awarded the prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education.

TSG is one of the UK’s leading IT companies and is trusted by thousands

of small and medium sized businesses throughout the UK. It offers a full range of IT services and products and can provide a complete IT function or offer a support service for your existing IT staff.

For more details about our Partners in Enterprise, go to the ‘About us’/’Working with partners’ section on our website: www.edinburghchamber.co.uk

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Goinginternational Are you a Smart Exporter?

The press has been full of articles in the last few weeks on the difficulties Scottish exporters face, with the Ernst & Young ITEM Club report highlighting the structural issues of the Scottish economy exporting to a troubled Eurozone – never mind a continuing world trade slump!

Part of why we’re lagging behind the rest of the UK stems from Scotland having to replace large export sales from a declined electronics sector (once a major contributor), along with the fallout from the financial services sector’s contraction. The value of the pound should be helping, but because of restricted demand in our traditional top markets, the effect of this has been eroded.

The good news is that we are doing something about it. In amongst the criticism of the public sector for not doing enough, Scottish Chambers International (SCI) is partnering with Scottish Development

International and SCDI to deliver the Smart Exporter Initiative. The initiative is delivering £7.6m worth of awareness and skills development to relatively new and inexperienced exporters, but is also available to experienced exporters.

Sitting alongside this is SCI’s own roll out of a range of hands-on training, consultancy and other services, which are directed at the Scottish exporting community as a whole. We recognise the modern growing sectors, which will help Scotland’s exports recover again – such as food & drink; creative & digital media; life sciences; a

variety of business services; and the energy sector – with renewables and environmental technology a key focus.

We recognise too the markets which are of prime importance to our exporting businesses – the traditional markets of course, where volumes and awareness of what we can do give us a lead; but emerging markets as well, including the Middle East, China, India, offering growth opportunities for all our key industries.

For more information, please go to: www.scottishchambersinternational.co.uk

The rise and fall of Sterling As we approach what is a typically quiet summer period for financial markets, we can look back on the first six months of 2010 and assess the performance of the pound against some of its major trading partners.

Given that just over 50% of UK trade is conducted with countries within the EU, the rise in the value of the pound against the euro to break through 1.20 in the last few weeks has grabbed the headlines.

This represents a gain from the year’s opening level of around 9%, and of over 12% from this year’s 1.0930 low seen back in March. While on one hand this has helped ease the price burden for importers, the move has given exporters something to ponder following their competitive boost from the sharp sterling decline between early 2007 and 2009.

Limiting foreign exchange exposure is easier than many realise. A simple forward contract at the time an order is placed or received eliminates exposure between then and payment of the invoice. This leaves the Finance Director free to concentrate on core business rather than worrying over potentially adverse fluctuations in foreign currency.

If you would like to speak to one of our foreign currency specialists call 0131 476 7371 or visit www.no1currency.com

However, for those who import from countries outside the EU, the same period has been far less encouraging. In fact, of the five other countries that make up non EU members of the G10, sterling has fallen against every one. These declines range from around 3% against the Swiss franc to over 11% against the Japanese yen with the U.S. sitting in the middle of this range at a near 7% decline on the year to date.

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Inspiringconnections

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A fond farewell...

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In the run up to the general election, we invited then Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, to offer what turned out to be his party’s parting words on the UK economy and its recovery, at a keynote breakfast at Prestonfield House on 29 April.

The Mr Darling faces our members for the last time in his role as Chancellor

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L to R: Edinburgh Chamber President, Robert Carr, Alistair Darling and Edinburgh Chamber Chief Executive, Ron Hewitt, share a light-hearted moment

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Mr Darling is questioned by Peter Barbon of Wonderland Toys Ltd.

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Photos on pages 16-17 by Graham Carnie, Tuskite Photography

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The journey’s half the fun On 7 June, Brian Souter, Chief Executive of Stagecoach – formed by Brian and his sister Ann Gloag, who have grown it from a two-bus start-up in 1980 to a global business with a £2.1 billion turnover today – shared his views on business, entrepreneurship and the Scottish economy with our Premier Series membership.

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Mr Souter gets into the swing of things on stage

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Wilfred Emmanuel of Strong Tower Consultancy Ltd. with Laura Gordon

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L to R: Chris Harte and Sue Hunter of Morton Fraser – host of the pre-dinner reception – with Steve Wright of Apex Hotels Ltd.

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Inspiringconnections In with the new On 23 June, we invited members to The Sheraton for an immediate reaction to, and assessment of, the Conservative Party and Liberal Democrats’ emergency budget, and its impact on the economy and on businesses.

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Speakers Bill Jamieson, Executive Editor at The Scotsman (left) and David Collier, Tax Consultancy Partner, with Chiene + Tait, strike a poignant pose

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Maureen Middleton of Link Group Ltd. and Malcolm Warrack of Cullen Property Ltd. both chose navy stripes for the occasion

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L to R: James Kinghorn and Chris Cope of Northern Light, with Lesley Wyper of Holyrood Communications

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Dell talks business On 5 May, Steve Felice, President, Consumer, Small and Medium Business, at Dell, spoke at a special breakfast event about how SMEs can use new technologies to drive economic recovery.

L to R: James McLean, Edinburgh Office, Iain McLean, Biggart Baillie, Trevor Cattle, e-products ltd., and Mac Farquhar, Able People Development, enjoy a coffee before the talk.

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Steve Felice gave members Dell’s perspective on the current economic climate and boost recovery

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August/September 2010 21/7/10 09:12:36

60seconds

Name: Philip Horne Company Name: E-business Promotion Ltd Website: www.E-businessPromotion.co.uk

Q A

In five words or less, what do you do?

Managing Director, E-business Promotion Ltd

Q A

How long have you been a Chamber member?

A few month

Q A

Why did you join?

To increase E-business Promotion’s profile in Edinburgh

Q A

What services do you use?

I have been to a number of business networking events, which have all been very good. I am currently looking at other opportunities.

Q A

What’s the best business/benefit you have won through the Chamber?

On my very first networking event I sat beside Jane Grant who has put me in touch with contacts that are potentially invaluable for my business.

Q A

Are there any additional services or information you’d be particularly interested in?

Presentation notes from past events.

Q

If you were telling another business person about the Chamber, what’s the first thing you would say?

I would tell them about my positive experience on becoming a member and that the Edinburgh Chamber staff I have met have been very friendly and helpful.

A Q A

Where do you read your copy of Business Comment?

In the office

Amazing new business tool revolutionises ISO Standards 9001, 14001 and 18001 SPECIAL FEATURE

Many business owners across the nation are beginning to adopt a revolutionary and unique system to manage ISO Standards for Quality and Environmental Management and the OHSAS Standard for Health & Safety Management, which are now accepted as best practice in virtually every business sector.

Equas SmartPro’s ‘ISO in a Box’ has long been regarded as the simplest, most cost-effective and secure way for an organisation to achieve UKAS certification to ISO9001:2008, ISO14001:2004 and OHSAS18001. This tried and tested methodology is guaranteed to produce a fully UKAS-compliant Management System as well as delivering the business control benefits that the ISO standards were designed for.

based, giving you remote access from anywhere in the world. You don’t require any additional software, just an internet connection. It’s a massive benefit for organisations with more than one site, either in the UK or worldwide, but is equally supportive of single location businesses.

With the launch of ISOActiv, however, the benefits just got better.

The system is packed with additional features that save you countless administrative hours.

ISOActiv contains a hierarchy of access levels, allowing you to control who in your organisation sees what, who can only read documents and who has edit level access.

ISOActiv is a unique business management tool that revolutionises how your business manages its ISO systems. It’s totally web-

Automatic version and document control, automatic improvement logs, automatic customer satisfaction surveys, comprehensive

document storage, full calendar facilities, automatic system updates and a whole lot more …..

But the best part is that, like ISO in a Box, ISOActiv GUARANTEES ISO Compliance to UKAS Certification standard. And the price tag is extremely affordable. This is the best system in its field.

To learn more about how the ISOActiv system can work for your business, contact: Crawford Burns on 01383 – 739731 or Mob 07928 - 224928

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SPECIAL FEATURE

How to free up cashflow Tougher economic conditions traditionally lead to pressure on cashflow for small and medium sized businesses – pressure which can be compounded by a tendency among their customers to delay payments as they face similar difficulties.

Simon Kerr, managing partner of Clydesdale Bank’s Edinburgh Financial Solutions Centre comments on Invoice Finance and its benefits.

Invoice Finance has historically been thought of as a last resort - the option that businesses turn to when they can’t access finance by other means. But that analogy is outdated and definitely misleading as Invoice Finance can often help to give companies some extra support at a time when they need it, freeing up cashflow and giving them a competitive edge.

Sometimes called Cashflow Finance, Invoice Finance can be a confidential, or a disclosed sales-driven facility, that allows businesses to immediately access up to 85 per cent of the value of invoices they’ve issued, with the remainder being paid to them when full payment is received. And the business can decide whether it retains the responsibility of collecting any outstanding payments or passes that responsibility to the Invoice Finance team to act on its behalf.

Invoice Finance is about helping to bridge the gap between the sale and receipt of funds, which in turn assists businesses in their day to day operations and cashflow management. Having access to funds

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generated from debtor monies can help maintain existing business relationships and form new ones – both of which are essential in today’s challenging environment.

Flexibility is another key benefit of Invoice Finance, which in conjunction with other more traditional forms of lending, is more than capable of adapting to the demands and requirements of business, while providing an effective means of financing growth – as the degree of working capital available is inextricably linked to the level of growth achieved.

At the end of 2009, Clydesdale Bank launched a £100m Invoice Finance fund that is open to both new and existing customers. In addition to this fund, and in response to customer research and feedback, the bank also recently launched ‘Investing for Growth’, a support initiative to help wellperforming trading businesses take advantage of quality growth opportunities.

options available under the ‘Investing for Growth’ initiative which also includes a dedicated financial planning service.

Business customers who take up the offer will be encouraged to invest the cash back into their business in the form of expansion, new staff, equipment and machinery, and product development.

