INcommerce THE PERTHSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS MAGAZINE
Countryside Trust on right path TACTRAN: All routes lead to Perthshire Perthshire saddles up for business boost Perth & Kinross Businesses go green
ISSUE 25 • SUMMER 2015
ADVERTISING FEATURE
The New A3 Sportback e-tron Lomond Fleet Team are delighted to now have the new e-tron A3
available to supply, numbers are limited, however we have managed to secure production for the second half of the year and we expect the availability to be limited in Quarter 4 this year. The interest in the e-tron has been phenomenal, with some of our fleet customers now taking delivery and having the pleasure of driving the model, this has enabled us to declare that the vehicle is a success in this car category. The e-tron is different, in that it has both electric and petrol powertrains, this means the engine is capable of both driving the wheels and recharging the battery pack, the engine is a 1.4 TFSI/75kw electric motor, transmission is a six speed S tronic. Tristan Campbell, Fleet Advisor at Chivas Brothers, has a variety of hybrid vehicles in his fleet and is extremely knowledgeable on the finer details in running such a green fleet. We could not miss the opportunity when we delivered the first of Chivas e-tron orders to get a photo opportunity, thankfully it was a sunny day in March and a very prestigious location at the Chivas office in Paisley. For further information please see our website www.lomondaudigroup.com/new-cars/a3-sportback-etron or contact Jacqui Lee on Jacqui.lee@lomondaudigroup.com.
PRESIDENT’S WELCOME
Contents
EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION
Chamber News........................ 4-5 Members’ News..................... 6-14 Chamber Sponsors.................... 15 Countryside Trust on the right path....................... 18-21 Are we a nation of Tech frontrunners?........................ 22-23 Do I communicate effectively?................................ 23
Mike McDiarmid
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015 is proving to be a very exciting year and following the elections we have already arranged a number of meetings with our politicians to ensure that the voice of our local businesses is heard. We are delighted to report that we have just commissioned a new Chamber website and this particular tender was won by members Broxden. We look forward to working with them on this project over the coming weeks. We will also soon be launching our 2015 Star Awards and would encourage any Perthshire and Kinross based business to have a look at the categories (on page five) and consider entering. The investment of the time spent applying (now very quick and easy and also online) has proved to pay off hugely for those who are shortlisted. This is a very worthwhile exercise and a valuable and unique selling tool which can help raise the profile of your business. Our special events to celebrate the Year of Food and Drink continue with a “Tour, Wee Pie and a Pint” at Inveralmond Brewery, a cookery evening with Praveen Kumar from Tabla Restaurant at Callum Walker Interiors and a whisky and food tasting evening at The Famous Grouse Experience with Wild Thyme. O ur much enhanced training programme continues to thrive, however, if you don’t see what you are looking for, please make contact and let us know what we can offer to suit your business. Thank you, Mike McDiarmid President Perthshire Chamber of Commerce
Vicki Unite
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s an organisation, the Chamber of Commerce network is unique. Chambers were started – and remain firmly embedded – in our local business communities and exist for no other reason than to support these local businesses. We work extremely closely with all our politicians and local authority, at every level, to help influence legislation and create the best environment possible to enable our local companies to flourish. The strength of the Chambers reaches far beyond the UK and we have an unrivalled business network the world over. This is something that your Chamber is working hard to utilise by building on these international links to help identify the business opportunities on an international scale and those Perthshire businesses which may be well placed to take advantage of these opportunities. We are also working closely with partners including Perth and Kinross Council, schools, Perth College UHI and Skills Development Scotland to help improve the educational experience of our youngsters by establishing strong and vital links between education and the private business sector. The Chamber is committed to being a lead in helping build on these existing relationships and create new ones. With many of Perthshire’s businesses being small to medium, it’s about us recognising and working with a model which make it possible for even our smallest businesses to become involved and to create that model, we will be approaching you for your input. We look forward to working closely with you all. Vicki Unite Editor of InCommerce and Chief Executive of Perthshire Chamber of Commerce
Perthshire saddles up for business boost..................... 26-28 Is your website mobile friendly?........................ 30 Energy Performance Certificates................................ 31 Perth & Kinross Green Technology Business Accelerator............. 32-33 Connectivity matters............ 35-37 New Member Profiles........... 40-43 Holiday pay claims................... 44 Delegation or abdication.......... 44 Events....................................... 48 Perthshire – The perfect stage for events and leisure................ 49 Membership Benefits................. 50 Cover photo: Photosbyzoe
Victoria Unite Chief Executive Perthshire Chamber of Commerce Saltire House 3 Whitefriars Crescent Perth PH2 0PA T: 01738 448325 E: vicki@perthshirechamber.co.uk W: www.perthshirechamber.co.uk
For advertising contact DTech on T: 0141 222 2202 E: sales@incommerce.biz For editorial enquiries contact the Editor, Vicki Unite on T: 01738 448325 E: info@perthshirechamber.co.uk Publisher: DTech InCommerce is published by DTech, Suite 3.3, Station House, 34 St Enoch Square, Glasgow G1 4DF. Telephone 0141 222 2202. E-mail: info@dtechuk.com. Edited by Perthshire Chamber of Commerce, Saltire House, 3 Whitefriars Crescent, Perth PH2 0PA Tel: 01738 448325. E-mail: info@perthshirechamber.co.uk. InCommerce is fully protected by copyright and nothing may be printed wholly or in part without the written permission of the publishers. The proprietors of this magazine are publishers and not agents, or sub-agents of those who advertise therein. They cannot be held liable for any loss suffered as a result of information gained from this publication.
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The views expressed by authors of articles published in this magazine are solely those of the author and are not necessarily the views of or shared by the editor, nor the publisher or the directors, shareholders and/or employees of DTech Publishing Ltd.
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CHAMBER NEWS
NETWORKING AT THE RACES
Supported by
Perthshire Chamber of Commerce Golf Day Murrayshall House Hotel and Golf Courses, Afternoon of Friday 28th August 2015 Shotgun start at 1.30pm (arrival 12 noon)
Perthshire Chamber Director George Stubbs welcomed guests and is pictured thanking Sam Morshead, General Manager of Perth Racecourse alongside representatives of the other Chambers.
Over 150 members of Perthshire, Fife, Inverness, Aberdeen & Grampian and Dundee and Angus Chambers of Commerce enjoyed a fabulous networking afternoon at Perth Racecourse. Perthshire Chamber will run this event with fellow Chambers again next year so please look out for the “Save the Date” notification.
PERTH & KINROSS BUSINESS MONTH Perth and Kinross Council, Perthshire Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise North East Trust, Federation of Small Businesses, Business Gateway and Perth College, Centre for Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise will once again hold their joint Business Month again. This innovative and exciting programme of events, the vast majority of which are free will run throughout November 2015. The Business and Enterprise Month offers something for everyone regardless of the size or nature of your business. The programme content throughout the month has been specifically designed to assist, encourage and inspire businesses to grow. Please go to www.PKBEM.co.uk for launch details and more information.
Continuing with the Chamber’s hugely successful annual Golf Day we are pleased to open booking for our 2015 event at Murrayshall House Hotel and Golf Courses on the afternoon of Friday 28th August. The afternoon will tee off with a hot filled roll, tea/coffee upon arrival before a round of golf on the 18-hole Murrayshall Course. Following this there will be a fantastic two course meal, tea/coffee and the golfing greats of the day will be rewarded at the prize giving ceremony. Perthshire Chamber of Commerce is also delighted to announce that the extremely successful partnership with Carbon Financial Partners continues into its fourth year. Carbon’s Managing Director said: “The annual golf day is one of the highlights in the Perthshire Chamber of Commerce calendar and it is great to be supporting it again. It is a fun day out of the office and a great opportunity to meet with other members of the business community. Murrayshall is an excellent venue and I am sure we will be looked after very well on the day.” Perthshire Chamber of Commerce’s Chief Executive, Vicki Unite is also excited about this wonderful event: “We are absolutely delighted to have the support of Carbon Financial Partners as sponsors for the fourth year running. With a sterling package provided by Murrayshall we are very much looking forward to providing a wonderful day of golfing excitement, and hope to further build on our Chamber Annual Golf Day success.” You can book your places and teams online here by emailing Hannah at events@perthshirechamber.co.uk or calling 01738 448325. Teams cost £200 + vat, single places £50 + vat and this includes hot filled roll, tea/coffee/juice upon arrival, round of golf on the 18-hole Murrayshall Course, two course meal, tea/coffee/juice and prize-giving. As in previous years, we expect our annual golf event to sell out very quickly so please do book at your earliest convenience to secure your places. We look forward to seeing you there.
20 Rubislaw Terrace Aberdeen AB10 1XE
61 Manor Place Edinburgh EH3 7EG
3 Atholl Place Perth PH1 5ND
T 01224 633263
T 0131 220 0000
T 01738 443111
www.carbonfinancial.co.uk
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@carbonfin facebook.com/carbonfp
CHAMBER NEWS
2015 BUSINESS STAR AWARDS The search will be starting soon for Perthshire’s brightest business stars of the year with the pending launch of the county’s most prestigious business awards. The Perthshire Chamber of Commerce Business Star Awards 2015 are set to recognise and reward the cream of local companies – both large and small – whose impact and performance have helped to keep Perthshire at the forefront of Scottish business in the 21st century. The Chamber is delighted to have secured the generous support of GS Group as key sponsor for the third year running. Entries will soon be invited for 13 category awards and the search is on for the best in the business with the area’s most prestigious title – Perthshire Chamber of Commerce Business Of The Year 2015 – up for grabs. So businesses will be asked to “Reach for the Stars” and then industry leaders, Chamber directors and sponsors from the business world will help unearth the shiniest Stars in one of the country’s most robust judging procedures. Look out for the launch and meanwhile have a think about which category your business could enter.
NATIONAL CHARITY “CAREER READY” CELEBRATES SCOTTISH SUCCESS WITH NEW NAME AND WEBSITE Career Academies UK, now called Career Ready, has just launched its new name and website. Career Ready, an ambitious business-led charity that links employers with schools to open up the world of work to young people, has seen vast growth and development in Scotland over the last two years. The launch of the website and name publicly signals the achievements of the charity. The new website offers a far more modern, dynamic and engaging platform for the charity as well as a more streamlined process for volunteer registration and an important place to celebrate and thank employer supporters. All aspects of the Career Ready programme – mentoring, an internship, masterclasses and work place visits – are delivered by employer volunteers. Perthshire Chamber of Commerce is delighted to be one of the partners in this initiative and Chief Executive, Vicki Unite, said:
Businesses across Perthshire and Kinross-shire will be invited to enter a maximum of two of the 13 categories. Businesses DO NOT have to be a member of Perthshire Chamber of Commerce to enter.
“The Chamber’s role is to encourage our members to be part of the programme and we have been delighted at the success of the carefully matched partnerships with enthusiastic young people.”
This year’s Star Award categories are:
Anne Wexelstein, Career Ready Director for Scotland, said “Thousands of volunteers from our network of national and local supporters contribute their time, skills and enthusiasm to make a real difference to the lives of students. This next phase of our developments is about allowing more young people and employers in Scotland to experience the life changing benefits of our work.”
1. EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR AWARD 2. APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR AWARD 3. MOST PROMISING NEW BUSINESS OF THE YEAR 4. EXCELLENCE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD 5. EXCELLENCE IN BUSINESS INNOVATION AWARD 6. CONTRIBUTION TO SUSTAINABILITY AWARD 7. COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY AWARD 8. EXCELLENCE IN TOURISM & LEISURE AWARD 9. EXCELLENCE IN EXPORTING AWARD 10. BUSINESS GROWTH AWARD 11. EXCELLENCE IN E-COMMERCE AWARD 12. EXCELLENCE IN RETAIL AWARD SPONSORED 13. EXCELLENCE IN FOOD & DRINK PRODUCE AWARD
Career Ready works with S5 & S6 school students with little family background of higher education or professional carer the confidence, skills and networks to achieve their potential and help students compete with the best in the country. From September, all Perth & Kinross secondary schools will be running the Career Ready programme. Ian Ferguson, Director of Customer Solutions, Aviva, said: “I am delighted with the response from our staff to get involved and help young people develop the skills required for entering the workplace. This gives our staff a great chance to develop their own skills for their career progression.” In addition to the new name and website, in 2015 – 17 Career Ready will roll-out a new series of masterclasses, developed over the past year thanks to the generous support of Franklin Templeton Investments.
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MEMBERS’ NEWS
VOLPA CELEBRATES LIVING WAGE COMMITMENT Volpa, the award winning Perth based integrated communications agency has been accredited by the Living Wage Foundation, in partnership with the Poverty Alliance, as a Living Wage employer. The business, led by serial entrepreneur Tricia Fox, has pledged a commitment to offering a minimum wage higher than the national average.
BIBBY FINANCIAL SERVICES STRENGTHENS SCOTLAND TEAM Appointment follows solid year of growth for business funder New Business Development Manager Alex Russon.
The Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at Volpa, regardless of whether they are permanent employees or third-party contractors and suppliers, receive a minimum hourly wage of £7.85 – significantly higher than the national minimum wage of £6.50. Their accreditation was marked by a visit to their offices in Perth by John Swinney, Deputy First Minister and Pete Wishart, the SNP’s Westminister candidate for Perth & North Perthshire at the general election. Tricia Fox, Managing Director of Volpa commented: “Being a responsible business is about making a difference to both your customers and your employees, it’s not just about delivering profit to the bottom line in any given year. People are at the heart of what Volpa delivers as a business and I believe it’s important to have a team that is focused on delivering exceptional service, not distracted by how they will make ends meet from month to month.” Employers choose to pay the Living Wage on a voluntary basis. The Living Wage enjoys cross party support in both the Scottish and Westminster parliaments.
