Business Now Winter 2020

BUSINESS NOW

Putting the Now in Business

Ruaridh Jackson, Rugby Legend, Launches a New Venture‌..From the Garden Shed!

The Importance of Business Networking Does return to work mean a mental health crisis?

Local Butcher Ensures a Festive Feast Issue 21 Winter 2020/21

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Issue 21 Winter 2020/21

Issue 21 Winter 2020/21

Putting the Now in Business

Face-to-face networking is off the cards for a while...

...so how can you keep making connections?

Get ahead of your competitors and ZOOM into online networking!

• Structured one-hour meetings • Reconnect with existing ones • Make valuable new contacts

• FREE for existing BNS Members • Spaces are strictly limited • £20+vat per meeting for guests

Book your place now @ www.businessnetworkscotland.co.uk or call 01224 865466 to secure your spot before someone else does!

SECTION HEADER INTRO & CONTENTS

Welcome to the 19th issue of As we continue to be submerged in constant news of the coronavirus epidemic with changing rules and boundaries, it would be impossible to ignore its impact so several topics are at the forefront in this edition. We take a look at the consequences of the pandemic on our mental health and examine what it’s like to work from home.

Business coach, Jonathan Smith, gives some insight in how to engage with your team as the new normal emerges.

On a lighter note our cover story features rugby legend Rharidh Jackson who has successfully made the transition from rugby field to gin production. Yes! You heard me right. Rhuaridh and former Scotland prop Ryan Grant with wives Kirstin and Maxine have created an environmentally friendly unique gin from a shed in the back garden!!

My coffee companion this month is Graham McWilliam managing director at Glencraft the highly successful manufacturer of luxury mattresses which are truly ‘fit for a Queen!’

Our colleague, graduate Nadia Hassan, gives us an insight into life after university and looks at Rishi Sunak’s ‘Kickstart’ scheme.

There’s relevant business and energy news snippets and lots of engaging features as well as the usual update on the ‘movers and shakers’ in our Appointments pages.

This will be the last Business Now of the year so may I take this opportunity to wish you a festive period filled with joy and laughter and hopefully shared with lots of family.

Eric W. Farquharson - Editor

Networking may be your only choice...

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Business

networking

has

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P6-7

On the Cover Gin Provides a Tonic for Rugby Legend One suspects gin has played a part in rugby off-field antics for many years, but for one of Scotland’s most respected players it has become a heady mix in his now varied career.

Okay 2020, what am I going to do now?

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Five days work now done in four!

been

Graduate Nadia Hassan gives her

Homeworking

around for a long time but it’s even

views on entering the jobs market at

productivity. Could this transform the

more important today

this uncertain time

way we approach our working week?

Editor

Eric Farquharson editor@business-now.co.uk

Design

Jennifer McAdam studio@business-now.co.uk

boosts

Advertising Enquiries Telephone: (01224) 865466 Simon M Morgan simon@business-now.co.uk

On the Cover

enquiries@business-now.co.uk

Ruaridh Jackson & Ryan Grant

Published by House of Morgan (Scotland) Ltd, 479 North Deeside Road, Cults, Aberdeen, AB15 9TJ

(01224) 865466 www.business-now.co.uk Printed by Buxton Press UK

Business Now are grateful to all who have submitted articles and photographs for inclusion in this issue. Materials submitted are accepted in good faith. Adverts prepared on behalf of clients remain the copyright of House of Morgan (Scotland) Ltd, the publishers. Great care is taken to ensure accuracy of details but liability cannot be accepted for errors or omissions. Any views or opinions expressed by columnists or interviewees are their own and do not represent those of House of Morgan (Scotland) Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication maybe reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means without the written permission of the publisher.

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Britain’s

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A Traditional family butcher in the West End of Aberdeen

Christmas Dinner at home doesn’t have to be a chore – Chattan Quality Butchers have all you’ll need to make your festive feast a success

P.54

Small Businesses face a mental health crisis

Do small businesses face a mental

Index Networking............................ 8 - 9

health crisis as their employees

Feature.....................................10

return to work after lockdown?

Business............................ 11 -13 I.T......................................14 - 17 Feature..............................18 - 19 Elevator. ............................20 - 21 Feature..............................22 - 23 Energy News.......................26 - 27 Feature..............................28 - 29

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Coffee With........................30 - 31

My coffee companion in

Business Community..........32 - 33

this edition is Graham

Features.............................34 - 43

McWilliam, M.D. at

Property.............................44 - 47

Glencraft, makers of

Feature..............................48 - 55

luxury mattresses that

Appointments.....................56 - 57

are truly fit for a Queen!

Winners.............................58 - 59

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Gin Provides a Tonic for Rugby Legend One suspects gin has played a part in rugby off-field antics for many years, but for one of Scotland’s most respected players it has become a heady mix in his now varied career.

Ruaridh Jackson, an adopted Aberdeen loon, responsible for 13 years of on pitch tension, excitement and emotion has left the rugby playing field to develop his coaching skills with Glasgow Accies’. But it’s for his off-pitch activities that he’s receiving his most recent accolades.

Ruaridh has set up the Garden Shed Drinks Company with fellow Glasgow Warriors graduate and Scotland prop, Ryan Grant. Their business has now grown some way beyond its humble beginnings and Ruaridh is looking forward to taking on a more involved role when he finally hangs up his boots.

shed to distribute as and when they could, but things went to another level. They spoke to Eden Mill who allowed them to use their stills and consequently produce bigger batches. This meant the team could focus on distribution by supplying wholesalers, bars, restaurants and retailers. It’s now a serious business. So much so that, in their first year of trading, they were nominated for best London dry gin at the 2018 Scottish Gin Awards. Also, in that first year they were totally blown away when their gin won a silver medal at the San Fransisco World Spirits competition and have gone on to win a gold medal in the International Spirits Competition.

However, The Garden Shed Drinks Company is much more than a revenue making enterprise. The ethos of the company is not only to make delicious spirits but to give back to nature by supporting Scottish charities. With deforestation at an unprecedented level, they plant for a tree for every case sold. The company has teamed up with Trees4Scotland in an effort to ‘do their bit’. Also, as the bumblebee population has crashed, they have chosen to donate a portion of their profits towards the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. What better way to help the team in their endeavours than to sit, guilt free, sipping a Garden Shed gin?

The duo are joined in the enterprise by their wives Kirstin and Maxine who share the dream of making fresh and delicious gin in the most environmentally responsible way. The idea behind Garden Shed Gin evolved when a group of friends were enjoying a few beers in Glasgow’s west end after a recent visit to a local distillery. Following the usual joking around, they soon got chatting about the idea of creating their own gin brand. As the chatting went on the more the idea grew and after a few more drinks and delusions of grandeur, the Garden Shed Drinks Company was born.

All four partners in the business are in tune with their development plan and each has a role to play. Maxine provides one half of the creative mind behind all the branding and design and is the perfectionist of the group keeping standards high. Kirstin’s role is to keep spirits high, graphics on point and sample the newest drinks on the shelves. Ryan, who has a bachelors’ degree in environmental science, is at the fore front of creative ways to keep the Garden Shed Drinks Company as environmentally friendly as possible. Ruaridh, who grew up with a longing for the outdoors has a passion to help the environment and he feels the complexity and variety within all aspects of the drinks industry means you can never stop learning.

The key to their success is the many local ingredients they use. The botanicals found on their doorstep ranging from wild blackberries to dandelion roots and lavender. Their first gin was launched at Christmas just over two years ago when they sold their first selection of bottles to a local store in Glasgow and, since then, there has been no looking back. Today you can find their gin in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, London and are also exporting across the globe.

For a list of stockists (Including Dobbies Garden Centre Food Halls) and to shop online visit thegardensheddrinksco.com.

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COVER STORY

Their original plan was to make small batches in their garden

NETWORKING

Networking may be your only choice ‌ In days gone by, before the introduction of the internet and before the telephone was used to assist in business growth, people had to physically meet with their customers to make and build a business relationship.

Geographically you were limited to as far as your horse could travel. From that and through ongoing regular communications favourable trading terms were identified. As business opportunities grew so did the business. Circa 1876 and the invention of the telephone. This lifted some geographical barriers and we sought to travel even more. Circa 1960 saw the invention of the internet but we had to wait until the early

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1990’s for the web to do exactly the same but on a much larger scale. And yet we sought out even more horizons because we actually enjoyed exploring the variety of new places, new people and new relationships we found. It is, after, all in our DNA to be adventurous, curious and sociable.

Our human instincts and ability to physically do what we used to do pre-Covid-19 have been paused for more than 8 months now.

Well, networking still works and remains as important as ever, in fact, even more so.

Are we achieving the same results with virtual networking as we did when we used to meet up in the good old pre Covid days which, after all, was only 8 months ago? Absolutely we are and there is another reason for this. Previously some companies did not fully engage with networking for whatever reason. The main excuse being that they did not need to. Business was just happening! It was easy! The decision makers didn’t necessarily see the value or the need for being out there networking and, or, left that to others. This has changed.

Since March networking has evolved from face to face meetings to virtual contact and many businesses are embracing the new normal and thriving on it. Admittedly part of this is down to necessity but after we clear Covid-19 the virtual options we have adopted will remain and be part of the way businesses engage and dovetail with previous contact methods.

Another consequence of the past 8 months is that now there are a higher proportion of business owners, directors and senior managers networking on a regular basis. At a recent Business Network Scotland virtual event only 5 attending out of 50 were not a business owner or director. These remaining 5 were, however, senior managers.

Knowing that the months ahead will consist of more of the same, with very little face to face contact, or business travel and more working in a home based office environment, masked with the smell of hand sanitiser filling the air,. what are we going to do about it? How do businesses survive?

The main advantages of virtual networking are • Time – virtual events are more time efficient • No travelling time • Less ice breaking time • Quicker response times when connections are made sometimes immdediately.

• Cost – virtual events are a lot cheaper • Often free or included in annual membership costs • No refreshments to buy • No vehicle costs for travelling • Multitasking is the norm …

• Instant connections are made and acted on • Online connections are made during events • Follow ups are much quicker

For many networking is not a new thing. For many they are building on what they have being doing for years and consequently are ahead of game. For others who have just got started they see the benefits of networking and see the positive difference being involved in a friendly proactive network.

Business Network Scotland has been active for nearly 20 years and in March this year moved face to face events to virtual. Events now happen weekly each Thursday from midday onwards. Membership has grown by over 40% in the last 3 months. For members old and new this enables them to continue to get actively involved in building relationships and referring business contacts. Consequently, it helps their business thrive and importantly puts them in a stronger position when the threat of the pandemic is over.

Exactly how we will look back and best explain the time of Covid-19 to the next generation no one knows as we still have no conclusive end in sight. Our need to be proactive in the virtual world is real so we simply have to embrace it. After all, if we don’t, our businesses just might not be around as long as they could have been! 

Book your place now @ www.businessnetworkscotland.co.uk or call 01224 865466 to secure your spot before someone else does!

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NETWORKING

So, what have learned and how have we adapted?

BUSINESS NEWS

Are you still using a pen and paper check in system?

Virtual Check In is the answer to many key questions in these challenging times.

CLAN Cancer Support provide emotional and practical assistance to people affected by cancer across the north-east of Scotland, Moray, Orkney and Shetland.

Virtual Check In is the system of choice to protect their vulnerable visitors, they have removed all unnecessary touchpoints – a bonus for the immunocompromised.

“At CLAN our priority is ensuring our clients and staff feel safe while accessing vital cancer support services. The team at Virtual Check In have made the implementation of a track and trace system simple and user friendly, professional and helpful support at every stage providing a great secure solution with minimal hassle.”

Launched in 2020, Virtual Check In is a safe web-based, contactless sign in system designed to meet the requirements of compulsory Covid-19 record & trace guidelines. It is GDPR compliant and ideal for every organisation - commercial, high street, hospitality or leisure - that needs to record and track people coming in and out of their sites, entrances and reception areas. There are currently over 200,000 users across the UK and Virtual Check In will easily hit the goal of one million users before the end of the year.

Why choose Virtual Check In? ✓ No start-up costs - just a simple monthly subscription ✓ No paperwork - as a VCI monthly subscriber, you would display a unique QR code on a screen or as a printed sign at your business entrance. ✓ No apps to download - after scanning the QR code, your visitor will follow the pop-up registration process that takes 30-60 seconds to autofill their necessary personal details which can be bespoke to the subscriber’s organisation. ✓ Remember previous users – so subsequent check ins take only 10 seconds with a scan and confirmation process. Check out is by a simple push of the check-out button or auto check out feature.

What are the subscribers saying?

Kippie Lodge, Aberdeen based Sports and Country Club needed to be able to track and record their staff and members’ journeys daily hygienically and simply. The ability to create unique codes for each venue in the complex meant Virtual Check In was the perfect solution.

“I would recommend this to any business or venue. It’s taken a great deal of pressure off our staff. It’s very straightforward. We are extremely satisfied with Virtual Check In and the peace of mind it’s brought everyone.”

Nicky Caldwell, Marketing Manager

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Sarah Cuthill, Facilities Administrator

What other ways are organisations using Virtual Check In? With clients like Crane Worldwide, Rever, Elevator and Norsea House, now using Virtual Check In as the entrance solution of choice, businesses are realising Health and Safety benefits. They now know who is on site in real time, it’s an aid to employee timekeeping, it helps in the event of evacuation, alongside with the Covid-19 compliance benefits with staff returning to work.

What about after Covid-19?

Virtual Check In is the most simple, safe and secure solution that can become a core part of a company’s Health and Safety Process and Office Management practice. The goal is to rid pen and paper sign in sheets, and even iPads, from every business entrance.

NO START-UP COSTS NO PAPERWORK NO APPS TO DOWNLOAD Book a 15min demo to see how it can work for you…www.virtualcheckin.io 

small businesses with the Amazon Small Business Accelerator, providing 200,000 companies with free training on a variety of topics to help them start, sustain and grow their businesses, and in November we’re waiving the first three months of professional subscription fees for

More than 600 million products sold by UK small businesses on Amazon’s stores globally in one year

businesses who want to start selling their products on Amazon.

Amazon has published the ‘2020 Amazon UK SME Impact Report’, highlighting how the company supports tens of thousands of UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including independent sellers, authors, content creators, delivery providers and developers. Despite the impact COVID-19 has had on small businesses, many UK SMEs working with Amazon have been able to grow their businesses. From March – July 2020, SMEs accounted for more than 60% of sales on Amazon’s stores.

and opportunities to succeed – whether selling their products online, running delivery and logistics companies, using the cloud to launch and scale their publishing their own books.

• Sold more than 600 million products in their stores, up from 500 million year-on-year; • Averaged 1,200 products sold per minute; • Achieved around £75,000 in sales on average, up from about £60,000 year-on-year.

This year, Amazon is investing more than £75 million to support small businesses

In 2019, Amazon invested £2 billion on logistics, tools, services, programmes and people to support nearly 900,000 selling partners across Europe, nearly all of whom are SMEs. In the UK, more than 60% of SMEs selling on Amazon exported around the world and achieved more than £2.75 billion in export sales in 2019, up year-on-year from £2 billion.

To date, SMEs that sell on Amazon.co.uk have supported 85,000 jobs.

Small businesses from across the UK are increasingly seeing success from selling on Amazon’s stores, supporting regional economies and communities. The number of SMEs in Scotland who sell their products on Amazon’s stores increased by around a third last year. Regions in Scotland and Wales saw particularly large increases in the number of SMEs in percentage terms: selling partners in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, grew by around 60%.

