Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce Your Business Autumn 2016

business your

autumn 2016 £2

the magazine of Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry

PUT YOUR BUSINESS ON THE MAP Seamill

Ayrshire Business Week 2016 See pages 16 - 17

#AyrshireOnShow

www.ayrshire-chamber.org

Kilmarnock

Prestwick Ayr Annbank

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Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry, The Mezzanine, Glasgow Prestwick Airport, Prestwick, KA9 2PL Email: enquiries@ayrshire-chamber.org Web: www.ayrshire-chamber.org Tel: 01292 678666 President

Stuart Cresswell

Chief Executive

Valerie Russell

Development Manager

Helen McBride

MAGAZINE Editorial Content: acameron@ayrshire-chamber.org

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nsykes@ayrshire-chamber.org

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PARTNERS FOR BUSINESS Ayrshire Chamber wishes to acknowledge the support of the following companies as sponsors of our Partners for Business programme.

Whilst the summer weather may not have been what we would wish for we have had some perfect opportunities to show case Ayrshire to a global market: • The official opening of Trump Turnberry – estimated investment of £200m • The 145th Open at Royal Troon – 177,000 visitors • The Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open at Dundonald Links

All three bringing additional jobs and revenue to the local economy, new visitors to Ayrshire and more importantly televised all over the world together with a massive social media following.

“

Business Week will offer a more local platform to show what a diverse business community we have.

”

Close on their heels was the third Scottish International Airshow which was bigger and better than ever.

Prestwick Airport has been doing its bit too attending a vast array of both cargo and passenger related events including the Farnborough Airshow, Routes Europe, British Irish Airport Expo all promoting Prestwick Airport and Ayrshire. The airport were also exhibitors at the Space Symposium highlighting Prestwick as best placed to become the UK’s first spaceport again putting Ayrshire on the world map.

With the unexpected Brexit result reaching a global market has never been more important.

Change can be unsettling but we need to embrace it and not put on the brakes.

We must seize the opportunity of being

VAL RUSSELL ACCI CHIEF EXECUTIVE

back on the world stage. Can deals be done quicker now with no EU restraints?

Private sector must use this period to influence the outcomes of the Brexit negotiations and Ayrshire was part of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce meeting with David Mundell MP, Secretary of State for Scotland, and also gave members a platform to express their concerns to Dr Philippa Whitford MP. This really is a period for Chambers to ‘be the voice of business’ and I would ask you to take time to complete the BCC and SCC surveys that come out to ensure Ayrshire's voice is loud!

Business Week will offer a more local platform to showcase what a diverse business community we have. Many congratulations to all the finalists of the Ayrshire Business Awards and sincere thanks to all our sponsors in particular new principal sponsor Munro Partnership.

We look forward to hearing the winners announced at Seamill Hydro Hotel.

I hope many of you will join us at the Ayrshire on Show Exhibition on October 4th – stands going fast - and at our Go Purple event at Elliots raising funds for Ayrshire Hospice. Full details on Ayrshire Business Week on Pages 16 & 17.

As always my door is open or if you would like me to come and visit your business please get in touch with Amy at the Chamber to arrange.

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

CONTACTS

AYRSHIRE ON SHOW

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CHAMBER NEWS

AYRSHIRE BUSINESS AWARDS 2016 FINALISTS ANNOUNCED Following weeks of anticipation, the application forms have been submitted, scores have been counted and we can now unveil the short list for the Ayrshire Business Awards 2016.

Ayrshire Chamber Chief Executive Val Russell commented “Congratulations to the finalists of the 2016 Ayrshire Business Awards.

David Hughes Managing Director from the awards Principal Sponsor Munro Partnership added “Many congratulations to all the finalists at this year’s Ayrshire Business Awards. It is a fantastic achievement with so many high quality businesses in Ayrshire, and one which your staff, clients and business will benefit from the deserved recognition that follows.”

“The judges had some difficult decisions to make naming their shortlists with some extremely close scoring.

The winners will be announced at the glittering awards dinner at Seamill Hydro on Thursday 6th October 2016 hosted by Jackie Brambles.

“I’m looking forward to finding out the winners in October at will be a great night.”

Tickets to attend the Ayrshire Business Awards 2016 can be bought online via ayrshire-chamber.org/businessweek Entrepreneur of the Year Award sponsored by Entrepreneurial-Spark Craig Kerr - AEO Consult Ltd Carey Rowe- International Summer School for Teens Craig Hume Utopia Computers

The 2016 finalists are: Developing the Young Workforce Ayrshire Award sponsored by Munro Partnership Ashleigh (Scotland) Limited Ayr Gaiety Theatre with Ayrshire Youth Arts Network Gosh Creative Most Promising New Business Award sponsored by Business Gateway Bitzbags Ltd Crucial Drinks The Little Art School Co Ltd

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

Tourism Award sponsored

by Seamill Hydro Ballantrae Festival of Food & Drink Sugar and Spice/ Geraldos VisitArran

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Principal Sponsor

Family Business Award sponsored by Ayrshire Weekly Press Engineering, Tools & Consumables Ltd HA Blackwood Wilsons Auctions Ltd

Ayrshire Food and Drink Award sponsored

by East Ayrshire Council Aye Love Real Food Ballantrae Festival of Food & Drink Crucial Drinks

Excellence in Customer Service Award sponsored by Kitchens by JS Geddes Auchrannie Resort Glenapp Castle RAD Hotel Group Ltd

Health At Work Award sponsored by Westfield Health Active Travel Hub Kilmarnock Cunninghame Housing Association Ltd East Ayrshire Council

Apprentice of the Year Award sponsored by Trump Turnberry Stuart Queen Character Joinery Eleanor Trainer - GSK Mathew Wylie - Spirit AeroSystems (Europe) Ltd

Outstanding Performing Business (less than 50 employees) sponsored by Clydesdale Bank ANCHO Ltd physioflexx Physioflexx Scotland Ltd Urquhart Opticians

Innovation in Business Award sponsored by North Ayrshire Council Kingscroft Logistics Ltd Oricom Ltd Thorne Travel

Independent Retailer of the Year Award sponsored by South Ayrshire Council Cardhu Gifts and Interiors JD CAMERON JD Cameron Urquhart Opticians

Outstanding Performing Business Award (more than 50 employees) sponsored by GSK Aspire Scotland Ltd RAD Hotel Group Wallace McDowall Ltd

It’s an overused cliché ‘young people are our future’ but Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce firmly believe in providing young people with opportunities to start their journey into the world of work whilst reaping the benefits for the business.

Part of the‘social media generation,’they bring new ideas to the workplace and at the same time create a younger, more vibrant image of Chambers of Commerce.

Five of the 18 members of staff at Ayrshire Chamber are under the age of 30 and the youngest members of the team, Danielle McPherson and Amy Storrar, both began in administrative roles within the organisation – Danielle in 2012 and Amy in 2015 – using the modern apprenticeship framework to develop and progress their careers.

Val Russell, Chief Executive, Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce, explained:“It would have been hypocritical of us to encourage our membership to employ young people and not do so ourselves.

“The Chamber leads the Developing the Young Workforce Ayrshire group which aims to create better links with educational establishments and employers and that includes encouraging them to hire young people.

“By bringing in Danielle and Amy to our team and supporting them through their development we have invested in their future within the business.

“With Modern Apprenticeships you play a major role in moulding the next generation as well as giving them a head start in their career.

Danielle, 21, who has now progressed from administration assistant to Developing the

Young Workforce Ayrshire’s Communications and Administration Officer feels a Modern Apprenticeship gave her a start she wouldn’t have got elsewhere.

She said:“The best thing about a Modern Apprenticeship for me is that I feel as though I have given me a real opportunity to learn different roles within the business. I feel I am miles ahead of where I would be if I had gone to college or university.”

And the work-based learning of a Modern Apprenticeships appealed too. She added:“I have always been a hands-on-learner, so choosing a Modern Apprenticeship seemed the best option for me when I left school. It’s opened up opportunities for me and I’m glad of the places it has taken me already.”

For Amy, 20, she has been able to use her apprenticeship as a springboard for further learning. She explained said:“I worked really hard to ensure that my portfolio was of a high quality but also looking forward to completing it so that I could develop my skills further and learn even more within the workplace. I have now started my second apprenticeship studying Digital Marketing and IT which was a personal interest but one that the Chamber has encouraged me to take further. They have even invested in new software just for me to grow my design skills.

“I would never have imagined a year ago that I’d be where I am today.”

Both Danielle and Amy are also fully qualified in Export Documentation which is of huge benefit to the business so win – win!

To find out more about Modern Apprentices in Ayrshire contact Gillian Cameron, Developing the Young Workforce Employee Engagement Officer on 01292 678 666.

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

PRACTICING WHAT WE PREACH

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CHAMBER NEWS

ON A PATH TO SOMETHING BETTER?

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

Business Excellence recognises those small and medium enterprises who strive for continuous improvement in their business.

The annual award will be presented at the Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner on Friday 10th March at Trump Turnberry Hotel.

This prestigious accolade rewards those Small and Medium enterprises based in Ayrshire who are committed to excellence and following a path of continuous improvement.

And Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce will soon start the process for Business Excellence 2017 with a revised process to allow more organisations to participate. The application will stimulate selfassessment and set a pathway to take your business forward.

The award is free to enter and open to any company based in Ayrshire with less than 250 employees in either the manufacturing or service sector.

Nicola Sykes, Project Executive, Business Excellence Ayrshire, explained: “The Business Excellence Award is not only a prestigious award, but also a hugely beneficial process for your business.

“The unique application process requires you to evaluate your own business and performance.

Ayrshire has many top achieving organisations as is

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ASHLEIGH CONSTRUCTION, 2016 WINNERS OF THE 'BUSINESSES OF MORE THAN 25 EMPLOYEES' CATEGORY

“

The award is FREE to enter and open to any company with less than 250 employees...

”

ANCHO LTD, 2016 WINNERS OF THE 'BUSINESSES OF 25 EMPLOYEES AND LESS' CATEGORY

shown in the Ayrshire Business Awards. Perhaps it’s time for you to think about the next step to help you sustain your success?