Specialist funder Bibby Financial Services has reinforced its Perthshire team with the appointment of Alex Russon as Business Development Manager. Alex brings 14 years’ experience in invoice finance having joined the specialist funder from Lloyds Commercial Finance and also having previously worked for Barclays. “After working with traditional banks for so many years, I was attracted by Bibby Financial Services’ commercial approach and appetite to do business. They have a genuine desire to champion independent businesses,” said Alex. “Having also run my own retail business I know the challenges that exist for small companies – and cash flow is one of the biggest. I’m looking forward to helping small and medium-sized businesses to access the funding and support they need to help them grow.” Bibby Financial Services is the UK’s largest independent invoice finance provider, with a network of 16 local offices, including Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Tricia Fox welcomes Deputy First Minister John Swinney.
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MEMBERS’ NEWS
GLENEAGLES GOES ELECTRIC
SCAA FLIES TOWARDS NEW ERA
The Gleneagles Hotel installs electric vehicle charging point for use of guests and visitors The Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire, has installed electric vehicle charging facilities as part of its ongoing commitment to sustainable tourism.
Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA) is set to upgrade its life-saving helicopter after a £3.3 million allocation from LIBOR funds.
The five star resort is now part of the ChargePlace Scotland scheme, a network of publicly-accessible vehicle charging stations. The Gleneagles facility is open to both hotel guests and visitors.
The bank fines funding for the country’s only charityfunded helicopter air ambulance will be channeled to replace the charity’s existing aircraft with a larger, more capable alternative.
Gleneagles received funding from Transport Scotland, through a programme managed by the Energy Saving Trust.
SCAA Chairman John Bullough described the announcement as “fabulous news”.
Bernard Murphy, Gleneagles Managing Director, said: “Gleneagles is proud to be able to offer these facilities, which will hopefully make it easier for our guests to lower their carbon emissions. As the recipients of a Green Tourism Business Scheme Gold Award, we’re very aware of the importance of making our business as environmentally-sustainable as possible, and this is a very exciting new step.” Stephen Rennie, Programme Manager for Scottish Transport at Energy Saving Trust said: “We are delighted to provide funding for publicly accessible charging facilities at Gleneagles. Sales of plug-in vehicles in March 2015 have been nearly four times more than in the previous March and we have no doubt that this trend will continue due to the huge fuel cost savings that are available from such vehicles. Facilities like these will help strengthen the national network of charging points and are crucial in supporting the growing number of EV drivers in Scotland.”
“This new funding will enable us to upgrade our helicopter to a more modern, spacious, powerful and all-round more capable aircraft that could increase our operational capacity by over 50%.” But he cautioned that the public fundraising effort would become even more important. SCAA receives no Government funding and is supported solely by the public, trusts, companies and foundations, who raise the required funds to keep the popular charity in the air. While the specified LIBOR allocation will fund the aircraft upgrade element, SCAA will continue to fundraise to meet the overall increased running costs of operating the new aircraft. An upgraded aircraft would: • allow SCAA’s service to fly at night and in cloud • increase range, endurance and payload • offer a larger cabin which would allow a family member or a physician to fly with the patient • accommodate a broader range of patient categories From its central base at Perth Airport, SCAA serves the whole of Scotland which accounts for a third of the UK landmass, over 100 islands and some of the most remote communities in Europe. A consultation process with partners will now begin to select the best helicopter for the job, with an upgrade hopefully later this year.
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MEMBERS’ NEWS WILDE THYME AT GLENTURRET NOW OPEN FOR EVENING DINING Wilde Thyme at Glenturret, an exciting new culinary partnership between the awardwinning luxury event caterers Wilde Thyme and five-star visitor attraction The Famous Grouse Experience at Glenturret Distillery, has extended its opening hours to include evening restaurant dining, the first of its kind in the 240 year history of Glenturret Distillery. The Comrie-based caterers officially launched in February this year and response from the local community for its exceptional food offering has been so popular that extending to evening opening was an obvious next step. Andrew Hamer, chef patron of Wilde Thyme at Glenturret, commented: “We’re delighted to be able to extend our public opening hours so soon after launching. Lunches and afternoon teas are rapidly filling up and we have had a number of requests from customers to offer evening dining so it
makes sense to extend our offering. We are now open Thursdays to Saturdays from 6pm, and I’ve devised a new and exciting menu which is specifically for evening guests. I’m looking forward to welcoming diners to Glenturret in the evening – the distillery at dusk is a very special place and a unique setting in which to dine.” Wilde Thyme at Glenturret is open during the day from 10am to 6pm and now open Thursdays to Saturdays from 6pm for evening dining.
The crowning place of The Kings of Scots, the popular visitor attraction fought off stiff competition from 18 other Scottish rural destinations to take the title. A long time benchmark of excellence in the countryside, the Scottish Rural Awards have gained significant following and respect for championing and demonstrating the rural industry’s innovation, dedication and aspirations. Judged by an esteemed panel of industry leaders and experts, the awards are a rigorous multi-stage process and receive hundreds of applications every year.
SCONE PALACE CROWNED SCOTLAND’S TOP RURAL TOURIST DESTINATION Scone Palace scooped the top accolade for tourism in the “Rural Oscars”, taking the Rural Tourism Award at the inaugural Scottish Rural Awards ceremony organized by the Countryside Alliance and Scottish Field which were held at Our Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh.
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Sarah Butler, Chief Executive for Scone Palace commented: “We are absolutely delighted! Scone Palace and its grounds attract well over 100,000 visitors every year, as well as the tens of thousands of visitors who attend major events held on the estate such as Rewind Festival and The Scottish Game Fair. We are always striving to improve our visitor experience and this Award recognizes the strong contribution Scone Palace makes as a visitor attraction, local employer and in putting Perthshire on the map as a key Scottish tourist destination.”
MEMBERS’ NEWS
NATIONAL PLAUDITS FOR LETTINGS AGENT Julie Cumming, Managing Director of Lettings Direct in Perth, has become the first stand-alone letting agent in the city to pass the Technical Award in Residential Letting and Management Scotland and to be accepted for membership of the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA). The National Federation of Property Professionals (NFoPP) has been operating as an approved and regulated awarding body since March 2002 with first qualifications being awarded to candidates in 2003. Julie Cumming of Lettings Direct.
They are one of the few awarding bodies in the UK offering specialist qualifications in property and property affiliated disciplines. The NFoPP draw their expertise from an array of experienced property industry practitioners and academics from relevant fields including property, law, surveying and finance. Ms Cumming, who spent almost 20 years working as a bank manager, commented: “When I started at Lettings Direct five years ago it was important to me to establish the business as one synonymous with quality, reliability and trust. For me, becoming ARLA accepted reassures our clients on both sides of the property rental market.”
“HOT” NEWS FROM CAFÉ TABOU After what was an excellent summer weatherwise last year and capitalising on their excellent venue in the heart of the Café Quarter, award winning Perth restaurant Café Tabou has invested in making the outside terrace area the “hot” place to be seen this season! The team at Tabou have had excellent regular comments on their enviable terrace area, however, there is always the challenge of a “nip in the air” – even on a sunny Scottish day – or as the sun goes down on a summer evening. Team Tabou have listened to comments and set out to improve its terrace for 2015 and beyond. Recent months have seen fresh external décor organised, a new extending canopy for outside customers which protects them from the sun and the rain, plus new wall heaters and free-standing heaters to make the area even more comfortable for customers to linger over the new summer food menus and the new wine, champagne and cocktail lists. Perth and Kinross Council recently relaxed their policy on outside seating areas so now you can enjoy your favourite tipple on the newly refurbished terrace until 9pm without the need for an accompanying meal and the heaters will keep the area warm to enjoy the great outdoors for even longer…all very Continental. Front of House Manager and business partner, Magda Michalak, said: “We’re delighted with how the terrace area has developed and we’ve listened to our customers’ comments on what they are looking for to further enjoy the Tabou experience. We’re looking forward to a great summer!”
community participants, supporters and visitors can all look forward to taking pride and taking part in many more years of cultural and creative activities in Perth.
TIME TO CELEBRATE AS PERTH CONCERT HALL TURNS 10 2015 is an exciting year for Horsecross Arts, the creative organisation behind Perth Concert Hall and Perth Theatre. With work poised to start on the restoration and redevelopment of Perth Theatre, and Perth Concert Hall celebrating its 10th Birthday in September; audiences,
Since it opened in 2005, Perth Concert Hall has welcomed more than one million paying cultural attenders. As well as local audiences, the venue has reached out across Scotland, attracting significant numbers from outwith the area, drawn by the rich and varied programme of entertainment as well as its beautiful situation in the heart of the Fair City. Inspirational projects and workshops have engaged over 200,000 community participants of all ages and backgrounds. The multi-award winning venue has shone the spotlight on Perth with more than 200,000 conference delegates, including major political parties and international businesses enjoying the first rate facilities and support offered by Perth Concert Hall and its dedicated team. With events including a community carnival, family ceilidh, Big Sing Sunday, kids’ events and a hog roast as well as performances by Alison Balsom, Nicola Benedetti, Ross Ainslie, Patsy Reid and more, over ten days between Fri 11 and Sat 19 September, everyone is invited to join in the party and share in the success of Perth’s world class venue.
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MEMBERS’ NEWS
INTERNATIONAL AWARDS FOR SCOTLAND’S TOP CHOCOLATIER From left to right: Lindsay Darroch (partner Blackadders LLP), Campbell Clark (partner Blackadders LLP), Marjory MacDonald, and Johnston Clark, (Managing Partner, Blackadders LLP).
MARJORY MACDONALD SOLICITORS TO MERGE WITH BLACKADDERS LLP Respected Angus legal firm Marjory MacDonald Solicitors has merged with leading law firm, Blackadders LLP on 22 May 2015. The merged practice has 24 partners and over 240 staff and trades under the Blackadders banner. The firm offers a full service capability for business and private clients, acting for household name companies and charities, along with thousands of private individuals, many of whom are also clients of its Wealth Management unit. Marjory MacDonald commented: “I am delighted about the decision to join forces. I share with Blackadders a vision of the highest quality of advice and service to clients and the merger provides great synergies. I expect to be busier than ever whilst providing continuity of service to my clients.” Johnston Clark, Managing Partner said: “We are continuously working to expand and improve our service to clients and the merger with Marjory MacDonald Solicitors will assist us in this. We are confident that Marjory’s clients will also benefit from the specialist expertise and range of services that we offer.” This latest deal brings the number of acquisitions made in the last year by Blackadders to three. The firm has offices in Aberdeen, Arbroath, Dundee, Edinburgh, Forfar and Perth.
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Iain Burnett Highland Chocolatier has added yet more accolades to the already burgeoning trophy cabinet. The company based in Grandtully, Highland Perthshire was delighted to be awarded two Gold awards for the amazing Dark Velvet Truffle and for the exciting new Passion Fruit & Mango Velvet Truffle – the latest to their Truffle Collection – along with a silver award for the Raspberry & Black Pepper Velvet Truffle – all “naked” Velvet Truffles. All three British and European winners go forward to the World Finals. Shortlisted to the British Regional Final, the company scooped top prize and was presented with a crystal trophy in the White Truffle Category for The Passion Fruit & Mango Velvet Truffle. Iain said: “This Passion Fruit & Mango Truffle is the result of a long search through 80 different fruits and recipes for the ultimate natural tang – I believe the passion fruit delivers, balanced in a velvety white chocolate ganache and rounded out with the fullness of ripe mango.” Held every two years, the International Chocolate Awards is an independent competition recognising excellence in fine chocolate making. As the World’s only fully independent international fine chocolate competition, the aim is to support companies producing fine chocolate and chocolatiers, small companies and artisans working with fine chocolate. By helping these markets to grow and develop, the aim is to support the farmers that grow fine cacao. Winners of the regional competitions are judged together at the World Final, which celebrates the best entries of the year. Judges include a wide range of experts, tasters, pastry chefs, food journalists, bloggers, sommeliers and chefs.
MEMBERS’ NEWS
AST Staff outside the Hangar.
Euan Donaldson, Managing Director.
ENERGY PERSPECTIVE AWARDED UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW METERING PROJECT Following a successful heat metering project at the University of Glasgow in 2014, Energy Perspective were appointed in April 2015 to deliver a communications and metering strategy at both Gilmorehills and Garscube campuses. The project will provide critical metering and submetering controls for over 200 metering points, covering 86 buildings within 2 campuses. With an emphasis on student interaction, raising the profile on the impact of energy on campus and to educate staff, students and visitors, Energy Perspective will endeavour to endorse our skills and expertise and work with Estates & Buildings to deliver accurate control measures utilising our modern approach to communication and reduction strategies. Energy Perspective continue to build lasting relationships with our clients and offer the complete energy management package with precision and excellent work ethics to deliver projects to the highest standard.
AIR SERVICE TRAINING WINS QUEEN’S AWARD FOR ENTERPRISE: INTERNATIONAL TRADE 2015 A Scottish aviation training company has scooped the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade. The award recognises AST’s outstanding performance achieved by developing and providing training to students at academies based in countries such as Iceland, Jordan and Indonesia. AST Chief Executive, Peter Farrow said: “It is a great honour to be awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, which is recognised internationally. This award will provide our customers and partners with an unsurpassed level of confidence in our abilities”. As the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) unveiled the 2015 winners, Perth College UHI Principal, Margaret Munckton said: “I am delighted that AST has been recognised for their outstanding and innovative achievements and their contribution to our economy. I hope other businesses and entrepreneurs will be inspired to follow their lead.” AST is a global training and consultancy company with a long and distinguished history, being the longest established organisation of its type in the world. AST began training pilots in 1931, with former students including Mildred Bruce and Amy Johnson. AST is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Perth College UHI. Today, AST’s distinguished history is coupled with a reputation for delivering exceptional quality and consistency in their training offering. AST is approved by the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) regulations for both its aircraft maintenance training, and the structured modular professional training package for fixed-wing pilots.
International Students at AST.