The type of support a company needs is not one-size-fits-all and nor is the time when it may be needed. Every business needs to consider whether the time is right for them and what might help them achieve sustainable future growth. So whether it’s Invoice Finance, Asset Finance, a business loan, a restructure of finance or another financial solution, as a bank, we’re committed to supporting the SME community, which is the backbone to the economy. This commitment hasn’t waivered throughout the economic downturn and still holds strong.

Loan repayment holidays, interest-only repayments and extended loan and credit facilities are just some of the flexible support

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Theinterview SPECIAL FEATURE

Spotting opportunities the key to business success First Scottish is one of the country’s business success stories, growing in the past two decades from a small operation to a major concern turning over millions of pounds each year.

At the helm throughout the process has been managing director John Yorkston, whose philosophy has always been to take advantage of opportunities when they arise then make sure that the company delivers the service that it has promised.

The roots of First Scottish lie in the banking sector, the company emerging from the department set up by First National Bank to conduct searches on behalf of prospective customers.

John Yorkston, who had worked for the Land Registry in Scotland for 17 years, having joined from school, rising to become Higher Executive Officer for Searches by 1987.

His work for the Bank in those early days characterised his approach to business in the decades to follow, based on the concept of spotting a weakness in the service being offered by someone else.

“For instance, we decided to offer a fixed search fee.That did not happen with the other companies, which meant that a solicitor had to guess what the search fee would be on a property.

They would charge a client £80 but it could take a year and half for the bill to come in and they might find it was £130.What did they do? Go back to the client and ask for more? We offered a fixed search fee which removed that uncertainty.”

The current company now handles a wide range of searches, including Title, Local Authority Searches and Property Enquiry Certificates.

By now the business was expanding rapidly and in 2000, the Searching company became a stand alone business and in January 2001, First Scottish founded a start-up company called The Legal Post (Scotland) Limited.

This is a secure document exchange system with a network throughout Scotland, which has the backing of The Law Society of Scotland who have a 20% stake in the business.

He said:“In those days, searches could taken seven to ten days and brokers would approach various lenders then go with whoever came back first with the results.We realised that we could do it in half a day, thus increasing the conversion rate .”

John said:“We set up the company because we detected dissatisfaction with the company that was delivering legal documents for Law Society members.We were hearing that Society members were unhappy with the service they were receiving and that there was an issue there.”

The approach worked and the department helped bring about more deals until it eventually became clear that the time had come for it to strike out on its own.

The approach worked with the new business growing steadily as it took on the task of delivering more and more legal documents.

First Scottish was born in 1987, initially as a subsidiary of First National Bank followed by a management buy-out in 2000 when it became a company on its own, extending the range of searches from purely financial clients.

John, who became managing director, said:“It was a big decision because I was moving from the security of working for the civil service and for a bank. However, while working in such a situation can offer security, it can also be constraining.

“It was a brave decision in some ways because we were up against two major rivals, both of whom

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had been in business for more than a hundred years but we felt there were opportunities.

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In 2004 came another expansion as a Document Storage company was acquired enabling the Group to offer clients a wide range of document management solutions including box storage, digital scanning, remote digital archiving and a secure document destruction service.

John said:“Again, we were responding to an opportunity.There was a rival but their rates were going up and up.

“We recognised that there was a service we could offer and that companies like solicitors and accountants did not have the space to store all their documents, which they needed to do because it might be three or four years before

they hear from a client again.With property prices high in Edinburgh, we realised that they could not afford to have a whole floor turned over to storage.”

Each decision that the company has taken under John’s stewardship had seen the company taking on major rivals in the market place: in 2008, they decided to take on the biggest name of them all.

John saw moving into the wider postal delivery sector as a natural development from the work being done by Legal Post. First Post was launched in 2008 and can deliver to all UK postal addresses and international destinations but for up to 40% less cost than Royal Mail.

John said:“We saw the opening up of the mail service as an opportunity and we obtained a licence from Postcom and started collecting and delivering mail. Previously, it was a two day service. If we collect something on Monday night it is there by Wednesday morning.

“There are all sorts of advantages for companies using us.They do not have to buy or lease a franking machine, they do not have to buy stamps, which is expensive, and they do not have their staff tied up with the post.

“I think a lot of companies like using us because of the savings and we have seen that as a business opportunity.

“It has gone really well.Whereas a few years ago companies might not have worried too much about a cost of four or five thousand, in today‘s climate they look more closely at it.”

Through that constant eye on opportunities, First Scottish has grown to become one of Scotland’s leading companies.

It is continuing to grow and today having a £10m annual turnover and employing more than 150 staff, and the process is far from complete.

John said:“We already have two or three other projects in mind. As with all of them, our philosophy is to spot areas in which there is dissatisfaction with the current provider.We make sure that there is a demand and, once we have set up, we make sure that we deliver the service.” It is a philosophy that promises to keep delivering success for First Scottish.

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“I think a lot of companies like using us because of the savings and we have seen that as a business opportunity�.

John Yorkston, Managing Director First Scottish

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Coverfeature Renewables sector is making waves in business

By John Dean

deangriss@btinternet.com

It’s one of the most promising of the new Scottish industries; one that is already creating jobs and attracting investment at a time when many more traditional sectors have experienced a decline.

First Minister, Rt Hon Alex Salmond

Renewables and the low carbon economy is exciting both statutory agencies and businesses as they develop strategies to take advantage of Scotland’s big strengths – the power of the sea and strong winds.

Leading the response is the Scottish Low Carbon Investment (SLCI) Project, a Scottish Government initiative with support from Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Development International, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, Scottish Futures Trust, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Arup.

A key part of its job is to gauge enthusiasm for investment in technologies including offshore wind, marine energy, carbon capture and storage, grid development, renewable heat, and clean technologies such as sustainable transport and water and waste treatment.

To explore these issues, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce is delivering a major conference with support from the Scottish Government, on 28-29 September at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre. Supported by all the SLCI Project partners, the SLCI Conference has already attracted delegates from the US, Asia and across Europe.

Ron Hewitt, Edinburgh Chamber Chief Executive, said: “The low carbon sector offers huge potential and other countries are watching to see what Scotland does because we have recently adopted emissions reductions targets for 2020 way ahead of anywhere else in Europe.

“The aim of the conference is to bring projects to the attention of potential investors.

We want to see what level of appetite there is for investment and match up projects with investors to make the most of the low carbon sector.

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targets in the industrialised world and we are well on the way to achieving those.

Ron Hewitt, Edinburgh Chamber Chief Executive

“The conference will gather the world’s leading experts on financing renewable energy and allow them to meet political leaders and investors from banks, fund managers and venture capital companies to realise Scotland’s contribution to clean energy.This will be a conference that achieves results, as well as shares information.”

Ron points to statistics that show just how huge the potential is: “Scotland enjoys unique natural resources for renewable energy with about a quarter of both Europe’s tidal and offshore wind capacity, and 10 per cent of its potential in wave power, as well as significant opportunities in hydro-power, onshore wind and biomass.There are also export opportunities here because we generate much more power than we need.”

First Minister Alex Salmond said: “The world’s nations are facing up to the challenges and opportunities posed by climate change, and developing green energy sources. Scotland leads the world on both fronts.

“We have a strong, established base of technological innovation and engineering expertise that is second to none. And in the field of green energy generation we have massive resources available, particularly offshore where a recent study found that Scotland has enough potential to generate more than 200 Gigawatts of wind, wave and tidal power.

“By harnessing around a third of that resource, installed offshore renewables capacity could reach 68 Gigawatts in Scotland by 2050 – enough to power Scotland ten times over.

“Investors remain keen to identify and support profitable low carbon projects and technologies.

And Scotland is determined to claim its place at the forefront of this marketplace, armed with our considerable opportunity and resource.

“The conference being held in Edinburgh as part of the Scottish Low Carbon Investment Project will be the first of its kind in the world and will provide a unique forum to enable private companies, public bodies, project developers and technology innovators to come together to grasp the huge opportunities available from the low carbon economy.”

For more information on the Scottish Low Carbon Conference, and to book your place, go to: www.slciconference.com

“Our Climate Change Act, passed unanimously by the Scottish Parliament last year, sets the most ambitious greenhouse gas reduction

August/September 2010 20/7/10 16:19:07

The tide turns for a new industry Underlining the potential of the sector is the work being done by wave energy developer Aquamarine Power.

The company recently received £5.1 million of public funding to support its second generation wave energy device, Oyster 2, which will be manufactured later this year for testing at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney in 2011.

The money came from the Marine Renewables Proving Fund, a £22 million initiative funded by the UK Government’s Department of Energy and Climate Change and managed by the Carbon Trust.

Aquamarine Power plans to deploy its first commercial Oyster devices in 2013.The system consists of a hinged flap connected to the seabed at around 10m depth. Each wave moves the flap which drives a hydraulic piston to deliver high pressure water to an onshore turbine, generating electricity.

A commercial farm of 20 Oyster 2 devices would provide enough energy to power more than 9,000 three-bedroom family homes and offset carbon emissions of up to 20,000 tonnes.

Another exciting project took another major stride forward when the first P2 Pelamis was officially named in a ceremony in Leith Docks, Edinburgh, where it was designed and built by Pelamis Wave Power Limited

Aquamarine Power’s wave energy device ‘Oyster 2’ in the fabrication yard before installation at sea

The wave energy convertor, which has been produced for the German utility E.ON, was named Vágr Atferð (Old Norse for wave power).The P2 Pelamis will be towed to Orkney later this year to commence a threeyear test programme.

Pelamis Wave Power’s ‘P2 Pelamis’ is officially named in a ceremony in Leith Docks, Edinburgh, attended by the First Minister

One of the areas exciting interest is the North Sea. According to the Offshore Valuation Group, a coalition of government and industry organisations, the potential to generate off-shore resources matches the potential that has now been realised for North Sea oil and gas production.