“You may not realise it, but there are many businesses doing things without considering what they are doing which may be considered as excellent in a formal setting.”

So, if your business is following a path of continuous improvement, or involved in: Investors in People, ISO 9000, ISO 14000, Charter Mark, Six-Sigma or any other of the main innovation or quality programmes, why not enter?

The fundamental concepts of excellence can be recognised in top performing organisations be they large or small, for profit or not for profit. While the labels that are attached to these can sometime be off putting, there is no doubting the value to the business.

Previous winners of Business Excellence have included; Sigma Aldrich, The Cook School Scotland, Begg Scotland, Woodward Aircraft Engine Systems (Prestwick), Brownings the Bakers and South Beach Holdings (Scotland) Ltd and last year’s winners William Tracey Group (Irvine) and Utopia Computers.

Nicola added: “Watch out for an announcement due mid-October. You may find yourself invited back for another decoration.”

PARTNE 4 BUSI R

NEW ROCKETEER AT LAUNCH

NESS

Launch, the leading Ayr-based marketing agency, is pleased to announce the appointment of Sylvia Mallinson in the role of Business Development Manager.

Sylvia has an impressive background in sales and marketing. Over the past 20 years, she has worked with a number of major brands and has built an impressive reputation for increasing client revenues and market profiles.

Her commercial acumen and commitment to achieving results are complemented by her strong communication skills, which enable Sylvia to interact positively with clients and build longterm relationships.

Sylvia has worked across the full communications mix including public relations, digital and advertising. This experience ensures she is able to develop the right promotional solution for clients and, therefore, get the right message to the right people in the right place

and at the right time.

team that takes Launch to the next level.”

“I am thrilled to join one of the industry’s leading creative agencies”, said Sylvia. “Launch is one of the most respected names in the business with outstanding creative, strategy and digital offerings. I can’t think of a more exciting brand to work for.

Stephen Cosh, Director at Launch, said: “Sylvia was an obvious choice. She’s a top flight marketer with a long-standing track record for delivering value.

I’m joining at a very exciting time for the business. I’m really looking forward to delivering growth for the agency and its clients. I’ve slotted in with ease and am delighted to be part of the

We’re sure Sylvia’s passion and professionalism will take our sales to another level. She will help us continue to build great momentum for our agency. We are delighted she has accepted this role and are confident in her ability to help take our business to new heights.”

MSP URGES CONSTITUENTS TO CONNECT WITH DIGITAL SCOTLAND The high-speed broadband continues to roll out across North Ayrshire as more than 6,000 households and businesses in Largs gain access.

Local MSP Kenneth Gibson got behind the roll-out of high-speed broadband in his Cunninghame North constituency – where more fibre cabinets have recently gone live thanks to the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme.

More than 6,000 households and businesses in the Largs area can now access high-speed fibre services through the £410 million Digital Scotland roll-out.

The MSP said: “Fibre broadband has an essential role to play in everyone’s lives – whether at home or in business. It’s great news that thousands of local people in Largs can now connect to this exciting technology if they choose.

“The arrival of fibre broadband means local people and firms can do more online at faster speeds and on multiple devices and there’s lots of evidence to

BUSINESS NEWS

show it boosts the local economy.”

Fibre broadband offers fast and reliable connections at speeds of up to 80Mbps* and there are many suppliers in the marketplace to choose from.

Further information about the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband project can be found at www.digitalscotland.org/whereandwhen and more details on BT’s commercial rollout are at www.superfastopenreach.co.uk

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MEMBER NEWS

MEMBER NEWS

FOLLOW OUR LEAD SAY ENERGY AGENCY The Energy Agency, based at Auchincruive, has recently achieved Bronze level in the Resource Efficient Scotland Pledge Scheme.

The scheme, developed by Resource Efficient Scotland, is a Scottish Government-funded programme delivered by Zero Waste Scotland, to demonstrate an organisation’s commitment to a low carbon economy for Scotland.

Liz Marquis, Director of Energy Agency said: “The Resource Efficiency Pledge is a great way for the Energy Agency to demonstrate our commitment to reducing our own resource use, as well as helping householders and businesses through the programmes we run throughout Ayrshire and Dumfries & Galloway.

“It was a straightforward process and we would encourage any business to take the pledge and see how they can save resources and money.”

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

In order to demonstrate a commitment to reducing resource use within the organisation, the Energy Agency: demonstrated they had developed an Environmental Policy, reduced transport emissions and leased an electric vehicle. Work has now started to achieve the silver level.

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As part of the pledge the Energy Agency leased an electric car and installed a charging point in order to save carbon emissions and transport costs.

The Renault Zoe has a battery charge of approximately 78 miles and fully charges in 30 minutes. All staff has participated in Fuel Good Training to learn how to drive the car most efficiently. This generated a friendly

competition of who could drive the furthest whilst using the least amount of battery.

The car has made a significant saving in staff transport costs and consideration is being given to a second car or even a van.

The charging point is open to the public Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm Visit the website at www.energyagency.org.uk

HAVE YOU CONSIDERED STAFF VOLUNTEERING FOR A DAY? Employee volunteering, where staff donate time and skills during work hours to volunteer for local charities in need of help, is an effective and powerful way for businesses to invest in their people and local communities.

put to good use and everyone involved feels like they have contributed to a good cause and, of course, have fun.”

Voluntary Action South Ayrshire look at a range of volunteering opportunities that can be arranged for just one day, or even a half day, if that fits better with your business.

Your business and employees will benefit by the experience, learning something new about their community, support the charity & engage in a fantastic team building exercise. Younger members of staff may also feel more confident after a day of volunteering.

Hazel Vanzetta, Volunteer Development Officer, explained: “We will aim to deliver a great volunteering experience to ensure their time is

If you would like to arrange a meeting to find out more please contact Hazel on 01292 437335 or via email at hazel@vasa.scot

insurance

ARE YOU CERTAIN YOUR BUSINESS INSURANCE WILL PAY YOUR CLAIM? FIND OUT WITH A FREE INSURANCE MOT

You may think you know how business insurance works but would you be confident in your policy if it was ever tested in the event of a claim?

You might already have insurance for your business in place but have you read it carefully to make sure it covers what you expect it to?

And if you have an insurance broker, did they take the time to explain the conditions and obligations contained within it?

At Murphy Insurance, we offer a free business insurance MOT, benchmarking your insurance arrangements against the most vital test – the ability to pay claims.

With our no obligation policy MOT you can expect to be given a greater understanding of what your policy will and will not do in the event of a claim. And if our report comes back with the all clear, you still walk away with the renewed confidence in your protection that comes from an expert second opinion at absolutely no cost.

Why not put your insurance cover to the test today?

01292 269 505 www.murphyinsurance.co.uk Low Green House, 20 Alloway Place, Ayr, KA7 2AA

CHAMBER SERVICES

TOP FIVE TIPS TO MANAGE FOREIGN EXCHANGE RISK POST BREXIT Your business can take some proactive steps towards managing foreign exchange risk, whilst leaving the market analysis and interpretation to the experts…

allow you to trade online in multiple currencies 24 hours a day, as well as provide access to your own personal dealer.

1) Plan for Risk. Planning is the first step to managing your FX risk, and agreeing on a budgeted exchange rate for the year will guide your transactions. An FX specialist can help to define this rate, enabling you to protect yourself from any potential adverse fluctuations.

3) Ensure you are getting the best rates. You want to be certain you are accessing the best rates in the most currencies, and also avoid any hidden payments charges along the way.

Chamber Foreign Exchange leverage off the £22bn levy they trade annually to secure some of the most competitive rates in the market.

2) Access your payments on the go. You need to ensure you can react quickly to changes in the markets, and manage your payments effectively in or out of the office. Your free-to-access Chamber Foreign Exchange account will

4) Fix the exchange rate. With your policy in place it is time to review the FX tools that you can use to manage your exposure. Spot contracts, forward

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

BREXIT & EMPLOYMENT LAW

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Like many aspects of economic and social life in the UK at the present time, there is a high degree of uncertainty surrounding the medium and long term picture of our employment law framework. However, in the short term at least, the situation is clear in that the range of legal rights and obligations that are in place remain unchanged in the aftermath of the UK’s Referendum vote to leave the European Union.

As long as the UK remains a member of the EU, EU law still applies to employers and employees alike and the principle of the free movement of labour also remains in place. Many questions will however need to be answered once the formal process to facilitate the UK’s ultimate ‘Brexit’ from the European Union is concluded.

These will include: Will workers from the UK who are

currently living and working in other member states be able to remain there?

Will workers from other EU member states who are currently living and working in the UK be able to remain here?

Which parts, if any, of the UK’s range of statutory employment law protections and obligations will automatically cease once a full withdrawal from the EU is negotiated and put into effect?

What happens if the UK ends up with a ‘partial’ Norway style arrangement whereby it stays in the single market?

Specifically, after a full withdrawal, will the UK Government repeal laws that have attracted a varying level of unpopularity from employer groups including: The maximum 48-hour working week How statutory holiday pay should be calculated The requirement for agency workers to

Helping members grow their international business

MONEY CORP contracts and market orders can work individually or together to form a tailored foreign exchange strategy.

Based on your budgeted rate, requirements and timing, your FX dealer will work with you to form a strategy to best suit your business needs.

5) Take information from the most reliable sources. All Chamber Foreign Exchange Dealers are MTSA (Members of the Society of Technical Analysts) qualified. As experienced market traders they will use their expertise to ensure your company receives the best information and guidance on the markets, getting you the best solutions for your business needs.

The perfect solution to employing people properly

CHAMBER HR be paid the same rate for the job as permanent staff once they have been in post 12 weeks The inclusion of commission and/or overtime in holiday pay calculations The lack of exemptions for small businesses in relation to family leave rights The other unknown at this stage is whether the existing legislative programme that was included in the recent Queens Speech will be modified in any way once the new Conservative Cabinet is in place. In theory, it should be affected but, as we have seen over the recent days, nothing is certain in the current climate.

BUSINESS MENTORING CAN HELP GROW AND DEVELOP YOUR BUSINESS Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce is a membership organisation that provides business support and networking opportunities for business across the region. More importantly it’s a small business itself and is very aware of the issues faced by many of its members over half of which are small businesses themselves.