Issue 21

startups, and entrepreneurs with tools

businesses, creating voice apps, or

In the period from 1st June 2019 to 31st May 2020, Amazon’s UK selling partners:

“Empowering small and medium-sized businesses is at the core of everything we do,” said Francois Saugier, VP EU Seller Services at Amazon. “Despite this challenging period, selling partners have continued to grow with Amazon.

When customers shop on our stores, more than 50% of the products they buy are sold by small businesses.”

Amazon provides small business owners,

globally with special Prime Day and festive season promotional programmes.

Third party selling partners – most of which are SMEs – surpassed US$3.5 billion in sales globally on Amazon Prime Day 2020, growing even more than Amazon’s retail business. In the UK these businesses saw an increase of more than 75% in product sales. Earlier in the year, Amazon also provided practical advice for 1,000 businesses about how to prepare for reopening physical locations, in partnership with The British Chamber of Commerce. 

Winter 2020/21 www.business-now.co.uk

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BUSINESS NEWS

The Impact of Amazon

Amazon continues to support UK-based

BUSINESS NEWS

Eco-friendly Refillosophy store is ambition fulfilled for city woman Pic – From left Rhiannon Adie and Gina Adie

Aberdeen woman opens new shop which promotes eco-friendly daily living.

Refillosophy, based in the premises of a former dairy dispensary and greengrocer on the city’s Albyn Grove, aims to get Aberdonians refilling grocery containers and reusing household packaging.

And owner Gina Adie is hoping to foster a community spirit with fresh local produce, products, billboards promoting local events and decorations celebrating the North-East’s natural beauty.

Refillosophy is open with safety and social distancing guidelines in place.

Mum-of-two Gina has been making the effort to be more environmentally friendly since her first child was born 16 years ago, when she chose to buy reusable nappies and baby wipes.

Gina said: “I’m excited to be opening a store that offers plasticsfree shopping and also eliminate the use of other types of environmentally unfriendly packaging.

“We all live busy lives, but making conscious choices when it comes to the cleaning products that we use, or the amount of waste created from grocery packaging can make a huge difference.

Its message highlights the need for everyone to play their part by refilling where possible. External black and white signage pays homage to the old Victorian era street signs throughout Aberdeen. The aprons worn by staff are made from old pairs of jeans.

The 1,000sq ft zero-waste store – the biggest of its kind in the city – is decorated with a mural from local artist Caroline Duncan and a stunning photograph of Bennachie.

Gina’s has also been supported by her husband, Gordon, managing director of networks and communications company Arrowdawn, and their son Ewan.

“The idea for Refillosophy has grown from there. It’s all about making it easier for busy people to reuse and refill, rather than simply recycling.

Old scaffolding boards have been repurposed as shelves stocking items including eggs from Katie’s Eggs in Torphins, dairy from Invercamey Dairy in Turriff, and household items from Taylor Made Refills in Kintore. Refillosophy would be delighted to hear from other local, eco-friendly suppliers.

The shop logo, which shows the globe sitting inside a mason jar, was hand drawn by Gina’s teenage daughter, Rhiannon.

Customers are able to pick their coffee beans, loose tea and fresh fruit and vegetables from Refillosophy’s shelves. 

One Year No Beer founder named Scotland and Northern Ireland Entrepreneur of the Year Inspired by Ruari’s own personal journey, One Year No Beer is a global alcohol prevention program, aimed at anyone drinking more than three glasses of wine a week. It is on a universal mission to help people change their relationship with alcohol, which leads to most people fundamentally transforming their lives.

Ruari Fairbairns, Founder and CEO of One Year No Beer comments, “I am beyond delighted to have won not only the regional Health & Wellbeing Entrepreneur of the Year award but also to have been named Great British Entrepreneur of the Year for Scotland and Northern

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Ireland. This means the world to me and I’d like to extend a heartfelt thanks to all of the team at OYNB, those who have supported us and our incredible members who joined us on our journey so far.

This has been such a tough year for so many people following the outbreak of the C19 pandemic and with so many turning to alcohol to manage their symptoms of stress and anxiety, it has never been more important for us to continue on our mission to help people change their relationship with alcohol, which leads to most people fundamentally transforming their lives.” 

A new approach to skincare has seen the launch of a unique luxury brand using artesian Scottish spring water as the ‘magic ingredient’.

Inspired by the Scots Gaelic for ‘spring’, Fuaraìn Super Active Moisture Cream is a rich, hydrating and beautifully luxurious formula. Using the benefits of clinically tested Deeside Mineral Water at its heart, it was blended with high quality, wild crafted natural botanical actives, Calluna Vulgaris (Heather) and Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail) which are known for their efficacy in skincare.

Deeside Mineral Water, located in Ballater, Royal Deeside, launched back in 1996. The bottled water company has been clinically proven to increase skin hydration by up to 23% compared to tap water and possesses anti-inflammatory as well as antioxidant properties which are beneficial for skin condition.

Managing Director of Deeside Mineral Water, Martin Simpson said; “Over the years, so many people have told us that the water has made a positive difference to their skin and health and we’ve proven how beneficial it is for skin care. That made us want to develop a truly effective, natural skincare range with our spring

water as the active ingredient and so, Fuaraìn was born.”

Leading Beauty Industry Expert, Sarah Clark-Martin, who formerly worked with Boots on developing their global brand portfolio, teamed up with Deeside Mineral Water to launch the luxury cream. Working alongside Scotland’s longest practicing medical herbalist Brian Lamb, the combination of hydrophilic ingredients makes Fuaraìn unique in the marketplace.

Sarah Clark-Martin added; “The skincare benefits of the water are unparalleled, and unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.

We’ve taken over 250 years of anecdotal evidence, backed up by clinical proof and formulated it into skincare in a unique and interesting way.”

The cream is ideal for normal to dehydrated and sensitive skin types and is fragrance, vegan and cruelty free with environmentally friendly packaging. To purchase, visit www. fuarainskincare.com 

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BUSINESS NEWS

Introducing Fuaraìn Moisture cream, powered by ‘MagicIngredient’

I.T.

CityFibre’s full fibre roll out moves into new areas across Aberdeen 14

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CityFibre, the UK’s third national digital infrastructure platform, is continuing its £40m digital transformation in Aberdeen to extend its full fibre network.

The project has reached a new milestone with construction partner GCU set to get underway in Craigiebuckler, Summerhill, Woodend, Hazlehead, Seafield, and Seaton. This adds to CityFibre’s growing presence in the city where construction has recently been completed in parts of Bridge of Don, Airyhall, Albyn, Cove, and Heathryfold, with services in those areas due to go live soon.

Aberdeen was the second location in the UK – and the first in Scotland – to benefit from CityFibre’s roll out of full fibre. It forms part of the company’s Gigabit City investment programme, which is set to invest up to £4bn nationally to bring gigabit capable full fibre infrastructure to up to eight million homes across the UK and provide a future-proof platform for digital growth.

Allan McEwan, CityFibre’s City Manager for Aberdeen, said: “We are making real strides in bringing state-of-the-art digital connectivity to homes and businesses across Aberdeen. Since work began in July 2018, we have built across many areas of the city and it’s pleasing to hear just how many people are now enjoying the many benefits of Full Fibre, particularly those who are working from home.“With the onset of lockdown, the need for fast and reliable digital connectivity has been underlined and demand for Full Fibre continues to grow as people realise their previous connections, typically part fibre, part copper, simply aren’t up to scratch. Our construction teams are hard at work to bring our Full Fibre network within reach of even more people across Aberdeen, while we continue to work closely with local developers to ensure as many new build developments as possible gain access to the network.

Full fibre broadband is currently only available to around 16 per cent of UK premises and is regarded as the best in connectivity for its speed, near unlimited bandwidth and reliability. The availability of a full fibre network goes far beyond simply helping households access the latest entertainment at lightning speed and stream from multiple devices with ease. The benefits are much deeper, from enabling smart home technology, giving people the ability to work from home seamlessly and laying the foundations for 5G roll-out, as well as smart city initiatives.

The project will deliver major benefits in Aberdeen as it continues its evolution towards being not only a global energy capital, but also a renowned digital hub. Research from economic consultancy Regeneris predicts that, over 15 years, access to full fibre could add up to £67m to the value of local homes, while Smart City initiatives could add as much as £109m locally. It could also unlock £99m in business productivity and innovation, while a further £50m in growth could be driven from new business start-ups, with enhanced connectivity making it easier and less expensive to set up base and run efficiently. 

“As we move into new areas of the city, with the continued support of Aberdeen City Council, we will do all that we possibly can to deliver a swift roll out, manage disruption and minimise the time we spend in each location.”

Councillor Jenny Laing, Co-Leader of Aberdeen City Council, added: “Aberdeen is leading the way in digital transformation and the momentum at which this project is moving is significant to enhancing the city’s standing on the global stage. It will also change the lives of residents and provide businesses with access to new ways of working.

“The collaboration with CityFibre is a wonderful example of our partnership approach in action – where the financial commitment we have made through the Aberdeen City Region Deal will leverage £40million of private investment in our city’s infrastructure.”

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I.T.

CityFibre’s launch ISP partner, Vodafone, is using the network to bring Vodafone Gigafast Broadband services to the city, with services now live for residents across Woodside, Garthdee, Ruthrieston, Mannofield, Kincorth, Broomhill, Kaimhill, Ferryhill, Northfield, Rosehill, Hilton, and Torry, amongst other areas. Across the UK, CityFibre is working with an increasing range of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to deliver next generation broadband services.

I.T.

Converged Gains Supplier Status Converged Gains Supplier Status In Public Sector G-Cloud 12 Initiative

Scottish IT and cyber security company Converged Communication Solutions has gained supplier status in the latest version of the UK Government’s public sector G-Cloud initiative, G-Cloud 12.

This is the second consecutive year in which the Aberdeen-headquartered company has achieved supplier status in the G-Cloud framework. The initiative is designed to support public sector organisations in upgrading IT systems to the latest cloud computing services and strengthening cyber security systems by easing the procurement process.

Operated by the Crown Commercial Service (CCS), an executive agency and trading fund of the Cabinet Office of the UK Government, the G-Cloud 12 framework is an agreement between the government and suppliers of cloud IT services. Inclusion in the framework allows Converged to supply cloud support services to public sector organisations throughout the UK via the government’s digital marketplace, an approved online supplier directory.

Aberdeen students amongst winners at Young Software Engineer of the Year awards 2020 St Andrews University student, Ryan Wilson, has been named Young Software Engineer of the Year 2020, having developed a tool that helps check a parallel program for flaws when running on a system with socalled weak memory consistency. The tool is applicable to almost all modern computers and can analyse and check critical systems for flaws, such as those running nuclear power plants, making them much safer.

Second place was won by Daniella Ivanova from University of Glasgow, for her AI deep learning programme which can be applied to the restoration of films. Her project tackles the problem of analogue film restoration and presents a proof-of-concept solution for automated image repair by employing two deep convolutional neural networks. As a result, much of the manual labour involved in film restoration could be removed.

Konrad Dryja, from Aberdeen University, has also been recognized for developing a decentralised blockchain authentication framework. Konrad was praised for his exceptionally innovative project to improve the authentication and accountability of blockchain ledger, which are the backbone of crypto currencies, such as Bitcoin.

The G-Cloud 12 framework provides the purchaser with access to a wide range of off-the-shelf, pay-as-you-go cloud-based computing services. These are grouped into three categories covering cloud hosting, cloud software and cloud support.

The Best Engineering Project Award went to Craig Pirie from Robert Gordon University, for his project on using AI vision to identify corrosion in underwater images for inspection engineering applications. Corrosion is a major issue for offshore energy projects, with significant costs associated with monitoring and repair. Craig’s dissertation recognised that engineers could save significant time if artificially intelligent machines can be trained to carry out the brunt of the workload by automatically detecting corrosion in images using computer vision.

Robbie Ross, chief security officer with Converged, said: “We are very pleased to continue to support the public sector with our extensive cyber security solutions, which are designed to mitigate risk to cloud services. Cyber security continues to be a major issue within all organiations, and it is good to see its importance being emphasised as part of G-Cloud 12”. 

The Awards, running for over 30 years, are organised by ScotlandIS, the membership body for the digital technologies industry and were presented at the ScotlandIS CmdR ScotSoft 2020 conference. 

As the suppliers have been thoroughly vetted, the G-Cloud initiative enables public sector organisations – including central, regional and local governments, educational establishments, housing associations, NHS trusts, and police forces and emergency services – to find, compare and purchase services without running a full tender or procurement process. This means that acquiring services through the framework is more efficient for the purchasing organisation.

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FEATURE

Business Internet, the good, bad and ugly…

Global Internet usage doubles every 14 months.

That’s the main fact. regardless of what your business does – it doesn’t matter – every application you use is becoming cloud based and demands more bandwidth, every device you use is smarter and demands a connection.

When bandwidth is strained, or your service fails, do your staff calmly sit back and say “oh well, I’ll just send a letter instead”…?

Or do they look like the guy in the picture?

But how much of this frustration is just mis matched expectations? What should you expect for what you pay?

Off the shelf, low cost, business internet services average £3050 per month and are mis-advertised as “fibre” - but they’re not.

They are Fibre To The Cabinet (FTTC). Still delivered over copper.

A network that was put into the ground in the mid 60’s…

So how do you get those working days back?

Fibre internet – with a fixed SLA - is the solution! It should already be on your radar. the old copper connection is on its way out and upgrading your connection to gigabit fibre is an inevitability for businesses to keep up with the rest of the world anyway. Upgrading your connection to gigabit fibre can boost productivity and revenue, at 2 Circles Northeast not only will you receive the best pricing on the market we have the technical knowledge, know-how and advice to go with it to ensure your workplace runs smoothly. 

The service level agreement (SLA) to fix a copper connection is “next day / best endeavors” And for £2 per business day – that’s 25p per working hour – what more could you expect?

A study commissioned by memory and storage specialists Sandisk, quantified the amount of time the average computer/ laptop user wastes in a year…….waiting…for…slooooow …. response! Around the world, the average computer user loses about one working week. The US had the best times for loss of productivity amounting to 4.9 days, the UK came off a little worse at 5.5 days…..

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FEATURE

Business brand mindfulness: the power of the present

by Joanna Fraser The concept of mindfulness and “being present” is everywhere in the world of self-care and wellbeing.

But what about applying it to the health and wellness of our business?

In the frenzy and panic of confusing times, there’s a lot to be said for taking time out to pause, look around and ground ourselves.

By getting the space to focus on where we are right now, the path to reaching our goals often appears clearer.

And this is as true in business as it is on the path to self-discovery.

Your brand is the essence of your business, its personality, so time spent gaining “self-knowledge” can help enormously in the face of big decisions.

Holistic Rabbie Burns said, “oh wad some power the giftie gie us, to see oursel’s as others see us.”

Here at Hoolet, our advice is to start with a long, hard look at what your business is saying to the outside world.

And what you are saying is bound up in so much more than words.

Your brand is everything that gives someone an impression of what you are as a company. So the language, the look, the logo – it’s very much taking the holistic approach.

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Remember, this is what your existing and potential customers and clients hear about you, and that’s before we consider suppliers, competitors and members of staff.

We recommend concentrating on accuracy, clarity and consistency, as these directly reflect on your reputation, and accordingly on your brand.

Check Let’s start with accuracy and clarity. At Hoolet, we call it “the outside eye”, and that’s exactly what you need.