Offshore Valuation Group members, including the Department of Energy & Climate Change,The Scottish Government,The Welsh Assembly Government,The Crown Estate, E.ON and Npower Renewables Ltd, suggest that using less than a third of the total available offshore resource could:

■ generate the electricity equivalent of one billion barrels of oil annually, matching North Sea oil and gas production ■ create 145,000 new jobs in this country and provide the Treasury with £28 billion in tax receipts ■ enable Britain to become a net exporter of electricity by 2050 ■ reduce carbon emissions relative to 1990 levels by 30% To see the Offshore Valuation report, go to www.offshorevaluation.org

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SPECIAL FEATURE

Sustainable energy solutions ENER-G www.energ.co.uk is a long established and dedicated renewables and energy efficiency business, priding itself as a one-stop shop for low carbon technologies and services.

Among its public and private sector clients are Councils in Scotland and the wider UK, the Royal households at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, national supermarkets and hospitals, together with manufacturers, schools, hotels and housing associations.

The company provides an end-to-end service from advising on the new CRC Energy Efficiency scheme, to cost savings implementation, through to installation and long term operation of sustainable power plant.

The company’s sustainable technologies include: energy from waste gasification; methane gas collection networks and biogas production; combined heat & power (CHP); ground, air, water and gas absorption source heat pumps; building energy management systems and controls offering guaranteed savings; smart & sub-metering; data monitoring & targeting; consumption billing and credit control/cash collection for communal and district heating schemes.

Projects are readily fundable, with the banks taking confidence in the early project investment paybacks, design and engineering experience, project management of the entire process through to commissioning and handover into operational mode.

ENER-G has a turnover of £126 million, is entirely independent and now employs over 760 worldwide. It operates clean energy technology businesses in the UK, Hungary, the Netherlands, Romania, Lithuania, Italy, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Mexico and Spain, with partners in Canada, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Portugal and Slovenia.

ENER-G’s UK manufactured CHP systems provide the simultaneous generation of electricity and useful heat that is almost twice as efficient as conventional power generation. The units generate electricity costing around one third of the price charged by conventional UK suppliers and cut carbon by around 20%. ENER-G systems are typically used in hospitals, hotels, leisure centres, supermarkets, factories and other buildings where there is a relatively consistent heat load. An essential guide to small scale CHP is provided via the website along with a free energy audit and site survey offer.

ENER-G’s energy from waste division, ENERGOS, uses its own patented gasification technology, an advanced two-stage thermal treatment process that converts residual, non-recyclable waste into a syngas and heat energy. The company has a 12-year track record and around 400,000 hours of safe, ultra low emission operating experience at its eight European facilities.

The heat energy is used to produce steam, which can be used to supply renewable heat and/or electricity. It is designed to complement recycling initiatives and is a small scale model that can exist at the heart of the community. As such, facilities can be sited next to energy consumers to optimise heat recovery, or in locations where a heat delivery or district heating system is appropriate.

Working together with Norway’s leading power supplier, Hafslund Heat and Power AS, ENERGOS was appointed in February 2008 to deliver its 8th plant, a 32MW gasification facility processing 78,000 tpa of residual commercial and industrial waste recovering in excess of 80% of the energy contained in the waste. The £45m project, commissioned in May 2010, generates up to 250GWh/a of steam and will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by a total of approximately 40,000 tpa, equivalent to the environmental benefit of four million trees.

ENER-G also builds, owns, operates and maintains a number of biogas production and landfill gas utilisation schemes in the UK and Europe. To date the company has installed more than 100MW of new generating capacity on some 50 sites and has a portfolio of a further 20MW to be developed over the next two years. Among recent UK schemes to become operational is Easter Langlee Waste Disposal site near Galashiels.

For further information contact Alan Cramond, on email: alan.cramond@energ.co.uk

Among its Scottish-based renewables projects are an anaerobic digestion facility in Stornoway; landfill gas generation sites and a planned gasification energy recovery from waste facility at Irvine.

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Energy & the environment SPECIAL FEATURE

Scheme set to bring about massive changes

One of the most significant pieces of environmental legislation the UK has seen is now in place - and it will mean many changes for many businesses and organisations.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) officially launched the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme in April, saying it was aimed at helping public and private sector organisations to cut their carbon emissions.

DECC says that the introduction of the scheme, alongside the launch of the Feedin Tariff (FiT) which goes with it, will see organisations and businesses playing a ‘key role’ in contributing to UK emissions reductions of at least 34% on 1990 levels by 2020. continued on page 29

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SPECIAL FEATURE

Energy efficiency: know your responsibility The UK Government’s new mandatory energy saving and emissions reduction scheme could have a big effect on your organisation. The Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) Energy Efficiency Scheme came into force in April 2010 and is a key part of the UK’s strategy for improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is responsible for auditing and, if necessary, enforcing compliance in Scotland.

You might be affected If your organisation is based in Scotland and used at least one halfhourly electricity meter during 2008 then you must register for the scheme. The subsequent level of participation depends on how much electricity your organisation uses.

■ If your organisation used less than 6,000 megawatts per hour (MWh) then you only need to register a simple information disclosure.

■ If your organisation used at least 6,000 MWh of electricity then you must register as a participant in the CRC scheme. This means you must monitor energy consumption and buy allowances from the UK Government for each tonne of CO2 you emit.

What you must do If you only need to register an information disclosure then you are not required to buy carbon allowances, but you must: ■ provide a list of all your organisation’s half-hourly electricity meters; ■ calculate how much electricity you were supplied through the meters, including any automatic meters.

Full scheme participants must register by September 30 2010. Please allow two weeks validation within the registration process.

When you register you will have to provide: ■ information on your organisation and its significant group undertakings; ■ contact details for the person(s) responsible for your organisation’s participation; ■ a list of all your organisation’s half-hourly electricity meters; ■ total half hourly electricity used (which can be estimated).

The next step for full participants is to get a comprehensive and accurate record of your organisation’s CO2 emissions. Based on this, your organisation then has to: ■ comprehensively report how much energy supply you are responsible for and which parts of your footprint are included in the scheme;

At this stage you are not required to buy allowances. However, to prepare for the first sale of allowances in April 2011, it might be beneficial to work out how many you would need to buy based on your current emissions.

What happens if you fail to register?

CRC is a mandatory scheme. It places legal obligations on organisations to disclose information and, for larger energy users, to report on emissions and buy allowances. Any organisation that does not comply with its legal obligations under CRC could face financial penalties. In addition, details will be published of all organisations who have not complied.

Organisations failing to register by the September 30 deadline could be issued with an immediate £5000 fine, and could continue to incur further fines of £500 per working day until their organisation is registered. Penalties can also be issued to organisations that fail to make a required information disclosure, organisations that only register part of their business, and organisations that fail to submit a footprint report.

To avoid penalties, SEPA is encouraging all organisations to register as soon as possible. Each registration application must go through a two week validation period, which you should take account of to ensure your organisation is compliant by the September 30 deadline.

What are the benefits?

If your organisation reduces energy use it will need to buy and surrender fewer allowances. This will save you money by reducing the cost of your involvement in the scheme, and also by cutting your energy bills.

Furthermore, all the revenue raised from selling allowances is ‘recycled’ back to participants, with amounts allocated by position in the annually published league table which shows the comparative performance of all participants.

In addition to the financial benefits, there is a potential reputational benefit to organisations that perform well in the league table.

Help and further information Regardless of the level of your participation in the scheme, your organisation should now be looking for effective ways to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions; these will often be simple, inexpensive steps which will show instant results.

If you need help or have any queries about whether your organisation needs to do anything then please email our CRC team on crc@sepa.org.uk, or call Lee Oliver or Don Mackay on 01786 457700.

■ buy allowances from the UK Government for each tonne of CO2 you think you will emit for each annual reporting year in that phase (except the first year in the introductory phase); ■ record energy supplies during each annual reporting year; ■ surrender allowances at the end of that year for each tonne of CO2 they have emitted.

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August/September 2010 20/7/10 16:19:18

Energy & the environment SPECIAL FEATURE

continued from page 27

“The rewards for businesses and householders who act to cut their carbon emissions really start to pay off.

It’s no longer simply about doing the right thing for the environment, it’s now a sure-fire financial investment.”

Ed Miliband And it’s not just about emissions; the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC EES) is expected to save public and private sector organisations £1billion per year by 2020 through energy efficiency measures.

Behind the scheme is the desire to change behaviour and it will require large public and private sector organisations like supermarkets, hotels, hospitals, local authorities and central government departments, to improve their energy efficiency.

Encouraging them do that is the introduction of a league table which will rate participants’ performance.

Organisations have until September to register and DECC estimates that by 2020, the scheme will have delivered emissions savings of at least 4.4 million tonnes of CO2 per year.

“The league table is a very public judgement on how seriously you take your environmental responsibilities. If organisations don’t take up the challenge, there is a risk to their reputation and their pockets.”

He added that carbon reduction needn’t be complicated or expensive, saying there are simple and inexpensive steps every organisation can take to cut their energy consumption - from motion sensors for lighting in offices to higher efficiency motors in manufacturing.

It is expected that many larger organisations will turn to specialist companies who can advise on the measures needed and supply the kind of equipment that will help change cultures when it comes to energy efficiency.

The Environment Agency will be running the scheme and it notes that more than 20,000 organisations will have to register with it by the end of September.

About 5,000 of these organisations - those that used at least 6,000MWh of half hourly metered electricity in 2008 - will have to report their emissions and, from 2011, buy allowances for every tonne of CO2 they emit. During the introductory phase in 2011 and 2012, allowances will be sold at a fixed price of £12 per tonne of CO2.

A further 15,000 organisations that use less than 6,000MWh, but still have at least one half hourly electricity metre, will be obliged to register and declare their electricity use.

All revenue raised from the sale of emissions allowances will be recycled back to participants, with those who have increased efficiency receiving more than others.

Commenting on the launch, the then secretary of state for energy and climate change, Ed Miliband, said: “The rewards for businesses and householders who act to cut their carbon emissions really start to pay off. It’s no longer simply about doing the right thing for the environment, it’s now a sure-fire financial investment.

If you would like more information about advertising opportunities in Edinburgh Business Comment

Please contact John Neilson - Managing Director, Distinctive Publishing Limited, 8th Floor, Aidan House,

“The UK is leading the way in tackling climate change. Organisations and householders can play a central role in leading the move to a low carbon economy whilst saving money on their energy bills.”