Not quite the one-stop shop but our business directory should have the name of someone who can help take your organisation to where you want it to go.

Access to healthcare plans for employees, an HR service that provides you with the necessary staff contracts and a platform for you to promote your business to a massive audience, Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce is the ultimate business network for our membership.

In partnership with Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Chambers of Commerce, Ayrshire Chamber run the Business Mentoring scheme which is open to all businesses, not just members, in Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway. This fully funded initiative can put business owners and senior managers in touch with their own mentor to help with their personal and business growth ambitions.

Mentors are paired with those looking for fresh ideas and advice to the benefit of their business. The process does benefit both parties involved.

Mentor Tom Martin, who worked with Volvo for over 30 years, explained: “Business Mentoring gave me an opportunity to connect with the business community again. Going in as mentor it was important to get an understanding of

the business and what was required from me. For a mentor to be an effective help they need to understand the business, the first three months are important in doing this.”

Tom’s role as mentor can be to offer ‘a fresh pair of eyes’ to a business problem or simply use his experience to offer support and guidance to the mentee. In this case, Colin Russell from Russell Consulting Scotland.

The pair are currently halfway through their mentoring programme with both reaping the benefits. Colin explained: “Building a good relationship with any mentor is essential and gives the business owners the opportunity to gain some time away from the day to day running and focus on building for the future.

A good mentor should be challenging and supportive and for me has been a sounding block for discussions you may not want to have with your staff particularly around strategy.

“Our business has seen significant growth and it is important to match the mentor to what the business needs at that time. I have been involved with three previous mentors and all have helped in their own way as we have developed. I

have been so impressed by the time given up to help develop my own business, I have begun my own mentoring with another Ayrshire company looking for some assistance around the subject of growth and am only to delighted to give something back.

“The support from Ayrshire Chamber has been excellent and they do a great job matching the needs of the Company and the Mentor and it can be a lot of fun.”

Business Mentoring Executive Rhona Brown added: “Mentoring does bring benefits to both parties involved. We can put you in touch with experienced professionals who’ll offer support and someone to bounce ideas off.

“Mentoring can help with your strategy, leadership or any aspects of your business by offering a fresh perspective.”

“I would actively encourage anyone wishing to get involved in this very worthwhile process to get in touch as the results can be huge for you and your business.”

You can find out more about Business Mentoring by contacting Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce on 01292 678 666.

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

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Your vision is our business...

Start seeing things differently Kilmarnock

.

Prestwick

.

Troon

www.urquhart-opticians.co.uk tel. 01563 525059

MEMBER NEWS

BUSINESS VISION: FUTURE FOCUS AS URQUHARTS MARK CENTENARY

When Peter Telfer and Alistair Duff took the helm at Urquhart Opticians less than two years ago, the childhood friends set out a clear vision to transform the longestablished group of Ayrshire practices into a sharp, stylish business offering clients advanced clinical care alongside contemporary, elegant eyewear.

Both still in their twenties, the young entrepreneurs seized the opportunity to continue Urquhart’s proudly individual, independent approach in a marketplace dominated by large chains. Now, following a six-figure investment in remodelling their flagship Kilmarnock practice, the team have their sights set on upgrading their practices in Prestwick, Troon and Glasgow - with one eye also on potential acquisitions and recruiting fresh talent to their growing team.

The completion of the Kilmarnock transformation coincided with Urquhart Opticians’ 100th birthday, and last month the Portland Road premises opened its doors for a fun day with East Ayrshire

Day was a great opportunity for us to get feedback on the new layout and look of the practice and on our stunning new frame collections. Thank you to everyone who came along, in particular East Ayrshire Provost Jim Todd and local historian Frank Beattie.”

Last month also saw Urquhart Opticians shortlisted for two Ayrshire Business Awards in the Independent Retailer and Outstanding Performing Business (less than 50 employees) categories.

Provost joining friends, family and clients to officially mark the achievement with drinks, canapés and even a Minion!

Optometrist Alistair Duff explains: “Urquhart Opticians was founded in Ayrshire in 1916 and has been caring for the vision of local people continuously for 100 years. We are incredibly proud of this heritage and legacy. As well as celebrating the 100th birthday, the Open

“We are thrilled to be shortlisted for both of these awards,” said Peter Telfer.

“To be recognised as one of the three top entries in each is such an honour. It’s a great reflection on the dedication, hard work and vision of everyone who has supported Alistair and I in developing and achieving our ambitions for Urquharts.” www.urquhart-opticians.co.uk

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

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MEMBER NEWS

AYR’S NEW AULD MARKET ‘TOON

It’s a somewhat of hidden hub of activity at Craig Wilson Ltd sitting atop of the hill overlooking Ayr. Described by Director Mike Wilson as an ‘Agricentre’, it has become a modern day market town with its own bustling community.

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

Every Tuesday and Thursday the farming community from across Scotland arrive for the livestock auction, a somewhat social gathering with a serious business side. Not like the auctions you see on Television, buyers and the auctioneer only get their first look seconds before they enter the floor.

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The site, on the A70, has grown dramatically since it first opened in 1993 to meet the ever changing needs and demands of the agricultural community. It isn’t just about the auction anymore.

from the Highlands. Determination like this proved rewarding as it began the foundations one of Ayr’s most successful businesses over 140 years ago.

Insurance, farmers unions and agricultural vehicles are just some of what is available on site. It’s come a long way since modest beginnings when founder James Craig would buy pigs in the Hebrides for his father’s bacon curing business in Kilmarnock.

Fast forward to present day and Mike, along with his brother, oversee a small close knit team of 15 full time staff and a further 80 part time staff who all play a vital role in the large scale operation. And they are all from the farming community.

Over time James established a business buying cattle, sheep and pigs, transporting them to the mainland by cattle boat and walking them home

Mike explains: “Most of the staff are from a farming background. It helps that they are known and trusted within this community as it builds a trust.”

And it is this trust is perhaps most the important attribute for the auctioneer.

The agent in charge at the parade ring has SECONDS to get their first look at the animal before it enters the ring and set the bidding a good price.

Mike adds: “There is five years on the job training then a further five years to prove themselves to clients.

An auctioneer has around 5 to 8 eight seconds to view the animal then set the starting price. It’s a lot to process so mentally so it is very demanding job.

“It’s a key skill we look for when hiring is a candidate’s mental capability. They need to be strong to handle to the role.”

The business has faced many challenging times, in recent years especially – foot and mouth devastated farmer’s stock and livelihoods and Brexit will hit farmers hard financially.

Get into the festive spirit with SimpsInns.

We have an action-packed Christmas programme with something for everyone to celebrate the festive season in style with loved ones.

From Pampering to partying, dancing to delicious desserts we’ve got you covered with fun-filled party nights, stunning menus carefully created by our team of head chefs and a range of overnight accommodation to complete the party atmosphere.

Quality food, exceptional service, great entertainment, cocktails and fizz all come as standard as you celebrate Christmas with SimpsInns.

Enjoy some pampering with our beauty packages at Gailes Golf:Leisure:Spa, adjacent to the Gailes Hotel, where we guarantee to have you sparkling this Christmas. With our range of treatments on site we have something to suit everyone so you can kick back and relax before the party starts.

Our range of great gift ideas are ever popular too; from SimpsInns Gift Cards that can be used at any SimpsInns venue, to Afternoon Tea vouchers, beauty and spa treatments or golf lessons with our resident PGA Professionals plus much more.

The only decision you have to make is which

great SimpsInns venue to choose for your Christmas celebrations. The Waterside Hotel with its stunning location along the water’s edge in West Kilbride is ever popular and should be booked early to avoid disappointment.

Si! in Irvine has an extensive programme through December and is the place for some of the best Party Nights where our resident DJ Robert McLaughlin and team are behind the mic.

The Old Loans Inn has completed an upgrade programme to the main restaurant and bar areas in 2016 and the delightful country pub and restaurant continues to be a hit for Christmas, especially with the option to stay in one of the 20 immaculate bedrooms at this fashionable boutique property on the outskirts of Troon.

There is always plenty of fun and activity at the Gailes Hotel, the main hub of SimpsInns and one of our most popular venues for all the family at Christmas. From Party Nights to Hogmanay Balls, plus our brand new Movie Mania Night, The Gailes is a bustling, vibrant venue at Christmas.

At SimpsInns we really do have everything wrapped up for you to enjoy a sparkling Christmas with family and loved ones.

MOVIE MANIA TRIBUTE NIGHT This year we’ve introduce the brand new Movie Mania Tribute Night to the Christmas offering at The Gailes Hotel.

Movie Mania kicks off on Saturday 3rd December at the popular Gailes Hotel and this “fantastic tribute show will transport you into some of your all-time favourite movies”.

This is definitely one for getting those dancing shoes on and hitting the dancefloor. Movie Mania will feature all the classic get up and dance hits from Sister Act, Dirty Dancing, Saturday Night Fever, Footloose, Coyote Ugly, Blues Brothers, Mama Mia and much more.

Book your tickets today to avoid disappointment.

Tickets start from £34.50 per person and includes a glass of bubbly on arrival, a three-course meal plus all the Movie Mania entertainment and disco afterwards.

Overnight B&B accommodation packages are also available and start from just £59 per person and includes your ticket to Movie Mania plus use of the gym and spa facilities at The Gailes. Book today on 01294 204040.

Party Nights

SimpsInns has

Christmas

INTRODUCING...

all wrapped up

BOOK TODAY Call 01294 204040

• Party Nights • Christmas Day • Hogmanay Hoolie • Accommodation Deals • Open Boxing Day and New Year’s Day selected venues

MOVIE MANIA TRIBUTE NIGHT FES ME TIVE NU

17.95

£

SAT 3RD DEC, G A I L E S

This fantastic tribute show will transport you into some of your all time favourite movies.

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YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS WITH SIMPSINNS

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ayrshire business week

“the perfect place to make new connections and promote your business"

#AyrshireOnShow

PUT YOUR BUSINESS ON THE MAP Save the date, set the reminder in the diary and get ready to put your business on the map at Ayrshire Business Week 2016.