Sit down and take a look at what your existing and potential customers would find in the public domain if they researched your company and what it does. Throw an invoice or letterhead into the mix, and maybe a business card and email signature.

A large part of this exercise is checking. By going through every piece of information, and cross-checking across different platforms, you start to spot gaps and anomalies.

If you say four things about your company, they won’t land as well as one.

• First point of contact – is it always clear how to get in touch?

Take Nike as an example; their swoosh and “just do it”. It isn’t

• Email addresses – did you update every platform when you changed

Nike, their swoosh, “think about doing it”, “get your shoes on”,

your contacts?

• Incorrect addresses - maybe your registered address or company address have changed? Which appears where?

• Spelling mistakes on core information on the website – how many licenses and licences do you have?

“just do it” and “are you out on the track yet?”.

I’m being flippant but the power of a good brand lies in making it look simple, and a huge part of that is being consistent.

Think of a choir, where all the members are singing their own songs. Then think of those voices all singing from the same

• Is there a contact page without social icons?

sheet. It’s louder, clearer and much more harmonious.

• Or an invoice without your logo, or indeed with a fax number without

So when you’re choosing a graphic, use the same colour

a fax facility?

• Email signatures with an out-of-date message • People on your website who are no longer with the company – one privacy notice had someone named on it that had left the company eight months previously

As I type this list, I can feel some of you shifting uncomfortably in your seats.

We know that reviewing the accuracy of your outward-facing communications is one of those important projects that rarely becomes urgent. Look at it another way: this could be having a daily detrimental effect on your reputation. Suddenly seem more urgent?

everywhere, not four different shades of blue that are “more or less the same”. Heck, go all the way and have a recognised colour palette that is yours and yours alone.

Does your business have a strapline, or “catchphrase”, for example. Or does it have more than one? We often find multiple logos on our travels, sometimes dating back years. People love to hold onto old Powerpoint presentations and documents.

If you want to stand out, having a single, simple message and look makes your business’s story so much stronger.

Base camp So now we’re clear and confident on where we stand, how do we progress from the present? Where do we start with the selfimprovement?

Details

To go forward, you need to track a route between where you are

Take comfort in the fact that not many of us would stand up to this type of scrutiny.

and where you want to be. Bringing objectivity into that journey

There are loads of reasons why everything may not be shipshape.

As your business develops and grows, it’s not surprising that details are missed or overlooked.

To give an example, people often say, “our website traffic is

Maybe one person orders the business cards and letterheads, and another mans the social media channels. Changes in the team can always lead to things being overlooked or done differently.

of the demographic visiting the website is female and aged 24-

Even if it’s just you in the business, do you have one central repository for information and images or do you re-invent the wheel every time?

But attention to detail pays off. People value it and it reflects well on your company’s reputation.

is vital, and there is no substitute for evidence and hard facts. pretty good”.

There is a distinct difference between that, and knowing that 36% 34, which you want to grow to between 50-55% in the next six months. It’s all about precision.

By using some basic analytics to measure where you are right now in terms of your brand – perhaps Google and social media analytics, and some AEV (advertising equivalent value) – you can use those same measurements to plot the path forward.

If you know exactly where you are – and I mean exactly – then

Following the logic, if you’re careful checking your apostrophes, it’s likely that you’ll take care while making their product, or you’ll go that extra mile in customer service.

you can measure the progression points in terms of targets and

Opportunity

Sometimes that path to success can look daunting, but as

Another big part of checking your current environment is consistency. Something may be accurate, but it can still be different from what was said somewhere else.

“But the information is correct,” you cry, “why have you started harping on about consistency?”

Because the clearer your brand is, the stronger it will be. We all know it’s a crowded marketplace out there and we need to grab every opportunity to stand out.

KPIs (key performance indicators). Think of it as a map from where you are, through the foothills and to the summit.

Desmond Tutu once wisely said, “There is only one way to eat an elephant: a bite at a time.”

So take that long hard look at where you are right now, and when you’re reassured of your wellness and fully conscious in the moment, it’s time to start planning for the future.  Joanna Fraser works with Hoolet, a strategic communications consultancy. Hoolet measures and reviews your business’s brand presence. Their expertise gives you a reliable, evidence-based report with perspective and objective advice on priorities. Get in touch at hello@hoolet.co.uk to find out more. https://hoolet.co.uk/

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FEATURE

There are common things that are unearthed in the process:

ELEVATOR

Eight start-ups selected for inaugural sustainable mobility and low carbon accelerator Eight start-ups from across Scotland are the first to benefit from an innovative accelerator to help lead the charge for sustainable mobility and low carbon energy.

Photo Captions: L-R: Bob Andrew, Elevator’s MSIP Accelerator Manager and Greig Coull, CEO of Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc

They have been selected for the programme launched earlier this year by the Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc (MSIP) - a joint venture between Dundee City Council, Michelin and Scottish Enterprise. MSIP appointed Elevator to deliver the programme with an aim to support Scotland’s net zero carbon ambitions.

The MSIP Sustainable Mobility and Low Carbon Innovation Accelerator will coach the cohort of companies and individuals who have developed products, prototypes or investor ready solutions focused on sustainable mobility, clean transport and low carbon energy.

As part of the programme, each founder will work closely with specialist sector delivery partners Ricardo and Productiv to gain industry insight and hands-on experience to break into production and to market. In addition, companies can apply for a grant

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of a maximum of £10,000 through a funding support package managed by Scottish Enterprise.

Bob Andrew, Elevator’s MSIP Accelerator Manager, said: “The selected startups address a wide range of social and

environmental

challenges

and

are working towards solutions to help support Scotland’s response to the global climate emergency.

and Scottish Enterprise to achieve our collective objective of bolstering zero emission transport and zero carbon energy emission technologies. We are confident we will deliver huge benefits to sustainable mobility and low carbon energy companies that are ready to scale and grow.”

Greig Coull, CEO of Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc said: “I’m excited to see such a great variety of participants for our first sustainable mobility and low carbon energy accelerator. Each of the companies selected is incredibly relevant, exploring new technology and innovative solutions in key areas that are critical towards a greener future.

“This accelerator programme will compliment all of the other activity we have at MSIP. I anticipate a strong and positive future between MSIP and the companies taking part, both during the programme and after its completion.

“Our goal is to create jobs, grow the economy and help Scotland to achieve it’s netzero ambitions. This accelerator will contribute towards the delivery of all three.”

The four-month programme will kick off on 19th October with the initial sessions held virtually, in view of the COVID-19 crisis.

Scottish Enterprise commercial director Derek Shaw said: “The Accelerator programme perfectly illustrates the vision for MSIP to be at the forefront of innovation in low carbon transport and energy. These start-ups already have the innovative ideas and ability which will help us not only achieve Scotland’s ambitious net zero carbon targets, but also to be a world leader in the field.

“The support and expertise they will access through the Accelerator will ensure they are ready to take the next step forward and help create quality jobs and grow a sustainable and greener economy.”

Companies selected for the inaugural MSIP Accelerator powered by Elevator are:

•

SolarisKit: developed and tested the world’s first flat-packable solar thermal collector, a device which can effectively convert sunlight into hot water at temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius.

•

Intra Drive: specialists in design of innovative motor and gearbox technology, currently developing a new ebike powertrain technology, which offers improved performance and unrivalled durability.

•

Frisco Projects: a company driving forward its Frisco e-Bikes (FEBs) and the Frisco Solar Docks (FSDs) covering all aspects from design, manufacturing and assembly through to operation and maintenance.

•

Power to Go Hydro Ltd.: developers of an inflatable waterwheel to generate renewable energy for the world’s future transport, domestic and light industry needs.

•

Genista Energy: design and installs ready-configured and custom battery systems for renewable energy applications across the commercial, industrial and agricultural industries.

•

Power Circle: offers an innovative business model that enables social landlords and others to benefit from local energy systems which generate, store and trade energy to achieve a climate positive solution (net negative emissions).

•

LIND: developed a domestic heating technology that incorporates low-cost

•

Scene Connect Ltd: founders of energy service platform ZUoS’ which optimises

For

energy storage suitable for supporting renewable energy and energy systems. energy consumption at household and community level. further

information about

Elevator

please

contact

Fiona

McLachlan, Elevator Communications & Marketing Manager, on 01224 289615 or fiona@elevatoruk.com 

Issue 21

Elevator leads entrepreneurial boom Two of the exciting Scottish businesses to join the latest intake of Elevator’s Accelerators.

A record number of entrepreneurs and start-ups from across the country applied to be part of Elevator’s latest a ccelerator offering.

Over 50 start-ups were selected to join the support organisations Flagship programme in Aberdeen and Dundee, together with its Famous Grouse Ideas Centre Creative (FGIC) Accelerator in Perth.

Open to entrepreneurs at any stage of their business the 12-week programmes expose participants – known as Founders – to a vast network of mentors, entrepreneurs and investors to help shape and develop their business ideas.

A core element of the programme is the input of ‘Agitators’ - a pool of busines leaders, experts and professionals from diverse backgrounds. Each works to guide the Founders through their accelerator journey, listening to their business ideas and offering constructive feedback.

Adjusting to running online – in light of the COVID-19 crisis, the current cohorts have benefitted from the opportunity of crosscohort collaboration and joint sessions delivered by Eureka! Europe, Maucher Jenkins, Dentons and Marsh Commercial.

Professor Gary McEwan, Elevator CEO, said: “Scotland is home to such a rich vein of entrepreneurial talent and the pandemic has created a new wave of opportunities. Our Accelerators play a vital role in ensuring each Founder reaches the opportunities and support they need to reach their goals; I am excited to see what our 2021 applicants bring.”

Founders from all three programmes will be presenting their final results during virtual Showcase events in December. 

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ELEVATOR

“We are enormously excited about having this opportunity to work alongside MSIP

FEATURE

Government Grant for Fully-Funded Employment Zenith People has created a bid for Kickstart Grants on behalf of employers.

Zenith People and the Federation of Small Businesses have created a bid for a network of employers to come together to apply for the government’s Kickstart Grant and benefit from fully-funded employment for young people. The grant has been created for employers looking to create job placements for young people, allowing companies to apply for funding to support the employment. The Kickstart Scheme allows employers to create 6-month job placements for young people who are currently on Universal Credit and at risk of longterm unemployment. Employers must create 30 jobs to be eligible for the scheme, something that may not be possible for all companies, so Zenith People has created a bid in which companies can apply for the grant as a collective, creating 30+ jobs between any interested parties.

The criteria includes:

• Jobs must be in addition to those already in place • Each role must be 25 hours or more per week • Applicants must be between 16-24 years old and on Universal Credit • Minimum employment is a term of 6 months

The government will pay: • 100% of the National Minimum Wage (up to 25 hours) • The associated employer’s National Insurance contributions • The associated employer’s minimum automatic enrolment contributions Zenith People advise that the job roles most suitable will be entry level roles within departments such as administration, warehousing, marketing and finance that may start as entry roles but could lead to more permanent positions. If you have a candidate in mind that you wish to start in the near future or would like help sourcing any additional staff, Zenith People can help and encourage members of the Federation of Small Businesses to get in touch.  For any interested employers, please contact Alan Metcalfe, Commercial Director of Zenith People directly on 07971 078 177 or via email to: alanmetcalfe@zenithpeople.com.

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experience and legal background and my long and varied career in oil and gas, we want to work with companies who are struggling in the current climate, helping them to survive and then thrive and, as a result, helping to safe-guard and create jobs.”

Mansefield Investments, led by Aberdeen businessman and energy industry veteran, Mark Patterson, has appointed a legal counsel.

Harry and Philip Patterson have owned CARS Recovery & Garage Services for over twelve years, growing the business to be one of the largest vehicle recovery fleets in Scotland. The brothers have joined the Mansefield Investments’ team to focus on renewable and electrification projects.

Harry Patterson added: “We have promoted internally, to create a strong management team to continue the growth of CARS Recovery while Philip and I concentrate on the investments we are presently considering with Mansefield.”

Photo left to right: Harry, Mark and Philip Patterson with David Rennie

David Rennie, former managing partner of law firm, Stronachs, has joined the family investment firm as it explores opportunities in the energy sector which have the potential to reduce carbon emissions and accelerate the use of electrification.

In addition to investing in low carbon energy ventures, Mansefield Investments will provide consultancy, support and services to help distressed businesses in the Northeast of Scotland from its recently established office in the granite city’s west end (Rubislaw Terrace).

Serial entrepreneur, Mark Patterson, who has a track-record in building and selling businesses in the oil and gas industry, including Balmoral Group, Nautronix and latterly Well-Safe Solutions, is now focused on the family investment firm so that he can work more closely with his family.

Mr Patterson said: “We set up Mansefield Investments as a family firm to provide a vehicle to enable myself and my family - to work together, to branch out and explore new opportunities. I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience in the last nine months and we are now working on a very exciting project. It’s great for me to share some of the things I have learnt, good and bad, and help them in their future career paths.

“Central to our vision is the desire to bolster and diversify the North-east economy, by supporting local businesses and creating new ones which have scalable, sustainable growth potential, particularly in green energy. Equally, with David’s commercial

Issue 21

A corporate and commercial lawyer with over 35 years’ experience in mergers, acquisitions and disposals, equity investment and banking, Mr Rennie joins Mansefield Investments after 23 years as a partner with Stronachs. Despite this new role with Mansefield Investments, Mr. Rennie will remain a consultant with the Aberdeen law firm, continuing to act for a diverse range of clients including privately owned companies, as well as those with investor backing.

Commenting on joining Mansefield Investments, Mr Rennie, said: “Having worked with the Patterson family for a number of years, I’m delighted to be joining them and excited about the opportunities we are currently exploring, particularly in relation to solutions for tackling climate change and achieving net-zero.” 

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FINANCIAL

Family Investment Firm Appoints Legal Counsel as it Eyes Green Energy Opportunities

FEATURE

Okay 2020, what am I going to do now?

An insight into Graduates entering the job market

By Nadia Hassan According to the BBC, 400,000 graduates have watched their plans evaporate overnight due to COVID19.

Graduate jobs are being withdrawn throughout every industry, redundancies are on the rise and if leaving further education wasn’t already an uncertain time, it’s definitely a daunting prospect now.

As a graduate, I fully understand how daunting this time can be. With redundancies on the rise, graduates are no longer competing with other graduates, they are competing with unemployed managers, associates and executives.

And they all have an extensive amount of industry experience that not many university students have.

However, what students do have is a fresher eye, enthusiasm, a different work ethic, up to date theory, experience with live client briefs and most importantly, they are eager to learn.

Which I think is overlooked.

During lockdown, I started to invest time into LinkedIn and job hunting - I’m sure like many other graduates.

Job hunting was becoming demoralising, as there were no jobs advertised and if they were being advertised, they were gone within hours.

I would apply for jobs but would never get any response or even a rejection.

Just silence.

I began to panic and think to myself, what am I going to do? I was made redundant from my retail job and had nothing else to work towards.

A lot of my classmates had applied to do a Masters degree and I began to consider doing one myself. However, I realised a Masters degree wasn’t an option for me.

To me, it was as if I was going backwards in my career. I was desperate to get into the job market to put into practice everything I’d learned in theory.

I began to explore other options.

My mentor Joanna Fraser suggested that I carry out some voluntary work to add to my existing portfolio.

Joanna introduced me to some of her connections and from there, I managed to gain two social media voluntary positions.

When meeting with both parties, I proposed what I could do, what I wanted to learn and a duration of how long I would volunteer for.