Sunderland Road,

Tony Grayling, head of climate change and sustainable development at the Environment Agency, said: “The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme is an opportunity for organisations to do their bit for the planet and save money.

Telephone 0191 4788316

Gateshead NE8 3HU

john.neilson@distinctivegroup.co.uk

continued on page 31

August/September 2010 BC issue 06.indd 29

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SPECIAL FEATURE

Scotland’s renewables revolution –substance or hot air?

By Bruce Farquhar, Partner and Head of Renewables, Anderson Strathern LLP Bruce Farquhar

bruce.farquhar@andersonstrathern.co.uk Scotland’s renewables revolution continues to gather pace. It’s said that Scotland has won the “national lottery” of wind, wave and tidal resources in addition to having 60 percent of the UK’s forestry reserves. Scotland is also home to universities, colleges and research institutes whose capabilities are recognised worldwide. Challenging targets for renewable energy have been laid down by the Scottish Government to drive matters forward.

Anderson Strathern is already embracing the renewables revolution and has set up a team dedicated to assist our clients to exploit opportunities.

So what has the renewables revolution brought to Anderson Strathern and our clients so far?

Offshore Wind Anderson Strathern were the sole Scottish law firm advising The Crown Estate on the recent grant of Exclusivity Agreements to developers for the Scottish Territorial Waters sites and licenses for the Round 3 sites.There has been a huge level of activity by The Crown Estate, Scottish Enterprise and others to ensure that Scotland is well positioned to benefit from the necessary supply chain and the operations and maintenance activities.

Wave and Tidal 10 Agreements for Lease to develop wave and tidal schemes in the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters were granted recently by The Crown Estate. This was the world’s first commercial wave and tidal leasing round. Anderson Strathern was the principal legal adviser to The Crown Estate on the projects. Interest has continued with the recent announcements of the Saltire Prize (another world first) and the Waters Funding scheme.

Onshore Wind Our lawyers have advised on more than 100 onshore windfarms.Traditionally, most projects have been large scale. However, with the recent introduction of the feed-in tariff

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scheme (FITs) we have had a surge in interest from both developers and landowners alike for projects of 5 MW and under.

Biomass Our developer clients have installed biomass schemes in a range of sites such as hotels, schools, universities and rural estates. Our landowner clients have installed biomass schemes and some are now using their own woodland as a source of fuel supplies. The proposed introduction of the Renewable Heat Incentive Schemes in April next year will create further interest.

Innovation We act for a number of companies who have developed technology for the renewables sector. Protecting our clients’ underlying intellectual property is a key part of our advice, and many have now reached the stage where they are entering licence arrangements with, or sales to, larger international companies which are better placed to exploit the global market opportunities.

Other FIT Schemes We are currently advising clients on projects ranging from hydro and solar to anaerobic digestion.

Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Some 3 years ago, I was appointed by The Hydrogen Office to act on their behalf in relation to a unique project they were undertaking in Methill. The project comprised the establishment of a demonstration and education centre for the blossoming hydrogen and fuel cell sector. A wind turbine was sourced from India, which will feed into innovative fuel cell technology allowing energy to be stored and deployed as and when desired. The turbine will power a bespoke office facility which in turn will be made available to companies wishing to develop and test fuel cell technology.

I recommend you look at their website www. hydrogenoffice.com.

We advised The Hydrogen Office on all aspects of the project including funding, planning, leasing and construction. Derek Mitchell, the project director commented that “Anderson Strathern has been instrumental in the success of the project and their understanding of what is needed to complete a project of this type has been invaluable”.

I am delighted to have been appointed as a director of The Scottish Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Association.

I was recently invited to convene Edinburgh Chamber’s Renewable Energy Policy Group which is made up of representatives from Government, Local Authorities, Universities and major Scottish businesses in the sector.This forum gives an ideal opportunity to contribute to one of the most informed discussion groups on development of the sector in Scotland. Edinburgh Chamber is delivering the Scottish Low Carbon Investment Conference supported by the Scottish Government on 28 - 29 September 2010.

The above represents only a snap-shot of the work the renewables sector has brought our clients. We have set up a sector group of more than 20 lawyers not only with a wide range of experience in renewable projects but also with the ancillary expertise in all the legal, regulatory and environmental issues that arise.

At Anderson Strathern we are always looking out for commercial opportunities and new networks which we can bring to our clients and have particulary enjoyed seeing the new introductions, which we have initiated, develop into new profitable business.

“Hot air ?”.

Not likely- unless of course through the latest heat exchange technology.

August/September 2010 20/7/10 16:19:20

Energy & the environment continued from page 29

SPECIAL FEATURE

Alan Cramond, of the ENER-G Group, said that the CRC is only one of several very important elements to Government plans and policies aimed at influencing the attitudes and actions of business, the public sector and individuals in contributing towards achieving the UK’s energy efficiency, renewable generation and sustainability targets.

He said: “The CRC is designed to account for emissions outside of the existing Climate Change Agreement (CCA) and EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). Collectively, they are intended to encourage energy efficiency across UK business and industry by way of introducing capped carbon allowances, thereby creating a carbon market with the likelihood of increased carbon prices driving the incentive for emission reduction.

“Obligations on the large energy suppliers under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) and Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP) are designed to encourage roll-out of domestic energy efficiency solutions, mainly in the form of improved building heating and insulation efficiency.

Among those organisations which welcomed the scheme when it was launched was the trade association for the British retail industry - the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

It said that retailing was well placed to deal with the new environmental regulations because they build on action that retailers are already delivering to tackle climate change.

Stephen Robertson, British Retail Consortium director general, said: “The BRC and its members have actively been involved in the Carbon Reduction Commitment consultation, helping to ensure better working arrangements than were originally proposed. The move to use the first year of the scheme as a reporting period before having to buy carbon allowances will halve retailers’ costs next spring, increasing their ability to maintain and create jobs.

“But we remain concerned that an adequate solution hasn’t been found to ensure the costs and benefits of achieving energy efficiencies are shared fairly between landlords and their retail tenants. We work best when we work together, with big carbon reductions already achieved in retail transport operations by co-operating with suppliers and hauliers.

The BRC and its members will continue talking to the government and landlords’ organisations to find a mutually beneficial resolution.”

“Such behavioural drivers as CRC through to CERT and CESP sit alongside the need for renewable heat and power and complement the more publicised renewable energy incentives designed to encourage the development and uptake of green technologies such as Solar,Wind, Marine and Biomass via Renewable Obligation Certificates, Feed in Tariffs and the anticipated Renewable Heat Incentive.

“CRC does not have to be seen as a business cost but for those involved it demands a plan.While the scheme is designed to be neutral overall there will inevitably be winners and losers with a number of organisations already advancing investment plans to ensure an upper half league position.

“With planning, strategy and investment, the CRC can be used as an effective way of reducing energy costs and emissions, and at the same time enhancing corporate reputation. “However, the clock is ticking on CRC with a registration deadline at the end of September 2010, after which quite severe penalties and negative publicity apply for late registration, non-compliance and ultimately a low league position.

“Legislative enforcement and incentives can clearly be relied on to some extent but the climate change targets and challenges ahead must surely depend on us all reaching a stage of awareness that everything we do matters and that we cannot treat climate change as someone else’s problem.” * The ENER-G Group is totally independent and offers impartial advice across the UK to a range of corporate clients, providing a comprehensive CRC Administration and Strategic Management Support Service alongside efficiency improvement planning and project implementation. ENER-G would be delighted to assist any organisation with concerns over its CRC status or a wider interest in energy efficiency improvement.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

02

Safety engineering ARC was formed in 2002 with 20 employees and now has more than 100 highly qualified and experienced safety engineering and risk management consultants supporting clients in the oil and gas, nuclear power, defence, transportation and renewable industries.

At the start of 2010 ARCs commitment to being an employer of choice was recognised by The Sunday Times who listed ARC as one of the best 100 small companies to work for in the UK. An award that reflects its commitment to flexible working arrangements, excellent remuneration packages and opportunities to share in success through share option schemes.

One of the strengths of ARC is the ability to apply specialist skills to a diverse client base.

The emergence of the UK’s renewable energy industry has presented an opportunity to provide specialist safety and risk management services to a wide range of marine renewable projects being implemented by clients such as Scottish Power Renewables and the European Marine Energy Centre.

On the Renewables side of the business one of ARC’s key Edinburgh based clients, Aquamarine’s produce a wave energy convertor, the Oyster, which was installed at The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney, Scotland, and the unit began producing power.

EMEC provides the world’s only purpose-built, open sea test facilities for wave and tidal marine energy converters.

ARC has worked with Aquamarine since 2008 having been involved in site selection and undertaking risk assessment studies associated with the navigation risk hazards presented by the siting of their devices and arrays. A strong relationship has developed between Aquamarine and ARC,

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with ARC providing navigational safety studies supporting the consenting process for a number of their projects including the siting of the Oyster 1 prototype and the planned ‘pod’ of three Oyster 2 devices. In addition, ARC supported Aquamarine’s application to the Crown Estate for siting a large array off the west coast of the Orkney Islands.

Generally high growth has been made possible by the enthusiasm of ARC’s people, their flexibility and commitment to delivering quality solutions to time and budget. ARC was delighted when it was awarded, together with UKAEA, a multi-million pound framework agreement with Sellafield Ltd for the provision of safety case and independent nuclear safety assessment services.This has made a significant contribution to the growth of its nuclear business which has largely been focused on providing support to Magnox, particularly at Hunterston and Trawsfynydd.

ARC’s Oil and Gas group has performed extremely well increasing turnover and continuing to attract new staff and clients despite the downturn in the industry.The group offers the widest range of consultancy services, from safety engineering and safety cases to computational fluid dynamics and structural analysis.. It’s reputation for delivering complex projects within demanding engineering schedules has resulted in preferred supplier status with many exploration and production companies and engineering contractors. Recent contract awards also put ARC at the forefront of two LNG Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) designs, a major new development in the offshore industry.