Now in its eighth year the five-day programme of events aims to support, promote and encourage business in Ayrshire.

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

The business roadshow visits venues across Ayrshire giving you the perfect platform to get out and sell your business to a wide audience.

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Ayrshire Chamber Chief Executive Val Russell said: “Ayrshire Business Week remains a popular programme on our calendar and one we always look forward to. As always it is a busy schedule, but a very enjoyable week I look forward to.”

This year Ayrshire Business Week visits The Park Hotel Kilmarnock, Enterkine

Seamill

Kilmarno

Prestwick Ayr Annbank

House Hotel, Seamill Hydro and Elliots, Prestwick.

Business Gateway launch the week at Western House Hotel, Ayr on Monday 3rd October with ‘A Head for Business’ featuring speakers Connie McLaughlin, Gary Ennis and Carol Brown. Full details available from www. bgateway.com Tuesday sees the ‘Ayrshire on Show’ Exhibition at The Park Hotel, the biggest business and trade show in Ayrshire.

As well as the exhibition, there will be an opportunity to take part in Ayrshire Chamber’s unique facilitated speed networking and the Modern

Apprenticeship Challenge final.

Guest speaker on the Tuesday will be Josh Littlejohn of Social Bites and the Scottish Business Awards who will talk at a Developing Young Workforce Ayrshire employer engagement event.

Val adds: “Our B2B exhibition is the biggest in Ayrshire and always has a great variety on businesses

Monday 3rd to Friday 7th October at venues across Ayrshire Date

Event

Venue

Time

Monday 3rd October

Business Gateway Launch Event ‘A Head for Business’

Western House Hotel, Ayr

9.30am – 12.30pm

Tuesday 4th October

Ayrshire on Show Speed Networking Modern Apprenticeship Final DYW Food & Drink Employers Event

The Park Hotel, Kilmarnock

9am – 3.30pm 10 – 11.30am 10am – 1pm 2 – 3.30pm

Wednesday 5th October

Women Mean Business

Enterkine House Hotel

12noon – 3.30pm

Thursday 6th October

Ayrshire Business Awards

Seamill Hydro

6.30 - 11.30pm

Friday 7th October

Friday Finale Go Purple event

Elliots, Prestwick

2 – 4pm

ock

Registration and cost details of each event will be available at ayrshire-chamber.org/businessweek The Friday Finale event will be held in association with Ayrshire Hospice to raise money for the charity’s Go Purple Day

on show underlining the strength of industry in the area.”

The halfway point of Ayrshire Business Week is the ‘Women Mean Business’ event at Enterkine House Hotel with guest speaker Caroline Stuart, Digital Business Consultant, and Denise Winton, House of Colour. The region’s business women can enjoy arrival drinks and a two-course lunch before the speakers take to the stage.

On Thursday 6th October we

find out the winners in the Ayrshire Business Awards, sponsored by Munro Partnership, at Seamill Hydro. Hosted this year by TV host Jackie Brambles, the Ayrshire Business Awards continue to go from strength to strength as the winners are announced.

The week rounds off with the finale event on The Terrace at Elliots, Prestwick, to raise money for Ayrshire Hospice’s Go Purple Day. You’ll have the chance to learn the tricks of the drinks mixologist during a special cocktail masterclass and

raise money for a great cause.

Val added: “Ayrshire Business Week has events for all throughout the first week of October and we’d love to see as many businesses from Ayrshire at these great events.”

Full details of Ayrshire Business Week and how to book to attend and book at stand at ‘Ayrshire on Show’ will be available online at ayrshirechamber.org

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

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MEMBER NEWS

PRONTOPORT TRAINING ACADEMY – WORKING AMONG THE SEAGULLS Prontoport in Irvine, is part of the clean energy revolution. It services over 50% of the UK’s on and offshore windfarm assets and provides jobs and training for people seeking a new direction, or those wanting to upskill in their current roles.

Scott Telfer, Prontoport MD says, “Renewable energy is still a relatively new field and the skills are not yet widespread in the population, so we set up the Prontoport Training Academy just over a year ago to train our own.”

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

The Training Academy covers many different skills, and training is supported by funding through a range of bodies working with career changers or the unemployed. It also caters for those already in employment across a range of industries, where training such as working safely at heights, fire awareness

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and working in confined spaces is relevant.

27 year old Darren McNally from Irvine originally applied for a training course but instead found himself with an immediate project through Prontoport to do maintenance work on a wind farm construction site in Holland.

For Darren this was a complete change of direction and he's spent the last four years going from sanding and painting new turbines to travelling around the country carrying out preassembly, maintenance and servicing of wind farm turbines on and offshore.

Darren says he loves the variety of working in renewables, but the skills required to work safely on top of a 100m high turbine in the middle of

the sea translate well to many other manufacturing and construction environments also.

For full information on the Prontoport Training Academy and the opportunities it offers, visit www.prontoport.co.uk or call 01294 274558.

MEMBER NEWS

AYRSHIRE METALWORKERS WIN £800,000 OF NEW CONTRACTS Kilmarnock-based metalwork fabricators Annandale Design has won over £800,000 of new business in the last three months resulting in extensive investment in the team and company infrastructure.

Working with market leading construction and property developers, Annandale Design has embarked on eight high profile metalwork jobs for customers such as BAM Group With a 2016 financial year turnover of £1.6m, the wins have had a significant effect on the company’s growth projections including the investment in three new tradesman positions, and the hiring of a new apprentice within their established Apprentice Scheme at the

Kilmarnock workshop and office.

Over 70% of the new contract appointments have originated from referrals including Brodick Ferry Terminal redevelopment, Edinburgh’s exclusive Quartermile development and Edinburgh Gateway Station at Gogar. Work on these projects includes the design and manufacture of two bespoke feature staircases, production and installation of a number of glass balustrades and barriers and stainless steel handrails.

As a result of the new contract wins and company growth, Annandale Design is investing in training Craig Browning, former workshop worker, for the role of a draughtsman and promoted him to the drawing office. Training

GIVE YOUR BUSINESS A DIGITALBOOST

and development has been an integral part of the company strategy for Annandale Design with six other employees recently completing IPAF and PASMA training and certification.

Graeme Frew, Operation’s Director commented: “2016 has been an incredibly busy and exciting year for us. We are delighted to have been appointed to these recent new projects, allowing us to invest in our infrastructure and equipment, but also our team who are the most important aspect to our business.

“Over the next 12-18 months, we hope to continue to grow our family business and team, move into new markets in the UK and reach a £2m turnover.”

BUSINESS NEWS

There is no doubt the digital world is having a huge impact on how everyone does business. The opportunities are many and varied but if you are just starting out in this fast moving world it can be difficult to know where to begin.

DigitalBoost has been designed to help small to medium sized businesses across Ayrshire get their heads round this key area. Through a combination specialised 1:1 support, workshops, digital guides, and a free health check, businesses can improve their digital presence, understand and communicate with their customers better, improve systems processes and research, and ultimately increase sales.

All elements of the programme have been designed to complement one another, ensuring that anyone embarking on the digital journey can travel with confidence.

If you’re not quite sure what route to take, don’t worry. Just visit www.bgateway.com/digitalboost and the Digital Health Check will quickly identify how digitally dynamic your business is, before pointing you to the most appropriate resources.

Whether you are looking improve your social media presence, develop a digital strategy or increase online trading, the DigitalBoost workshops will provide the skills to help you develop your business. And with multiple workshop locations across Scotland, you won’t have to travel too far to get

that knowledge boost.

Complementing the workshops, the programme also offers up to 21hrs of 1:1 specialised support that can be tailor made to match the needs you have in digital. Adviser sessions with digital specialists are available to eligible businesses across the country. Access to 1:1 support is by referral from a business adviser based in a local Business Gateway office.

And if you need some additional guidance DigitalBoost also offers a series of online guides that will help you find out where technology could fit into your business and improve your performance, profits and people.

DigitalBoost is funded by Digital Scotland and delivered by Business Gateway in partnership with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands & Islands Enterprise.

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

19

MEMBER NEWS

KILMARNOCK COMPANY ARE FINALISTS AT BRITISH CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AWARDS Kilmarnock’s Alan White Design Ltd is celebrating after being nominated as a finalist for the Temporary Works Award at the British Construction Industry Awards.

Their nominated design for the Centerparcs Longleat Plaza Dome which was a suspended tiered access platform allowing full refurbishment of the sloped roof of the glulam dome.

The bespoke access platform, which was designed in-house at AWD, was suspended from the existing structure and fully sealed off to the elements allowing the shops, restaurants and swimming pools below to remain open to Centerparcs guests, whilst works were completed.

The platform was constructed from standard scaffold components allowing all them to be fully re-used on other projects.

Managing Director, Malachy Ryan CEng MICE, said of their nomination, “We are delighted to have been nominated for this prestigious national award which recognises excellence in temporary works engineering. I am particularly proud of the efforts of my team on this project and hopefully we will be successful on this awards night.”

The company who recently moved to Kilmarnock, have previously won a coveted IStructE Award for Small Practices in 2011 and will be hoping for a similar success later in the year.

The glamorous event will take place on 12th of October at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London.

BIGGEST CONCERNS FOR SCOTTISH SMES ARE REPUTATION AND FINANCIAL YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

Small and medium-sized businesses in Scotland are most concerned about their reputation and financial issues according to new research.

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The research, conducted by Broker Network and Charterhouse Research on behalf of Murphy Insurance found that 28% of small and mediumsized businesses listed their reputation as a high or extreme risk to their business. Financial issues were also listed as a major concern by 28% of those surveyed making these the two most common business concerns for Scottish SMEs. A total of 538 small and medium-sized businesses (businesses with under 250

employees) around the UK were surveyed on the areas of their business that they were most concerned about, with 47 Scottish SMEs listing which of 10 common business concerns they felt were a risk for them.

By contrast, legal issues and employee issues were the least pressing concerns in Scotland with just 8% of businesses perceiving them as a high or extreme risk.

Commenting on the findings, Tom Yorke at Murphy Insurance, said: “This research shows that businesses in Scotland, and across the UK, are most concerned with managing their reputation and the way others perceive their brand. Because

of this, it’s crucial that they take care to manage their image.