Students and graduates can bring diversity to a business and by investing time into a graduate, they will return the favour and invest their time and knowledge into the business. Win – Win!

Job Market The graduate entry level jobs are rare and if they do appear, there are often more than 500 applicants for one position. And believe me, they won’t all be graduates.

Competition is at an all-time high, with graduate offers dropping by 77% since the beginning of the year.

It is equally reassuring and terrifying that a lot of graduates are in the same position as I am.

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Suggestions I encourage my fellow graduates to reach out to companies and simply ask if you can voluntarily help them in any way, it may be daunting at first but just remember, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Blog I asked Laura Monteath, a fellow PR graduate from RGU, for her thoughts on entering the job market.

“Graduating into a poor job market and recession has definitely been difficult,” she said.

“Although it wasn’t the outcome I had hoped for myself after finishing university, I am trying to remain positive and focus on doing everything I can to improve my chances of employment.

This is a great thing for us graduates, but I have so many questions.

What if businesses don’t apply? What if it is only certain industries that end up applying?

What industries are eligible?

Are the graduates of 2020 going to be tainted by this? I.e. are businesses only going to take graduates on because of the grant provided? What will happen to other generations that have extensive experience but won’t be hired because of the scheme as it is just for graduates? Will graduates be resented by the older generation for “stealing their jobs”?

Is this just another government scheme that seems like a great idea but will have a lot of backlash? Probably.

Overall, entering the job market is scary, nerve-racking and overwhelming. Many graduates have no choice but to change direction in the path they want to follow.

“My Instagram blog gives tips on everything from digital marketing and public relations to CV writing and job hunting. This is definitely not what I imagined I would be doing after university, but I am absolutely loving it and the opportunities it has given me.”

There are some industries that are starting to move again, more jobs are appearing,

Support

take on whatever challenges they are faced with.

For the first few weeks, I had no idea in which direction to go and I know I wasn’t the only one.

We graduated through a pandemic, if that isn’t a challenge, I don’t know what is. 

I was amazed by the amount of online resources out there to help, not just graduates but everyone further their skills.

Nadia Hassan graduated in Public Relations from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen in summer 2020. Catch up with her on LinkedIn at https://www. linkedin.com/in/nadiahassan98/

Resources such as Google Digital Garage, SkillShare and Girls in Marketing were hosting free webinars.

My own university (RGU) began to host webinars to help graduates with CV and cover letter advice, interview skills, networking coaching and how to improve your LinkedIn profile.

slowly but surely.

I think it is important for businesses to consider the benefits of hiring a graduate.

Whether that is through the Kickstart Scheme or not.

Although graduates may not have years of industry experience, what they do have is a sense of enthusiasm, diversity, willingness to learn and

Laura Monteath’s blogs can be read at: https:// www.linkedin.com/in/lauramonteath/https:// www.instagram.com/the.prprincess/ Kickstart Scheme https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ kickstart-scheme

They also set up a graduate mentor programme. This paired graduates and industry professionals, to provide help and advice from the industry professional to the graduate. I found the programme extremely beneficial.

Kickstart At first, there was silence from the government regarding graduates.

However, on September 2, the Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a £2billion government scheme called Kickstart to offer young people work opportunities.

The scheme offers £1,500 grants to help businesses with employee training and support.

The Kickstart scheme is open until December 2021, with the Government covering 100% of the minimum wage, national insurance and pension payments.

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FEATURE

During lockdown, Laura decided to create an Instagram blog for people who didn’t know what PR was and advice on social media and branding.

ENERGY

ASCO awarded 2- year extension from Equinor Two year extension for Aberdeen based headquarters.

Global integrated materials and logistics management company, ASCO, headquartered in Aberdeen, has announced that its Norway operation has been granted a two-year extension

by Equinor for terminal and warehousing services in Sandnessjøen.

The contract, which commences in July 2021, secures ASCO’s activities and jobs in Sandnessjøen until 2023. The award is part of a larger round of contracts for services at coastal bases along the entire Norwegian coast that applies to Equinoroperated licenses on the Norwegian shelf.

ASCO Managing Director International, Runar Hatletvedt said: “This is a very gratifying, important contract for us to win. The exercise of the option will secure the jobs related to Equinor’s activity at ASCO’s Sandnessjøen base for another two years, providing stability and predictability in a market situation characterised by a high rate of change and uncertainty.

Oceans of Opportunity to be explored at Subsea Expo 2021 How the UK’s underwater industry can capitalise on $3 trillion Blue Economy

Photo: Subsea Expo 2020 and Neil Gordon at Subsea Expo in 2020

The theme for Subsea Expo in 2021 will be Oceans of Opportunity – harnessing the Blue Economy.

The exhibition and conference will explore how the UK’s underwater engineering industry can capitalise on the global blue economy, estimated to be worth $3 trillion by 2030.

Organised by industry body, Subsea UK, the three-day event will take place at Aberdeen’s P&J Live from 23-25 February 2021.

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Europe’s largest exhibition and conference focused on the underwater industry is set to be one of the first post-pandemic, large scale physical, as opposed to virtual, events back on the international calendar.

Neil Gordon, chief executive of Subsea UK, said: “The underwater engineering industry currently generates annual revenues of £7.8billion and a large slice of that still comes from the oil and gas sector. However, as the industry extends its reach into offshore wind, defence, ocean and marine science and aquaculture, there is the opportunity to grow global marketshare of what’s now known as the blue economy or ocean economy.

“Forecast to be worth around $3 trillion in the next ten years, the blue economy is the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth. Oil and gas, offshore and marine renewables and aquaculture account for around a third of its value.

“This is good news for the subsea industry whose underwater engineering capabilities, honed in North Sea oil and gas and increasingly in demand in offshore wind, are eminently transferrable to defence, ocean science, aquaculture and deep sea mining.”

develop our strategies to ensure we are in the optimum position for new tenders and business areas.”

ASCO Norge AS works with a number of initiatives related to sustainability and reduced CO2 emissions. In collaboration with the ports in which it operates, initiatives have been taken to develop shoreside power solutions to reduce emissions and noise from vessels on land.

The company is also in the process

Innovative Approach Created by New Partnership Maintenance and Integrity Experts Sign Partnership Agreement to Deliver Critical Maintenance Savings Plant and asset owners are being given the ability to justify safely delaying maintenance and inspection work that would usually be completed during a shutdown or turnaround (TAR), following a new partnership agreement between Add Energy’s Asset and Integrity Management division and inspection and technology firm, LifeTech Engineering Ltd.

technologies and expertise of both our businesses, but also proud to be offering this much needed support to the industry through these challenging times.

“Budgets are under increasing strain

struggle to keep up with their scheduled

use, which in turn will contribute reduction

exciting alliance which draws upon the

programmes, many within the sector will

of logistics flow and resource significant

are not only delighted to be part of this

the time to run extensive maintenance

that contributes to the optimisation

a

and Integrity Management said: “We

and with summer traditionally being

of developing a digitalisation tool

to

Damon Bowler, VP of Add Energy Asset

maintenance work. By using our tried

in

and tested data driven approach, owners and operators can gain a clear and

environmental emissions. 

uncluttered perspective on what activities With leading figures from all these sectors presenting at Subsea Expo 2021, the event is an ideal platform for companies to glean market intelligence, identify new opportunities and ways of exploiting these.

Approaching its 16th year, the event attracts around 200 exhibitors and almost 7,000 delegates from around the world. Over a third of the floor space has already been booked for Subsea Expo 2021.

Mr Gordon added: “Interest in next year’s event is on the increase and it’s clear there is an appetite for a return to real, rather than virtual, events. Our industry’s main sector – oil and gas – has taken a double blow with coronavirus and the collapse in commodity price but, with the race to achieve net-zero, a green recovery on the horizon, including hydrogen and CCUS, coupled with oceans of opportunity in the blue economy, we are sensing renewed optimism.

This augers well for 2021 and we anticipate a more buoyant mood at next year’s Subsea Expo.” 

can be safely delayed.”

The innovative approach to Turnaround Maintenance Schedules has already been used to identify potential savings of The two companies have partnered to develop an approach that analyses the associated risks of inspection or maintenance delay, and offers the justifications required for postponing TAR activities when it is safe to do so. This solution will allow operators to concentrate on only essential maintenance and inspection activity, to minimise asset downtime and reduce costs.

The coronavirus pandemic coupled with low oil price has resulted in companies needing to identify significant cost savings across the board. The collaboration will bring together LifeTech Engineering’s proprietary integrity and inspection solutions and Add Energy extensive maintenance management expertise to deliver a Turnaround Delay Feasibility Assessment. This assessment identifies essential maintenance work and activity that can be safely delayed as well as providing a non-intrusive inspection solution. Using a data-focused approach, a maintenance management programme will be created to achieve operational uptime and cost efficiencies.

Issue 21

£7 million in inspection outlay over three years at a refinery in Europe by identifying which

intrusive

inspections

and

maintenance activity could be deferred, or eliminated, by using their non-intrusive inspection solution and specialist riskbased inspection software. In addition to the cost savings, the solution also improved overall visibility of the condition of the vessels in the plant and improved uptime. More than 80% of vessels were identified as being suitable for inspection by non-intrusive means, reducing the inspection time, risk and costs.

Reza

Shahrivar,

Managing

Director

at LifeTech Engineering, said: “The partnership with Add Energy is a major milestone for us and it’s fantastic to be working with a company that shares both our belief in the value of digitalisation and in-depth experience, to deliver savings and

drive-up

performance.

We

are

confident this is only the beginning of a long and fruitful business relationship.” 

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27

ENERGY

“This provides confidence to further

FEATURE

Engaging with your team: a key route to success Jonathan Smith, business coach and facilitator at The Alternative Board As a new normal emerges in the business world, having engaged employees matters now more than ever.

If the term ‘we’re all in this together’ summarises our national response to the pandemic, it also certainly applies to how companies need to respond in the coming months.

Yet what is engagement, and why does it matter? And what can a business, and its leaders, do to foster it?

It can be defined in many ways, but in essence it means a working environment in which people willingly give of their best every day – in which they’re committed to an organisation’s goals, motivated to contribute and made to feel psychologically safe.

Maintaining a workplace culture which embraces employee engagement is frequently a topic of discussion among members of The Alternative Board (TAB) across Scotland.

Why? Because it’s acknowledged that engagement drives performance.

Organisations with top quartile employee engagement typically record twice the profits and revenue growth which is 2.5 times higher, when compared to bottom quartile organisations.

Their customer advocacy is 12% greater, productivity is 18% higher and employee

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turnover is 40% lower. There is also a safety dividend – the statistics signal that bottom quartile businesses have 62% more accidents.

There are four key strands to an effective engagement strategy: A clear vision – the picture of the future must be appealing, compelling and authentic

Bosses who care – managers focusing on their people; empowering them, treating them as individuals; encouraging personal growth

Engaged employees – people should feel free to speak up, to reinforce and challenge views. Employees should be heard and involved

Values in action – anyone should be able to see the integrity of the organisation demonstrated in day-to-day behaviours.

One example of how not to do it comes to mind. During a consultancy project with a business, I frequently heard remarks such as ‘we’ll have to see what the boss says’ and ‘it’ll be up to the boss’.

It was surprising and disappointing – these aren’t great things to hear in any workplace. It told me that the team hadn’t been empowered or engaged; there was a dependency culture, and that’s never good for team morale or business success.

Winter 2020/21 www.business-now.co.uk

Contrast that with another company, which had been experiencing product manufacturing errors. In response, the leadership team brought in a new production manager. He engaged directly with his team, asking pertinent questions. What did they think? How can we improve? What lessons can we learn from the past week?

The manager set a collective new direction, encouraged his people to speak up and earned their buy-in to his plans.

The result: production errors dropped from 20% to 1% in 12 months.

The latter example captures many of the core features of engagement. The improvements weren’t down to major process changes or investment in new equipment; they were delivered by the same team using the same tools. The difference was engaging leadership – giving a voice to employees, demonstrating consistent values, setting common goals.

Gaining and keeping the confidence of employees is a key challenge facing businesses as lockdown is gradually lifted. Organisations with high levels of employee engagement will do this better. And they’ll rightly reap competitive rewards for doing so.

Like so many other local businesses, business development company Aberdeen Business Network (ABN) has seen changes this year like nothing else in its 12+ years in business!

But recent months have also seen plenty of positives too, including a significant increase in new business won by their clients Director Andrew Smith said: “Our clients have been using our 6 face-to-face services for over 12 years now, meeting in a variety of group sizes. That all, of course, changed in March this year!

However, as we’ve all got used to the temporary new world of video calls and less face-to-face interaction, we’ve been so impressed by how our clients have adapted. A ‘can-do’ attitude and determination to keep building relationships have inevitably led to new business wins.”

While services such as ABN Networking Events are on hold for now, ABN has seen growth in two other ways of building those all-important business relationships. Andrew said: “Our ‘Ten’ sales intel groups have grown in both group (there are now 11 groups) and membership numbers over the last few months.

The relationships in these groups have become stronger and the business won – even in a very tough marketplace – has also increased.”

ABN also runs a 1-on-1 business-matching service, Contact Builder. This service matches local business people with two of their peers each month and follows a structured meeting format to give each party key information on the other person and their business/organisation “We’ve also seen an increase in new Contact Builders during this period, as well as a high renewal rate for current clients,” said Andrew. “Many of these meetings are taking place by video. However, a number of them are held in local coffee shops, socially-distanced, giving that vital in-person interaction that we’re all missing just now.”

And ABN’s online world has also got busier during lockdown.

Launched in 2008, ABN Community is a free, online business community where almost 7000 members post content, connect, like, comment, engage and build relationships which

for now! The feedback we’ve had from members is that ABN Community has given them a supportive platform to chat with their peers, whether that’s been about work, lockdown or anything else that’s on their minds.”

To find out more about ABN Contact Builder or the ‘Ten’ sales intel groups, go to www.abnworks.co.uk or email andrew@ next-business.co.uk. And for ABN Community – www.yourabn. co.uk or jessie@next-business.co.uk .

Want to win more business?

6 business development services, £21m+ business won by our clients

can be taken offline. The community has seen a 40% increase in traffic since March ABN Community’s Online Success Manager Jessie Crawley said: “During such strange times, I think there’s been a greater

To find out more and get involved visit abnworks.co.uk

need for community and company, even if that’s mainly online

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FEATURE

How ABN is helping local companies through lockdown

SECTION HEADER

Coffee with…

Graham McWilliam Managing Director of Glencraft (Pictured left)

My coffee companion in this edition is Graham McWilliam, M.D. at Glencraft, makers of luxury mattresses that are truly fit for a Queen!

My coffee companion this month (virtual of course!) is Graham McWilliam who is managing Director of the much-loved company, Glencraft. Highly respected and with a stalwart pedigree in the craft of luxury mattress making, the company has evolved throughout its nearly 200 years to ensure sleep filled nights to homes throughout the UK. During this time, they have supplied 4 generations of the British Royal family at Balmoral Castle earning them a Royal Warrant.

Once the formalities of coffee making are over (I’ve just invested in a Delonghi coffee machine I can’t work!) we get started.

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“As previously stated, you have a royal connection. Are there any other well-known establishments you have supplied?”

“Yes. We’ve been part of some incredible projects. For example, in partnership with the Marcliffe Hotel, we can offer their clients the same 5 star luxury in their homes with our Marcliffe mattress. It’s handcrafted with a 1500 pocket spring design and finished with wool, cashmere, and silk layers. In 2018 when a fleet of new trains for the Caledonian Sleeper launched, Glencraft fitted all the rooms with our luxury mattresses.