The defence business has always delivered solid performance, based largely on safety case support to the UK’s naval nuclear submarine programme through clients such as Rolls-Royce and the Ministry of Defence. ARCs reputation within the

transport sector is growing steadily and it has gained a number of new clients including Turkish State Rail and Thales Rail who have chosen ARC to support them in areas such as safety and reliability, safety assurance and safety management systems.

Overall, 2009 was an excellent year for ARC with turnover up by almost 18%, profit up by 25% and well over 80% repeat business. 2010 got off to a flying start with a strong forward order book and several new clients.The objective is to continue to grow and to maintain its position as one of the world’s leading independent safety and risk management consultancies.

01

Renewable Oyster Wave power machine designed by Aquamarine in Edinburgh

02

Our Best Companies award

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John Abbott our MD

Abbott Risk Consulting Ltd. 11 Albyn Place, Edinburgh EH2 4NG Phone: +44 (0) 131 220 0164 Mobile: +44 (0) 7734 877194 E-mail: gareth.topham@consultarc.com

August/September 2010 20/7/10 16:19:24

Grow Greener Stand out from the crowd Plant trees as a customer incentive or reward Engage your customers with your environmental policy by planting trees in Scotland every time you make a sale.

Use our online certificate generator to produce bespoke planting certificates.

You will soon have your very own woodland! www.trees4scotland.com Call Angus on 07714 343 158 or email gus@trees4scotland.com

From £5 per tree

Major Scottish contract for ISS Landscaping team ISS (Facilities Services) Landscaping, formerly known as ISS Waterers Landscape, has been awarded a major grounds maintenance contract with Aberdeen City Council.

The company is the UK’s largest grounds maintenance service provider and this award builds further its portfolio of contracts with District, Borough and County Councils, as well as other public sector customers and contracts from the corporate sector around the country.

Aberdeen City Council’s Grounds Maintenance Contract covers sporting facilities including numerous playing fields, four 18 hole golf courses, six bowling greens, five football grounds, three cricket grounds, putting greens and five tennis courts. This new contract will be run by

local management in Aberdeen and administered from ISS Landscaping Regional Office in Kilmarnock .

ISS Landscaping won the five year contract through competitive tender on the grounds of price and quality.

Landscaping Managing Director Phil Jones said: “Maintaining the landscape is an important investment and, in the public sector more than any other during these economically challenging times, tangible returns are essential. We understand the pressures that our customers are under and for over 30 years we’ve been finding innovative ways to meet these challenges - maintaining the public infrastructure and providing fresh ideas, working within tight budgets.”

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SPECIAL FEATURE

Scottish Flood Forum Are you one of these drivers who ignore the warning signs?

Low petrol or an unfastened seat belt light may not cause an accident but what if it’s a low oil warning, or worn brakes what do we do then?

And then n wh what hat about sp speed limits – as a regular drive driver though the road works on the A80 at Cumbernauld I am amazed how often drivers ignore the warning signs as they approach the average speed check cameras and when they see those cameras like birds of prey on the gantries on go the brakes to the consternation of other road users.

Having worked in Flood Recovery for the past 7 years I am still amazed just how many people do not heed warnings of flooding and its potential risk to Businesses and Homes.

In a survey I conducted with over 3000 people their response to the question ‘How did you respond when you received a flood warning’ gave the following results: • 35% Moved Valuables, • 10% warned neighbours, • 5% sealed doors with sandbags, • 8% just stood and watched what happened, • 3% evacuated the property but the worrying thing was that 12% disbelieved the warning and 27% did nothing.

• That’s over 800 people from the survey who did nothing – and yes they were flooded.

Flooding is becoming a constant risk to all of us. The Scottish Flood Forum has been working in Stonehaven, St Andrews and Dumfries for the past 6 months, and I have seen first hand the impact that flood water can have on businesses and the community.

Yet so many people say – “I didn’t think it was going to happen to me I have never been flooded before”, yet in came the water.

Many business struggle to maintain trade when they are forced to close down for weeks to allow restoration and repair work to be carried out to the property.

The Scottish Flood Forum has considerable and unique experience in flood recovery to communities and properties throughout

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Scotland. We are an independent organisation who specialise in Business Continuity Planning, offering impartial advice in protecting your property or business from flooding.

For more information or advice please contact us through our web site – www.scottishfloodforum.org or by e-mail paul.hendy@scottishfloodforum.org heeding the warnings might just be the best thing you ever did.

nd Warnings Direct. This service will send messages direct to registered landlines and mobiles in areas covered by Flood Warning Schemes.

To be kept informed about Floodline Warnings Direct, complete the enquiry form on the SEPA website: www.sepa.org.uk/floodlinewarningsdirect or call Floodline (0845 988 1188)

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) operates Floodline, a 24 hour helpline providing information about flooding, together with advice on how to prepare for floods. In March 2011 SEPA will launch a new service called Floodline

August/September 2010 20/7/10 16:19:34

Preparing for flooding With the climate changing at such a dramatic rate, one of the main challenges for many communities is dealing with the rise in flooding incidents which Britain has witnessed in recent years.

The cause of the incidents has been the increase in what are known as ‘weather events’, where huge amounts of rain fall in very short periods of time, placing unprecedented demands on the landscape.

The effect can be dramatic: rivers and streams overflow, drains cannot cope and whole areas can find themselves under water as streets and homes are engulfed in water, causing human misery and repair bills running into many millions of pounds.

However, there are things that can be done to minimise the effects of such incidents.

Preparing for, and responding to, flooding is becoming ever more important and organisations such as the Scottish Flood Forum are playing a key role in helping communities come to terms with that needs to be done.

Funded by the Scottish Government, and working in partnership with SEPA, the forum is a community-based Scottish organisation that was established to support and represent those who are affected by, or are at, risk of flooding.

Using a wealth of experience, the Forum has introduced a number of initiatives, including establishing Community Flood groups which work to advise people on the precautions they can take.

The Forum’s support includes providing information, awareness, education and training to all parts of the private, voluntary and statutory sector to reduce the risk of, and to assist in the recovery after, flooding.

The forum’s strength lies in its role as an independent voice that represents the interests of people affected by flooding.

Forum members work in close partnership with Local Authorities and the voluntary sector to enable community groups to be equipped to deal with flood issues.

By bringing experience to bear, the Forum can help communities turn potentially disastrous situations into ones which can, with proper preparation, be minimised in their impacts.

So, while the climate change trend seems likely to continue, bringing with it more weather events including torrential downpours, the message going out is that something can be done.

By understanding the problem, and preparing for the incidents when they happen, communities can survive serious flooding and come through the other side better able to return to their previous lives.

August/September 2010 BC issue 06.indd 35

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A.H. BELL & CO (INSURANCE BROKERS) LIMITED We are an independent owner managed company and a founder member of the highly respected Willis Commercial Network.

The Willis Commercial Network places in excess of £400m premium each year into the UK insurance market.The leverage of this considerable buying power enables us to obtain exceptionally competitive premiums and wider policy coverage.

Our status as an independent broker enables us to build and maintain close working relationships with our clients ensuring that we offer excellent standards of service not only when first arranging a policy but throughout the year and at renewal.

In addition to the traditional covers we are increasingly assisting our clients to buy the following types of insurance protection: Professional Indemnity Why do you need professional indemnity?

In an ever-growing compensation culture, the simplest slip can prove ruinously costly and the threat of litigation can shred your reputation as

well as company funds. Professional indemnity insurance covers you for liabilities that arise from negligent advice or services provided – helping to protect your good name and giving you the freedom to run your business with confidence.

Directors Liability With increasing risks from new legislation changing your responsibilities as a business and the UK’s fast growing compensation culture, you may want to consider if you and your company have sufficient insurance cover in place. For example, consider the following situations and ask yourself whether your company could afford the costs of its defence if: • Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs alleges incorrect payment of tax?

Specialists keep up, they are now only introduced twice yearly, on 1st March and 1st October each year.

■ Unfair Dismissal ■ Constructive Dismissal ■ Unfair Selection for Redundancy ■ Sex, Race, Disability, Age Discrimination ■ Maximum compensation for unfair dismissal is £66,200 ■ Compensation for Discrimination is Unlimited ■ 238,546 employees took their employer to tribunal during 2008 ■ Cost of legal representation at a one day hearing varies between £3,000 and £5,000.

These costs are not recoverable if you win the case

• the Health & Safety Executive investigate your business following injury to an employee?

• an employee alleges sexual harassment?

Employment Practice Liability There are now so many Acts introduced that to try and help HR departments/Employment

A H BELL & CO INSURANCE BROKERS LIMITED IS AUTHORISED AND REGULATED BY THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AUTHORITY

Telephone: 0131 442 2493 Fax: 0131 442 4454 Email: stormonths@bellbrokers.co.uk 56 Baberton Mains Gardens Edinburgh, EH14 3BX

Would you like to promote your organisation?

We have a mag for that...

If you would like to promote your organisation in Edinburgh Business Comment please contact Distinctive Publishing on 0191 4788300 or email john.neilson@distinctivepublishing.co.uk

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August/September 2010 20/7/10 16:19:42

Inthespotlight Company name: TSG (Technology ServicesGroup) Who? Tom O’Hara, Regional Managing Director Website: www.tsg.com 1. What were you doing between 10 and 12 this morning?

Attending a customer meeting – there is still no better way than face to face contact for building a lasting business relationship.

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

Making sure that our customers – existing and future – see us as their IT partner of choice and adding value to their business.

3. What do you consider your biggest business triumph?

Enjoying the highs and surviving the lows.

4. Do you have any money-saving business tips?

Always buy the best you can afford, it always pays off in the long run.

5. What do you believe are the 3 key stages on your career ladder?

1. Graduating

10. What is the one piece of advice you would give to others trying to reach the top?

Find something that you’re talented at and give it everything you’ve got.

2. Qualifying as a CA

11. Who is your hero?

Elvis.

3.Building and running a company 6. Where do you stand on work/life balance?

Still get overly consumed by work on occasion but I’m better than I used to be.

7. What do you like to do on your spare time?

As little as possible.

8. What qualities do you need to see in your employees?

Ability and a positive mentality.