“Conducting a professional risk management survey of their business will help them avoid the sort of incidents that can lead to bad publicity while having access to proper advice is crucial for diffusing situations that could otherwise damage reputation.

“Financial issues also represent a big concern for Scottish businesses, which is why they should ensure that they spend responsibly and have the right insurance cover in place to protect their finances from any sudden and unwelcome expenses if something goes wrong.”

AYRSHIRE CHAMBER AYR CENTRAL WELCOMES SHOPPING CENTRE HIGHLIFE TRAVEL IS A WINNER AS A NEW MEMBER Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce new member HighLife Travel believes customers are returning to high street travel agents as they look for financial security and a service that online just can’t provide.

HighLife Travel are a new personal travel consultancy service based in Ayr owned by Paula Horne, who has been in the travel industry for over 20 years, and she believes the travel industry has gone full circle from relying on the local travel agency to source and book your holiday plans to the internet giving consumers direct access to travel and arrangements.

However, more recently consumers are reverting back to agents to provide them with financial peace of mind along with customer service they don’t get online.

Paula explained: “Taking a well-earned holiday abroad is a must for most of us and it is important now more than ever to entrust your holiday plans to an independent agent.”

Against the current backdrop of potential uncertainly in Europe it is important not to forget the value of a good independent travel agent, who is able to not only provide consumers with products and services that are fully financially protected, but are there to offer professional support should something go wrong.

Paula added: “Booking with an independent agent provides you with three major benefits: Firstly, the comfort in knowing that the holiday products offered by the accredited agent are secure and fully protected.

“Secondly, in the unlikely event something unexpected occurs, the agent is there to support you, even if you are on holiday when the event occurs. Finally, agents have access to the widest range of holiday products often at the best available prices in the industry and have the skills to find the best holiday for both your budget and dreams.”

IN THE ROSPA AWARDS 2016 Ayr Central Shopping Centre has won silver in the 60th year of the RoSPA Occupational Health and Safety Awards 2016.

The shopping centre picked up the award in the prestigious annual scheme run by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

The RoSPA Awards is celebrating 60 years of presenting highly-regarded and sought after accolades to businesses and organisations from all across the UK and internationally which have shown commitment to accident and ill-health prevention.

Through the scheme, which is open to businesses and organisations of all types and sizes from across the UK and overseas, judges consider entrants' overarching occupational health and safety management systems, including practices such as leadership and workforce involvement.

Julia Small, RoSPA's head of awards and events, said: "To win an award at such a highlyregarded event as the RoSPA Awards is a great achievement for our winners. It recognises their commitment to maintaining

an excellent health and safety record and raises the bar for other organisations to aspire to. We offer Ayr Central our congratulations.

"This year was doubly special for our winners as their achievements were recognised as the RoSPA Awards celebrated its diamond anniversary, which is a ringing endorsement of the thousands of businesses and organisations that have committed to continuous improvement in accident and ill-health prevention."

George Reader, centre manager of Ayr Central said: "We are delighted and proud to have been awarded a Silver RoSPA Award in this our first year of entering.

This award is a testament to the hard work of all our team in ensuring our customers enjoy a safe shopping experience and our retailers a safe working environment.”

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

21

MEMBER NEWS

WORKSMART’S INAUGURAL GOLF DAY

Office interior specialist Worksmart held their inaugural Golf Day in June this year at Ayrshire's stunning Kyle Phillips designed course, Dundonald Links.

Players from Worksmart’s three offices - Kilmarnock, Manchester, and Edinburgh - were joined by architects, designers, surveyors, and property agents tackled the course which hosts the Men’s Scottish Open next summer.

After a round of coffee and breakfast rolls in the Clubhouse

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

FULLY ‘APPROVED’ NORTH AYRSHIRE FIRM

22

Ardrossan firm Invincible Fire and Security Ltd are now NSI Gold Approved with ISO 9001:2008 for BAFE Fire Alarm Systems, BS58391:2013 for BAFE Scheme Document SP203-1 and BS5306-3:2009 & BS5306-8:2012 For BAFE Scheme Document SP101.

BAFE (British Approvals for Fire Equipment) is an independent third party registration body for the fire protection industry. BAFE registered companies are all assessed by UKAS

to fuel the eight teams, the players took to the course.

The teams got into the competitive spirit with "Beat the Boss" at the 6th hole in aid of Ayrshire Samaritans as well as prizes to be won for nearest to the pin (6th and 11th) and longest drive (18th).

The evening closed with the awards ceremony where the prestigious Worksmart Claret Jug was won by Managing Director, Steve Neilson.

accredited certification bodies to meet the requirements of the Schemes that define the standards necessary.

people management standard that focuses on an employer’s recruitment and retention of young people.

Third-party certification schemes for fire protection products and related services are an effective means of providing the fullest possible assurances to our customers, thus allowing us to offer a level of quality, reliability and safety that non-certificated products may lack.

Commenting on the award, Roger Woods, Managing Director, said: “It is the Invincible ethos to invest time and training for young people, enabling them to achieve high performance within their careers and to assist them to further their professional development providing them with a future and a trade.”

Invincible was started way back in 1994 by ICI trained Roger Woods and has since gone from strength to strength employing local personnel and completed a £300k facelift including a fully refurbished office, a two storey extension and upgraded on site car parking.

Peter Russian, Chief Executive of Investors in People Scotland, said “This is a fantastic achievement for Invincible Fire & Security Ltd. I envisage that many more organisations will wish to follow in the footsteps of Invincible Fire & Security Ltd and demonstrate their commitment to young people by working with the Investors in Young People framework.”

Invincible Security also have achieved the Investors in Young People Accreditation, the only

KILMARNOCK REMOVALS SCOOP TOP AWARD

Kilmarnock Removals (International) chalked up another accolade as it collected the BAR Domestic Mover of the Year award.

award is testament to the dedication and hard work of a very loyal workforce and it is their skill and expertise that is being rewarded. Overall, they make my life very easy.”

“To win Domestic Mover of the Year 2016 outright, is a dream come true,” says Matt Campbell, Kilmarnock Removals (International) Ltd.’s Managing Director after the company had scooped a BAR top award at its Annual Conference in London in May. Kilmarnock Removals was also finalist in the 2016 Overseas Mover of the Year competition.

He also paid tribute to fellow director Audrey Smillie for her unstinting efforts to both maintain and push forward with ensuring the company’s high standards of quality across the board.

Matt acknowledged that teamwork is the main reason behind recent success. He said: “The

The strong focus on standards and training has been at the heart of the company’s success, and as of April this year it had achieved nine quality standards and is on course to receiving a tenth.

Audrey said: “As a company we focus very heavily on training. We have clear training records and staff appraisals on every individual. We are also very focused on quality standards. In order to maintain these standards you have to be doing things right.”

As winners of this prestigious award, prospects for the year ahead look bright for Kilmarnock Removals. Matt added: “We look forward to the year ahead as Domestic Mover of the Year winner 2016 and we will continue to give our valued customers the service they deserve.”

BUSINESS NEWS

INFRASTRUCTURE BOOST IS A WELCOME START TO SUPPORTING SCOTLAND’S BUSINESSES Scottish Chambers of Commerce has welcomed the announcement from the Scottish Government of an acceleration of its capital spending plans in the wake of the decision for the UK to leave the European Union.

However, this must be backed up by action to tackle businesses’ cost base. Liz Cameron, Chief Executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said: “This is a great example of the Scottish Government using devolved powers it has at its disposal to deliver a timely boost to the Scottish economy.

“However, it must be clearly targeted to provide a shot in the arm to Scotland’s businesses and to support jobs in the short, medium and long term.

“This is a very welcome first step in the process of supporting businesses. Businesses are looking for our Governments in Edinburgh and London to invest in infrastructure and skills in order to support business at this crucial time. We would also ask that the Scottish Government follows this up with action to reduce the cost base of businesses, including a reduction in the burden of business rates and an acceleration of the planned reduction in Air Passenger Duty.”

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

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MEMBER NEWS

PRESTWICK BUSINESS CENTRE EXPANDS We’re very pleased at Prestwick Business Centre. After listening to the market, testing the market and seizing the opportunity to address the market, we’re now looking to the future.

Our ethos ‘just add you’has been a success, making it as straightforward as possible for businesses to choose us.

Having been open less than six months, our serviced offices are now completely occupied along with regular bookings and enquiries from a variety of people and businesses to use our meeting / training room. Our business model works, which leads us onto expansion, we have taken the premises next door to us (which we’re currently having altered and decorated), and we’re actively looking further afield for suitable premises. Areas such as Ayr, Kilmarnock and Troon are of interest to us, we’re also very welcome to receive suggestions. It’s just about finding the right location, with the right premises.

We offer more than just workspace. Prestwick Business Centre, as part of the Kylesmuir Associates Ltd group of companies was created with clear purpose:

Talkingheads Partnership, as part of the Kylesmuir Associates Ltd group of companies, specialises in ‘taking you to your market’and adopts a consultative, pragmatic and friendly approach based on true business experience and outcomes. Other areas include: • Productisation of new and mature products • Sales skill enhancement • Sales management resource • Building multiple marketing and sales channels Kylesmuir Printing Services is another group company providing a full range of products and services including: design for print and web, leaflets, posters, business, right through to book binding, wallpapers, vinyl cutting and everything in between!

• We review, propose and then save you time and money.

• To work with small and new businesses, striving to take the next steps in their growth plans

We believe having a group of companies which delivers a range of complimentary services addresses a significant market need, at a time where value is ever more evident in business.

• To provide a range of complimentary services, designed to further enable businesses

The future at Prestwick Business Centre is bright and exciting. We’re in business to help your business.

All businesses have different needs, we’ve not found two businesses alike.

Personalities are a key part of any business, we understand this.

We’d love to meet, listen to your requirements and issues and take things positively from there.

WE’RE EXP ANDING T O MEET D

PHASE II

Just add you!

MEETING & TRAINING ROOMS ADAPTABLE SPACE WHEN YOU WANT IT

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

Hourly/Half/full day, evening or weekend bookings

SERVICED OFFICE TO SUIT YOUR NEEDS

Affordable, modern & fully equipped offices.