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MEMBERS’ NEWS
SAVILLS BEEFS UP RURAL PRESENCE WITH SMITHS GORE ACQUISITION
L to R: Derek Duncan, Partner at RSB macdonald; Lesley Macdonald, Partner at RSB macdonald; (at front) Alasdair Cummings, Managing Partner, Lindsays; (at back right) Derek Petrie, Partner, Lindsays
LINDSAYS AND RSB MACDONALD ANNOUNCE MERGER PLANS Two well-known Scottish law firms have announced their plans to merge. RSB macdonald, which has offices in Dundee, will be merging with Lindsays – an award-winning firm with offices in Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and North Berwick – on 6th July 2015. The merged firm, which will be known as RSB Lindsays in Tayside, will continue to operate in Dundee from offices in the City Centre and West End. However, with 38 partners the firm can now offer clients a much wider range of services to help with their personal, family or business affairs. Alasdair Cummings, Managing Partner of Lindsays, commented: “We are delighted with the merger. It is a perfect fit as both firms share the same core values, personal approach and focus on delivering an excellent service to clients. “RSB macdonald is a well-established firm with an excellent reputation, in particular in residential property, family law and the services it offers to individuals and families. The addition of their clients and people will further strengthen our own teams and allow us to continue growing our business in this region. “I believe that the historical synergy is also fitting given that Lindsays celebrates its 200th anniversary this year and is merging with another long-standing firm that can trace its roots back to the 1880s.” Derek Duncan, Partner at RSB macdonald, said: “This is an extremely exciting time for us. We believe the merger will bring further benefits to our clients through access to additional areas of expertise such as employment law, licensing and corporate and commercial advice for businesses throughout Tayside.” Lesley Macdonald, Partner at RSB macdonald added: “Our firms have long-standing connections and a very similar approach to business. We are looking forward to working with our new colleagues.” The five partners from RSB macdonald will be joining the merged firm as partners.
Left to right: Philip Gready Savills UK Executive Director, Mark Ridley CEO of Savills UK and Europe and Andrew Harle Senior Partner Smiths Gore
Savills plc, the international real estate advisor, has announced the acquisition by Savills UK of Smiths Gore. The 532 staff, based in 31 UK offices and 14 estate offices, will transfer either into Savills Rural, Energy and Projects (REP) division or its Country Residential Agency business. Smiths Gore specialises in the management of rural property for private clients, institutions and the public sector. This complements Savills UK’s existing rural business which is mainly focused on private client and charitable sectors together with transactional advice. Savills UK Executive Director Philip Gready will continue to lead the UK REP division with Smiths Gore’s Senior Partner Andrew Harle joining the Savills UK Board Mark Ridley, CEO of Savills UK and Europe, comments: “This acquisition is in line with Savills’ strategy to improve the strength and depth of skills and expertise in our Rural Business, as well as expanding our geographical reach to provide a truly national service. Savills’ strength and success is as a result of our commitment to ensuring that we can advise our clients on all aspects of property, across all sectors. Philip Gready, Executive Director of Savills UK, says: “Founded on a rural management business, both Savills and Smiths Gore have similar roots at the heart of our businesses. Our existing clients will reap the benefits of specialist knowledge of the sector, a wider talent pool, our investment in training, systems and research and access to a full range of services.”
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THE PERTHSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2015 www.perthshirechamber.co.uk
MEMBERS’ NEWS
NEW CE AT THE BLACK WATCH CASTLE & MUSEUM The Black Watch Castle & Museum has recently announced the appointment of Anne Kinnes as Chief Executive. Anne started her career in Yorkshire in a variety of management roles including a Michelin Star restaurant and a luxury hotel. In 1992 she moved to Scotland and for the next eight years was employed at Scotland’s Larder which at that time was the only Food and Drink based visitor attraction in Scotland. Anne then became Chairman of Fife Visitor Attractions, which lead to her working with Visit Scotland as Strategic Development Manager and latterly Business Product Manager. Her two consecutive roles involved managing national strategy in key areas of food and drink, rural access and transport. In 2010, as part of their continued commitment and investment to Whisky Tourism in Scotland, Morrison Bowmore Distillers appointed Anne Kinnes to the role of Visitor Centre Operations and Development Manager. Since taking on this role visitor numbers and income generated across all three distilleries has increased by 32.6% and 42.6% consecutively.
FRAKTUL CELEBRATES FIFTH ANNIVERSARY WITH ANNOUNCEMENT OF FURTHER GROWTH For the past five years Fraktul has been consistently delivering award winning marketing, branding and promotion. Working with many prestigious clients, including Binn Group, The Bathroom Company and Clark Thomson; the business is focused on providing business growth, through marketing. 2015 is proving to be yet another year of phenomenal success in delivering effective marketing in Perth and beyond, with new locations in Edinburgh and Newcastle helping add to the growing Fraktul client portfolio. To help facilitate this growth, new faces have further strengthened the team. Bringing with them the same client focused approach that has been a signature of Fraktul’s high performance since day one.
Anne’s Black Watch journey began in January this year and with her experience in Hospitality and Tourism matched with the strong beliefs and values of The Black Watch Museum she aims to support the team to ensure that the castle and museum are one of ‘Scotland’s Leading Visitor Attractions’. In September 2014 the museum was awarded the prestigious 5 Star Grading from Visit Scotland, only 5% of all Scotland’s attractions achieve this.
Managing Director, Stephen Gorton puts success at Fraktul down to a unique blend of experience, knowledge and creativity:
This year the Museum & Café have welcomed just short of sixty thousand visitors through its doors coming from across the globe.
With all this and more, Fraktul are living true to their motto in 2015 – Let’s Go BIG.
VERSATILITY PROVES KEY TO DESIGNER’S SUCCESS After nearly 35 years in the business, Mary Leslie is aware that Interior Designers are still regarded as amateurs in some quarters. However, the high profile of the British Institute of Interior Design and their professional pathway is changing that perception. Along with an established program of continuing education the BIID also publishes a suite of standard contracts which they recommend should be used for all interior design and decoration projects. Mary was part of the working party which devised the new BIID Concise Agreement for Interior Design Services CID/14 published by the RIBA and suitable for interior design projects throughout the UK. Sadly, it is no longer a question of shaking hands and getting on with the job. These days designers and clients alike have to be aware of their obligations whether they are ordering a single pair of curtains or refurbishing a 5000 sq. ft country house (both recently undertaken by their team).
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The Fraktul team – growing through success.
THE PERTHSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2015 www.perthshirechamber.co.uk
“Our team has helped a wide range of organisations to promote themselves more effectively. With our new team members we have strengthened and extended our skills base, meaning that we can offer clients a wide range of marketing services.”
Mary Leslie comments: “Flexibility and professionalism are essential for interior designers. We have to be able to engage with our clients on many levels. While we may control the installation of a project, we need to create excitement too, and that means involving the client from the outset. We do that not only with the brief and the budget, but also by exploring the possibilities for the space and creating something genuinely personal. We also have to be able to explain the responsibilities of all parties and, obviously, the larger the project the more important these will be. We would advise anyone thinking of using an interior designer or decorator to ensure that they have a contract in place and ideally use the BIID version, which is the industry standard.” Mary Leslie runs an interior design practice from Rait specialising in residential projects throughout the UK and overseas.
CHAMBER SPONSORS
PARTNERSHIPS ENHANCE CHAMBER OFFERING
Platinum Partners
P
erthshire Chamber of Commerce is hugely grateful to the on-going support offered by their raft of committed Sponsor Partners.
The backing of key Platinum, Gold and Silver Partners has allowed the Chamber to function on a level otherwise unachievable. Their input guarantees an enhanced service for all our members in terms of the range of events, quality of service and dedicated support. PCC Chief Executive, Vicki Unite, explained the importance of these Partnerships and what they bring to the Chamber, as well as the benefits for those businesses signing up to a Partnership package. “The role of the Chamber is to support local businesses and the extent of that support would be severely restricted were it not for our generous Platinum, Gold and Silver Partners, working in addition to the support of our membership as a whole,” she said. “We introduced these tiered packages in response to the recession where we needed to make our sponsorship opportunities more accessible – particularly taking into account a huge percentage of Perthshire businesses are micro-businesses. “By creating these packages, which provide a core of common benefits – but have the ability to be fully tailored to the Partners’ requirements – we are able to offer a level of service that is closely aligned to the businesses’ marketing and promotional activities and overall objectives,” explained Vicki. “The support that we receive from our Partners also allows us to subsidise our costs and reduce fee increases while continuously growing our service offering and support for members.”
Gold Partners
Vicki explained that the benefits package was not all one way and stressed that Sponsor Partners could capitalise on both raised profiles and on-going publicity through their year-long relationship, increasing their standing in the local business community. “Our Sponsor Partners are all businesses that are well established in Perth and Kinross and want to support the rest of the business community in the area – especially our wealth of SMEs and business start-ups,” said Vicki. “They are putting something back into the local business sector and we are extremely grateful for their foresight and generosity,” she added. “Perthshire Chamber of Commerce punches well above its weight and that is due in no small measure to our Partners. The level and breadth of service we deliver would be much reduced without their backing.”
Silver Partners
Vicki is happy to discuss Sponsor Partner packages with both existing and potential supporters at any time. “It really is a partnership and all our Platinum, Gold and Silver partners deserve the grateful thanks of the Board, staff and membership of the Chamber.” KEEPSAFE Storage Centres
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Events In
e r i h s h t r Pe
10 July 2015 – 12 July 2015
E V E N T S
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P E R T H S H I R E
T in The Park
Scotland’s longest running festival is back - T in The Park has gone from being a small two day festival, to now a sprawling three day major event. With seven stages, the event attracts fans from all over the country. The site, in rural Perthshire, also includes Funfair, Comedy tent, silent disco, stalls, and food markets.
Contact: www.tinthepark.com
30 July 2015 – 02 August 2015
Southern Fried American Music Festival
10 September 2015 – 13 September 2015
FEI European Eventing Championships
Blair Castle International Horse Trials is a four-day extravaganza of all things equine, including top class international three-day eventing, show jumping, Highland Pony Championships, Hunter Show, National Pony Society Scotland Finals, Pony Club Games, Ex Racehorses and Ridden Clydesdale Championships.
Contact: Tel: 01796 481207, www.blair2015.com, kateh@blair-castle.co.uk
30 October 2015 – 08 November 2015
Perthshire Amber Festival Perth serves up the eighth annual Southern Fried Festival. Covering all the American Roots music bases including blues, country, gospel, swing and soul, this little nugget of Americana in the rolling Scottish countryside is a rich vein of international stars and home grown talent just waiting to be prospected! Taking place in Perth Concert Hall, Perth Theatre and other venues within easy strolling distance, Southern Fried is a super-sized serving of the best in American Roots topped with a warm slice of Scottish hospitality!
Contact: Tel: Concert Hall 01738 621031 Email: www.southernfriedfestival.co.uk
The Perthshire Amber Festival, now in its 11th year, is likely to exceed all expectations once again! Scotland on Sunday’s Tom Maxwell commented “Dougie MacLean has created a wee gem of a festival in his home county... a drop of Amber nectar!” This 10 day event had approx 10,000 people from 25 countries attending in 2014. The concerts, which welcome high calibre musical guests from Scotland and abroad, are staged in a variety of wonderful venues, from village halls, town halls and a grand concert hall to historic castles and the atmospheric Dunkeld Cathedral.
Contact: Tel: (0)1350 724281, (0)1350 724261, admin@butterstone.com
SATURDARYY PACE
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T RUN L I K K 5 L A 4th ANNU or ARTAN T F O H C U A TO ATHON R A M F L A H wn with a o d s g in h t or slow THON A R A M F L 5K OR HA WALK KILT NMENT A FUN
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PERTH MES A G D N A L HIGH Perth h Inch, t r o N : E U N VE n.co.uk u r t il k h t r e www.p
00 01738 4750
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P E R T H S H I R E
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N A T R A T F O H C TOU
ECONOMIC GROWTH
COUNTRYSIDE TRUST ON THE RIGHT PATH
Photosbyzoe
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ECONOMIC GROWTH
Cateran Trail. Photo Mike Bell
W
hen it comes to economic development, most people don’t think about footpaths – but footpaths are a very effective way of boosting the local economy.
Perthshire has some of the most remarkable trees and woodlands in Europe and the greatest concentrations of ‘Champion Trees’ in the UK and Ireland. Perth and Kinross has one of the most extensive path networks in Scotland which generates over £3.5 million annually for the local economy. The two most popular paths – the Hermitage and Queen’s View – are the area’s
top visitor attractions; bringing in over 500,000 visitors a year between them. This is why, in 1997, Perth and Kinross Council, The Gannochy Trust, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) founded the Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust (PKCT). PKCT works to increase access to the countryside and make Perth and Kinross the destination in Scotland for visitors looking to enjoy the countryside. As an independent charity, PKCT brings together partnerships that span public bodies, private landowners and local communities. PKCT also accesses funds from the National Lottery, charitable trusts, grant schemes and businesses; often doubling or tripling the amount of money available for projects. Managed by PKCT, The Cateran Trail, like the West Highland Way, is one of Scotland’s Great Trails. Sixty four miles long, the Trail loops through East Perthshire which is “the sort of Scotland walkers dream of” (The Great Outdoors Magazine). The Trail attracts 7,000 users per year and is the venue for the Cateran Yomp charity race. The Yomp has raised over £1 million for the Soldiers Charity and the Trail annually generates over £200,000 for the local economy. By 2018, PKCT would like to see the number of walkers on the Trail doubled and boost the economy even more.