We are very proud to have supplied some of the best hotels in the UK and beyond – The Balmoral in Edinburgh, Browns in London, Villa Kennedy in Frankfurt (all part of the Rocco Forte Group) as well as the award-winning Fife Arms in Braemar and the wonderful Wild Rabbit in Gloucestershire.

“Wow! Does that mean your mattresses are out of reach for the average home?”

“Absolutely not. Everyone deserves a good nights’ sleep. We have quality mattresses to suit most budgets, but we find our customers are not just price led. They trust the quality of our products and they know we place a huge emphasis on excellent customer service. Also, many customers come to us because we are a ‘not for profit’ Social Enterprise”

“Oh! So, what does that mean?

“Basically, it means we have a specific social and environmental mission and any profits go towards our mission. It is a more ethical and sustainable way of doing business. For us it means looking after the welfare of our staff is of prime importance. Our main objective as a Social Enterprise is to continue to provide ‘Dignity through Work’ to our passionate skilled colleagues. Consequently, we have a strong staff training system which allows open discussion on training needs and developing our staff in both craftsmanship skills and business.

“That’s really interesting. You talk about skilled craftsmanship so how does one go about constructing a mattress?”

Well, it must, of course, be comfortable and supportive so we have thick layers of natural fillings and pocket springs to support your back and spine. The layers must be breathable and temperature controlling with natural fibres which mould to the shape of your body. You don’t want to be disturbed from your sleep so we have installed silent pocket springs and motion isolation which means you don’t get disrupted sleep when your partner moves.”

“I hate to bring up the next topic, but Covid 19 is all that people, unsurprisingly, are talking about now. How has the pandemic affected Glencraft both from a financial and social aspect?

“The current situation is frustrating for all of us of course, but at Glencraft we struggle to have all the staff back in the factory given the existing 2m social distancing guidelines. In addition, there is clear disruption from within our supply chain. Materials that would perhaps arrive within two weeks are now taking eight or nine weeks. This has a massive impact on our production schedules as you might imagine”

“Finally, I bought a new bed about 11 years ago. It’s very comfortable and I love it. Especially on a dark wet morning! Should I be thinking of changing the mattress now?”

“Yes. You certainly should. I know it’s hard to give up something you like but the lifespan of a mattress is about 8 years after which you really owe it to yourself to invest in a new one. It really will give you a better nights’ sleep. Remember to choose a mattress that best suits your needs.

A medium firmness will provide the perfect balance of support and comfort. Choose a firm mattress if you suffer from mild back problems.

Also, ensure you buy from a reputable and experienced establishment.

“That’s great. Thanks Graham both for your time and advice.. I’ll buy a new mattress with the money I saved during lockdown which is safely deposited……under my mattress!!” 

&

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Aberdeen’s ReCHarge Café Welcomes Customers Back ReCHarge Café, the social enterprise from which the profits support charity Charlie House, has announced it has re-opened Crighton, Director of Fundraising at Charlie House says, “The ReCHarge team are delighted to be welcoming back both loyal and new customers to the café today. We are very much looking forward to having our doors open again and offering a fantastic new variety of food and drink for everyone to enjoy Following feedback and listening to our customers we have also implemented fixed prices in the café. Currently life is confusing enough, so the new simplified pricing means that all customers have to do is pay for the fantastic food and drink on offer, sit back and relax with family and friends. We have ensured that we have the best safety measures in place so that our customers can not only feel safe but can gain a sense of normality while they enjoy a catch up with friends and loved ones over coffee and cake.

Equally our customers can grab a quick bite to eat and take-away to enjoy at their own leisure.”

In line with Government regulations the café and its team, which consists of staff and volunteers, have implemented best practice health and safety procedures ensuring that customers have a safe and enjoyable experience whether they are sitting in or taking away.

The café, which can be found in the Upper Mall of the Bon Accord Aberdeen, opened for the first time in Summer 2019 and offers its customers a wide range of tasty treats such as tea and coffee, sandwiches and delicious traybakes and cakes. 100% of profits made go towards local charity Charlie House which supports babies, children and young people with complex disabilities and life-limiting conditions and their families in the North-East. 

Kiltwalk raises £5 million for Scotland’s charities

Sir Tom said in a video: “At a time when there’s not much good news about, we want to bring you some great news this morning from the Kiltwalk. The Edinburgh Virtual Kiltwalk took place and you hopped, skipped, jumped and even swam to raise money for what you care about. This morning, you have raised an amazing £1.3 million and more than 535 different Scottish charities will benefit, so thank you. ““So in a year, a very strange year where we’ve not been able to walk together, for obvious reasons, but between Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee and now Edinburgh, you Kiltwalkers have raised an amazing £2.5 million for the charities you care about and The Hunter Foundation has topped it up with another £2.5million.

“So this year, £5 million is going to the charities you care about, the folks who really need it are getting a hand up, not a hand out. So thank you. We’ll be back next year, no doubt about it. You can’t keep a good Kiltwalker down!” 

ReCHarge Café, the social enterprise from which the profits support charity Charlie House, has announced it has re-opened its doors to customers after closing temporarily due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The café also announced two exciting changes as it welcomes JG Ross Bakers and The Breadmaker as its new food suppliers. It will also now be operating fixed pricing for all of its products.

Speaking of the café’s reopening, Susan

More than 900 charities get a much-needed cash boost after toughest year yet

Scotland’s Kiltwalkers and The Hunter Foundation have raised a massive £5 million for over 900 Scottish charities in 2020.

The Covid-19 pandemic saw all four of Kiltwalk’s planned events, in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh

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cancelled, but Kiltwalkers all over the country took part in virtual events to support their chosen charities.

Earlier this summer, Kiltwalk’s emergency pay-outs in Glasgow and Aberdeen plus the Dundee Virtual Kiltwalk raised £1.2 million and The Hunter Foundation doubled that to £2.4 million.

In total in 2020, Kiltwalkers raised £2.5 million and The Hunter Foundation doubled that to £5 million.

Sir Tom Hunter praised the Kiltwalk Kindness of the 16,000 Scots who dug deep as they walked, cycled, ran and swam separately all over Scotland observing the social distancing measures.

Winter 2020/21 www.business-now.co.uk

Three Aberdeen charities to benefit from ongoing sanitiser supply A North-east business launched during lockdown is supporting three Aberdeen charities to help safeguard the health and wellbeing of their staff, volunteers and service users from the spread of Covid-19.

Craigellachie based, Just Sanitise, which produces a laboratory tested liquid sanitiser proven highly effective against human coronavirus, has selected North-east charities, Charlie House, CLAN Cancer Support, and AberNecessities to receive an ongoing supply of the products.

The unlimited donations will help reduce additional costs for the trio of charities which have been required to supply sanitiser since the start of the pandemic.

Just Sanitise, developed by Aberdeen businesswoman, Nicola Hartland, has also supplied a dispenser unit with refills for the Charlie House ReCHarge café in the city’s Bon Accord Shopping Centre.

Based on a 10-acre site in Craigellachie, the business was launched just four months ago to counteract extortionate PPE costs and disrupt the sanitiser market to help businesses fight the virus.

Founder of Just Sanitise, Nicola Hartland, said: “We are a local business producing millions of litres of sanitiser every month from our production facility in Aberdeenshire and we want to support these three fantastic, local charities that are continuing to offer a huge amount of support to their users during an extremely difficult time.

“Most charities have suffered financially with a drop in donations for the past six months whilst costs have increased to implement additional health and safety procedures. Charlie House, CLAN and AberNecessities are all locally run, independent charities committed to supporting people in our local community and providing them with an ongoing donation of Just Sanitise will help offer peace of mind that the sanitiser they are using is a quality product which is effective against the virus.”

The liquid, spray sanitiser is World Health Organisation Approved and recently achieved a new industry accreditation following laboratory tests confirming the product is highly effective and quick acting against viruses, including human coronavirus.

Leigh Ryrie, children & family support manager for Charlie House, said: “We are so grateful to the team at Just Sanitise who have very generously donated hand sanitiser stock to us, as well as several other local charities. The safety and wellbeing of the families we support is our main priority and this kind gift will enable us to issue vital supplies to local families. At a time when funding has been dramatically reduced, essential gifted supplies, such as this, are a lifeline to small charities.”

Darren Hill, CLAN’s communications and marketing manager, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to the support of Just Sanitise.

Sanitiser has become an essential item which has been both costly and hard to procure, so it’s brilliant to have their donations to keep our staff and clients safe. Our clients, many of whom have a cancer diagnosis or are caring for someone with a cancer diagnosis, will have access to excellent quality sanitiser from Just Sanitise to keep them comfortable and safe.”

AberNecessities founder, Danielle Flecher-Horn, said: “The phenomenal support we’ve received from businesses in our local community has been extremely heartening. In these unprecedented times we, along with most of the third sector, have been working to capacity with restricted manpower to ensure we are supporting families and children in need.”

In addition to supporting these three Aberdeen charities, Just Sanitise has also committed to a £100k donation to NHS Charities Together in its first year. 

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Aberdeen charities benefit from ongoing sanitiser supply

FEATURE

How do you approach and embrace CSR? A Graduates perspective on CSR By Nadia Hassan Corporate social responsibility has been a relatively new factor for businesses since the early 90s. However, as times are changing, businesses are becoming more aware of being socially responsible and environmentally friendly.

In this article, I will discuss how I interpret CSR, why I think it’s important and some examples that I admire.

Missguided And ASOS isn’t the only one…

Although, admittedly they do have a long way to go, Missguided have started to show an improvement in how they produce their goods.

What is CSR? Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) looks at how an organisation behaves environmentally, economically and socially, along with the impact of its activities.

It involves how a company acts responsibly and how this contributes to the company’s reputation.

At University, one of my modules was Public Relations Strategy and Specialisms. The module discussed businesses social responsibility and environmental awareness. This module sparked my interest in CSR and as time has went on, I have started to notice more businesses using this as a selling point for their businesses.

I enjoy a documentary and decided to watch Inside Missguided: Made in Manchester on Channel 4 that came out this year.

As a PR Graduate, when I first watched it, truthfully… I thought it was PR nightmare. Although, it was very entertaining seeing Gemma Collins in a Missguided wrapped Bentley…

But they did address a lot more than I personally thought they would and shockingly, admitted that they hadn’t always got it right.

They showed a clip in the documentary where they were checking working conditions for a new supplier. They were very in depth and picked up on things that needed to be fixed before they signed any contracts or made any deal.

ASOS An example I like is ASOS. After being called out on social media, ASOS made a conscious effort to better their brand and their social responsibilities.

Now, they have set up an online programme where they provide case studies of the work they have carried out. These include cutting carbon at one of their warehouses in Barnsley, celebrating pride and aiming to make their staff canteens plastic free.

They have also encouraged on their website, recyclable packaging and urge customers to recycle their old clothes rather than throwing them away.

ASOS have also set up their own CSR email for any enquires they may have.

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Interning As part of my university placement, I interned for a fashion PR company in London and attended London Fashion Week. I have an interest in fashion which is why I liked these examples and was more aware of the changes they were trying to make.

Since interning, I have noticed a small number of designers becoming more environmentally aware and using recycled materials for their collections. Maybe over time, more designers will catch on with this.

In a world of fast fashion companies, it is good to see some of them realising the effects that they have and their willingness to improve.

I wonder if any others will follow these examples…!

FEATURE Competitive Advantage To put it bluntly, being socially aware, environmentally friendly and ethical, costs money.

However, by having CSR it can give businesses a competitive advantage.

The younger generation, including myself are more invested in the companies they desire to work for.

The job the company offer may sound amazing and like the dream job, but when their social responsibility isn’t the best, it can make applicants wary to apply.

This could potentially lead on to companies not getting the applicants that could potentially benefit and bring new ideas to the companies.

Reputation Companies often gain their reputation by how they treat their employees; this could be by what benefits the company gives them.

For example, Samsung have created The Device Solutions Division of Samsung Electronics which aims to help socially disadvantaged individuals.

As a result of this over 42,000 Samsung employees participated voluntarily and over 15,000 per employee shared annually for volunteer activities.

Supply Chain Established companies with strong CSR often seek out similarly motivated companies in their supply chain.

I think it is important for companies to attract stakeholders who meet their companies approach to CSR and reflect what their company stands for.

Otherwise, they are contradicting everything that they have invested time and money in.

What can you do?

Perhaps companies are unsure of where to start when it comes to being socially responsible.

What can businesses do to organise their CSR? • I think it’s important to establish what the company currently does and how they can add to that.

• For example, what benefits do you give your staff?

• What do you do for your staff that differentiates you to other workplaces?

• What causes are close to the company’s heart?

An example of this that I admire is, Spotify and Netflix give parental leave for a longer period of time, compared to other tech companies.

Netflix offers 52 weeks of paid parental leave that can be taken at any time. For example, the first year or another time that is suitable.

Spotify offers the same benefit however, with a duration of 24 weeks.

• For example, last year, Premier Oil donated £12,500 to the Charlie House Charity in Aberdeen. The reason they did this was because, Charlie House’s mission aligned closely with Premier Oils Values and they wanted help support the local community.

Student Perspective As I learned about CSR at University, perhaps my perspective is different compared to industry professionals.

Compared to other tech companies that offer 18 weeks, that’s pretty generous!

I am intrigued at how companies’ approach and embrace CSR. Whether that is by charitable donations or how they treat their workforce.

I am both a Spotify user and Netflix user, so both of these companies I am aware of and use their platforms.

CSR is important but it can cost companies a lot of money, which some companies are understandably wary to spend.

It’s nice to hear what they do for their employees – although working at Spotify or Netflix seems like a dream job anyway and if you have children, this is a bonus!

It will be interesting to see how companies apply CSR in the coming years and what companies do to improve their social responsibility as time goes on. 

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FEATURE

Luke Mead: “Too young to start up? I was 15 and my teeth were in braces” Luke Mead launched his first business fixing computers while still at school and has turned it into a multi-million pound enterprise. aren’t being told about the possibilities available to them. I want them to know my story because it shows you can start a business, even when you’re young and still have a million things to learn.”

Luke started off by creating flyers for his early stage computer repairs business.

He raided his school’s photocopier, ran out the toner and spent the weekend with a friend, leafleting over 5000 homes.

The first customer calls came trickling through and soon, Luke was in business.

“So, in between school hours, I’d be going out, fixing computers in Arundel, where I lived. Before I could drive, my parents had to drop me off at jobs and then wait outside.”

He’s now turning his attention to helping nurture a new generation of entrepreneurs.

“A lot of people are afraid of starting up a business. I’m lucky, I got going so young, before I was old enough to be frightened by it all. In truth, almost anyone is capable of running a business, as long as they are prepared to learn as they go. I was 15 when I started, I’ve definitely done a lot of learning,” says Luke Mead, CEO of the LMS Group.

The now 29-year-old CEO runs an award-winning, £2m plus turnover IT business, which he built from the ground up. Thanks to the working from home boom, LMS Group is now incredibly busy, however, Luke is worried about the future for many.

“I genuinely feel sorry for young people, as 2020 has been a rough year for them. Careers prospects aren’t looking good and education is in a real mess. Wherever possible, businesses should be hiring, training apprentices, plugging the massive IT skills gaps and taking advantage of the new technologies coming on stream. But, instead, it’s all about making it through to tomorrow.

“Young people aren’t getting the opportunities to flourish that they deserve. They

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Luke had never been a keen student.