9. In business, is it more important to be liked or successful?

In general, the better your relationships are, the more successful you’re likely to be – however I’m sure the people I work with would love to answer this question!

12. Any business (or other) projects you would like to plug?

Craigholme School for Girls – my other job!

13. Other than your current position, what would be your dream job?

A ‘Groundhog Day’ gap year crewing on any sailing ship in the Caribbean.

14. Who (living or dead) would you invite to a fantasy dinner party?

Marilyn Monroe.

15. Outside of business, what is the most important thing in your life?

My wife would say my garden!

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Chamberpolicy Bringing British business policy to Brussels On May 27th the Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC) accompanied the British Chambers of Commerce on a policy delegation to Brussels. unpredictable and subsequently rely on the flexibility provided by the Opt-out.

The Commissioner acknowledged the WTD requires review and its current structure is unsustainable. No action, however, will be taken until a full Social Impact Assessment has been conducted.

Overall, the Commissioner agreed that there will be no large-scale changes to employment law in the short to medium term and that regulation and red tape needs to be revised.

During the second half of the day the delegation met with Counsellors Peter Green (Social and Environment) and Martin Jones (Competitiveness and Markets), UK permanent representation to the European Union.

By Dr Imogen Reid, Policy and Research, Scottish Chambers of Commerce

The day began at the European Commission, meeting with Mr L谩szl贸 Andor, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion.

Legislative topics for discussion included the Working Time Directive (WTD), Agency Workers Directive (AWD) and Pregnant Workers Directive.

Of particular concern was the retention of the Opt-out agreement as part of the WTD. The Opt-out is essential to UK-wide SMEs and industries such as oil and gas, hospitality and tourism, whose work schedules can be

As part of our discussions, the group were able to advise the Counsellors on how EU legislation affects UK businesses from a grass roots level. Again, the WTD was highlighted as an area of substantial importance for UK business, and the implications of the Optout. The AWD was also flagged as an area for further investigation.

From a macro perspective, the Europe 2020 economic strategy, which stresses the need to be smart, sustainable and inclusive, has been met with a reasonable response.

As part of this strategy, an increased spend on research & development is a priority, along with developing a low carbon infrastructure and a shift to greater flexibility, particularly with regard to fiscal policy. The SCC network will be interested to see how such plans play out.

For more information, go to: www.scottishchambers.org.uk

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Honour for Deirdre Chamber supporter Deirdre Kinloch Anderson has received her OBE award for services to the Textile Industry.

Deirdre, who received the award in a ceremony at Windsor, believes the award is recognition of her successful seven-year project to create a National Scottish Register of Tartans.The records are held within the National Archives of Scotland.

For the ceremony, Deirde wore a suit trimmed with tartan silk whilst her husband, Douglas, and her grandson, also Douglas, wore Anderson tartan kilts. Her granddaughter, Catriona, wore an Anderson tartan mini-skirt.

Among her many roles in public life, Deirde was President of the Leith Chamber of Commerce between 1998 and 2000 and was a Co-opted Director of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise between 1999 and 2000.

She was made a Director of Highland clothing company Kinloch Anderson in 1995 and has played a significant role in the development of the brand worldwide, especially in the Far East where it has more than 300 outlets.

An important part of her work has been in the Corporate Identity Division where tartans are designed for companies, societies, institutions and individuals - and she designed the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise tartan in 1997.

August/September 2010 20/7/10 16:19:46

SPECIAL FEATURE

Foreign investment and the green energy sector – a rewarding combination.

By Austin Flynn Corporate Law Partner Morton Fraser LLP

There are various sources of finance available for businesses that want to grow: 1 ‘traditional’ bank debt (although that is perhaps not as easy to find as it once was); 2 equity, whether from business angels, private equity houses or friends and family; 3 asset finance and cashflow finance; 4 and although it isn’t generally viewed as growth capital, cash generated from sales.

One additional source of finance, which could also fall under any of categories 1, 2 and 4, is inward investment/foreign investment. We live in an increasingly globalised and mobile society, and as the Asian economies continue to grow at a greater rate than the more developed Western economies, we have recently become aware of more Asian investors coming to Scotland to look for opportunities.

For example: ■ we recently acted for a large South Korean company which was investing into an established Scottish manufacturing business; and ■ in May we hosted a Philippine trade mission at our Quartermile offices, arranged jointly with the Philippine Trade & Investment Center, based in London. It brought together a number of successful Scottish businesses with representatives from the Philippines. The purpose of the event was to allow potential Philippine-based investors to see what is on offer in Scotland, and for the Scottish businesses, particularly those in the green and renewable sector, to show off the best of our technology.

The Philippine economy was estimated in 2009 to comprise a GDP of $161 billion and as a newly industrialised country it has been moving from a primarily agricultural economy to one based increasingly on services and manufacturing. The population is 92 million, and of the country’s total labor force of around 38 million, the industrial sector accounts for 30% of GDP. Meanwhile the 46% of workers involved in the services sector are responsible for 56% of GDP. Goldman Sachs includes the country in its list of the ‘Next Eleven’ economies.

The Philippines ranks second to the United States in producing geothermal energy: recent figures showed that the US has a capacity of 2020 megawatts of geothermal power, while the Philippines can generate 1930 megawatts.

However, the geography of the Philippines (7,107 islands) makes it an ideal place to site wind, wave and tidal power generation facilities, and those are technologies in which Scotland excels. It was partly that expertise which prompted the Philippine Trade & Investment Center to approach us to ask us to host the trade mission.

If you would be interested in speaking with a member of Morton Fraser’s Energy Team, or if you would like us to put you in touch with the Philippine Trade & Investment Center, please contact me on 0131 247 1260 or austin.flynn@morton-fraser.com www.morton-fraser.com

It is indeed a very large country, but its recent economic growth has led to a need to secure its future energy requirements.

August/September 2010 BC issue 06.indd 39

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August/September 2010 20/7/10 16:19:53

Asktheexpert Q: I am looking to grow my business; what funding or investment opportunities are available to me?

A:

The first task you should complete when planning to grow your business is update your business plan and financial forecast.The two documents go together and there are some excellent templates to assist this process.Your forecast cash flow will identify how much funding you need and when you need it.This information will then allow you to design your funding programme.The decision you then need to make relates to whether you are selling a share in your business to an investor, raising bank finance and possibly public sector grants if you qualify.

Angel investment: Investors can be found via the Linc Business Angel Network, which gives access to individual and syndicated angels.They typically provide finance and expertise to young companies.

Contact: howard_flint@lincscot.co.uk Investment finance has the effect of strengthening your balance sheet and helping you to raise debt or bank finance.

Scottish Enterprise investment: For qualifying companies, Scottish Enterprise will invest in return for equity, via their Seed, Co-Investment and Venture Fund schemes. Matched private investment must be secured in advance of an approach to SE. Discuss with your local Business Gateway advisor.

Soft loans: Local Authorities provide soft loans to local businesses who need gap funding to complete their funding package. Edinburgh City Council has the Edinburgh Business Loan Fund which is a maximum £5K interest free loan, repayable over two years and carrying a 5% administration fee, levied on the sum raised.The Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce administers this loan and your contact is: nikki.black@edinburghchamber.co.uk Bank loans: A good business plan and financial forecast will present your case to best effect to your chosen bank.You can apply for standard term loans on agreed repayment terms and interest rates.You can ask about the Enterprise

Finance Guarantee Scheme, which replaced the old Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme.

Discuss with your own bank contact.

Grants: These can be applied for by qualifying companies, usually high growth innovators.

They include innovation grants such as SMART.There are region specific grants including Regional Selective Assistance. Discuss with your local Business Gateway advisor.

John Hughes Edinburgh Chamber Business Advisor

GetwithIT

By Bill Magee Scottish Business Technology Writer of the Year

Cut costs, save time…but be safe!

The clear blue sky’s the limit with the commercial benefits now evident from Cloud Computing Online Services.

bringing online quickfire solutions. Business life becomes more flexible and simpler all round!

Following up on ‘Cloud Logic’, Scott McKenzie’s excellent appraisal in the last edition of ‘Business Comment’, a key Chambers event saw Microsoft Scotland and BT Engage combine at the software giant’s Waverley Gate Edinburgh HQ.

Just remember that byword security, warns networking and mobility specialist Peter Burtwistle, MD at Livingston’s Sysnet, a Microsoft Gold Partner.

Four key Cloud business areas for SMEs quickly became evident: ■ Email ■ Collaboration/file sharing ■ Instant messaging and ■ LiveMeeting web meetings Each offers managed IT money savers, while

Increasingly formal documents are issued electronically, often in Word or pdf form.

“Invoices, purchase orders, formal letters, even complaints. Remember, email is editable as are Word documents.”

He points out that in the event of a dispute, how is anyone able to prove what was really sent and received as either party can change information after the event?

Burtwistle adds it is the wise SME that implements a system balancing the management of risk against the cost of managing the information.

Luckily, there are some excellent ‘safety net’ style IT packages available. Microsoft, with 10-plus years Cloud experience, claims to run the most secure datacentres available, especially compared with the bulk of in-house systems.

A BT Engage IT Business Applications Cloud-based portfolio enables firms to sell more and service their own clients better by improving productivity.

Any comments to: billmagee@btconnect.com

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The new force combining

Would you like to join us as a corporate partner?

If you are interested in: • Choosing us as your Charity of the Year • Volunteering opportunities for your staff • Taking part in events • Cause related marketing • Sponsorship opportunities • Donating goods, skills and expertise

Please contact Joyce Sperber by phone 0845 833 9328 or email joyce.sperber@agescotland.org.uk Age Scotland, part of the Age UK family, is an independent charity dedicated to improving the lives of older people in Scotland, within a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in Scotland. Reg No: 153343 Charity No: SC010100.

Registered Office: Causewayside House, 160 Causewayside, Edinburgh EH9 1PR.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

SQA is Scotland’s national accreditation and awarding body.

Many people know us for the qualifications taken in schools and colleges but we also offer a wide range of qualifications and services designed to support businesses like yours.