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ECONOMIC GROWTH Perthshire has some of the most remarkable trees and woodlands in Europe and the greatest concentrations of ‘Champion Trees’ in the UK and Ireland. In 2001, PKCT, FCS, The Woodland Trust, Visit Scotland and Perth and Kinross Council formed Perthshire Big Tree Country (PBTC) to promote these wonders. The partnership secured £1.8 million of Lottery funding to deliver improvements across 20 sites. Annually, this investment still generates over £1.8 million for the Perthshire economy. PBTC owes much of its magnificence to the great Victorian plant hunters whose expeditions brought exotic trees back to enhance the landscape of Perthshire. For over 160 years no one has planted the next generation of exotic trees to ensure PBTC maintains its magnificence, so PKCT teamed up with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) and FCS to establish the iCONic (internationally threatened conifers in our care) project. Through RBGE, seeds from some of the world’s most threatened conifers are collected and grown into saplings. iCONic then finds safe-havens in PBTC for these young trees; with over 700 trees planted since the project began in 2008. iCONic builds on the legacy of the Victorian plant hunters, enhancing PBTC with rare and exotic conifers while making a major contribution on global efforts to protect some of the world’s most threatened trees from extinction. To ensure PBTC continues to go from strength to strength, a major new 3-year Business Development Plan has been written. PKCT and the PBTC partners are now working to secure the funding needed to deliver this plan. Blair Castle Blair Atholl . Photo Visit Scotland
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Loch Tummel from Queen’s View. Photo Visit Scotland
ECONOMIC GROWTH
River Tay at Kenmore. Photo Visit Scotland
The Tay Landscape Partnership (TayLP) brings together PKCT, the Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust, The Gannochy Trust and Perth and Kinross Council in a £2.6 million Heritage Lottery Funded, four-year project. The Tay Landscape stretches from Newburgh on the south side of the Tay Estuary around to Perth and along the Carse of Gowrie. The area includes a Royal Pictish site, unique mudbuilt buildings and 800 year old orchards. The TayLP will restore and improve access to natural and historic features in this area; boost visitor numbers; provide training opportunities for people in local, traditional skills; and link with broader investment in Dundee, Perth and Fife, to support sustainable economic development. Support from local businesses has been a fundamental part of PKCT’s success in supporting the local economy. Gleneagles Hotel and Hilton Dunkeld House have been long-term supporters of PKCT; adding a £1 donation to the cost of each stay in their hotels. To date, Gleneagles Hotel has raised over £215,000 and Hilton Dunkeld Hotel over £26,000 to support PKCT’s work; they have also provided safe havens for iCONic trees in their grounds. PKCT is looking to build its network of hotel and other business supporters. If you are a restauranteur you could add £1 donation to the cost of your most popular dish or if you are a retailer you could donate the 5p plastic bag charge to PKCT. There are also opportunities for businesses
PBTC owes much of its magnificence to the great Victorian plant hunters whose expeditions brought exotic trees back to enhance the landscape of Perthshire. to sponsor projects. If you are a business and would like to become a PKCT supporter, they would love to hear from you. In return PKCT will work with you to generate additional publicity for your business, boost your green credentials and increase staff knowledge through staff development and familiarisation trips. More information about PKCT, their work and how to contact them can be found at www.pkct.org
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CHAMBER NETWORK
Are we a nation of tech frontrunners?
Nora Senior, Chair of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, provides insight into how Scotland’s businesses can grow by embracing technology. Nora is Executive Chair, UK Regions & Ireland of global firm, Weber Shandwick. A former Businesswoman of the Year, Nora is a regional adviser to the London Stock Exchange and was recently awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award for Services to Business. You can follow Nora on Twitter: @NoraSenior1
I
often think about how fast the world has changed and continues to evolve – it’s hard to believe that just 10 years ago, the first video was uploaded to YouTube, Facebook dropped “the” from its name and Bitcoin did not even exist.
with competition increasing locally and internationally, the mantra “Grow or Die” has never been truer. We can all use a trusted ally to get us moving faster on the path of growth and for businesses, the trusted ally today, is Technology.
Today in 2015, YouTube has more than a billion users, Facebook has 1.4 billion users from every country on Earth and Bitcoin could be as disruptive as the Internet itself!
We have to capitalise on our rich entrepreneurial roots as a nation – Great world inventions have emanated from our lands – from Alexander Graham Bell and the telephone to Alexander Fleming and the invention of penicillin. But we are in a completely different world now. Digital technology and social media have changed our jobs and our lives.
If you need to be convinced that your business needs to have a digital presence and that your business can Grow as a result, let’s picture it this way – 10 years ago, out of 7 billion people on the planet, 1 billion were online… that figure now stands at 3 billion! And this number is going up every day! So, as business owners and operators, we can agree that the shift in technology is well and truly underway and we have to embrace the opportunities that are out there for us. As a business owner myself, I see the challenges and opportunities every day. We are constantly thinking about obtaining new contracts, managing our cash-flow, balancing our time over operational activity and strategic objectives – this is what we do day-to-day but from my experience, the only way to support business growth in Scotland is to tackle the barriers that exist head-on. Having grown my company from a start-up and now part of an international company, I know growth does not come easy. It requires ideas, determination and achievable goals. We have to continue to innovate and
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We only have to look at the success of businesses such as Skyscanner, BrewDog and Clydespace – creating new business models which fit today’s consumer and global environment. These are Scotland’s new entrepreneurial giants and it is their legacy and leadership that must inspire a new generation of business leaders.
BUSINESS SUPPORT
This drive and ambition needs to be revived in Scotland. Our businesses have to learn and experience how digital can help. We have to become a nation of Tech FrontRunners, not Tech Shirkers. Tech FrontRunners aren’t tied to their desks – they are literally mobile, with one finger on the pulse of their marketplace and another using their devices to stay in touch with daily office operations. In Scotland just now, there are not enough businesses enabled and inspired to do this just yet. Yes, there are great examples, but we need to move into a position where we are all doing it and making it the “new normal.” We are still a nation of Tech Shirkers, not just Scotland but across the world. Not using social media because we “don’t have enough time” or “it’s too expensive” or refusing to upgrade our technology because “we don’t need to” will not present growth opportunities for our businesses. Sometimes, we ourselves are the main barriers to our own business growth so we need to test out and try what works for us as business owners – this is something we can all do and joining a local chamber of commerce to learn directly from the business community, is a great way of doing this! From a Chambers perspective, our members are telling us they want a more ambitious Scotland; a Scotland that invests in talent and young people; that is forward thinking and creative and crucially a Scotland with the capacity to act as a global player, with the confidence to attract global investment. Our ambition is clear – we are informing Scottish and UK Governments that by 2025, Scotland must lead the world in digital connectivity, both in terms of geographic availability and upload and download speeds. To deliver this, we need Governments to work together to invest in key areas which can transform business growth in Scotland. We know that across Scotland, slow broadband speeds, availability of Wi-Fi and inconsistency of service is holding business back. The ambition of business in Scotland has to be matched by the drive and willingness of our Governments – when both work together, we can deliver real progressive results in all areas.
DO I COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY?
H
ow many people do you think you communicate with on a daily basis? Most people think a couple of dozen, but think wider to all those you pass on the way into work. At the coffee machine or in the lift? How well will you communicate today? Probably about the same as you do every other day. Why? Because we’re creatures of habit (this is why when we get dressed every day we always put our right leg in our trousers first (or whichever way you do it, it will be the same every day!)
So, to become a Communication Expert – someone who’s consciously competent – the key to success is to focus on one communication area and practise it. Steps to improve your communication: • Know what it is that you want to improve and state it positively. • Take some action towards this outcome on a daily basis. • Reflect and notice is your action is working and if not, be flexible and try something else. It helps to keep a diary of the changes that you are noticing. • If it’s not working do something else, don’t just stop and say it’s not working! Often people get caught up in doing the same thing and expect something different to happen as a result! This is where having a coach can help keep you on track. Final thought: Ensure that every single communication you make – every conversation, email, meeting, presentation, WebEx, etc you have an outcome. What does success look like? Provided by Eleanor Yearwood, Key Talent Partners Email: eleanor@keytalent-partners.com Tel: 01828 632 199 Website: http://keytalent-partners.com/
We need to re-imagine how we work and operate. Let’s build on the legacies of Scotland’s entrepreneurial giants and create a vibrant, innovative culture in Scotland where we are all Tech FrontRunners. Eleanor Yearwood, Key Talent Partners
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FOOD & DRINK
Shoppers f lock to Perthshire lamb
Scotland produces around three million lambs a year. And with its vast prime sheep country spreading from the Ochil Hills to Rannoch and across to Glenshee, Perthshire accounts for a considerable percentage of that production. InCommerce questions leading sheep farmer and founder of Perth’s Farmers’ Market, Jim Fairlie, about this vital sector of Perthshire’s food and drink economy.
What is it about Perthshire Lamb that makes it a favourite? Perthshire has got it all in terms of the sheep stratification system. There are high hill flocks, upland flocks and lowland flocks and all produce lamb of exceptional quality. Wether it’s grass and clover finished butcher lambs from low ground farms or high hill lambs that spend the majority of their life on wild grass and heather, the taste and texture of the meat is simply fantastic.
they love it, because they recognise real quality. I’d like to see us eat more lamb in Scotland, but we tend to be a beef eating country.
Is it for export or home market? Both. The Europeans and English love Scottish lamb, it goes back to my earlier point about our hill grass or clover rich grass parks, it creates a depth of flavour that’s unrivalled and
Does it enjoy a good price currently? Right now it’s pretty flat to be honest, I think there are just too many lambs on the market and the strength of sterling against the euro is making export difficult. When that’s the case it’s
Where does it enjoy its best sales? The export lambs tend to be in greatest demand in France and England but there is a growing demand in the Benelux countries
Photo courtesy of Perth and Kinross Council
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FOOD & DRINK difficult for the UK domestic market to soak up any excess which in turn drives the price down. What could be done at local and national level to help the producing farmers? Buy local, it’s that simple. If we can increase demand on the domestic market then euro weakness won’t have the same negative effect. But when supermarkets stock huge amounts of NZ lamb right beside the Scottish product it can be difficult for busy consumers to buy Scottish. QMS have done some great work in getting Scotch Lamb PGI status from the EU and I would urge customers to look for that. I understand that people are very busy and sometimes just pick things up from the supermarket shelf without checking the label, but I’d urge them to do it. Alternatively, shop at your local butcher or farmers market. The really good butchers will give you 100% guarantee of where the lamb comes from, and in a lot of cases have a personal relationship with the farmer who produced it. At a farmers market, You should be able to talk directly to the farmer or at least a member of the farming family. That kind of provenance guarantee is priceless to the consumer and helps keep farming families farming. Is lamb rearing still an attractive career for the modern farmer? It’s challenging, but for me personally I still love it. I have to be honest though and say it’s a way of life rather than a financial reward. We can definitely make more money doing other things, and have diversified by setting up a company doing hot cooked food at outdoor events. Last year was our biggest so far, and we took Perthshire Farmers and Producers to all our usual events like Etape Caledonia T in the Park etc, but we also did the commonwealth games at Glasgow Green and the Bannockburn homecoming event which was fantastic.
Scottish exclusively and for longer in the season, but for some of the big four, all that matters to them is price. That goes back to my earlier point, if consumers want to support Scottish sheep farming, look for the scotch PGI label, or ask your local butcher or shop at a farmers market. You sell a lot through Perth Farmers’ Market. How can we educate people to buy local? I think the buy local eat local message is there now. Everyone talks about provenance local etc, if you go back to 1999 when I founded the market, it was almost unheard of, now everyone talks about it, but the consumers have to asking the right questions to be sure they’re getting the genuine article. How can we educate youngsters – especially urban kids – on food sourcing and quality? Again that’s something which is happening all over the country now, where it was unheard of before. The Scottish Government launched the National Food Policy for Scotland several years ago and it had a very clear message in it to urge schools to include food nutrition and health as part of the curriculum. That’s now happening, but I think there’s still a lot of work to do in training enough teachers to fill the demand. However, the education should not just be academic, it should be a life skill which is taught as standard to every child, and I think the new curriculum for excellence allows for that. Mike Small of the Fife Diet came up with the idea that every child should know how to make a pot of soup before they leave primary school, I think that’s an aspiration we should all encourage. What’s your favourite lamb dish? I like to make a dish from the chump which I got from Jeremy Wares, it’s pan fried with garlic shallots, rosemary, red wine and cream, and is gorgeous. But to be honest, I love it all, whether it’s a rack or a whole leg.
We downsized the flock numbers from 2000 last year to 800 this year, but that was a business decision to allow us to look at property development which is what Anne my wife is passionate about. My first love is still sheep farming though. What breed/age etc. of lambs give the best meat and optimum return? Lambs from lowland flocks can be slaughtered at 16 weeks whereas hill lambs are a good bit older. However, lowland lambs will cost more to produce but give heavier weights, where hill lambs cost less but are lighter, so it’s horses for courses – the type of farm you have will determine what you produce. Does imported meat damage the market for others? How important is provenance? If you mean New Zealand imports I won’t criticise their quality, it has improved greatly in recent years. But yes, imports of NZ lamb can definitely hit our domestic market. QMS and NFUS do a good job of trying to persuade supermarkets to stock
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RURAL BUSINESS
PERTHSHIRE E SADDLES UP FOR BUSINESS BOOST
very British sport has its destination venue. For cricket, read Lord’s, for football, Wembley, for rugby, Twickenham (or Murrayfield if you’re north of the Border). In the high octane world of Three Day Eventing, the European Championships is almost as big as it gets, and this year, the outstanding destination venue for the Europeans will be Blair Castle, seat of the Dukes of Atholl, nestled in the dramatic landscape of Highland Perthshire. Eventing is the ultimate test of a horse and rider, similar to Triathlon. The three phases of the competition – Dressage, Cross Country and Show Jumping – comprise the only Olympic sport where men and women compete on level terms. And this is a sport at which Britain excels. Britain won silver at last year’s World Equestrian Games in Normandy, individual bronze at the last Europeans in 2013, and silver at London 2012. Many top international event riders are based in the UK, due to its extensive calendar of events from April – October, and the high standard of competition. Some 15,000 participants at levels from Novice to elite level compete week after week across the length and breadth of the UK.