Ready to go!

www.prestwickbusinesscentre.co.uk

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HOT DESK CREATIVE OFFICE SPACE ON DEMAND

Full time office?… pay for it as and when you need it!

VIRTUAL OFFICE

FLEXIBLE DEALS

T: 01292 388400

EMAND OPEN NO W!

A BUSINESS PRESENCE WITHOUT THE COSTS

A business presence without the expense of full time office?

Prestwick Business Centre, Ladykirk Business Park, Skye Road, Prestwick KA9 2TA

The employment provisions of the Equality Act 2010 came into force on 1 October 2010. The Act replaced previous discrimination laws, bringing them all together under one piece of legislation.

training. It also covers unfair treatment compared to other employees, such as dismissal, harassment and victimisation.

The Act also protects people who experience discrimination because they are associated with someone who has a disability such as a partner or carer of someone who has cancer.

Fact: 750,000 people currently living with cancer in the UK are of working age Fact: The annual cost to UK businesses and the economy of people affected by cancer dropping out of the labour market is a minimum of £5.3 billion Fact: Many businesses are not fully aware of their legal obligations under the Equality Act The Act protects anyone who has, or has had a disability. When a person is diagnosed with cancer, they are automatically classified as disabled for the purposes of the Equality Act. This protection from discrimination continues even when there is no longer

any evidence of the cancer. So even if the cancer has been successfully treated, employees will continue to be protected against discrimination by law.

The Equality Act covers all aspects of employment including the recruitment process, terms, conditions and benefits, and opportunities for promotion and

There is support available to assist Ayrshire businesses to meet their legal obligations, to provide positive support for employees affected by cancer and secure the associated benefits – a positive impact on the business.

Seminars are now available throughout Ayrshire that provide some key hints and tips and access to a range of materials and tools for business.

Details can be found at: www.carena.org.uk/cancer-businessseminar

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

CANCER AND THE EQUALITY ACT – WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU

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YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

FUN, FITNESS + LEISURE = THE GALLEON AFTER opening its doors to the public in May 1987 the Galleon Centre has kept abreast of trends and really gone from strength to strength throughout the years. With more than half a million visitors on an annual basis, the Centre is proving to be a popular place for the people of Kilmarnock and East Ayrshire. Built to replace the old Kilmarnock Baths the Galleon Centre is much more than just a swimming pool.

The demand for health and fitness continues to increase and the Galleon Centre is well recognised for offering some of the best facilities around. With a fitness room providing over 80 items of equipment and an aerobics programme offering 75 classes each week you won’t have to go far to find something to suit you. The Aerobics programme includes body pump, body combat, Insanity, Metafit, circuit training, yoga and Pilates.

The extensively upgraded ice rink offers a variety of sports and activities which appeal to a wide range of participants. Curling is a popular sport from September to March while figure skating and ice hockey are available all year round. The Ice Disco from 1pm-3pm on a Saturday is well attended by all age groups but there are quieter sessions available throughout the week as well as skating lessons for beginners through to advanced levels. A comprehensive lesson programme is also available in the swimming pool and caters again for beginners to advanced levels for all ages.

A key element of our Health and Fitness Department is our Gold, Silver and Corporate Memberships payable from £28.90 per month.

The Friday night Fun Swims are the most popular activities in the swimming pool programme. They take place from 6.45pm-7.45pm and 8.15pm-9.15pm.

Family Night on a Saturday from 5.30pm-8.00pm is the perfect way to occupy children and adults alike. The £3 cost covers full family access to swimming, ice skating, soft play, badminton, squash and table tennis. All activities are subject to availability but family night continues to be one of the busiest nights of the week.

In addition, our care in the community programme of involvement with other agencies include working with the Homeless, Community Health Improvement Programme (CHIP), Work Placements, free admissions and facility use for Carers when they attend with their service users and not forgetting our assistance in helping many Clubs, Groups, etc. by offering free complimentary tickets for access to the Galleon Centre and its range of sport, leisure and recreational facilities.

A number of these facilities also help offer a tremendous range of fun activities for our Kids Club programme that runs throughout the school holidays and caters for children aged 3-5 years (Turtles), 5-8 years (Pirates), and 8-15 years (Shipmates).

We also have crèche facilities from 9am – 3pm Monday to Friday that will allow mum or dad some time to workout.

The Galleon - It really is a leisure centre for everyone.

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

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I.T. #ITFACTTIPS TO USING/UTILISING LINKEDIN AYRSHIRE MEMORY LinkedIn is a fantastic social media platform, which can be used to promote yourself and/or your business. It has changed dramatically over the last few years and has just recently been bought over by Microsoft for $26 billion, so expect a lot more changes.

Why do I use it? To make connections • promote myself and the services I offer • to post updates and share information with my connections e.g. hints and tips on; Office Programs and Social Media • to share connections content too.

So how can you use it to promote yourself/business? By adding the following to your page: • A professional profile image • Your contact details (including links to up to 3 websites/ pages) etc.

• Add a Summary (about) section • Add previous experience and qualifications

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

• Add certificates and rich media including; Presentations/Videos.

The above is just some of what you can use LinkedIn for and it’s free for the basic package (which is fine for most people).

I will be running a couple of workshops on How to Use/ Utilise LinkedIn. I one running in Prestwick on the 12th September. If workshops aren’t for you I do 1-2-1 tuition too.

People across Ayrshire are being urged to lace up their walking shoes to help raise vital funds for people with dementia and their families by signing up to Alzheimer Scotland’s Memory Walk series taking place this autumn.

• You can gain endorsements and recommendations from connections.

The Ayrshire Memory Walk will take place along Saltcoats and Ardrossan promenade, starting at the Labour Club on 11 September to raise money to help support 7076 people living with dementia across the region and the countless partners, family members and friends also affected.

• You can create short status posts or publish long form posts.

Memory Walks are open to walkers of all ages and abilities, as well as being wheelchair, buggy and also dog-friendly, so there’s no reason the entire family can’t make it a fun day out. The Ayrshire Memory Walk will feature musical entertainment, face painting and other family activities.

• You can create (and manage) a business page.

• You can create groups • You can post job vacancies

Gerry McCoy, spokesperson for Alzheimer Scotland, said: “We are all very excited about our Ayrshire Memory Walk event this year and we need as many local people as possible to come along and challenge dementia, celebrate loved ones, and enjoy a fantastic day out in the beautiful Scottish outdoors. Together we can make a huge difference to the lives of people living with dementia and their families across the region.”

The money raised from the Ayrshire Memory Walk will be used to support local dementia services including Dementia Advisors and Link Workers who offer support to people living with dementia and their families, and community activities like Musical Minds Choir and Reminiscence Groups

JACKIE HITCHEN IT FACT LTD

For more information, email:

enquiries@itfact.co.uk 28

WALK SET TO GO THE EXTRA MILE FOR DEMENTIA

Registration is £10 for adult walkers, £5 for 12-16 year olds and under 12s can walk for free. Alzheimer Scotland is asking participants to raise £100 in sponsorship. Visit www.memorywalksscotland.org to find out more and to register.

If you have any questions about dementia and of the services available in your area call Alzheimer Scotland’s free 24 hour Dementia Helpline on 0808 808 3000 or visit the website at www.alzscot.org

COLLEGE EVENING CLASSES UNVEILED

We are thrilled to release the details of our new evening class opportunities for 2016/17, which get underway in September.

Evening classes are held at all of our main campuses and are a great opportunity to learn something completely new, develop yourself in your career, and enhance your CV at the same time.

On the back of the incredible success we have had with our ‘Ayrshire Bake Off’ evening class, which returns again this year, we have added a whole host of exciting hospitality courses to the mix.

Our ‘Young Chef Club’ for example is aimed at young people who want to learn more about the world of food and cooking. The ‘Supper Club’ prepares you for hosting the perfect dinner party, while ‘Calorie Conscious Cooking’ is ideal for those wishing to shed those few pounds that may have crept on over the holidays!

TV Licensing has created a guide to help businesses communicate their policy for watching television on their premises.

The guide on TV in the workplace, entitled ‘The policy on watching TV at this address’, can be downloaded and printed from TV Licensing’s website: www.tvlicensing.co.uk/businessinfo to be completed and displayed. The guide can be adapted to suit any location – whether viewing is allowed or not. It is designed to clarify where, when and how staff can watch live TV at work.

A business licence costs £145.50. Organisations with one premises need a single TV Licence to cover all TVs used at the site. A single licence covers all devices used at a single site – including TVs, laptops, computers, mobile phones and DVD/VHS recorders.

A TV Licence is needed for watching or recording any programme as it is shown on television, so viewing programmes as they are broadcast live at work will mean the business needs to be licensed to avoid risking breaking the law, a prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000.

To check if a business is correctly licensed log on to www.tvlicensing.co.uk/businessinfo.

If you’re looking to pick up a new hobby that will get your creative juices flowing then look no further than our Arts and Fashion offerings in ‘Creative Jewellery’, ‘Photography: Portraiture Skills’, and ‘Soft Furnishings’.

Our HNC Care courses in ‘Childhood Practice’, ‘Counselling’, ‘Early Education and Childcare’, ‘Social Care’, and ‘Social Services’ allow those working in the sector to obtain their necessary qualifications.

While those looking to give their career a boost could build on the skills they already have through our Professional Development Awards (PDAs) in Business and Accounts. PDAs are nationally recognised qualifications awards and can be completed as standalone awards or built on, leading to full HNC awards.

There are also opportunities to pick up Higher qualifications in subjects like English, Maths and Human Biology, or you could really test yourself by learning a new language in our Spanish evening class.

Apply online now at www.ayrshire.ac.uk, or call 0300 303 0303 and email businessdevelopment@ayrshire.ac.uk if you require any further information.

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

Making Your Business TV VIEWING Our Business POLICY GUIDE FOR BUSINESSES AYRSHIRE

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AYRSHIRE’S ENTERPRISING STARS An enterprise initiative funded by DYW Ayrshire exclusively for pupils with Additional Support Needs (ASN) and one of the first of its kind in Scotland was held April 2016.