He had a poor attention span and was regularly in trouble.

“I was never really interested in school.

I was always up to mischief, mostly because I was bored and unchallenged.

Teachers told me I had potential but I just couldn’t focus because the topics didn’t interest me.”

Luke passed his GCSEs but, distracted by his business, struggled to focus during his A-levels and failed them in spectacular fashion, ending up with three Us and an E. The pull of business was just too strong, even though he sometimes felt like a fish out of water.

through my Blackberry, answering work queries. I was very conflicted. I started going to business conferences and I was always the youngest person there. There would be all these suits there and I would turn up in a pair of jeans with braces on my teeth. But by attending these meetings, I was able to learn a lot about business, as well as pick up clients. Many remain clients to this day.

“I used to attend business events with braces on my teeth and I was by far the youngest person there. But there were advantages to that, as people would just give me advice, whether I asked for it or not, and that did turn out to be very useful.

“I was making a fair amount of money and didn’t have a clue about VAT thresholds or business finances. This guy turned to me and said: ‘Look, Luke, this isn’t school,’ and set me straight on things.

Luke’s first premises was a two-room office above a restaurant, which was

The best year of our lives revealed A survey of 2,027 UK adults, carried out by One4all Gift Cards, reveals that the age at which we are most happy with our lives is 36.

According to the data, the average Scot has already ticked off key adulthood milestones by this point – and in fact, it shows that your thirties are a time to look forward to, due to the number of special occasions and achievements that are taking place in the average adult’s life.

On average, at age 30, the Scottish tend to get engaged, buy their first car and are likely to be having their first baby.

often infiltrated by the neighbour’s cat.

Life in his start-up was anything but glamorous. “At first, it was really hard to get experienced staff as I didn’t have the budget. I had to work really hard and constantly learn new things – the same went for my team. We built this company from the ground up.”

The LMS Group now has 13 full time employees, over 200 clients including the NHS and, in 2018, bought its own million-pound premises in Chichester.

The business grew through lockdown, acquiring new clients and taking on staff, with demand for remote working reaching new heights.

The business also has a donation scheme, where one per cent of the value of contracts goes to the Sussex Snowdrop Trust, a local children’s charity.

Luke is also now working as a mentor and advisor to young people who want to start their own businesses.

“I’m not even 30 but I have achieved a lot, and now I want to do more to help others succeed. I want to help young people, especially those struggling at school. There’s one big message I want to give: you’re never too young to start a business. 

30 is also the age that those in Scotland are feeling at the peak of their physical health, while at 31 they are likely to get married.

At 32, the average Scot tends to feel happiest with their romantic relationship and/or love life, while at 34 they are likely to buy their first house.

34 is also the age they tend to feel happiest with their social circle and friendships and feel happiest with their family life.

34 is also the age at which Scottish residents feel happiest in their careers, while they report having the very highest self-confidence at 35.

The research further revealed what they look forward to most about their birthday celebrations. Spending time with family and friends (39%), going out for food (32%) and making memories with family and friends (30%) appear top of the list. 

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FEATURE

“I used to spend lesson times scrolling

FEATURE

Five days work now done in four!

Homeworking boosts Britain’s productivity.

Increased productivity as a result of working from home during lockdown could transform the way businesses and employees approach their working week, according to a new study recently released.

Greater productivity enables homeworkers to upskill The Lockdown Lessons report, commissioned by TalkTalk, revealed that more than half (58%) of workers in the UK said they had been more productive as a result of working from home, and their bosses agree. 30% of business leaders (directors, senior executives or owners) said working remotely had made their teams more productive, while over a third (35%) said they were working more collaboratively.

Lockdown has brought the importance of connectivity sharply into focus for many home workers, with over half (52%) of respondents saying the pandemic had made them realise the importance of the fast, reliable internet connection.

Another trend identified by the study is the increase in ‘bite-sized learning’ facilitated by connectivity. The report, undertaken by leading employment experts Working the Future has found that consumers are using online sources to learn new skills outside

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of their jobs, thanks to having additional hours in the day saved by working from home.

40% said they had watched online educational content during lockdown, while 16% had enrolled in a full online educational course. Almost a quarter (24%) have started to learn a language over lockdown, while a nearly a fifth (18%) worked on their IT & digital skills. Cooking (22%), baking (15%) and gardening (13%) were other popular areas of learning.

This time spent learning was not wasted. A third (32%) have developed a new skill, while 30% will seek out further online learning in the future. Nearly a fifth (18%) of 18-24 year olds said their career prospects had improved during lockdown.

Lockdown also appears to have nurtured an enterprising spirit, one in ten (10%) having started an online side hustle - a parttime role or project outside their primary job - as a way to generate extra income.

Internet usage during lockdown increased 40% year on year according to TalkTalk network data, leading the brand to launch its new Homeworker package – providing an additional business-grade line dedicated for home working**.

working from home, with 40% identifying digital skills and training and just shy of a quarter (23%) naming broadband as target area.

Tristia Harrison, Chief Executive Officer at TalkTalk, said: “Lockdown Britain has seen a boost in skills and productivity for home workers, with unexpected lessons for how we emerge from the pandemic. As people have been working from home, they’ve also been learning: from new languages, to cooking, to IT

Homes becoming offices: Businesses are already investing in home working

skills. With flexible working we’re becoming so much

The study showed 81% of business leaders identified a fast, reliable broadband connection as a priority for effective home working. That’s double the number of business leaders who said a workstation (41%), such as a desk, was a priority for their employees.

five days’ work done in four, which is encouraging as

Two out of five (40%) business leaders said they had provided financial support towards employees’ phone or broadband bills, and the same number said that they had given £100-£200 to improve their employees’ home working environment. A quarter (24%) of the respondents even said that they had invested in mental wellbeing apps, such as yoga subscriptions.

Yet there are some areas this year where businesses have also saved money. Business travel (62%) and company entertainment such as Christmas parties (45%) were identified by business leaders as areas to cut expenditure in the future, no doubt because of the relatively high risk of Covid-19 transmission among employees.

The business leaders are expecting to invest in ways to boost employee productivity while

FEATURE

The report also revealed that fast, reliable broadband (51%) was ranked as the second most important commodity during lockdown, beating online shopping deliveries (37%) and a large living space (24%), ranking only behind having a garden (59%).

more productive it seems that Britain is now getting we build back from the crisis.”

“To unlock this productivity boost, home connectivity is vital, and it’s clear that bosses are already investing in people’s home office needs. That’s why we’ve launched a new Homeworker package to meet demand for those customers and businesses now working from home for the long term. With an additional business-grade line dedicated for home working, customers in busy households can rest assured that their broadband meets their connectivity needs.”

Catherine Barnard, Partner at Working The Future, said: “A future where a four-day work week is the norm could be a lot closer than people think. If someone can do their work in four days rather than five as a result of flexible working hours, it stands to reason that they can use the fifth day to further improve skills that complement their role. The challenge is to pivot from a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to employment.” 

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SECTION HEADER

Businesses finding new ways to innovate in the face of Covid-19 and climate crisis The international outlook for R&D is remarkably promising despite strong headwinds, according to research released by Ayming Group, the business performance consultancy specialising in innovation.

Ayming’s second annual International Innovation Barometer (IIB) reveals that R&D departments are being empowered by the creation of innovation ecosystems, new funding methods, and the deployment of technology.

R&D teams remain resolute in the face of several key obstacles.

Not only has Covid-19 caused expectations for budget increases to decline 12 per cent, but complexity is making it increasingly difficult to innovate successfully, international competition for talent is fierce, and collaboration is proving challenging.

However, advances in technology are empowering R&D professionals, who see it as the most important driver of innovation, selected by 39 per cent of survey respondents. All the same, the growing technical nature of R&D means businesses are looking for outside support, with use of external private resources up from 35 to 48 per cent. Collaboration may be down, but a new outsourcing hybrid model is emerging whereby big companies create an innovation ecosystem with smaller ones.

The funding landscape has also diversified. Incentives remain crucial, with R&D tax credits most popular at 47 per cent, but applications remain overcomplicated – a particular problem for SMEs with limited resources. SMEs often cannot finance R&D themselves, so these challenges have caused a jump in private funding, with equity/debt funding up 6 per cent, and crowdfunding up 17 per cent.

Mark Smith, Partner of Innovation Incentives at Ayming UK, says: “The pace of economic change is rapid, and Covid-19 has added fuel to the fire. And, while the impact of the pandemic on R&D has yet to fully reveal itself, companies must innovate through market downturns.

Fortunately, this report reveals that businesses and governments alike are discovering new ways both to fund their innovation and make it more productive.”

“Yet these emerging trends seem chiefly driven by private resources. Governments can safeguard 40 Issue 21 Winter 2020/21 www.business-now.co.uk

innovation spending by encouraging further education on R&D – because ultimately businesses need to know how much they are doing to decide whether to boost activity – and through the provision of further incentives. By demonstrating that innovation will be rewarded, governments can help maintain R&D growth.”

This year’s IIB takes a deep dive into sustainable innovation and finds that most businesses do not prioritise sustainability, with 35 per cent allocating between one and ten percent of their budget. Respondents say this is primarily to improve business performance, indicating sustainability is a secondary concern.

There is high demand for more environmentally friendly products and processes, and more needs to be done, but legislation – which is unanimously seen as relatively unimportant by respondents – is not the answer. The key seems to lie in increased tax incentives for sustainable projects, which is the second most important factor behind technology to help achieve sustainable innovation, at 28 per cent.

Smith adds: “Solving problems is at the heart of innovation, so it is essential both for Covid-19 and for challenges like the climate crisis. It’s becoming clear that there are huge commercial opportunities in environmental solutions. Businesses must rise to this challenge, and with urgency.”

“It seems that greater incentives are the way forward because, although providing a minimum standard, regulation can distract businesses from their underlying ambitions. For a supercharged tax incentive to work, definitions need to be drawn up. It needs to be crystal clear specifically what counts as sustainable R&D for it to be rewarded. In my mind, that is our way to a circular economy.”

Ayming surveyed a combination of 330 business executives and R&D managers from 13 countries across North America and Europe. 

FEATURE

The Green Berets of Business: A Lesson in Leadership from the Military The FSC Advisor Gareth Tennant shares

thrust into a new theatre of operations

how firms can build their strategy post-

must learn environment. Strategies

COVID

cannot be fixed plans, but instead

Unemployment has hit an all time high for

must provide explicit and well-defined

the past two years. The COVID pandemic

objectives along with clear guidance

has claimed an overwhelming 750,000

about the boundaries and limits of

jobs as the UK steps into its most

delegated decision-making. This will

turbulent financial period - one that far

allow for adaptability as they learn

exceeds the 2008 crash.

and grow. Leaders will need to build

Firms and individuals across the nation

resilience in their organisations through

are struggling, and workers are looking to

a combination of contingency planning,

their team leaders to guide them through

mitigating the effect of Taleb’s ‘black

Space

this pandemic. Gareth Tennant, Advisor

at The Future Strategy Club (https:// futurestrategyclub.co.uk) has 14 years

worth of experience at the front line as a

Royal Marine, even rising to be the Head of Intelligence. Now, Gareth applies his expertise to the business world.

In a time when business leaders must step up to the challenge and brave the frontline of the financial downturn, Gareth’s expertise has never been more relevant.

Over his lengthy military career, Gareth was involved in the planning and execution of a variety of operations around the world across all four components of the UK Armed Forces - Air, Land, Maritime

swans’, and feedback loops for learning

Former Head of Intelligence of the Royal Marines on how to lead workers through the unemployment crisis

lessons. The most successful businesses, like the most successful soldiers, will not be the strongest or the most disciplined.

But those who are humble enough to learn from their mistakes, quickly adapt to their environment and through their actions begin to even shape it and through guile,

operations. Perhaps now as the country

cunning and tenacity to turn change into

and, indeed, the world begins to come to

opportunity.

terms with the realities of a post-COVID

My key piece of advice is that leaders

economy, the hard-fought lessons of

should remember not to let their guard

military operations may be of value.

down and return to business as usual. the

Instead, think about the range of potential

uncertainty of the current business

risks and build up the muscle memory to

landscape, like military commanders

adapt to potential changes.” 

Business

leaders

surveying

and Joint. In 2015, Gareth’s penchant for strategy and decision making earned him a Fleet Commander Commendation.

Leadership is Gareth’s forte, therefore, and now he shares his experience with business leaders looking to drive their firms out of the fog and avoid closure.

“The physical hardship, austere conditions and deafening noise of combat is a long way from the sharp suits and lattes of the City, but I’m continually struck by the parallels between the challenges of business with those we faced on combat

Issue 21

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FEATURE

Stay motivated and inspired when working from home How to stay motivated and inspired when the novelty of working from home has worn off Winter is upon us and you’re still working from home. The novelty

Designate a workspace

of working from home has most certainly started to wear off.

If you work in bed you may be comfortable – although not for long as you may develop back issues – however, your mind probably won’t be in ‘work mode’. If you don’t have a desk, the dining room table or even the sofa are better places to work than your bed. The key think is to find a space that will take you away from household distractions and get you to focus on the job.

Without the re-assuring repetitiveness of your daily commute and the friendly banter from your team, you may be feeling as bleak as the weather.

Not everyone finds it easy to work from home, especially if you are distracted by children, your partner (who is also trying to work from home), household chores and the doorbell constantly ringing. Here are some suggestions on how to keep your motivation levels up whilst working from home:

Create a routine Structure makes our brains happy because the patterns and routines we don’t have to think about will allow our brain to go into autopilot. Establishing a set routine (with some room for flexibility) will give your day some structure. This should make you more efficient, productive and hopefully more at ease in these uncertain times. A routine is just as important for your mental health as it is for your productivity levels. It can be as simple as getting up at the same time every day, reading a book or doing a workout, making a coffee and breakfast, then setting down to start your workday. Personalise the routine to work for you. As long as you are consistent and the routine loosely mimics the one you had when you were at the office, it should work for you.

Get dressed!

Even if you put on sweatpants and a jumper, putting on your daytime clothes will make a big difference to your mindset. If you work in your pyjamas you’ll still be in ‘relax mode’ which won’t make you feel motivated to get things done. You don’t have to put clothes on that will make you uncomfortable like jeans, comfort is the aim, just make sure they are clothes you would actually wear outside. The added bonus of this is that when you leave the house to get food or do some exercise, you’ll already be ready.

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Communication is key You can’t turn around to your colleagues and ask that quick question when you’re not in the office. Communication is even more important when the only way to contact your co-workers is online by phone. You’ll probably find yourself having more regular meetings via video chat, which will help you all to be on the same page about all the projects you’re working on. Use these weekly catch ups to iron out any work-load issues and any areas of concern so that the problem doesn’t escalate.

Make mobility part of your routine Seeing the same four walls non-stop isn’t good for anyone. Exercise will stop you feeling lethargic from sitting at home all day.

So leave your phone at home and go for a walk or a run early before the start of the day. Another option is to exercise at lunchtime to energise yourself in the middle of the day. If you can find time for more exercise then why not try some deskercise?

Stick to your work hours

It’s important to have the right level of room lighting. I appreciate that it’s a fine line between good lighting that provides enough illumination and bright lighting that borders on glare. You need comfortable lighting to be able to see all kinds of documents, but these must be ones that will not blind you. Also, the lighting should not be too dim as this will make you feel sleepy and less productive.

We are well aware of how bad screen time can be for your health. So unless you have a particular deadline that you need to hit, you should stick to your structured work hours as much as possible. It’s important to be able to relax after your workday and not keep thinking about work.