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THE PERTHSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2015 www.perthshirechamber.co.uk
RURAL BUSINESS The Longines Blair Castle International Horse Trials is the largest and most prestigious international equestrian competition in Scotland, and the Championships will be the highlight of the equestrian calendar worldwide, benefiting also from being the last chance for European nations to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
You don’t have to be a die-hard equestrian fan to enjoy a day at Blair But Blair is more than just an equestrian event. The popular Country Fair runs parallel to the equestrian activities, over 200 shops showcase products and services of all shapes and sizes, and show jumping classes from Pony Club through to elite levels cater for competitors at every level, all sharing in the magic of Blair’s unique ambiance. Blair’s television reach of 29m viewers and spectator footfall in excess of 55,000 present a compelling opportunity for business to partner with the Trials. Brand awareness, print, outdoor and online marketing solutions, experiential marketing, exhibition space, media partnerships, direct mail, e-commerce and premium hospitality are among the tried and tested marketing applications for brands like Mitsubishi Motors, Longines, Barclays Wealth and Bruadar Whisky.
Dressage Test E
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THE PERTHSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2015 www.perthshirechamber.co.uk
RURAL BUSINESS Angela Osman, for Mitsubishi Motors UK, comments, “Eventing and country activities appeal to the heartland of our consumers, whether these are farmers, landowners, builders or just as family vehicles. Reaching large numbers of them through association with Scotland’s premier equestrian event makes good sense for us, creating
Eventing is the ultimate test of a horse and rider, similar to Triathlon excellent brand identity and product placement opportunity for our dealer network, and providing a consistent and rewarding ROI”. But it’s not just among tangible goods that Eventing sponsorship can score. Eventing’s great strength is in its sociable nature. You don’t have to be a die-hard equestrian fan to enjoy a day at Blair. The rhythm of events throughout the day allows plenty of time for social interaction and networking, and the range of hospitality solutions is very varied, from parties of two to several hundred. For Perthshire, and the wider Scottish business community, Blair 2015 looks like a winner all round.
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THE PERTHSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2015 www.perthshirechamber.co.uk
European Championships
Award winning
Murrayshall
Hotel & Golf Courses
We have had a busy start to the year at Murrayshall starting with our chefs in the Old Masters Restaurant being recognised for sourcing 75% off their current menu from local Scottish producers, winning them the ‘Taste our Best’ from VisitScotland. The hotel followed this up by being awarded by the Scottish Hotel Awards – Regional Golf Hotel of the Year 2015 for the Central and Fife region. Only last week we have been placed in Golf World’s Top 100 courses in Scotland, the first time we have made the list. With two 18 holes courses, award winning food and accommodation Murrayshall provides the ideal venue for your golf break or golf day…
Tee times available from £99.00 for 4 players, Sunday nights stays from £89.00pp inclusive of bed and breakfast and two rounds of golf, two nights stays with golf from £149.00pp or try our Murrayshall Mondays, coffee and a bacon roll followed by 18 holes on Murrayshall for £30.00pp. All our offers and online tee times are available at
www.murrayshall.co.uk 01738 551171 • Murrayshall House Hotel & Golf Courses, Scone, Perthshire PH2 7PH
BUSINESS SUPPORT
IS YOUR WEBSITE MOBILE FRIENDLY?
Strang & McLagan
Funeral Directors & Memorial Consultants Main Office and Funeral Home
Newlands House, Main Street Bridgend, Perth Also at 20 Atholl Street, Perth 36 Priory Place, Craigie, Perth 62 High Street, Crieff
Part of Dignity Funerals Ltd
24 Hour / 7 Day Service Private Service Chapel and Rest Rooms Care, consideration and expertise gained over more than a century
I
t is more important than ever that your website is responsive. Recently Google once again tweaked its search algorithm.
“We have expanded our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in our search results. Consequently, users will find it easier to get relevant, high quality search results that are optimized for their devices.” Google Webmaster
Memorial Consultants Member of National Association of Funeral Directors
Some businesses have mobile phone apps but not mobile friendly websites. While this may be fine for their customers, it is not looked on favourably by Google. Latest estimates say up to 60 percent of all online traffic is on mobile device and that is only going to get higher. Test your website online at www.google.co.uk/webmasters/tools/ mobile-friendly and see how mobile friendly it is.
Chartered Quantity Surveyors & Building Cost Consultants since 1953.
We have been developing mobile-friendly websites for over two years. Our customers benefit from the latest in responsive design. Broxden recently launched its latest responsive website. Visit us at www.broxden.co.uk on a desktop, tablet and smartphone and see how the layout adapts and what we mean by a mobile friendly website. Provided by Anne Smith, Broxden Limited Email: enquiries@broxden.co.uk Tel: 01738 450422 Web: www.broxden.co.uk
Anne Smith, Broxden Limited
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CDM Co-ordinators, advising clients on health and safety duties in construction. 2 King James Place I Perth I 01738 625619
www.raogg.com
BUSINESS SUPPORT
ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATES
L www.denholmpartnership.co.uk
11 Dunira Street Comrie Perthshire PH6 2LJ T : 01764 670899
andlords and building owners always need to stay aware of changes in legislation that can affect their properties. Energy Performance Certificates have been in the news lately mainly due to the legislation that is being implemented in England and Wales to prohibit the sale or letting of F and G Rated properties. At the moment the Scottish Government do not intend to follow the lead of England and Wales by prohibiting F & G Rated buildings. The Scottish Government are currently at consultation stage over the future of the Energy Performance at Buildings (Scotland) Regulations and Section 63 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 in order to consolidate the future legislation. To assist our clients Graham + Sibbald has summarised the potential changes to the Commercial (Non-Domestic) EPC Regulations that may be implemented in the future in Scotland. • The requirement for owners of buildings to provide an EPC will remain.
19 Marshall Place, Perth PH2 8AG
(01738) 441144
Award-winning customer service:
• Owners of buildings will also be required to provide an Action Plan for Non-Domestic buildings. The Action Plan will indicate measures to improve the Energy Performance and reduce emissions of the subject building. The new EPC Regulations are subject to a number of conditions. Graham + Sibbald would be pleased to hear from you to discuss these changes in detail. Provided by David Gillan, Graham + Sibbald Email: perth@g-s.co.uk Tel: 01738 445733 Web: www.g-s.co.uk
Established in 1875
Investments and income arising from them can fall in value and you may lose some or all of the amount you have invested. Members of the London Stock Exchange Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Redmayne-Bentley LLP is a Limited Liability Partnership Registered in England and Wales No: OC344361 Registered Office: 9 Bond Court, Leeds LS1 2JZ. VAT No: GB 165 8810 81 LEI number: 213800S3IRIPK1R3JQ58
David Gillan, Graham + Sibbald
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THE PERTHSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2015 www.perthshirechamber.co.uk
GREEN ECONOMY
PERTH & KINROSS GREEN TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS ACCELERATOR
The story so far 32
THE PERTHSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2015 www.perthshirechamber.co.uk
GREEN ECONOMY
T
he Perth & Kinross Green Technology Business Accelerator (PKGTBA) was launched in June 2013 to harness the resources and expertise in renewable and clean technologies to realise sustainable economic growth. Since then, PKGTBA has established itself as a fully functioning network, which was its primary objective, and has supported business to business collaboration – promoting local goods and services, facilitating access to information, advice and best practice as well as supporting demonstration projects.
PKGTBA has attended and supported businesses to attend specific events such as All-Energy, Scottish Renewables on-site, hydro, biomass events, European Wood Pellet Conference.
The main areas of work have been :
One of the main activities will continue to be to support the development of the Tay Eco-Valley Initiative. The Tay Eco-Valley is a living lab – the result of an exciting private/ public sector partnership – focused on the food and drink supply chain, clean technology and renewables. Here, national and international businesses work to develop the products and services that will shape future best practice in resource efficiency and the use of smart technologies. Tay Eco-Valley provides easy access to world-leading research centres and a hub of like-minded businesses to inspire and support your vision of commercial eco-innovation. Projects include River Tay Heat Pump and District Network, Perth Zero Emission Network, Smart Mobility Living Lab and Food and Drink Eco-Innovation Hub.
•
Sector data and intelligence
•
Biomass Supply Chain
•
Hydro Supply Chain
•
Training and Skills
•
Eco-Innovation in specific sectors: Food & Drink (Resource Efficiency), Transport (hydrogen), Construction (energy efficiency)
PKGTBA has commissioned a range of technical and feasibility studies which are available for businesses and wider community. This has included a study on the possible use of ‘old’ hydro infrastructure and a study on the use of hydrogen in rural businesses.
To date, PKGTBA has carried out a number of activities. An up-to-date business database embedded in ‘Tractivity’, a Customer-Relation Management system linked to a Business Directory accessible on-line by businesses and consumers. This resource has encouraged and developed a local supply chain across a range of different technologies.
Moving forward, PKGTBA will continue to develop a number of projects and activities in the renewables and clean technology sector. Particular emphasis will be placed on developing the supply chain in biomass, hydro and heat sectors and eco-innovation across different sectors including food and drink, construction, transport and waste management.
PKGTBA has a web presence on the Invest in Perth and Perth College UHI webpages, as well as a Twitter feed. This is used to communicate and inform businesses of any news including events, policy and local projects and opportunities.
The key objectives of PKGTBA include; •
To help local businesses to address resource efficiency and to exploit business opportunities in supply chains and new markets
The accelerator has also arranged and run a number of events across the sector, promoting different technologies. This has included a series of events on the economic benefits of managing small-scale woodland including woodfuel supply, benefits of biomass particularly for the hospitality sector and a buyer/ supplier event for hydro sector.
•
To create an environment to enhance skills development and job opportunities
•
A thriving expanding economy by increasing employment in the clean and renewable energy sector
The All Energy Event
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TO TO LET LET Office Office TO LET SALTIRE HOUSE SALTIRE HOUSE WHITEFRIARS BUSINESS PARK Office PERTH PH2 0PA WHITEFRIARS BUSINESS PARK
SALTIRE HOUSE PERTH PH2 0PA WHITEFRIARS BUSINESS PARK PERTH PH2 0PA
Modern high quality offices • Modern high quality offices, •now part let
• Business Park location on the edge of the City Centre
ModernPark high quality ••Business location onoffices the edge of the City Centre • Suites from approximately • •Business Parkquality location on230.9 sq m (2,485 sq ft) Modern high offices
up to 694.4 sq m (7,474 • Easy to the City City bypass and the access edge of Centre national motorway networkonsq ft) • Business Park location
• Suites from the edge of approximately the City Centre • 36 dedicated car park
• Suites from approximately 230.9 sq m (2,485 sq ft) spaces available 230.9 sq m (2,485 sq ft) up to • Suites from approximately up tosq694.4 sq m (7,474• Quality specification and 694.4 m sq ft) 230.9 sq(7,474 m (2,485 sq ft)
sq ft)
up to 694.4 sq m (7,474
DDA compliant
• Excellent car parking sqdedicated ft) private car •provision 36 park COMPETITIVE TERMS
spaces available • 36 dedicated car park
AVAILABLE
• Quality specification and DDA spaces available •compliant Quality specification and
DDA compliant • Quality specification and
• Surrounding occupiers include DDA compliant Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, COMPETITIVE TERMS SEPA and Blackhorse Finance
COMPETITIVE TERMS AVAILABLE
3 Charlotte Street, Perth PH1 5LW
46 North Castle Street, Edinburgh EH2 3BN
T: 01738 445 733 E: kscobbie@g-s.co.uk www.g-s.co.uk
T: 0131 225 6612 E: iain.taylor@ryden.co.uk www.ryden.co.uk
AVAILABLE TERMS AVAILABLE COMPETITIVE A
V
I
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N
Perth PH1 Chamber of Commerce Perth 5LW 46
PUBLICATION:
3 Charlotte Street, North Castle Street,Edinburgh EdinburghEH2 EH2 3BN 3BN Charlotte Street, Perth 46 North Castle Street, 3 3Charlotte Street, Perth PH1PH1 5LW5LW46 North Castle Street, Edinburgh EH2 3BN T: 01738 445 733 SIZE: E: kscobbie@g-s.co.uk T: 0131 225 6612 E: iain.taylor@ryden.co.uk 137mm h x 190mm w (1/2page) T: 01738 445 733 E: kscobbie@g-s.co.uk T: 0131 225 6612 E: iain.taylor@ryden.co.uk www.g-s.co.uk T: 0131 225 6612 E: iain.taylor@ryden.co.uk www.ryden.co.uk T: 01738 445 733 E: kscobbie@g-s.co.uk www.g-s.co.uk www.ryden.co.uk MONO SPOT FULL COLOUR www.g-s.co.uk www.ryden.co.uk ISSUE:
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flybe.com Fares arecom one way including taxes and charges, only available on Flybe.com, subject to availability. Available for travel until 27.03.15, subject to availability. Advance flybe. purchase may be required. Route information correct at time of going to print. No debit card fees apply. Bookings made by credit card will incur a fee of 3% of the total transaction value, with a minimum charge £5.00 per booking. Operated by Loganair. are one one way wayincluding including taxes taxes and andcharges, charges,only onlyavailable availableon onFlybe.com, Flybe.com, subject subject to to availability. availability. Available for travel until 27.03.15, Fares are 24.10.15, subject subject to to availability. availability. Advance Advance total purchase may be required. Route information correct at time of going going totoprint. print.No Nodebit debitcard cardfees feesapply. apply.Bookings Bookingsmade madebybycredit creditcard cardwill willincur incura afeefeeofof3% 3%ofofthe total transaction value, with a minimum minimum charge charge £5.00 £5.00 per booking. booking. Operated Operated by by Loganair. Loganair.