Qualifications to do the business Qualifications are an essential tool in validating training and learning but they must be relevant and flexible meeting the requirements of industry now and in the future.

We understand employers need staff with up-to-date, relevant and specific occupational skills, and SQA qualifications provide these skills and more.

Whether supporting the development of new skills, updating existing ones or changing from one skill set to another, our qualifications develop essential and transferable skills and abilities such as the five Core Skills (communication, numeracy, problem solving, working with others and ICT) along with employability, enterprise, and entrepreneurship so that people are prepared for entering the work place, or bring innovation and new ideas to the work they already do.

We have a strong and consistent track record of work with employers, Sector Skills Councils and professional bodies. This close partnership ensures that we design and develop qualifications that are fit-for-purpose and reflect the needs of the industries and sectors they support.

In conjunction with Scotland’s diverse business community, colleges and industry organisations we develop qualifications that span all sectors and levels supporting learning

and progression from apprentices through to director level.

These are available in a wide variety of vocational areas and subjects at different SCQF levels to suit the needs of both employers and learners, covering essential areas such as management, finance and IT to specialist portfolios for sectors such as Oil and Gas and Care.

Whatever your need, our extensive experience as an internationally recognised provider of qualifications, assessment and quality assurance can support your business and staff development.

Our diverse range of qualifications includes National Certificates, National Progression Awards, Higher National Certificates and Diplomas, Scottish Vocational Qualifications and Professional Development Awards.

Any business that offers in-house training, delivers their own qualifications/assessed training programmes or requires registration or licensing functions can come to SQA for specialist services and support.

Services such as SQA Customised Awards – tailor made qualification packages for individual organisations, SQA Endorsement which endorses qualifications/assessed training programmes and resources or SQA Credit Rating which allows provision to be credit rated on the Scottish Credit and

Qualifications Framework (SCQF) give your organisation the benefits of a tailored solution with the support and recognition from a national awarding body.

We also deliver Contract Assessment and Licensing services which offers typical awarding body functions or registration and licensing functions managed on behalf of your organisation.

Find out More We are committed to the ongoing process of developing new qualifications to meet the ever changing needs of the people of Scotland and the needs of the Scottish economy, while ensuring that access to those courses is open to all.

For more information about SQA, our qualifications and services, visit www.sqa.org.uk Our dedicated Business Development Team is on hand to provide expert advice and support. Contact them at mycentre@sqa.org.uk today

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Gettingstarted Name: Arlene Ward

Business name: instinct4change

Role: Director

Website: www.instinct4change.co.uk Q1: Tell us a bit about your business A: We coach businesses, teams, and individuals who want to raise the bar in their performance and achieve more success.

Q2: What gives your business the “X Factor”?

A: Our total focus on understanding what success looks like for our customers.

Q3: What motivated you to set up in business for yourself?

A: My desire to offer coaching that can change the attitudes and habits getting in the way of success.

Q4: What do you like most about working for yourself?

A: The ongoing challenges of building a successful business, and the opportunity to make a real difference to our clients’ success.

Q5: What has been your greatest business success to date?

A: Winning a key role in the leadership coaching programme for a global business, which is already recognised as driving recent business wins.

Q6: What has been your lowest moment?

A: We carefully crafted a response to a public sector tender, but our private sector experience meant we didn’t get considered.

Q7: In terms of business achievement where do you want to be within the next 5 years?

A: To be recognised in the SME market as the people you go to when you want more success in business.

Q8: What would your top tip to someone thinking of starting up their own business?

A: You will get emotionally attached to your business; build a network you can trust to ask the tough questions you answer as the business grows.

Meet our new Member Relations Manager Carrie Wilson is our new Relations Manager for member SMEs.

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She has been with the Chamber for three years, in Membership Sales and Customer Services, and is now heading up Membership Relations to ensure the Chamber looks after new and existing members. Carrie’s key focus is to facilitate an even more proactive approach to assisting members and tailoring the membership offering to meet your needs.

interests to decision-makers through our policy, campaigning and press work. My job is simply to help members get involved and make the most of their membership – so if you feel you could be getting more bang for your buck, please don’t hesitate to get in touch so that we can explore any opportunities together.”

Carrie says: “As the UK Chamber of the Year, we have a vast range of membership support on offer – we can help you grow your Business and cut costs, and we work hard to ensure we are representing business

You can contact Carrie direct on 0131 221 2963, or on email: carrie.wilson@edinburghchamber.co.uk

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Carrie Wilson, Member Relations Manager

August/September 2010 20/7/10 16:20:13

Businessnews University invests £12m in helping business Edinburgh Napier University has announced a £12m initiative to support more than 3000 enterprises through the economic downturn.

The nine institutes will offer direct technical support, grants, specialist skills, training, CPD, facilities and equipment in sectors identified as key growth areas by the Scottish government.

These include construction, creative industries, digital markets, energy, financial services, food and drink, forest industries, life sciences, manufacturing, textiles, tourism and enabling technologies.

Professor Dame Joan Stringer DBE

At the heart of the plan is the launch of nine institutes which will act as one-stop-shops for businesses needing help with expertise, research, facilities and product testing.

EU project grants worth £8m and £4m of Scottish Government funding will be used by the new institutes to develop their links with business.

The initiative will help develop more than 300 new products and services and create more than 300 full-time jobs.

Principal of the University, Professor Dame Joan Stringer DBE said: “The Institutes give businesses an easy access point to the wide range of expertise within the University. Whether a company is looking for management leadership skills, want a product to be tested or want to investigate the best scientific or technical approach we want them to come and speak to us.”

Iain McMillan CBE, CBI Scotland Director said: “The move by Edinburgh Napier to focus on Scotland’s key sectors will help to drive active innovation in the areas that will have the greatest impact on economic growth.That has to be welcomed.” www.napier.ac.uk

The nine institutes are:

Institute

Director

Key Sectors

Edinburgh Institute for Leadership & Management Practice

Professor Charles Edwards

Finance & Business; Tourism

Employment Research Institute

Professor Ron McQuaid

Finance & Business

Institute for Science & Health Innovation

Professor Keith Nicholson

Life Sciences; Energy; Health

Institute for Creative Industries

Vacancy

Creative Industries

Institute for Informatics & Digital Innovation

Professor Jessie Kennedy

Digital Technologies

Institute for Product Design & Manufacture

Professor Ian Hunt

Energy; Manufacturing

Institute for Sustainable Construction

Professor Sean Smith

Construction; Energy

Forest Products Research Institute

Professor Philip Turner

Forest Industries Renewables; Manufacturing; Construction.

Transport Research Institute

Professor Kevin Cullinane

Transport; Business

NETWorks success Barnardo’s NETworks, an employability programme for unemployed young people aged 16 to 24 in Edinburgh, recently contributed to Barnardo’s Works success as overall winner in the 2010 Care Accolades Award.This prestigious award recognised our highly successful partnership with Scottish and Southern Energy which has influenced subsequent partnerships with a wide range of employers.

Scottish and Southern Energy’s Chief Operating Officer, Colin Hood, said:“We are proud of our partnership with Barnardo’s Scotland which has been very important to us over the last few years, giving us the opportunity to help bright, local people to find local jobs, improving lives and assisiting us grow our business The Barnardo’s Works model is designed to work effectively with businesses. It includes identifying business needs and developing innovative solutions in partnership with Barnardo’s Scotland to meet these needs, giving added value.

Barnardo’s NETworks gives young people training and industry related accredited qualifications, with comprehensive waged work opportunities, leading to independent employment. Businesses currently engaging with NETworks include hospitality, security, office refurbishment, utilities, maintenance, administration, and manufacturing. Benefits to the employer include subsidised wages, a training allowance for each young person, and dedicated ongoing support.

Over 80 per cent of young people who have completed Barnardo’s Works programmes have sustained independent employment.

Please contact Helen.brown@barnardos.org.uk 0131 559 3940 to work with NETworks.

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JOHN KIELTY, 32, Actor and Playwright Tell us about your Edinburgh?

I moved here in 2002 from Cumbernauld, for something different. I live just outside the city walls at Buccleuch Place.

What’s your ideal day in the city?

I think we are really lucky here as the weather is quite dry so I will sit in the meadows or as I am a tour guide for city of the Dead I have keys to Greyfriars graveyard so I can sunbathe in there, it’s very peaceful as you might imagine!

Why is summer in Edinburgh different?

THIS IS MY EDINBURGH The website also features the ‘next big thing’ in social networking – location-based tagging to track and reward where you’ve been in the Capital, using mobile phone technology. This use of Foursquare (a first for a UK city) isn’t the only thing to log on for video interviews, a photography competition and a comprehensive what’s on guide will all feature too.

Throughout the balmy months of June to September, art, music and fashion collide in Edinburgh, spilling out onto the streets and creating one of the world’s most happening and cosmopolitan hotspots.

Now, a new campaign called ‘This is My Edinburgh’ is set to shed more light on the majestic city’s contemporary and creative side, giving visitors tips on the coolest places to go and behind-the-scenes access to its countless cultural happenings. Featuring a mix of real-life Edinburgh residents – from a B-boy dancer to a Warhol-inspired model – www.thisismyedinburgh.com is filled with insider knowledge and the heart and soul of what makes Edinburgh such an exciting destination.

Voted one of the world’s top 25 destinations

by Tripadvisor recently – the only British destination to make the list – Edinburgh is well-known as the festival city. No less than eight different Festivals, from the Book Festival to the International Film Festival, take place between June to September. But there’s more to discover.

In summer Edinburgh just explodes with different people and cultures, you see people from all over the world, it’s like Venice or Athens. The city comes alive in summer and it just gets better and better and then the festivals kick in. When I see the Castle in summer, it’s so green, my soul just starts to sing.

Any hidden gems in the city for shopping, eating or just hanging out that you would recommend?

Kildares on South Bridge do amazing Buffalo Burgers.

In three words, what’s your Edinburgh?

Old, dark, frightening

Fashion bible Vogue loves Edinburgh’s chic boutique shopping, with independent stores such as Goodstead and Kakao by K standing out from the crowd. The city is packed full of the best designer names, from Louis Vuitton to Harvey Nichols, so finding the perfect outfit for an evening out is easy.