This is easier to do if you shut the laptop and ignore your emails from the moment your workday ends.

FEATURE

Room lighting

Try to organise fun and relaxing things for yourself to do after work. Pop on an eye mask and have a long warm bath, have a solo disco, a video chat or read a book to help you slip more easily into ‘relax mode’. 

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PROPERTY

Is it time to safely allow offices to open their doors?

By Karen Pugh, Elevator Property Director:

“As many businesses remain locked out of their premises, COVID is fast becoming the accelerator for one of the greatest workplace transformations.

Working from home has completely altered our workplace paradigm. But the biggest question, how will this massive transformation impact you, your team and your organisation?

“Whilst the new norm may be more of a blended approach between home and the workplace, there needs to be effort from employers and employees to start to look at getting safely back into the workplace.

“To develop new streams of interaction - networking, deals, new leads, building relationships - interaction at a human level is required.

“At the start of October, the BBC released figures from a study of businesses that suggested home working is here to stay.

Findings reported that of just under 1,000 firms questioned by the Institute of Directors (IoD), 74% plan on maintaining the increase in home working.

“The reporting follows an additional BBC study published in August which suggested that 50 of the biggest UK employers had no plans to return all staff to the office full-time in the near future.

“As the First Minister postponed the planned date to allow ‘non-essential’ office staff to return to work, so many are eagerly waiting to find out when they can start operating safely under what most are describing as the ‘new normal’.

“To stimulate development and growth of the business and personnel to ensure that the health and stability of business and people is not adversely affected, interaction at a human level is required.

“Office environments spark not just collaboration but that innovation you see when people are together.

“Prolonged isolation has wider risks than the growth of a business. It is taking its toll on mental health issues; shared workspace often provides employees the opportunity for informal development and networking that is so crucial, particularly early on in a career.

“There is no doubt businesses in Scotland have been dealt a series of devastating blows. The future is predicting even tougher times, tighter lockdown restrictions, the end of furlough, and the much-anticipated outcome of Brexit will only add to that.

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“As the North East sets to battle through the darker months ahead, we know that any transition is going to cause challenges. As the government looks to ease this, we need to look at how we safely reset the office environment.

“Throughout the pandemic Elevator has introduced extensive plans to gradually and safely reopen our property portfolio. First and foremost, the health and safety of staff and tenants is paramount. However, we have witnessed manufacturing firms and construction sites – those who physically cannot work from home, operate as the lockdown has eased, it can be safely done.

“What we need now is cautious plans and guidance to encourage people safely back to work, to help rebuild our City’s business community, while preventing another outbreak in Aberdeen City and shire.”

In August 2020, Elevator opened its third wing at @balmoralHUB, a mutual effort with Balmoral Group, expanding the footprint by 5000 sqft and offering executive office space and meeting rooms for a further 13 businesses. On Aberdeen’s south side, @balmoralHUB was formed to promote an innovative and collaborative business culture, the third wing allows for a total of 40 businesses to be homed in the premises. 

Aberdeenshire self-catering provider are nominated for a prestigious Northern Star Business Award.

The lodges, which have top five-star accreditation from VisitScotland, are a finalist in the Family Business category.

The McAlpine family set up the business, which opened in 2018, to create an enduring source of employment and revenue for their extended family and locally-based staff. At busy times, three generations of the McAlpine family work to make sure that customers stays are of the highest possible quality.

There are eight high specification self-catering lodges at Dalriada over-looking Stonehaven Bay with views towards Dunnottar

PROPERTY

Dalriada Luxury Lodges Reaches Finals of Prestigious Awards Castle. The lodges have proved especially popular following lock down as families and travellers seek a self-indulgent and safe coastal break.

Kelly McAlpine, Managing Director of Dalriada says, “Although it’s been a difficult year for tourism businesses, at Dalriada we’ve seen an increase in bookings. Interest in future stays is at a higher level than it was before the pandemic began. There’s a long way to go, particularly as we enter the traditionally quieter winter months, however, one of the many positives of a family business is its inherent strengths which provide longevity and stability due to our strong relationships and loyalty. Families always pull together in a crisis and all generations of our family have certainly done this in recent months”.

The Northern Star Business Awards winners will be announced on March 11 2021.

Dalriada Lodges occupy a prime spot overlooking Stonehaven bay. Each lodge has two en-suite bedrooms, spacious lounge and fully equipped kitchen with combi-oven, dishwasher and washing machine, South-facing decking offers great views over the coastline, as well as private parking and access to secure storage for golf equipment, cycles and outdoor gear. Dalriada is pet-friendly too, and the site includes electric charging points for vehicles.

Guests can customise their stay, including locally sourced breakfast packs, golf packages - and get a round of golf at Stonehaven for free. 

New Cults development approved for Cala Homes CALA Homes given the go ahead to create a new development in Cults.

Aberdeen City Council has given planning consent for a site located north of Kirk Brae, comprising 78 homes, continuing the leading housebuilder’s legacy in the suburb.

CALA has been building new homes in Cults since 2012 through a series of carefully planned neighbourhoods in the area, including current developments at Cults Park and Craigton Mews, and in

fact created homes in the suburb as far back as the 1970s.

Ross Maclennan, Land Director at CALA Homes (North), said: “We are very pleased to be able to move forward with our plans for this site, which will include a selection of high quality two, three, four and five bedroom homes, complementing our previous and current developments in the area.

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“We have created several flourishing neighbourhoods in Cults over the years and established strong relationships with local schools and businesses. We also recently completed the new Friarsfield link road, a key piece of infrastructure for the community. We look forward to beginning work on this new development.”

Work on the new homes is expected to commence in early 2021. 

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PROPERTY https://origin-global.com

There’s no place like home Scots spend £12,000 to create the perfect home A new study has found that the average resident in Scotland is willing to spend as much as £12,000 on special features to give their home added ‘wow factor’.

The survey, commissioned by Origin, the UK’s leading manufacturer of aluminium doors and windows, amongst UK homeowners, found that the most sought-after feature in Scottish homes is storage, with 59 percent of homeowners agreeing that this is important to them. This is followed by an ensuite bathroom (58 percent) and natural light (56 percent).

When it comes to adding special features to a home, residents are willing to spend big, with 85 percent agreeing that they would pay more money for added extras. A garage (43 percent), an ensuite bathroom (39 percent), and a storage (39 percent) are the features most likely to be splurged on.

Some are even willing to go to extreme lengths to ensure they get exactly what they want in their home, with over one in 10 saying they would be willing to reduce all other household expenditure to be able to afford the upgrades they want. What’s more, one in 20 admit to financially overstretching themselves in pursuit of the perfect home.

When considering moving to a new house, homeowners in

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Scotland are also happy to compromise on the overall size of a property in order to get the features they want. The study found that almost three quarters of residents would sacrifice square footage for certain features, with a large garden, a garage and a great view all considered more essential than space.

Interestingly, homeowners in the area are less likely to compromise on the location of their home than the size or price, suggesting that location remains king.

With the cost of homes rising year on year, it is no surprise that more than a quarter of Brits (26 percent) believe they are unlikely to ever afford a home with all the features they look for, no matter what sacrifices they make. Almost the same number (24 percent) claimed it is impossible to have a home with all desired features as one can never be truly satisfied.

Commenting on the findings, Property Consultant Alex Goldstein, said: “The results prove that people are often willing to pay a premium for the features that really matter to them. Having worked in the property sector for nearly 20 years, it is no surprise to me that natural light and storage take the top spots. However, we are also seeing new and emerging trends, like en-suite bathrooms and outdoor spaces, becoming far more important.

to

the

current

coronavirus

pandemic, people are spending even more time in their homes and they have had to become multi-purpose suitable for work, rest and play. During lockdown, people have had time to consider what they really want and need; be it designated workspaces,

PROPERTY

“Due

Top 10 Most Desirable Features in a Home 1. Natural light 2. Storage 3. En-suite bathroom 4. Large garden 5. Garage

6. Outdoor seating area 7. A great view 8. A quality front door 9. Walk-in wardrobe 10. Kitchen island

more accommodation for the children or a bigger garden. Once they have decided, they go the extra mile to get it, as they know they will get good use out of it and it will make the additional time spent in their home more enjoyable. An Englishman’s home is his castle, and, in his mind, he deserves all the comforts that go with it.”

What’s more, people are optimistic about how much value features can add to a home, with a great view expected to add up to 10 percent to the value of a home and natural light and outdoor seating both considered

https://www.gardendesignscotland.com

worthy of an eight percent increase. It is therefore no surprise that 15 percent of British homeowners intend to boost the value of their home by adding some extra ‘wow’ factor.

However, adding value to a home isn’t always about spending money; sometimes

it’s

all

in

a

name.

Homeowners looking to give their home a boost should go for terms such as ‘lounge’ instead of ‘sitting room’, ‘guest room’ instead of ‘spare room’, and ‘outdoor living room’ over ‘patio’, with these terms all considered to be more valuable by discerning Brits.

Ben Brocklesby, Director at Origin, https://willoxdesign.com

said: “At Origin, we understand the transformative effect that an abundance of natural light can have on a home, as well as the impact it can have on the value of a property. So, it came as no surprise to us that the features Brits prioritise the most are those that link a home to the great outdoors. Whether it is creating a cosy patio, or adding large bi-fold windows or doors to make the most of an incredible view, it is clear that Brits are increasingly valuing added extras in the home and are willing to invest in achieving the wow factor in

https://origin-global.com

their property.” 

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ADVERTORIAL

A Traditional family butcher in the West End of Aberdeen At Chattan Quality Butchers they aim to provide their customers, old and new with the highest quality and locally sourced meats and poultry.

By Nadia Hassan

Murray Cheyne

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Customer Response When we spoke to Phil, he stated that during lockdown their demand grew and continues to do so as the restrictions are lifted.

Since the lockdown their demand has further increased by word of mouth and people staying at home more, during this uncertain time.

They also provide butcher packs that are competitively priced, no wonder customers rave about them!

It is obvious that this local butcher loves to support local businesses by providing local produce. At this time, now more than ever, its buy local, or bye- bye local.

The most wonderful time of the year is fast approaching...

This Christmas may see a huge change to family dining habits, especially for those who look forward to going out for dinner.

What do Chattan Buchers offer They provide deliveries for their customers and have an extremely helpful and knowledgeable staff who are more than happy to help with any enquiries.

They are open six out of seven days a week and of course provide the most important thing… delicious food!

Chattan Quality Butcher are here for your roast chicken dinner demands and your sausages on a Saturday morning…

Introducing latest staff member, Murray Cheyne Murray joined the Chattan team back in September and, coming from a chef’s background, is proving a huge asset for the company. Murray brings new ideas for recipes and combinations that his previous chef skills have taught him over the years.

If you follow Chattan on Facebook, they post all their pies, kebabs, chicken and asparagus, burgers… need we go on?

Reviews include comments on the quality of the produce, the traditional customer service and the least stressful shopping experience they have had.

When we spoke to Phil, he said that throughout lockdown, he had noticed and felt the appreciation from their customers with an empathy for what they and others in a similar position do.

They stock, beef, pork, bacon, gammon, lamb, chicken, turkey, geese, game, offal, eggs, vegetables, cheese and pies. What more could you wish for?

When you pop in, please be sure to have a chat with Murray. Maybe you will be encouraged to try something you haven’t tried before!

Delivery

A festive feast is, to some, the main event of Christmas day. It’s what most people look forward to. The roast turkey, the pigs in blankets, the roast potatoes, beef with all the trimmings… are you drooling yet?

For a lot of people, it’s possible that they have never cooked a Christmas dinner before, simply because they didn’t have too.

However, there is no need to be stressed when there is a local quality butcher here for you!

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Chattan Quality Butchers offer free delivery. You can purchase in the shop and have it delivered or simply call in your order by phone. They will arrange a time that is suitable for you. In addition, they also offer Deliveroo services.

Because of these uncertain times, Phil would encourage customers to get their orders in early to avoid disappointment, especially leading up to the festive months.

To place an order please contact 01224 581843 or email: enquiries@chattanqualitymeats.co.uk 35-37 Chattan Place, Aberdeen AB10 6RB. Open: Mon -Wed 9am-5pm Thurs - Fri 9am-6pm Sat 7am-4pm Sunday Closed 

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ADVERTORIAL

As well as providing meats and poultry, they offer other local produce such as stock, sauces, marinades, Devenick Dairy Oatcakes, bread from The Breadmaker, granola, jams and chutney from Bakery Lane and produce from The Crafty Pickle.

FEATURE

Netflix but don’t chill Index shows businesses working to meet customers needs during coronavirus • Giffgaff, Nationwide & Tesco Mobile behind Netflix and

their hands as there are competitors in the same sectors which, on paper, deliver the same service, but ranked much lower.”

• •

“We believe that customer understanding and fast, imaginative innovation are the keys to opportunity. The businesses at the top of the pile are undoubtedly planning their next moves to act on the opportunities presented by these changing customer needs.

Any brand with a competitor ranked higher should be seriously questioning why their customers aren’t as happy and moving to out-think their competitors. Even the businesses topping the table have plenty of room for improvement.

Amazon as top lock-down brands Big Six energy giants fail to make it out of the bottom ten Businesses failing to meet consumer needs

The most comprehensive report of its kind, commissioned by new consultancy Yonder has ranked seventy of the biggest businesses in the UK according to their ability to meet customer needs since the onset of COVID-19.

The Yonder Opportunity Index, which was based on the experiences of over 4,000 British adults using the very latest research techniques was topped by giants Netflix, followed

by Amazon, Amazon Prime Video, Giff-Gaff, Tesco Mobile and Deliveroo whilst energy giants dominated the bottom ten with Ryanair given the lowest score by its customers.

The new Yonder Opportunity Index analysed the most important consumer needs, during lockdown and beyond, including the need for security, normality, the ability to have something to look forward to in the future and to manage change.

Yonder CEO Manfred Abraham, said: “Whilst at first glance it seems easy to understand why Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and some of the mobile networks delivered well for customers during lockdown – it wasn’t purely a case that circumstance played into

“It is clear that the energy companies – especially the larger ones, have plenty of opportunities to really tap into customer needs. In areas such as coping with change, or the ability to have things to look forward to, especially as we move into the winter and customer bills rise, financial pressure rising for many customers and the general desire of the population turning to making their homes a place of celebration and not just survival.

“With the world moving so rapidly, new opportunities appear all the time for brands to do more for their customers, but they must understand what customers really want and need. Companies must then have the imagination to see the new opportunities and the ability to capitalise on them.”