TRANSPORT LINKS
CONNECTIVITY MATTERS
E
ffective, efficient and sustainable connectivity is critical to ensuring the Tayside and Central region of Scotland and its traditional and emerging economic sectors and communities prosper. The region is generally well connected, lying at the heart of Scotland’s strategic road and rail networks. Whilst undoubtedly benefitting from its central location, improving the region’s transport infrastructure and connections is vital to supporting sustainable and inclusive economic growth in Perth and Kinross, Dundee, Angus and Stirling and is, therefore, a priority for Tayside and Central Scotland Transport Partnership (Tactran). Maximising the efficiency and effectiveness of the road and rail networks through the region is also vitally important for the economies of the north and north east of Scotland. National investment priorities are set out in Transport Scotland’s Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR) which identifies 29 key strategic interventions to improve the
nation’s road and rail networks. Current national delivery priorities which will bring economic and other benefits to the Tactran region include dualling of the A9 between Perth and Inverness, the Forth Replacement Crossing, and improving the Highland Main Line between Inverness and Perth. However, other STPR proposals also need to be progressed to ensure that local and national economic growth ambitions are supported and realised.
ROAD CONNECTIVITY Dualling the A9 between Pe r t h and Inverness is fully supported. Other STPR projects to i m p r o v e ro a d s a f et y and junction capacity on the A9 between Perth and Stirling, particularly grade-separation at Broxden and Keir roundabouts and improving the A90 at Dundee to tackle delays for both strategic and local traffic on the Kingsway, also need to be advanced.
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THE PERTHSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2015 www.perthshirechamber.co.uk
TRANSPORT LINKS The 3rd National Planning Framework (2014) confirms the need to identify the best approach to upgrading the A90 at Dundee. Congestion and delay at key junctions on the trunk road network impose continuing economic costs and constraints on the region and its three cities and highlight the need for early investment in improving the efficiency and capacity of the strategic road network and infrastructure around and through Perth, Dundee and Stirling.
RAIL CONNECTIVITY
The award of new contracts for operation of the ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper and East Coast rail franchises offers the prospect of rail connectivity improvements for commuter, business, visitor and leisure travel needs within and to/from the region. ScotRail operator Abellio plans to introduce faster services between Perth, Dundee, Stirling and Scotland’s other cities by 2017. Provision of free wi-fi on all trains, smart ticketing and improved on-train catering will make rail more attractive for business and leisure travel. Enhanced services on Scotland’s Great Scenic Railway routes, including the West Highland Line and Highland Main Line, will support the region’s vitally important tourism economy and a new
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THE PERTHSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2015 www.perthshirechamber.co.uk
station fund will support enhancements at key rail hubs including Perth and Stirling. Caledonian Sleeper services to/from Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William operate through the region. Operator Serco is committed to introducing a new train fleet in 2018 with improved standards of accommodation, including business berths with en-suite showering facilities. Other improvements will include dedicated Sleeper passenger facilities at key hubs, including Perth, Crianlarich, Stirling and Dundee. Tactran is encouraging Serco to explore the opportunity to develop this offering at other tourism hubs within the region, including Gleneagles and Pitlochry. On 1 March 2015 Virgin Trains East Coast took over running of services between Inverness/Aberdeen and London. A new weekday Stirling – London service will start in December 2015 with more Edinburgh – London services from May 2016. New Intercity Express Programme (IEP) trains will start running from 2018 with more and faster trains being introduced between Edinburgh – London from May 2019. Maintaining and developing these cross-border rail connections is crucial for regional business and leisure/ tourism connectivity. Tactran is a member of the East Coast Mainline Authorities (ECMA) consortium which is pressing the UK and Scottish Governments for increased route investment to release the significant economic growth potential of the regions along the East Coast Main Line. Rail improvements south of Edinburgh need to be supported by delivery of STPR proposals for faster and more frequent rail connections between Aberdeen/Inverness and the Central Belt and extension northwards of the electrified rail network at the earliest possible opportunity. Tactran supports the extension of High Speed Rail (HSR) to/from Scotland but believes this must be accompanied, and ideally preceded, by STPR improvements to our regional rail connectivity to ensure that the economic and other benefits of HSR connectivity extend north of the Central Belt.
TRANSPORT LINKS
Tactran’s Tay Estuary Rail Study and strategy (TERS) has developed short, medium and long term proposals for regional service and infrastructure improvements. These complement national plans for more frequent and faster train services from the north and north east to Edinburgh and Glasgow. The TERS proposals envisage an hourly service between Arbroath and Glasgow with improved frequencies at intermediate stations. Incremental improvements already introduced include increased services at Broughty Ferry, generating a sevenfold increase in passenger demand, and more services at Gleneagles, Invergowrie, Monifieth and Carnoustie. The recent enhancement to Gleneagles Station, delivered in partnership by Perth & Kinross Council, Tactran, Transport Scotland and Network Rail, was a product of the TERS study.
AIR CONNECTIVITY
crucial to maximising the economic growth potential of the ongoing Dundee Waterfront redevelopment and the wider regional business and tourism economy. Airport operator HIAL has recently re-established the Dundee Airport Consultative Forum, which includes Tactran and the Chambers of Commerce for Perth & Kinross, Dundee & Angus and Fife. This will act as a strategic forum to examine and support further development of the airport and air connectivity. Recent announcements that Flybe has applied for Route Development Fund support to introduce a new service between Dundee and Amsterdam is a welcome and positive development. The importance of promoting more effective connections to other key airports outwith the region, in particular Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen, is also recognised in Tactran’s RTS. Through development and implementation of its RTS, Tactran continues to work with Transport Scotland, the rail industry and other stakeholders to further develop and implement proposals for enhancing strategic road, rail and air connectivity across and to/from the region.
BACKGROUND Tayside and Central Scotland Transport Partnership (Tactran) is the Regional Transport Partnership covering the Perth & Kinross, Angus, Dundee City and Stirling Council areas. Through development of and overseeing implementation of its statutory Regional Transport Strategy (RTS) Tactran aims to support regional economic growth and prosperity; to ensure that the region and its communities are well connected and socially inclusive places; and to contribute towards environmental sustainability objectives by reducing the impacts of transport on the environment. Tactran supports the maintenance and development of regional air services and facilities at Dundee Airport and has provided support for the maintenance and marketing of air connections between Dundee and London. Maintaining and developing regional air connectivity is viewed as
More information on Tactran and its activity can be obtained at www.tactran.gov.uk or by contacting Eric Guthrie, Partnership Director at ericguthrie@tactran.gov.uk or on 01738 475771.
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Your business is amazing… … isn’t it a shame no-one can see it here? InCommerce is read by business owners and decision makers … people who buy all kinds of services … if you’re not in here they won’t be contacting you! It’s too late for this issue but there’s always next time Call our Advertising Team on 0141 222 2202
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Making My Mark In The Work Place:
My first tattoo I have decided to get a tattoo. Seriously. It is something which I have been thinking about for the past few months. My colleagues tell me that I am ridiculous, that I am too old for ink, that I will regret it forever and that I am suffering from some kind of mid-life crisis. However none of these comments have yet dissuaded me from the notion. What does the law say about tattoos? As an employment lawyer, I am frequently asked whether workers who are treated differently because of their body art have any legal rights against their employers. Discrimination legislation protects workers against less favourable treatment because of sex, race, religion or belief, age and other protected characteristics. This protection does not however expressly include protection for workers with tattoos. Essentially workers with tattoos have no standalone protection under discrimination legislation. What does an accredited specialist employment lawyer say about tattoos? Having said all of that, certain religions and philosophical beliefs may encourage tattoos. It is unlikely that David Beckham, who has a tattoo of Jesus, would be able to rely upon discrimination legislation if he were treated less favourably because of his tattoo. (I am not convinced that his tattoo is a manifestation of his religion or belief) On the other hand, a Hindu worker who was forced by an employer to cover up a tattoo may have a claim for discrimination because of religion or belief.
Similarly if reliable statistics were to demonstrate that there was a particular disadvantage to a particular age group within the workplace – for example younger workers who were more likely to have tattoos and more likely to get told to cover them up by their employer – a claim of indirect age discrimination could potentially be pursued. Depending on the circumstances of the workplace, there may however be a defence open to the employer for both of these types of claim. What would an employer say about my tattoo? Despite the potential risks outlined above, an employer is still entitled to set a dress code and appearance policy for all its employees. For example, an employer could legitimately create a policy which stipulated that employees could not have visible tattoos, particularly for employees who had customer/client-facing roles. An employer might also want to prohibit any offensive form of tattoo from the workplace and even make express reference to the acceptability (or otherwise) of piercings, hair styles and beards. The same caveats above would apply. Ultimately an employer should take legal advice about the content of such a policy before seeking to enforce it against its workforce. However it would be equally as important to take legal advice about the implementation of such a policy, particularly to a workforce of existing staff. What would my parents say about my tattoo? With a fair degree of certainty, I am sure that my parents will not approve of my proposed tattoo. However with an equal degree of certainty, I can assure you that I will not be telling them. And, if you happen to see them, please keep it up your sleeve (… as will I).
SIMON ALLISON Accredited by the Law Society of Scotland as a Specialist in Employment Law @EmpLawyerSimon simon.allison@blackadders.co.uk
30 & 34 Reform Street, Dundee, DD1 1RJ
T: 01382 229222
www.blackadders.co.uk
NEW MEMBER PROFILES
The Green Hotel The Green Hotel Golf & Leisure Resort is delighted to have joined Perthshire Chamber of Commerce and looks forward to working with them and all other members to help bring more business in to the region.
THE GREEN HOTEL GOLF AND LEISURE RESORT 2 The Muirs, Kinross, KY13 8AS Tel: 01577 863 180 Email: susieritchie@green-hotel.com Website: www.green-hotel.com Contact: Susie Ritchie
The Montgomery family first bought the Green Hotel in 1928 and the Estate has been growing ever since. In the 1970s the first 9 hole golf course was built, then extended to what we know now as the two 18 hole Bruce and Montgomery courses in the 1980s.
In 2008 the Windlestrae Hotel went up for sale and the family bought this to double the amount of bedrooms we could offer guests. From this time, the Resort has become a popular destination for golfers, corporates, families and couples alike. With being based in such a central location with easy access to most of Scotland’s big cities and with so much on our own door step – golf, leisure, spa, various restaurants, fishing, Loch Leven – we have so much to offer our guests. Our aim is to have our guests arrive as guests and leave as friends.
The Home Straight The Home Straight is a new social enterprise offering moving, downsizing and aging in place solutions for older people. The first of its kind in Scotland.
THE HOME STRAIGHT 17 Leighton’s Square, Alyth, PH11 8AQ Tel: 07840 544420 Email: info@thehomestraight.org.uk Website: www.thehomestraight.org.uk Contact: Olivia Robertson
Founded by sisters O livia Robertson and Clare Cooper, The Home Straight’s core offer revolves around helping older people and their families navigate their way through the daunting process of moving and downsizing to a smaller property, sheltered housing, residential care or nursing home, or, advising if adaptations might allow them to continue to live in their current home safely and independently. Their service also offers advice and guidance on improving people’s wellbeing in their current or new environment.
As we grow older, making a decision about where to live is stressful. We don’t always understand the options available and moving home is particularly taxing – mentally and physically – especially if family members are not close by or able to help. The Home Straight’s goal is to support people and their families through this decision-making process.
in place’ and aim to become an invaluable resource across Scotland for the thoughtful planning and cost-effective execution of a major life-changing event.
With 25% of Scotland’s population expected to be over 65 by 2020, and the rollout of self directed support, and in anticipation of a reduction of current levels of state support for older people in the future, Clare and Olivia are convinced that their services will become the “new normal” in helping older adults and families move, downsize or ‘age
Barclays Barclays are delighted to have recently become members of Perthshire Chamber of Commerce at a time of significant opportunity in the area.
BARCLAYS Address: 197 High Street, Perth, PH1 5PB Tel: 07775 545357 Email: david.loughlin@barclays.com Website: www.barclays.co.uk Contact: David Loughlin
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Local head of new Corporate banking business for Barclays, Paul Smith, said: “A successful Chamber can add so much value to businesses of all sizes. We are very pleased to be part of such a thriving business community and aim to play an active role locally for new and existing clients.” Barclays has also appointed David Loughlin as Business Manager for Tayside and Fife. David, Paul and other members of the team work
THE PERTHSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2015 www.perthshirechamber.co.uk
closely together with clients and professional advisers across a wide range of industry sectors. Paul continues: “The banking community has an important role to play in helping clients and supporting growth. This takes different forms depending on individual circumstances and can range from getting to understand the trade and working capital cycle of a customer, to working with clients helping them make the most of the latest technology and digital solutions. “There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach and the key is early and ongoing dialogue regarding future
plans and aspirations. The more your bank understands business goals, the better placed they should be to help, supporting economic growth and local communities.”
NEW MEMBER PROFILES
ABO Wind ABO Wind plans, finances and builds onshore wind farms. Over the coming years the firm intends to invest £390million into projects across Scotland and one of those – Green Burn – is located in Perthshire.
ABO WIND 1 Houstoun Interchange, Livingston, EH54 5DW Tel: 0800 066 5631 Email: uk@abo-wind.com Web: www.abo-wind.co.uk Contact: Lucy Forte
L uc y For te, De velopment Project Manager for Green Burn, explains: “We are committed to taking forward our plan for up to 11-turbines on land at Shieldrum Farm, north west of Alyth, and north east of Bridge of Cally. The existing Drumderg Wind Farm is immediately adjacent to our proposed development. If consented, the wind farm could
provide a regular income for further investment into Sheildrum Farm.” Local communities across Scotland are benefitting tremendously from community benefit funding from wind developers. These funds are supporting community infrastructure and strengthening local economies. Lucy adds: “Green Burn could make a contribution to the surrounding community of up to £165,000 a year for the life of the turbines. We are working with the surrounding communities of Mount Blair, Alyth and Blairgowrie to discuss the distribution of these
potential funds. The working group of community councils, which we have set up, ensures we are removed from this process because local residents are best placed to decide how funds could be spent.” Local business could also benefit from the proposed wind farm as Lucy explains: “We’re in the process of launching a business and skills programme where we are working with Perthshire Chamber of Commerce, Blairgowrie High and Perth College UHI, to promote employment and training opportunities that could emerge from Green Burn Wind Farm.”