And when dusk falls, the city’s thriving night-life comes into its own. There are more Michelin-star restaurants here than any other UK city outside London and cocktail bars pepper the streets by the dozen. Clubs such as Opal Lounge on George Street are home to the champagne-sipping jet-set, whilst at Noir!, loosely based on Andy Warhol’s Factory, the city’s emerging creative talents and cool crowd come together. Head to The Forest cafe for BYOB arts action fun, from sound experimentation, to poetry recitals and even knit-ins.

For the morning after, the green fields of the Meadows, or the stunning views from Arthur’s Seat offer easy ways to blow away the cobwebs, all whilst soaking up Edinburgh’s inimitable summer vibe.

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Thearts SPECIAL FEATURE

Edinburgh – Europe’s cultural hub Regular readers of Business Comment will no doubt be aware that Edinburgh will again become the cultural hub of Europe this November with 65 local, national and international art galleries being brought together to the Edinburgh Corn Exchange for the sixth annual Edinburgh Art Fair by event organisers, East Lothian based, Arte in Europa.

The clamber for stands at this years event by some of the most respected galleries in the UK and beyond is testament as to how popular the event has become and how the fair is perceived on the international art scene by not only visitors to the fair but also the highly professional exhibiting galleries who view the visiting public to the fair as amongst some of the most discerning buyers in the country.

Literally thousands of artworks by the many hundreds of represented artists will be available for sale over the extended 5 day event, many of the works on show have been specially commissioned for the fair and

the organisers are confident that this year is sure to be the most successful yet, surpassing record attendance and sales figures achieved at last years event.

For those wishing to be kept informed on developments at the event there is an online mailing list submission on the official website at www.artedinburgh.com. All submissions made on the website will be automatically entered into a very special prize draw.

The organisers are offering 50 pairs of tickets for the fair preview evening on Wednesday 17th November which also allow access to the fair on each of the public opening days and there is also the chance for one lucky subscriber to enjoy a luxury weekend break for two at the world renowned Gleneagles Hotel in either a double or twin Sovereign room and to savour some of the finest foods from Scotland’s larder in the award-winning Strathearn Restaurant.

The Gleneagles Hotel is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World; one of the

Great Golf Resorts of the World; and a founder member of Connoisseurs Scotland, the world class grouping of properties which provide an authentic flavour of Scotland to discerning travelers.

The Edinburgh Art Fair takes place at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange in Chesser and is open to the public from Thursday 18th November through to Sunday 21st November with a ticket only preview evening on Wednesday 17th November.

Doors open at 11am daily. Entrance fee is £6 / £4 concessions with unlimited re-entry throughout the weekend.

Further information on the fair can be found at www.artedinburgh.com or by calling Arte in Europa on 01875 819595.

www.artedinburgh.com

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The Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce welcomes its latest member companies:

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24.7 Property Letting

Dancing Fish Productions

QA Limited

2DCode Limited

Environmental Law Chambers

QinetiQ

9 Dots Communications

EQ Design Limited

A-Grade Electrical Services Limited

Evans Halshaw Ford Edinburgh

A-Haven Townhouse

Geo.C.MacKay Limited

Aasha Akuti Fashion Footwear & Accessories

George Muir Photography

Read4sure Limited

Aberfeldy Cottages

Gymetrix Limited

Really Good Cleaning Company, The

Able People Development

Hamlin Daniels

Recommo Limited

Alan Fairweather International

Harrison Stevens Limited

Alan Hendry

HCaI

Allen Coding Systems

Heads up Development Limited

Ambosco Limited

i-CLEAM

Robertson Lothians

Angelfish Microfinance Limited

Independent One 2 One Limited

S.B. Roofing Services

Aptia Limited

Interface 3

Saints & Sinners Walking Tours

Banner of Truth Trust, The

Interlink Express (Edinburgh)

Beautography Big Yellow Self Storage Limited

John Scott Davidson (St James’s Place Partnership)

Sino Spring

Biz Health

Jon Watson Decorator

Six Creative Limited

Black Appointments Executive Search

Journey Scotland Limited

Social Envy

Black Moon Lighting Limited

Kenmore Consult

Brain Salad Consultancy Limited

Lennon Design

Brit Port

Lothian Care Services Limited

Brooks Macdonald

Lucent Web Design

Stewarton Polo Club Limited

Business Partnership Limited

Marketing Concepts Limited

Streetcar Limited

Capital Events (Scotland) Limited

Mercat Bar, The

Studio Pagra

Carbon Masters

Murray Estates Limited

Carruthers Agency

N.G Bailey

CBS Consulting Limited

Neil Campbell Construction

Challenges Worldwide (CWW)

Orbital Core Limited

Trespass Limited

Changing Mindz

Oribi Designs Limited

Tutornet Limited

Clayheath Limited

PA Consulting Group

UP Associates

Cloud Logic

PDF Productions Limited

Cloudberry

Peace Recruitment

CN Pluming & Heating

People Effectus Limited

Coaching Direct

Peter Graham & Partners LLP

Visible Results Spa Boutique

Company Growth

PG Sandwich Shop

Wallace’s Arthouse Scotland

Concrete Letting

Photolook

White Blossom Designs

Copylab Limited

Point One Printing

Creatively Assisted Limited

Polish Family Support Centre

Creideasach

Primary Care Consultant

Crocodile Business Solutions

Proinnovate Limited

Yakety Yak Language Café

Dance Wear

ProNetExpert Limited

Young Development Centre

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R Squared Design Limited RB Hunter Limited

Renew Services Limited Revolution

Scottish Veterans Housing Association Limited

Solar Kingdom Limited Stewart First Aid Training

Syntax Digital Solutions Limited T-Mobile UK Limited

VB Business Development Virgin Money

Whitelaw Wells Winton House

August/September 2010 20/7/10 16:20:42

Chamberappointments Left to right: Melanie Darge, Victoria Brake, Ian McConnachie, Mandy Pickup and Caroline Cooper.

The North Edinburgh Employability Team The role of the team is to provide an employability service to clients living in North Edinburgh. This includes CV writing, help with training and a job brokerage service to assist clients returning to or starting work. The team is based in Granton and can be contacted on 0131 332 8043.

Edinburgh Chamber’s Partners in Enterprise

Stay One Step Ahead with free branding & marketing advice; call 0844 736 2992

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Moversandshakers Andrew Jamieson elected chairman of trade association RenewableUK has elected Andrew Jamieson, ScottishPower Renewables Regulation and Markets Director, as its new chairman.

The organisation is the UK ’s leading renewable energy trade association.

Maria McCaffery, Chief Executive, said: “Andrew Jamieson is a hugely respected industry executive and a true champion of renewable energy. As chairman of RenewableUK Andrew will be an important advocate for the association, as well as someone who can bring to the table a wealth of practical experience on all the key issues concerning deployment.”

Since joining ScottishPower in 1988, Andrew has held key roles in engineering, marketing and

financial planning. From 1997 to 2004 he led ScottishPower’s Investor Relations department, communicating with institutional shareholders and analysts around the globe. In 2004, he moved to ScottishPower Renewables where he is responsible for energy policy and regulation. In 2009 he accepted an invitation from Scotland’s First Minister to join the newly established Energy Advisory Board.

Andrew said: “The renewables industry has a key role to play in the UK ’s economic recovery and in securing our energy future and we need to be at the forefront of this activity.”

RenewableUK, formerly the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA), was founded in 1978 and has 600 corporate members.

Deloitte strengthens team Business advisory firm Deloitte has strengthened its Scottish operation with the announcement of nine partner and director promotions along with three senior appointments.

Following the recent appointment of Pat Kenny and John Watt as director and associate partner respectively in the Scottish Public Sector team, the firm has promoted Angela Mitchell to partner in the consulting practice. Angela will also lead the Public Sector team in Scotland.

The firm also sees growth in their regional financial services advisory, with Craig Cosham and Kevin Doherty both becoming partners based out of the Edinburgh and Glasgow office respectively.

Craig specialises in banking and treasury and Kevin in risk management controls and

information systems. In addition to this, Ian Smith returns to Deloitte as a partner in the corporate finance team after a spell working in the Banking Industry. Ian will share his time between London and Edinburgh.

The firm has also announced the promotion of six people to director level in Scotland: Paul Copland in the central belt core audit team; Fiona Young, Emma Gillies and Neil Campbell in the Scottish consulting practice; Michelle Elliot in the reorganisation services team in Scotland and Ross Millar in the Scottish financial services audit practice.

James Baird, Senior Partner for Scotland, said: “As we begin to emerge from what has been a tough economic climate to do business in, this scale of expansion of the partner and director team in Scotland shows that Deloitte is winning

where it matters - in the market place. Our top talent is a key driver of our differential growth and performance. Our people are our greatest asset and it’s great to share in their success. We’re very proud of them and of what they do for our clients.”

James Harris heads up Delta-Simons Edinburgh Delta-Simons Environmental Consultants Ltd has opened an office in Edinburgh and James Harris, Project Manager, has relocated from Lincoln to lead the new venture.

James joined Delta-Simons in 2003 and has worked on a huge variety of environmental projects across the UK over the years. He had moved to Edinburgh to pursue relationships with Delta-Simons’ existing clients who are based in

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Scotland and the Borders and also to develop new relationships within Edinburgh and surrounding area.

James said: “I love Edinburgh and relish living and working in such a vibrant and exciting city. I look forward to meeting more people through the Chamber and at local events and hope to grow our client base and expand the office along the way.”

August/September 2010 20/7/10 16:20:49

The Thistle Foundation is a company limited by guarantee and registered in Scotland, number SC24409. Our registered Scottish charity number is SC016816.

Our registered address is Niddrie Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH16 4EA.

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Skills mean more with SQA.

SQA offers a range of qualifications and services to develop the skills people need to work more effectively and more productively. Meaning happier employers, happier staff, happier results.

Smile.

Log onto www.sqa.org.uk/employers Contact SQA’s Business Development Team on 0303 333 0330 or email mycentre@sqa.org.uk

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