The Opportunity Index – Top 66 Brands According to Customer Experience During COVID-19 1. Netflix

2. Amazon

3. Amazon Prime Video

4. Giffgaff

5. Tesco Mobile

7. Nationwide

8. O2

9. Ocado

10. M&S Food

11. John Lewis

12. Jet 2

13. Lidl

14. Aldi

15. Sky

16. Uber Eats

17. Sainsbury’s

18. ASOS

19. Just Eat

20. M&S (Food & Retail)

21. Morrisons

22. Asda

23. Tesco

24. EE

25. Greggs

26. Nat West

27. M&S Clothing and home

28. Very

29. Boots

30. Waitrose

31. Virgin Media

32. Virgin Atlantic

33. ITV

34. Costa Coffee

35. Three

36. BT

37. British Airways

38. Superdrug

39. Pret A Manger

40. Lloyds

41. Santander

42.Zara

43. BBC

44. McDonalds

45. SSE

46. Vodaphone

47. HSBC

48. TSB

49. Primark

50. Argos

51. EasyJet

52. New Look

53. Starbucks

54. Cafe Nero

55. Next

56. Virgin Mobile

57. Barclays

58 RBS

59. E.On

60. JD Wetherspoons

61. KFC

62. Bristish Gas

63. Scottish Power

64. EDF

65. Npower

66. Ryanair

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6. Deliveroo

FEATURE

Top ten desired consumer outcomes: Feel secure wherever you are Create special moments for the people you love Have things to look forward to Feel connected to friend and family outside your household Have a sense of purpose Live your life to the fullest Have a sense of freedom Feel a sense of normality Cope with changes to your circumstances Know you are not alone

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FEATURE

Local Loyalty Built to Last How the Pandemic has Unlocked a New Customer Base for Small Businesses During lockdown in the UK, there was no question that SME businesses and local traders were hit hard. Around 80 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK have seen a revenue impact in the last few months, due to the impact of the Covid-19 crisis and the subsequent lockdown.

Despite this, many local businesses have made it through extremely testing times and now have a stronger, and more loyal, customer base than ever before. In the height of lockdown, many consumers began to see it as their duty to help support local businesses and see them thrive against all odds.

There were various ways in which people supported, and are still supporting, local businesses such as pubs, bars, and cafes. In one survey, 36% of people said that they’d supported local enterprises by utilising their takeaway/delivery services and 30% said they had purchased vouchers; 29% said that they had recommended their favourite businesses to friends and family, and 20% said

that they’d donated to a few online fundraising initiatives.

Evidently, people were willing to make the shift to shopping local at the beginning of lockdown and, thanks to this, many small traders have a thriving new customer base. The question now, as we move forward into uncharted territory, is how can traders retain, and capitalise on, this customer base? Read on to discover our top five tips.

Use your delivery experience as a new marketing channel In the initial phases of lockdown, most small businesses were prompted to adapt their business. For many, this meant offering online delivery options instead of in-person services. Even though people are able to visit places in person once more, it’s important that you continue to offer an alternative, as this could also work as a new marketing channel for your business.

Omnichannel marketing is the concept of providing customers with an integrated

Baker

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Butcher

shopping experience, including both online and in-person shopping. During times when many people are still dependant on ordering products online, work to solidify your brand as the go-to home delivery service in the area, and your business will continue to grow.

To create a truly memorable delivery experience, consider compliment slip printing as a way to add a personal touch for customers.

Create an agile strategy and be ready to adapt In one survey, it was revealed that 28% of SME businesses doubted their ability to sustain their supply chains, while 24% were concerned about being able to successfully retain their employees.

Evidently, a new strategy is needed for the majority of local businesses in the UK. You may have been able to stay afloat thanks to customer loyalty during the initial stages of lockdown, but chances are, that was partly because your business proved to be adaptable and you acted fast, thinking on your feet.

Hairdresser

FEATURE

Local Shop

No one knows what the coming months will bring, so the ability

Express gratitude through loyalty schemes and offers

to be flexible is essential for all local businesses. Listen to your

One of the best ways to capitalise on the customer base you were able to cultivate throughout the early stages of lockdown, is to show gratitude and thank them for their unwavering loyalty.

What better way to do so than implementing a rewarding loyalty scheme? Not only will this retain valuable customers, but if you incorporate it into your marketing efforts it will attract new potential customers to come and reap the rewards of choosing your business.

customer base, respond to their needs and create an agile strategy around them rather than sticking to your pre-lockdown best practice.

Although it can be hard to budget for all of the small-businessessentials, your strategy should involve a marketing budget that allows you to interact with your customer base, keeping loyal customers engaged while attracting an even wider following

Consistent communication is key As your customer base has seen you through some difficult months, it’s likely that you already have a healthy social media following and consumers have been staying in the loop with everything you have on offer. So, what are the next steps?

Use your social media to keep people engaged. Be sure to consistently communicate with them and let them know all the exciting things that you’ve got coming up. By asking your followers to share your messages further, you’ll be able to reach a much wider customers base, so now is the perfect time to run social media competitions in which you ask your followers to share a post and tag their friends.

Communication is also essential right now because big changes could happen at any point. Don’t leave your customers in the dark. Instead, always be clear on your opening hours, delivery options, and any special promotions that you’re running

Share your story Finally, remember to maximise one of the main reasons why local customers chose to support you throughout lockdown instead of a much larger corporation: the emotion and ‘realness’ of a small, community-based business. Share your lockdown story with your customers and don’t forget to thank them for the part they played in it.

Did your business step in to help others within your community during times of crisis? If so, incorporate that uplifting story into your marketing efforts and remind people that by supporting you, they’re not only helping one small business thrive but playing a real part for their community.

The future is unclear, but by being flexible, engaging your customers, and putting effort into both your digital and print marketing, you will have the tools to continue to build your business up. Independent businesses rely on their loyal customer base, so be sure to put your customers at the centre of your strategy. 

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FEATURE

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Small Businesses face a mental health crisis as a third of emplyees worry about the imapct of Cornoavirus on mental wellbeing.

Britain’s small businesses face a mental health crisis as their employees struggle with the ‘new normal’ of returning to work after lockdown. A combination of job insecurity, the demands of social distancing in the workplace and the ever-present fear of getting sick from COVID-19 have created a toxic stew of worry for bosses and workers alike.

Three out of ten (29%) small businesses worry about the impact the coronavirus pandemic is having on the mental wellbeing of their employees, according to the Small Business Monitor, a report published by WorkLife, an employee benefits service from online money manager OpenMoney. Top of the list of worries for employers is actually keeping their staff safe from the risk of COVID-19 in the workplace, with over a third (36%) citing this as a concern.

When asked about the worries raised by their workers, a third (32%) of firms said employees were worried about their own mental wellbeing. However, employers admitted their staff had other bigger worries linked to the pandemic that contributed to stress: 42% of firms said employees fear losing their jobs 39% said workers worry about the health of their loved ones 38% of employers said employees worry about their personal finances 32% said workers were concerned about the risk of contracting

COVID-19 in the workplace As UK businesses try and get back up and running, WorkLife has urged companies to take steps to support the mental health of their employees. Rob Marshall, managing director of WorkLife, says: “Sadly there is no quick fix to end the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. While many people are getting back to work, they are worrying about their commute, safety in the workplace and whether they will still have a job by the end of the year.

“Brits do have a tendency to ‘keep calm and carry on’, but this brings the risk of workers ignoring the stresses and worries that could build up to damage their mental health. Because work is the thing that the majority of adults spend most of their waking hours doing, employers are in a unique position to help their employees with any concerns around their mental health.”

Thankfully mental wellbeing is already high on the agenda for many small businesses. WorkLife’s research found that three out of ten (30%) SMEs currently offer their employees support, such as help managing their stress, while one in four (25%) want to introduce such help in the next six months.

This is why WorkLife included mental health and wellbeing support as an integral part of its employee benefits platform when it launched in the summer. Small businesses using WorkLife will be able to give their workers free access to Thrive, the only mental wellbeing app approved by the NHS. Developed by psychologists and psychiatrists who have created mental health services for the NHS, Thrive offers a wide range of practical help and support, from relaxation techniques such as meditation, through to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and sleep improvement. The app is personalised to each user, allowing people to tailor it to their needs and set their own goals, tracking their progress in monitoring and improving their mental wellbeing.

Maria Tzegka, Head of Growth and Success at Thrive, says: “We are so delighted to be supporting small businesses via our WorkLife partnership and offer the right service at the right moment to their employees. The Thrive app has been created to help people who want to learn techniques for managing their own mental health, or how to support a family member or a friend that might be worried about.

“Our app offers access to a variety of tools, from calm breathing techniques through to a session with our psychologist at a click of a button, so it is perfect for everyone.”

WorkLife has been created to give small businesses access to the kinds of employee benefits usually only enjoyed by workers at big companies. In addition to Thrive, employees can also access free financial advice from OpenMoney, designed to help tackle the financial stress many workers find themselves in at the moment with many on furlough or facing wage cuts.

To help with health and fitness, WorkLife also offers deals and discounts via My Active Discounts, while Purecard gives employees access to money off on big brand shopping and dining out. The WorkLife platform also gives workers access to discounted rates on life and critical illness insurance from Anorak and household insurance from Uinsure.

The WorkLife platform is simple for employers to set up online, linking up with payroll information and workplace pensions, so employees can see all their benefits and salary in one place.

Employers can even add their own benefits and rewards.

Normally costing companies £2 per employee per month*, WorkLife is currently available free of charge for the rest of the year to help smaller businesses struggling in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.  WorkLife’s Small Business Monitor is based on research carried out by 3Gem among 750 senior financial and HR decision makers in UK SME companies with 5 - 250 employees.

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SECTION HEADER

Small Businesses face a mental health crisis

SECTION HEADER

Appointments

NEW

DOUBLE DIRECTOR APPOINTMENT AT GLOBAL SAFETY TRAINING FIRM Global safety, training and competency organisation, RelyOn Nutec, has made two key director level appointments in Aberdeen.

NEW CHIEF SECURITY OFFICER ON THE BEAT AT CONVERGED Aberdeen-headquartered

IT

company

Converged

Communication Solutions has appointed a leading cybercrime and cyber security expert with Police Scotland as its new

Iain Taylor has been promoted to UK commercial director from global sales manager at RelyOn Nutec Digital, whilst Alan McIntyre has moved into director for managed services and consultancy from his previous role in the business as operations manager in crisis management.

chief security officer.

Robbie Ross has joined the independent IT firm to support the delivery of its cyber security service and provide leadership on the subject, which is a major concern to businesses and organisations.

Both bring significant experience in the training industry with Iain working in digital training roles prior to joining the

Robbie’s move to Converged comes after over 20 years

RelyOn Nutec Global team, and Alan spending his career in

working in the police force, most recently as part of Police

emergency response and health and safety training following

Scotland’s cybercrime prevention unit as a cybercrime safety

a stint offshore.

prevention and resilience liaison officer.

JONATHAN DOBSON JOINS 2 CIRCLES “2 Circles Northeast were looking to grow their sales team and following a meeting John Willis (Director of 2 Circles Northeast), it was clear that they have fantastic growth potential and a team to back it up. So, welcome Jonathan Dobson to the team in offering a range of products and services to already 500 + business in the Northeast. Given the current situation with Covid and home working becoming the norm, it’s been great to see the benefits 2 Circle products can offer those businesses in allowing them continuity during these unprecedented times. I look forwards to speaking with fellow BNS members learning about their businesses and exploring how we can help them improve

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efficiency and continuity of operations.”

Winter 2020/21 www.business-now.co.uk

SECTION HEADER J+S SUBSEA APPOINTS PHIL REID AS MD AND DOUG SEDGE AS NON-EXEC DIRECTOR

MICRON EAGLE HYDRAULICS EYES GROWTH AS FOUNDER TAKES ON CHAIRMAN ROLE A well-known businessman is taking on a strategic role after 30 years of leading his internationally-operating hydraulics engineering company.

Global subsea controls company J+S Subsea, has appointed Phil Reid as its first managing director and broadened its leadership team with industry stalwart Doug Sedge joining its board as a non-executive director.

Andreas Nagel, who founded Micron Eagle Hydraulics in 1990, is stepping up to the role of chairman. Andreas has latterly been managing director at the Aberdeenshire business and is assuming the chairmanship now that he has the right team in place to take the business to the next level.

Mr Reid has worked in the oil and gas sector for more than 25 years. He was part of the original J+S Subsea company 10 years ago, where he held the role of Senior Account Manager.

Ian Gibson, who joined Micron Eagle in 1999, has been promoted from operations director to managing director, while – in a further move to support growth plans – previous business development manager Mark Burnett has been appointed business development director.

Mr Sedge has been involved in the oil and gas sector for 45 years. Most notably, he was region VP at Weatherford (Europe, West Africa and FSU) from 1999 to 2005; CEO at RGB Group from 2005 to 2008, and chief exec at Sparrows Group for five years until 2014. Mr Sedge also holds three non-exec positions with SME energy firms.

Director Henry Nagel, who is based at the company’s Houston operation in the USA, joins the Micron Eagle board, joining his father Andreas, Ian, Mark, technical director Angus Mitchell, finance director Karen Henderson and non-executive director Neil Grimmond. The new-look board collectively has 190 years of business expertise.

AVIAN NEW SENIOR APPOINTMENT Dundee

design

agency Avian has

bolstered

their

senior

team

with

the

appointment of Client Services Director, Andrea Kirkwood following recent growth.The news comes hot on the heels of a rebrand and repositioning of the creative consultancy.

Andrea joins the Avian team with over 20 years of award-winning, design and project management experience; working with brands such as Highland Park whisky, Edrington Group, The Glenlivet, Direct Line Life Assurance and Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park.

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AWARD WINNER

The Thriving Box Co founder named Pivot Entrepreneur of the Year managed to adapt my business, and in doing so, support so many others.”

Now in its eighth year, the Great British Entrepreneur Awards in partnership with Starling Bank celebrates the hard work and inspiring stories of entrepreneurs in the UK, rather than the business’ balance sheet.

The Pivot Entrepreneur of the Year category was added in response to the outbreak of Covid-19 and subsequent lockdown measures. It celebrates those who have adapted their business to ensure they survive, and even thrive after, the crisis.

With Covid-19 restrictions preventing the regional finals taking place at a live event, Robbie won the award during a virtual award ceremony joined by finalists across every region.

In a video message to finalists, Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “Entrepreneurs [have shown they] stay strong, even during a global pandemic. Coronavirus hasn’t stifled enterprise.

“Entrepreneurs are creating new businesses and adapting to the crisis, as seen in this year’s entries. And that’s what we need to happen if we want our economy to bounce back. We need all of you to keep inventing, keep taking risks, keep creating new businesses.

“It’s my job as Chancellor to celebrate, champion and support you.

“Congratulations to all the winners. Thank you to all of you for everything you’ve done.”

The founder of The Thriving Box Co, Robbie Allen, has been named Pivot Entrepreneur of the Year for Scotland and Northern Ireland at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards.

Having been working as a digital marketing consultant prior to lockdown, Robbie launched The Thriving Box Co after losing all his clients within two weeks. It gives independent business owners the opportunity for their products to be put in the hands of newly engaged customers each and every month. Customers get to discover new amazing products and local businesses now have a steady stream of new customers and revenue.

Francesca James, founder of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, said: “Robbie has a wonderful entrepreneurial story and I’m delighted for him to win this award. He has shown exactly what it means to pivot your business.”

Anne Boden, founder and CEO of Starling Bank, said: “We’re entrepreneurs and we have spirit. We fight back and we’re very good at dealing with adversity. And Robbie is an example to us all, of entrepreneurs that are creative, innovative, and changing the world.

Robbie Allen, founder of Thriving Box Co comments, “Since launching in March 2020, we’ve placed almost £1M worth of business with local independent retailers across the UK and that’s something that we’re really proud of.

“I’m so excited that Starling, a business I founded in 2014 and now the Best British Bank, is sponsoring such an important Awards. And as one entrepreneur to another, congratulations to getting where you are this evening and best of luck for the future.”

“By partnering with these local businesses and placing sizable orders with them, we can support their cash flow during these really challenging times. I’m glad that I have

The winners of each category will now go to the National Final of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, with a date to be announced due to restrictions on large events. 

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a diamond ring

they will treasure forever 60

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E X C L U S I V E LY AT