ARCHIE Foundation The ARCHIE Foundation is the official charity of Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital, the Highland Children’s Unit and Tayside Children’s Hospital. Our aim is to make a difference for children who need medical care, whether in hospital or in the community, and their families.
THE ARCHIE FOUNDATION TAYSIDE Level 7, Main Concourse, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, DD1 9SY Tel: 01382 496203 Email: emmawhite@archiefoundation.org.uk Website: www.archietayside.org.uk Contact: Emma White
Our geographical reach includes the North East and the Northern Isles, Highland region and the Western Isles (Raigmore Hospital) and Tayside and Fife (Tayside Children’s Hospital). Our Tayside Children’s Hospital appeal is to raise £2million towards a new twin theatre paediatric surgical suite. This will make a huge difference to children currently
having to use adult facilities through the limitations of the current single paediatric operating theatre. We raise the funds to make the difference and all money raised locally is spent in the area in which it is raised – helping local sick children. W hen considering funding applications there are two key questions – “What difference will it make?” and “Should it be core funded?” ARCHIE does not fund those things which the NHS should but within these two qualifications anything else is eligible – from toys to sophisticated equipment,
special training and special staff, parent accommodation, travel and subsidy to keep families together at difficult times, child friendly environments wherever they will be treated, grants, research and much more. The ARCHIE Foundation is not illness specific – it cares for all children who need medical care, whether in hospital or in the community, and it makes a real difference to that care. When people ask how they can help we always say “Whatever you do – do something!”
Blimey Loans Ltd
BLIMEY LOANS 2/13 King James VI Business Centre Friarton Road, Perth PH2 8DY Tel: 01738 583 008 Email: alistair@blimeyloans.co.uk Website: www.blimeyloans.co.uk Contact: Alistair Ewing
Blimey Loans is one of Scotland’s leading Specialist L ending Brokers, trading UK wide from its Perth office. Since the global financial crisis in 2008, the High Street Banks have been struggling to lend enough money to SMEs and with the constant pressure they are under to meet enhanced liquidity ratios, this situation is likely to continue. Blimey and their large panel of secondary, ‘off-High Street’ lenders can help fill this gap. As an intermediary, Blimey offer alternative funding solutions to a rapidly growing market for clients
who have been unable to access suitable lending from their bank and which is usually secured on land or property. This type of lending includes Commercial Mortgages, Secured Loans, Crowd Funding, Bridging and Development Finance. The firm’s target audience is business owners, property investors/ developers, high net worth clients with bespoke lending requirements and also clients who may have some impairment on their credit file. The majority of clients are introduced by a wide panel of IFAs, Mortgage
Brokers and other professional connections. The business is a family firm, which was founded by Finance Brokers Alistair and Murray Ewing together with Chartered Accountant Elaine Scott in 2010 and they continue to form the current management team. They are fully authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and fully accredited by the National Association of Commercial Brokers.
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THE PERTHSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2015 www.perthshirechamber.co.uk
NEW MEMBER PROFILES
Heaven Scent
HEAVEN SCENT 19 South Street Milnathort KY13 9XA Tel: 01577 865577 Email: info@scotthospitalityservices.co.uk Website: www.scotthospitality.co.uk Contact: Andrew Scott
An award winning, artisan coffee shop in the Perthshire village of Milnathort.
occasion. (You also need to walk through the secret entrance to get here).
With an extensive breakfast and lunch menu, plenty gluten free & vegetarian options, children’s menu, home baking & barista coffee, they have something for all. Their dedication to quality and passion for great service is evident in every aspect of Heaven Scent.
They have been awarded the Best of Award for local produce and provenance as well receiving the North East Coffee shop of the Year 2015.
Heaven Scent have also recently opened their new addition, Heavens Above, which is cleverly situated above Heaven Scent. This is available as a private venue for meetings and celebrations. With it’s slightly eccentric décor, it creates the perfect venue for any
If that is not enough, they can also bring the food to you with their outdoor catering service, Heaven Scent Kitchen. From BBQs to buffets, canapé receptions to fine dining, they have the catering solution to any event. Their experienced team and passionate chef ’s are sure to transform any occasion.
Mercedes Benz of Perth Located on the northern fringes of Perth in the Inveralmond Industrial Estate, Mercedes-Benz of Perth extends the city’s famous motor mile towards Huntingtower, showcasing its range of iconic luxury vehicles conveniently from the heart of Scotland.
MERCEDES BENZ OF PERTH Ruthvenfield Road, Perth, PH1 3XF Tel: 01738 477700 Email: steve.g.kirk@arnoldclark.co.uk Website: www.mercedes-benzofperth.co.uk Contact: Steve Kirk
Now fully operational from its Ruthvenfield Road location (just off the Inveralmond Roundabout) as an Arnold Clark partnered branch, Mercedes-Benz of Perth offers a range of cost-effective solutions to cater to discerning business customers. Whether you’re in search of a contract hire vehicle to add a touch of luxury to the daily commute or a fleet of up to 100 cars to get the job done, our dedicated local business
development manager Steve Kirk ensures each and every customer receives the star treatment in branch. What’s more, business users can expect invitations to our exclusive preview events, membership of our business club and complimentary advice and expertise on tax, company car hire and more. With ample parking on-site, an extensive range of cars from which to choose and a fully equipped Service department manned by experienced technicians, Mercedes-Benz of Perth has everything you need to travel in comfort, style and safety.
its place ahead of the competition through its top of the range research and development. With the incredible customer deals and compelling business contract rates on offer to you from the partnership of Mercedes-Benz and Arnold Clark, these spectacular vehicles are now well within your reach.
Mercedes-Benz has long been recognised as an industry leader for innovation and quality, defining
Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust
PERTH AND KINROSS COUNTRYSIDE TRUST Pullar House 35 Kinnoull Street, Perth PH1 5GD Tel: 01738 476 580 Email: morag.watson@pkct.org Website: www.pkct.org Contact: Morag Wilson
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Founded in 1997, the Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust (PKCT) is an independent charity working across the whole of Perth and Kinross. PKCT aims to increase access to the countryside and make Perth and Kinross the destination in Scotland for visitors looking to enjoy the countryside.
doubling or tripling the amount of money available for projects.
Supported by The Gannochy Trust, Perth and Kinross Council, the Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), PKCT brings together partnerships that span public bodies, private landowners and local communities. PKCT also accesses funds from the National Lottery, charitable trusts, grant schemes and businesses; often
PKCT is also working in partnership with the Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust, The Gannochy Trust and Perth and Kinross Council to deliver the Tay Landscape Partnership (TayLP). This is a £2.6 million Heritage Lottery Funded 4-year project.
THE PERTHSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2015 www.perthshirechamber.co.uk
PKCT manages the Cateran Trail long distance route and the Perthshire Big Tree Country initiative. Together these bring over £2 million a year into the local economy.
The TayLP will restore and improve access to natural and historic
features in the Tay landscape area; boost visitor numbers; provide training opportunities for people in local, traditional skills; and link with broader investment in Dundee, Perth and Fife, to support sustainable economic development. PKCT regularly works with business partners to deliver economic development across Perth and Kinross and welcomes businesses that would like to join their supporters’ network.
NEW MEMBER PROFILES
CHAS
CHILDREN’S HOSPICE ASSOCIATION SCOTLAND 3 High Street, Kinross, KY13 8AW Tel: 01577 865222 Email: alisonrennie@chas.org.uk Website: www.chas.org.uk Contact: Alison Rennie
CHAS is the Children’s Hospice Association Scotland. We are the only charity providing hospice services in Scotland for babies, children and young people with life-shortening conditions. Lifeshortening because no amount of medicine – or love – can cure them. Caring for a child with a life-shortening condition can place unimaginable demands on families, physically and emotionally. Quite simply, we are here to lighten their load.
Chamber of Commerce and are looking forward to making lots of new connections.
Here at our Perth fundraising office we look after all the CHAS supporters in the Perth and Perthshire areas. We are delighted to have joined the Perthshire
As we need, across Scotland, to raise over £9 million each year, any support you can offer is hugely appreciated.
One quick and easy way for businesses to support us it through donating the charges for the bag levy which came into place last October. Customers must pay for any bags they use and the money raised must be given to a charity. If you think this is something that might suit your business, please do just get in contact.
Perth and Kinross Credit Union Supporting local people with ethical finance.
PERTH AND KINROSS CREDIT UNION 280 High Street, Perth, PH1 5QS Tel: 01738 624872 Email: info@pkcu.org.uk Website: www.pkcu.org.uk Contact: Anne Walker
Perth and Kinross Credit Union (PKCU) opened its doors for the first time in April 2014 and has gained an impressive 500 members in its first year. PKCU recently joined Perthshire Chamber of Commerce and the Board are looking forward to working with businesses across the area to offer local, ethical finance to their employees. PKCU encourages employers to partner with us to help promote the value of saving regularly and ethically to their employees. These employers can allow members to save directly from their salaries.
Advantages to employers include: • Improved productivity and decreased absenteeism as workers have less financerelated stress. • Evidence that your organisation is sensitive and proactive to the needs of its employees, increasing goodwill and attracting quality workers. • The potential for promoting your business or organisation to all our members. This could be through a link from our website or other promotional opportunities.
is a form of corporate social responsibility and shows your commitment in supporting local initiatives. Euan Walker, Chair of the Board, said: “Credit unions are ethical lenders and part of our remit is financial education. We encourage savings, even at modest levels, and are then in a position to help savers with responsible loans if they need them at a later date. Everyone benefits from having some money put aside, and many employers find payroll deduction a useful service to offer. Having savings gives employees peace of mind should an emergency arise.”
• Promoting Perth and Kinross Credit Union to your employees
Blackadders
BLACKADDERS LLP 2 Tay Street, Perth, PH1 5LJ Tel: 01738 440088 Email: Nicola.porter@blackadders.co.uk Website: www.blackadders.co.uk Contact: Nicola Porter
Blackadders provide a comprehensive range of legal ser vices to individuals and businesses. We are a long established law firm with offices in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Perth. Our ability to adapt to our clients’ changing needs and to anticipate how circumstances may change has helped us in our delivery of quality legal services and has contributed to our diverse, loyal and growing client base. Our lawyers are trusted by individuals, families, businesses, public bodies and not-for-profit organisations across Scotland. We also regularly help many clients doing business internationally and advise clients outside Scotland on Scottish business. Our clients
range from private individuals to SMEs to FTSE 100 companies and high-growth, high-tech startups to professional partnerships We provide expert advice in many types of work – in particular residential and commercial property; estate agency; rural land and business; wills, trusts and executries; personal taxation; family law; dispute resolution; corporate & commercial law; employment law and wealth management. For more information please contact us on 01738 440088 or visit our website
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THE PERTHSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2015 www.perthshirechamber.co.uk
BUSINESS SUPPORT
HOLIDAY PAY CLAIMS
DELEGATION OR ABDICATION?
W
hen I deliver Rowan Consultancy’s “Management Today” course, delegation is the topic which sparks the most interest – and action!
A
Why delegate? I used to deliver all Rowan’s training, this limited our growth. I learnt to recruit, develop and delegate to other trainers. Not only could the business do more training, but I was also freed up to explore other markets. recent landmark case has changed the way in which holiday pay must be calculated by employers for workers who work overtime.
The ruling in the Bear Scotland v Fulton & Others case stated that non-guaranteed overtime must be factored in when calculating holiday pay – ultimately meaning that many workers have been underpaid what they are due for holiday pay. Although a positive outcome for employees, the rules on taking a claim to an employment tribunal are quite complicated. A worker must raise a claim within three months of the deduction being made (i.e. the failure to pay them correctly) or within three months of the last deduction of a series. The tribunal is very strict about these time limits.
Delegation requires short-term effort for long-term gain, but good leaders act for the long-term. “They won’t do it as well as me” she adds. Maybe so – but what’s the alternative? How much does it matter, if it’s not done as well ? It’s sobering to realise how often the answer is “Not much”. And how will they learn to do it better if you don’t let them practice? Delegation does not mean abdicating your responsibility. Here are 3 top tips:
The effect of this judgment is significant for both employees and employers but the biggest relief for employers is the decision to severely limit past claims.
1. Set clear objectives
The tribunal has decided to close down the possibility of past claims stretching back years by stating that if workers take periods of holiday more than three months’ apart this could remove their right to make claims relating to previous holiday periods.
3. Set a monitoring schedule
Although this will cause limitations on historical claims, employers who pay workers overtime still must consider how to deal with future holiday pay and may wish to review their overtime policies. Business may also wish to try and settle any historic claims, which will most likely only have a small value. Provided by Debbie Fellows, Thorntons Law LLP Email: dfellows@thorntons-law.co.uk Tel: 01382 229111 Web: www.thorntons-law.co.uk
Debbie Fellows, Thorntons Solicitors
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“But it takes so long to explain to someone how to do it” the Reluctant Delegator cries.