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

The Enterprising Stars Challenge was specially created for ASN pupils after Park School successfully competed in the 2015 Sir Tom Hunter Challenge, an event which encourages pupils to explore business and develop marketable ideas.

Park pupils created an innovative ID badge with a pen holder and

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their excellent pitch to a panel of ‘dragons’ encouraged organisers to develop an initiative just for teams from special schools and supported learning centres.

DYW is committed to providing ASN pupils with the same experiences as their mainstream counterparts and the Enterprising Stars Challenge.

A total of 13 teams took part, prizes were awarded in three age categories: Primary School, Secondary School (Broad General Education BGE, S1-S3) – and Secondary School Senior (S4-S6).

Winners were: Best Company Logo • Primary: Willowbank School • Secondary BGE: Hillside School • Secondary Senior: Award Park School

THE INSIDE SCOOP ON GERALDO’S ICE CREAM 01292 678666

INFO@DYWAYRSHIRE.COM

31 Best Company Name • Primary: Park School • Secondary BGE: Park School • Secondary Senior: Cumnock Academy Supported Learning Centre Best Presentation • Primary: Park School • Secondary BGE: Cumnock Academy Supported Learning Centre • Best Presentation (Secondary Senior): Park School Best Product/Service • Primary: Park School • Secondary BGE: Cumnock Academy Supported Learning Centre • Secondary Senior: Park School

Toni Dawson of Sugar & Spice in Largs, started her business with only a few hundred pounds and no retail experience. Her story is a great example to a younger generation of what can be achieved to young people starting out in business.

Developing the Young Workforce Ayrshire visited Toni recently to find out more on her story and meet the latest Sugar & Spice recruit, 19-year-old Louis Warwick.

Established in 2000 Sugar & Spice is run by Toni and her mother, Caroline,

In addition there was an overall trophy on offer for the Best Trade Stand where all teams were competing against each other. This was won by Cumnock Academy Supported Learning Centre.

which stocks a wide range of handmade chocolates, gift confectionery and premium spirits, but also Caroline their own awardwinning ice cream.

The sweet treat has been a massive part of the Dawson family with Caroline starting her own ice cream business in the ‘60’s in Ayr, followed by family-run enterprises in Saltcoats within the leisure industry.

However, after 30 years of business, the recession took its toll and Toni’s parents lost everything, including their home. During this tough period the family were further hit when Toni’s Dad, Gerald, lost his battle with cancer.

At their lowest ebb the opportunity arose

to rent premises in Largs and Toni grabbed the chance to run her own shop and in memory of her Dad, branded her ice cream Geraldo’s.

With exciting plans to rebrand and develop her business over the next year, Toni is certainly an inspiration to Louis.

Describing his experience of working in Sugar & Spice, Louis said: “It has been invaluable in allowing me to develop skills which will be useful in my future career and I would recommend other young people to get yourself known to potential employers within the community to help them achieve their career goals.”

BLOG.DYWAYRSHIRE.COM

BE PART OF THE CHAMBER WORK EXPERIENCE

GSK MOCK ASSESSMENT CENTRE

On the day of the mock assessment centre, three workshops were on offer to the pupils at St Matthews, Greenwood and Irvine Royal Academy.

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

Our Business Liaison Officers Sam Wallace and Suzanne Murdoch have been out during the school’s summer break to get more employers in Ayrshire involved in the work experience programme.

If you want to be part then get in touch by calling 01292 678 666 or via email smurdoch@ ayrshire-chamber.org or swallace@ayrshirechamber.org.

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01292 678666

The first was an interview workshop focussed on the importance of using the STAR technique in interview situations. Next up was the practical demonstration by a maintenance engineer and his apprentice. The rig that was used was a combination of components that the pupils had to take apart, replace a gasket, and reassemble in a set way to ensure there would be no leakage.

The final challenge was designed to focus on one of the most important elements to any employer: teamwork. In their teams, the pupils were given a list of 17 items, from which the pupils had to decide which 7 would best help them survive in a rainforest.

At the conclusion of the workshops, pupils were presented with certificates and thanked for the exemplary behaviour and participation.

Neil Barlow, PT of Guidance at Greenwood Academy said “the experience our young people gained that day was invaluable and will benefit them for when it comes to them applying for apprenticeships with GSK and other organisations. I would hope that this will become an annual event.”

Yvonne Andrews and English Teacher at Irvine Royal Academy stated “after the event I realised how important links between companies and education are.”

INFO@DYWAYRSHIRE.COM

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CUMNOCK ACADEMY LEARN 4 WORK S3 pupils at Cumnock Academy took part in an exciting new pilot project in June 2016. This initiative was named ‘Learn4Work’ as pupils got to experience the real world of work in a school setting whilst importantly gaining SQA accredited units.

DYW Ayrshire recruited five businesses to assist East Ayrshire Council to input into the development of the programme. Pupils came ‘off-timetable’ for one week and each of the five groups were assigned a business to which they effectively became employees off.

their team to see progress and offer their support. All businesses then visited the school again on the Friday afternoon to listen to the findings, review the variety of excellent marketing material produced and provide feedback to their employees. Yipworld also helped pupils create radio adverts which were fantastic.

DYW Ayrshire visited Cumnock Academy during the week and it was clear that pupils had really engaged with this type of learning and were developing a range of skills to better prepare them for the world of work.

One employer reported that their business team had blown away their expectations, particularly with the level of detail considered and the exceptional marketing material. Another said their team had done “an incredible amount of work throughout the week with research on the business, market research and production.”

It is the intention that Learn 4 Work will be introduced to a further three schools across East Ayrshire this year as well as continuing to run at Cumnock Academy. If you are a business who is interested in finding out more please get in touch.

On the Monday morning each of the businesses set their team a brief which reflected the current challenges within their organisation.

Each of these varied to a large extent showing that companies all face different challenges dependent on the particular market and sector they are based within.

Employers caught up at different stages during the week with

BLOG.DYWAYRSHIRE.COM

UWS TASTER DAY S5 Pupils from Ayrshire schools were invited to the UWS Ayr campus to gain an insight into University life before breaking up for their summer break.

Pupils had the opportunity to hear more about the admissions process and learn about the various routes into university courses.

Pupils also participated in a student panel discussion and were given a tour around the campus.

In addition to this pupils attended a workshop of their choice ranging from Marketing and Nursing, to Radio Broadcasting and Aircraft Engineering to Politics and Primary School Education.

This was a fantastic opportunity for the pupils who attended to find out more about what to expect at University and the excellent facilities which are on offer at UWS.

Steve Ticker, Guidance, Auchinleck Academy, explained: “I can honestly say that every one of our pupils came away from the UWS feeling inspired. Events like this really help pupils set targets for themselves as they hear first-hand from faculties what they need to do be successful when applying.

“A real highlight for all was actually seeing the teaching facilities and labs at the University and in particular Nursing where the pupils actually felt like they were on a hospital ward. It was also great to hear testimony from the UWS students as to how much they are enjoying their studies and their enthusiasm shone through. I am now looking forward to next year’s event and I know I will be bombarded with students wanting to go!”

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

Alison Hillis, Education Guidance Adviser at UWS said “The recent event at the University of the West of Scotland’s Ayr Campus gave pupils a first-hand experience of the subject areas that they could pursue in their future careers. We were delighted to host this event in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and see so many school pupils visiting their local campus to gain an insight

into university and student life.”

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BLOG.DYWAYRSHIRE.COM

EAST AYRSHIRE COUNCIL FLEXIBLE PATHWAYS INITIATIVE Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce is leading a group from the public and private sectors designed to improve the employment opportunities of pupils currently in the senior phase of their education (S4-S6) and have a history of non-attendance in school and have been identified at risk of disengagement.

The Flexible Pathways Initiative looks to re-engage these young people and keep them in school longer by responding to their individual curricular needs while building employability skills and moving them closer to the world of work.

FPI is designed to provide every participant a coherent and agreed personal learning pathway and deliver a range of progressions on completion which may include training, further learning, employment or a return to a full-time school curriculum.

Learners attend school two days a week Tuesday and Thursday and go out on placement, either to a workplace or partner agency, for up to the remaining three Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

The initiative runs for a full school session and gives pupils the opportunity to experience an employment sector of their choice for 10 weeks over 3 separate rotations (Oct-Dec/Jan-March/ April-June).

These rotations do not run consecutively as time is allocated after the end of each for learners to build on and consolidate learning gained during placement; to plan for

subsequent placements; to reflect on their experience and fully evaluate it. By linking into the existing school/college partnership programme, FPI learners are also able to access provision in college as part of their two in-school days.

The FPI programme brings together a broad range of partners who include the Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Ayrshire College, a number of local employers, The Prince’s Trust, Skills Development Scotland and other training providers and partner organisations including Street League and First4Skills.

Suzanne Murdoch, Business Liaison Officer, Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce, explained: “Employers will come from both the public and private sector and a range of placement opportunities are on offer to young people which will be matched to their career interests.

“A minimum placement duration of 4 hours a day in the workplace is recommended to employers but there will be flexibility to increase or decrease this depending on individual circumstances. It is also recognised that for some businesses (particularly those in the retail and hair/beauty sectors) there may need to be special arrangements applied due to half-day opening or allday closure on Mondays. Normal school holiday arrangements will still apply to young people participating in the FPI.” If you are interested in participating please get in touch smurdoch@ayrshire-chamber. org, or 01292670151.

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

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MEMBER NEWS

CYBER HELP IS HERE! Aggress Ltd is a new company based at Glasgow Prestwick Airport. The company mission is to support small businesses tackle the challenges of working in an increasingly complex digital world, through training and by guiding them through the UK Cyber Essentials certification scheme.

Aggress is soon to become the 5th Scottish Accreditation Body for the Cyber Essentials scheme. This scheme under pins the Scottish Governments Cyber Resilience strategy.

David and Gillian Evans started the company in May this year. David is a certified information system security professional (CISSP), with 20 years’ communication engineering experience in the Oil&Gas, Military and Banking industries. Gillian’s background is from the highly regulated pharmaceutical industry where she has amassed a wealth of experience in data management processes and training.

YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

David explained “Research shows the SMEs aren’t as concerned as big corporations when it comes to the cyber threats they face every day.

The reality is that they are as much at risk as big companies. The Cyber Essentials scheme provides five core security controls that have been proven by the Government to prevent 80% of common cyber-attacks”. A business that participates in the scheme, obtains the ‘tick badge’ and are

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able to show their business partners, customers, insurers and regulators that they take cyber security seriously. Also, they may gain competitive advantage as Cyber Essentials is now mandatory in a number of Central Government contracts and supply chains.

The Scottish Government is backing the Cyber Essentials scheme by issuing £300,000 worth of vouchers. Businesses in Ayrshire are strongly encouraged to apply, see below.

David added “the Cyber Essentials is not suitable for every type of business. We can conduct an assessment to identify any cyber weaknesses within a business and provide advice on IT modifications and training to ensure security resilience”.

HOW WE HELPED GILLIAN

get on the right page

Wee Dug Books is an independent publishing company set up in Ayrshire to print and market a series of children’s books focusing on their family dog visiting European cities.

The Louis Louis series by Gillian Muir, a former Geography teacher, has already been translated into French and Dutch with fans from all over the world including Canada, South Africa and South Korea.

We assisted Gillian with marketing, both traditional and digital, and signposted her to partner companies to help her expand the business to a global platform.

Gillian also attended a selection of our fully funded workshops focusing on finance and social media.

Business Gateway has been a fantastic source of information and knowledge.

Gillian Muir, Owner, Wee Dug Books

How we helped: • Finance advice • 1:1 Adviser support • Digital marketing • Fully funded workshops

To grow your business, call North Ayrshire 01294 507 857, East Ayrshire 01563 898 433, South Ayrshire 01292 427 552, or visit bgateway.com/ayrshire

CHAMBER EVENTS ROUND UP We hope you had a lovely summer break and have come back feeling refreshed and ready to go! We’ve plenty coming up and would love to see you there.

We hosted two rather unique and fun events in June, which were thoroughly

If you wish to host an event email Yvonne Munro at events@ayrshire-chamber.org

enjoyed at Craig Wilson Auctions and our very first Chamber Trivia Challenge at Balgarth Pines.

together a challenging questions. Thank you to The Balgarth Pines for providing the catering on the evening.

The Behind the Scenes tour of Craig Wilson’s was very informative learning about the history of the business and viewing a live cattle auction.

Our thanks to the hard-working team at Craig Wilson’s for allowing such great access to their venue.

Look below to check out Yvonne’s Diary Dates and find out what events we got coming up and we’ll see you there!

Our very first Chamber Trivia Challenge turned out to be a big winner. Over 100 turned out to be crowned the inaugural winner and be named as Chamber Champions.

Well done to the Microtech team, ably assisted by Kris Kirk from BBD, on their success. Our quizmaster for the evening was Robert Honeyman from The McKinstry Company and did a fantastic job of putting

EVENTS DIARY DATES Providing you the opportunity to meet contact, expand your knowledge and grow your business BUSINESS BOOSTS - ACTION PLANNING FOR SUCCESS 14th September 8.30-11.00am Venue: Ayrshire Chamber board Room Facilitated by KA Training

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£40 BEHIND THE SCENES @ KILMARNOCK PRISON 21st September 11.00-2.30pm Venue: Kilmarnock Prison FREE AN AUDIENCE WITH TONY STANGER AND THE AGM 2016 22nd September 5.00-7.30pm Venue: Aviator Suite, Glasgow Prestwick Airport Sponsor: Brownings the Baker FREE

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BUSINESS BOOSTS - TELEPHONING HANDLING SKILLS 30th September 8.30-11.00am Venue: Ayrshire Chamber board Room Facilitated by GTG Training £40 BUSINESS BOOSTS - EXCEL FOR COMPLETE BEGINNERS AND THE TERRIFIED 21st October 8.30-11.00am Venue: Ayrshire Chamber Board Room Facilitated by IT Fact £40 TICK TALK NETWORKING @ THE RADSTONE HOTEL, LANARKSHIRE 27th October 5.30- 7.30pm Make new connections with members from Lanarkshire, East Renfrewshire and Forth Valley Chambers Venue: The Radstone Hotel Host and Sponsor: The Rad Group FREE

BUSINESS BOOSTS - ADVANCED EXCELHOW TO USE THE SOPHISTICATED TOOLS 9th November 8.30-11.00am Venue: Ayrshire Chamber Board Room Facilitated by IT Fact £40 AYRSHIRE TALKS WITH…. JIM WITHERS CEO, SCOTLAND FOOD AND DRINK 16th November 11.30-2.30pm Venue: Dumfries House Sponsored by The Clydesdale Bank £28 BUSINESS BOOSTS - MANAGING STAFF PERFORMANCE, ABSENCE AND DISCIPLINARY MATTERS 25th November 8.30-11.00am Venue: Ayrshire Chamber Board Room Facilitated by Balance HR £40

GEMMELL’S GROTTO AND FESTIVE FUN 30th November 5.00-7.30pm Venue: Gemmell’s Garden Centre To book a stand contact Yvonne Host: Gemmell’s Garden Centre FREE BUSINESS BOOSTS - ADWORDS FOR GOOGLE 7th December 8.30-11.00am Venue: Ayrshire Chamber Board Room Facilitated by Bread and Butter Marketing £40 CHAMBER CHRISTMAS TRIVIA CHALLENGE 7th December 6.00-9.00pm Venue: Hallmark Hotel, Irvine Quizmaster: Robert Honeyman, The McKinstry Company Teams of 4 or individual places TBC

Price shown are Chamber Members rates and include VAT unless otherwise stated. To book or for more info visit www.ayrshire-chamber.org or call 01292 678666.

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MEMBW ERS

MACMILLAN & COMPANY (PROMOTIONAL MERCHANDISE) Troon Mr Gary Macmillan 01292 317585 www.macmillanandcompany.co.uk

HARDBANDING SOLUTIONS (EUROPE) LTD Galston Mr Colin Duff 01563 820505 www.hardbandingsolutions.com

YOUTRAIN LTD Stirling Miss Louise Findlay 01786 478478 www.youtrain.com

BUTE FABRICS LTD Isle of Bute Mr John Black 01700 503734 www.butefabrics.com

MDR GLASSWORKS Ayr Mr Michael Andrew 01292 265943 www.mdrglassworks.co.uk

AGGRESS Prestwick Mr David Evans 01292 811811 www.cyberaggress.com

BURNHOUSE ENGINEERING & FABRICATION LTD Beith Mr Jimmy Burwood 01560 484433 www.burnhouse-eng.co.uk

AYR ESTATE & LETTING AGENTS Ayr MrAlan Lavelle 01292 520021

ARTISAN LOUNGE (THE) Ayr Mr Garreth Campbell 01292 288699

ANNANDALE DESIGN UK LTD Kilmarnock Ms Elizabeth Tannock 01563 521579 www.annandaledesign.co.uk

SCOTMIN NUTRITION Ayr Mr Graeme Warnock 01292 280909 www.scotmin.com EVENTS ALIVE Ayr Mr Edd Holloway 07718 043650 SKOCIA WEB DESIGN Kilmarnock Ms Lucy Bradshaw 07482 258655 www.skocia.net ELIZABETH WALLACE Kilmarnock Ms Elizabeth Wallace 01563 537070 EMIRATES Glasgow Mrs Gill Maguire 0141 225 6200 www.emirates.com TCS CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANTS Kilmarnock Mr Martin Muir 01563 524371 www.tcsconstructionconsultants.co.uk

FRIENDS OF DUNDONALD CASTLE SCIO Kilmarnock Mrs Moira Park 01563 851489 dundonaldcastle.org.uk GAELTEC Kilmarnock Mr Guy Wilcox 01563 523466 www.gaeltecutilities.com STEAMERS IRONING SERVICES West Kilbride Ms Marianne Long 01294 673868 ARENA HR Kilmarnock Miss Laura Rennie 01563 524766 www.arenahr.co.uk

GSD PROJECT MANAGEMENT LTD Dundonald Mrs Sharon Driver 01563 850393 www.plan2succeed.co.uk AMC LANDSCAPES Troon Mr Alan McCrossin 07919 888467 www.amclandscapes.co.uk BLOSSOM & BLOOM Fenwick Mrs Jane Mason 07951 139404 BC TECHNOLOGIES Greenock Mr John Orr 01475 603423 www.bc-technologies.co.uk CRUCIAL DRINKS Cumnock Mr Scott Watson 07867 421004

ALZHEIMER SCOTLAND Kilmarnock Ms Gillian Anderson 01563 542621 www.alzscot.org COUNTY HOMES West Kilbride Mr Alan Cotton 01294 823184 PGA EUROPEAN TOUR Virginia Water Mr Robert Gordon 01344 840550 aamscottishopen.com ENGAGE Dunlop Dr Caroline Vance 07901 552822 www.coaching2engage.co.uk MACMILLAN CANCER SUPPORT Glasgow Miss Laura Stockwell 07834 192236 www.macmillan.org.uk

BARWHEYS DAIRY Maybole Ms Tricia Bey 01655 750163 www.barwheysdairy.co.uk

LA LUCE Ayr Mrs Fionagh Fairbairn 01292 737727

PILLOW Ayr Mr Scott Weir 01292 268501 www.pillowproperties.co.uk

OPTIMAL PHYSIO (SCOTLAND) LTD Largs Miss Pamela Couper 0333 301 0205 www.optimalphysio.co.uk

BOWMAN GARDEN MACHINERY Ayr Mrs June Bowman 01292 262763 www.bowmangm.co.uk

HIGHLIFE TRAVEL Ayr Ms Paula Horne 01292 737767 www.highlife-travel.com

We want to recruit more members to strengthen our business network and create more business opportunities for you. We are asking you to help by referring companies you know to us. When they join, we’ll reward you with a choice of special offers to help your business. Call the membership team on 01292 678666.

39 YOUR BUSINESS | AUTUMN 2016

The Board of Directors is delighted to welcome the following companies as recently joined members of Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Is your current agency pants?

Send us your briefs and we’ll turn them into focussed marketing missions that will rocket fuel your business.

www.launchscotland.com