THE PERTHSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2015 www.perthshirechamber.co.uk
2. Set clear parameters
If you are a perfectionist or a micro-manager, then delegation will be a real challenge for you. Tips will help, but real change is more likely to come from management training or individual coaching. Rowan’s “Management Today” course , running in Perth on November 3rdh, may be the support you or your staff need. It’s designed for those new to a management role and covers management styles, change, planning, monitoring and review, as well as delegation. Provided By Rachel Weiss, Rowan Consultancy Email: rachel.weiss@rowan-consultancy.co.uk Tel: 01738 562005 Web: www.rowan-consultancy.co.uk
Rachel Weiss, Rowan Consultancy
Ford Transit Centre
for your commercial vehicles and fleet fleet Visit us to view the all-new Transit Family. Family.
macrae&dick . Outstanding Outstanding
Macrae & Dick Macrae Macrae & & Dick Dick Ford Transit Centre, Ford Ford Transit Transit Centre, Centre, Dunkeld Road, Perth PH1 3AA Dunkeld Dunkeld Road, Road, Perth Perth PH1 PH13AA 3AA
01738 01738 01738 625121 625121 625121
www.macraeanddickvans.co.uk www.macraeanddickvans.co.uk
The Carrick on Loch Lomond Corporate and Society Packages…
79 per person
...from £
The Carrick on Loch Lomond championship course is a must in any 2015 golf calendar. All 18 holes on the course will inspire every standard of golfer, making you want to play each hole again and again. Your Golf Day is important to us and we set the standard from the start with a warm welcome from our Professional Golf Team. As you relax in our exclusive Claret Jug Clubhouse and bar, before and after you’ve played, our restaurant staff will look after your every need. This is not just a golf day, this is a Carrick at Loch Lomond Golf Day.
Play 18 holes of championship golf on The Carrick on Loch Lomond from Bespoke packages available.
£
79
per person
To book your 2015 Golf Day, call 01389 727611 or email: golfsales@cameronhouse.co.uk The Carrick on Loch Lomond | Dunbartonshire | G83 8QZ | www.cameronhouse.co.uk Subject to availability. Terms and conditions apply.
Service • Reliability • Quality • Integrity One of Europe’s foremost non-destructive testing organisations. Inspection Ecosse Limited offer specialised Non Destructive Testing including Radiographic, Ultrasonic, Dye Penetrant and Magnetic Particle Inspections, with fully qualified technicians. We operate in all industries including: • Oil Refining • Petrochemicals • Engineering • Shipping • Power Supply • Food and Brewing • Non Destructive Testing A vital role in a variety of industrial, commercial and service applications. Inspection Ecosse Ltd., Unit 1D, Laurieston Industrial Estate, Old Redding Road, Falkirk FK2 9JU www.inspectionecosse.com
Tel: 01324 627 772
THE TRADITIONAL CONCEPT for the provision of dental treatment is being re-written by Blackhills Specialist Dental Clinic in Perthshire. Clinic Director, Paul Stone explains: “Dentistry has become increasingly technical and complex with sophisticated equipment, materials and additional skills now required to deliver the most up to date treatments. For many general dentists this means they are not always able to deliver all the possible treatment options for their patients”. Blackhills Clinic was established over eight years ago and is a team of Registered Specialists working together as a team, providing complex adult dental treatment in a purposebuilt clinic close to the main A9 just south of Perth. Patients referred by their own dentist (or contact the clinic directly), receive the necessary treatment and then return back to their
dentist for continuing care. This provides the best of both worlds for the patient. A Registered Dental Specialist has undergone additional training and education over several years and has been formally recognised for this by the UK regulatory body, the General Dental Council. At Blackhills Clinic a team of 7 specialists, covering all the adult dental specialties, treat patients from all over Scotland and further afield. Paul explained “Patients often see more than one specialist in order to deliver the more complex and implant-based treatments, ensuring that the highest levels of expertise and skill are provided”. This is a unique arrangement and provides an outstanding service to patients and dentists; a “Unique Selling Point” that is proving to be very successful for the Perthshire team.
For further information please contact Blackhills Clinic Manager Trudie Imrie on 01764-664446
ADVERTISING FEATURE
Blackhills Specialist Dental Clinic Explains its USP
EVENTS 2015 JULY Tuesday 7th
Networking Breakfast
07:30 – 08:45
King James VI Business Centre
Perth
£10 + VAT Members £12 +VAT Non-members
Friday 31st
Networking Breakfast
09.00 – 10.00
Perth Show
Perth
£10 + VAT Members £12 +VAT Non-members
Training Session – Creative Team Building
11:00 – 14:00
Saltire House
Perth
£130 + VAT Members £160 + VAT Non-members
Afternoon Event
Murrayshall
Scone
£60 per person £200 per team
AUGUST Wednesday 19th
Friday 28th August Chamber Annual Golf Day
SEPTEMBER Wednesday 2nd
Networking Breakfast
07:30 – 08:45
The Famous Grouse Experience
Crieff
£10 + VAT Members £12 +VAT Non-members
Wednesday 16th
Training Session – Raising Your Game
09:30 – 16:30
Saltire House
Perth
£155 Members £195 Non-members
Tuesday 22nd
Training Session – Strengthscope Accreditation Workshop
09:00 – 17:00
Saltire House
Perth
£600 + VAT
Wednesday 23rd
Training Session – Developing Strategic Marketing for Small Business
17:00 – 20:00
Saltire House
Perth
£130 + VAT Members £160 + VAT Non-members
Tuesday 6th
Networking Breakfast
07:30 – 08:45
Cafe Active, Bells Sports Centre
Perth
£10 + VAT Members £12 +VAT Non-members
Wednesday 21st
Training Session – Lonely at the Top
17:00 – 20:00
Saltire House
Perth
£130 + VAT Members £160 + VAT Non-members
Thursday 22nd
Training Session – Increasing your Personal Impact
09:30 – 16:30
Saltire House
Perth
£155 Members £195 Non-members
Tuesday 3rd
Training Session – Management Today
09:30 – 15:30
Rowan Consultancy
Perth
£350 + VAT (10% discount for Chamber members)
Tuesday 9th & Wednesday 10th
Mediation Skills for HR
09:30 – 16:30 & 09:30 – 12:30
Rowan Consultancy
Perth
£275 + VAT (10% discount for Chamber members)
Friday 20th
Business Star Awards 2015
Evening Event
The Crieff Hydro Hotel
Crieff
£65 + VAT
Wednesday 18th
Training Session – Conflict
09:30 – 16:30
Saltire House
Perth
£155 Members £195 Non-members
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
Our very successful series of monthly Networking Breakfasts continue with a focus on both city centre and rural venues. As these run from 7.30am until 8.45am they allow you to attend the event without eating into your working day.
Early Birtds Breakfas
The format is mingling from 7.30am until 8.00am and then we all take our seats and go round the table for a one minute introduction to our companies. Our Platinum, Gold and Silver Partners are entitled to five minutes and we usually have an informative and interesting welcome from our host.
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ensures that everyone in the room has heard about your business and for you to hear – ONCE – about all of theirs. You can then follow up or swap contact details with those of interest. These events are a great personal development opportunity and anyone can attend from your business and sometimes it’s nice to meet people from different levels and departments of a company. The lure of a lovely hot filled roll and fresh tea and coffee helps the morning flow and sets you up for the day.
We are all finished by 8.45am with many members staying behind to network further.
Our next breakfast is at King James VI Business Centre in Perth in early July and we would love to see you there.
A full list of attendees is given out on arrival and this allows you to interact specifically with those relevant to your business before we take our seats. This structured format is informal but
For bookings or further information please contact the Chamber office on 01738 448325 or email events@ perthshirechamber.co.uk or refer to the website www.perthshirechamber.co.uk.
THE PERTHSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2015 www.perthshirechamber.co.uk
LIFESTYLE
PERTHSHIRE – THE PERFECT STAGE FOR EVENTS AND LEISURE For those in search of the great outdoors, Perthshire provides an unrivalled playground capable of satisfying all tastes. The area’s outstanding natural beauty provides a stunning backdrop for a wide of range of activities. Walkers and cyclists find Perthshire particularly attractive, with routes ranging from waymarked forest trails to rugged paths in the mountains. All of Scotland’s iconic ‘big five’ species of wildlife can be found in Perthshire: red squirrels, otters, red deer, golden eagles and harbour seals. But there is also world-class fishing to enjoy, white water rafting, the UK’s only permanent static bungee jumping experience – off the Garry Bridge by Pitlochry – and an unsurpassed range of golf courses to satisfy all abilities, including 2014 Ryder Cup host, the PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles.
Annual festivals of arts and music bring international artists to the area, while events such as the Rewind Festival, the Southern Fried Festival and T in the Park, appeal to music fans of all ages, whether living in the region or beyond.
Some Event Highlights – Summer 2015 The Scottish Game Fair 3-5 July – Scone Palace T in the Park 10-12 July – Strathallan Castle Macmillan Cycletta Scotland 24/7 – Scone Palace Southern Fried American Music Festival 30/7 – Perth (various venues)
The area boasts one of Scotland’s best sporting event portfolios; with The Blair Castle International Horse Trials, Etape Caledonia and the Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally just some of the highlights running alongside a regular programme of race meetings at the beautiful Perth Racecourse.
Perth Show 31st July – 1st August – South Inch, Perth
Alongside this incredible outdoor offering, Perth Concert Hall, Perth Theatre and Pitlochry Festival Theatre generate a thriving cultural scene, alongside arts centres such as Perth Museums and Art Gallery, the Fergusson Gallery and Birnam Arts and Conference Centre.
Perth Highland Games 9th August – North Inch Perth
Perth Kilt Run, Half Marathon and Kilt Walk North Inch, Perth
kay roxby / Shutterstock.com
For a full list of events taking place across Perth and Kinross visit www.pkc.gov.uk/events
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THE PERTHSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2015 www.perthshirechamber.co.uk
MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
T
he Chamber is an independent, voluntary, non-profit making, nonpolitical business organisation dedicated to the furtherance of members’ interests. It is the largest private sector business support organisation in Britain. The Perthshire Chamber of Commerce has a voluntary Board of Directors from all over Perthshire and a wide range of business sectors.
rship Membe s Benefit
Perthshire Chamber has two paid full-time members of staff including Chief Executive, Vicki Unite, based at the Chamber’s office at the Perth Business Centre, Saltire House, 3 Whitefriars Crescent, Perth, PH2 0PA.
CHAMBER SERVICES THE CHAMBER HR service provides businesses with access to professional HR advice and a raft of documentation including contracts and staff handbooks.
CHAMBER TRAINING COURSES Chamber members can take advantage of great rates through the Chamber’s exclusive training opportunities.
CHAMBER LEGAL EXPENSES AND 24 HOUR LEGAL HELPLINE Safeguard your business against the unexpected costs of professional legal services and get legal cover of up to £670,000 as well as access to a 24/7 helpline.
SCOTTISH CHAMBERS FOREIGN EXCHANGE Scottish Chambers FX has direct access to the wholesale currency markets and is able to pass on the resultant savings to members. SCFX charges no fees for transactions in excess of £5K and doesn’t charge commission.
CHAMBER MERCHANT SERVICES Process debit and credit card payments with discounted transaction fees, reduced terminal hire costs and no service fees. CHAMBER HEALTHCARE Help to reduce sickness absence and improve staff motivation with a choice of two great schemes. CHAMBER ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE Receive up to 61% on the cost of breakdown cover (for members of participating accredited Chambers only). CHAMBER FINANCE In partnership with RBS / NatWest we are able to offer 3 years free business banking for start ups, one year free business banking for those that switch accounts, discounted rates with RBS Invoice Finance. BUSINESS MENTORING Business Mentoring is a free service for Chamber members to link those looking for a mentor with those wishing to support new, local businesses and use their extensive business experience by mentoring another.
JUMPSTART AT THE CHAMBERS Jumpstart offer Chamber members a helping hand in securing R&D tax credits. From April 2012, companies have been able to deduct up to 225% of qualifying expenditure when calculating their profit for tax purposes. What’s more, they can claim R&D tax relief on expenditure that’s up to three years old. CHAMBER EVENTS Events include: Regular lunch and early evening events, monthly networking breakfasts, annual golf day and annual Business Star Awards. Plus many more including procurement and training events REPRESENTATION The Chamber is represented on a variety of organisations and committees. It has regular meetings with the Council, local MPs, MSPs and MEPs. The Chamber is in a stronger negotiating position than individual members and uses its bargaining power for the benefit of members. PCC is affiliated to British and Scottish Chambers of Commerce and through the latter’s Council ensures that Perth & Kinross issues get heard at national level.
How much is Chamber membership worth now? ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS
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CATEGORY
SIZE OF BUSINESS
RATE
BAND A BAND B BAND C BAND D BAND E BAND F BAND G
1-5 EMPLOYEES 6-10 EMPLOYEES 11-25 EMPLOYEES 26-50 EMPLOYEES 51-100 EMPLOYEES 101-250 EMPLOYEES OVER 250 EMPLOYEES
£ 139 £ 165 £ 207 £ 260 £ 384 £ 480 £ 526
VAT
TOTAL INC VAT £ 27.80 £ 166.80 £ 33.00 £ 198.00 £ 41.40 £ 248.40 £ 52.00 £ 312.00 £ 76.80 £ 460.80 £ 96.00 £ 576.00 £ 105.20 £ 631.20
THE PERTHSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2015 www.perthshirechamber.co.uk
Contact the Chamber office on 01738 448325 or email info@perthshirechamber.co.uk for further details on any of the above or refer to the website www.perthshirechamber.co.uk
www.callumwalker.com
A Scottish based award winning studio with partnerships to Charles Yorke, Valcucine and Bauformat KITCHENS
BEDROOMS
BATHROOMS
STUDIES
Ruthvenfield Road, Inveralmond, Perth PH1 3EE
Opening Hours
Tel: 01738 638822
Monday to Friday: 9am - 5pm
Email: enquiries@callumwalker.com
www.callumwalker.com
Saturday: 10am - 4.30pm
A reputation built on trust. Our intuitive understanding of our clients’ needs has allowed us Contact Numbers
to build strong and long lasting relationships with those we act for.
Aberdeen
01224 588913
Dundee
01382 229222
We advise a wide range of businesses from Blue-chip companies
Edinburgh
0131 222 8000
through to small family run firms but our approach to each client
Perth
01738 440088
remains the same – we use our expertise and knowledge to deliver the results they need on time and on budget.
www.blackadders.co.uk